Montgomery County Public Schools
English 6 Semester A Exam Review
FORMAT
Three Readings, including
a poem
a narrative piece
a non-fiction essay
Twenty–five Selected Response Items (SRs)
Students will be required to
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determine the meaning of words by using context.
develop inferences about characterization, motivation, and other plot elements.
develop inferences about the author’s purposeful use of language and form.
develop inferences about the main idea, theme, or author’s perspective.
identify how the author uses text structure to convey meaning in informational text.
identify and explain the author’s use of literary devices in poetry.
identify the mood based on the details in the text.
apply course terms to interpret poetry.
identify errors in grammar and usage.
use given rules to correct errors in grammar and usage.
revise sentences to improve sentence structure and achieve greater clarity of expression.
revise sentences in a paragraph to achieve clarity, correctness, and coherence.
One Written Response
Students will be required to respond to the following:
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explain how an author creates tone in a text.
One Multi-paragraph Essay
Students will be required to
• write an essay comparing two texts.
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS • ENGLISH 6 • ©2012 MCPS
English 6 Semester A Exam Review
PREPARATION
Review Course Terms
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Review definitions and concepts of course terms.
Apply course terms to texts and writing assignments.
Review Notes, Assessments, and Other Student Resource Pages
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Review close reading strategies and discussions about the author’s purposeful use of literary
devices.
Read and consider journal entries.
Review characteristics of narrative texts.
Review characteristics of poetry.
Review characteristics of expository texts.
Review Portfolio
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Read, analyze, and evaluate paragraphs, essays, and other papers.
Review rubrics used for writing and speaking, including the Scoring Guide for Writing and
6-Traits rubrics.
Review how to use various graphic organizers to plan writing.
Review the process of revising and editing writing.
Review strategies for organizing and writing paragraph and multi-paragraph responses.
Review strategies for developing essays.
Review strategies for using paraphrased ideas.
Make a List of Texts Read during the Semester
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List titles, authors, and important ideas about the context and form of each text.
List important characters, events, motives, and other plot elements for each text.
List vocabulary, multiple meaning words, and literary concepts related to each text.
Consider how course terms apply to different genres and specific texts.
Review Grammar, Usage, and Sentence Structure Concepts
• pronoun case (subjective, objective, possessive)
• intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves)
• pronoun number and person
• punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes)
• sentence fragments and run-ons
• subject-verb agreement
• pronoun-antecedent agreement
• word choice (specific nouns, strong verbs)
• verb tense
• usage of commonly confused words
it’s/its
there/they’re/their
your/you’re
accept/except
affect/effect
than/then
to/too/two
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS • ENGLISH 6 • ©2012 MCPS
English 6 Semester A Exam Review
COURSE TERMS
Characterization
Connotation
Point of view
• first person
• third person
Context
Denotation
Reading strategies
Figurative language
(Literary devices)
Alliteration
Hyperbole
Metaphor
Personification
Repetition
Simile
Sensory images
Sentence structure
Setting
Foreshadowing
6-Traits of Writing
• Ideas & Development
• Organization
• Voice
• Word Choice
• Sentence Fluency
• Conventions
Imagery
Stanza
Inference
Symbolism
Irony
Theme
Main idea
Tone
Mood
Voice
Personal essay
Writing
Purposes
• Argument
• Creative-Reflective
• Textual Analysis
• Research-Synthesis
Methods of development
• Cause-Effect
• Comparison-Contrast
• Exemplification
• Problem-Solution
Flashback
Perspective
Plot Structure
• exposition
• inciting incident
• rising action
• conflict
• climax
• falling action
• denouement
• resolution
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS • ENGLISH 6 • ©2012 MCPS
English 6 Semester A Exam Review
ASSESSED STANDARDS
Reading: Literature
RL.6.1—Cite textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
RL.6.2—Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal
opinions or judgments.
RL.6.3—Describe how a particular story’s or
drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as
how the characters respond or change as the plot
moves toward a resolution.
RL.6.4—Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a
specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RL.6.5—Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter,
scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text
and contributes to the development of the theme,
setting, or plot.
RI.6.6—Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in
the text.
Writing
W.6.1—Write arguments to support claims with clear
reasons and relevant evidence.
W.6.2— Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and
analysis of relevant content.
W.6.4—Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Language
L.3.1f—Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent
agreement.
L.3.3a—Produce complete sentences, recognizing
and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
RL.6.6—Explain how an author develops the point
of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
L.4.1g—Correctly use frequently confused words
(e.g., to/too/two; there/their).
Reading: Informational Texts
L.5.1d—Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts
in verb tense.
RI.6.1—Apply comprehension skills by selecting,
reading, and interpreting a variety of print and
electronic informational texts.
L.5.2a—Use punctuation to separate items in a
series.
RI.6.2—Determine a central idea of a text and how it
is conveyed through particular details; provide a
summary of the text distinct from personal opinions
or judgments.
RI.6.3—Analyze in detail how a key individual,
event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and
elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or
anecdotes).
RI.6.4—Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
RI.6.5—Analyze how a particular sentence,
paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall
structure of a text and contributes to the development
of the ideas.
L.6.1—Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
L.6.2—Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
L.6.3—Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or
listening.
L.6.4—Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown
and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.
L.6.5—Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS • ENGLISH 6 • ©2012 MCPS
Scoring Guide for Writing
Score of 5
This response demonstrates consistent mastery, although it may have minor errors. This response
 effectively states and develops a claim, provides strong insights, and uses well-chosen detail
to achieve its purpose.
 is well organized, focused, and coherent.
 uses language and vocabulary purposefully.
 varies sentence structure skillfully.
 is generally free of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Score of 4
This response demonstrates adequate mastery with occasional lapses in quality. This response
 states and develops a claim, exhibits sound thinking, and uses appropriate supporting detail.
 is generally organized, focused, and coherent.
 generally uses language and vocabulary effectively.
 demonstrates some variety in sentence structure.
 may have some errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics.
Score of 3
This response demonstrates partial mastery, but it has one or more flaws. This response
 states and develops a claim but needs more consistent thinking and supporting detail.
 sometimes lacks organization, focus, and coherence.
 generally uses language coherently, but some word choices are vague or inappropriate.
 has little variety in sentence structure or has some sentence errors.
 may contain a number of errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics.
Score of 2
This response demonstrates little mastery and is marred by one or more weaknesses. This response
 has a vague or limited claim, weak thinking, and inappropriate or insufficient supporting
detail.
 is poorly organized, lacking focus and coherence.
 uses limited language and vocabulary or incorrect word choice.
 demonstrates simplistic or incorrect sentence structure.
 contains errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that sometimes hamper meaning.
Score of 1
This response demonstrates a lack of mastery and serious flaws. This response
 does not state or develop a claim and provides little, if any, supporting detail.
 is disorganized, rambling, or incoherent.
 has numerous errors in vocabulary and use of language.
 has serious flaws in sentence structure.
 contains numerous errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that consistently hamper meaning.
Score of 0
No response or a response that is completely irrelevant will receive a score of zero.
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS • ENGLISH 6 • ©2012 MCPS