Grade 8 Reading & writing diagnostic

15 questions on reading comprehension, writing and grammar & vocabulary, plus 3 from Grade 7. Answer what you can, then check your answers to see which topics are secure and what to practise next.

15 questions3 topicsAbout 15 minutesSet 5 of 5

Skip a question if you do not know the answer. It is better than guessing, because it shows what to practise.

1Reading comprehensionIn a poem, the speaker is

A. the person who printed the bookB. always the readerC. the voice presented in the poemD. always the poet as a factual person

2Reading comprehensionThe hallway was a river of students is mainly a

A. metaphorB. literal measurementC. questionD. instruction

3Reading comprehensionA later paragraph contradicts your first inference. What should you do?

A. Keep the first inference because it came first.B. Stop reading all evidence.C. Ignore the paragraph.D. Revise the inference using the new evidence.

4Reading comprehensionWhich change addressed the cause rather than only repeating the rule?

A. Blaming every visitorB. Printing the same notice in a larger font onlyC. Removing all booksD. Moving the collection point and creating another route

5WritingWriting and argument: which term fits this description? Presenting someone else's words or ideas as one's own without proper acknowledgement.

A. ConcessionB. PlagiarismC. ThesisD. Purpose

6WritingWhich is a claim rather than raw data?

A. The library closes at 4 pm.B. Twenty visitors arrived after 3 pm.C. The school should extend library hours.D. The survey had 60 responses.

7WritingWhich revision task should come before checking every comma?

A. Checking whether the argument makes sense and stays on topicB. Changing every short wordC. Making all sentences the same lengthD. Adding more exclamation marks

8WritingAn original sentence says an approach “may help.” Which rewrite changes its certainty?

A. The approach could help.B. The approach always works.C. It might be useful.

9Grammar & vocabularyWhich uses parentheses for extra information?

A. The (hall is closed.B. The hall built (in) is closed.C. The hall (built in 1920) is closed.D. The hall) is closed(.

10Grammar & vocabularyEnglish grammar essentials: which term fits this description? A sentence containing an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

A. SubjectB. Complex sentenceC. PredicateD. Verb

11Grammar & vocabularyChoose the noun: run, blue, river, slowly.

A. riverB. slowlyC. runD. blue

12Grammar & vocabularyWhich mark normally ends a direct written question in English?

A. .B. ?C. ,D. ;

From Grade 7

These questions check skills from the grade below, so gaps can be spotted early.

13Reading comprehension (Grade 7)Which tray fits an object whose owner cannot explain the fault?

A. no tray is possibleB. needs more informationC. ready to repair automaticallyD. repaired already

14Grammar & vocabulary (Grade 7)Which word names a person who teaches?

A. retaughtB. teachableC. teacherD. teaching

15Reading comprehension (Grade 7)What was wrong with the original sign?

A. The exhibition had no name.B. The letters were all missing.C. Both arrows were invisible.D. The same arrow direction misdirected readers approaching from opposite sides.