Leo tucked the spare key into his backpack. “I won't need this,” he said, “but just in case.”
7th grade English Language Arts practice sheet
Arizona Academic Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Which literary device does this excerpt use?
- Flashback
- Foreshadowing
- Alliteration
- Simile
Foreshadowing
Hint: When a story makes a point of saying something won't be needed, it often will be. That's a hint about later events.
Question 2
Which word best describes the writer's tone?
Oh, wonderful. The bus is late again. I just love standing in the rain for twenty minutes.
- Sincere
- Fearful
- Joyful
- Sarcastic
Sarcastic
Hint: Does the writer really love standing in the rain? Saying the opposite of what you mean, with an edge, is sarcasm.
Question 3
Which logical fallacy does this argument use?
You can't trust Ravi's idea for the science fair. He's always late for class.
- Slippery slope
- Attacking the person (ad hominem)
- Bandwagon
- False cause
- Either-or (false dilemma)
Attacking the person (ad hominem)
Hint: The argument attacks the person instead of the idea. That's ad hominem.
Question 4
What type of sentence is this?
The bus was late, so we walked to school.
- Compound-complex
- Simple
- Complex
- Compound
Compound
Hint: Two independent clauses joined by a comma and a conjunction (and, but, or, so) or by a semicolon make a compound sentence.
Question 5
Which sentence uses parallel structure?
- Noah likes to read, writing stories and playing chess.
- Noah likes reading, to write stories and playing chess.
- Noah likes reading, writing stories and to play chess.
- Noah likes reading, writing stories and playing chess.
Noah likes reading, writing stories and playing chess.
Hint: Items in a list should share the same form. Find the sentence where all three activities are -ing words.
Question 6
Which word correctly completes the sentence?
Please put the boxes over _____.
- their
- they're
- there
there
Hint: They're = they are. Their shows ownership. There points to a place, or starts “there is” or “there are.”
Question 7
What two things does the poem compare?
The Library Is an Ocean
The library is an ocean,
And every shelf a wave;
I dive in every afternoon
And surface feeling brave.
- A library and an ocean
- A book and a boat
- A shelf and a lunch tray
- A reader and a fish
A library and an ocean
Hint: Look at the very first line.
Question 8
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- The path was icy, therefore, we walked slowly.
- The path was icy; therefore, we walked slowly.
- The path was icy therefore; we walked slowly.
The path was icy; therefore, we walked slowly.
Hint: Use a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma after it.
Question 9
Whose thoughts do we learn?
The Referee
From the middle of the court, Mr. Alvarez blew his whistle. He saw the ball touch the line, but the crowd groaned. He was sure he had made the right call.
- the narrator's own
- the crowd's
- Mr. Alvarez's
Mr. Alvarez's
Hint: He was sure he had made the right call.
Question 10
The root ced or cede means “go”. What does recede mean?
- go before
- go faster
- go back
- go around
go back
Hint: Re- means back or again. Flood waters recede when they go back down.
Answer key
- 1. Foreshadowing (Literary Devices)
- 2. Sarcastic (Tone & Mood)
- 3. Attacking the person (ad hominem) (Persuasive Power)
- 4. Compound (Clauses & Sentences)
- 5. Noah likes reading, writing stories and playing chess. (Modifiers & Parallelism)
- 6. there (Word Mix-Ups)
- 7. A library and an ocean (Poetry Lab)
- 8. The path was icy; therefore, we walked slowly. (Punctuation Power)
- 9. Mr. Alvarez's (Whose Story?)
- 10. go back (Roots & Word Parts)
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback. See all English language arts units.