2nd
English 6
Semester Study Guide KEY
Spelling and Vocabulary
Prefixes and Suffixes: in, co, re, inter, trans, ment, ism, ness, able, al, ous,
Grammar Concepts:
Capitalization rules (all)
Punctuation rules (all)
Comma, colon, semicolon, and hyphen rules and application
Adjectives: Questions adjectives answer, words they modify, adj. types (proper, articles, and
demonstrative) comparative, and superlative degrees
Pronouns: antecedents, types (subject, object, possessive, reflexive, interrogative, and
demonstrative)
Adverbs: Questions adverbs answer, words they modify, comparative, and superlative degrees
Prepositions: prepositions, prepositional phrases, object of the preposition
Writing process and traits:
Parts of a paragraph, types of writing (narrative, expository, compare & contrast, cause &
effect)
Punctuation and Capitalization
Read the passage below, identifying any errors. For each numbered section, choose the type of
error you found, or if there is nothing wrong in the section choose “no error.”
The library of congress was created in 1800 (1). The largest in the United States,this
library contains 29 million books and pamphlets (2). The library publishes the national union
catalog, which is a basic research tool for scholars (3). The personnel papers of the United
States presidents before Calvin Coolidge are stored there (4). Most of the librarys books were
destroyed when the British shelled the building during the War of 1812 (5).
1. A. Spelling error
B. Capitalization error
C. Punctuation error
D. No error
2. A. Spelling error
B. Capitalization error
C. Punctuation error
D. No error
3. A. Spelling error
B. Capitalization error
C. Punctuation error
D. No error
4. A. Spelling error
B. Capitalization error
C. Punctuation error
D. No error
personal
5. A. Spelling error
B. Capitalization error
C. Punctuation error
D. No error
library’s
library’s
Use a RED pen to place editing marks correcting the sentence punctuation and capitalization.
6.
However, think your grades could improve. (2)
7.
Oh, I forgot to tell them to meet us at 8:00 at the mall.(4)
8.
“Thank you,“ said Aaron, “for allowing me to speak at your banquet.” (8)
9.
“There aren’t enough people,” Brianna said, “to play that game.” (9)
10.
The Navy’s mission was to capture the beach for our allies. (3)
11.
Connor’s new locker has a laser lock. (2)
12.
The most popular dog on television was Lassie. (3)
13.
Silver was the Lone Ranger’s horse. (5)
14.
Despite its shop-worn appearance, George purchased the magazine. (4)
15.
Alexander’s arm makes him a great baseball pitcher. (2)
16.
“He isn’t very nice to other people,” she said sadly. (4)
17.
“My favorite singer was Elvis Presley,” my mother answered. (8)
18.
“You get what you pay for,” once said Gabriel Biel. (5)
19.
“I’m thankful the rain held off until the game was over,” said Danielle to her teammate. (5)
20.
The man’s coat looked like it was fifty-five years old. (3)
21.
This chicken’s eggs make great omelets. The omelets are slightly brown-colored. (4)
or ;
These chickens’
22.
On Monday nights during a football season, our whole family is in front of the television. (4)
23.
We decided that having a family game night every Thursday evening would be fun. (3)
24. “Do you mind asked Matthew, “if I ride with you to the meeting?”
mind,” asked,
Mind,” asked
Mind,” Asked,
mind,” asked
25. An alligators brain is the size of a pea.
alligators’
alligators
alligator’s
Correct as is
Apostrophes and Contractions
Circle the word that best completes the sentence. On the line write the type of pronoun.
26.
(Who’s, Whose) playing the trumpet in the marching band this year? Interrogative
27.
(It’s, Its) time that we shared the good news with everyone in the class.
Personal/subject pronoun
28.
The swallowtail caterpillar can give off a bad smell that helps keep (it’s, its) enemies
away. Personal possessive
29.
The bloodhound retired from the police force and received a medal for (it’s, its)
courage. Personal possessive
30.
(It’s, Its) hard to concentrate with all the noise in the classroom. Personal/Subject
Possessive Nouns
Add apostrophes where necessary to show a possessive word. One the line, write if the word is
singular possessive, plural possessive, a contraction (1) , or a possessive pronoun.
