Sixth Grade Second Quarter Language Arts
EQT Common Assessment/Practice Test
2012-2013
1.91 Commonly confused words: Identify the possessive pronoun or contraction that
CORRECTLY completes each sentence.
1. The hamster is playing in ______ cage.
a. it’s
b. its
2. The bird flapped _____ wings and flew off into the sunset.
a. it’s
b. its
3. I’ll see you _______.
a. there
b. their
c. they’re
4. ______ right behind you.
a. there
b. their
c. they’re
5. The family is going on vacation and _______ very excited.
a. there
b. their
c. they’re
6. Look in the freezer, and you will find ice cream ________.
a. there
b. their
c. they’re
7. Theresa, ______ your turn.
a. it’s
b. its
8.
You should not judge a book by ______ cover.
a. it’s
b. its
9. _____ been a long day.
a. it’s
b. its
10. Shade ______ face with a hat when in the sun.
a. your
b. you’re
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11. Jerry said that ______ Tim’s turn to wash the dishes.
a. it’s
b. its
12. Brush ______ teeth twice each day.
a. your
b. you’re
13. Take ______ science book home to study for the EQT.
a. your
b. you’re
14. Wow! ______ a fantastic singer.
a. Your
b. You’re
15. I wonder ______ wallet this is.
a. whose
b. who’s
1.21 Demonstrate use of correct verb form
Choose the letter that identifies the verb in the sentences below.
16. Choose the answer that identifies the action verb in the sentence below.
The hungry caterpillar ate my favorite plant.
A. caterpillar
B. favorite
C. hungry
D. ate
17. Choose the answer that identifies the action verb in the sentence below.
All the elephants in the circus danced to the music.
A. elephants
B. circus
C. danced
D. music
18. Choose the answer that identifies the linking verb in the sentence below.
At first, the friendly animals appeared ferocious.
A. friendly
B. ferocious
C. appeared
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D. first
19. Choose the answer that identifies the linking verb in the sentence below.
The candy smelled wonderfully sweet as I placed it on the table.
A. table
B. sweet
C. it
D. smelled
20. Choose the sentence that contains a verb phrase.
A. The dog barked for no reason.
B. Airplanes have changed our society.
C. My cousin Jared plays football on a professional team.
D. Harriet was a famous stunt pilot.
21. Choose the sentence that contains a verb phrase.
A. Mother planted the vegetables last April.
B. The largest cruise ship now docks in Miami, Florida.
C. My Aunt Velma will be visiting us this summer.
D. Visitors to the art museum see many unusual paintings.
22. Identify the main verb in the sentence below.
Dana will attend to the party after all.
A. all
B. attend
C. will
D. party
23. Identify the main verb(s) in the following sentence.
Our fries were cooked too quickly.
A. quickly
B. cooked
C. were
D. too
24. Identify the helping verb(s) in the following sentence
Birds and squirrels would certainly enjoy our bird feeder.
A. enjoy
B. certainly
C. would
D. feeder
25. Identify the helping verb (s) in the following sentence
Linda should have known the correct answer to the math problem.
A. answer
B. should, have
C. known
D. problem
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1.21 Demonstrate use of correct verb form: Tenses (past, present, and future)
Identify the sentence that uses the verb in the past tense correctly.
26. A. Wanda knows how to play tennis.
B. Tomorrow, I will play tennis with Wanda.
C. Yesterday, the dog caught the cat in his bed.
D. Jenny will bake homemade cakes tomorrow.
Identify the sentence that uses the verb in the present tense correctly.
27. A. Bob and Lily will ride the bus.
B. The flowers grow well in the sunlight.
C. Felicia grew turnips in her victory garden.
D. Jim broke his arm before football season began.
Identify the sentence that uses the verb in the future tense correctly.
28. A. We ran to the gym before the basketball game.
B. The children watched the sunrise.
C. The wedding invitations will be sent tomorrow.
D. The intense drought killed the corn in my garden.
1.31 Recognize subject-verb agreement.
29. Choose the sentence that shows CORRECT subject/verb agreement.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Pearl sing in the shower every morning.
Do your dog bark at strangers?
Some of the strawberries is sour.
The athletes were racing to win the prize.
30. Choose the sentence that shows INCORRECT subject/verb agreement.
A. The red belt belongs to David.
B. The tools was lying on the garage floor.
C. Trains in Japan run quickly.
D. The pilot raises the flaps on the airplane.
31.
Choose the verb that agrees with the subject in each sentence.
