Mixed practice test 1, Grades 6–8 — question 5 of 24

Listen to the conversation between Ms. Villanueva and Theo. Then answer the questions.

Quotations in a Research Draft

Listen to Quotations in a Research Draft0:40

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Ms. Villanueva: Theo, your draft on the Owens Valley aqueduct has strong sources, but two of your paragraphs are just quotations stitched together.

Theo: I thought using the sources was the point.

Ms. Villanueva: Using them is the point. Quoting them is not the same thing. A quotation shows what somebody else said. Your own sentence has to say why it matters.

Theo: So should I cut the quotations?

Ms. Villanueva: Keep the two strongest ones. After each one, add a sentence in your own words that connects it to your claim about the farmers. Bring me that revised page on Thursday, before you touch the rest of the essay.

Choose the best answer.

What does Ms. Villanueva mean when she says, 'A quotation shows what somebody else said. Your own sentence has to say why it matters'?

You can move on without answering. Unanswered questions are counted as wrong.