6th grade English Language Arts practice sheet
New York State Learning Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Which narrator would be best to show us only what a nervous new student feels?
- a narrator who only describes the weather
- second person speaking to the reader
- third person omniscient
- first person, told by the new student
first person, told by the new student
Hint: A single character telling their own story lets readers feel their nerves up close.
Question 2
Sort each word: positive or negative connotation?
Sort into: 😊 Positive · 😒 Negative
- 🔤assertive
- 🔤lazy
- 🔤stingy
- 🔤bold
- 🔤curious
- 🔤stench
😊 Positive: assertive, bold, curious · 😒 Negative: lazy, stingy, stench
Hint: Ask yourself: would you feel pleased or upset if someone used this word to describe you?
Question 3
Which persuasive technique does this use?
Isn't it time we made our playground safe for every child?
- Emotional appeal
- Rhetorical question
- Facts and statistics
- Bandwagon (everyone's doing it)
Rhetorical question
Hint: It's a question that isn't meant to be answered. The answer is supposed to seem obvious.
Question 4
Which verb correctly completes the sentence?
The students in Mr. Diaz's class _____ a spelling test today.
- is having
- having
- have
- has
have
Hint: Ignore “in Mr. Diaz's class.” The subject is “students,” which is plural.
Question 5
Sort each one: complete sentence, fragment or run-on?
Sort into: ✅ Complete · 🧩 Fragment · 🚂 Run-on
- 📝The bell rang everyone rushed outside.
- 📝Because it was raining, we played board games inside.
- 📝After the game on Saturday.
- 📝My little brother loves dinosaurs.
- 📝The power went out we lit some candles.
- 📝The tall girl with the green scarf.
✅ Complete: Because it was raining, we played board games inside., My little brother loves dinosaurs. · 🧩 Fragment: After the game on Saturday., The tall girl with the green scarf. · 🚂 Run-on: The bell rang everyone rushed outside., The power went out we lit some candles.
Hint: A complete sentence has a subject, a verb and a complete thought. A run-on jams two sentences together with no punctuation.
Question 6
Why does this sentence need a comma? “Although it was late, we kept reading.”
- It joins two complete sentences with no conjunction.
- It sets off an introductory dependent clause.
- It sets off a speaker's exact words.
- It separates items in a list.
It sets off an introductory dependent clause.
Hint: “Although it was late” can't stand alone, and it comes first.
Question 7
Which word has a root that means “write”?
- audible
- graphic
- saxophone
- transport
graphic
Hint: The root “graph” means “write,” and it's hiding in “graphic.”
Question 8
Which memo line is correct?
- From; Mr. Okafor
- From, Mr. Okafor
- From: Mr. Okafor
From: Mr. Okafor
Hint: A colon follows labels like From in a memo.
Question 9
A photo of a flooded street is placed beside an article on storms. How does it help?
- It shows the effects the writer describes.
- It proves the writer is correct.
- It replaces the title.
It shows the effects the writer describes.
Hint: The image connects to the words and makes them real.
Question 10
What is a citation?
- a summary of your opinion
- information that tells where you found a source
- a type of graph
- a quotation from a poem
information that tells where you found a source
Hint: Citations credit and locate sources.
Answer key
- 1. first person, told by the new student (Point of View)
- 2. 😊 Positive: assertive, bold, curious · 😒 Negative: lazy, stingy, stench (Connotation & Tone)
- 3. Rhetorical question (Make Your Case)
- 4. have (Agreement)
- 5. ✅ Complete: Because it was raining, we played board games inside., My little brother loves dinosaurs. · 🧩 Fragment: After the game on Saturday., The tall girl with the green scarf. · 🚂 Run-on: The bell rang everyone rushed outside., The power went out we lit some candles. (Sentence Repair)
- 6. It sets off an introductory dependent clause. (Commas & Clauses)
- 7. graphic (Roots & Analogies)
- 8. From: Mr. Okafor (Punctuation Power)
- 9. It shows the effects the writer describes. (Text Forms & Features)
- 10. information that tells where you found a source (Check the Source)
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.