Selected Response Assessment
Subject: English Language Arts 8th Grade
Unit: Grammar Unit One
Purpose: This formative assessment will be used to assess the students’ knowledge and correct
use of nouns, pronouns and adjectives. It will be given at the end of lesson three of Grammar
Unit One. Grammar Unit One reviews all eight parts of speech as well as builds on the students’
prior knowledge. This is the first unit taught at the beginning of the year and it is used to review
and refresh the students’ knowledge as well as lay a foundation of knowledge to be used
throughout the year. The teacher and the students will use this assessment to identify the learning
targets that have been met and those that will need additional work and further study. This
assessment will also help the students to understand the areas in which they need to take
corrective measures to prepare for the end of unit assessment. After receiving their results the
students will self-assess to gain a clear picture of their strengths and weaknesses with the
learning targets.
Standards (Common Core State Standards and Forest Hills Public Schools Standards)
FHPS Standard – Parts of Speech (Verb, Noun, Adjective, Adverb, Pronoun/ Antecedent,
Preposition, Conjunction, Interjection) Define and give an accurate example of, identify in
informational text and literature, and utilize effectively in writing. In particular:
 Concrete Nouns & Abstract Nouns
 Pronouns: correct inappropriate shifts; correct vague/ambiguous antecedent;
pronoun/antecedent agreement
 Subordinating Conjunctions
 Prepositional Phrases (as Adverbs and Adjectives)
 Modifiers – Adjectives & Adverbs
Learning Targets
Target
I can identify abstract nouns in a variety of texts and use
them in my writing.
I can identify concrete nouns in a variety of texts and use
them in my writing.
I can recognize and correct inappropriate pronoun shifts,
vague or ambiguous antecedents, and pronoun/antecedent
agreement.
I can identify adjectives as modifiers in a variety of texts
and use them in my writing.
I can define all eight parts of speech and give an accurate
example of each. (nouns, pronouns & adjectives)
I can identify all eight parts of speech in informational
text and literature. (nouns, pronouns & adjectives)
Formative Assessment for Learning – 8th Grade
Nouns, Pronouns & Adjectives
Knowledge
Questions
3
Reasoning Total
Questions Questions
X
1
1,4
X
2
5,11, 17,18
X
4
8,14,15,16,
19
9,10,12,13,
20
2,6,7,
X
5
X
5
X
3
Name ______________________________ Hour _______ Date ____________
Directions: Please write your name, hour and the date at the top of this page.
We have been studying and reviewing nouns, pronouns and adjectives. This assessment is to see
what learning targets you have mastered as well as the learning targets that may need more work
as we continue with this unit. Each question is designed to assess one of the learning targets for
this unit. There are three sections to the assessment.
Multiple Choice – 9 questions
Fill in the Blank – 7 questions
True / False – 4 questions
There are a total of 20 questions and each question counts as one point, which means you have
the opportunity to earn twenty points. You will have the entire class period to finish this
assessment, so please take your time! When you are finished, please place your assessment on
the corner of my desk. You may then read your book report book for the remainder of the time.
If you have any questions while taking the assessment, raise your hand and I will come to you.
Read the directions for each section carefully! Please mark “sure” or “unsure” for each question
that you answer to indicate your confidence level for your answer.
Good luck…you’ve got this!! Keep calm and Grammar on!!
Part 1: Multiple-Choice: For each of the nine questions given, choose the BEST answer. Mark
that letter in the space provided on the left of each question. Also, be sure to mark whether you
are sure or unsure of the answer.
_____ 1. Which of the following could be identified as a concrete noun?
A.
B.
C.
D.
telephone
knowledge
beauty
patriotism
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 2. Which of the following contains a proper noun?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The fans screamed from the audience when the band took the stage.
Mrs. McPheron distributed the books in the hallway.
At school, both children and adults must behave respectfully.
The red pen was used to grade the papers.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 3. Which of the following could be identified as an abstract noun?
A. popcorn
B. ocean
C. New York City
D. humor
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 4. Which of the following contains a concrete proper noun?
A. It was a memory I’ll never forget.
B. Our family rode on many rides and bought lots of souvenirs.
C. The first day of our trip to Florida we visited Disney World.
D. There were many interesting activities throughout the park.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 5. Which of the following demonstrates an inappropriate pronoun shift?
A. When Uncle Doug was in high school, one was required to take two English courses.
B. When Uncle Doug was in high school, they were required to take two English courses.
C. When Uncle Doug was in high school, seniors were required to take two English
courses.
D. When Uncle Doug was in high school, you were required to take two English courses.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 6. Which underlined word from the sentence below is a pronoun?
