Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts : Determine Structure

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts

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All Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts Resources

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Determine Structure

Passage and table adapted from "Why Leaves Change Color" on "Northeastern Area," a website by the USDA Forest Service. <https://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/pubs/leaves/leaves.shtm>.

There are two main types of trees: coniferous trees and deciduous trees. Coniferous trees have small, needle-like leaves. They keep these leaves all year. One example of a coniferous tree is a pine tree, which has green needles during all seasons. In contrast, deciduous trees lose their leaves every autumn. Before these leaves drop and blow away, they change from green to colors like red, orange, yellow, and brown.

Have you ever wondered why deciduous leaves change color in the fall? This color change is caused by a chemical process in the cells of tree leaves.

Green leaves are green because they contain a green molecule, chlorophyll. This is a very important molecule in the natural world. Leaves use this molecule to turn carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water into sugar and oxygen in a process called “photosynthesis.” So, chlorophyll lets the plant store energy as sugar, which it can use as food. It also lets the plant provide food for anything that eats it, like a cow, a bird, or even a human! 

So, what does chlorophyll, a green molecule, have to do with autumn leaf colors? Deciduous leaves also contain molecules of other colors, but the chlorophyll in the leaves covers them up in the summer. In the fall, deciduous trees stop making chlorophyll. Eventually there is no more chlorophyll in their leaves. The colors of the other molecules show through. The colors of these other molecules are the colors we see in autumn leaves. The next time you see colorful leaves in the fall, you’ll know more about the chemistry at work!

The first paragraph of this passage is best described as __________.

Possible Answers:

an explanation of the cause behind a particular effect

a sequence of events told in chronological order

a comparison of two things

a description of a problem

Correct answer:

a comparison of two things

Explanation:

This question asks you to describe one particular paragraph in the passage: the first one. What is happening in the first paragraph? What is being discussed?

There are two main types of trees: coniferous trees and deciduous trees. Coniferous trees have small, needle-like leaves. They keep these leaves all year. One example of a coniferous tree is a pine tree. In contrast, deciduous trees lose their leaves every autumn. Before these leaves drop and blow away, they change from green to colors like red, orange, yellow, and brown.

The first paragraph tells the reader about two types of trees. One of these types keeps their leaves all year, and the other loses their leaves every autumn. The answer choice that most accurately describes of this paragraph is "a comparison of two things." The first paragraph is not "a sequence of events told in chronological order," "an explanation of the cause behind a particular effect," or "a description of a problem." The entire passage could be summarized as "an explanation of the cause behind a particular effect," but since we are only looking at the first paragraph, this is not the correct answer. The first paragraph by itself is not "an explanation of the cause behind a particular effect." It focuses on a comparison.

Example Question #21 : Craft And Structure

Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903). 
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets. 

One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.

Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?

One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.

My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.

Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.

Consider the last two paragraphs of the passage. Which of the following best describes how they relate to one another?

Possible Answers:

The first paragraph describes the different noises a tame blue jay makes, and the second paragraph describes how wild blue jays make similar sounds.

The first paragraph describes something wild blue jays do, and the second paragraph shows how a tame blue jay acts similarly.

The first paragraph describes the different noises wild blue jays make, and the second paragraph describes how a tame blue jay makes similar sounds.

The first paragraph describes something a tame blue jay does, and the second paragraph shows how wild blue jays act similarly.

Correct answer:

The first paragraph describes something a tame blue jay does, and the second paragraph shows how wild blue jays act similarly.

Explanation:

Before you answer this question, look at how the answer choices relate to one another. They are different combinations of two options: either they focus on something wild and tame blue jays do, or they focus on noises that wild and tame blue jays make. Then, they differ in the order in which they talk about wild blue jays and tame blue jays. Noticing these patterns can be very helpful in analyzing the passage. Once we've identified these patterns, we only need to answer two questions about the passage's last two paragraphs:

1.) Are they talking about actions blue jays do or noises they make?

and

2.) In what order are wild blue jays and tame blue jays discussed?