31.
The astronaut’s’ shuttle program was successful.
Singular/plural possessive
32.
The pony’s rider was too big.
Singular possessive
33.
The flower’s’ petals began to droop in the hot sun.
Singular/plural possessive
34.
The coat’s hood was lined with fur.
Singular possessive
35.
Paul is always borrowing Emily’s things.
Singular possessive
36.
The monkey’s’ babies were all climbing on the rocks.
Singular/plural possessive
37.
The dog’s’ toy was wet and slobbery.
Singular/plural possessive
38.
Many trees’ leaves started to sprout.
Plural possessive
39.
Mary’s hat was pink.
Singular possessive
40.
The teacher’s’ desks were all clean and organized.
Singular/Plural possessive
41.
The clown’s’ shoes were bright red and yellow.
Singular/plural possessive
42.
The four lizards’ tails are green.
Plural possessive
43.
The house’s’ shutters were red.
Singular/plural possessive
44.
The girl’s’ team liked to win.
Singular/plural possessive
45.
Our coach’s rules are hard to follow sometimes.
Singular possessive
46.
Noah and Ryan’s house is green.
Singular possessive
47.
Devin and Jordan’s ride to school each day is long and boring. Singular possessive
48.
The man’s coat looked like it was fifty years old.
49.
The children’s toys needed to be put away in a safe place. Plural possessive
50.
“I can’t throw a baseball,” Kevin admitted.
Contraction for cannot
51.
Mr. Smith and Mrs. Miller’s classrooms were empty.
Singular possessive
52.
The accident was not Jackson’s fault nor was it the fault of the other driver.
Singular possessive
Singular possessive
Conjunctions/Punctuation
Fill in the blanks with coordinating or subordinating conjunctions, and add the correct
punctuation to each sentence.
53.
Steve was not the fastest runner, nor______________ was he the slowest runner in
the class.
54.
I wore my blue dress because
55.
Cara is playing in the snow while she still can because
56.
I am faster than Joe , but
57.
Due to the stormy weather we could not play ball
58.
He is busy , so
he can’t talk.
59.
The cat
the dog would sleep together.
and
everyone was dressing up.
NO COMMA
spring is coming soon.
he won the race on field day.
or
have a picnic.
Directions: Select the word or words that are capitalized correctly. Some items contain proper
nouns and some do not. These do not begin a sentence and are not a title.
60. A. a Summer picnic
B. A Summer Picnic
C. A Summer picnic
D. a summer picnic
62. A. the new York mets
B. the New York Mets
C. the new york mets
D. the new York Mets
No # 61
63. A. an Italian poet
B. an italian poet
C. an Italian Poet
D. An Italian Poet
64. A. 20 elm Ave.
B. 20 Elm ave.
C. 20 elm ave.
D. 20 Elm Ave.
Directions: Choose the abbreviation, names, and phrases that are punctuated correctly.
65. A. Mr Carl A. Waters
B. Mr. Carl A. Waters
C. Mr Carl A Waters
66. A. The Ibarra Co., Inc
B. The Ibarra Co, Inc.
C. The Ibarra Co., Inc.
The Ibarra Company, Incorporated
67. A. 32 Ames St. Ames, PA 19004
B. 32 Ames St. Ames, PA, 19004
C. 32 Ames St., Ames, PA 19004
Directions: Choose which sentence in each set is punctuated correctly.
