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Language Arts Semester Test
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Understanding the Reading
Select the letter of the choice that best answers the question or completes
the sentence.
____ 1. Typically, the style and organization of a newsletter changes
a. very seldom.
b. at the beginning of each year.
c. each time the newsletter is issued.
____ 2. Personal writing can help you
a. understand directions more easily.
b. convince others of your point of view.
c. capture and describe important memories.
____ 3. The subheads for a research report outline should contain
a. the main ideas of the paragraphs.
b. supporting details and facts.
c. interesting questions raised by your paper.
____ 4. To compare and contrast two poems, you should discuss
a. the similarities between the two poems.
b. the differences between the two poems.
c. the similarities and differences between the two poems.
Using Dialogue
Select the letter of the most natural-sounding word or phrase for the blank
in each sentence.
____ 5. "Congratulations," said the judge, "you have ____ first place
in the music contest."
a. earned
b. nabbed
c. done
____ 6. "____. You gotta be sure before you just dump your paper
route."
a. Please wait
b. Delay a while
c. Hang on
Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences
Each item below shows a sentence fragment or a run-on sentence. Select the
letter of the choice that revises the sentence correctly.
____ 7. The lizard under a flat rock.
a. The lizard hid under a flat rock.
b. The lizard; under a flat rock.
c. The lizard deep under a flat rock.
____ 8. The toaster is smoking, your English muffin is burning.
a. The toaster is smoking; your English muffin is burning.
b. The toaster is smoking. your English muffin is burning.
c. The toaster is smoking your English muffin is burning.
Using Verbs, Pronouns, and Adjectives
____ 9. Each of these drawings ____ a fine work of art.
a. were
b. is
c. are
____ 10. The other students and ____ planned a surprise party for Mr.
LaFleur.
a. us
b. we
c. our
____ 11. Have you gone for a ride on ____ new mountain bike?
a. Lucas’s
b. Lucases
c. Lucas’
____ 12. It’s time to sit down because ____ on the table.
a. dinners
b. dinners’
c. dinner’s
____ 13. The O’Rileys brought us ____ from their trip to Florida.
a. oranges’
b. oranges
c. orange’s
Collective Nouns and Appositives
____ 14. In which sentence is the appositive phrase punctuated
correctly?
a. My sister a judo enthusiast demonstrated her latest kick.
b. My sister, a judo enthusiast, demonstrated her latest kick.
c. My sister, a judo enthusiast demonstrated her latest kick.
____ 15. Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined
verb agrees with the subject.
a. The planning committee discuss their different views on the proposed
mall.
b. Everybody discuss the pros and cons of the issue.
c. Two of the members discusses their ideas for a restaurant in the mall.
____ 16. Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined
verb agrees with the subject.
a. Rain or snow make dirt roads rutted and dangerous.
b. Either asphalt or gravel makes a better road surface.
c. Potholes and bumpy roads makes drivers nervous.
Verb Tenses and Forms
Select the letter of the term that describes the verb tense or form in each
sentence.
____ 17. By this time next week I will have finished eighth grade.
a. present
b. future
c. future perfect
Using Pronouns Correctly
____ 18. The dastardly villain in the play is ____.
a. him
b. himself
c. he
Comparative and Superlative Forms
____ 19. Those irises are the ____ flowers in your garden.
a. more beautiful
b. beautifulest
c. most beautiful
____ 20. Neither my brothers nor my mother ____ home.
a. is
b. are
c. were
Participles, Participial Phrases, Gerunds, and Infinitives
____ 21. A participial phrase in a sentence should always be placed
a. as close as possible to the word it modifies.
b. at the beginning of the sentence.
c. after the word it modifies.
Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
____ 22. Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined
verb agrees with the subject.
a. Each charcoal sketch looks almost perfect.
b. Your subject’s eyes looks lifelike.
c. The portrait look like the work of a professional artist.
Troublesome Words
____ 23. Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined
word is used correctly.
a. Please put the roast in the oven.
b. The lizards live in the cave.
c. Some leaves fell in the pool.
More Troublesome Words
____ 24. Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined
word is used correctly.
a. If I lay down now, I might fall asleep.
b. Just lay my bathrobe on the chair.
c. It always feels so nice to lay in bed.
____ 25. Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined
word is used correctly.
a. Riding a train is more pleasant than traveling by bus.
b. Trains once dominated America; than the car was invented.
c. Train travel became less popular and than almost obsolete.
Rules of Capitalization
____ 26. When writing a direct quotation that is a complete sentence,
you should
a. capitalize the first word of the quotation.
b. capitalize all important words in the quotation.
c. not capitalize the quotation.
