TM
STAAR
State of Texas
Assessments of
Academic Readiness
Grade 6 Revising and Editing
2020 Sample Selections and Test Questions
Copyright © 2020, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or
portions of this work is prohibited without express written permission from the Texas
Education Agency.
1 of 24
Set 1
2 of 24
EDITING
3 of 24
Grade 6, Editing
Set 1
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document.
This paragraph is from Joanna’s history paper. Read the paragraph and look for
corrections Joanna needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.
(1) The use of steel transformed cities during the 1800s. (2) A sudden supply
of steel led to the construction of many skyscrapers, bridges, and railroad tracks.
(3) This rise in cities steel supplies would not have occurred without the work of
Henry Bessemer. (4) Bessemer discovered a new way to make this strong, but
lightweight, building material. (5) Before Bessemer’s invention, steel was costly to
make, so most businesses rely upon iron. (6) Also, Bessemer built a machine that
made it possible to make steel more easily and quickly. (7) This way of making steel
permanently changed the appearance of large cities such as pittsburgh. (8) Steel
was such an excellent building material. (9) Tall buildings and sturdy bridges could
be constructed, and railroad tracks could connect distant places.
Grade 6, Editing
4 of 24
Set 1
1 What change should be made in sentence 3?
A Change rise to raise
B Change cities to cities’
C Insert a comma after supplies
D Change would not have
occurred to will not have occurred
2 What change should be made in sentence 5?
F Change Bessemer’s to Bessemers
G Change invention to invension
H Change rely to relied
J Change iron to Iron
3 What change should be made in sentence 7?
A Change permanently to perminently
B Change changed to changes
C Change large to largest
D Change pittsburgh to Pittsburgh
Grade 6, Editing
5 of 24
Set 1
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document.
This paragraph is from Xavier’s paper on joining an orchestra. Read the paragraph
and look for corrections Xavier needs to make. Then answer the questions that
follow.
(1) I recently joined the Middletown Youth Orchestra. (2) When my friends
heard the news, they encouraged me to play a sport or participate in the school play
instead. (3) They think that playing the violin is boring but I disagree. (4) You will
meet kids with the same interests and goals as you if you join an orchestra.
(5) Friendships form as you rehearse together and push each other to do you’re
best. (6) This support is important when learning to play challenging music written
by famous composers such as Beethoven. (7) All of the effort you invest. (8) In
developing your skills is worth it when you perform on stage before an appreciative
crowd. (9) Finally, you get to demonstrate what you’ve learned and enjoy success!
Grade 6, Editing
6 of 24
Set 1
4 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?
F Change violin to Violin
G Insert a comma after boring
H Change disagree to disagreeing
J No change is
needed.
5 What change should
be made in sentence 5?
A Change Friendships to Freindships
B Change as to until
C Change rehearse to will rehearse
D Change you’re to your
6 What is the
correct way to write sentences 7 and 8?
F All of the effort you invest in developing your skills is worth it. When you perform on stage
before an appreciative crowd.
G All of the effort you invest in developing your skills is worth it when you perform on stage
before an appreciative crowd.
H All of the effort, you invest in developing your skills. Is worth it when you perform on
stage before an appreciative crowd.
J All of the effort you invest, in developing your skills is worth it when you perform on stage
before an appreciative crowd.
Grade 6, Editing
7 of 24
Set 1
REVISING
8 of 24
Grade 6, Revising
Set 1
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document.
Gabby wrote the following paper about the history of dining utensils. Read Gabby’s
paper and look for revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that
follow.
How We Eat
(1) Most people don’t pay attention to dining utensils at meals. (2) People
care more about the food they are eating than how they eat the food. (3) Utensils
have a history that is worth knowing. (4) If people learn how utensils have changed
over the years, they will appreciate them more.
(5) Let’s start with a brief history of spoons. (6) First of all, spoons didn’t
always look like they do today. (7) Early spoons were longer than modern-day
spoons because they were mainly used to dip into and scoop up cooked foods.
