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Grade 8 · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 5

Grammar & Style

Clauses, voice and punctuation

What your child practises

Active and passive voice, run-ons, parallel structure, commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons and common usage choices.

BC Curriculum learning standard: Conventions of Canadian English: sentence structure, voice, punctuation and agreement

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence avoids a dangling modifier?

    • While I was cooking, the smoke alarm went off.
    • Having finished, the lights were turned off.
    • Cooking dinner, the alarm sounded loudly.
    • While cooking, the smoke alarm went off.
    Show answer

    While I was cooking, the smoke alarm went off.

    Hint: In the others, the opening phrase has no clear doer. Add a subject to fix it.

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence has a subject-verb agreement error?

    • Each rule is posted on the door.
    • The list of rules are posted on the door.
    • The rules are posted on the door.
    • The list of rules is posted on the door.
    Show answer

    The list of rules are posted on the door.

    Hint: The subject is “list” (singular), so the verb should be “is.”

  3. Question 3

    Rewrite in the active voice: “The cake was eaten by Mei.”

    • The cake ate Mei.
    • Mei ate the cake.
    • The cake was Mei's.
    • Eating was done by Mei.
    Show answer

    Mei ate the cake.

    Hint: Active voice puts the doer first: Mei (doer) ate (action) the cake.

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence uses “who” or “whom” correctly?

    • To whom did you give the book?
    • Whom is at the door?
    • To who did you give the book?
    • Whom gave you the book?
    Show answer

    To whom did you give the book?

    Hint: After a preposition such as “to,” use “whom.”

  5. Question 5

    In “Walking to school, Ravi found a wallet,” what is “Walking to school”?

    • A complete sentence
    • A participial phrase
    • A noun
    • A conjunction
    Show answer

    A participial phrase

    Hint: A phrase that begins with an -ing verb form and describes a noun is a participial phrase.

  6. Question 6

    Choose the correct word: “The decision is between Ana and __.”

    • myself
    • I
    • me
    • mine
    Show answer

    me

    Hint: After “between,” use an object pronoun: me.

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