GRADE SIX SUMMER WORK
English Language Arts
Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.
Tools of Persuasion
Persuasion is the art of convincing someone to agree with your
point of view. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, there
are three basic tools of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.
Ethos is a speaker’s way of convincing the audience that she is a
credible source. An audience will consider a speaker credible if she seems
trustworthy, reliable, and sincere. This can be done in many ways. For
example, a speaker can develop ethos by explaining how much experience
or education she has in the field. After all, you would be more likely to listen
to advice about how to take care of your teeth from a dentist than a
firefighter. A speaker can also create ethos by convincing the audience that she is a good
person who has their best interests at heart. If an audience cannot trust you, you will not
be able to persuade them.
Pathos is a speaker’s way of connecting with an audience’s emotions. For example, a
speaker who is trying to convince an audience to vote for him might say that he alone can
save the country from a terrible war. These words are intended to fill the audience with
fear, thus making them want to vote for him. Similarly, a charity organization that helps
animals might show an audience pictures of injured dogs and cats. These images are
intended to fill the viewers with pity. If the audience feels bad for the animals, they will be
more likely to donate money.
Logos is the use of facts, information, statistics, or other evidence to make your
argument more convincing. An audience will be more likely to believe you if you have data
to back up your claims. For example, a commercial for soap might tell you that laboratory
tests have shown that their soap kills all 7,000,000 of the bacteria living on your hands
right now. This piece of information might make you more likely to buy their brand of soap.
Presenting this evidence is much more convincing than simply saying “our soap is the
best!” Use of logos can also increase a speaker’s ethos; the more facts a speaker includes in
his argument, the more likely you are to think that he is educated and trustworthy.
Although ethos, pathos, and logos all have their strengths, they are often most effective
when they are used together. Indeed, most speakers use a combination of ethos, pathos,
and logos to persuade their audiences. The next time you listen to a speech, watch a
commercial, or listen to a friend try to convince you to lend him some money, be on the
lookout for these ancient Greek tools of persuasion.
1) As used in paragraph 2, what is the best antonym for credible?
A. unintelligent
B. boring
C. dishonest
D. amazing
2) Amy is trying to convince her mother to buy her a pair of $200 shoes. She says: “Mom,
the shoes I
have are really old and ugly. If I don’t get these new shoes, everyone at school is going to
laugh at me. I will be so embarrassed that I will want to die.” What form of persuasion is
Amy using here?
A. pathos
B. ethos
C. logos
D. a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos
3) According to the passage, logos can build ethos because
A. an audience is more easily convinced by facts and information than simple appeals to
emotions like pity or fear
B. an audience is more likely to trust a speaker who uses evidence to support his argument
C. a speaker who overuses pathos might make an audience too emotional; audiences who
are too frightened or too sad are unlikely to be persuaded
D. a speaker can use misleading or false information to make his argument seem more
convincing
4) Gareth is running for mayor. He tells his audience: “Under our current mayor, there
have been 15,000 new cases of unemployment. If he stays in office, who knows how many
more people will lose their jobs? The number could go up even higher. When I was the CEO
of Magnatech, I helped to create
over 1,000 new jobs. I can do the same thing for this city if you vote for me.” Which form of
persuasion is Gareth using here?
I. pathos
II. logos
III. ethos
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
5) According to the passage, the most effective tool of persuasion is
A. ethos, because you cannot persuade an audience that does not trust you
B. logos, because it can also be used to build ethos
C. a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos
D. pathos, because human beings are most easily persuaded by emotion
6) Imagine you wanted to convince an uninformed person to take a political position that is
the same as yours. What issue would you try to talk to this person about? How would you
include ethos, pathos, and logos in your persuasion? Make your case below.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Turn the sentence pairs into single compound sentences, each with a coordinating
conjunction. Don’t forget to put the comma.
1. The black dog has won many prizes. He doesn't know many tricks.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. She saw a cat run in front of her. She fell down while roller-skating.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. There was a meteor shower. The crew did not know how to avoid the meteors.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
4. I wanted to buy a baby Chihuahua. I started to save my money.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
5. Gillian did not like to read. She was not very good at it.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
6. Pam liked Wayne. Lena also liked Wayne.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
7. The little boy did not like going to school. He went anyway.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
8. You can cry like a baby. You can clean your room like an adult.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate unit vocabulary.
Painstaking- exploded – complement- appealing- submitted
1. I have __________________ my last draft of writing.
2. The library is an ___________________ place to read and research.
3. Our teacher decorated the stage to ________________ the mood of the play.
4. The number of books in our new library has __________________.
5. Computers have saved writers from the ___________________ process of writing in
hand.
Answer the following questions about unit vocabulary.
