Grammar Review: Quotations, Fragments, Synonyms, Progressive...

Grandma's Quilt
by Alisa Scerrato

     Dawn's grandmother made a quilt. She gave the quilt to Dawn as a birthday present. When Dawn unwrapped the box, she looked at the quilt and said, "Thank you, Grandma! It's just what I wanted, a ___________ quilt! My other one is so old, and I bought it at the store. This one is much more special." She ran her fingers along the cloth and said, "I love the design too!"

Which is the correct order of adjectives to complete the sentence?

• cotton fresh pink

• fresh pink cotton

• fresh cotton pink

• cotton pink fresh

Jason is reading the following passage for a paper that he is writing. He wants to use the information in his paper.

Igloos

by Dr. Andy Saunders

     (1) Igloos are houses made out of hard snow. (2) Many people in Alaska use them to keep warm in such a cold climate.

Jason wants to use the same words from sentence 1 in his paper. Which of the following sentences is written correctly?

• Dr. Saunders states Igloos are houses made out of hard snow.

• Dr. Saunders states, Igloos are houses made out of hard snow. 

• Dr. Saunders states, "Igloos are houses made out of hard snow."

• Dr. Saunders states "Igloos are houses made out of hard snow." 

Jo's mother _______ a vegetable chili for lunch today.

Which verb correctly fills in the blank?

• has been cooking

• cooking

• is cooking

• was cooking

In the afternoon, the birds.

• Complete Sentence
• Run-On
• Fragment

Preeti is reading this passage for a paper she is writing. She wants to use the information in her paper.

Desert Plants

by Dr. Matt Dodge

     (1) Plants found in deserts have adapted to the hot, dry climates. (2) These plants can live for several years without rainwater. (3) Some of these plants, such as the cactus, have a special way of storing water.

Preeti wants to use the same words from Sentence 1 in her paper. Which of the following sentences is written correctly?

• Dr. Matt Dodge says "Plants found in deserts have adapted to the hot, dry climates."

• Dr. Matt Dodge says, Plants found in deserts have adapted to the hot, dry climates.

• Dr. Matt Dodge says, "Plants found in deserts have adapted to the hot, dry climates."

Dolphins

     Dolphins are extremely smart mammals. They belong to the same family as toothed whales, which includes orcas and pilot whales. Found all over the world, most types of dolphins prefer shallow waters, but that varies from species to species. About five dolphin species reside in rivers. However, the remaining species live in other locations, determined by an assortment of factors like the availability of food, water temperature, and depth of water. Like habitat, diet also differs from species to species.     

Dolphins' sleeping habits set them apart from other marine animals. They have to remain awake in order to breathe. Going into a deep slumber causes breathing problems. To overcome this challenge, half of a dolphin's brain is alert while it sleeps. This helps dolphins not only obtain the necessary amount of rest but also helps them stay alert enough to breathe normally. This ability is just one of the many outstanding qualities of dolphins.

To overcome this challenge, half of a dolphin's brain is alert while it sleeps. What does the word overcome mean?

• triumph over

• deliver

• strengthen

• start over

Which of these sentences is a run-on?

• My family is planning a trip to Washington, D.C.

• It will be the longest trip my family has ever taken.

• I'm saving money I want to buy presents for everyone.

• We will go in the spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom.

The Great Bell cracked, was rebuilt and cracked again, giving us the famous, flawed, resonating boom. Why Big Ben? There are two answers—either can be chosen. It could have been named after a large man named Sir Benjamin Hall, who was commissioner of works. Or, it might have been named by workmen whose hero of the day was a prize fighter named Benjamin Caunt.

In the passage above, what is the meaning of the word flawed?

• imperfect

• recast

• great

Misty's dog Mr. Taxes always runs away when Misty lets him outside of the house but he always comes back in time for dinner. When Mr. Taxes didn't return home last night, Misty got scared. She asked her dad to help her look for Mr. Taxes. When they found him the next day, they saw why Mr. Taxes didn't come home. Mr. Taxes had his head stuck in a bucket, and he couldn't see.

What is best way to rewrite the underlined sentence?

• Misty's dog Mr. Taxes always runs away when Misty lets him outside of the house, but he always comes back in time for dinner.

• Misty's dog Mr. Taxes always runs away. When Misty lets him outside of the house, but he always comes back in time for dinner.

The man at the circus had so much strength he easily bent the metal pipe.

Which word means the opposite of strength?

• adventure

• weakness

• calmness

• money