MCT Writing Review

1

100

Jean's teacher has given her an assignment to write a speech about littering. Read the paragraph below. ____________. No one wants to walk on streets covered with food wrappers, bottles, newspapers ,and other garbage. Think about how ugly a neighborhood looks when people throw trash in the streets. Litter also brings bugs and rats that carry diseases and can make people sick. Let's show pride in our neighborhoods and put litter where it belongs. a. Bugs and rats can make people sick. b. People should recycle more of their trash. c. Littering is bad for people and the neighborhoods they live in. d. There are many ways for people to show pride in their neighborhood.

c. Littering is bad for people and the neighborhoods they live in.

200

Robert wants to have two friends over to spend the night. His mother has not agreed to his plan. Read the first part of the note Robert wrote to his mother to persuade her to let his friends spend the night. Mom, I would really like to have my friends over this weekend. We will not eat food in the bedroom. We won’t turn on the computer, and we won’t run and shout in the house. After we play with my toys, we will put them back into the closet. Which of the following sentences adds another detail that supports Robert’s specific purpose? A. Please, please let my friends come over this weekend. B. Last summer one of my friends stayed overnight at our house. C. I will do all of my homework every night next week before you remind me. D. We will get into our sleeping bags as soon as you tell us to turn off the lights.

D. We will get into our sleeping bags as soon as you tell us to turn off the lights.

300

Mary is creating a presentation about plants for her science class. The main idea of her presentation is that plants grow in different types of climates. Which of the following sentences uses compare and contrast to add a supporting detail that fits the main idea of Mary’s presentation? F. Roses grow all over the United States. G. Cacti grow in hot, dry weather while fir trees grow in rainy weather. H. The temperature is often cold in Alaska but hot in Mexico. J. Plants called seaweed can grow in water.

G. Cacti grow in hot, dry weather while fir trees grow in rainy weather.

400

Which of the following sentences uses specific descriptive details? A. The girl walked inside the cafeteria carefully carrying her tray. B. The girl moved through the cafeteria quietly holding her bright red tray. C. The girl went very slowly inside the really big cafeteria and held her tray while she walked. D. The girl weaved her way through the crowded cafeteria balancing her red tray in both hands.

D. The girl weaved her way through the crowded cafeteria balancing her red tray in both hands.

500

Abbie’s teacher told her to correct the capitalization error she has made in the following letter. Dear Aunt Sarah, I had fun at your Fourth of July picnic. The hot dogs and hamburgers were good, and the decorations were beautiful. I especially liked looking at the American flag hanging from the front porch. I hope we can celebrate at your house again next year. Love Always, Abbie Which of the following choices corrects Abbie’s error? F. aunt G. Picnic H. Flag J. always

J. always

2

100

Read the following sentence. The committee studied American schoolchildren’s favorite national holidays and most familiar goverment buildings. Which word from the sentence is not spelled correctly? F. favorite G. familiar H. goverment J. buildings

H. goverment

200

Which of the following sentences contains an appositive? A. Mrs. Smith and Mr. Johnson are our school’s librarians. B. The boy’s mother drove her car to school late in the day. C. Maria, my best friend, is moving to Arkansas in September. D. My sister likes to read, but my aunt prefers to watch movies.

C. Maria, my best friend, is moving to Arkansas in September.

300

Which of the following sentences provides specific descriptive details? A. The fast red car raced very quickly around the track. B. The small red car raced around the track with amazing speed. C. The brightly colored racecar went at an amazing speed around the track. D. The speeding car was a flash of bright red as it flew around the track.

D. The speeding car was a flash of bright red as it flew around the track

400

Which of the following sentences uses a colon correctly? F. For his birthday Daniel wants: a baseball glove, a football, and a joke book. G. We have three kinds of trees in our front yard: an oak, a pine, and a pear. H. My favorite kinds of dogs are: collies, poodles, and beagles. J. I like desserts such as: cake, ice cream, and pudding.

G. We have three kinds of trees in our front yard: an oak, a pine, and a pear.

500

Read Jacob’s draft of a paragraph. (1) Kayle and Marie had been best friends since third grade. (2) They had met in the gym. (3) Marie had been waiting for someone to play ping pong with her. (4) Ping pong is a game played with paddles and a small ball. (5) Kayle came along, and the two of them had fun playing. (6) After that, Kayle and Marie did almost everything together at school. (7) However, after school the two friends liked to do different things. (8) Kayle would go to the library. (9) The library had a large selection of books. (10) Marie would go home to play with her new puppy. Jacob’s teacher has told him to delete two sentences that do not support the main idea. Which of the following two sentences will Jacob delete? A. Sentences 2 and 7 B. Sentences 3 and 6 C. Sentences 4 and 9 D. Sentences 5 and 8

C. Sentences 4 and 9

3

100

Patrick wants to write a story using the following sentences. (1) Paul yanked open the attic door, flicked on the light, and exclaimed, “Wow! What’s this?” (2) Scattered across the attic floor were half-eaten pecans, bits of leaves, and tiny pieces of pine cones. (3) Paul sat with his legs draped over one side of the sofa and stared at a page in the new magazine that had just come in the mail. (4) Tossing the magazine to the floor, Paul sprang to his feet and raced up the stairs to investigate. (5) Suddenly his head jerked up, and he stared at the ceiling as a faint scratching noise grew louder and louder. Which sentence needs to come first in Patrick’s story? F. Sentence 1 G. Sentence 2 H. Sentence 3 J. Sentence 4

H. Sentence 3

200

Which of the following sentences provides specific descriptive details? A. The fast red car raced very quickly around the track. B. The small red car raced around the track with amazing speed. C. The brightly colored racecar went at an amazing speed around the track. D. The speeding car was a flash of bright red as it flew around the track.