Capitalizing Proper Nouns and Adjectives
____ 27. Select the letter of the item that is capitalized correctly
in each group.
a. Bay avenue
b. erie Canal
c. Middle Street
____ 28. Select the letter of the item that is capitalized correctly
in each group.
a. Spring
b. August
c. New Year’s eve
Sentence Combining: Appositives
For each pair of sentences, select the letter of the choice that best
combines the sentences.
____ 29. Mr. Sabatino plays in the school band. He is a teacher at
Willard School.
a. Mr. Sabatino plays in the school band; he is a teacher at Willard
School.
b. Mr. Sabatino plays in the school band, and he is a teacher at Willard
School.
c. Mr. Sabatino, a teacher at Willard School, plays in the school band.
Using Reference Sources
Select the letter identifying the best source to use to answer each question.
____ 30. What major mountain ranges are located in Africa?
a. newspaper c. almanac
b. atlas d. Readers’ Guide
Matching
Identifying Verbals
Select the letter of the term that describes the underlined word or words in
each sentence.
a. participle d. gerund phrase
b. participial phrase e. infinitive
c. gerund f. infinitive phrase
____ 31. The point of bowling is to knock down every pin.
____ 32. Everybody looked up at the circling airplanes.
____ 33. Laughing is a universal expression of joy.
____ 34. The little boy sneaked into the circus by crawling under the
tent.
____ 35. To cook requires little more than common sense.
____ 36. Stunned by the verdict, the defendant slumped in his seat.
____ 37. Our assignment for music class is to write a rap song.
____ 38. After yesterday’s windstorm, I really have to rake the lawn.
____ 39. The voices of the fans grew hoarse from cheering.
____ 40. Lucie begged her brother to lend her his portable radio.
____ 41. The newly installed elevator refused to go up or down.
Using Verbals
Select the letter of the term that describes how the underlined word or
phrase is used in each sentence.
a. main verb in a verb phrase
b. adjective
c. subject
d. direct object
e. object of a preposition
____ 42. To skate in the Olympics is Hana’s great ambition.
____ 43. A sweet, soft breeze is wafting in the window.
____ 44. Lester felt dizzy after standing up too quickly.
____ 45. Dazzled by the sun, the girl cupped her hand over her eyes.
____ 46. The dolphins helped to lead the boat to safety.
____ 47. Several doubting audience members heckled the magician.
____ 48. Wrestling requires strength and agility.
____ 49. Mary Ann Maggioto plans to run for mayor.
____ 50. A lot of important lessons can be learned from losing.
Short Answer
Essay
56. Context
An international teen magazine wants to know what teens in the United States
are wearing. Write one page describing your favorite article of clothing—
perhaps a pair of pants, a skirt, a dress, a shirt, a hat, or a pair of
shoes. It may be one you own, one a friend has, one you glimpsed in a
magazine, or one you have imagined. Your aim should be to describe the
article of clothing in such detail that someone could visualize it without
having seen it.
Directions
Write a one-page description of the article of clothing. Begin by describing
the overall impression it creates, and then describe each detail.
• Visualize the article of clothing. What is the overall impression it
creates? Rich? Tough? Elegant? Cute?
• Now describe the style, color, and material of the article of
clothing. How does it feel?
• Use transition words to make connections between your sentences.
• Define any terms that might be unfamiliar to your reader.
Purpose
To describe your favorite article of clothing
Audience
Teens in other countries
Length
1 page
Rubrics
1. Did I begin by describing the article of clothing’s overall effect?
2. Did I describe each component of the article of clothing?
3. Have I organized the details in a logical order?
4. Did I use vivid sensory details?
5. Do I define terms where necessary?
6. Did I follow standards of grammar, usage, and mechanics?
57. Using Different Types of Sentences
Write an advertisement for an imaginary new product. Include at least one
example of each of these kinds of sentences: declarative, interrogative,
imperative, and exclamatory. Also, use at least one compound subject, one
compound predicate, and one compound sentence. In the sentences with compound
subjects and predicates, underline each simple subject once and each simple
predicate twice.
58. Writing with Pronouns
Write a speech for the tour guide of an imaginary mansion. Describe the
house, its furnishings, and the people who once lived there. Include and
label at least one example of each of these kinds of pronouns: subject,
object, possessive, and demonstrative.
59. Writing with Troublesome Words
Write a paragraph describing a family meal at your home. Use each of these
words correctly in your paragraph: beside, besides, many, much, sit, and set.
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