1. Who would you need to hold negotiation with to get a class pet? Explain.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you like repetitive music? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
3. Which sense would it bother you the most to have impaired? Why?
________________________________________________________________________
4. Where are some appropriate places to run and play loudly?
________________________________________________________________________
5. What is likely to happen to you if you collaborate with a trouble maker?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Here are some links you would enjoy visiting. Challenge yourself with some fun games.
http://www.quia.com/rr/483587.html
http://www.quia.com/rr/115170.html
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/gr6/0602/02.html?qseq=2,7,8,9,3,
0,4,6,5,1&at=0&curq=0&score=0
PAST SIMPLE CROSSWORD
ACROSS
DOWN
3- What is the simple past of walk?
1- What is the simple past of Cry?
5- What is the simple past of Cook?
2- What is the simple past of Talk?
7- What is the simple past of Land?
3- What is the simple past of Wave?
9- What is the simple past of Play?
4- What is the simple past of Look?
6- What is the simple past of Wait?
8- What is the simple past of Open?
A Ship of Gold
The sinking of the ship SS Central America was among the worst sea disasters in the
history of U.S. shipping. The Central America sailed from Panama in 1857 with 477
passengers, 101 crew members, and 21 tons of gold on board. The passengers were
returning to the east coast from the California Gold Rush. The ship’s cargo— thousands of
gold coins and hundreds of gold bars—was headed to the nation’s banking capital, New
York City.
Off the coast of South Carolina, the ship encountered a huge storm that approached
quickly. The ship’s sails were shredded. Gigantic waves washed aboard for two days. Water
leaking into the boiler put out the boiler fire. The pumps failed, and although everyone
helped bail water from the ship, the Central America began to sink.
A second ship, the Marine, spotted the distressed Central America and came to her aid. As
the sea churned, the crew strapped passengers to ropes and lowered them into life boats.
Many passengers reached the Marine safely. Then suddenly the storm pushed the two ships
apart. Passengers left on the Central America, in an effort to lighten their load, began
emptying their pockets of the gold they had tried to save. As the ship went down, they clung
to doors, chairs, and other objects that would float.
Five hours later a third ship, the Ellen, arrived. The captain searched the sea, but only fiftythree survivors were found.
The loss of human life was the worst part of the tragedy, but the lost gold increased worries
about having enough gold in the nation’s banks. This caused a crisis in which many people
lost money.
For more than a century, the lost gold lay nearly eight thousand feet deep in the ocean. In
1989 new technology made it possible to locate and retrieve the gold. Visitors today can
view the precious cargo in an exhibit that includes a giant replica of the ship. People can
look in through its portholes and glimpse the lost gold.
A. Circle the best answer for each multiple-choice question.
1. If you needed more details about the Central America, which of the following books might
be the most helpful?
A. The Banking Panic of 1793
B. The Ship of Gold Exhibit
C. American Disasters at Sea
D. The Causes of Storms
2. How did the sinking of the Central America become a banking crisis?
A. Many bankers died when the ship sank.
B. People lost their savings, and panic broke out on board.
C. Leaving passengers behind when the storm separated the boats caused anger.
D. The gold on the ship was important to banks in the United States.
3. The Marine
A. took five hours to arrive and recovered only fifty-three survivors.
B. was unable to rescue any passengers from the Central America and drifted away in the
storm.
C. was passing nearby and was able to save many passengers.
D. signaled another boat that it was full.
4. Why did the ship start to sink after two days of staying afloat during the storm?
A. Water leaked into the boiler, and the boiler fire went out.
B. The wind turned the ship on its side.
C. The sails were shredded in the wind.
D. Water began leaking into the cabins.
5. To write a summary of this article, you would NOT
A. choose the most important pieces of information.
B. copy the important information, using the writer’s words.
C. rewrite the main points, using your own words.
D. put in quotation marks any of the article’s words that you use.
6. In 1989 new technology made it possible to locate and retrieve the gold. The word
“retrieve” means _____________.
A. To hide
B. To get back
C. To search for
D. To steal
7. The loss of human life was the worst part of the tragedy. The word “tragedy” means
____________.
A. Mystery
B. Adventure
C. Disaster
D. Story
8. From the text you can conclude that “Ellen” is _______________.
A. A president
B. A city
C. A ship
D. A sailor
9. Do you think the sailors who were on the Central America did all what they could to save
the ship? Support your answer with evidence from the text. Use ACE method.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Combine the following sentences with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but,
or, yet, so).
1. I didn’t watch the movie. I didn’t read the book.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Ahmad goes to the park. He likes to enjoy nature.
________________________________________________________________________
3. Sarah went to the party. She didn’t have much fun.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Lama knew her friend was sick. She visited her in the afternoon.
________________________________________________________________________
5. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It has a lot of attractions.
________________________________________________________________________
Correct the mistakes in the use of possessive nouns.
1. The laptops’ cover was broken. ______________________
2. The homeworks schedule was changed. ____________________
3. That students’ desk is very messy. _____________________
4. Teacher’s work reflect their efforts. ______________________
Change the nouns in the following sentences to the plural form.
