Precise, Vivid, and Sensory Language Practice

The entire class was eagerly waiting for the art teacher to announce the results of the painting competition. Peter was nervous. He looked at Mike, who was leaning back in his chair, and observed that Mike looked relaxed. Mike noticed Peter, smiled at him, and sat upright. Mike's nonchalant attitude baffled Peter because he knew Mike was looking forward to winning the competition. Both Peter and Mike were painters of high caliber, and their art teacher always appreciated their paintings. It was no wonder that everyone expected either of them to win the competition. Finally, the art teacher was about to announce the results, and Peter decided to stay positive, regardless of the outcome. The whole class erupted into applause when the teacher announced that Peter was the winner of the competition.

Which sensory detail creates a contrast between two characters?

• Both Peter and Mike were painters of high caliber, and their art teacher always appreciated their paintings.

• He looked at Mike, who was leaning back in his chair, and observed that Mike looked relaxed.

• It was no wonder that everyone expected either of them to win the competition.

• Mike's nonchalant attitude baffled Peter because he knew Mike was looking forward to winning the competition.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

The amount of gravity by an object is proportional to the mass of the object. In other words, objects with more mass will exert more gravity than objects with less mass. Distance also affects gravity. The amount of gravity decreases as the distance between two objects increases. These changes in the amount of gravity occur even on Earth. The farther away you are from the center of the Earth, the less gravity there is between you and the Earth. If you were on the Moon, the amount of gravity between you and the Earth would be even less.

Which word would best replace the underlined word to make the meaning more precise?

• variations

• movements

• inequalities

• departures

Tags

CCSS.L.7.6

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

Last Saturday, I went to a farm with my dad and my younger brother to pick peaches. The farmer taught us how to choose the best fruit from the trees because we had never picked peaches before. After we climbed onto ladders and started picking the fruit, I reached for a peach that was hanging at the very end of a nearby branch. When I squeezed the peach to pull it off the branch, it burst open

all over my face and T-shirt. My dad and my brother laughed very hard, and I smelled like a sticky peach for the rest of the day.

• moved

• spilled

• splattered

• covered

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

Animals can be classified and grouped based on similarities in their characteristics. One example of an animal classification is a mammal. Mammals are warm-blooded beings that breathe air with their lungs. Mammals have fur or hair, and they have sweat glands. They also produce milk to feed their young. Most mammals have babies that are born alive. Dogs, cats, bears, elephants, dolphins, whales, and people are all examples of mammals.

What is the most precise word to use in the passage?

• beasts

• vertebrates

• creatures

• creations

Tags

CCSS.L.1.5A

CCSS.L.1.5B

CCSS.L.K.5A

Which of the following describes the way something feels?

• Invisible ropes of baked apple cobbler tugged my nose toward the kitchen.

• His head was like a helium balloon with a thin string dangling from it.

• The chair springs squeaked like a pack of wild mice when Granny Jean sat down.

• The warm milk comforted my stomach like a warm blanket covering a child.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.6

CCSS.L.3.6

CCSS.RL.1.4

Which of the following contains a description of the way something feels?

• Molly's long, yellow hair waved like a flag in the wind.

• Jonah ran his hand over the smooth, warm granite.

• Mr. Ort's voice was cold and hard when he fired Plyer.

• Livy breathed in the wild, musty scent of the rabbit.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.6

CCSS.L.3.6

CCSS.RL.1.4

As cameras flashed, Ellie raised the trophy high above her head with both hands. She felt like a great heroine. She had won the National Spelling Bee! The room hummed with excited voices. Above the dull roar, Ellie easily identified her mother's shriek of joy and pride. Soon, Ellie's mother's arms were around her, cutting off her air supply.

"Ellie, congrats! Ellie—your trophy—it's amazing! Ellie, I am so proud of you, darling!" Ellie's mother gushed.

Swarms of friends, family, and fellow spellers bombarded Ellie with hugs and praise. It was the best night of Ellie's life.

Which sensory detail helps the reader imagine the way the setting sounds?

• Swarms of friends, family, and fellow spellers bombarded Ellie with hugs and praise.

• As cameras flashed, Ellie raised the trophy high above her head with both hands.

• Above the dull roar, Ellie easily identified her mother's shriek of joy and pride.

• Soon, Ellie's mother's arms were around her, cutting off her air supply.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

The Blonde African Boy with Freckles

He sits on the hard cement and waits

He dreams of the fun they will have

He peers into the dry, dusty, distance

He thinks he sees a speck coming towards him

The beating of his heart starts a tribal drum song

He stands up

He steps forward and forward again

The speck doesn’t come closer

He sits back down to wait

He waits for hours

The speck is long gone

and so are his dreams of fun

Which line from the poem is a sensory detail that describes a sound?

• The beating of his heart starts a tribal drum song

• He sits on the hard cement and waits

• He peers into the dry, dusty, distance

• He thinks he sees a speck coming towards him

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

The Blonde African Boy with Freckles

He sits on the hard cement and waits

He dreams of the fun they will have

He peers into the dry, dusty, distance

He thinks he sees a speck coming towards him

The beating of his heart starts a tribal drum song

He stands up

He steps forward and forward again

The speck doesn’t come closer

He sits back down to wait

He waits for hours

The speck is long gone

and so are his dreams of fun

What does the visual detail of the speck in the poem represent?

• the narrator doing a tribal dance

• an animal that is hunting its prey

• the person that the boy is waiting for

• a piece of dirt blowing in the wind

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

Prabin is writing a story about a hobbit named Larry. Which sensory detail could he add to help the reader visualize Larry?

• the salty flavor of Larry's soup

• the climate where Larry lives

• the smell of Larry's flower garden

• the color of Larry's hair

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4