(8) Shells, wood, and animal horns were the stuff used to make the first spoons.
(9) Later, durable metals, such as silver and gold, were used to create spoons.
(10) These metal spoons were mainly used by wealthy members of society.
(11) The first forks were used for cooking, not for eating. (12) They had two
long, sharp metal tines for holding food over a fire. (13) During the Middle Ages,
forks were smaller and became more widely used for eating. (14) Not everyone liked
the idea of using forks, though. (15) For example, a guest was disgusted when he
noticed an emperor’s niece using a tiny golden fork at a feast. (16) The guest said
that people should simply use the natural tool they were given—their fingers!
(17) Early knives often had elaborate metalwork on their handles. (18) These
knives were expensive, so it was common for dinner guests to bring their own knives
to dinner to cut and spear their food. (19) Knives at the table made some people
nervous, though. (20) King Louis XIV signed a decree in 1669 banning most knives
from the table. (21) Other rules about knives soon followed. (22) For example,
knives were permitted only if their points were ground down so that they were safer.
(23) Additionally, guests turned the blades of their knives toward their dinner plates
as a friendly gesture.
(24) Having changed over time, there are still more changes to utensils to
meet modern needs. (25) Some restaurants and cafeterias offer sporks, a
Grade 6, Revising
9 of 24
Set 1
combination of the spoon and fork, for convenience. (26) In 2003, Joachim Nordwall
developed an eating utensil that has a fork on one end and a spoon on the opposite
end. (27) These devices are popular with campers, who have bought over 20 million
of them.
(28) Today there are plans for new kinds of eating utensils. (29) From a tiny
spear that holds a single morsel of meat to a curved utensil that dangles bacon,
inventors are coming up with creative ways to help people eat.
Grade 6, Revising
10 of 24
Set 1
7 Gabby would like to add a more effective controlling idea. Which sentence should replace
sentence 3 to serve as a more effective controlling idea for her paper?
A People should pay more attention to eating with the proper forks, knives, and spoons at
mealtime.
B The following details provide the information about how forks, spoons, and knives are
used around the world.
C Yet, the story of how modern-day forks, spoons, and knives developed is an interesting
journey through time.
D However, most people have no idea that forks, spoons, and knives have been in existence
for thousands of years.
8 Gabby has not used the MOST effective word in sentence 8. Which word should replace stuff
in this sentence?
F materials
G parts
H units
J pieces
9 What is the BEST way
to combine sentences 13 and 14?
A Forks during the Middle Ages were smaller, they became more widely used for eating, but
not everyone liked the idea of using forks.
B Forks during the Middle Ages, which were smaller and more widely used for eating, though
everyone did not like the idea of using them.
C During the Middle Ages, forks were smaller and more widely used for eating, and everyone
did not like the idea of using forks, though.
D During the Middle Ages, forks were smaller and became more widely used for eating, but
not everyone liked the idea of using them.
10 Gabby wants to add a transition at the beginning of sentence 20 to improve the connection to
the previous sentence. Which transition should Gabby add to the beginning of sentence 20?
F For this reason
G In other words
H In any case
J At the same time
Grade 6, Revising
11 of 24
Set 1
11 What is the MOST effective way to revise sentence 24?
A Utensils have changed over time and still changing to meet modern needs.
B Utensils having changed over time, there are still changes to meet modern needs.
C Utensils have changed over time and are still changing to meet modern needs.
D Utensils have changed
over time, which are still changing to meet modern needs.
12 Gabby wants to
improve the conclusion to her paper. Which sentence should be added after
sentence 29 to bring this paper to a more effective conclusion?
F The next time you sit down to dinner and pick up your fork, think about the ways a fork
has changed over time.
G We should be able to get by with a simple fork, knife, and spoon, but humans just can’t
seem to stop inventing.