1. We talked to the chief about the needy child. ____________________________
2. The fox lay on the grass. __________________________________
3. I saw the cherry on the tree branch. ___________________________
4. I heaved my book on the shelf. ____________________________________
Fun Time!!!!
Irregular Past Tense Word Search
Write the
past tense
next to each
of the verbs
below. Then,
find the past
tense of the
verb in the
grid to the
lift.
become
hide
sell
bite
hit
shut
break
hold
speak
choose
keep
spend
drive
leave
stand
fall
lose
teach
feel
mean
tell
fight
pay
think
find
put
wear
fly
quit
win
Read the following passage and answer the questions. Choose the best answer for
each multiple choice question.
When you think of a stringed instrument, you probably think of a guitar or violin. The
piano is a stringed instrument too. You may not have seen a piano’s strings, because
they’re usually cached inside the instrument’s body. Unlike a guitarist or violinist, a pianist
doesn’t actually see or touch the piano strings while playing. How is the piano played,
then? If we examine the piano’s history, we can gain an understanding of how this
instrument works. Many different instruments have helped pave the way for the piano.
Long ago people used bows and arrows. They noticed that plucking a string on the
bow made the string vibrate. The back and forth motion produced a sound. They found that
different sounds could be made by changing the string’s thickness, length, and tension.
Over time, more strings were added to different kinds of bows. Early stringed
instruments resulted from these experiments with sound. In Europe, an upright triangleshaped harp with many strings was created. The strings of the harp were plucked with the
fingers. Another ancient stringed instrument was the psaltery. Its base was a flat, hollow
box with four uneven sides. Wire strings stretched across its top were plucked to make
music. Made in various parts of Europe and Asia, psalteries differed in such features as
shape, size, and number of strings.
By 1700, musicians in the Middle East made a stringed instrument called a hammer
dulcimer. People hit its strings with a small hammer. If you hit a string softly, it made a
quiet sound. A harder blow created a louder sound.
It was a harpsichord maker named Bartolomeo Cristofori who, around 1700,
invented the first bona fide piano. His new instrument combined a keyboard with the
hammering, rather than plucking, of strings. By 1783, the standard piano had six octaves.
It soon took the place of the harpsichord for many composers. People pressed the keys with
their fingers, as they had with the harpsichord. Inside, though, instead of the strings being
plucked they were struck with little hammers, as on a hammer dulcimer. If the keys were
hit hard, the music was loud. If they were hit gently, the music was soft. Therefore, the
instrument was called a piano e forte, Italian words meaning “soft and loud.” The name was
later shorted to just piano.
Today, the piano is over 300 years old. The number of keys has increased to eightyfive — fifty-two white keys and thirty-six black ones. You don’t have to be a maestro to
enjoy the sound of this instrument. The next time you see one, sit down and pick out a
tune!
1. Which sentence from the passage shows that the piano is like both the harpsichord
and the hammer dulcimer?
a. Unlike a guitarist or violinist, a pianist doesn’t actually see or
touch the piano strings while playing.
b. Early stringed instruments resulted from these experiments
with sound.
c. His new instrument combined a keyboard with the hammering,
rather than plucking, of strings.
d. Therefore, the piano was called a piano e forte, Italian words
meaning “soft and loud.”
2. In Italian, the word piano means
a. soft
b. key
c. loud
d. string
3. Why does the author discuss bows in the second paragraph?
a. To show that warlike people were also musical
b. To show how a bow is different from a harp
c. To show that stringed instruments are superior to other types of
instruments
d. To show how stringed instruments were invented
4. In the sentence “You may not have seen a piano’s strings because they’re usually
cached inside the instrument’s body,” the word cached means
a. created
b. hidden
c. played
d. stuck
5. The author’s purpose for writing can be best described as
a. Providing a brief history of the creation of the piano
b. Describing the kind of sound produced by different string
instruments
c. Providing a comparison between weapons and instruments
d. Giving a biography of the inventor of the piano
6. According to the text, how has the piano changed since it was first created? Follow
the ACE method and provide specific details to support your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the word bank.
genuinely
innovation
credit
tension
aspect
welfare
1. Hani cares about his dog’s ________________. One _______________ is feeding him on
time.
2. I spoke _______________ to my teacher and asked her to help me in order to get extra
________________.
3. The massage machine is a great _________________ it helps release the
_________________ after a bad day at work.
Answer the following questions about unit vocabulary in complete sentences.
1. Why would you predominantly do on the first day of your vacation?
________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is it important to be genuine to your friend?
________________________________________________________________________
3. What is one job you should do aptly? Why?
________________________________________________________________________
Choose the correct answer.