D. The speeding car was a flash of bright red as it flew around the track.

300

Read the following sentences. Which statement below uses the correct comparison to combine the two ideas? F. Mr. Howard’s class moved quieter into the library than my class did. G. My class was less quieter than Mr. Howard’s when both classes moved into the library. H. Mr. Howard’s class moved more quietly than mine did when both classes went into the library. I. My class moved quietly, but Mr. Howard’s class was more quiet when both classes went into the library.

H. Mr. Howard’s class moved more quietly than mine did when both classes went into the library.

400

Which of the following words is not spelled correctly? A. Balance B. Material C. Patient D. Stomach

A. Balence

500

Which of the following is a complex sentence? F. After the race all the runners grabbed large bottles of icy cold water. G. Before this year the fourth graders did not compete in the relay races. H. For the rest of the day, the students remained outside. J. When the bell rang, we all knew that our class field day was over.

J. When the bell rang, we all knew that our class field day was over.

4

100

Read the four sentences below. My friend Maribel gave herself a haircut. The scouts put up the tents theirselves. Tyrone promised hisself that he would study his math. We were proud of cleaning the playground ourselves. How many sentences use a correct reflexive pronoun? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

B. 2

200

Keith is writing a simple procedure for a presentation on how to build a birdhouse. Which of the following sentences does not contain a supporting detail that will help Keith use the simple procedure method for his presentation? A. Choose wood that is ½ inch thick. B. The entrance hole needs to be big enough to fit the chosen bird. C. To give proper ventilation, make smaller holes above the entrance and near the roof. D. Birds seek three kinds of protection: the nest shelter, the food shelter, and the nest house.

D. Birds seek three kinds of protection: the nest shelter, the food shelter, and the nest house.

300

Keith is writing a simple procedure for a presentation on how to build a birdhouse. Which of the following sentences does not contain a supporting detail that will help Keith use the simple procedure method for his presentation? A. Choose wood that is ½ inch thick. B. The entrance hole needs to be big enough to fit the chosen bird. C. To give proper ventilation, make smaller holes above the entrance and near the roof. D. Birds seek three kinds of protection: the nest shelter, the food shelter, and the nest house.

D. Birds seek three kinds of protection: the nest shelter, the food shelter, and the nest house.

400

Which of the following sentences correctly punctuates a title? F. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a book that was made into a movie. G. The ice cream truck is playing Turkey in the Straw over its speaker system. H. “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is an interesting story. J. Shel Silverstein wrote a poem called Messy Room

H. “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is an interesting story.

500

Read the beginning of Bianca’s descriptive essay. (1) On Saturday mornings I go to the grocery store with my mother. (2) First we stop to look at the arrangement of fruit. (3) I like to see the red and green apples, the bright yellow lemons, and the oranges lying in neat, straight rows in their bins. (4) Mother sometimes lets me help her choose which peaches to buy. Which of the following sentences fits after sentence 4 to add specific descriptive details to the paragraph? A. She tells me to choose the twelve I like best. B. She uses them to make a delicious peach cobbler. C. Their skins feel soft and fuzzy when I gently lift them up. D. Most of the peaches are about the same size, color, and shape.

C. Their skins feel soft and fuzzy when I gently lift them up.

5

100

Which sentence below uses present perfect tense? A. The choir has won first place in the competition every year. B. The choir will win first place in the competition every year. C. The choir wins first place in the competition every year. D. The choir won first place in the competition every year.

A. The choir has won first place in the competition every year.

200

Which of the following sentences does not use a linking verb? F. The pickles in that jar taste sour. G. The huge kite fell quickly to the ground. H. The students seemed tired after lunch. J. The new book was quite interesting to me.

G. The huge kite fell quickly to the ground.

300

Benita is brainstorming a list of questions she needs to answer for a report on the history of roller coasters. Which of the following questions will not help her learn more about the roller coaster’s history? A. Who invented the roller coaster? B. What did early roller coasters look like? C. Where was the first American roller coaster? D. Which country has the most roller coasters?

D. Which country has the most roller coasters?

400

Read the following sentence. Josie tipped over the basket of big red apples. Which change makes this a sentence with a compound subject? F. The basket of big red apples suddenly tipped over, and Josie ran to it. G. Josie walked by the basket of big red apples, and it suddenly tipped over. H. The basket and the big red apples suddenly tipped over onto Josie. J. Josie bumped into a basket of big red apples and tipped it over.

H. The basket and the big red apples suddenly tipped over onto Josie.

500

Read the following sentence. Which of the following options shows the sentence rewritten using the correct object pronouns? A. Mrs. Juarez had dinner with she and him. B. Mrs. Juarez had dinner with her and he. C. Mrs. Juarez had dinner with her and him. D. Mrs. Juarez had dinner with she and he.

C. Mrs. Juarez had dinner with her and him.