Grade 5 English · Language Usage
Virginia SOL 5.LU.1
Virginia SOL 5.LU.1 is part of the Language Usage strand in Grade 5 English (English). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students use the conventions of Standard English grammar in speaking and writing. Below is what 5.LU.1 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice 5.LU.1 for the Virginia SOL test.
What SOL 5.LU.1 means
Use the conventions of Standard English grammar in speaking and writing.
Practice Grade 5 English SOL questions
Free Grade 5 English questions from official Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests — good practice while you work on 5.LU.1 and the rest of the course. Pick an answer to check it instantly, or open “Show answer” to review.
1. How did the Great Awakening most influence the American Revolutionary movement?
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Answer: H — It challenged the established government order.
2. Which principle is shared by both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the United States?
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Answer: B — Limited government
3. “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” Which Supreme Court decision includes this quotation?
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Answer: F — Marbury v. Madison
4. To turn it off. Sample Questions A. This passage would most likely be found in a — A. science textbook B. book of poetry C. history magazine D. book of short stories B. In this passage, a book is compared to a — F. story G. picture H. song J. television ## Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow. ### Mary Walton and the Noisy Trains (Passage text unchanged; appears in full as provided.) ### Questions 1–7 1. In paragraph 2, the word essential means — A. dangerous B. automatic C. necessary D. peculiar 2. Why did Mary Walton choose sand as the best material for her invention? F. It stays together by itself and can be wrapped around rails. G. It can be found in large amounts on New York’s beaches. H. It is harder than rock and softer than wood. J. It absorbs sound and can be contained in something sturdy. 3. Why did Mary go to the railway office a second time? A. She wanted to learn more about how her own invention would be used in the city’s elevated trains. B. She thought the man would give her a job working for the railway after she had helped so much. C. She wondered if there was anything else she could do to help improve the citizens’ quality of life. D. She wanted to have the railway man shake her hand for solving the problem, as he had said he would. 4. If the author had used headings, the best place to add the heading “Mary’s Efforts Are Rewarded” would be just above paragraph — F. 8 G. 9 H. 10 J. 11 5. This story shows how Mary Walton — A. decides to become wealthy and finds a way to earn money B. lives a good life in spite of living in a painful situation C. finds a way to move to a quieter, healthier place D. takes on a difficult challenge and successfully meets it 6. Based on events described in this story, Mary’s father can best be described as — F. mysterious G. impatient H. encouraging J. protective 7. Why is Mary’s bed an important setting in this story? A. She is very tired from trying to solve the problem and needs a lot of sleep. B. Using pillows to hide the sounds of the train helps her to come up with her invention. C. Living in a small apartment, she does most of her thinking while lying on her bed. D. Train noises are heard most from her bed because her bedroom is closest to the tracks. ### Questions 8–9 Use the following table to answer the next two questions. Inventions of the 1800s 1844 — Samuel F. B. Morse — Telegraph 1853 — Isaac M. Singer — Sewing Machine 1876 — Alexander Graham Bell — Telephone 1876 — Emile Berliner — Microphone 1879 — Thomas Edison — Light Bulb 8. The entries in the table are listed in order according to — F. year of invention G. importance of invention H. alphabetical order by inventor’s last name J. alphabetical order by name of invention 9. Which two inventions came about in 1876? A. Telephone and sewing machine B. Microphone and telegraph C. Telephone and microphone D. Light bulb and telegraph ## Directions: Read the poems and answer the questions that follow. ### Wintermelt (Poem text unchanged; appears in full as provided.) ### Canoe (Poem text unchanged; appears in full as provided.) ### Questions 10–17 10. Which line from the poem “Wintermelt” tells about flowers blooming? F. line 5 G. line 6 H. line 7 J. line 8 11. In the poem “Wintermelt,” words like bursting and breaking make spring seem like — A. a party B. an explosion C. a quiet event D. a sport 12. In “Wintermelt,” lines 13–16 are most likely to make the reader feel — F. calm G. afraid H. curious J. excited 13. Which rhyme scheme is used in the poem “Canoe”? A. aabb B. abab C. abba D. abca 14. Lines 9–12 in the poem “Canoe” describe — F. a flight of imagination G. an invitation to the reader H. an actual event J. a plan for a summer vacation 15. If the poet who wrote “Canoe” had wanted to find another word to use in place of story, which of these sources would have been most helpful?
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Answer: A — Thesaurus
Skills you’ll practice for 5.LU.1
- Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
- Use adverbs to express time, frequency, degree, and level of certainty when speaking and writing.
- Use interjections, prepositional phrases, and coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in writing to join words and phrases in a sentence.
- Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense and number in writing.
- Use standard subject-verb agreement when speaking and writing.
Key concepts covered by 5.LU.1
- sentence expansion
- sentence combination
- sentence reduction
- meaning
- reader interest
- style
- adverbs
- time
- frequency
- degree
- certainty
- interjections
- prepositional phrases
- coordinating conjunctions
- subordinating conjunctions
- sentence joining
- verb tense shifts
- number shifts
- grammar correction
- subject-verb agreement
- Standard English
How to study and practice SOL 5.LU.1
Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether 5.LU.1 is already solid, then work each skill above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see our Virginia SOL practice tests guide and how to study for the SOL test.
Related Grade 5 English standards in Language Usage
- 5.LU.2 — Use the conventions of Standard English mechanics in speaking and writing.
Frequently asked questions about SOL 5.LU.1
What is Virginia SOL 5.LU.1?
SOL 5.LU.1 is a Grade 5 English Standard of Learning in the Language Usage strand. It expects students to use the conventions of Standard English grammar in speaking and writing.
What skills does SOL 5.LU.1 cover?
SOL 5.LU.1 is assessed on 5 skills: expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style; use adverbs to express time, frequency, degree, and level of certainty when speaking and writing; use interjections, prepositional phrases, and coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in writing to join words and phrases in a sentence; recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense and number in writing; use standard subject-verb agreement when speaking and writing.
What strand of Grade 5 English is SOL 5.LU.1 in?
SOL 5.LU.1 belongs to the Language Usage reporting strand of the Grade 5 English Virginia Standards of Learning.
How do I study and practice for SOL 5.LU.1?
Start with a diagnostic to see whether 5.LU.1 is already solid, then work the 5 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.