Test your basic knowledge |

Praxis Middle School Language Arts

Subjects : praxis, english
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A word which can be used instead of a noun. Ex instead of saying John is a student - the ____ he can be used in place of the noun John and the sentence becomes He is a student.






2. The writer says one thing and means another






3. A person who opposes or competes with the main character (protagonist); often the villain in the story.






4. The use of sound words to suggest meaning - as in buzz - click - or vroom.






5. A method by which trained readers evaluate a piece of writing for its overall quality. There is no focus on one aspect of the writing.






6. A narrative that is made up of fantastic characters and creatures - such as witches - goblins - and fairies - and usually begins with the phrase 'Once upon a time...' Examples include Rapunzel - Cinderella - Sleeping Beauty - and Little Red Riding Ho






7. The study of the structure of sentences.






8. A word which describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun. Ex. The lazy dog sat on the rug - the word lazy is an ____ which gives more information about the noun dog.






9. A variation of a language used by people who live in a particular geographical area.






10. A division of poetry named for the number of lines it contains...Couplet: Two - lines - Triplet: Three - lines - Quatrain: Four - lines - Quintet: Five - lines - Sestet: Six- lines - Septet: Seven - lines - Octave: Eight - lines.






11. A type of Japanese poem that is written in 17 syllables with three lines of five - seven - and five syllables - respectively. Expresses a single thought.






12. Fiction that is intended to frighten - unsettle - or scare the reader. Often overlaps with fantasy and science fiction. Examples include Stephen King's The Shining - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - and Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.






13. A short poem - often written by an anonymous author - comprised of short verses intended to be sung or recited.






14. The structure of a work of literature; the sequence of events.






15. The regular or random occurrence of sound in poetry.






16. A literary device in which animals - ideas - and things are represented as having human traits.






17. Also known as a run - on line in poetry - _____ occurs when one line ends and continues onto the next line to complete meaning. For example the first line in Thoreau's poem 'My life has been the poem I would have writ -' and the second line completes






18. Literature that makes fun of social conventions or conditions - usually to evoke change.






19. A story in which people (or things or actions) represent an idea or a generalization about life. Usually have a strong lesson or moral.






20. Specialized language used in a particular field or content area






21. A type of pun - or play on words - that results when two words become mixed up in the speaker's mind






22. The study of the orgin of words






23. A method an author uses to let readers know more about the characters and their personal traits.






24. The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or expected meaning. There are three types....Dramatic - Verbal - Situation.






25. A phrase that consists of two contradictory terms






26. A variation of a language used by people who live in a particular geographical area.






27. The perspective from which the story is told - four choices: first person; 3rd person (dramatic - objective); 3rd person omniscient; 3rd person limited omniscient.






28. Deals with current or future development of technological advances. Examples are Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse - Five - George Orwell's 1984 - Aldous Huxley's Brave New World - and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.






29. The reader sees a character's errors - but the character does not






30. Verse that contains an irregular metrical pattern and line length; also known as vers libre.






31. The act or an example of substituting a mild - indirect - or vague term for one considered harsh - blunt - or offensive.






32. A fourteen - line poem - usually written in iambic pentameter - with a varied rhyme scheme. Two main types are Petrarchan (or Italian) and the Shakespearean (or English). A Petrarchan opens with an octave that states a proposition and ends with a ses






33. The perspective from which a story is told.






34. Distinctive features of a person's speech and speech patterns.






35. The study of the structure of words.






36. The most specific or direct meaning of a word - in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.






37. An author's choice of words based on their clearness - conciseness - effectiveness - and authenticity.






38. The time and place in which the action of a story takes place.






39. A narrative form - such as an epic - legend - myth - song - poem - or fable - that has been retold within a culture for generations. Examples include The People Couldn't Fly retold by Virginia Hamilton and And Green Grass Grew All Around by Alvin Sch






40. A short narrative - usually between 50 and 100 pages long. Examples include George Orwell's Animal Farm and Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis.






41. Narrative fiction that is set in some earlier time and often contains historically authentic people - places - or events






42. A stanza made up of two rhyming lines.






43. A genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot - theme - and/or setting. Examples include J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia - and William Morris' The Well at the World's E






44. A person - place - thing - or event used to represent something else - such as the white flag that represents surrender.






45. A comparison of objects or ideas that appear to be different but are alike in some important way.






46. The specialized language of a particular group or culture. Ex. in the field of education...rubric - tuning protocol - and deskilling.






47. The flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero; this term comes from the Greek word hybris - which means 'excessive pride.'






48. A wise saying - usually short and written.






49. An extended fictional prose narrative.






50. A text or performance that imitates and mocks an author or work.