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8th Grade Grammar Placement Test

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

1. 
What would you be most likely to do during the revising stage of the writing process?
a.
identify possible topics
b.
add transition words to connect ideas
c.
freewrite on the topic for ideas
 

2. 
What is a topic sentence?
a.
an interesting detail that engages readers’ interest
b.
a statement that clearly expresses the main idea of a paragraph
c.
the first sentence of any paragraph
 

3. 
The best place to find the pronunciation of a descriptive word is in
a.
an encyclopedia.
b.
a computerized thesaurus.
c.
a dictionary.
 
 
Choosing Precise Language
Select the letter of the most specific, energetic, or vivid word for the blank in each sentence.
 

4. 
By the final lap of the race, my shirt was ____ to my back.
a.
stuck
b.
glued
c.
plastered
 

5. 
To quiet its insistent jangle, I ____ for the phone.
a.
lunged
b.
reached
c.
called
 
 
Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences
Each item below shows a sentence fragment or a run-on sentence. Select the letter of the choice that revises the sentence correctly.
 

6. 
Hurried through the crowded city streets.
a.
Hurried, through the crowded city streets.
b.
Ran in a hurry through the crowded city streets.
c.
I hurried through the crowded city streets.
 
 
SELECT THE CORRECT WORD TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.
 

7. 
Either Uncle Lew or my brothers ____ picking up pizza for dinner.
a.
are
b.
is
c.
was
 

8. 
Jane and Sue both ran the 200-yard dash, but ____ won.
a.
she
b.
her
c.
Jane
 

9. 
Select the letter of the sentence that is written correctly.
a.
The announcer said, "here’s a message from our sponsor."
b.
The announcer said "Here’s a message from our sponsor."
c.
The announcer said, "Here’s a message from our sponsor."
 

10. 
Select the letter of the sentence that is written correctly.
a.
The band played waltzes, polkas and popular songs.
b.
The band played, waltzes polkas, and popular songs.
c.
The band played waltzes, polkas, and popular songs.
 
 
Kinds of Nouns
Select the letter of the term that describes the underlined word or words in each sentence.
 

11. 
The Museum of Modern Art exhibits many twentieth-century paintings.
a.
abstract noun
b.
common noun
c.
proper noun
 

12. 
The knight’s bravery was legendary throughout the land.
a.
abstract noun
b.
proper noun
c.
concrete noun
 
 
Collective Nouns and Appositives
 

13. 
In which sentence is the appositive phrase punctuated correctly?
a.
My sister a judo enthusiast demonstrated her latest kick.
b.
My sister, a judo enthusiast, demonstrated her latest kick.
c.
My sister, a judo enthusiast demonstrated her latest kick.
 

14. 
Which sentence contains a collective noun?
a.
The boys turned handsprings.
b.
A crowd gathered to watch.
c.
Each person clapped appreciatively.
 

15. 
Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined verb agrees with the subject.
a.
Jon, Alex, and Caleb is in the eighth-grade boys’ chorus.
b.
The soloist and only baritone is Ricardo.
c.
The director or the accompanist are always looking for recruits.
 

16. 
Each boy in the class has ____ own locker.
a.
his
b.
their
c.
him
 

17. 
Several of the gymnasts dusted ____ hands with chalk.
a.
his
b.
their
c.
theirs
 

18. 
To ____ does this navy blue parka belong?
a.
whom
b.
whose
c.
who
 

19. 
Select the letter of the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
a.
Petroleum, which is a finite resource should be used responsibly.
b.
Petroleum which is a finite resource, should be used responsibly.
c.
Petroleum, which is a finite resource, should be used responsibly.
 

20. 
The past participle of a verb is formed by adding the ending
a.
-ed.
b.
-s.
c.
-ing.
 

21. 
An infinitive is a verb form that often serves as
a.
a preposition.
b.
a noun.
c.
a conjunction.
 

22. 
The present participle of a verb is formed by adding the ending
a.
-ed.
b.
-s.
c.
-ing.
 

23. 
Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined verb agrees with the subject.
a.
Does these sneakers feel right?
b.
The sneaker on my left foot feel better than the other.
c.
The size-eight shoes feel best.
 

24. 
Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined verb agrees with the subject.
a.
Cameras with a zoom lens takes skill to use.
b.
Eliza, for all her efforts, never take a good picture.
c.
Does this camera take 35-millimeter film?
 

25. 
Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined word is used correctly.
a.
Besides pickaxes, the prospectors carried tin pans.
b.
A gleaming nugget of gold lay besides the rock.
c.
The miner placed two bags of gold dust besides each other.
 

