Composition: Composing Literary Texts (TEKS.ELA.7.11.A)
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Texas 7th Grade ELA › Composition: Composing Literary Texts (TEKS.ELA.7.11.A)
I stood at the edge of the field as the sun slid down. The crowd was loud. Our team lined up. My little brother tugged my sleeve, asking if we would win. I told him we'd try. The air felt warm and a bit sticky. A whistle blew. We cheered. The band played something quick. I watched our quarterback check his wristband and breathe out. I thought about how much the game mattered to our small Texas town. People waved and shouted names. The lights came on. Bugs hovered. I felt nervous for him, even though I wasn't playing. The first play started, and the crowd moved like one thing.
Which revision best strengthens the narrative by adding vivid, fitting imagery or authentic dialogue without changing the scene?
Insert: "We were hyped and the night was cool and stuff," I said, and then I felt like a champion.
Replace "The band played something quick." with "The ephemeral undulations of sonic artistry cascaded over my auditory apparatus."
Replace "The crowd was loud." with "From the concession stand, sweet brisket smoke drifted while boots thumped the bleachers, and the roar rolled across the field under the new lights."
Insert: I sprinted onto the field to call the first play, even though I'm not on the team.
Explanation
Choice C adds sensory, Texas-specific imagery that fits the tone and keeps the narrator in the stands, strengthening the scene without changing the plot.
Spring shows up on the side of the road. We're driving with the windows cracked. Bluebonnets rest low to the ground. They appear in groups and then not, like someone forgot and then remembered. Barbed-wire fences and pale limestone ditches go by. A wind blows, and I feel it on my arm. My cousin says we should stop for a picture, but we don't. The sky is big. The ground looks patched, green here and brown there. I try to think of a way to say what it looks like. It is nice, but my words are simple. I want to make a line that keeps the feeling after the car has gone.
Which revision best strengthens the poem through more vivid imagery that matches the tone?
Replace "It is nice, but my words are simple." with "The names I know feel small, while bluebonnets flicker like bottled-sky between fence posts."
Insert: "The flowers are like neon codes beeping Morse from an alien runway."
Add: "Flowers are pretty and make me happy, super happy, very very happy."
Replace "We're driving with the windows cracked." with a rhyming couplet about pizza and phones.
Explanation
Choice A adds precise, sensory imagery that suits the poem's reflective tone and Texas setting, enhancing the line's effect.
The robot's head kept turning left even when I told it to stop. The gym smelled like floor cleaner and sugar from the bake sale. Tables were lined up, and posters leaned like tired people. I checked the code again and again, but the screen looked the same. Elijah stood nearby, bouncing his heel. Judges were moving down the row. My project title was neat, but the robot wasn't. I wanted it to look alive, not confused. The speaker crackled a reminder about time. I wiped my palms on my jeans. I thought about the first day I started building and how different it felt now.
Which revision best strengthens the story by developing character through natural, focused dialogue?
Insert: I recalibrated the PID coefficients of the yaw servo to 0.003, 0.8, and 0.1, achieving optimal stability through derivative damping.
Replace "I checked the code again and again" with "I was so, so, so, so stressed, like epic meltdown vibes."
Add: The robot suddenly spun to face the judges and bowed perfectly, earning an instant blue ribbon.
Insert just before the judges arrive: "Elijah whispered, You've got this. Show them why you built it. I swallowed. It's supposed to find me, I said, tapping the sensor. Okay, then let it, he said."
Explanation
Choice D adds concise, believable dialogue that reveals motivation and relationship, deepening characterization without changing the plot.
I signed up for the talent show because my friend dared me, and then she moved away. The night of the show, I stood behind the curtain with my guitar. People talked in a soft roar. The stage smelled like dust. I could see the edge of the first row through the gap. My name would be called soon. I tried to tune, but my fingers felt clumsy. I thought about quitting, but the list was already printed. A volunteer smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. I nodded. The microphone stood there in the middle like a small tree waiting, and I wasn't sure what to do next.
Which revision best strengthens the narrative by revealing the narrator's thoughts and using concrete detail?
Replace "The stage smelled like dust." with "The stage sang a destiny of dazzling dreams and dapper delight."
Insert after "My name would be called soon.": "Don't run, I told myself. You've practiced this a hundred times. Press the A string, breathe, count four."