1. dried out, dwindled, withered, and shrunk
a. shriveled
b. equation
c. compromise
2. separate, neutral, unbiased
a. reluctant
b. detached
c. specimen
3. a resolution to a dispute by each side giving up some of its demands
a. elegant
b. principle
c. compromise
4. written mathematical statements in which two quantities are equal.
a. decomposition
b. equations
c. specimen
5. breakdown or decay into basic parts
a. compromise
b. specimen
c. decomposition
6. a basic truth or law or assumption; a fundamental truth; an important guiding rule
a. principle
b. equation
c. complex
7. challenging; hard to understand
a. reluctant
b. complex
c. principle
8. samples gathered for the purpose of scientific study and analysis
a. principle
b. specimens
c. shriveled
9. simple, refined; easy to understand
a. compromise
b. equation
c. elegant
10.
unsure or un willing
a. reluctant
b. elegant
c. shriveled
Put the correct end mark at the end of each sentence, and then write the kind of the
sentence.
1. Students enjoy playing games at school
2. Jad, get me the black bag from the closet
3. Where is the library
4. Wow, what a huge villa this is
5. Why is everyone blaming me
6. Derek filled the application himself
7. Rida, answer the phone
8. Ugh, this soup is so bitter
Add either a subject or a predicate to complete each sentence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
brings shrimps_______________________________________________________________
The old bus___________________________________________________________________
likes stew____________________________________________________________________
The outdoor market___________________________________________________________
grows wheat_________________________________________________________________
My favorite meal _____________________________________________________________
Fun Time!!!!
Try to solve these riddles! (Answers are on the last page)
1. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
2. There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house. Inside the white house there
was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of babies. What is it?
3. What kind of room has no doors or windows?
4. What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?
5. A man is pushing his car along the road when he comes to a hotel. He shouts, "I'm bankrupt!" Why?
Here are some links you would like to visit and challenge yourself with some fun online games.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en27pron-game-personal-pronouns-treasure-hunt
http://www.softschools.com/language_arts/grammar/pronoun/balloon_game/
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/subject-object-pronouns-game/
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Be sure to choose
the BEST answer for multiple choice questions.
When Fish First Walked
A few hundred million years ago, the competition for food between fishes was fierce.
So much so that gradually, some fish developed the ability to get out of the water and reach
food sources that none of the other fish could get to. They survived long enough to
successfully reproduce, and passed this characteristic on to future generations. In fact,
from these fish eventually originated the animals with two pairs of limbs, including human
beings.
This is an example of natural selection. An organism that develops a trait that helps
it survive in its environment will have a better chance of reproducing and passing that trait
on to the next generation. As a consequence, organisms with this helpful trait will become
more prominent while other organisms of the same species die out. Why do giraffes have
long necks? Why do rabbits produce so many offspring? Natural selection can help us
understand why some species are the way they are.
The term “natural selection” was coined by Charles Darwin, who developed the
scientific theory of evolution. Darwin was born in England in 1809 and spent his life
observing animals and plants from around the world. He explained the theory in his
landmark book On the Origin of Species.
Sometimes, the changes that occur among a group of organisms will seem very small
but still play an important role in their survival. Take, for example, the peppered moth. The
peppered moth was light in color and had speckled wings. It was hard to pick out against
many of the trees and buildings in England and could camouflage itself easily. But during
the Industrial Revolution, London became polluted, and the smog turned everything black.
Now the moths could be seen more easily by predators; they had nowhere to hide. Around
this time, dark‐ colored peppered moths, which are almost invisible against a dark
background, began to appear and soon became widespread. The lighter moths, on the other
hand, became scarce in these sooty industrial areas.
Another case that has to do with survival through camouflage involves the little deer
mouse. Typically, deer mice are dark brown, which makes it easier for them to hide from
owls and other predators in the dark soil of the woods. The deer mouse that lives in
Nebraska’s light‐ colored Sand Hills, however, has gone from brunette to blonde so it can
blend in and have a better chance at survival. It took thousands of years for these mice to
change the color of their coats, which may sound like a long time, but when it comes to
evolution, that’s pretty quick!
One interesting case study is that of the Galápagos finches, about 14 species of bird
that were studied by Darwin on the Galápagos Islands. Often referred to as “Darwin’s
finches,” these birds look very much alike. The most significant difference among them is
the size and shape of their beaks. Every different beak evolved the way it did so as to be
suited to a particular feeding task. When, in 1977, a drought hit the island, vegetation
withered and the only seeds left were large and tough. The finches with deeper, stronger
beaks were able to crack through these seeds, and many more of them survived than their
smaller‐beaked brothers. However, in the mid‐1980s, during an especially rainy time,
smaller, softer seeds flourished. The birds best adapted to eat them had smaller beaks and
they fared much better.
Where have all the dull male peafowl (peacocks) gone? Well, female peafowl (peahens)
choose their mates based on the color and brightness of their plumage. This means that
peacocks with impressive tail feathers are able to find mates more easily. A few thousand
years ago, there were many more males with dull feathers, but they kept getting passed
over by the females and did not reproduce. Their numbers therefore began to dwindle.
These days, they’re quite rare.
