Using the 6+1 Traits Quiz
Make sure you have written your name, date, and class section on the scanner form.
Write your complete heading with a title on your separate sheet of paper.
PART ONE: Multiple Choice
6+1 Traits
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Be sure to fill in the circle completely on your scanner form. (2 points each)
1. The content of the piece, the main theme, together with the details that enrich and
develop that theme best describes which of the following traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ideas
Organization
Word Choice
Voice
2. Text with a logical order, an insightful introduction, and a satisfying conclusion best
describes which of the following traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ideas
Organization
Word Choice
Voice
3. The mechanical correctness of the piece – spelling, paragraphing, grammar and
usage, punctuation, and use of capitals requires excellence in which of the following
traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ideas
Conventions
Presentation
Voice
4. The heart and soul, passion, and emotion of the writer and the wit and magic of the
piece best describes which of the following traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Conventions
Organization
Word Choice
Voice
5. The attention to detail, fonts, and layout of the piece best describes which of the
following traits?
A. Ideas
B. Organization
C. Word Choice
D. Presentation
6. Rich, colorful, and precise language that moves and enlightens the reader best
describes which of the following traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ideas
Sentence Fluency
Word Choice
Voice
7. If this trait is used effectively, the reader will be able to hear the writer behind the
words.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ideas
Presentation
Word Choice
Voice
8. The flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, a strong and varied structure
that invites expressive oral reading describes which of the following traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sentence Fluency
Organization
Presentation
Voice
9. If this trait is used effectively, the topic will be narrow and manageable with the
correct amount of details.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sentence Fluency
Organization
Presentation
Ideas
10. The internal structure, the thread of meaning, the logical and sometimes intriguing
pattern of ideas describes which of the traits?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sentence Fluency
Organization
Presentation
Voice
Language:
Using the examples from “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, identify the letter of the choice
that best completes the statement or answers the question. Mark your answer on the green
scanner form. (2 points each)
11. Read the following sentence from the story:
The sleeve of the sweater smelling like cottage cheese hung off the desk.
The subject of the sentence is which of the following?
A. sleeve
B. sweater
C. cheese
D. desk
12. Read the following sentence from the story:
I put my head down on the desk and buried my face in my stupid clown sweater
arms.
The verb in the following sentence is which of the following?
A. put
B. down
C. face
D. sweater
13. Read the following sentence from the story:
…I can’t stop the little animal noises from [sputtering] out of me, until there
aren’t anymore tears left...
A synonym for sputtering would be which of the following?
A. bursting
B. flowing
C. whispering
D. trickling
14. Read the following sentence from the story:
…all of a sudden I’m sobbing in front of everybody…
An antonym for sobbing would be which of the following?
A. breathing
B. crying
C. laughing
D. standing
15. Read the following sentence from the story:
…only today I wish I didn’t have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies
in a tin Band-Aid box.
The type of figurative language used in this quote is which of the following?
A. alliteration
B. metaphor
C. repetition
D. simile
16. Read the following sentence from the story:
I moved my chair a little to the right. Not mine, not mine, not mine.
The type of figurative language used in this quote is which of the following?
A. simile
B. alliteration
C. repetition
D. personification
17. Read the following sentence from the story:
…maybe because she doesn’t like me, that stupid Sylvia Saldivar says…
The type of figurative language used in this quote is which of the following?
A. simile
B. alliteration
C. metaphor
D. personification
Personal Narratives:
18. A personal narrative that includes a true, first-hand observation could be written on
which of the following topics?
A. a favorite movie
B. the writer’s brother’s or sister’s most embarrassing moment
C. the writer’s first day of school
D. the day the writer was born
19. Which of the following techniques would be most appropriate for a narrative
conclusion about the first day of school?
A. share a feeling
B. make a general statement
C. ask a question
D. relate an interesting event
20. Read the passage taken from the story:
Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a
tree trunk or like my wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside
the next. That’s how being eleven years old is.
Which element of a narrative is best shown in the passage?
