Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Each of the following general statements is followed by several examples. For each of the statements, select the letter of the example that does not clearly illustrate the generalization. Lately, several animals have made news by saving lives and proving that they truly are man s best friends.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Anyone can conquer clutter by following a series of steps. (2) First of all, pick just one area on which to focus your attention. (3) This might be a shelf, a closet, or even just one drawer. (4) Second, round up some bags or boxes and label them so that you have one of each of the following: Repair , Relocate , Donate , Sell , Store , Throw Away , and Return . (5) Next, sort all of the items in the area by placing them in one of the bags or boxes, depending on what needs to happen to it. (6) Then, take action on each pile. (7) Put Repair , Donate , and Return items in your car so that you can drop them off on your next errand run; take the items in the Relocate box to the places where they belong; toss out the Throw Away items; and so on. (8) Finally, clean your newly decluttered area and give yourself a reward for a job well done! How many steps are in the process?

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Walt Disney might be the only filmmaker who claimed to owe his success to a rodent. (2) At first, Disney was an animator who produced a cartoon series called Oswald the Rabbit. (3) Then he decided to launch out on his own. (4) Realizing that he needed a new animated character, he remembered a friendly mouse from a studio he had once worked in. (5) He decided to name his new character after this old friend, whom he fondly called Mortimer Mouse. (6) Later, he changed the name to Mickey. (7) After only a few cartoons appeared, Mickey Mouse fever swept the nation. (8) Soon, he became an international figure. (9) The French called him Michel Souris, while the Italians dubbed him Topolo. (10) During World War II, Mickey Mouse became a secret password in the Allied Command. (11) Disney created many other lovable characters, but none achieved the popularity of that cute little mouse with the white gloves. Select the number of the topic sentence that tells the point of the story.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. Traditional musical instruments can be divided, according to how they produce sounds, into three categories: stringed, wind, and percussion. Stringed instruments produce music through the vibration of taut strings that are plucked, strummed, or bowed. The harp, the guitar, the banjo, and the violin are examples of stringed instruments. The second category contains the wind instruments, which are usually sounded by the player s breath. This category includes the clarinet, the tuba, the trumpet, and so on. The third category, percussion instruments, makes sounds when they are struck. Obvious examples of percussion instruments are drums, gongs, and cymbals. Surprisingly, the piano is also considered a percussion instrument because, when the player touches a key, a small hammer inside the piano strikes a string. On what basis does the writer classify musical instruments?

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. Select the correct adjective or adverb for each blank. Then, in 1985, a French and American expedition located it. A robot was lowered 13,000 feet beneath the sea s surface to take beautiful and haunting pictures of the ship s hull, a crumpled lifeboat, and a stained-glass window that was preserved ____.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Two different groups of black musicians grew up in New Orleans. (2) The first of these, the slaves, brought with them the music of Africa and the influences of Caribbean music. (3) Denied education and opportunity by slavery, they improvised, making instruments from gourds, bamboo, and bone. (4) They created songs charged with emotion: work songs, chants, and spirituals. (5) In contrast to the slaves, the free men of color were raised as Creoles. (6) Formally educated and sometimes sent to European schools, they were well versed in classical music, and they played classical instruments. (7) During the Reconstruction period, these two groups of musicians were flung together. (8) The brilliant child of this unlikely union was jazz. What two things are being compared and/or contrasted?

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. Select the correct past tense verb for each blank. Fishing parties and canoeists ____off in their boats as they headed south into the bay or paddled northwest into the canals of the Everglades.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Charisma is not merely attractiveness or fame but a rare combination of qualities that produces personal magnetism or charm. (2) According to Ronald Riggio, professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College in California, these qualities include self-confidence, brilliant communication skills, and sensitivity to the needs of others. (3) Riggio says that former President Bill Clinton is a good example of a charismatic person. (4) Not only is he an excellent communicator, but he makes everyone who speaks to him feel as though he or she is the most important person in the world. (5) Oprah Winfrey, says Riggio, is another person with charisma. (6) She expresses herself well, and she naturally attracts people to her by responding to their needs. How many examples does the writer use to develop the topic sentence?

