2019 MCAS
Grade 7 English Language Arts
Question 16

The narrative is fully developed and maintains insightful connections to the existing story, as seen particularly in the portrayal of Lisa completing her chores that then builds from the mundane to Lisa's reflections on art and the world around her. The writing also skillfully elaborates on Lisa's housecleaning, and later, her artistic process. Descriptions are purposeful: "As she was mopping a corner, she glanced into the dark infinity that was outside. She noticed that the soft yellow light of the moon and stars, was leaving the outline of a small creature. The egrets were back!" The organization subtly moves the reader through Lisa's personal experiences, from "She pried open the metal doors" to "Lisa traveled to the window and continued to admire the night sky," concluding with these sentences that reflect a meaningful connection to the events portrayed in the passage: "She noticed her unfinished masterpiece floating among the yarn scraps and glue stains. She noticed how her trailer, sometimes something less than what most would expect, was home." Overall, rich details appear throughout the narrative, and there is a strong sense of setting and character.

A variety of sentence structures and punctuation skills are demonstrated: "But Lisa did what she was asked to do, kicking things out of the way in the process of ridding the floor of dirt and dust." Spelling is consistently correct, even for more complex vocabulary, such as "magnificent," "scraggly," "masterpiece," and "enveloped." The narrative demonstrates consistent control of grammar and mechanics throughout.