Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each set of choices, select the letter of the answer in which conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs are used correctly and punctuation is correct. Which sentences are correct?

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. Two of my neighbors have been feuding over that elm tree for years.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. How can we avoid these sources of stress, we can t.

Instructions: Identify each of the following statements as true or false. Information from outside sources is usually interesting but does not help support an essay s main points.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. These are single events that alter the way we live. A life change can be positive, like getting marry , or negative, like the death of a close friend or family member.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct pronoun for the blank in each of the following sentences. Neither Ernesto nor Jayden remembered to bring ____ membership card to the gym.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Some mixed-breed dogs that would once have been referred to as mutts are now enjoying a new status as popular and expensive designer dogs. (2) For instance, the labradoodle, a cross between a Labrador and a poodle that can cost up to $4,000, is one sought-after combination. (3) Other popular doodle dogs include the schnoodle (a schnauzer-poodle mix) and the goldendoodle (a golden retriever-poodle mix). (4) Many dog lovers are willing to plunk down large sums for a cockapoo (a cocker spaniel-poodle mix) or a yorkipoo (a combination of a Yorkshire terrier and a poodle). (5) Even England s Queen Elizabeth is fond of a specialty mixed-breed known as the dorgi, a cross between a dachshund and a corgi. How many examples does the writer use to develop the topic sentence?

Instructions: Below is a source followed by passage(s) from student papers. If the student has summarized, directly quoted, or indirectly quoted the source correctly, select Correct. If you believe the source is incorrectly summarized or plagiarized, select Incorrect. Human communication depends largely on signs in the form of written or spoken words, images, or gestures. These symbols are conscious and explicit representations of reality of objects, actions, and concepts in the world around us. But there is another aspect of symbolism that is equally important though less explicit: the side that relates to our inner psychological and spiritual world. Within this inner world, a symbol can represent some deep intuitive wisdom that eludes direct expression. Fontana, David. The Secret Language of Symbols . San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1993: 9-10. Print. Student version: Symbols have two important functions. David Fontana says that they help humans communicate with another, and they also stand for the ideas and knowledge within us that are not always easy to express (9-10).

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow. Two Childhoods _____ (1) Just as our lifestyles differed, so too did our personalities. (2) Relatives say that my mother was a loving, caring child who was always willing to help. (3) She was praised for being clever and vibrant, levelheaded and respectful to others. (4) My mother was strong-willed and spoke her mind when she saw fit, but she placed few demands on her parents for toys or fancy clothes. (5) Somehow her environment, which had instilled in her an appreciation of nature and living things, was enough. _____ (6) My childhood, on the other hand, was spent in New York City, without animals, scenic surroundings, or close-knit neighbors. (7) Mine was a lifestyle of fast activity crammed into a tight schedule. (8) Nature was replaced by shops and businesses, trees by tall buildings. (9) My knowledge was not based on the simple things at hand, but on expensive toys, the latest clothes, and the newest sneakers. (11) Compared to my mother s country existence, my city childhood seems humdrum a constant series of trips to the park or movies, visits to the grocery store or shopping center, picnics at the amusement park or beach, and a few birthday parties thrown in. _____ (12) When I was young, my mother told me stories about her childhood. (13) I loved her tales and still think of them. (14) It was intriguing to hear about life thirty years ago before mine began. (15) What fascinated me most, however, were the differences between her youth and mine. _____ (16) I, on the other hand, was considered a bit too extroverted, selfish, and stubborn. (17) I reveled in being petulant, pigheaded, demanding, and unstable. (18) Although I could be loving, I cleverly used this trait to my advantage in an attempt to manipulate my parents and get the beautiful toys and clothes I wanted. (19) After all, these gave me all the aesthetic appreciation I needed. (20) In fact, I was a brazenfaced brat. _____ (21) Looking back, I think it would have been nice as a child to have fallen off a few trees or driven a scooter at maniacal speeds or even milked a cow or crushed some coffee beans in a mortar. (22) Yes, that would have been nice. (23) It really would have been. _____ (24) My mother grew up in the country. (25) She spent most of her young years on a farm in South Carolina, surrounded by animals, orchards, cane fields, and agricultural machinery. (26) By the time she was six, she was a walking agricultural textbook. (27) Hers was a simple, serene, and comfortable life within a close-knit, neighborly environment. (28) My mother s days were filled with swimming in nearby rivers and lakes, climbing and falling off trees, scooter-riding down country lanes, playing marbles with siblings and friends, bird watching and mending of wings, and building fences and tree houses. Cheryl Parris, Student This essay is a a. classification essay. b. persuasive essay. c. comparison and contrast essay.