H Keep in mind that most of these strange and unusual eating utensils will find their way
into very few of our homes today.
J These new utensils may seem unnecessary to us today, but remember, so did the fork and
knife all those years ago.
Grade 6, Revising
12 of 24
Set 1
Set 2
13 of 24
EDITING
14 of 24
Grade 6, Editing
Set 2
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document.
This paragraph is from Joanna’s history paper. Read the paragraph and look for
corrections Joanna needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.
(1) The use of steel transformed cities during the 1800s. (2) A sudden supply
of steel led to the construction of many skyscrapers bridges, and railroad tracks.
(3) This rise in cities’ steel supplies would not have occurred without the work of
Henry Bessemer. (4) Bessemer discovered a knew way to make this strong, but
lightweight, building material. (5) Before Bessemer’s invention, steel was costly to
make, so most businesses relied upon iron. (6) Also, Bessemer built a machine that
made it possible to make steel more easily and quickly. (7) This way of making steel
permanently changed the appearance of large cities such as Pittsburgh. (8) Steel
was such an excellent building material. (9) Tall buildings and sturdy bridges could
be constructed, railroad tracks could connect distant places.
Grade 6, Editing
15 of 24
Set 2
1 What change should be made in sentence 2?
A Change led to lead
B Change construction to construcshen
C Change of many to for many
D Insert a comma after skyscrapers
2 What change, if any,
should be made in sentence 4?
F Change discovered to will discover
G Change knew to new
H Change this to these
J No change is needed.
3 What is the correct
way to write sentence 9?
A Tall buildings and sturdy bridges could be constructed, since railroad tracks could connect
distant places.
B Tall buildings and sturdy bridges could be constructed, but railroad tracks could connect
distant places.
C Tall buildings and sturdy bridges could be constructed, and railroad tracks could connect
distant places.
D Tall buildings and sturdy bridges could be constructed, so railroad tracks could connect
distant places.
Grade 6, Editing
16 of 24
Set 2
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document.
This paragraph is from Xavier’s paper on joining an orchestra. Read the paragraph
and look for corrections Xavier needs to make. Then answer the questions that
follow.
(1) I recently joined the Middletown Youth Orchestra. (2) When my friends
heard the news, they encouraged me to play a sport or participate in the school play
instead. (3) They think that playing the violin is boring, but I disagree. (4) You will
meet kids with the same interests and goals as you though you join an orchestra.
(5) Friendships form as you rehearse together and push each other to do your best.
(6) This support is important when learning to play challenging music written by
famous composers such as beethoven. (7) All of the effort you invest in developing
your skills is worth it when you perform on stage before an appreciative crowd.
(8) Instead, you get to demonstrate what you’ve learned and enjoy success!
Grade 6, Editing
17 of 24
Set 2
4 What change should be made in sentence 4?
F Change will meet to met
G Insert a comma after goals
H Change though to if
J Change join to are joining
5 What change should be made in sentence 6?
A Change challenging to challanging
B Change by to as
C Change composers to composers’
D Change beethoven to Beethoven
6 What change should be made in sentence 8?
F Change Instead to Finally
G Change get to got
H Change demonstrate to deminstrate
J Change learned to learn
Grade 6, Editing
18 of 24
Set 2
REVISING
19 of 24
Grade 6, Revising
Set 2
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in
the answer on your answer document.
Gabby wrote the following paper about the history of dining utensils. Read Gabby’s
paper and look for revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that
follow.
How We Eat
(1) Most people don’t pay attention to dining utensils at meals. (2) People
care more about the food they are eating than how they eat the food. (3) Yet, the
story of how modern-day forks, spoons, and knives developed is an interesting
journey through time. (4) If people learn how utensils have changed over the years,
they will appreciate them more.
(5) Let’s start with a brief history of spoons. (6) In addition, spoons didn’t
always look like they do today. (7) Early spoons were longer than modern-day
spoons because they were mainly used to dip into and scoop up cooked foods.
