Essay Writing
How many paragraphs are in an essay?
"The sun set behind the mountains, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink."
What is the best strategy to determine the meaning of "painting" in this context?
A. Guess based on prior knowledge
B. Look for context clues in the sentence
C. Skip the word and move on
D. Choose a definition from the dictionary
B. Look for context clues in the sentence
The storm left a devastating impact on the small town, leaving buildings in ruins and people without shelter.
What does devastating most likely mean?
A. mild
B. destructive
C. surprising
D. temporary
B. destructive
(Clues like “ruins” and “without shelter” suggest something causing great damage.)
Which word in the sentence below is a verb?
The children ran to the park after school to play.
A. Children
B. Ran
C. Park
D. Play
B. Ran
(“Ran” is the action word, making it the verb in the sentence.)
“The thunder grumbled like an old man who didn’t want to get out of bed.”
What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?
A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Hyperbole
D. Metaphor
B. Personification
What is the middle part of an essay called?
Body Paragraph(s)
What is connotation?
How a word feels.
Despite his aloof attitude, Marcus clearly cared about his teammates.
What does aloof most likely mean?
A. friendly
B. distant
C. loud
D. excited
B. distant
Which word in the sentence below is a noun?
The dog chased the ball across the yard.
A. Dog
B. Chased
C. Across
D. Yard
A. Dog
(“Dog” is the noun, as it is the name of the animal performing the action.)
The ancient oak tree stood like a silent sentinel, watching over the valley as the sun dipped below the horizon.
What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?
A. Metaphor
B. Personification
C. Simile
D. Allusion
B. Personification
(The oak tree is described as "watching," which gives it human-like qualities, a clear example of personification.)
Architect is to blueprint as author is to...
A. chapter
B. library
C. manuscript
D. editor
C. manuscript
The scientist’s theory was so convoluted that even the other researchers struggled to follow its twisted logic and tangled explanations.
What does convoluted most likely mean?
A. simple
B. boring
C. complicated
D. correct
C. complicated
(Clues like “twisted logic” and “tangled explanations” help reveal the meaning.)
Which word in the sentence below is a conjunction?
I wanted to go to the park, but it started raining.
A. Wanted
B. Go
C. But
D. Started
C. But
(“But” is the conjunction that connects two contrasting ideas: wanting to go to the park and it starting to rain.)
Her heart was a locked door, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the key.
What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?
A. Metaphor
B. Simile
C. Hyperbole
D. Onomatopoeia
A. Metaphor
(The heart is directly compared to a locked door, symbolizing emotional barriers, without using "like" or "as," making it a metaphor.)
What is a thesis? Where does it occur in an essay?
The answer to the prompt. In the last part of your introduction paragraph.
"Tom felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as he walked into the meeting."
Which strategy would help you figure out the meaning of the phrase "the weight of the world"?
A. Reread the sentence and think about how Tom is feeling
B. Focus only on the word "weight" and ignore the rest
C. Pick a definition from the dictionary that seems most likely
D. Skip the phrase and answer the question based on the rest of the passage
Reread the sentence and think about how Tom is feeling
(This strategy encourages students to focus on inference and understanding tone)
Read the sentence below:
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”
What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Hyperbole
D. Onomatopoeia
B. Metaphor
Which word in the sentence below is an adverb?
She sings beautifully in the school choir.
A. Sings
B. Beautifully
C. School
D. Choir
B. Beautifully
(“Beautifully” is the adverb, as it describes how she sings.)
The silence in the room was deafening, making everyone uneasy.
What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?
A. Hyperbole
B. Onomatopoeia
C. Personification
D. Simile
A. Hyperbole
(“Deafening” is an exaggerated way to describe silence, which is a classic example of hyperbole.)
Format this evidence properly:
Mr. Kotz drinks three cups of coffee a day.
Source: Source A
"Mr. Kotz drinks three cups of coffee a day" (Source A).
You’re stuck on a reading comprehension question about a story you just read. What should you do to increase your chances of getting the correct answer?
A. Skip the question and answer the next one, hoping to come back later.
B. Reread the passage, paying attention to the main idea, character emotions, and any repeated words or phrases.
C. Guess based on what you remember first, even if you're not sure.
D. Select the answer that sounds the most familiar, even if it doesn’t make sense.
B. Reread the passage, paying attention to the main idea, character emotions, and any repeated words or phrases.
(Remember to bookmark it to help you remember that you were unsure so that you can come back to it later)
Even after hours of pleading, the child remained intransigent, refusing to budge or compromise in any way.
What does intransigent most likely mean?
A. cooperative
B. stubborn
C. curious
D. tired
B. stubborn
(The clues “refusing to budge” and “refusing to compromise” point to being stubborn.)
Which word in the sentence below is a preposition?
She placed the book on the table next to the window.
A. Placed
B. Book
C. On
D. Next
C. On
(“On” is the preposition that shows the relationship between the book and the table.)
She was as busy as a bee, buzzing around from task to task all day long.
What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?
A. Simile
B. Hyperbole
C. Alliteration
D. Onomatopoeia
A. Simile
(The comparison of "as busy as a bee" uses "as" to compare her to a bee, making it a simile.)