Instructions: For the following question(s), select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies each type of prewriting. The prewriting below is an example of Aug. 21. Classes started today, and I m taking four difficult ones. I m not worried about my English class because I like the instructor. Math is always hard for me, though, so my algebra class is sure to be a lot of work. I ll have to put in a lot of study time. My weight training P.E. class will be great, help me get into better shape. I ve also got an Introduction to Computers class. I m looking forward to that one because I enjoy learning more about computers. Aug. 23. Today, I heard on the news that many young people are getting in over their heads when it comes to credit-card debt. Some of them charge thousands of dollars and then can t pay it off. Credit-card companies aren t going to stop giving cards to teenagers and college students, so maybe high schools and colleges should offer financial management courses to help young people learn how to stick to a budget and avoid getting into debt.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct word for each blank. ____ of a web site involves studying it to determine whether the information it presents seems accurate, up to date, and fair.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. I missed my bus more often than not last month.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the letter of the word that is misspelled. Paper folding is not popular just in Japan; it has also gained popularity with artists in other countys such as Spain and Argentina.

Instructions: Read the definition below and answer the question(s) that follow. Success does not mean obtaining material wealth but using your strengths and talents to make the world a better place. The subject of the sentence is ____.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the questions below. Seeking answers to questions in sources outside yourself is called

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Although black bass and striped bass are two familiar fish in the world of saltwater fishing, their habits are altogether different. (2) Staying in one locale and waiting intently for its victims to pass, the black bass feeds steadily on fiddler crabs, mussels, skimmer, and clams. (3) Its cousin, the striped bass, however, remains in constant motion, always searching for its prey. (4) The striped bass feeds on smaller fish, squid, tin cans, or any glittering or wiggly object. (5) The black bass builds its home in the rocks that lie along the bottom of the ocean wall; it is well protected from the fisherman, whose line will often snag and break before this fish is taken. (6) On the other hand, the striped bass makes its home almost anywhere; it is usually caught near the surface of the water or several feet from the bottom. (7) The best way to catch the black bass is with a hook and sinker, whereas trolling is the best way to land a striped bass because this fish does not remain in one spot very long. (8) Striped bass and black bass, however, do have one thing in common: both make delicious eating after being caught and then fried in an open pan. Does this paragraph compare, contrast, or both?

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Parents should not enter their little girls in children s beauty pageants. (2) First of all, children who participate in these pageants may develop an unhealthy body image. (3) Studies have found that children who competed in beauty contests are more likely than those who didn t compete to be dissatisfied with their bodies, an attitude that can lead later to eating disorders or other psychological issues. (4) Another reason to avoid pageants is the cost. (5) Participation requires a lot of money for clothing, props, coaching, and travel, and these expenses quickly add up to thousands of dollars per pageant. (6) Many parents have admitted going into debt to finance their pageant hobby; Rick and Misty Simon of Atlanta, Georgia, for example, say that their credit card debt rose to $30,000 after two years of entering their daughter in a series of local pageants. (7) The most important reason to avoid these pageants, though, is their tendency to sexualize little girls. (8) The glitz pageants in particular require young contestants to wear heavy makeup and elaborate hairstyles that adults would wear. (9) They encourage parents to put their children into revealing costumes and then have those kids gesture and dance flirtatiously while wearing inappropriately suggestive facial expressions. (10) Little girls have no business prancing around on stage made up like adult women, winking at the judges, blowing kisses, and swinging their hips. Which of the following sentences offers an example to support a reason?

Instructions: For each paragraph below, select the number of the topic sentence. Identify the topic sentence of the paragraph below. (1) Volunteering doesn t just benefit those who receive help; it significantly improves the health and happiness of the volunteer, too. (2) According to several studies, elderly people who volunteer are less depressed and more physically healthy than elderly people who don t volunteer. (3) Plus, those same studies found that the volunteers lived longer. (4) However, it s not just senior citizens who benefit from volunteering. (5) The connection between volunteering and good health is so strong, as a matter of fact, that the Public Health Center at Harvard University created a media campaign to encourage new retirees to sign up to volunteer. (6) Child psychologists say that volunteer work helps adolescents and teenagers, too, by building their self-esteem and socialization skills.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that arranges the ideas that develop each topic sentence below in their order of importance. Begin with the most important (or largest, most severe, most surprising) and continue to the least important. According to financial experts, the ideal budget allots certain amounts of money for different types of expenses. ____ Taxes, including federal and state income taxes and property taxes, should amount to 25 percent or less of one s total income. ____ Living expenses, including the cost of electricity, food, clothing, and entertainment, should not exceed 26 percent of one s income. ____ Four percent of one s budget should go for insurance, including life, health, and auto insurance. ____ Housing (either rent or mortgage payments) plus other debts, including auto loans and credit-card payments, should not exceed 30 percent of income. ____ Everyone should set aside 15 percent of his or her income for saving or investing.