English 9–10 (Grades 9–10) Midterm — Full-Course Review

ELA Grades 9–10 30 multiple choice + 2 written

Free printable English 9–10 midterm (Grades 9–10): 30 multiple-choice questions plus 2 written responses covering Short Story & Literary Elements, Poetry, Drama, Rhetoric & Argument, Grammar & Mechanics, Research & Writing. Answer key included — customize it in the Midterm Maker.

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Directions: Read each question carefully and choose the best answer. Answer the written response in complete sentences.

Covers: Short Story & Literary Elements · Poetry · Drama · Rhetoric & Argument · Grammar & Mechanics · Research & Writing

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Which is a theme rather than a topic?
1. A. Loyalty can require personal sacrifice.
2. B. Courage, loyalty, and personal sacrifice
3. C. Friendship and family in a small town
4. D. The loyalty between soldiers in a war
What is a frame story?
1. A. A story with no clear conflict
2. B. A story told within another story
3. C. A story that begins at the very end
4. D. A story told entirely through letters
Which is an example of situational irony?
1. A. A hero defeats the villain, just as everyone expected.
2. B. A character says 'Lovely weather' during a storm.
3. C. A fire station burns down.
4. D. The audience knows a thief hides behind the door, but the hero does not.
Read the passage: "The house had stood empty for years. Its shutters hung crooked, and ivy crept over the windows as if trying to hide whatever waited inside." Which word best describes the mood?
1. A. Ominous
2. B. Humorous
3. C. Joyful
4. D. Peaceful
Which describes third-person limited point of view?
1. A. A narrator outside the story reveals one character's thoughts.
2. B. A character in the story narrates using 'I.'
3. C. A narrator outside the story reveals every character's thoughts.
4. D. The narrator reports only actions and speech, never thoughts.
What is assonance?
1. A. Exaggeration for emphasis or effect
2. B. Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words
3. C. Repetition of beginning consonant sounds
4. D. Words that imitate the sounds they name
How many lines does a sonnet have?
1. A. 12
2. B. 19
3. C. 14
4. D. 16
In poetry, what is a volta?
1. A. A turn or shift in thought or argument
2. B. A line that repeats throughout the poem
3. C. A pause in the middle of a line
4. D. The final word of each stanza
In Emily Dickinson's lines "'Hope' is the thing with feathers - / That perches in the soul -," hope is compared to
1. A. a bird
2. B. a flower
3. C. a song
4. D. a cloud
Which is the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?
1. A. AABB CCDD EEFF GG
2. B. ABA BCB CDC DED EE
3. C. ABBA ABBA CDE CDE
4. D. ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
What is the antagonist of a play?
1. A. The main character at the center of the play
2. B. The character who provides humor in the play
3. C. The character or force opposing the protagonist
4. D. The narrator who introduces each act of the play
In classical tragedy, what is the protagonist's fatal flaw or error called?
1. A. Catharsis
2. B. Epilogue
3. C. Chorus
4. D. Hamartia
In theater, what is blocking?
1. A. The planned movements and positions of actors
2. B. Lines an actor forgets during a performance
3. C. A scene cut from the script before opening night
4. D. The painted backdrop hanging behind the actors
What is comic relief?
1. A. A happy ending that resolves every conflict
2. B. A humorous scene that eases tension in a serious work
3. C. A speech in which a character mocks the audience
4. D. A play that is entirely comedic from start to end
In the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus calls the lovers "star-cross'd." This phrase suggests that
1. A. they first met under the night sky
2. B. they will escape their families' feud
3. C. they are destined to become rulers
4. D. their lives are shaped by fate
Read the sentence: "I met two rude people from that town, so everyone there must be rude." Which fallacy does it show?
1. A. Straw man
2. B. Bandwagon
3. C. Hasty generalization
4. D. Slippery slope
In an argument, what is a concession?
1. A. Repeating the main claim in the conclusion
2. B. Attacking the character of an opponent
3. C. Admitting that an opposing point has some merit
4. D. Providing statistics to support a claim
Read the sentence: "If we let students use calculators, soon they won't know basic math, and then they'll fail every class." Which fallacy does it show?
1. A. False dilemma
2. B. Ad hominem
3. C. Red herring
4. D. Slippery slope
Read the sentence: "My opponent wants to reduce homework, so she obviously doesn't care whether students learn." Which fallacy does it show?
1. A. Straw man
2. B. Appeal to authority
3. C. Red herring
4. D. Hasty generalization
What is antithesis?
1. A. Pairing contrasting ideas in parallel form
2. B. Exaggerating a point for emphasis or humor
3. C. Asking a question that needs no answer
4. D. Repeating a word at the end of each clause
Which phrase correctly shows the bowls belonging to two dogs?
1. A. the dog's bowls
2. B. the dogs' bowls
3. C. the dogs bowls
4. D. the dogs's bowls
Which is a dependent clause?
1. A. the coach called all of us
2. B. the game was canceled at noon
3. C. because the game was canceled
4. D. we went home early that day
Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "The cat licked ___ paw."
1. A. its
2. B. it's
3. C. it is
4. D. its'
Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "To ___ should I address the letter?"
1. A. whose
2. B. who's
3. C. who
4. D. whom
Which sentence uses a colon correctly?
1. A. Bring: a pencil, a notebook, and a calculator for the test.
2. B. The reason we were late is: the bus broke down.
3. C. My favorite subjects are: math, science, and art class.
4. D. Bring three items: a pencil, a notebook, and a calculator.
Which is the strongest thesis statement for an essay on school uniforms?
1. A. Schools should adopt uniforms because they reduce distractions and costs.
2. B. School uniforms come in many different colors and styles.
3. C. This essay will discuss the topic of school uniforms in detail.
4. D. Some schools require uniforms, while many other schools do not.
In APA style, the list of sources at the end of a paper is titled
1. A. Works Cited
2. B. Bibliography
3. C. Sources Consulted
4. D. References
Which transition word best signals a contrast?
1. A. for example
2. B. however
3. C. furthermore
4. D. similarly
Why should an argument essay address a counterargument?
1. A. It builds credibility by showing the writer considered other views.
2. B. It proves that the opposing side is correct.
3. C. It makes the essay longer without changing the argument.
4. D. It allows the writer to skip giving evidence.
What does it mean for an article to be peer-reviewed?
1. A. Experts in the field evaluated it before publication.
2. B. Readers voted it the most popular article.
3. C. Students in a class graded it.
4. D. The author reviewed it twice before posting.