68. A. I had eggs, toast and milk for breakfast.
B. I had eggs, toast, and, milk for breakfast.
C. I had eggs, toast, and milk for breakfast.
Items in a series
69. A. Darren the team captain took in the equipment.
B. Darren the team captain took in the equipment.
C. Darren, the team captain, took in the equipment.
Interrupter/nonessential
70. A. I’m worried Mimi that your book is lost.
B. I’m worried, Mimi that your book is lost
C. I’m worried, Mimi, that your book is lost.
Direct Address
71. A. We visited Snowbird, Utah last winter.
B. We visited Snowbird, Utah, last winter.
C. We visited Snowbird Utah last winter.
City, State,
72. A. “My favorite actress,” said Mike, “is Jennifer Beals.”
B. “My favorite actress said Mike is Jennifer Beals.”
C. “My favorite actress said Mike, “is Jennifer Beals.
Direct Quotations
73. A. Did Robin say, “You can’t borrow my sweater?”
B. Did Robin say, “You can’t borrow my sweater”? because the entire sentence is
C. Did Robin say, “You can’t borrow my sweater?
Question/The quotation is declarative
74. A. I’m sure I heard Pat ask, “What time is the meeting”?
B. I’m sure I heard,” Pat ask, “What time is the meeting?”
C. I’m sure I heard Pat ask, “What time is the meeting?” because the entire sentence
is declarative and the quotation is
a question.
75. Which pair is NOT correct?
A.
Peru: Peruvian
B.
America: American
C.
Brazil: Brazilish
D.
France: French
Brazilian
Circle the possessive noun in each sentence. Then circle singular if the possessive noun is
singular or plural if the noun is plural.
76.
The dogs’ barking is loud and annoying!
singular
plural
77.
My brother’s whistling drives me crazy.
singular
plural
78.
Grandma’s cookies had chocolate chips in them.
singular
plural
79.
The fires burned the houses’ porches.
singular
plural
80.
The trees’ markings told us a buck had gone this way not long ago.
singular
plural
81.
Joan is wearing her team’s colors to show her support.
singular
plural
82.
The clock’s hands moved slowly.
singular
plural
83.
The students’ talking was disturbing to the teacher.
singular
plural
Directions: Choose the correct plural form of each noun.
84. fox
A. foxes
B. foxs
C. fox’s
D. fox
85. deer
A. deers
B. deeres
C. deer
D. deer’s
86. thief
A. thiefs
B. thieves
C. thiefes
D. thievs
87. chief
A. chiefs
B. chiefes
C. chieves
D. chievs
88. goose
A. geeses
B. gooses
C. goose’s
D. geese
CORRECT
Write the nouns in each sentence on the line and the type next to the noun. (Hint: all types of
nouns)
EXAMPLE:
Swans; common
89.
Dad-proper
hammock-common
results-common
exam-common
grove-collective
trees-common
frontier-common
United States-proper
trophy-common
Canada-proper
tournament-common
dismay-abstract
x-ray-common
Connor’s grandfather took him to the beach.
Connor’s-Proper
99.
cats-common
Jordan was filled with dismay when he received the results of his x-ray.
Jordan-proper
98.
monsters-common
Our team received a large trophy for winning the baseball tournament.
team-common
97.
books-common
Our family crossed the frontier between the United States and Canada.
family-common
96.
meeting-common
It is nice to have a picnic under a grove of trees.
picnic-common
95.
morning-common
Jane tried to forecast the results of her final exam.
Jane-proper
94.
job-common
Between the two trees, Dad hung a hammock.
trees-common
93.
women-common
Mrs. Ellis read a book about a green monsters and pink cats to us.
Mrs. Ellis-proper
92.
group-common
Dad had to go to his job early this morning since he was conducting the staff meeting.
Dad-proper
91.
pond; common
The rest of the tour group decided not to wait for the lingering women any longer.
rest-collective
90.
The graceful swans swam in the pond.
grandfather-common
beach-common
If you dive in shallow water, you may break your neck or back.
water-common
neck-common
back-common
Write the plural form of each noun.
100.
spear
105. country
spears
101.
countries
toothbrush
106.
library’s
toothbrushes
102.
family
110.
families
107.
radio
111.
loaf
108. goose
tax
knife
knives
_loaves_______________
radios
104.
children
woman
women
112.
toe toes
geese
taxes
109.
child
Write the singular possessive form of each noun on the line.
113.
spear
116.
spear’s
114.
radio
119.
__globe’s_____________
120. country
country’s
radio’s
goose
117.
goose’s______________1
15.
child
child’s
globe
knife
Knife’s___________
118.
potato
potato’s
Adjectives
121.
A.
What 3 questions do adjectives answer?
Which one?