Darwin’s theory teaches us that an animal or plant that adapts to its environment
and remains alive long enough to procreate will thrive. The dodo bird, which has gone
extinct, was not lucky in this respect. A lack of predators for thousands, and maybe even
millions, of years meant that the dodos never learned to fly. When humans finally arrived to
their home on the island of Mauritius, the dodos had no way of protecting themselves and,
in the 17th century, were wiped out. It isn’t easy being on the wrong side of natural
selection. Fortunately for us humans, the fish with the fleshy, leg‐like fins came out on top.
_________________________________________
1. What is natural selection?
A the process by which humans evolved from fish and monkeys
B the process by which species change as unsuccessful traits are passed on to the
next
generation
C small changes in individual organisms that are not passed on to the next
generation
D the process by which species change as successful traits are passed on to the next
generation
2. What does the author list and describe in the passage?
A examples of natural selection in various species
B how the dodo bird adapted to the invasive human population
C the different wing sizes of Galápagos finches
D how the Industrial Revolution affected London’s human population
3. Peppered moths became darker colored because the dark moths were better suited to the
sooty environment than the light moths. What details from the passage support this
statement?
A Peacocks with impressive tail feathers are able to find mates more easily.
B Deer mice are dark brown, which makes it easier for them to hide from owls and
other
predators in the dark soil of the woods.
C The light moths could be easily seen by predators, while the dark moths were
nearly
invisible on dark backgrounds.
D During the Industrial Revolution, London became polluted and the smog turned
everything black.
4. Read the following sentences: “Another case that has to do with survival through
camouflage involves the little deer mouse. Typically, deer mice are dark brown, which
makes it easier for them to hide from owls and other predators in the dark soil of the
woods. The deer mouse that lives in Nebraska’s light-colored Sand Hills, however, has gone
from brunette to blonde so it can blend in and have a better chance at survival.”
Which of the following conclusions about deer mice is supported by the text?
A Deer mice migrated from Nebraska to the woods.
B The color of deer mice changes based on the environment.
C Deer mice that are blonde will survive more easily in the woods.
D Owls do not hunt deer mice in Nebraska.
5. What is this passage mostly about?
A Charles Darwin
B the evolution of fish
C natural selection
D Galápagos finches
6. Read the following sentences: “An organism that develops a trait that helps it survive in
its environment will have a better chance of reproducing and passing that trait on to the
next generation. As a consequence, organisms with this helpful trait will become more
prominent while other organisms of the same species die out.”
As used in the passage, what does “prominent” most nearly mean?
A widely seen
B unpopular
C scarce
D large
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
Peahens prefer to mate with males that have brightly colored plumage; ___________,
peacocks with dull feathers have become quite rare.
A however
B finally
C specifically
D as a result
B: Answer the following questions using the ACE method. Be sure to explain clearly
using evidence from the passage to support your claims.
8. Why did the dodo bird never develop the ability to fly?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Fish that developed the ability to live out of water is one example of natural selection.
Explain how another species has adapted via natural selection.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
10. How can a particular trait be both advantageous and disadvantageous? Support your
answer with details from the passage.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions on unit vocabulary. Write complete sentences.
1. Should someone pay a lot of money for a phony painting? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the first thing you observe when you walk into your class?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. What intriguing facts have you learned recently? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What qualities distinguish you from other people?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. What is the most gigantic thing you’ve ever seen? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
Choose the correct answer.
1. Each of the council leaders should get _______ report.
His/her
b. their
c. he or she
2. Either Rayan or Samir would print ________ project.
His/her
b. his
c. their
3. Neither of the two ladies got ______ dress ironed.
His/her
b. their
c. her
4. Everyone should be responsible for _________ actions.
His/her
b. his
c. their
5. Many children play video games in _____ free time.
a. there
b. our
c. their
Write S or P next to the number of the sentence to indicate singular or plural
pronouns. Then, circle the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
____ 1. If anyone cares to leave, (he or she, they) may do so now.
____ 2. One of the boys forgot (his, their) lunch.
____ 3. All the actresses brought (her, their) scripts.
____ 4. Neither of them volunteered (his or her, their) services.
____ 5. Neither of the boys did (his, their) homework today.
____ 6. Will everyone please serve (himself or herself, themselves)?
____ 7. Each of the women did (her, their) best.
____ 8. Both Jack and Jill fetched (his or her, their) share of water for the day.
Underline the antecedent for each pronoun choice, and then circle the pronoun that
agrees with its antecedent.
1. Did everyone in the play remember (his, their) lines?
2. If anyone finds a glasses case, will (he, they) please deliver it to my office.
3. Neither of the boys could find (his, their) way without a compass.
4. Every student in our class had (his, their) picture taken for the Chronicle.
5. In our section of woodland, every bird builds (its, their) own nest except the catbird.
6. Dan has always admired a person who can keep (his, their) head in an emergency.
7. If you have finished either of those magazines, will you lend (it, them) to me?
8. Every member of our family has (his, their) favorite television comedian. 9. The committee has disagreed about (its, their) next move.
