Grade 8 English Skills Quiz

Read the following passage and answer the question: "John Steinbeck's 'The Pearl' tells the story of Kino, a poor pearl diver who finds a massive pearl that he believes will change his family's fortune. However, the pearl brings nothing but trouble and tragedy." What is the main theme of 'The Pearl'?

• The importance of family

• The corrupting power of greed

• The beauty of nature

• The value of hard work

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

• Neither the teacher nor the students was ready for the test.

• Neither the teacher nor the students were ready for the test.

• Neither the teacher or the students was ready for the test.

• Neither the teacher or the students were ready for the test.

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: "She has a strong _______ for learning new languages."

• desire

• dessert

• desert

• disire

In "Flowers for Algernon," what is the significance of Algernon?

• He is Charlie's best friend.

• He is a mouse who undergoes the same experiment as Charlie.

• He is Charlie's doctor.

• He is a symbol of Charlie's past.

Which of the following sentences uses a comma correctly?

• After the movie we went to dinner.

• After the movie, we went to dinner.

• After, the movie we went to dinner.

• After the movie we, went to dinner.

What literary device is used in the following sentence from "The Tell-Tale Heart": "It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage"?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Hyperbole

Which word is commonly misused in the following sentence: "Their going to the store later."

• Their

• Going

• To

• Store

In "The Outsiders," what is the main conflict?

• The struggle between the Socs and the Greasers

• Ponyboy's relationship with his parents

• The search for a hidden treasure

• The fight against a natural disaster

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

• "Can you believe it?" she asked.

• "Can you believe it"? she asked.

• "Can you believe it," she asked?

• "Can you believe it" she asked?

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: "The _______ of the story was very surprising."

• climax

• climate

• clime

• climeax