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






2. 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






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






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






5. 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






6. 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.






7. An expression that has been used so often that it loses its expressive power






8. The study of the structure of words.






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






10. A suspenseful story that deals with a puzzling crime. Examples include Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murder in Rue Morgue' and Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood.






11. Old - fashioned words that are no longer used in common speech - such as thee - thy - and thou.






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






13. A word that connects other words or groups of words. Ex. In the sentence Bob and Dan are friends - the _____ 'and' connects two nouns and in the sentence.






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






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






16. Literature - often drama - ending in a catastrophic event for the protagonist(s) after he or she faces several problems or conflicts.






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






18. The analysis of how sounds function in a language or dialect.






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






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






21. A literary technique in which the author gives hints or clues about what is to come at some point later in the story.






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






23. 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.






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






25. 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






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






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






28. Narrative fiction that involves gods and heroes or has a theme that expresses a culture's ideology. Examples of Greek ______ include Zeus and the Olympians and The Trojan War. Roman ______ include Hercules - Apollo - and Venus.






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






30. The overall feeling created by an author's use of words.






31. A phrase that consists of two contradictory terms






32. A wise saying - usually short and written.






33. 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.






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






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






36. Meter that is composed of feet that are short - short - long or unaccented - unaccented - accented - usually used in light or whimsical poetry - such as limerick.






37. A rhythmical pattern in verse that is made up of stressed and unstressed syllables.






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






39. 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






40. The study of the structure of sentences.






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






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






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






44. The story is told by someone outside the story.






45. Repetition of the final consonant sound in words containing different vowels






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






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






48. Language widely considered crude - disgusting - and oftentimes offensive.






49. The repetition of a line or phrase of a poem at regular intervals - particularly at the end of each stanza.






50. A story about a person's life written by another person.