Diagnostic Assessment Test
English Language Arts
Literary Diagnostics
Comprehensive Secondary Language & Literature Assessment
Pre-Test Post-Test
Student Name
Date
Class Period
Section I
Grammar Definitions
Match each grammatical part of speech to its correct simplified definition.
A. Adverb
B. Noun
C. Verb
D. Pronoun
E. Adjective
-
Describes a verb, adjective, or adverb, telling how, when, or where.
-
Names a person, place, thing, or idea.
-
Shows an action, occurrence, or state of being.
-
Describes or modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Section II
Figurative Language Definitions
Match each literary device to its correct simplified definition.
A. Personification
B. Metaphor
C. Imagery
D. Hyperbole
E. Simile
-
Compares two different things using the words "like" or "as".
-
Gives human qualities to non-human things.
-
Compares two things directly by saying one thing IS another (without "like" or "as").
-
An extreme exaggeration used to make a point or emphasize a feeling.
Section III
Foundational Application
Identify the correct option that matches the stylistic application described.
Which sentence features a bolded, underlined word functioning as an Adjective?
A The old library smelled musty and ancient.
B We walked carefully on the overgrown path.
C Her imagination captured the audience.
D Although they were tired, they finished.
Which sentence features a bolded, underlined word functioning as an Adverb?
A The old library smelled musty and ancient.
B We walked carefully on the overgrown path.
C Her imagination captured the audience.
D They finished the climb at dusk.
"The wind howled its warning, rattling the dry bones of the maple trees outside." Which device is used?
A Metaphor
B Simile
C Personification
D Hyperbole
"The hot cider warmed our frozen fingers, filling the kitchen with notes of spiced cinnamon." Which device is used?
A Metaphor
B Simile
C Personification
D Imagery
Literary Diagnostics • Secondary ELA Page 1 of 4
Diagnostic Assessment Name:
"The classroom was a pressure cooker, ready to hiss and pop at any moment." What device is featured here?
A Imagery
B Metaphor
C Simile
D Symbolism
"I have told you a million times to double-space your drafts before submitting!" What does this represent?
A Hyperbole
B Simile
C Imagery
D Metaphor
Section V
Advanced Rhetorical Devices
Match each advanced literary concept to its correct simplified definition.
15. Irony
16. Symbolism
17. Theme
18. Mood
A.
The main message, moral, or lesson of a story.
B.
When what happens is the exact opposite of what you expect.
C.
The feeling or emotional atmosphere that a story creates for the reader.
D.
Using an object, person, or color to represent a deeper, abstract idea.
Section VI
Writing Styles & Rhetorical Appeals
Select the best classification regarding narrative styles and classical persuasive appeals.
Which writing style is characterized by a central plot, characters, setting, and chronological sequence of events?
A Expository
B Narrative
C Persuasive
D Argumentative
Which writing style primarily seeks to convince readers to take action or adopt a belief, often by appealing directly to values and emotions?
A Expository
B Narrative
C Persuasive
D Argumentative
A speaker cites verified data from three medical trials and a chart of global statistics to prove their point. Which rhetorical appeal are they using?
A Ethos
B Pathos
C Logos
D Mood
An animal shelter video shows shivering puppies with a voiceover saying, "For just pennies a day, you can save a helpless soul from freezing in the dark." Which appeal is targeted?
A Ethos
B Pathos
C Logos
D Theme
Literary Diagnostics • Secondary ELA Page 2 of 4
Diagnostic Assessment Name:
Section VII
Applied Passage-Based Synthesis
Read the passage below carefully. Answer the analytical questions that follow using the textual evidence provided.
Archive Passages
[1] The great laboratory was as silent as a tomb. [2] Dr. Aris stared through the window, viewing a horizon composed only of glass skyscrapers and geometric grids. [3] Above, the sky was a blank obsidian mirror, refusing to cast any light upon the city’s concrete avenues. [4] It was her private Icarus moment; she had flew too close to the mechanical sun of AI evolution and had burned away her life’s quiet purpose. [5] Outside, robotic machines cleaned the pristine glass pavements meticulously. [6] A great wealth of knowledge had made her poor in everything that truly mattered. [7] Dr. Aris closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and waited for the system's quiet reboot.
What does the "mechanical sun" in Sentence 4 most likely symbolize in the context of the passage?
A Natural warmth and the cycle of seasons
B Artificial, consuming technological progress
C The clean, quiet renewal of solar systems
D A standard physical object with no deeper meaning
Identify the figurative language device used in the phrase: "the sky was a blank obsidian mirror" in Sentence 3.
A Simile
B Metaphor
C Personification
D Hyperbole
Which literary element is demonstrated in Sentence 6: "A great wealth of knowledge had made her poor..."?
A Simile
B Personification
C Irony
D Hyperbole
Sentence 4 contains a grammatical error involving which irregular verb conjugation?
A "flew" instead of "flown"
B "burned" instead of "burnt"
C "was" instead of "were"
D "has" instead of "have"
Literary Diagnostics • Secondary ELA Page 3 of 4
Diagnostic Assessment Name:
Section VIII
Applied Editing Lab
The paragraph below was written by a student as a rough draft. It contains nine (9) distinct errors in grammar, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Instructions: Identify all nine errors, and rewrite the completely corrected paragraph in the space provided below.
Rough Draft
Yesterday, my english teacher said that reading books is like opening a door to another world? However most students in our class was too busy on there phones to listen. If anyone wants to improve they're writing, they should read more. Dr. Aris who has studied this for years believes that literacy rates is falling unbeleivably fast.
Rewrite Corrected Paragraph Here:
Section I-III Score ______ / 12
Section IV-VI Score ______ / 10
Section VII-VIII Score ______ / 13
Total Diagnostics Score ______ / 35
Literary Diagnostics • Secondary ELA Page 4 of 4
Diagnostic Assessment Answer Key
Teacher Administration Guide
Literary Diagnostics Key
Comprehensive Pre/Post Assessment System • Page 1 Annotated Answers
Answer Key
Methodology & Diagnostic Purpose: Use this key for both Pre-Test and Post-Test evaluations. By testing exact terms (conceptual definitions) alongside application context, you can pinpoint whether student struggles stem from conceptual memory or context synthesis.
Section I
Grammar Definitions Key (Questions 1–4)
A
Adverb
Describes a verb, adjective, or adverb, telling how, when, or where.
B
Noun
Names a person, place, thing, or idea.
C
Verb
Shows an action, occurrence, or state of being.
E
Adjective
Describes or modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Section II
Figurative Definitions Key (Questions 5–8)
E
Simile
Compares two things using "like" or "as".
A
Personification
Gives human qualities to non-human things.
B
Metaphor
Compares two things directly (one IS another).
D
Hyperbole
An extreme exaggeration used to make a point.
Section III
Foundational Application Key (Questions 9–12)
9. Adjective Application A
musty describes the noun "library". B is adverb ("carefully"), C is verb, D is pronoun.
10. Adverb Application B
carefully describes how they walked. A is adjective ("old"), C is verb, D is noun.
11. Wind Howled Warning C
Gives human agency ("howling warnings", "dry bones") to the wind and trees (Personification).
12. Cider Sensory Details D
Appeals to touch (frozen fingers), smell and taste (cinnamon, clove) making it Imagery.
Literary Diagnostics Key • Teacher Edition Page 1 of 4
Literary Diagnostics Key Teacher Reference Guide
Section IV
Essential Figurative Application (Questions 13–14)
13. "The classroom was a pressure cooker..." CORRECT: B (Metaphor)
Directly equates "classroom" to "pressure cooker" without using comparison words like "like" or "as".
