DeSoto County Schools
Language Assessment – Unit 1
(L.4.1b, MLAF 4a2, MLAF 4a3, L.4.1e, MLAF 4c4, MLAF 4c5, L.4.1f, MLAF 4c3)
Academic Vocabulary (1 – 10)
1. Which of the following answer choices best describes a sentence structure?
A. the way a sentence is organized
B. the parts of speech in a sentence
H. a compound or complex sentence
J. a complete thought
2. What is the best definition for an adjective?
F. a word that describes another noun
G. a word that shows action
H. a word that describes an action
J. a word that shows ownership
3. A preposition can be described as a word that
A. shows ownership
B. shows action
C. joins together two verbs in sentence
D. connects the noun to the rest of the sentence
4. What of the following best describes a compound sentence?
F. independent clauses joined by a conjunction
G. an incomplete sentence
H. dependent clauses joined by a comma
J. a sentence fragment
5. What is the best definition of a dependent clause?
A. a phrase that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence
B. a phrase that can stand alone as a complete sentence
C. a phrase that connects two sentences
D. a phrase that ends a sentence
6. What is the best definition of an independent clause?
F. a phrase that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence
G. a phrase that can stand alone as a complete sentence
H. a phrase that connects two sentences
J. a phrase that ends a sentence
7. Which of the following choices best describes a complex sentence?
A. a sentence containing two independent clauses
B. a sentence containing two
dependent clauses
C. a sentence containing an
independent clause and a
dependent clause
D. a sentence containing two
independent clauses joined by a
conjunction
8. A present tense verb is best described as
F. an action that will happen
G. an action that is happening now
H. an action that will happen
J. an action that has already happened
9. A past tense verb is best described as
A. an action that has already happened
B. an action that will happen
C. an action that is happening now
D. an action that will not happen
10. Which of the following describes a linking verb?
F. a verb that shows action
G. a verb that is used to describe a state of being
H. a verb that adds to the meaning of the main verb or shows tense
J. a verb that describes an adjective
11. Which of the following sentences contains a prepositional phrase?
A. The car crossed the bridge very quickly.
B. I have a very, very old car.
C. We went out to eat because it was my birthday.
D. I drove the car under the bridge.
12. Read the following sentences.
(1) The dogs in the yard ate after the
loud sirens.
(2) The team with the fancy uniforms
won often.
(3) The band from the city played well.
(4) The teacher in my new classroom
smiled happily.
Which sentence does not contain the same sentence structure as the other three sentences?
F. Sentence 1
G. Sentence 2
H. Sentence 3
J. Sentence 4
13. Read the following sentence.
Which change makes this a sentence with a prepositional phrase?
A. Adam bumped into a fruit stand
yesterday afternoon.
B. Adam ran by the fruit stand
and it fell over.
C. The stand fell over, and Adam
ran to pick it up.
D. Adam knocked over the fruit stand of big green watermelons.
14. Matt decides to add two prepositional phrases used as adverbs to his sentence. Which sentence below shows Matt’s new sentence?
F. After a fun party with my friends,
I love hot chocolate, my favorite treat.
G. On a cold wintery night, I love hot chocolate after a party with my friends.
H. After a fun party of exciting games, I love hot chocolate, a warming treat.
J. Sometimes I love hot chocolate, my favorite drink, on a cold wintry night.
15. Stanley is writing a report on a book he recently read. Read the first six sentences in his report below.
Use these sentences to answer questions 8 and 9.
1. I read a book called Tales of a
Fourth Grade Nothing.
2. It was an excellent book.
3. A boy and his little brother.
4. The older brother was in fourth
grade.
5. They did some interesting things.
6. It only took me two days to finish
reading the book!
Which sentence is a fragment and should not be included in Stanley’s report?
A. Sentence 2
B. Sentence 3
C. Sentence 4
D. Sentence 5
16. Which of the following choices is a complex sentence?
A. The picnic will begin at noon, but the buses will leave at nine o’clock.
B. Amelia Earhart was a pioneer in the field of flying.
C. Stan wants to be an architect, and Lisa says she will be a doctor.
D. I watched television after I finished my homework.
17. Which of the following sentences
shows correct punctuation in a
complex sentence?
F. When he handed in his homework he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
G. The teacher returned the
homework, after she noticed the
error.
H. The students are studying, because they have a test tomorrow.
J. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
18. Read the following sentences.
Which of the following choices
correctly combines the sentences into one complex sentence?
F. Dry deserts make good labs for studying fossils.
G. Desert fossils are in deserts, which are so dry, scientists, can study them.
H. Because deserts are so dry, they make good labs for scientists to study fossils.
J. Why do scientists study fossils in the desert, it’s because they are so dry.
19. Read the four sentences Christina wrote for a to-do list.
1. Go to the doctor.
2. Iron the new curtains and hang them up.
3. Buy milk, cheese, cookies, and ice cream at the grocery store.
4. Cook hamburgers for supper ice cream sundaes for dessert.
Which sentence in Christina’s list is a run-on sentence?
F. Sentence 1
G. Sentence 2
H. Sentence 3
J. Sentence 4
20. Read the sentence below.
Rachael had a birthday party, and got many presents, and one was a new doll.
What is the best way to divide this run-on sentence into two complete sentences?
A. Rachael had a birthday party and got many presents. One was a new doll.
B. Rachael had a birthday party. Got many presents. One was a new doll.
C. Rachael had a birthday party. Got many presents, and one was a new doll.
D. Rachael had a birthday party, got many presents and one was new. It was a doll.
21. Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?
F. We will wait in the car while you go inside.
G. Michael and Amy waited patiently for the movie to begin.
H. My favorite pastime is hockey, but Tom loves to read.
J. Before Lou washed dishes, he
rinsed them.
22. Which of the following choices expresses a complete thought in a correct compound sentence?
A. Although the movie did not
have very many characters.
B. I would bake a cake for you, but
I don’t have a good recipe.
C. Because the people in the store
said weird things and acted
silly.
D. Mrs. Bailey, who is always
giving us great books to read.
23. Read the sentences below.
Which answer choice joins the two sentences to form a compound sentence that retains the original meaning?
F. Caitlin wants to be a lawyer and
plans on being a TV star.
G. Samantha wants to be a TV
show lawyer.
H. Caitlin wants to be a lawyer, but
Samantha wants to be a TV star.
J. Samantha wants to be a
lawyer and Caitlin wants to be a
TV star.
24. Which of the following sentences does not use a linking verb?
A. The strawberry cake smelled so good right out of the oven.
B. Her grandmother was talented at baking strawberry cakes.
C. The strawberry cake recipe seemed difficult.
D. My little brother ate the last piece of strawberry cake.
25. Read the sentence below. Which of the following sentences does not use a linking verb?
F. The baby bird looked helpless in the nest.
G. My new book was very entertaining.
H. The homemade chocolate chip cookies taste delicious!
J. The energetic puppy jumped up onto our sofa.
26.
The storm appeared powerful
from a distance.
What part of speech best describes the underlined word?
A. present tense verb
B. future tense verb
C. present perfect tense verb
D. past tense verb
27. Which of the following sentences contains a verb in the present perfect tense?
F. My family went to the beach last
year.
G. My family will go to the beach
next year.
H. My family is going to the beach
on Saturday.
J. My family has been to the
beach every year since I was
four.
28. Which sentence is using correct
verb tense?
A. They are always enjoyable
people.
B. They is very friendly, too.
C. He do not like corn for dinner.
D. She are coming with him to our
house.