ELA-This Year in Review
Theme
1. In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.
a. What is the theme of the story? ______
Connotation vs Denotation
2. Directions: For each condition listed below, think of a word with a positive connotation, and then think of a word with a negative connotation.
Condition Denotation (definition)__Positive ConnotationNegative Connotation_
a. overweight-______
b. short-______
c. child-______
d. active-______
Spelling
3. Directions: Spell each of the following misspelled words correctly.
a. cinammon______
b. councel ______
c. mesmarize______
d. plantiff ______
Literary Devices
4. Directions: Tell what type of literary device is being used below.
a. Bang! ______
b. The comment you made was out of the blue. ______
c. He knows everything about math. ______
d. Her angry words were daggers to his ears.______
Shifts in Verb Moods
5. Circle the shift in verb mood. Take two aspirins, go to sleep, and you should call me in the morning.
Author’s Purpose
6. Directions: Determine the author’s main purpose (to entertain, persuade, or inform) below.
a. A story about a family trying to stick together and survive the Great Depression in the Midwest.
Author’s Purpose: ______
c. A section in a history book describing the conditions and causes of the Great Depression in the Midwest in the 1930s
Author’s Purpose: ______
Shift in Verb Voice
7. Beautiful birds were seen as she entered the garden.
Is there are shift in voice? ______Explain your answer. ______
Using Context Clues
8. Directions: Use the context clues to define the underlined word in each sentence.
a. Everyone at the party wanted pizza but Tim because he detestscheese. ______
b. Mom wants red napkins, and Dad wants blue. However, I don’t care about such frivolousthings. ____
c. When Jose found out that Emilio carelessly broke his Xbox disc tray, Jose was vexed. ______
Point of View
9. Directions: Read the following passages and determine the narrative perspective (point of view).
Crispy Treats by LaDannaWafford
a. First, wash your hands and gather all of your materials. Once you’ve done that, follow all of the directions in your cookbook. Put the crispy treats in the oven and cook for 30-35. While your treats cook you might want to clean your work space. When you take the treats out of the oven, pour the honey and lemon sauce on immediately. Once treats are cooled, you and your friends can enjoy.
Point-of-View ______
Seventh Gradeby Gary Soto
b. On the first day of school, Victor stood in line half an hour before he came to a wobbly card table. He was handed a packet of papers and a computer card on which he listed his one elective, French. He already spoke Spanish and English, but he thought someday he might travel to France, where it was cool; not like Fresno, where summer days reached 110 degrees in the shade. Point-of-View ______
Ellipses
10. Directions: Rewrite the sentences below omitting text and using an ellipsis.
a. We were cautioned by the 8th grade World History teacher Mrs. Petersen not to run in the halls.
Verbals
11. Directions: Tell what type of verbal each underlined word is.
a. We are reviewing and preparingfor testing next week.
b. Don’t you want to do well on the Georgia Milestones?
c. You’re right; you all need to start having spelling tests.
Comma
12. Directions: Write the sentences below placing comma(s) in the correct places.
a. Mrs. Johnson said “I would like you all to rest well have good attendance and do your best on the test.”
b. After we finish testing next week it will be business as usual at TCMS.
Verb Moods
13. Directions: Identify the moods of the verbs in each of the sentences below.
a. How do you think you’re going to do on the Georgia Milestones?
b. I really hope all you do very well.
c. Come to school every day next week.
d. If you have done well all year, you will do well next week.
e. This is the very first year for the Georgia Milestones.
Dash
14. Directions: Write the sentences below placing the dash(es) in the correct place.
a. We are taking the Georgia Milestones bless our hearts next week.
b. It will cover several ELA concepts writing, grammar, and reading.
Verb Voices
15. Directions: Identify the voice of the verbs in each of the sentences below.
a. The CRCT has been replaced by the new Georgia Milestones test.
b. I wish all of my students will do their best and make me proud to be back in 8th grade ELA.
c. I can feel it; you all are going to do well.
Poetic Devices
16. Directions: Read the poem below, and answer the questions that follow.
“Noon” by Kendall Banning
The bees are humming, humming in the clover;The bobolink is singing in the rye;
The brook is purling2, purling in the valley,
And the river's laughing, radiant, to the sky!
The buttercups are nodding in the sunlight;
The winds are whispering, whispering to the pine;
The joy of June has found me; as a halo it's crowned me
Because, oh best beloved, you are mine!
a. Define bobolink.
b. What is the tone of the poem?
c. What is the mood of the author?
d. How many stanzas does the poem have?
e. What is the rhyme scheme of the first stanza?