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8th grade writing and grammar practice questions, with answers

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English & Writing — Grade 8

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The Bike in the Box

The garage smelled of oil and old rubber. I wheeled the bike into the driveway and tightened my helmet strap.

  1. 1. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. Which words begin the flashback?
    1. A. Back in my own driveway
    2. B. That fall
    3. C. Now
    4. D. Six summers earlier ← Answer
  2. 2. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. Which word signals the return to the present?
    1. A. Again
    2. B. That fall
    3. C. Earlier
    4. D. Now ← Answer
  3. 3. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. Which two settings appear in the text?
    1. A. the garage and the driveway ← Answer
    2. B. the beach and the school
    3. C. the hedge and the school bus stop on the corner
  4. 4. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. Which phrase signals a change in place as well as time?
    1. A. the training wheels
    2. B. in a box
    3. C. the teacher
    4. D. across the country ← Answer
  5. 5. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. How does the word Again connect the past and present in the text?
    1. A. Uncle Rami says it in the past and the narrator says it in the present ← Answer
    2. B. It describes the hedge
    3. C. It is the nickname the narrator gave to the bike
    4. D. It explains who built the bike
  6. 6. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. What is the purpose of That fall?
    1. A. It returns the story to the present scene in the driveway
    2. B. It begins a flashback
    3. C. It shows time moving forward after the first summer scene ← Answer
  7. 7. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. Which sentence is the reflection?
    1. A. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. ← Answer
    2. B. The garage smelled of oil and old rubber.
    3. C. I breathe in.
    4. D. I wheeled the bike into the driveway and tightened my helmet strap.
  8. 8. Six summers earlier, I had stood in a driveway much like this one, though the bike then wore training wheels. "Again," Uncle Rami had said as I wobbled to the end of our block and tumbled into the Hendersons' hedge. "Again." I had stomped my foot and declared that I would never ride. That fall, we moved across the country, and the bike stayed folded in a box for years. Now, back in my own driveway, I breathe in. "Again," I whisper, and I push off. Some lessons stay with you long after the teacher has gone. What would be confusing if Six summers earlier were removed?
    1. A. Readers would not know it was fall
    2. B. Readers would not know the scene had jumped to the past ← Answer
    3. C. Readers would not know the bike's color
    4. D. Readers would not know the narrator's name or the uncle's job

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea because they shelter an enormous variety of life. Although reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, they support roughly a quarter of all marine species. A reef is built by coral polyps, tiny animals that produce a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate. Over centuries, these skeletons accumulate and form the stony structures that fish, crabs and sea turtles use as habitat. Polyps depend on a partnership with algae called zooxanthellae, which live inside the polyps' tissues. Through photosynthesis, the algae make sugars that feed the coral, while the coral provides the algae with shelter. When the water becomes too warm, polyps may expel their algae, an event called coral bleaching. A bleached coral turns white and, without its food supply, may weaken or die.

