Writing (Grades 6-8) Flashcards

Which element is most important to establish early in a narrative piece of writing?

Answer: The setting, characters, and situation

The exposition at the beginning of a narrative introduces setting, characters, and the initial situation to orient the reader before the story develops.

What does it mean to 'cite evidence' in an informational essay?

Answer: To quote or reference specific details from a source text to support a claim

Citing evidence means using specific quotes, statistics, or details from source texts to support and strengthen a claim in your writing.

Which word choice makes this sentence more precise: 'The dog moved across the yard'?

Answer: The dog sprinted across the yard.

'Sprinted' gives the reader a much clearer, more vivid picture of how the dog moved compared to vague verbs like 'moved,' 'went,' or 'traveled.'

In which section of an essay does the writer restate the thesis and summarize the main points?

Answer: Conclusion

The conclusion restates the thesis in different words and briefly summarizes the main supporting points made throughout the essay.

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

Answer: While reading the book, the phone rang.

In 'While reading the book, the phone rang,' the modifier 'while reading the book' incorrectly modifies 'the phone' instead of a person, making it a dangling modifier.

What is the main purpose of using sensory details in descriptive writing?

Answer: To help the reader experience what is being described through the five senses

Sensory details engage sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to create vivid images that help readers experience the subject as if they were there.

Which sentence is written in passive voice?

Answer: The award was presented to Mia by the principal.

In passive voice, the subject receives the action rather than performs it; 'The award was presented to Mia' has the subject 'award' receiving the action of being presented.