Topics
Sentence Structure
Titles/Capitalization
Types of Writing
Writing Features
100
A student is writing a report on giant pandas. Read the paragraph.
Giant pandas’ diets are made up of about 99% bamboo. Bamboo is very low in calories and hard to digest. In fact, with little nutritional value in bamboo, pandas eat 50-90 pounds every day. Therefore, giant pandas must eat a large amount of bamboo to get enough nutrition.
Which detail could the student add to develop the topic in the paragraph?
A. Giant pandas are closely related to red pandas
B. The national Zoo in Washington, D.C. has pandas.
C. The Chinese word for panda means “big bear cat”
D. Giant pandas spend about 12 hours a day eating.
D. Giant pandas spend about 12 hours a day eating.
100
Read the sentences. “I have a good idea!” Let’s have ice cream after dinner, said Joey. Which revision corrects the punctuation mistake in the sentences?
A. “I have a good idea! Let’s have ice cream after dinner, said Joey.”
B. “I have a good idea! Let’s have ice cream after dinner,” said Joey.
C. I have a good idea! “Let’s have ice cream after dinner,” said Joey.
D. I have a good idea! Let’s have ice cream after dinner, “said Joey.”
B. “I have a good idea! Let’s have ice cream after dinner,” said Joey.
100
Which book title has the correct capitalization?
A. Lion has a loud Roar
B. On the journey to California
C. Monkey Fun At The Zoo
D. Adventures in Space Travel SC
D. Adventures in Space Travel SC
100
Molly has to write a short paper for science class. She has to choose a topic.
Which topic is best for a short paper?
A. fish, crabs, and lobsters
B. animals that live in the sea
C. how lobsters find food
D. the world's animals
C. how lobsters find food
100
Waking up early helps us stay healthy. The fresh morning air is good for us. It is a good habit to take a walk every morning. We benefit from the fresh air as well as the Sun’s rays. When we wake up early, we have enough time to do all our daily work. We can also do our work better without getting tired.
Which sentence would be the best ending for this passage?
A. Trees keep the air fresh and clean.
B. The morning Sun helps us stay healthy.
C. We should brush our teeth every morning.
D. We should wake up early to stay fresh all day.
D. We should wake up early to stay fresh all day.
200
Gary is writing a one-page paper for science class. He has to describe something he learned in class.
Which topic is best for a one-page paper?
A. jungle plants and animals
B. animals that live in trees
C. how animals take care of each other
D. how monkeys take care of their babies
D. how monkeys take care of their babies
200
Which of these is a run-on sentence?
A. I like pizza. It is yummy.
B. I like pizza it is yummy.
C. I like pizza, and it is yummy.
D. Pizza is good.
B. I like pizza it is yummy.
200
Which song title is written correctly?
A. "Happy as A Sunny day"
B. "happy as a Sunny Day"
C. "Happy as a sunny Day"
D. "Happy as a Sunny Day"
D. "Happy as a Sunny Day"
200
A student is writing a report on airplanes. Read the paragraph from the report.
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful flight in an airplane. The plane stayed in the air for 12 seconds and traveled 120 feet. The flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Which detail could the student add to develop the topic in the paragraph?
A. Orville and Wilbur Wright grew up in the 1800’s in Ohio.
B. The airplane is a widely used form of transportation today.
C. Only five people were there to see the Wrights brothers’ first flight.
D. The car was invented a few decades before the airplane.
C. Only five people were there to see the Wrights brothers’ first flight.
200
Lee got a bad grade on his spelling test. He was sad, but he made plans to get a better grade the next week. First, he looked in the dictionary to learn what all the words on his list mean. Then, he practiced writing the words many times. Later, he asked his parents to give him a practice test. He felt ready for the spelling test. Finally, he took the test, and he made the best grade in the class.
Which sequence (transition) words are used in this paragraph?
A. grade, test, dictionary, plans
B. Lee, parents, class, he
C. first, then, later, finally
D. asked, practiced, looked, felt
C. first, then, later, finally
300
A student is writing about reptiles. Read the draft.
