MAP Writing (Grades 6-8) 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of writing asks the author to take a position on an issue and support it with evidence and reasoning?
- Narrative writing
- Argumentative writing (Correct answer)
- Descriptive writing
- Expository writing
Correct answer: Argumentative writing
Argumentative writing requires the author to state a claim and back it up with evidence and logical reasoning to persuade the reader.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a thesis statement in an essay?
- To provide background information on the topic
- To summarize the conclusion of the essay
- To state the main argument or central claim of the essay (Correct answer)
- To list the sources used in the essay
Correct answer: To state the main argument or central claim of the essay
A thesis statement presents the central claim or main argument that the rest of the essay will develop and support.
Question 3: Which sentence uses correct subject-verb agreement?
- The group of students are working on their projects.
- The team plays their best game every Friday. (Correct answer)
- Each of the boys have their own locker.
- Neither the teacher nor the students was ready for the test.
Correct answer: The team plays their best game every Friday.
Collective nouns like 'team' take a singular verb when the group acts as one unit, making 'plays' the correct choice.
Question 4: In writing, what does 'point of view' refer to?
- The setting where the story takes place
- The perspective from which a story is told (Correct answer)
- The conflict in a narrative
- The sequence of events in a plot
Correct answer: The perspective from which a story is told
Point of view refers to the narrator's perspective—first person (I/we), second person (you), or third person (he/she/they)—from which the story is told.
Question 5: Which revision best improves the vague sentence: 'The weather was bad, so we stayed home'?
- The weather was really, really bad, so we stayed home.
- A heavy thunderstorm with lightning forced us to cancel our outdoor plans and stay home. (Correct answer)
- The weather outside was not good, so we decided to stay inside our home.
- It was bad weather that day, and because of this we stayed home.
Correct answer: A heavy thunderstorm with lightning forced us to cancel our outdoor plans and stay home.
Adding specific details like 'heavy thunderstorm with lightning' and 'cancel our outdoor plans' creates a much clearer and more vivid sentence.
Question 6: What is the correct way to punctuate the following sentence: 'Before leaving for school Maria packed her lunch backpack and gym shoes'?
- Before leaving for school, Maria packed her lunch, backpack, and gym shoes. (Correct answer)
- Before leaving for school Maria packed her lunch, backpack, and gym shoes.
- Before leaving for school, Maria packed her lunch backpack and gym shoes.
- Before leaving, for school Maria packed her lunch, backpack, and gym shoes.
Correct answer: Before leaving for school, Maria packed her lunch, backpack, and gym shoes.
A comma is needed after the introductory clause 'Before leaving for school,' and commas separate items in the series 'lunch, backpack, and gym shoes.'
Question 7: Which transition word best shows a contrast between two ideas?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- However (Correct answer)
- Similarly
Correct answer: However
'However' is a transitional word used to introduce a contrasting idea, while 'furthermore' adds information, 'therefore' shows result, and 'similarly' shows comparison.
MAP Writing (Grades 6-8) 1
Which type of writing asks the author to take a position on an issue and support it with evidence and reasoning?