A. related the writer’s feelings
B. memories are written with vivid language
C. organization is chronological
D. figurative language is used effectively
21. Which of the following steps in the writing process includes list, clusters, and
brainstorming?
A. prewriting
B. drafting
C. revising
D. editing
22. Which of the following steps of the writing process includes checking for conventions
and moving towards presentation?
A. prewriting
B. drafting
C. revising
D. editing
23. The writing process moves in the following order: prewriting – drafting – revising –
editing- publishing:
A. true: the writing process has clearly defined steps that have to be followed in a
particular order
B. false: the writing process does not have to move in this order because some
authors repeat steps
24. Which of the following steps of the writing process does not require the use of correct
spelling, but instead focuses on the forming of ideas and general format?
A. prewriting
B. drafting
C. revising
D. editing
25. The following passage is an example of which 6 + 1 Traits of Writing?
The smell floated up to my nose the way you smell rain before an impending
storm. I reached down digging through overdue library books, crumpled handouts, and
missing homework, and came upon my gym socks. There, at the bottom of my locker as
my homeroom teacher loomed behind me, laid the moldy culprits of stench. They were
melded into one piece like Junior Mints left too long in a hot car. They had been all
quarter beginning to look more like a science experiment than an article of clothing.
A. Sentence Fluency
B. Organization
C. Ideas
D. Conventions
PART TWO: Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item: 6 points
Turn in your scanner sheet and test paper before you complete this section. The BCR is
worth a total of 3 points. The score is multiplied by 2 for a maximum of 6 points.
Read “Power Struggle” and score the paper using the Ideas Scoring Guide provided by
your teacher. Which score would you give this writer? Justify your score with evidence
from the narrative and the rubric in your response.
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“POWER STRUGGLE”
Taken from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory 6 + 1 Traits of Writing
workshop binder presented by Roberta Young.
In our household a while back the TV remote control represented power. He who
possessed the remote was definitely in charge, and usually the privilege was held by my
father. However, after school, someone else had to fulfill the responsibility.
One afternoon, I strolled downstairs to find my younger brother sitting in front of the TV
clutching the desirable piece of shiny black plastic. Of course, he wasn’t watching
anything in particular. He just sat there taking full advantage of the remote, flipping
through all the channels. Every so often he would stop at a show he knew I would watchif I had the remote- and then would quickly change the channel when he saw I was
interested. I glared at him. His amused face turned toward mine to reveal a wicked grin
overflowing with satisfaction.
Now, just because he gets out of school earlier than I does not mean I have to stand for
that kind of torture. I innocently sat on the floor next to him. He scooted over a bit as he
gave me one of his “don’t touch me” looks. I smiled back. I slid my hand behind his
back, hoping to grab the remote out of his hand.
I had it! I jumped to my feet and dashed behind the couch. Within seconds, it was a chase
scene of life and death. I was dodging pillows and leaping over tables to get away from a
person half my size. As I ran, I was frantically trying to change the channel.
All of a sudden my brother jumped off the back of the couch and pounced on me as I ran
by. I tripped, and the remote went flying, landing under a table in a corner of the room.
We both scrambled to our feet and started our race to the table. I took a couple of long
strides and dove over my brother, who was now sliding toward the remote like a runner
into home plate. Although we missed the remote, we did manage to tackle the lamp on
the table.
Everything from then on was nothing but punishment. Both my brother and I had to
contribute money to buy a new lamp, and our television privileges were taken away for
weeks.
Of course, there are still little arguments in my house, but I have learned a few things by
having a little brother around. I’ve learned that brothers can help you in ways you aren’t
always expecting. Just when I felt defeated in finding a topic to write about, he walked in
my room.
Unit One Assessment: The Strategic Writer Key
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10.
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25.
A
B
B
D
D
C
D
A
D
B
A
A
A
C
D
C
B
C
A
D
A
D
B
B
A
BCR:
Note: Teachers should provide students with the Ideas Scoring Guide as a test resource
for students.
The BCR is scored according to the MSA rubric and multiplied by 2 for a maximum of 6
points.