“As the king rode farther, he became parched and started looking for a spring of water.”
A. king
B. he
C. started
D. for
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 7. Which of the following is a second-person personal pronoun?
A.
B.
C.
D.
they
her
I
yours
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 8. Which of the following uses a proper noun as an adjective?
A. The man’s shirts were left at the dry cleaners.
B. We made Japanese meals in class as part of world culture day.
C. The cute twins had their senior pictures taken at Disney World.
D. Our neighbor’s mom purchased four new motorcycles.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
_____ 9. Which underlined word in the following sentence is an adjective?
“In winter, storms can cause further delays or, at least, seasickness.”
A. further
B. can
C. In
D. seasickness
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
Part II: Fill-In-The-Blank: Please fill in the blank with the BEST answer for each question.
Write your answer in the blank to the right of the question with the corresponding question
number. Remember to mark if you are sure or unsure of your answer for each question.
10. Our, my, his and there are all examples of what kind of adjective? _______________
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
10. _______________
11. A Pronoun must refer to a single, particular noun, which acts as its _______________.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
11. _______________
12. Herd, orchestra, team and army are all examples of what type of noun? _______________
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
12. _______________
13. What part of speech are personal pronouns that answer "which one”? _______________
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
14. Add a common noun adjective to the following sentence.
The _______________ club voted on a new leader.
13. _______________
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
14. _______________
15. In the following sentence which word is an adjective that modifies the noun? ____________
I called Mary’s phone but couldn’t reach her.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
15. _______________
16. Which word does the adjective “private” modify in the following sentence? _____________
Lake County health officials hope to persuade private road salt applicators to use the beet
juice alternative and reduce the ecological impact.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
16. _______________
Part III: True or False: For each statement below please write whether the statement is TRUE
or FALSE in the space provided to the left of the statement. Please write the WHOLE word so
there is no confusion as to your answer. Remember to mark if you are sure or unsure of your
answer for each question.
__________ 17. Ambiguous pronouns lack a clear, or obvious, antecedent.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
__________ 18. Sometimes the antecedent is unidentified, or not stated, in the sentence.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
__________ 19. An adjective is a word that describes or "modifies" a verb.
_____ Sure
_____ Unsure
__________ 20. Adjectives can appear before or after the nouns or pronouns they modify.
_____ Sure
Key
1. A
2. B
3. D
_____ Unsure
4. C
5. A
6. B
7. D
8. B
9. A
10. pronoun (adjective)
11. antecedent
12. collective (nouns)
13. adjectives
14. answers will vary
15. Mary’s
16. road
17. True
18. True
19. False
20. True
Name ______________________________ Hour _______ Date ____________
Self-Assessment: Nouns, Pronouns & Adjectives
Now that you have received your scored assessment you will have a chance to record your
results and determine which learning targets you did well on and which ones you need more
practice with.
#
Part I: Please fill in with a check mark for each question if you got it right or wrong and if you
marked sure or unsure.
Question Right Wrong Sure Unsure
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Question Right Wrong
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Sure
Unsure
Part II: Using the table you have just completed, tally your results below. If you have one, or
more, wrong with any of the listed learning targets then you need to complete the corresponding
corrective.
Target
Questions
I can identify abstract nouns in a variety of texts
3
and use them in my writing.
I can identify concrete nouns in a variety of
1, 4
texts and use them in my writing.
I can recognize and correct inappropriate
5, 11, 17,
pronoun shifts, vague or ambiguous
18
antecedents, and pronoun/antecedent agreement.
I can identify adjectives as modifiers in a
8, 14, 15,
variety of texts and use them in my writing.
16, 19
I can define all eight parts of speech and give an
9, 10, 12,
accurate example of each. (nouns, pronouns &
13, 20
adjectives)
I can identify all eight parts of speech in
informational text and literature. (nouns,
2, 6, 7
pronouns & adjectives)
Total
Right
Total
Wrong
Corrective
#1
#1
#2
#3
9, 10, 20 - #3
12 - #1
13 - #2
2- #1
6,7 - #2
Part III: Please use the information from the two charts on the front of this sheet and your own
personal reflection to answer the following questions:
1. According to the charts, which learning targets are your strengths?
2. According to the charts, which learning targets are your weaknesses?
3. What did you do to prepare for this assessment?
4. Is there anything you would do differently to prepare?
5. What will you do to improve your understanding of the material you missed on the
assessment? Mark as many that apply.