Many people get these two reptiles confused. Although they look similar, there are a few easy ways to tell these two animals apart.
One of the main ways to identify these animals is to look at the shape of their heads. Alligators have shorter, wider heads than crocodiles. An alligator’s head is shaped like the letter U, while a crocodile’s head is more pointy or V-shaped.
Another way to identify these animals is to look at the color of their skin. Both animals are covered with hard dry scales, but an alligator’s skin appears much darker in color than a crocodile’s skin.
Which sentence would best introduce the topic?
A. Did you know that alligators and crocodiles are both reptiles?
B. Can you tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
C. Alligators and crocodiles have lived on Earth for a very long time.
D. Alligators and crocodiles are some of the most feared animals on Earth.
B. Can you tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
300
How can you fix this run-on sentence?
"The dog barked he wanted to go outside."
A. The dog barked because he wanted to go outside.
B. The dog barked and. He wanted to go outside.
C. The dog barked but he.
D. The dog barked wanted to outside.
A. The dog barked because he wanted to go outside.
300
A student is doing research on sea turtles. Read the paragraph from the source.
Sea turtles lay eggs. A mother turtle finds a place on land to make a nest. She digs a hole in the sand or dirt on a beach, lays her eggs, and then buries them. The mother leaves the eggs and returns to the water. Weeks later, the eggs hatch. The baby turtles climb out of the nest and make their way to the ocean. They must avoid predators, such as sea birds. If these newborn turtles make it to the ocean, they start a “swimming frenzy” to move miles away into deeper waters.
If the student used information from this source, which title would best describe the topic of the report?
A. Sea Turtles Love to Swim
B. Life Begins for Sea Turtles
C. Sea Turtle Nests
D. How to Find Sea Turtle Eggs
B. Life Begins for Sea Turtles
300
It is very important to brush and floss your teeth twice every day.
When you eat and drink, some food gets trapped between your teeth. What you drink will also leave a film on your teeth. If this is not cleaned away, a harmful type of bacteria can grow in your mouth. You cannot see the bacteria because it is so small. However, it can do a lot of damage to the covering of your teeth.
Your teeth are covered with a hard substance called "enamel." This covering protects your teeth. When bad bacteria is left in your mouth, it can begin to eat away at a tooth's enamel and make a hole. This is called a "cavity." This will damage the tooth. So, always brush and floss your teeth every morning and every evening.
The text organization in this passage is an example of
A. cause and effect.
B. question and answer.
C. chronological order.
D. similarity and difference.
A. cause and effect.
300
Reading Buddies
(1) We should be allowed to be reading buddies with the kindergarten class. (2) Kindergarten students love to spend time with older students. (3) We will also have a chance to practice our reading skills. (4) We can work on reading with expression and using different voices to read. (5) The younger students will get to know us through being reading buddies. (6) Being reading buddies will help us get to know younger students, too.
Choose the best place to add the following sentence.
By getting to know each other, we can grow as a school community.
A. after sentence 6
B. after sentence 4
C. after sentence 3
D. after sentence 5
A. after sentence 6
400
A student is writing a report about staying safe while swimming in the ocean. Which sentence would best support the topic?
A. Looking for a lifeguard on duty is a helpful way to choose which public beach to visit.
B. Another unique aspect of ocean water is its frequent changing temperature.
C. Knowing the times of the ocean tides is one way for surfers to find the best waves.
D. Building sandcastles is a favorite pastime of many children when visiting the beach.
A. Looking for a lifeguard on duty is a helpful way to choose which public beach to visit.
400
(1) I wore my pink swimsuit with little white flowers my brother, Timmy, had on his blue trunks with yellow ducks all over them. (2) The sun was very. (3) That day we drove to beach. (4) I could not wait to run into the big blue ocean. (5) As soon as we parked the car. (6) The sky seemed to open up. (7) Rain poured down everywhere our beach day was ruined. (8) Mom said that. (9) Next time we’ll check the weather.