10. Each of the groups will have (its, their) convention here.
Fun Time!!!!!
Check the following links and play some wonderful games.
http://www.gotkidsgames.com/hom/pronounAgree.html
http://www.quia.com/rr/131175.html
https://jeopardylabs.com/play/pronoun-antecedent-agreement
http://www.funenglishgames.com/grammargames/verbnounadjective.html
Jacob the Great
Jacob hated finishing things almost as much as he loved starting them. As a result, he had
gotten into a million hobbies and activities, but he never stuck with any of them long enough
to get any good.
He begged his mother for months for a guitar so that he could play Black Eyed Peas songs to
Angie, a girl he liked, but after he finally got one for Christmas, he found out that guitars
don’t play themselves. He took a few lessons, but strumming the strings hurt his fingers and
he didn’t like holding the pick, so now the five-hundred dollar guitar lives under his bed.
After reading an ad in the back of one of his comic books, Jacob decided that he wanted a
Wonder- Sweeper 5000 metal detector, so that he could find buried pirate treasure. So he
mowed lawns all summer and didn’t spend his money on ice-cream like his younger
brother, Alex. He saved it all in a shoe box in his closet. Then he shoveled driveways all
winter, and he didn’t spend his money on candy and chips like his classmates. By the time
spring came he had saved $200, and he purchased the Wonder-Sweeper 5000 metal
detector. He beeped it around the park for a while, be he soon found out that no pirates
had ever set sail in his neighborhood, and if they had they didn’t leave any treasure. Even
though he found a key ring, forty-seven cents, and all the bottle caps he could throw, he
buried the metal detector in his closest.
Given Jacob’s history with hobbies, it was no surprise that Jacob’s father was reluctant to
buy him a magician’s kit for his birthday. “Geez, Jacob… You sure you wouldn’t rather I got
you more guitar lessons?” He suggested. Jacob was insistent. “Dad, you’ve got to get me the
magician’s kit. This time I’ll stick with it for real. I promise! Come on, Dad,” Jacob begged.
Jacob’s father sighed and then replied, “Oh, I don’t know, Jacob. Things are awfully tight
right now.” But Jacob’s father was reminded of his own youth long ago, when he quit
football and started karate practice before hardly getting his equipment dirty. So when
Jacob’s birthday came around, Jacob was both surprised and pleased to find the
magician’s kit that he had desired so badly with a big bright bow on it.
Jacob opened up the box and unwrapped the many parts in the kit. As he did so, he
imagined sawing his pet cat in half and putting it back together to the amazement of his
friends and family. He took the many fake coins, trick cards, and rope pieces of varying
length on the kitchen table and imagined pulling rabbits out of his hat and turning them
into pigeons with a mysterious puff of smoke. As Jacob continued pulling plastic thumbs,
foam balls, and giant playing cards out of the magic kit, a commercial on the TV caught his
attention. “Hey kids! Have you ever wanted to go to space? Experience what it’s like to be an
astronaut? Do you want to explore the universe? Well, now you can.” As the commercial
continued playing, Jacob walked away from the magic kit on the kitchen table and stared
at the TV screen longingly. “For only $195 you can go to space camp and live life like an
astronaut for a whole weekend. Enroll now for a once in a life time experience.” Jacob’s cry
rang throughout the house as he yelled, “MOM!” He now knew what his true purpose in life
was.
After reading the story, choose the best answer for each question. Circle one answer.
1. According to the text, why does Jacob stop playing the guitar?
a. It hurt his
fingers.
b. He’d rather play drums. c. It was too easy.
d. He failed
math.
2. To whom did Jacob want to play Black Eyed Peas songs?
a. Alex
b. Angie
c. Mom
d. Dad
3. According to the passage, why does Jacob decide that he wants a metal detector?
a. He sees a man at the park with one. b. His father had one as a child.
c. He saw a TV commercial for one.
d. He read an ad for one in a comic book.
4. How does Jacob get the items that he wants in the story?
a. He asks his
mom.
b. He asks his dad.
c. He shovels driveways and mows
lawns.
d. He does all of these things to get what he
wants.
5. When did Jacob buy the metal
detector?
a. In the fall
b. In the summer
c. In the spring
d. In the winter
6. True or False: The metal detector was a good investment for
Jacob.
a. True
b. False
7. Why doesn’t Jacob’s father want to get him the magician’s kit
for his birthday?
b. Jacob quits too many expensive
activities.
a. Jacob failed math class.
c. Jacob has been mean to his younger d. Jacob went to the park without
brother.
permission.
8. Why does Jacob’s father buy Jacob the magician’s kit?
a. Jacob mowed the lawn.
b. Jacob reminded his father of himself.
c. Jacob bought ice cream for his
brother.
d. Jacob found his father’s key ring.