_____ Come in for extra help during lunch.
_____ Come in to see Mrs. Anderson before school.
_____ Review worksheets and notes.
_____ Ask a classmate to review with you to improve your understanding.
Accommodations for Diverse Learners:
Students will receive appropriate and approved accommodations per their IEP, 504-C, or ELL
Plan. Accommodations may include, but are not limited to, the following:





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Extra time on assessments.
Assessment read aloud to the student.
Assessment taken in smaller (quieter) room.
Multiple Choice section limited to 2 choices rather than 4. (Only 1 distracter rather than
3.)
Word bank provided for fill-in-the-blank section.
ELL students may have translations provided, as needed, by their ELL teacher.
Name ______________________________ Hour _______ Date ____________
Corrective #1 – Nouns
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Write down the definition of an abstract noun from your notes.
2. Write down the definition of a concrete noun from your notes.
3. What would you say if you had to explain the difference between a concrete noun and an
abstract noun to Mr. Washburn?
4. Give three examples for each of the following:
Common Noun
Proper Noun
Collective Noun
Concrete Noun
Abstract Noun
5. Write one complete sentence using a concrete and an abstract noun in the same sentence.
6. Write one complete sentence using three different types of nouns and the verb “dangled” in
the same sentence.
Name ______________________________ Hour _______ Date ____________
Corrective #2 – Pronouns
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Write down the definition of an ambiguous pronoun from your notes.
2. Why is it important to make sure there are not ambiguous, or vague, antecedents when writing?
3. Using a different red pen please correct the pronoun shift in the following sentence:
If you eat sensibly and watch your calories, most people should be able to
maintain their desired weight.
4. Proofread the following sentences for any errors in pronoun / antecedent agreement,
inappropriate pronoun shifts and or vague or ambiguous antecedents. Use a different red pen to
make your corrections.
a. Each club has their own service project.
b. All of the students shouted his or her approval.
c. One of parrots escaped from their cage.
d. Allison or Zoey will donate their time to the project.
e. When Liz was in high school, you were required to take two years of PE.
Name ______________________________ Hour _______ Date ____________
Corrective #3 – Adjectives
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Write down the definition of an adjective from your notes.
2. Why is it important to include adjectives when writing?
3. Highlight the adjectives and draw an arrow from the adjective to the noun or pronoun
modified
a. The cute twins had their senior pictures taken.
b. The red, bloody fingerprints of the victim were all over the bright, white walls of the
living room.
c. The big, fat, juicy apple grew on the tall, flourishing apple tree.
d. The chubby raccoon ate three bags of dirty, grimy garbage.
4. Write a complete sentence that contains two adjectives.
5. Write a complete sentence that contains a proper noun adjective modifying a common noun
6. Write a complete sentence that contains a pronoun adjective.
Enhancements: Choose one of the following to further enhance your understanding of the
learning targets.
#1. Create a digital presentation that could be used to teach an 8th grade class about adjectives.
Include definitions, example sentences, rules and/or hints from your notes. Be sure to include at
least one “slide” for each of the following:
 Definition
 Nouns as Adjectives
o Common
o Proper
 Pronouns as Adjectives
 Articles as Adjectives
 Action words (Verbs) used as Adjectives
 Predicate Adjectives
You will be required to show your slideshow to at least one other classmate. Make sure you
proofread for errors. Be creative! Share with editing via Google, or email the link to my email
address if not using a Google app.
#2. Write a three paragraph narrative short story using at least 10 of the following types of
sentences. You may write about any topic and are encouraged to be creative! Be sure to
proofread and edit for errors! You will be required to share this story with one classmate.

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Complete sentence using the nouns “pudding” and “cake.”
Complete sentence using a proper noun with separate words
Complete sentence that contains the personal pronoun “he” and the antecedent “Kyle.”
Complete sentence that contains a personal pronoun and a proper noun as its antecedent.
Complete sentence that uses the adjectives “flat" and “dull” to modify a proper noun
Complete sentence that contains two adjectives
Complete sentence with two personal pronouns
Complete sentence using a proper and common noun.
Complete sentence that contains a personal pronoun.
Complete sentence that uses the personal pronoun "she" with the antecedent "runner."
Complete sentence that contains a proper noun adjective modifying a common noun.
Complete sentence that contains the verb "felt" followed by two predicate adjectives.
Complete sentence that contains the hyphenated adjective “full-length.”
Complete sentence that contains a pronoun adjective.
Complete sentence that uses a number (How Many?) and color as adjectives.
Complete sentence that contains an adjective showing possession of a window. (ex.
Maria’s book)
Complete sentence using two adjectives modifying “teeth.”