Our New Summer Class!

I am so excited to be working with you for five weeks this summer! It will give us a good opportunity to review many of the skills we learned throughout the year, as well as to study areas that are new to us. Since today is the first day of our new class, it will be important to assess which skills need the most work. To this end, you will find a short pretest for you to try out! Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with any of the areas--the purpose is to help me map out the material we will study during these next five weeks! Have fun!

Part One.
Grammar
Directions: In the following sentences, please answer the questions asked!
1. Even though it is raining, I will be heading to the beach today. 
The subject of this sentence is:

2. I am so happy you are in my class!
The subject of this sentence is:

3. Wow! This is fabulous is an (exclamatory, interrogative) sentence. (Please select one answer.)

4. While I am at school         
The above is an example of a complete sentence.   True     False

5. In the morning, Jill likes to have a cup of coffee to start her day.
In the above sentence, "In the morning" is a (prepositional phrase, clause).

6. The coats belong to the girls; they are the girls' coats.
In the above sentence, girls' is used correctly.   True     False

7. Tom, the owner of all the sports stores, (is, are) a successful businessman.
Second Question: Can you name the appositive in the above sentence?

8. Will you please answer these questions?
The above sentence has correct punctuation.   True   False

9. Here is what I'm thinking: we should meet right after the game.
The above sentence has correct punctuation.    True    False

10. Sam has visited Boston, Massachusetts, Trenton, New Jersey, Providence, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine.
The above sentence has correct punctuation.    True     False

Part Two.
Idiom of the Day
While waiting an hour for the train, Jane wondered yet again when her ship would come in.
The idiom, which is a twist in language, actually means:

Part Three.
Cause and Effect
Before Sami had a successful concert, she practiced the piano three hours a day.
Name the cause:

Part Four.
Writing
Use the following story starter as a jump start for a story you will write. Please continue the story using the same verb tenses, parallel sentence structure, and point of view. Enjoy!

It was a hot, summer evening when Manny made a major decision. It happened as he drove his car down Route 495 toward the home he had only lived in for five months. The closer Manny got to his home, the more nervous he became. His wife Sylvia was not going to be happy at all with what he was about to tell her.