Snakes ______ many people nervous.
A. makes
B. make
C. maker
D. make
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32. Choose the verb that agrees with subject in each sentence.
Neither the parent nor the child _______ injured.
A.
B.
C.
D.
were
was
be
were being
33. Choose the verb that agrees with subject in each sentence.
There _____ no elephants at our local zoo.
A.
B.
C.
D.
is
be
are
were being
1.61 Pronoun Case: Identify correct pronoun case.
34. Susan gave ______ our new books for social studies.
A.
B.
C.
D.
us
I
we
our
35. Mrs. Wiley and ______ offered us directions to the band room.
A.
B.
C.
D.
us
she
them
him
36. Stan met _____ on the first day of track practice.
A.
B.
C.
D.
they
them
he
she
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Sixth Grade Second Quarter Reading
EQT Common Assessment/Practice Test
2012-2013
Birds make many various kinds of nests. One that stands out as the most unusual is that of the oriole.
Most nests sit on a branch in a tree. However, the oriole’s nest hangs down from a tree. The only way to
enter it is by flying into it for the entrance is in the air. In this way, the nest is not vulnerable for it is now
protected from squirrels and other predators. The male oriole builds the nest and sometimes uses animal
hair to hang the nest from the tree. The bottom of the nest is woven of whatever he can find. He often
uses such things as string or milkweed stalks. After the nest is finished, the bird lines it with feathers and
makes it soft for the young. The nest is then completed with a portal, a small opening on one side. This
allows the birds to enter and leave the nest.
1. What is the purpose of making the nest so that is hangs down from the tree? 2.22
A. to keep the eggs and young birds safe
B. to protect it from the wind and rain
C. to make it stronger and less likely to tangle
D. to rock the young to sleep
2. From the passage, the reader could infer 2.22
A. that orioles are lazy birds
B. that orioles kill many animals to build their nests
C. that orioles are protective of their young
D. that orioles do not care for their young
3. Which statement best describes the implied main idea of this selection? 2.12
A. Orioles like to eat milkweed stalks.
B. Orioles know how to protect their young.
C. Orioles know how to play with string.
D. Orioles are tiny birds.
4. Why does the oriole bird nest differ from other bird nests ? 5.52
A. It will always be bigger than other nests
B. It takes longer to build
C. It is prettier than other nests
D. Its location is in an usual position
5. From this passage the reader could infer that 2.22
A. orioles are intelligent birds
B. orioles are lazy birds
C. orioles are not very brave
D. orioles fly very fast
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6. The best meaning for the phrase not vulnerable as used in this passage would be 4.12
A. not easy to get to the nest
B. nest is too close to the ground
C. nest is easily seen by other animals
D. nest is comfortable for the young
7. The orioles’ young birds are well-protected because 2.32
A. the mother birds stay with them all day and all night
B. they make friends easily
C. they are safe inside the unusual nest
D. predators cannot find their nest
3.22- Analyze literary elements (conflict, setting, plot, character(s) and climax) in
fiction and non-fiction.
It was a dark and windy night. Thin clouds blew across the sky like bits of tattered gray silk. The moon was a
razor’s edge of white. The orphan girl, Lisa, toiled up the steep side of the mountain clutching her thin cloak
and shivering. She stared ahead to the towers that rose black against the sky, willing herself to continue.
Suddenly, her vision blurred, and she sank exhausted to the stony path.
She had nearly fainted, but some small spark of consciousness remained alight. “I must get up,” she
thought, “or I will die of cold and hunger. I’ve got to get to the castle.”
But her legs felt as if they were made of lead, she was dizzy and her hands trembled. She had gone
without food for two days.
A dangerous thought entered her mind. “I’d probably feel better if I lay down and slept for a while. It’s
really not so cold.” In fact, she was beginning to grow numb. She closed her eyes and laid her head down
on the hard earth as if it were a pillow.
Suddenly there was a loud cry just above her head. Terrified, she jumped to her feet. An owl glared
down at her from the gnarled branches of an oak and screeched urgently again.
Realizing she had nearly fallen asleep, Lisa forced herself up the hill. Half an hour later, she was seated in
the kitchen of the castle, eating a bowl of hot soup that the cook had given her.
