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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. Specialized language used in a particular field or content area






2. A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect - as in I could sleep for a year or this book weighs a ton.






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






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






5. 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






6. A document organized in paragraph form that can be long or short and can be in the form of a letter - dialogue - or discussion. Examples include Politics and the English Language by George Orwell - The American Scholar by Ralph Waldo Emerson - and Mo






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






8. The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words - such a 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'






9. A kind of adjective which is always used with and gives some information about a noun. There are only two _____ a and the.






10. 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.






11. A figure of speech in which a comparison is implied but not stated - such as 'This winter is a bear.'






12. Simple - compound (conjunctions) - complex (subordination) - compound - complex (conjunctions and subordination).






13. 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.






14. 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.






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






16. The study of the orgin of words






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






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






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






20. A verb form that usually ends in - ing or - ed.






21. Two or more words in sequence that form a syntactic unit that is less than a complete sentence.






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






23. The time and place in which a story occurs.






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






25. A narrative about human actions that is perceived by both the teller and the listeners to have taken place within human history and that possesses certain qualities that give the tale the appearance of truth or reality. Washington Irvin's The Legend






26. A variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area.






27. A person or thing working against the hero of a literary work (the protagonist).






28. A stanza made up of two rhyming lines.






29. The use of words to create pictures in the reader's mind.






30. The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning.






31. A brief story that illustrates or makes a point.






32. The feeling a text evokes in the reader - such as sadness - tranquility - or elation.






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






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






35. Informal language used by a particular group of people among themselves.






36. A reference to a familiar person - place - thing - or event






37. A wise saying - usually short and written.






38. A short story or folktale that contains a moral - which may be expressed explicitly at the end as a maxim. Examples include The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse - The Tortoise and the Hare - and The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.






39. A group of words containing a subject and a predicate and forming part of a compound or complex sentence.






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






41. The narrator records the actions from his or her point of view - unaware of any of the other characters' thoughts or feelings. Also known as the objective view.






42. A short poem about personal feelings and emotions.






43. A novel comprised of idealized events far removed from everyday life. This genre includes the subgenres of gothic ____ and medieval ____. Examples include Mary Shelly's Frankenstein - William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida - and King Horn (anonym






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






45. The story is told from the point of view of one character.






46. Expressions that are usually accepted in informal situations or regions - such as 'wicked awesome.'






47. A literacy device in which the author jumps back in time in the chronology of narrative.






48. A pair of lines of poetic verse written in iambic pentameter.






49. A socially accepted word or phrase used to replace unacceptable language - such as expressions for bodily functions or body parts. Also used as substitutes for straightforward words to tactfully conceal or falsify meaning. Ex. My grandmother passed a






50. The telling of a story.