26. 
Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined word is used correctly.
a.
Ms. Harvin hopes to learn us to speak Latin.
b.
Teachers try to learn students about conjugating verbs.
c.
I like to learn about the Latin roots of words.
 

27. 
Read the sentences.  What is the best way to combine the two sentences?
The astronauts complained. The food improved somewhat.
a.
The astronauts complained and the food improved somewhat.
c.
The astronauts complained, so the food improvements were made in the food.
b.
The astronauts complained, so the food improved somewhat.
d.
The astronauts completed, the food improved somewhat.
 

28. 
Read the sentence. Which word in the sentence is an adverb?
This very wide river begins here as a narrow stream, and people can actually say they walked across the Missippi.
a.
wide
c.
actually
b.
narrow
d.
Mississippi
 

29. 
Read the following sentence and decide what should be changed to make the sentence correct.
I remember when my mother first read the book Charlotte's Web to me.
a.
underline the words my mother
c.
italicize the words Charolotte's Web
b.
add a comma after the word book
d.
add a question mark at the end of the sentence.
 

30. 
Which sentence contains a gerund?
a.
The next step was NASA's "basic training school."
c.
Coleman then studied chemistry in college.
b.
Being an astronaut means being a scientist first.
d.
In the meantime, she will continue to learn.
 

31. 
Choose the sentence below that is not a run-on.
a.
The first humans lived in Arrica and the Middle East scientist believe they will find more evidence of early humans in these parts of the world.
c.
The first humans lived in Africa and the Middle East and scientists believe they will find more evidence of early humans in these parts of the world.
b.
The first humans lived in Africa and the Middle East, scientists believe they will find more evidence of early humans in these parts of the world.
d.
The first humans lived in Africa and the Middle East, and scientists believe they will find more evidence of early humans in these parts of the world.
 

32. 
Read the following selection and answer the question below.

Studies show that people who care for pets live a happier, healthier life.  This is true only if you've chosen your pet carefully.  Think about the needs of the pet and your living arrangements before bringing home a furry bundle.  If you live in an apartment, you should choose an animal that doesn't need lots of exercise and remains fairly quiet, especially at night. Apartment-dwellers may select a cat or a guinea pig.  On the other hand, if you have a house and a small fenced-in yard, you might welcome a small dog.  Of course if you live in a rural area with a large yard or a small farm, you have an array of appropriate pets to choose from:  ponies, goats and sheep, dogs of all sizes, and many more.  Select your pet carefully and enjoy many happy, healthy years together.

Choose the most appropriate title for the passage.
a.
Benefits of Owning a Pet
c.
Rural Residents Have More Pets
b.
Choose Pets Based on Living Arrangements
d.
Guinea Pigs are Cute
 

33. 
Read the following sentence from the passage.

Special glands at the top of the leaves' openings produce a sweet substance that attracts insects.

What is another word for produce?
a.
introduce
c.
create
b.
fruit
d.
nectar
 

34. 
The best source to find information about the most recent Mars exploration is
a.
a tabloid magazine
c.
a university website
b.
an interview with a geologist
d.
a newspaper
 

35. 
Read the sentence and select the preposition.
A frog's skeleton is good for jumping.
a.
frog's
c.
good
b.
is
d.
for
 

36. 
Read the sentence from the passage and select the word that is a conjunction.
To swim you use your arms and legs, but a fish has a different way of swimming.
a.
to
c.
but
b.
use
d.
of
 

37. 
Read the sentence.  Which clause functions as an adverb?
When summer ends, people in Alaska will once again enjoy winter activities and try to stay warm during the many cold months to come.
a.
When summer ends
c.
try to stay warm
b.
people in Alaska
d.
enjoy winter activities
 

38. 
Which is the correct way to write this sentence?
The astronauts didn't have no hot water to prepare food.
a.
The astronauts didn't have no hot water to prepare no food.
c.
The astronauts did not have hot water to prepare food.
b.
The astronauts had not hot water to not prepare no food.
d.
The astronauts didn't had any hot water to prepare food.
 

39. 
Which of the following statements is always true of a thesis statement.
a.
A thesis statement is always found in the second body paragraph.
c.
Thesis statements are always written in the conclusion.
b.
A thesis statement restates the main idea of the essay.
 

40. 
Read the sentence.  Choose the word that is the best synonym for vivacious.
As the daughter of Powhatan, an Algonquian chief, Pocahontas was known for being a playful and vivacious girl.
a.
sullen
c.
angry
b.
lively
d.
drowsy
 



 
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