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. For each one, select correct if the sentence is punctuated correctly, fragment if it is a fragment, run-on if it is a run-on, and comma splice if it is a comma splice. And inspire them to pursue engineering, computer science, and invention.

Instructions: Proofread the following sentences, which form an essay, for errors in the past participle. If the sentence contains a past participle error, select Past participle error. If the sentence is correct, select Correct. For instance, bronze swords, gold rings, leather bags, and clothing have lay in bogs for thousands of years.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct pronoun for the blank in each of the following sentences. One of the hotel guests left ____ briefcase on the couch in the lobby.

Instructions: Identify each of the following definitions as a synonym definition, class definition, or definition by negation. Select the letter of the correct answer. Lou Gehrig s disease is a progressive, terminal illness characterized by deterioration of the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Anyone can conquer clutter by following a series of steps. (2) First of all, pick just one area on which to focus your attention. (3) This might be a shelf, a closet, or even just one drawer. (4) Second, round up some bags or boxes and label them so that you have one of each of the following: Repair , Relocate , Donate , Sell , Store , Throw Away , and Return . (5) Next, sort all of the items in the area by placing them in one of the bags or boxes, depending on what needs to happen to it. (6) Then, take action on each pile. (7) Put Repair , Donate , and Return items in your car so that you can drop them off on your next errand run; take the items in the Relocate box to the places where they belong; toss out the Throw Away items; and so on. (8) Finally, clean your newly decluttered area and give yourself a reward for a job well done! Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.

Instructions: Read each one of the following essay introductions. Select the letter of the method the writer used to begin the composition. The essay below begins with a(n) Most people would agree that children should participate in team sports to have fun and develop good character. But a recent survey conducted by the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, a national coalition of sports organizations that includes the National Collegiate Athletic Association and three of the four major professional leagues, found that today s parents and coaches have a very different idea about why children should play sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball. They believe that winning is more important than anything. Go to any youth game, and there will be at least one mom, dad, or coach who is yelling at the kids as though they re playing in a professional-level championship. These people have lost sight of the children s best interests, and they need to be reminded of the real value of participating in sports.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. The box of cookies is in the cupboard behind the peanut butter.

Instructions: Choose the sentence in which every adjective and adverb is correct. Select the letter of the correct answer. In which sentence is every adjective and adverb correct?

Instructions: Read the paragraph below, and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The Camtrex Corporation should provide day care for the children of its employees. (2) First of all, Camtrex workers need such a program. (3) According to the human resources director, about 850 employees with small children have spouses who also work outside the home; for these workers, day care is a constant problem. (4) Second, the company would undoubtedly benefit from on-site day care since workers could concentrate more fully on their jobs, secure in the knowledge that their children were nearby and well cared for. (5) A program that benefits both employees and management just makes good sense. How many arguments support the topic sentence?

Instructions: For each of the following sentences, choose the correct noun to fill in each blank. Select the letter of the correct answer. Anthony thinks that ____ are the least attractive part of the human body.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below, and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The Camtrex Corporation should provide day care for the children of its employees. (2) First of all, Camtrex workers need such a program. (3) According to the human resources director, about 850 employees with small children have spouses who also work outside the home; for these workers, day care is a constant problem. (4) Second, the company would undoubtedly benefit from on-site day care since workers could concentrate more fully on their jobs, secure in the knowledge that their children were nearby and well cared for. (5) A program that benefits both employees and management just makes good sense. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a process paragraph. The steps for each plan are not in the correct chronological order. For each plan, select the answer that numbers the steps in the proper time sequence. Traveling with a pet without stressing the animal requires thoughtful preparation. ____ For three or four days, leave the carrier plus blanket or toy in a spot where your pet can go in and out. ____ On the day of the trip, you might put a cookie or treat in the carrier as you and your pet set off on your adventure. ____ First, carefully evaluate pet carriers to find the right size, neither so small the animal cannot sit comfortably nor so large it might bounce around. ____ When your pet is used to going in and out of the carrier, allow the animal to sleep in it to develop a positive association. ____ After bringing the new carrier home, place your pet s favorite blanket or soft toy in the carrier to enhance your pet s feeling of security.