If we know this information, we'll know enough to answer the question correctly. Let's look at the two paragraphs this question concerns.

My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.

Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.

These two paragraphs describe how different blue jays make other nearby birds panic seemingly for fun. This is an action that involves more than making certain noises, so the paragraphs are talking about actions blue jays do, not noises they make. In addition, the first of the two paragraphs is talking about a tame blue jay—one that lived in the author's bird room. The latter of the two paragraphs talks about wild blue jays.

Considering what we learned through our analysis, the correct answer to this question is "The first paragraph describes something a tame blue jay does, and the second paragraph shows how wild blue jays act similarly."

Example Question #3 : Determine Structure

Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)

The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at [the Blue Jay’s] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”

Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.

It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.

Which of the following best describes the structure of Passage 2?

Possible Answers:

The author describes the behavior of a tame blue jay kept inside a house.

The author tries to convince the reader that the blue jay has no positive qualities.

The author compares and contrasts the blue jay with other types of birds.

The author discusses some of the positive and negative characteristics of the blue jay.

Correct answer:

The author discusses some of the positive and negative characteristics of the blue jay.

Explanation:

Let's consider each of the answer choices and figure out which one best describes Passage 2.

"The author compares and contrasts the blue jay with other types of birds." - Passage 2 focuses mostly on the blue jay. It only mentions other birds when describing how the blue jay interacts with them. It doesn't specifically try to compare and contrast the blue jay with other types of birds, so this answer is not the correct one.

"The author tries to convince the reader that the blue jay has no positive qualities." - The author discusses many of the blue jay's negative traits; however, he does not attempt to convince readers that the blue jay has no positive qualities. We can tell this because the first paragraph states, "One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits." Similarly, the second paragraph says, "Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well." If the author wanted to convince readers that the blue jay has no positive qualities, the passage wouldn't suggest multiple times that blue jays have not only negative qualities, but positive ones too.

"The author describes the behavior of a tame blue jay kept inside a house." - If this answer choice sounds correct, you might be thinking of Passage 1! This is a good description of a different passage, but it doesn't accurately describe Passage 2, which is presented with this particular question. No mention is made of a tame blue jay kept inside of a house. So, this answer choice is not correct.

"The author discusses some of the positive and negative characteristics of the blue jay." - This is the correct answer! Throughout this passage, the author describes the blue jay by pointing out its negative features and its positive ones.

Example Question #22 : Craft And Structure

Passage and illustrations adapted from "The Gold-Giving Serpent" in Indian Fairy Tales (ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.). This story is originally from the Panchatantra by Vishnu Sharma, c. 3rd century BCE.

Image "Common Core Fourth Grade  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.5 - Explain Major Differences Between Poems, Drama, and Prose, and Refer to the Structural Elements - Image 1" adapted from "The Gold-Giving Serpent" in Indian Fairy Tales (ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.).
Image "Common Core Fourth Grade  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.5 - Explain Major Differences Between Poems, Drama, and Prose, and Refer to the Structural Elements - Image 2" adapted from "The Gold-Giving Serpent" in Indian Fairy Tales (ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.).

 

Common core fourth grade ccss.ela literacy.rl.4.5   explain major differences between poems  drama  and prose  and refer to the structural elements   image 1ow in a certain place there lived a man named Haridatta. He was a farmer, but poor was the return his labor brought him. One day, at the end of the hot hours, the man, overcome by the heat, lay down under the shadow of a tree to have a doze. Suddenly he saw a great hooded snake creeping out of an ant-hill near at hand. So he thought to himself, "Sure this is the guardian deity of the field, and I have not ever worshipped it. That's why my farming is in vain. I will at once go and pay my respects to it."

When he had made up his mind, he got some milk, poured it into a bowl, and went to the ant-hill, and said aloud: "O Guardian of this Field! All this while I did not know that you dwelt here. That is why I have not yet paid my respects to you; pray forgive me." And he laid the milk down and went to his house. Next morning he came and looked, and he saw a gold denar in the bowl, and from that time onward every day the same thing occurred: he gave milk to the serpent and found a gold denar.

