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Common Core Standards Test Bank
Grade 8 Language
Teacher Edition
First Edition
Copyright 2013 by Great Educators
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Grade 8 Language Test Bank
“The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear
understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers
and parents know what they need to do to help them. The
standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world,
reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for
success in college and careers. With American students fully
prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to
compete successfully in the global economy.”
-www.corestandards.org
As more and more states adopt the common core standards, teachers need materials to help them
understand what’s changing for their grade and subject. Teachers also need quick ways to expose their
students to the standards.
This test bank includes 25 questions per standard released for the grade. In the immediately following
pages, you will find the actual standards as the table of contents. Please find the test bank questions
organized by standard beginning on Page 1. By purchasing this product, you have purchased full rights
to copy and paste from this document into any other document for student examination or testing.
Also, please feel free to print and/or copy this information as needed for your classrooms.
Don’t be stressed about the upcoming transition to the common core standards. These test bank
questions will clarify your specific standards and provide an opportunity for your students to be exposed
to them throughout the year.
Grade 8 Language CCSS Standards
Conventions of Standard English


CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1a Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives)
in general and their function in particular sentences.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1b Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1c Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative,
conditional, and subjunctive mood.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1d Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and
mood.*
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2a Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or
break.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2b Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2c Spell correctly.
Knowledge of Language

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.3a Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional
and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the
action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or
paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4c Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of
a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
o


CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4d Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word
or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5b Use the relationship between particular words to better
understand each of the words.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5c Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words
with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent,
resolute).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Common Core State Standards
Grade 8 English Language Arts: Language Test Bank
8th Grade Language: L.8.1a
Problem: Select the infinitive phrase.
CCSS L.8.1a:
I wanted to fly to the moon.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
a. Wanted
b. To fly
c. To the moon

Explain the function of verbals (gerunds,
participles, infinitives) in general and
their function in particular sentences.
Answer:
b. To fly
Question Bank:
1. Select the gerund phrase.
Juggling tennis balls is a lot harder than it looks.
a. It looks
b. Juggling tennis balls
c. Is a lot harder
Answer: b
2. Select the infinitive clause.
I asked my mom to drive me to baseball practice.
a. I asked
b. To baseball practice
c. To drive me
Answer: c
3. Select the participial phrase.
Walking away, I saw a tear roll down her cheek.
a. I saw
b. Walking away
c. Down her cheek
Answer: b
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Common Core State Standards
Grade 8 English Language Arts: Language Test Bank
4. In the following sentence, does the underlined segment include a gerund, participle, or
infinitive?
Grumbling to herself, my sister got on the bus.
a. Gerund
b. Participle
c. Infinitive
Answer: b
5. In the following sentence, does the underlined segment include a gerund, participle, or
infinitive?
Sprinting across the field, he started to wonder if the defender would catch him.
a. Gerund
b. Participle
c. Infinitive
Answer: c
6. In the following sentence, does the underlined segment include a gerund, participle, or
infinitive?
Jumping on the trampoline is a good workout.
a. Gerund
b. Participle
c. Infinitive
Answer: a
7. The following sentence contains a gerund and an infinitive. Which comes first?
Skipping rope is a skill that takes a long time to master.
a. Gerund
b. Infinitive
Answer: a
8. The following sentence contains an infinitive and a participle. Which comes first?
Wandering through the forest, Amy tried to identify the different trees.
a. Infinitive
b. Participle
Answer: b
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Common Core State Standards
Grade 8 English Language Arts: Language Test Bank
9. Select the infinitive clause.
Ashley wants to sing for the talent show.
a. To sing
b. Ashley wants
c. For the talent show
Answer: a
10. Select the participial phrase.
Sweeping her bangs to the side, Jasmine smiled at Marcus.
a. At Marcus
b. Jasmine smiled
c. Sweeping her bangs to the side
Answer: c
11. Select the gerund phrase.
Popping balloons is one way to scare the puppies.
a. Popping balloons
b. To scare
c. The puppies
Answer: a
12. Select the participial phrase.
Laughing to herself, Laurie could not believe her luck.
a. Laurie could not
b. Laughing to herself
c. Believe her luck
Answer: b
13. Select the infinitive clause.
I think I want to walk to the park today.
a. I think
b. To walk
c. To the park
Answer: b
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Common Core State Standards
Grade 8 English Language Arts: Language Test Bank
14. Select the participial phrase.
My father yelled at me, making me cry.
a. My father yelled
b. At me
c. Making me cry
Answer: c
15. In the following sentence, does the underlined segment include a gerund, participle, or
infinitive?
Swimming in the ocean is more fun than swimming in the pool.
a. Gerund
b. Participle
c. Infinitive
Answer: a
16. Select the gerund phrase.
Feeding the dog is one of my many daily chores.
a. Feeding the dog
b. Is one of
c. Daily chores
Answer: a
17. Select the participial phrase.
Feeding the dog, Nancy filled each bowl to the top.
a. Feeding the dog
b. Nancy filled
c. To the top
Answer: a
18. Select the infinitive clause.
Janae is going to visit the doctor after school today.
a. Janae is
b. To visit
c. After school
Answer: b
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Common Core State Standards
Grade 8 English Language Arts: Language Test Bank
19. Select the participial phrase.
The manager fired every teenaged employee, causing an uproar.
a. The manager
b. Fired every
c. Causing an uproar
Answer: c
20. The following sentence contains a gerund and an infinitive. Which comes first?
Volunteering in class is one way to be a leader.
a. Gerund
b. Infinitive
Answer: a
21. In the following sentence, does the underlined segment include a gerund, participle, or
infinitive?
Sitting quietly in the shade, Amber reflected back on the events of the day.
a. Gerund
b. Participle
c. Infinitive
Answer: b
22. The following sentence contains a participle and an infinitive. Which comes first?
Driving to the mall, Mary asks Mark to look through her purse for lotion.
a. Participle
b. Infinitive
Answer: a
23. Select the gerund phrase.
Falling asleep on the couch is one of the first things my mom does after she gets off
work.
a. Falling asleep on the couch
b. My mom does
c. Gets off work
Answer: a
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