(8) Shells, wood, and animal horns were the materials used to make the first
spoons. (9) Later, durable metals, such as silver and gold, were used to create
spoons. (10) These metal spoons were mainly used by wealthy members of society.
(11) The first forks were used for cooking, not for eating. (12) They had a
different shape though. (13) During the Middle Ages, forks were smaller and became
more widely used for eating, but not everyone liked the idea of using them. (14) For
example, a guest was disgusted when he noticed an emperor’s niece using a tiny
golden fork at a feast. (15) The guest said that people should simply use exactly
what they were given—their fingers!
(16) Early knives often had elaborate metalwork on their handles. (17) The
designs on these metal knives had layers of details. (18) These knives were
expensive, so it was common for dinner guests to bring their own knives to dinner to
cut and spear their food. (19) Knives at the table made some people nervous,
though. (20) For this reason, King Louis XIV signed a decree in 1669 banning most
knives from the table. (21) Other rules about knives soon followed. (22) For
example, knives were permitted only if they were safer so their points were ground
down. (23) Additionally, guests turned the blades of their knives toward their dinner
plates as a friendly gesture.
Grade 6, Revising
20 of 24
Set 2
(24) Utensils have changed over time and are still changing to meet modern
needs. (25) Some restaurants and cafeterias offer sporks, a combination of the
spoon and fork, for convenience. (26) In 2003, Joachim Nordwall developed an
eating utensil that has a fork on one end and a spoon on the opposite end.
(27) Today there are plans for new kinds of eating utensils. (28) From a tiny
spear that holds a single morsel of meat to a curved utensil that dangles bacon,
inventors are coming up with creative ways to help people eat. (29) These new
utensils may seem unnecessary to us today, but remember, so did the fork and knife
all those years ago.
Grade 6, Revising
21 of 24
Set 2
7 Gabby has used an inappropriate transition at the beginning of sentence 6. Which transition
should replace In addition in this sentence?
A For instance
B First of all
C Therefore
D Meanwhile
8 Gabby wants to use
a more effective and descriptive sentence to introduce the details in the
third paragraph (sentences 11–15). Which of the following would BEST replace sentence 12
and help accomplish her goal?
F They had two long,
sharp metal tines for holding food over a fire.
G They were used for cooking so the points were sharper.
H They looked nothing like the forks people use in the modern era.
J They have changed over time to be more suited for eating.
9 Which phrase would be
more precise than the phrase exactly what in sentence 15?
A the complex device
B the natural tool
C the one thing
D the reasonable item
10 Which sentence in the
fourth paragraph (sentences 16–23) contains redundant information
and should be removed?
F Sentence 17
G Sentence 18
H Sentence 19
J Sentence 20
Grade 6, Revising
22 of 24
Set 2
11 What is the MOST effective way to revise sentence 22?
A For example, if their points were ground down, knives were only permitted so that they
were safer.
B For example, knives were ground down only if permitted so that they were safer.
C For example, only if ground down, knives were permitted so their points were safer.
D For example, knives were permitted only if their points were ground down so that they
were safer.
12 Gabby wants to provide additional support for the idea she has presented in sentence 26.
Which sentence would BEST follow and support sentence 26?
F Nordwall, who has designed other products, is from Scandinavia.
G This combination fork-spoon
utensil is not the same as the spork you might find in
cafeterias.
H These devices are popular with campers, who have bought over 20 million of them.
J There are companies that make products used by people who love outdoor recreation.
Grade 6, Revising
23 of 24
Set 2
Answer Key
Item Number
Correct Answer
Set 1
1
B
2
H
3
D
4
G
5
D
6
G
7
C
8
F
9
D
10
F
11
C
12
J
Set 2
1
D
2
G
3
C
4
H
5
D
6
F
7
B
8
F
9
B
10
F
11
D
12
H
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