Part 2: Written Response

Explain how dramatic irony builds tension in a play you studied. Describe one specific moment and what the audience knows that a character does not.
Describe the steps you would follow to research and write an argument essay. Explain how you would evaluate sources and integrate a quotation correctly.

Answer Key — English 9–10 (Grades 9–10) Midterm — Full-Course Review

A — Loyalty can require personal sacrifice. A theme is a complete statement about life, not just a subject.
B — A story told within another story A frame narrative surrounds and introduces an inner story.
C — A fire station burns down. Situational irony occurs when events turn out opposite to expectations.
A — Ominous Empty house, crooked shutters, and 'whatever waited inside' create unease.
A — A narrator outside the story reveals one character's thoughts. Limited narration stays with one character's inner life.
B — Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words Assonance repeats vowel sounds, as in 'the rain in Spain.'
C — 14 A traditional sonnet has fourteen lines.
A — A turn or shift in thought or argument The volta marks a turn, often near the end of a sonnet.
A — a bird Feathers and perching describe a bird, an extended metaphor for hope.
D — ABAB CDCD EFEF GG Three quatrains with alternating rhyme end with a rhyming couplet.
C — The character or force opposing the protagonist The antagonist creates conflict for the protagonist.
D — Hamartia Hamartia is the tragic flaw or error that leads to downfall.
A — The planned movements and positions of actors Directors use blocking to plan where actors move.
B — A humorous scene that eases tension in a serious work Comic relief briefly lightens a serious story.
D — their lives are shaped by fate Star-crossed means doomed by the stars, or fate.
C — Hasty generalization It draws a broad conclusion from too few examples.
C — Admitting that an opposing point has some merit A concession grants part of the other side's point.
D — Slippery slope It claims one small step will lead to a chain of extreme results.
A — Straw man It distorts a modest proposal into an extreme one that is easier to attack.
A — Pairing contrasting ideas in parallel form Antithesis pairs opposites in balanced structure.
B — the dogs' bowls Plural nouns ending in s take an apostrophe after the s.
C — because the game was canceled It has a subject and verb but cannot stand alone.
A — its Its is the possessive; it's means it is.
D — whom Whom is the object of the preposition to.
D — Bring three items: a pencil, a notebook, and a calculator. A colon follows a complete independent clause to introduce a list.
A — Schools should adopt uniforms because they reduce distractions and costs. It takes a clear, arguable position and previews reasons.
D — References APA uses References; MLA uses Works Cited.
B — however However introduces an opposing or different idea.
A — It builds credibility by showing the writer considered other views. Answering objections makes an argument more convincing.
A — Experts in the field evaluated it before publication. Peer review is evaluation by other qualified experts.

Written Response — Look-Fors

Correct definition of dramatic irony; one specific moment; clear explanation of the gap in knowledge and its effect.
Logical steps from question to draft; source-evaluation criteria; example of an integrated, cited quotation.

English 9–10 (Grades 9–10) Midterm — Full-Course Review

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Part 2: Written Response

Written Response — Look-Fors

More English 9–10 midterms