122. List the articles:
B. How many?
C. What kind
a, and, the
123. List the demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those
124. Define a proper adjective: A word that describes and noun and is devrived from a
noun. It is always capitalized.
Choose the correct adjective for each sentence.
125. This is the ______________headache I have ever had.
A. worse
B. worst
C. baddest
126. My cat is bigger than my dog, but my dog is_____________
A. older
B. more old
C. oldest
127. This potato salad is_________________than the last one you made.
A. gooder
B. better
C. more better
128. Dr. Peralta’s vacation was the _________________she has ever taken.
A. bestest
B. most best
C. best
129. We went swimming on the ________________day of June.
A. hottest
B. hotter
C. most hot
130. Of all our homes, Estrella’s house is the _____________from school.
A. farrest
B. farther
C farthest
Write the adverb in each sentence and write the word the adverb describes.
131. Danielle deliberately set a goal to finish college in three years instead of four. set
132. Michael vastly improved his grades during the last semester.
improved
133. Sharon artfully avoided answering the rude question.
avoided
134. William usually laughs at his brother’s antics.
laughs
135. Does Kevin like to wear his coat inside?
wear
136. I often wish you’d share your opinions with us.
wish
137. Jenna recovered quickly and won the game.
recovered
138. The official did not answer truthfully.
answer
139. We saw nothing because we looked away.
looked
140. I really appreciate your help.
appreciate
141. Please visit us if you ever get a chance.
get
142. Marie recently visited an interesting lighthouse.
visited
143. A superlative degree adjective
A. describes one thing.
B. compares two things.
C. compares three or more things.
145. A comparative degree adjective
A. describes one thing.
B. compares two things.
C. compares three or more things.
Identify the best answer for each question concerning adverbs.
146. An adverb is a word which__________.
A. describes a noun or pronoun.
B. joins two phrases or clauses.
C. expresses strong emotion.
D. describes how, when, where, or to what extent.
147. True or False? An adverb can describe a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
Choose the correct form of the adverb to complete each sentence and write the word it
modifies on the line.
148. He worked________than many other students at organizing the school carnival.
A. harder
B. best
C. hardest
modifies: worked
149. I ran_________in the 50-yard dash than in the 100-yard dash.
A. better
B. best
C. well
modifies: ran
150. Ben traced the design_______________________________than I did.
A. accurately
B. more accurately
C. most accurately
modifies: traced
151. Of all the runners in the school, Jake sprints____________________.
A. faster
B. more fast
C. fastest
modifies: sprints
152. The crowd shouted________________________at the reporters.
A. most angrily
B. angrilest
C. angrily
modifies: shouted
Prepositions
Directions: Find the preposition in each sentence.
153. The name of the masked stranger was never revealed.
A. name
B. of
C. never
154. The paper underneath the book is my composition.
A. underneath
B. is
C. my
Directions: Find the sentence in which a prepositional phrase is underlined.
155. A. The road appeared to vanish beneath the trees.
B. The valley below seemed to be painted in miniature.
C Some people believe herbs can cure almost anything.
156. A. The Aztecs rubbed themselves with egg to heal sickness.
B. Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair.
C. Gary takes trumpet lessons on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Underline the pronoun in each sentence and draw an arrow to the antecedent.
157.
Vasco jumped over the fence to chase a rabbit, and then he saw the bull.
158.
Mary wrote an article for the newspaper, and it was published in Sunday’s edition.
159.
Brandon has not missed a day of school, so he received a certificate for perfect
attendance.
160.
Jerry and Terry are twins so their mother usually dresses them alike.
161.
Mrs. Bryant brought cookies to the party, and she helped us clean up when it was over.
162.
Dan doesn’t like working during the summer, nor does he like going to school for the rest
of the year.
Circle the correct pronoun, and write the type on the line.
163. (We, Us) needed an unbiased opinion to settle our argument. Subject pronoun
164. (We, Us) watched the lion’s pursuit of the deer and were happy to see it escape.