  1. 9. What name does the writer use for the algae inside the polyps?
    1. A. calcium carbonate
    2. B. photosynthesis
    3. C. habitat
    4. D. zooxanthellae ← Answer
  2. 10. What comparison does the writer make in the first sentence?
    1. A. Coral reefs are compared to rainforests ← Answer
    2. B. Polyps are compared to fish
    3. C. Coral reefs are compared to deserts that hold very little life
    4. D. Algae are compared to sugars
  3. 11. What do coral polyps produce?
    1. A. Zooxanthellae
    2. B. A hard skeleton of calcium carbonate ← Answer
    3. C. Sugars that the coral makes through photosynthesis each day
  4. 12. What is coral bleaching according to the text?
    1. A. Polyps grow too many algae and turn bright green in warm water
    2. B. Polyps produce too many sugars
    3. C. Polyps expel their algae, usually when water becomes too warm ← Answer
    4. D. Algae build a skeleton around the coral
  5. 13. How do the algae help the coral?
    1. A. They build the hard skeleton that holds up the whole reef structure
    2. B. They make sugars through photosynthesis that feed the coral ← Answer
    3. C. They protect the coral from fish
  6. 14. Why does the writer mention that reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor?
    1. A. To contrast the small area with the large share of species supported ← Answer
    2. B. To show that reefs are disappearing from the ocean at a fast rate
    3. C. To describe the algae
    4. D. To explain how coral is built
  7. 15. Which revision of Reefs are, like, super cool and tons of fish live there matches the style of the text?
    1. A. Reefs are awesome and full of fish.
    2. B. Reefs have so many fish.
    3. C. Reefs provide habitat for a wide variety of fish. ← Answer
    4. D. Reefs have lots of fish, so you should go and see them.
  1. 16. What is a verbal?
    1. A. A helping verb that comes before a main verb
    2. B. A word made from a verb that acts as a noun, adjective or adverb ← Answer
    3. C. A verb form that always acts as the main verb of a sentence or clause
    4. D. A verb that only shows the tense of a sentence
  2. 17. In active voice, what does the subject do?
    1. A. It is never named
    2. B. It performs the action ← Answer
    3. C. It receives the action
    4. D. It describes the verb
  3. 18. What is verb mood?
    1. A. whether the subject is singular or plural
    2. B. the attitude a verb shows, such as fact, command or wish ← Answer
    3. C. the time when an action takes place
    4. D. whether the subject does the action or receives it in a sentence
  4. 19. Which mark shows a voice trailing off?
    1. A. Ellipsis ← Answer
    2. B. Question mark
    3. C. Dash
    4. D. Comma
  5. 20. What is a claim in an argument?
    1. A. The writer's arguable position ← Answer
    2. B. A fact that everyone already accepts as true
    3. C. A quotation from a source
    4. D. The title of the essay
  6. 21. What is formal style?
    1. A. Serious, polished writing without slang or casual phrases ← Answer
    2. B. Writing that uses many jokes
    3. C. Writing that sounds like talking to a friend at lunch time
    4. D. Writing with long, fancy words only
  7. 22. What is a transition in a narrative?
    1. A. The last sentence of the story, which states its lesson
    2. B. A word or phrase that signals a change in time or place ← Answer
    3. C. A line of dialogue
    4. D. A description of a character
  8. 23. What does the minus sign do in a search such as mercury -car?
    1. A. It searches for an exact phrase
    2. B. It adds the word car to every result on the page
    3. C. It finds only results with car
    4. D. It removes results that include the word car ← Answer
  9. 24. What is a gerund?
    1. A. An -ed verbal that acts as an adjective
    2. B. To plus a verb that acts as an adverb
    3. C. An -ing verbal that acts as a noun ← Answer
    4. D. An -ing helping verb
  10. 25. In passive voice, what does the subject do?
    1. A. It receives the action ← Answer
    2. B. It joins two ideas
    3. C. It asks a question
    4. D. It performs the action
  11. 26. Which mood states a fact?
    1. A. imperative
    2. B. interrogative
    3. C. subjunctive
    4. D. indicative ← Answer
  12. 27. Which mark shows a sharp break or interruption?
    1. A. Dash ← Answer
    2. B. Comma
    3. C. Ellipsis
    4. D. Apostrophe
  13. 28. What is a counterclaim?
    1. A. A source's name
    2. B. A summary of the essay
    3. C. An opposing claim someone might make against the writer's position ← Answer
    4. D. A reason the writer gives to support the main claim of the whole essay
  14. 29. What is domain-specific vocabulary?
    1. A. Words copied from a dictionary
    2. B. Words used in a particular subject ← Answer
    3. C. Slang words used by a close group of friends online
    4. D. Words that are very long
  15. 30. What is a flashback?
    1. A. A scene that jumps ahead
    2. B. A scene that jumps back to an earlier time ← Answer
    3. C. A description of the setting that tells readers where the story happens
  16. 31. What do quotation marks do in a search?
    1. A. They sort results by date
    2. B. They search for an exact phrase ← Answer
    3. C. They remove a word
    4. D. They limit results to .edu sites
  17. 32. What job does a participle do in a sentence?
    1. A. It acts as a preposition
    2. B. It acts as an adjective ← Answer
    3. C. It acts as a noun
  18. 33. Active or passive? The cat chased the mouse.
    1. A. Passive
    2. B. Active ← Answer
    3. C. Neither
  19. 34. Which mood gives a command or request?
    1. A. interrogative
    2. B. conditional
    3. C. imperative ← Answer
  20. 35. Which mark shows a gentle, natural pause?
    1. A. Dash
    2. B. Ellipsis
    3. C. Comma ← Answer
  21. 36. What is a rebuttal?
    1. A. The writer's reasoned response showing why a counterclaim is weaker ← Answer
    2. B. A repeat of the claim
    3. C. A list of every source the writer used, placed at the end of the essay
  22. 37. What is precise language?
    1. A. Exact words that leave no confusion about meaning ← Answer
    2. B. Words that sound impressive but may not say exactly what is meant
    3. C. Words that are very short
  23. 38. What is a time frame in a story?
    1. A. Where the story takes place and what it looks like
    2. B. When a part of the story happens ← Answer
    3. C. Who tells the story
    4. D. How the story ends
  24. 39. What does site:.gov do in a search?
    1. A. It removes government sites from the results
    2. B. It limits results to government websites ← Answer
    3. C. It finds exact phrases
  25. 40. Which choice shows the form of an infinitive?
    1. A. a verb plus -ing alone
    2. B. to plus a noun
    3. C. to plus a verb ← Answer
    4. D. a verb plus -ed
  26. 41. Active or passive? The mouse was chased by the cat.
    1. A. Neither
    2. B. Active
    3. C. Passive ← Answer
    4. D. Both
  27. 42. Which mood asks a question?
    1. A. conditional
    2. B. imperative
    3. C. indicative
    4. D. interrogative ← Answer
  28. 43. How many spaced periods make up an ellipsis?
    1. A. Only one
    2. B. Three ← Answer
    3. C. Two
    4. D. Four
  29. 44. What is a logical fallacy?
    1. A. A mistake in reasoning ← Answer
    2. B. A kind of conclusion
    3. C. A type of evidence taken from a credible source
    4. D. A formal title
  30. 45. What is an objective tone?
    1. A. A neutral tone without personal feelings ← Answer
    2. B. A tone full of strong opinions
    3. C. A tone that talks directly to the reader
    4. D. A humorous tone
  31. 46. What is a setting shift?
    1. A. A new character
    2. B. A change in mood
    3. C. A change in narrator so that a new person starts telling the story
    4. D. A move from one place to another in the story ← Answer
  32. 47. Which search limits results to college and university sites?
    1. A. -edu
    2. B. site:.edu ← Answer
    3. C. site:.com
    4. D. "edu"
  33. 48. Which word is the gerund? Swimming is good exercise.
    1. A. good
    2. B. Swimming ← Answer
    3. C. is
    4. D. exercise
  34. 49. Active or passive? Mateo threw the ball.
    1. A. Neither
    2. B. Both
    3. C. Active ← Answer
    4. D. Passive
  35. 50. Which mood expresses a wish or an idea contrary to fact?
    1. A. subjunctive ← Answer
    2. B. interrogative
    3. C. indicative
    4. D. imperative
UpOnly Learning · uponlylearning.com · free to print and photocopy for your own studentsEnglish & Writing — Grade 8
UpOnly Learning · uponlylearning.com · English & Writing Grade 8
From the workbook

