Mrs. Carter’s 8^th Grade Midterm Exam Review

8^th Grade English

· Five functions of a noun

· Parts of speech

· Know what adjectives and adverbs modify

· Pronouns -- remember our chart (first, second, third, subject, object, possessive)

· Pronouns (reflexive, intensive, demonstrative)

· Pronouns (indefinite pronouns, pronoun-antecedent)

· Conjunctions (correlative, coordinating, and subordinate)

· Subject complements (direct objects, indirect object, and predicate nominatives)

· Transitive and intransitive verbs

· Differentiate between prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses

· Independent/dependent clauses

· Noun clauses –what is the function of the noun clause?

· Type of sentence- simple, complex, compound, compound-complex

· Phrases (adjective and adverb)

· Verbals (participles, gerunds, and infinitives)—what is the function of the gerund and infinitive?

· Writing Skill: Identify Magic 3, extended moment, and hyphenated modifier

· Writing Skill: Organization of a paragraph (topic sentence, detail sentences, and concluding statement)

· Writing Skill: Good opening techniques

· Writing Skill: What goes into writing a solid paragraph?

Note: This exam tends to be challenging for students. It is essential that you know the parts of speech in order to correctly answer questions concerning verbals and clauses. The exam consists of sixty-five multiple choice questions and four short answer questions. Please study.

8^th Grade Literature

· Plot line

· Symbolism

· Theme

· Tone/mood

· Figurative language (personification, simile, metaphor, hyperbole)

· Allusion

· Alliteration

· Onomatopoeia

· Imagery

· Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic)

· Allegory

· Flat/round/static/dynamic characters

· Inference skills

· Point of view

· Dialect

· Setting

· Foreshadowing

· Flashback

· Antagonist/protagonist

· Conflict (man v. man, man v. self, and man v. nature, internal, and external)

· How do authors create good characters?

· Differentiate between tone and mood (video clips from Lion King and Mary Poppins)

· Fiction verses nonfiction

· Author’s point of view—it is as easy as pie.

· How does an author create suspense in a literary work?

· Why do authors use flashbacks in their writing?

· How does setting influence storytelling?

· How do minor characters influence a plot line?

· How does point-of-view influence mystery writing?

· What is a red herring? Why is essential to good mystery writing?

· Why is your protagonist a dynamic character?

· What is anthropomorphism? What is its role in The Call of the Wild?

· Review: “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” “Cask of Amontillado,” “Cub Pilot on the Mississippi,” and The Call of the Wild.

· You should be able to apply all literary elements to the selected pieces of literary work.

· You will be given short passages. You will need to choose the response that describes the passage.

Basic Example:

I sat in the room, shuttering at the thought of having to listen to her boring English lesson again. The drone of her voice would surely put me into a comatose state. Boredom wrapped its hand around me, strangling the last bit of motivation I could muster. Tick tock. Only thirty-eight minutes left.

A. Third person

B. Second person

C. First person

D. I cannot determine the point-of-view.

A. Metaphor A. Onomatopoeia

B. Personification B. Alliteration

C. Hyperbole C. Simile

D. Simile D. Flashback

A. The student likes the teacher, but he doesn’t like English.

B. The student is just having a bad day and usually likes English class.

C. The student feels like the teacher is going to wrap her hands around his neck and strangle him.

D. The student does not like the way the teacher teaches.

**I have highlighted the answers for you.

Your challenge is two-fold. You must know the literary elements. We have been working on most of these since the 7^th grade. First, I am assessing your ability to read a passage and identify what literary element is used. Secondly, you must use your reading skills to answer questions about the passages. The passages are from assigned readings and other sources. Don’t forget to review the plot line of the assigned readings. Please be sure to review the point-of-view and how an author develops a strong character. As always, students who prepare will score the best.

Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.