9. Which word is closest in meaning to the italicized word in the following sentence from
paragraph four: “It was no surprise that Jacob’s father was reluctant to buy him a magician’s
kit for his birthday”?
a. Happy
b. Willing
c. Proud
d. Hesitant
c. The kitchen
table
d. A comic
book
10. What distracts Jacob from the magician’s
kit?
a. A TV commercial
b. His father
11. Based on the end of the story, Jacob is most likely to go on and do which of the
following?
a.Become a great magician
c.
Detect an incredible hidden
treasure
b.Learn to play guitar well
Raise money to go to space
camp
d.
12. Which happened first in the text?
a. Jacob asked his dad for the magician’s kit. c. Jacob mowed lawns.
b. Jacob got a guitar for Christmas. d. Jacob shoveled driveways.
13. Which happened last in the text?
a. Jacob saved up $200.
b. Jacob found forty-seven cents in the park.
c. Jacob took guitar lessons.
d. Jacob was influenced by a comic book.
14.
Which character trait best describes Jacob in regards to his
hobbies?
a. Dedicated
b. Spontaneous
c. Committed
d. Devoted
15. What was the author’s purpose in writing this text?
a. Inform
b. Persuade
c. Entertain
d. Confuse
c. Folklore
d. Poetry
16. In what genre is this story?
a. Fiction
b. Nonfiction
Proofread each sentence for errors in pronoun/antecedent agreement. Correct the
incorrect pronouns. Write a C next to sentences that use correct
pronoun/antecedent agreement.
1.
One of the boys had tears in their eyes.
2.
Teachers are responsible for providing their students with accurate grades.
3.
Someone had blocked the driveway with their car.
4. Each woman must do their best to take care of their health.
5. Each of the apartment owners had their apartment repainted.
6. As the weather got colder everyone wished they had brought a coat.
7. Everyone gets angry when someone accuses them of voting for the wrong candidate.
8. A person needs to learn how to read or you will not do very well in school.
9. The children insisted on doing the homework theirselves.
10. Someone forgot their ticket to the play Captain Grammar’s Lost Pronoun; he or she will
be so sad.
Choose the correct answer. Then use the correct answer in a meaningful sentence.
1. to be alike or match up with in some way;
2.
observe (v)
3.
raucous (n)
4.
looms (v)
5.
correspond (v)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. to watch or look closely
1.
raucous (n)
2.
correspond (v)
3.
observe (v)
4.
looms (v)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. phony (adj) → crazy in a funny or strange way
True
False
______________________________________________________________________________
4. distinguish (v) → making one interested or curious; interesting or fascinating
True
False
______________________________________________________________________________
5. zany (adj) → crazy in a funny or strange way
True
False
______________________________________________________________________________
A Secret Note
“I see.” Those were the two words on the note. Kevin found it on his bunk at Camp Wall-AWay. It was tucked just under the top edge of his blanket so he couldn’t miss it.
The past few days—during his first time here—had been great! But this note changed
everything.
Kevin looked around quickly. Joey, the nosy kid from yesterday, seemed to be busy reading
a letter from home. A couple of kids were fooling around near the rickety porch door. No
one in the cabin seemed to be paying any attention to him. No one seemed to be waiting to
see a scared or surprised look.
What did the note mean? Who had written it? Was it from someone he knew from home?
He couldn’t even consider it. It would be too much to find out his secret had followed him
here to camp.
He decided to hope for the best. He would pretend everything was fine. Maybe there would
be no more notes. Maybe this one meant something else.
For two days, Kevin acted as if he was having a great time. He played tether ball with the
kids from his cabin. He learned to paddle a canoe. He even pretended to like
tying lanyards. He volunteered to help in the kitchen. He got picked for the baseball team.
Catcher! Everybody seemed friendly. Nothing seemed out of order. After a while, Kevin even
convinced himself he didn’t have to act like he was having a good time. He was having a
good time.
Then the third day he came into the cabin after swim practice. Another camper was leaning
over his bunk. He had a piece of paper in his hand.
1. rickety: so broken that it is about ready to fall apart
2. tether: line by which something is fastened so as to limit its range
3. lanyard: a cord worn around the neck to hold a whistle
1. At camp, Kevin did all the following EXCEPT
A made the baseball team
B helped in the kitchen
C fixed the porch door
D went swimming
2. Read these two sentences from the passage: “The past few days—during his first time
here—had been great! But this note changed everything.”
Why might the author have included these sentences in the story?
A The sentences explain why Kevin is at camp.
B The sentences describe why Kevin is having a great time at camp.
C The sentences introduce another camper into the story.
D The sentences focus on a key event in the story.
3. In the fourth paragraph, the author includes several questions: “What did the note
mean? Who had written it? Was it from someone he knew from home?”
Why might the author have chosen to list those questions?
A to describe the note’s content
B to build the story’s suspense
C to explain why the note was left
D to describe Kevin’s time at camp
4. Read the following sentence from the passage: “Joey, the nosy kid from yesterday,
seemed to be busy reading a letter from home.”
