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Delaware State Assessments · DeSSA · ELA · Grade 8

Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA Practice Test

Build Grade 8 Delaware DeSSA ELA readiness with five focused 10-question practice sets covering literary analysis, informational text, vocabulary, language, argument writing, research, and evidence.

Grade 8 DeSSA ELA practice sets

This Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA Practice Test page provides five short practice sets with 10 original multiple-choice questions each. The sets cover literary analysis, informational text, vocabulary, language, argument writing, research, and evidence.

Skills covered

  • Theme, nonlinear structure, metaphor, point of view, symbolism, inference, character contrast, climax, summaries, and poetic shifts
  • Central ideas, text structure, evidence, diagrams, cause and effect, academic vocabulary, opinions, interpretations, data, and summaries
  • Word meaning, antonyms, multiple meanings, hypothetical verbs, dashes, pronoun clarity, concessions, formal style, concise revision, and spelling
  • Claims, evidence, argument organization, precise revision, reliable sources, quotation integration, focused research, conclusions, relevance, and transitions
  • Grade 8 review tasks combining graphs, limitations, investigations, punctuation, source verification, summaries, clarity, arguments, and policy evaluation

How to use this page

Complete one 10-question set at a time. Return to the text for evidence, evaluate the strength of support, and review the explanation after each response.

This is supplemental State Test Practice, State Assessment Practice, and Standardized Test Practice. It does not replace current Delaware Department of Education guidance, official DeSSA materials, accommodations, or testing policies.

For the Delaware assessment hub, visit Delaware State Assessments.

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Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA Practice Questions

A 10-question Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA practice set on integrated grade 8 review, with answers and explanations.

Read each passage or sentence carefully, choose one answer, and review the explanation after responding.

10 Questions
0/10 Questions0 %
Correct 0
Incorrect 0
Unanswered 10
1. QuestionMultiple choice

A narrator removes a boast from a letter before sending it and replaces it with a question. What can the reader infer?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is The narrator is becoming more willing to listen..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: Replacing a boast with a question suggests a shift toward listening and openness.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

Replacing a boast with a question suggests a shift toward listening and openness.

2. QuestionMultiple choice

A graph shows that a community garden produced 40, 58, and 75 kilograms of food in three seasons. Which claim is supported?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is Production increased in each recorded season..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: The values rise from 40 to 58 to 75.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

The values rise from 40 to 58 to 75.

3. QuestionMultiple choice

Which evidence best supports the claim that reflective roofs reduce building heat?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is Temperature sensors recorded lower indoor readings in buildings with reflective roofs than in similar buildings without them..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: The controlled comparison directly measures indoor temperature and roof type.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

The controlled comparison directly measures indoor temperature and roof type.

4. QuestionMultiple choice

A passage presents a claim, cites a study with a small sample, and explains that more research is needed. What does the limitation do?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is It qualifies the claim by showing why the evidence is not conclusive..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: A small sample limits how broadly the result can be applied.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

A small sample limits how broadly the result can be applied.

5. QuestionMultiple choice

Which sentence correctly uses a dash to emphasize an interruption?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is The final result—the one that changed the recommendation—was unexpected..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: The paired dashes correctly set off the interrupting information.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

The paired dashes correctly set off the interrupting information.

6. QuestionMultiple choice

A report claims that a new crosswalk improved safety. Which evidence would best verify the claim?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is Crash and near-miss records from before and after the crosswalk was installed.

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: Before-and-after safety records measure the claimed effect.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

Before-and-after safety records measure the claimed effect.

7. QuestionMultiple choice

Which summary best describes a text about adapting a coastal town to stronger storms?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is The town updates building standards, restores protective habitats, and improves evacuation routes..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: The summary includes the main adaptation actions and purpose.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

The summary includes the main adaptation actions and purpose.

8. QuestionMultiple choice

Which revision removes ambiguity? “When the engineer interviewed the contractor, he described the delay.”

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is When the engineer interviewed the contractor, the contractor described the delay..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: Repeating contractor clearly identifies who described the delay.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

Repeating contractor clearly identifies who described the delay.

9. QuestionMultiple choice

A student argues that schools should provide more access to digital research databases. Which evidence is most relevant?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is A usage report shows that students cited more reliable sources after database access expanded..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: The report connects access with source reliability and citation behavior.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

The report connects access with source reliability and citation behavior.

10. QuestionMultiple choice

Which conclusion best completes an essay about judging public policy proposals?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is Readers should compare goals, evidence, costs, limitations, and likely effects before deciding whether a proposal is sound..

  1. Read closely: Read the passage or sentence and identify the author’s idea, structure, evidence, or language choice.
  2. Use evidence: The conclusion summarizes the relevant evaluation criteria and purpose.
  3. Check the response: Choose the answer best supported by the Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA task.

The conclusion summarizes the relevant evaluation criteria and purpose.

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Frequently asked questions about Delaware Grade 8 DeSSA ELA Practice

Which grade is covered?

This page is organized for Grade 8 Delaware DeSSA ELA practice, with literary analysis, informational reading, vocabulary, language, argument writing, research, and evidence tasks.

How many questions are included?

There are five practice sets with 10 questions each, for 50 questions in total. Each set can be completed separately.

Are these official DeSSA questions?

No. These are original supplemental practice questions. Check the latest Delaware Department of Education and official DeSSA information for current materials, accommodations, and policies.