A real page of English & Writing · Grade 8

Verbs in Disguise: Gerunds, Participles and Infinitives

The student will identify gerunds, participles and infinitives and explain how each functions in a sentence. · 40 min

Warm-up — say this

“Some words look like verbs but are wearing a disguise. Today you will unmask them.”

Worked example

Identify the verbal and its function: Baking bread fills the house with a wonderful smell.

Answer: Baking (bread) is a gerund phrase acting as the subject (a noun). Test: It fills the house with a wonderful smell.

A mistake students make

Every word ending in -ing is a verb.

How the book fixes it

Show that in Dancing makes me happy, dancing is the subject, a noun. Only when it pairs with a helping verb, as in She is dancing, is it part of the main verb.

Note to the parent

This is one of the trickier grammar topics. Focus on the question "What job is the word doing?" rather than memorizing labels.

That is one topic of many. The free questions above check a skill; this is the part that teaches it.

Practice checks. Our writing and grammar workbooks teach.

These questions check a skill. The workbook teaches it.

  • TeachesA 40-minute lesson per topic that tells you what to say.
  • ExplainsWorked examples and the common mistakes, with fixes.
  • ReviewsAnswers with short explanations, and fresh questions.
  • PlansEvery topic in teaching order, matched to the standards.
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Further reading

Grammar that actually shows up in their writingYour student can label a noun and still write a page of run-ons. Here is how to teach grammar so it transfers: sentence work, combining, and revision.

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