MAP Language Arts (Grades 3-5) 1 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which sentence contains a correctly used comma in a compound sentence?

I like cats and, I also like dogs.
She ran fast but she was tired.
He ate dinner, and then he did homework. (Correct answer)
They went to the store but, came home.

Correct answer: He ate dinner, and then he did homework.

A compound sentence joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction requires a comma before the conjunction: 'He ate dinner, and then he did homework.'

A compound sentence combines two independent clauses using a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So). A comma is placed before the conjunction: 'He ate dinner, and then he did homework.' Choice A incorrectly places the comma after 'and.' Choice B omits the required comma. MAP Growth Language Arts tests comma usage in compound sentences.

Question 2: What is the correct plural of the word 'child'?

Childs
Childes
Children (Correct answer)
Childer

Correct answer: Children

'Children' is the irregular plural of 'child.' English has many irregular plurals that do not follow standard -s or -es rules.

Most English nouns form plurals by adding -s or -es, but irregular plurals are exceptions. Common irregular plurals: child becomes children, man becomes men, woman becomes women, tooth becomes teeth, foot becomes feet, mouse becomes mice. MAP Growth Language Arts assesses knowledge of irregular noun plurals as part of grammar and conventions.

Question 3: Which word in the sentence is an adverb? 'The cheetah ran swiftly across the plain.'

cheetah
ran
swiftly (Correct answer)
plain

Correct answer: swiftly

'Swiftly' is an adverb — it modifies the verb 'ran' by describing how the running occurred.

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They answer questions like how? when? where? or to what extent? In this sentence, 'swiftly' describes how the cheetah ran, making it an adverb modifying the verb 'ran.' Many adverbs end in -ly (quickly, carefully, quietly), though not all (fast, hard, well). MAP Growth Language Arts tests parts of speech identification.

Question 4: A student writes: The thunder boomed and crashed like a giant drum. What type of figurative language is 'like a giant drum'?

Personification
Metaphor
Simile (Correct answer)
Hyperbole

Correct answer: Simile

'Like a giant drum' uses 'like' to compare the thunder to a drum — this is a simile.

A simile makes a comparison using 'like' or 'as.' 'Thunder... like a giant drum' compares the sound of thunder to a drum using the word 'like,' making it a simile. If it said 'the thunder was a giant drum,' it would be a metaphor. MAP Growth Language Arts grades 3-5 tests students' ability to identify and interpret common figurative language devices.

Question 5: Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb 'to be'?

They was going to the park.
She were reading a book.
He is my best friend. (Correct answer)
We is happy today.

Correct answer: He is my best friend.

'He is my best friend' correctly pairs the singular subject 'He' with the singular verb 'is.'

Subject-verb agreement requires the verb to match the subject in number. Singular subjects use singular verbs: he/she/it is, he/she/it was. Plural subjects use plural verbs: they/we are, they/we were. 'They was' is incorrect (should be 'were'); 'She were' is incorrect (should be 'was'); 'We is' is incorrect (should be 'are'). Only 'He is' is correctly matched.

Question 6: In which sentence is the word 'their' used correctly?

They went over their to play.
Their going to the library today.
The students left their backpacks outside. (Correct answer)
I was there when their happened.

Correct answer: The students left their backpacks outside.

'Their' is the possessive pronoun meaning belonging to them. 'The students left their backpacks' correctly uses 'their' to show ownership.

Homophones 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're' are commonly confused: Their is a possessive pronoun (it belongs to them): 'their backpacks.' There refers to a place or introduces a sentence: 'over there.' They're is a contraction of 'they are': 'They're going.' MAP Growth Language Arts grades 3-5 frequently tests commonly confused homophones and correct pronoun usage.

MAP Language Arts (Grades 3-5) 1

Which sentence contains a correctly used comma in a compound sentence?