Fall Exam Study Guide
Spelling (35 questions)
-Selected words from units 1, 2, 3, and lessons 15 and 16 from unit 4 will be on the exam. Units 1-4 can
be printed off the wiki if the student has lost his/her copies.
-The words will be tested in the same format as on weekly quizzes and unit tests. There will be 3
spelling words per question. Students will need to decide which word (if any) is misspelled. Example:
A. access
B. comercial
C. additional
D. no mistakes
The correct answer here is B. The word is spelled as commercial.
Writing (10 questions)
Expository Writing
-Students should know that expository writing framework (what is included in an introductory
paragraph, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph). The students colored in these sheets, and it will
be made available on the e-board as well for those who have lost their copies.
As a brief reminder:
Introduction: Hook, Explain the hook, Thesis statement.
Body Paragraph: Transition, Topic sentence/main idea, Give a concrete detail, Explain (2 sentences),
Give a concrete detail, Explain (2 sentences), Restate the main idea.
Conclusion: Restate thesis statement, summarize your text, Leave your reader with a thought.
-Given a series of sentences, students should be able to identify which is (or is not) a good hook, or
thesis statement, or transition.
-Given a set of paragraphs, students should be able to indentify which does (or does not) follow the
expository writing framework.
Essay (12 points)
-Students’ interval essay, which was written in class prior to the exam day, will count as the exam essay.
Proofreading (43 questions): An old quiz is included to show the format of the proofreading
section.
Adverbs/Adjectives
-Many adverbs end in –ly. They are used to describe adjectives or verbs (how something is done). I did
badly on the test (describing how one did).
-Adjectives describe a person, place, or thing. That is a bad test (describing the test).
-Good vs. well. Good is an adjective, describing people, places, or things. Ex. That is a good essay. Well
is an adverb, describing how something is done. Ex. He wrote about his experiences well.
Apostrophes
-Used for contractions (she’s pretty for she is pretty)
-Used to show possession (the girl’s barrette…for the barrette belonging to the girl)
Capitalization
-first word in a sentence should be capitalized
-titles should be capitalized (Ms., Dr., Governor Jindal.)
-proper nouns should be capitalized (people’s names, languages, names of schools, etc.)
Commas
-city, state
-2 adjectives in a row that are not colors or numbers (the sweet, pretty girl)
-when there is a list of 3 or more items (I have dogs, cats, and fish at home.)
-after an introductory word (Yes, I would love to go to the dance with you.)
-when directly addressing someone. Exs.
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Clara, please bring me the doll.
Have you done your homework, Paul?
-after an interrupter. Ex. The children, of course, laughed at the clown.
-around an appositive (extra, unnecessary information about a noun). Ex. Mr. Bennett, the principal of
Riverdale Middle School, is a tall man. A comma is not needed with an appositive if the information is
necessary to make sense. Ex. Ms. McCarver gave the pen to her colleague Ms. Richert. (Because Ms.
McCarver has many colleagues, we need to specify that it was Ms. Richert and not someone else.)
-after a dependent clause that begins a sentence. Ex. If you go to the store, please buy me some candy.
-When there are two prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence. Ex. At the edge of the
campus, students looked at their school building.
-See also quotations.
Conjunctions
-Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS…for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) almost never have a comma in
front of them UNLESS:
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They’re in a list of 3 or more items.
They’re combining 2 or more independent clauses (i.e. fixing a run-on, or clauses that could each
be a sentence on its own)
Avoid starting a sentence with a FANBOY.
-Subordinating conjunctions (A WHITE BUS…after, although, as, when while, where, how, if, than, even
though, because, before, until, unless, since, so that)
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Almost never have a comma in front of them.
When combined with a subject and a verb it will usually require a comma at the end of the
phrase. Ex: Unless you study for your exam, you may not do as well as you would like.
Homophones and other easily mistaken words
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there/their/they’re
knew/new
hair/hare
to/too/two
quiet/quite
aisle/isle
principal/principle
die/dye
you’re/your
whose/who’s
right/rite/write
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breath/breathe
heard/herd
its/it’s
one/won
by/bye
no/know
then/than
accept/except
further/farther
our/are
sea/see
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quit/quiet/quite
lie/lay
fair/fare
past/passed
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counsel/council
presence/presents
few/less
Hyphens
-When two words are being used as one concept (i.e. eighth-graders, brown-faced)
Other
-Exclamation marks are used for emphasis or strong feeling. Ex. I can’t believe he just did that!
-Question marks are used at the end of a question. Ex. Where should we go from here?
-When words from a foreign language are being used in an English text, they are put in italics. Ex. Sam whispered
sotto voce to his friend.
-A story/text should only be written in one tense. If everything is in the past tense, it remains in the past tense. If
everything is in the present tense, it remains in the present tense. The only exception is if something is being said
out loud and is in quotation marks.
-If a word starts with a vowel, it is preceded by “an.” If it starts with a consonant, “a” is used. Exs. An apple, a car
-Write out words smaller than twenty (three rather than 3).