In this sentence, the word nosy means
A secretive
B curious
C open-minded
D mysterious
5. Why does the author include the last paragraph (“Then the third day…”) in the story?
A to describe how Kevin felt when he saw the camper
B to explain why Kevin received another note
C to add to the story’s mystery
D to help the reader figure out who left the note
6. What is Kevin’s reaction when he finds the first note and why?
7. Why did Kevin have to pretend to have a good time after the first note was found on his
blanket?
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the
sentence.
____ Kevin received the first note, he acted as if nothing was wrong.
A. Next
B. Finally
C. Before
D. After
Label each underlined clause MC (main clause) or SC (subordinate clause) above the
clause. Then, in the space provided write whether the sentence is compound or complex.
__________ 1. The phone rang, but nobody answered it.
__________ 2. Kelly goes skating whenever she can.
__________ 3. We sang while June and Tory played guitars.
__________ 4. The old sea captain told us stories, and we all sang chanties.
__________ 5. Stay alert to the weather reports, or a storm may surprise you.
__________ 6. Wherever there is trouble, you will find my little brother.
__________ 7. Clinton practiced the piano so much that now he plays very well.
__________ 8. Kim is a dancer who enjoys ballet.
Use the given subordinate clauses to create complex sentences of your own.
1.(that I find most interesting) ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2.(which is my favorite sport) ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. (while I went to the library) ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
4.(when we finished dinner) ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Choose the correct answer.
1. moving with a wavy, constant, smooth motion
a. careening
b. engulf
c. undulating
d. relishing
2. pushed roughly while moving; bumped
a. supple
b. jostled
c. falter
d. frayed
3. tight; tense; firm
a. frail
b. frayed
c. taut
d. falter
4. supple → limber; moving with ease true/ false
5. frail → worn down, exposing a material's threads
6. engulf → to consume or cover completely
true/ false
true/ false
Fill in each blank with a suitable word from the box.
zany- impressive- raucous- loom- gigantic- corresponds
1. The performance of the actress was ____________________. Everyone stood and clapped
for her.
2. The __________________ clown always knew how to make us laugh.
3. Each number on the fast food menu __________________ to a different value meal.
4. The rainbow ___________________ in the distance after the rain stopped.
5. Our __________________ behavior made us all punished during break.
Fill in the blanks with indefinite pronouns: someone, anyone, no one, everyone,
nothing, anything, nobody, something.
1. There is ____________ in the clothes basket. It is empty
2. I've tried phoning but every time I tried there was ____________ in.
3. I have prepared ____________ for dinner which you will like very much.
4. Would you like ____________ to start with before the main menu?
5. He sat at the table but didn't have ____________ to eat.
6. You can do ____________. I don't really care.
7. I met ____________ you know last night. She told me she had missed you very much.
8. That's a very easy job. ____________ can do it.
9. Did you turn the oven off? I think I can smell ____________ burning.
10. ____________ offered help. They probably didn't have time.
Underline each indefinite pronoun. Then underline the word in parentheses that completes
each sentence correctly.
1.Somebody in this class (label, labels) (her, their) notebooks with colorful stickers.
2.All of science (is, are) interesting to me.
3.No one (remember, remembers) the address of the doctor’s office.
4.The detective carefully studied each of the clues to see if (they, it) might help them crack
the case.
5.Each of the apples (is, are) ripe now.
6.Several of the trees (was, were) harmed by the ice storm in late spring.
7.Everybody in the theater (applauds, applaud) for the roadrunner.
8.Some of the oceangoing ships (carry, carries) iron ore.
9.Some of the money (go, goes) to an organization to help the homeless.
10.“Anything (is, are) yours,” said the genie.
11.Many (hopes, hope) to repeal the law. Others (feel, feels) it should be kept on the books.
12.(Does, Do) either of you have a quarter I could borrow?
13.Both of the stories (has, have) a theme of the importance of friends.
14.Most of Greek architecture (is, are) covered in Chapter 1.
15.Both of the speakers referred to (her, their) notes periodically
Fun Time!!!!
Get ready for some challenging online games. Visit the following websites for more fun.
https://quizlet.com/34123587/spacerace
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/verb-tenses-interactive-grammar-game-for-esl-jeopardyquiz-game/
http://www.quia.com/pop/35933.html
http://www.quia.com/rr/235542.html
Unscramble the following words.
1- rabaet __________________________
2- tefr _____________________________
3- hemoalpnne _____________________
4- eendyct _________________________
5- wsnsoohdw _____________________
6- sdriehevle ______________________
7- mmcpoisroe _____________________
8- lertnacut ________________________
9- einsecipm _______________________
10-
vrqiue _____________________
Answers to the riddles:
1. A stamp 2. Watermelon 3. Mushroom 4. Palm 5. He’s playing monopoly