One day the man had to go to the village, and so he ordered his son to take the milk to the ant-hill. The son brought the milk, put it down, and went back home. Next day he went again and found a denar, so he thought to himself: "This ant-hill is surely full of golden denars; I'll kill the serpent, and take them all for myself." So next day, while he was giving the milk to the serpent, the man's son struck it on the head with a cudgel. But the serpent escaped death by the will of fate, and in a rage bit the man's son with its sharp fangs, and he fell down dead at once. His people raised him a funeral pyre not far from the field and burnt him to ashes.

Common core fourth grade ccss.ela literacy.rl.4.5   explain major differences between poems  drama  and prose  and refer to the structural elements   image 2

Two days afterwards his father came back, and when he learnt his son's fate he grieved and mourned. But after a time, he took the bowl of milk, went to the ant-hill, and praised the serpent with a loud voice. After a long, long time the serpent appeared, but only with its head out of the opening of the ant-hill, and spoke to the man: "'Tis greed that brings you here, and makes you even forget the loss of your son. From this time forward friendship between us is impossible. Your son struck me in youthful ignorance, and I have bitten him to death. How can I forget the blow with the cudgel? And how can you forget the pain and grief at the loss of your son?" So speaking, it gave the man a costly pearl and disappeared. But before it went away it said: "Come back no more." The man took the pearl, and went back home, cursing the folly of his son.

This story contains four __________.

Possible Answers:

stanzas

refrains

verses

rhyming lines

paragraphs

Correct answer:

paragraphs

Explanation:

This story contains four paragraphs. It is a prose story written uses sentences that are not broken into poetic lines, so we call its units of several sentences "paragraphs." "Stanzas" and "verses" are blocks of text in poems, and "refrains" are repeating blocks of text in poems. "Rhyming lines" aren't necessarily present in prose stories like this one at all.

Example Question #71 : Reading

Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes.”

 

Which choice best describes how the passage is organized?

 

Possible Answers:

cause and effect

persuasive organization

sequential order

proposition and support

Correct answer:

proposition and support

Explanation:

The correct answer is proposition and support. 

Example Question #26 : Craft And Structure

In which section of the newspaper would you find the text below?

"Earthquake shakes city-Damage Still Being Calculated."

Possible Answers:

advice column

headline

feature

editorial 

Correct answer:

headline

Explanation:

This is likely a newspaper headline-the title of an article.

 

Example Question #81 : Reading

Prose writing is writing that is: 

Possible Answers:

Writing that uses verse

Writing with a rhyming structure

“Ordinary” writing- sentences and paragraphs, no rhyme or poem structure

Writing in meter form

Correct answer:

“Ordinary” writing- sentences and paragraphs, no rhyme or poem structure

Explanation:

Prose writing is “ordinary” writing, writing that doesn't have a set rhyme or meter, where sentences and paragraphs are used to tell a story or make a point. 

 

Example Question #28 : Craft And Structure

 

 

Poems are often written in:

Possible Answers:

Prose

Nonfiction

Narrative

Meter

Correct answer:

Meter

Explanation:

Meter in poetry is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, giving poetry a rhythmic sound. 

Example Question #82 : Reading

When reading a play, the stage directions are:

Possible Answers:

The costumes actors will wear

The setting of the play

The written words that describe what actors should do that are not read aloud

The words the actors say

Correct answer:

The written words that describe what actors should do that are not read aloud

Explanation:

In a play, the written stage directions tell what actors should do, but they are not read aloud. For example, “Romeo walks over to the wall” might be a stage direction in Romeo and Juliet, but it is not something this character would say aloud. 

 

Example Question #30 : Craft And Structure

The setting of a story is:

Possible Answers:

The central conflict in a story

The main idea of a story

Who the characters are in a story

Where a story takes place

Correct answer:

Where a story takes place

Explanation:

Setting of a story is where and when a story takes place.

 

All Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts Resources

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