-Between vs. among. Between is used for two things, while among is used for three or more things. Ex. I’m trying
to choose between plain and peanut M&Ms. Or You can choose from among the following choices: M&Ms,
Snickers, or Milky Ways.
-Who vs. whom. Who is the subject of a sentence, whereas whom is the object of the sentence. If you one would
answer the question Who did this? If it is him/them, then “whom” should be used. If it is he/they, then “who”
should be used.
-Who vs. that. Who is used to describe a person. That is used to describe a thing.
Ex. Felicia, the girl who dyed her hair, is not in a good mood.
Ex. Bring me the pencil that fell on the floor.
-Affect vs. effect. Affect is a verb, which means that something is being influenced. The teachers were affected
by the students’ good moods and gave everyone an “A.”
Effect is a noun. It is the result of a cause, or something that happened. The child’s studying had the effect of
helping him to get a good grade on the test.
-Subject/pronoun agreement. If a subject is singular, then its pronoun should be singular. If a subject is plural,
then its pronoun should be plural.
Ex. Each of them found his or her name on the list. (Not, each of them found their name on the list, as each is
singular)
Ex. They found their names on the list.
-Avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. Ex. From where did he come? Not, where did he come from?
Paragraphs
-Start a new paragraph when there is a:
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New topic
New speaker
Time change
New scene/location
Quotations
-Used for what is being said out loud.
-If a quotation starts in the middle of a sentence, it is preceded by a comma (which does not go inside the
quotation marks. Ex. He said, “Let’s go to the beach!”
-At the end of a quotation, commas and ending punctuation marks (!.?) always go inside quotes.
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Ex. “Please bring me the stapler,” requested the teacher.
“I don’t want to grow up!” yelled the toddler.
-When a new person starts talking, a new paragraph is started.
-When a word or phrase is made up, quotation marks go around it. Ex. She muttered a “cheer-up spell” to make
her friend happier.
-If there is a quote within a quote, single quotation marks are used. Ex. The teacher said, “I’ve told you a million
times. William Shakespeare wrote, ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ Now will you remember?”
-Use quotation marks around a letter. Ex. Carol made straight “As” on her report card.
-If a quote goes on for multiple paragraphs, there is no end punctuation mark at the end of the paragraph.
Instead, there is just an opening quotation mark at the beginning of the next paragraph.
Ex.
“I was in your science class…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………They
used to lie in wait for me between classes.
“Orson always whispered malevolent things….
-If there is a double meaning to a word, and the author is trying to make a pun/double entendre, put the word in
quotation marks. Ex. Sam was struck “dumb” by the girl.
-If a word is made-up, of part of the vernacular (slang), put quotation marks around it. Ex. She is “phat,” pretty
hot and tempting.
Run-ons
-A run-on is when two or more independent clauses are joined together improperly (i.e. when a sentence could
be broken into 2 or more sentences). Ex. I lost my homework, I’m afraid I will fail my class.
A run-on can be fixed in one of three ways:
1) Turn it into 2 separate sentences. Ex. I lost my homework. I’m afraid I will fail my class.
2) Combine it with a comma AND a conjunction (like and, but, or). Ex. I lost my homework, and I’m afraid I
will fail my class. (If only a comma is used to separate two independent clauses, it is STILL considered a
run-on.)
3) Combine it with a semi-colon. Ex. I lost my homework; I’m afraid I will fail my class.
Spelling errors (common)
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friend
weird
a lot (not alot)
no one (not noone)
-If a word ends in a consonant + “y” then drop the “y” and add “ies.” Ex. Parties rather than partys
-If a word ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant, double the last consonant when adding a suffix. Ex. Grab =>
grabbing
Titles
-Titles of short works (articles, short stories, songs, poems) are placed in quotation marks.
-Titles of longer works (novels, books, movies, plays) are italicized or underlined.
MC Proofreading Quiz #1
Directions: Do not write on this paper. Instead, record your answers on a separate sheet of looseleaf. Select
the best answer to each question. (1 pt each)
children i am the schools principal the captain of your ship said the principal. my name is mr punctilious principal
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2
3
4
and this is dean dread who will mete out any discipline for misbehaving students he continued as he put a hand
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on the deans broad right shoulder
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8
1. A. “Children, I am
B. “Children, I am
C. Children, I am
D. Correct as written.
5. A. and, this is Dean Dread
B. and this is Dean dread
C. and this is Dean Dread
D. Correct as written.
2. A. schools’ principal
B. school’s principal
C. schools’s principal
D. Correct as written.
6. A. misbehaving students. He
B. misbehaving students,” he
C. misbehaving students.” He
D. Correct as written.
3. A. your ship.” Said
B. your ship” said
C. your ship,” said
D. Correct as written.
7. A. on the dean’s
B. on the deans’
C. on the deans’s
D. Correct as written.
4. A. “My name is Mr. Punctilious Principal
B. “My name is Mr. Punctilious Principal,
C. “My name is Mr. Punctilious Principal,
D. Correct as written.
8. A. broad, right, shoulder
B. broad, right shoulder
C. broad right, shoulder
D. Correct as written.