Subject pronoun
165. Our teacher encouraged (we, us) to build on our basic knowledge of geometry to become
proficient. object pronoun
167. Her answers are so strange that sometimes I think she is on a different plane from the
rest of (we, us). object pronoun
168. On Friday Uncle Ted is taking (we, us) to pick apples. object pronoun
169. The underlined pronoun is a/an ________ pronoun.
They hiked in the Andes Mountains while on track break.
A. subject
B. object
C. reflexive
D. possessive
170.The underlined pronoun is a/an ________ pronoun.
If this bubble gum isn’t hers, then we’ll throw it away.
A. subject
B. object
C. reflexive
D. possessive
171. The underlined pronoun is a/an________ pronoun.
Fred saw him at the county fair last night.
A. subject
B. object
C. reflexive
D. possessive
172. The underlined pronoun is a/an________ pronoun.
We share the dog. It belongs to her and me.
A. subject
B. object
C. reflexive
D. possessive
173. The underlined pronoun is a/an________ pronoun.
She and I went to the movies last Saturday at Green Valley.
A. subject
B. object
C. reflexive
D. possessive
174. The underlined pronoun is a/an________ pronoun.
Carol knew she could not do the project by herself.
A. subject
B. object
C. reflexive
D. possessive
175. The underlined pronoun is the antecedent to
Bats are mostly blind. I don’t know if they are born that way or not.
A. blind
B. I
C. bats
D. born
180. The underlined pronoun is the antecedent to
Mother and I always go to the movies every Saturday, but we can’t this weekend.
A. movies
B. Saturday
C. Mother and I
D. weekend
Directions: A colon or semicolon may be missing in each of these phrases
or sentences. Select the answer that shows the proper correction. Select no change if the
phrase or sentence is correct as it appears.
181. Dear President Clarke:
A. Clarke,
B. Clarke
C. no change
182. Our meeting will begin promptly at 2.15 P.M.
A. 215
B. 2:15
C. no change
183. Heather loves football Keith can’t stand it.
A. football:
B. football;
C. no change
Suffixes
Write the meaning of each suffix on the line.
184.
185.
ism:
ist: one who
186. ous:
state or condition, having
quality of
187. er: one who, that which,
more “in degree”
188. or: person who, state of quality
189. ment: resulting state,
action or process
190. ish: having nature of
191. al: relating to
192. ness: quality or state of being
193. able: tending to, able to
Prefixes
Write the meaning of each prefix on the line.
194. in:
195. un:
not
not
196. de:
away, down
199. non: not
200. pre: before
201. dis: apart from, not
197. co: together, with
198. re: again______________
202. post: after
203. trans: across
Writing Traits and Process
Name the six writing traits
Ideas and content, organization, voice, conventions, word choice, and sentence fluency.
Name 3 characteristics of IDEAS
1. Ideas and Content









Facts about the topic
Accurate information
Examples
Opinions-Leave out “I think”
Main ideas
Details
No plagiarism
5 Ws & H
Don’t repeat yourself
2. Organization
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
TS~CD~CM~CD~CM…CS
Sequential
Chronological order
Categories
Most important to least
Attention Grabber
Creative Title
Introduction/Conclusion
Proper letter format
Beginning, middle, end
3. Voice






Not boring
Figurative language
Age/audience appropriate
Creativity/originality
Opinionated
Sounds like you wrote it
4. Conventions
 Capitalization
 Word usage
 Punctuation
 Grammar
 Spelling
 Complete sentences
 Indenting
5. Word Choice








Higher level vocabulary
Think of words that no one else would
Use real words
No slang or text u
Variety of verbs and adjectives
Be descriptive
Use your words; not someone else’s
Proper Usage-homophones
6. Sentence Fluency
No run-ons or fragments
Meaningful sentences
Creative
Use simple, compound, complex sentences
Not choppy
Sentences flow easily from one to another
Use conjunctions
Use transitions (First, Additionally)
Begin each sentence differently
Don’t begin with “and” or “but"
7. Presentation








Finished complete
Neatly done
No evil papers
No tears
Heading/letter format
Creative title page only
No food stains
Typed
- 12pt. font
- Times roman new, Courier, Ariel
- 1 inch margins
- Type the heading