Which sentence in this story is a run-on?
A. sentence 5
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 9
D. sentence 1
D. sentence 1
400
The space shuttle's mission was to journey to mars, but the bad weather stopped the mission.
What word needs to be capitalized?
A. mars
B. space shuttle
C. journey
D. mission
A. mars
400
A student is writing an opinion paper about watching television. Read the opinion.
Many adults think that children spend too much time watching TV, but not all TV shows are bad. There are many television programs that are educational. People can learn about places they have never been, discover facts about animals, or even learn how to cook! TV can also be entertaining. Watching shows that are funny or exciting is a perfect way for people to relax. These are just a few of the benefits of watching TV. So, next time you tune in to your favorite show, think about all the interesting things you are learning.
Which sentence should be included in the writing to clearly state the student’s opinion about television?
A. I have learned lots of information by watching TV.
B. Many adults think that watching TV is a waste of time.
C. Most children enjoy watching educational TV programs.
D. I believe watching TV can actually be good for children.
D. I believe watching TV can actually be good for children.
400
My favorite book is Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. I read it when I was in third grade. I stayed up past my bedtime to read it because I loved the book so much. I imagined that I was the main character in the story. She could draw well, and she could run fast. The end of the story was sad.
Which sentence is the BEST concluding (last) sentence to the paragraph?
A. Third grade was my favorite year in school.
B. Katherine Patterson also wrote Jacob Have I Loved.
C. I want to be a writer when I grow-up.
D. I cried when I finished the book.
D. I cried when I finished the book.
500
Francis is writing a paper about apes. He made an outline to organize his notes. Francis's outline is below.
Apes
- Ape Facts
- Many different kinds of apes
- Live in Africa and Asia
- Closest to humans in shape and actions
- Eating and Finding Food
- Most eat plants, fruit, honey
- Spend half the day looking for food
- ___________________
- Apes and Their Young
- Keep their young with them for years
- Very loving towards their young
- Babies are carried almost all of the time
Under which part of the outline does Francis talk about where apes live?
A. Apes and Their Young
B. Most eat plants, fruit, honey
C. Ape Facts
D. Eating and Finding Food
C. Ape Facts
500
Which is the correct way to combine the two sentences below to make a complex sentence?
Kira put her perfect spelling test on the refrigerator. Her mom would see it.
A. Kira put her perfect spelling test on the refrigerator so that her mom would see it.
B. Kira put her perfect spelling test on the refrigerator, but her mom would see it.
C. Kira put her perfect spelling test on the refrigerator, because her mom would see it.
D. Kira put her perfect spelling test on the refrigerator her mom would see it.
A. Kira put her perfect spelling test on the refrigerator so that her mom would see it.
500
Diana was teaching George to read. She asked him which book he wanted to read, and he told her that Bubbles and fun in the Park was his favorite book.
Which word in the book title needs to be capitalized?
A. the
B. and
C. fun
D. in
C. fun
500
Both a bookstore and a bank want to move into the same empty building on Main Street. Let's support the bookstore. _____ it would be the town’s first bookstore in years, people would be excited to go there. It could become a meeting place for the community.
Which transition word or phrase best fits in the blank?
A. Unless
B. While
C. Even though
D. Since
D. Since
500
Spelling Words
One way to learn how to spell is to study how words that sound or look the same are spelled. Sometimes, these words are made up of the same parts or endings. Knowing the parts and endings can help you figure out how other words are spelled. You can also learn how to spell by reading books. The more you see a word, the more likely you will remember how to spell the word. With a little practice, you can learn how to spell correctly.
Which sentence best introduces the paragraph?
A. Every student needs to know how to spell words for the spelling bee.
B. Some words can be tough to spell, but you can learn how to spell with some practice.
C. Most often, spelling tests have words that you see almost every day.
D. Another way to learn how to spell a hard word is to say the word in a special way.
B. Some words can be tough to spell, but you can learn how to spell with some practice.