Add: The principal yelled, Hurry up! from the front row.
Replace the ending with: I walked off stage and decided never to play music again.
Explanation
Choice B adds authentic inner monologue and specific actions that build character and tension without altering the scene.
I stood at the front of the room with my notecards. The class looked at me. The fluorescent lights hummed. My mouth felt dry. I started the speech about recycling. My voice sounded small. Someone coughed. I forgot a line and stared at the poster on the wall. Ms. Lopez smiled, and I kept going. I explained my points and showed a graph. People nodded. I finished, and there was clapping. I sat down feeling tired but kind of proud. It wasn't perfect, but it was okay. Later, my friend said I did fine and asked if I wanted to get lunch. I said sure.
Which revision of the sentence "The class looked at me" best strengthens the narrative through vivid imagery while keeping the tone and meaning?
The class stared at me a lot and stuff.
The class looked at me like monsters ready to eat me.
Thirty pairs of eyes latched onto me, and my heartbeat drummed in my ears.
The class looked while I presented, as is customary in school environments.
Explanation
Choice C adds concrete, sensory imagery that fits the situation without breaking the voice. The other options are vague, exaggerated, or stiff and disrupt the flow.
We walked along the Guadalupe, looking for Bandit. The sun was going down. The trees were there, and the water moved. My cousin kept calling his name. We heard birds and some insects. I was getting worried because it was getting dark. We checked the bridge and the rocks. I thought about how Bandit liked to chase sticks here. A splash happened, and we both jumped. Then a small bark came from near the reeds. We hurried over and saw Bandit covered in mud. He wagged his tail. We laughed and clipped on the leash. On the way back, the sky was nice and we felt better.
Which revision of the sentence "On the way back, the sky was nice" best strengthens the imagery while keeping the story's tone and setting in Texas?
On the way back, the sky was a watercolor wash of peach and purple over the Guadalupe, cicadas stitching the evening together.
On the way back, the sky did its thing, which was pretty cool and amazing.
On the way back, the sky was like a huge TV screen showing colors.
On the way back, the sky indicates the Earth's rotation at evening time.
Explanation
Choice A adds vivid, specific details (colors, river, cicadas) that fit the Hill Country setting. The others are vague, clichéd, or overly technical and break the tone.
Beach morning, gulls scribble the air with their wings. Sand squeaks under flip-flops; towels bloom on the shore. Clouds stack quietly over the Gulf, gray on gray. The lifeguard scans the water, whistle ready. I pick a shell. I look at the horizon. The wind has a new idea about our day. Waves clap harder, like they know a secret. I am worried about the storm. Umbrellas bend, their ribs clicking. Dad checks the weather on his phone. A first drop taps my arm, cool and sure. We run for the pier, laughing, then not. Thunder rolls closer, a slow drum. The sky presses down, and the day turns silver.
Which revision of the line "I am worried about the storm" best strengthens the poem's imagery and voice while fitting the coastal setting?
I am really, really worried about the storm.
My worry escalates in a significant manner due to atmospheric conditions.
The storm is scary in a way that scares me a lot.
Worry unspools inside me like fishing line, snagging on the word thunder.
Explanation
Choice D uses vivid, setting-appropriate imagery and a fresh metaphor. The other options are vague, redundant, or technical and weaken the poem's voice.
At robotics club, I volunteered to lead the design group, and everyone stared like they'd been expecting someone else. I wasn't the loudest person, and I knew it. Martin tapped a pencil and asked what we should build. I said we could do the obstacle maze. People shrugged. The room smelled like cardboard and hot glue. I started sketching, but my hand shook. Martin watched me. He said okay. I passed the paper around and tried to make my voice not shake. Everyone looked again. Maya said we could try tracks instead of wheels. I nodded and drew them. The page filled up with lines.
Which revision of the sentence "He said okay" best strengthens character development through more authentic, revealing dialogue?
He said okay in a way that was fine.
Okay, Martin muttered, eyes on the sketch, pencil finally going still.
Okay, Martin thundered like a storm destroying the room.
Martin proclaimed, "Affirmative, proceed with parameters."
Explanation
Choice B adds dialogue and action beats that reveal Martin's reaction and mood. The others are vague, exaggerated, or unnatural for the scene's tone.