English Language Arts 8 (Grade 8) Midterm — Semester 2, Form A

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. Which sentence is written in the passive voice?
   1. A. The letter was mailed by Jordan.
   2. B. Jordan is mailing the letter.
   3. C. Jordan will mail the letter.
   4. D. Jordan mailed the letter.
2. Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
   1. A. If she is the coach last year, she would change the lineup.
   2. B. If she be the coach, she changes the lineup.
   3. C. If she were being the coach, she changes the lineup.
   4. D. If she were the coach, she would change the lineup.
3. In the sentence "Swimming is my favorite sport," the word Swimming is a
   1. A. infinitive
   2. B. gerund
   3. C. participle
   4. D. linking verb
4. Which sentence is written in the active voice?
   1. A. The windows were cleaned yesterday.
   2. B. The meal was prepared by the chef.
   3. C. The chef prepared the meal.
   4. D. The game was won by our team.
5. In the sentence "She wants to learn Spanish," the phrase to learn is a
   1. A. gerund
   2. B. infinitive
   3. C. participle
   4. D. prepositional phrase
6. Which is a primary source about the Civil War?
   1. A. A documentary about the war made in 2010
   2. B. A textbook chapter about the war
   3. C. An encyclopedia article on Civil War battles
   4. D. A diary written by a soldier during the war
7. In MLA style, how are entries on the Works Cited page arranged?
   1. A. From the longest source to the shortest
   2. B. By the date each source was published
   3. C. Alphabetically by the author's last name
   4. D. In the order sources appear in the paper
8. Which is the best definition of plagiarism?
   1. A. Using others' words or ideas without giving credit
   2. B. Summarizing a source and then citing it
   3. C. Reading many sources before you write
   4. D. Quoting a source and citing it correctly
9. Which research question is best focused for a short report?
   1. A. What are all the effects of exercise on people?
   2. B. Is exercise good for you or bad for you?
   3. C. How many push-ups did I do yesterday?
   4. D. How does daily exercise affect teens' sleep?
10. When you copy a writer's exact words into your paper, you must
    1. A. list the source only in your Works Cited
    2. B. put them in quotation marks and cite the source
    3. C. put them in italics without a citation
    4. D. change at least one word in each sentence
11. In a play, what is a scene?
    1. A. A section within an act, often marking a change of place
    2. B. The list of characters printed at the start of a script
    3. C. A large section of the play made up of several acts
    4. D. A long speech given directly to the audience by one actor
12. What is free verse?
    1. A. Poetry that tells a story in rhyming stanzas
    2. B. Poetry without a regular rhyme scheme or meter
    3. C. Poetry with exactly fourteen lines
    4. D. Poetry with three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables
13. Read the sentence: "The classroom was a beehive of activity." Which figurative language does it use?
    1. A. Onomatopoeia
    2. B. Metaphor
    3. C. Simile
    4. D. Personification
14. What is an aside in a play?
    1. A. A scene that flashes back to events from the past
    2. B. A short remark only the audience is meant to hear
    3. C. A song performed between two acts of the play
    4. D. A long speech given alone on an empty stage
15. Read the line: "The moon kept watch over the sleeping town." Which figurative language does it use?
    1. A. Onomatopoeia
    2. B. Hyperbole
    3. C. Simile
    4. D. Personification

Part 2: Written Response

16. Write a short paragraph about a school event that includes a gerund, a participle, and an infinitive. Underline and label each one. Then rewrite one sentence from active to passive voice.