Mastering 8th Grade Writing Skills

What is a compound sentence? Provide an example.

• It started to rain, so I stayed inside.

• I went for a walk because it was sunny.

• I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.

• I wanted to go for a walk and it started to rain.

Identify the main idea in the following paragraph: 'The sun set over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.'

• The importance of daylight savings.

• The science of sunsets.

• The beauty of a sunset.

• The history of the sun.

What punctuation mark is used to indicate a question?

• Exclamation mark

• Period

• Question mark

• Comma

Rewrite the following sentence to make it more descriptive: 'The dog ran.'

• The dog walked slowly.

• The rabbit hopped around the garden.

• The energetic golden retriever sprinted joyfully across the sunlit park.

• The cat jumped over the fence.

What is the purpose of a topic sentence in a paragraph?

• To provide a conclusion for the paragraph.

• To list supporting details for the main idea.

• The purpose of a topic sentence is to state the main idea of a paragraph.

• To introduce a new topic unrelated to the paragraph.

List three literary devices and provide an example of each.

• Simile: 'He runs like the wind.'

• Hyperbole: 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.'

• 1. Metaphor: 'Time is a thief.' 2. Alliteration: 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.' 3. Personification: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

• Oxymoron: 'Deafening silence.'

How can you improve the flow of a story? Give two strategies.

• Use complex vocabulary throughout the text.

• Include unrelated subplots in every chapter.

• 1. Use transitions between scenes. 2. Maintain consistent pacing throughout the story.

• Add more characters to the story.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

• Both similes and metaphors are the same thing.

• A metaphor uses 'like' or 'as' for comparison.

• A simile uses 'like' or 'as' for comparison, whereas a metaphor states one thing is another.

• A simile is a type of metaphor.

Identify the sequence of events in this story: 'First, the boy found a treasure map. Then, he went on an adventure.'

• The boy went on an adventure, then he found a treasure map.

• The boy found a treasure chest, then he went home.

• The boy discovered a treasure map, then he lost it.

• The boy found a treasure map, then he went on an adventure.

Construct a complete sentence using the following words: 'happy', 'dog', 'park'.

• The park is where the dog is happy.

• The happy dog played in the park.

• Happy dogs bark at the park.

• The dog is happy in the park.