8. What is the major setting of this story? (3.22)
A. a large farm
B. the kitchen of a hunting lodge
C. the side of a mountain
D. a tropical island
9. What is the major conflict in this story? (3.22)
A. Lisa has to reach the castle before something terrible happens to her.
B. Lisa is being chased by an owl that was sent by her evil stepmother.
C. Lisa is a homeless orphan who’s searching for her mother.
D. Lisa is cold and must find wood to start a fire.
10. What is the climax of the story? (3.22)
A. Lisa sinks exhausted to the stony ground.
B. Lisa falls asleep.
C. The owl wakes up Lisa.
D. The cook serves Lisa a bowl of hot soup.
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11. What is the resolution to the problem in the story? (3.22)
A. Lisa falls asleep.
B. Lisa finds a friendly farmer.
C. Lisa leaves the mountain and goes back to the village.
D. Lisa reaches the castle at the top of the mountain.
12. Who is telling the story? (2.22)
A. an orphan girl named Lisa
B. the cook at the castle
C. the owl that screeches
D. and outside observer
13. What kind of person is Lisa? (3.22)
A. spoiled
B. determined
C. lazy
D. unforgiving
14. “Thin clouds blew across the sky like bits of tattered gray silk” means that- (2.22)
A. The clouds looked ragged and gray.
B. The clouds were made of cloth.
C. Bits of fabric were floating in the air.
D. The wind was tearing Lisa’s silk cloak.
15. Read the last paragraph of the story. Then make a prediction as what you think the cook
in the kitchen will do next. (2.22)
A. The cook will probably send Lisa back out into the cold.
B. The cook will probably try to help Lisa find a home.
C. The cook will probably have Lisa arrested for trespassing.
D. The cook will probably charge Lisa for the bowl of hot soup.
16. What do you think might have happened to Lisa if she had rested as she wanted to in
paragraph 4? (2.22)
A. She might have died from exposure to the cold.
B. She would probably have felt better after her rest.
C. She would have been found and rescued by a passing carriage.
D. She would have been exhausted.
17. What is the best title for this passage? (2.12)
A. The Tattered, Gray Clouds of Winter
B. The Terrifying Owl and the Little Girl
C. Determination Saves the Day for Lisa
D. Lisa Takes a Hike
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3.22- Analyze literary elements - conflict, setting, plot, character(s) and climax - in
fiction and nonfiction.
Jane walked very slowly back to her front porch from the mailbox beside the road. She didn’t have a
clue as to what she was going to tell her family. As she thought of earlier days, she was impressed with her
talents that had developed from the fun of drawing on rainy days into the work of a seasoned artist. She
had compiled a portfolio of her drawings, received written recommendations from Mr. Jackson and Mrs.
Lee, interviewed with the dean of the art school, and now, held tightly in her hand, was the letter of
acceptance and scholarship offer to the state’s best art school.
Her dreams were all coming true at this very moment! The only thing that she had not considered was
how her family would react when they found out that she was not going to Harvard Medical School as they
had planned.
“ Is there any mail worth reading?” asked her dad, as she entered the room and slowly closed the door
behind her.
“ I don’t think I can live with myself if I disappoint Mom and Dad, “ Jane thought to herself sadly.
“Did you know,” asked her father softly, “that I talked to Mrs. Lee earlier? Is there something we should
discuss?”
Jane looked down at her feet as she sighed, “Yes, Dad, there is.”
“Don’t worry about anything,” said her dad, as he held out his arms. “Remember to always follow your
dreams and use your gifts wisely.”
18. The main conflict in this story is best described as
A. man against nature
B. man against self
C. man against society
D. man against man
3.22
19. The climax (or turning point) in the story occurs when 3.22
A. the mail arrives
B. the art teachers recommend Jane
C. she reads the letter
D. her dad tells her that she should follow her dreams
20. The setting of the story is 3.22
A. the art school
B. in her classroom at school
C. at her house
E. at Harvard Medical School
21. The plot of the story DOES NOT include 3.22
A. a visit to the art school
B. the arrival of the letter
C. entering the room where her dad is seated
D. talking with her dad about the letter
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22. The word seasoned as it is used in this story means 4.12
A. added salt and pepper
B. a raw talent
C. someone with much experience
D. a person filled with emotion
23. An antonym for the word compiled is 4.12
A. scattered
B. gathered
C. organized
D. collected
24. A synonym for the word worth is 4.12
A. value
B. virtue
C. right
D. privilege
25. The author’s purpose in writing this story is to 2.12
A. persuade
B. inform
C. entertain
D. imply
26. The implied main idea of the story is to
2.12
A. learn to draw well when you are young
B. follow your dreams
C. set goals when you are a child
D. always obey your teachers and don’t listen to selfish parents
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