Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Choose the correct spelling of each of the following words. Choose the correct spelling.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct words and punctuation for each blank. The original Library of Congress was conceived of in 1800 as a place to store ____ congressmen s correspondence.

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct verb for each blank. With this in mind, my family and I ____ chosen to spend a week in Springfield

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The swim-with-dolphin programs popular in tropical resorts have been described as a delightful way to get to know these gentle, intelligent animals. (2) However, people should consider the harmful consequences of swimming with a dolphin and avoid these programs. (3) For one thing, getting into a pool with a dolphin may result in injuries. (4) Quite a few participants have suffered from cuts, bruises, cracked ribs, and broken arms because dolphins are wild animals, and they don t always behave in predictable ways. (5) What s more, swimming with dolphins can be harmful not only to humans but also the dolphins. (6) Trainers may say that these playful, permanently smiling creatures are friendly and love interacting with humans. (7) According to marine mammal scientist Dr. Ben Coleman, though, the dolphins in these programs are being held captive, which causes them stress. (8) Their happy expressions mask their true mental and emotional state. (9) Finally and most important, capturing a wild animal and forcing it to perform tricks for humans amusement is just downright unethical. (10) These animals deserve to live their lives in freedom in the open seas, as nature intended. How many arguments support the topic sentence?

Instructions: If the sentence is correctly punctuated, select Correct. If the sentence is not correctly punctuated, select Not correct. There are three things you need to bring when you go to Jones Beach: a towel, sunscreen, and a good book.

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 Select the number of the thesis statement of this essay. a. Sentence 12 b. Sentence 15 c. Sentence 21

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) People who are interested in developing an artistic talent can now use their smart phones or computer tablets to tap into their creative potential. (2) For example, a budding artist can download sketchbook apps that turn a mobile device s screen into a canvas for sketching, drawing, or painting with either fingers or a stylus. (3) A musician who wants to practice or learn to play can get apps that turn a phone or tablet into a virtual piano, guitar, flute, or other instrument. (4) A poet will find apps that help with discovering ideas, finding the right words and rhymes, and composing stanzas. (5) A dancer can turn a mobile device into a tool for learning new steps or moves. 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. The idea for SwarmBots, for instance, came from watching ants, bees, and other insects.

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. Evaluating a Web Site _____ (1) Next, find out more about the person or people who created the web site. (2) Scroll down to the bottom of the page to look for the author s name, or click on links such as About Us, Biography, or Who Am I? (3) These links will usually lead to more information about the individual or organization responsible. (4) Look for details about the author s credentials. (5) Is he or she an expert, with education, training, or experience in the subject matter? (6) If no information about the site s creator is provided or if that person offers no proof of authority, the information may not be reliable. (7) Remember that anyone can create an Internet web site; therefore, researchers should verify that the person who posted the information knows what he or she is talking about. _____ (8) First, begin by examining the URL, or Internet address, of the web site. (9) In particular, examine the last three letters of the address, which reveal the domain of a site as an educational institution, government agency, nonprofit organization, or commercial company. (10) Usually, the first three types of domains, which end in .edu , .gov , .mil , .us , and .org , tend to be reliable sources of information. (11) The primary purpose of sites that end in .com, on the other hand, may be to persuade viewers to buy something rather than provide them with accurate, unbiased information. (12) A .com web site could also be someone s personal web site, which may or may not offer reliable information. _____ (13) Using this procedure helps researchers get their facts straight. (14) Mining the Internet for information will almost always produce gold, but finding that gold often requires sifting through and discarding worthless rocks. _____ (15) Finally, in addition to finding out more about the site s creator, look for a few other indicators of quality information. (16) The date the page was last updated, for example, should be fairly recent. (17) In addition, note whether the author mentions the sources of his or her information. (18) Sources that are documented with footnotes or links, especially if they refer to scholarly or academic journals and books, are usually more reputable. (19) Also, don t forget to notice the overall look of the site. (20) Is the page crowded with advertisements? (21) If so, its main purpose may be selling rather than informing. (22) Is the text filled with grammatical or spelling errors? (23) These kinds of mistakes may indicate untrustworthy information. _____ (24) The Internet offers millions of web sites; however, they re not all created equal. (25) Some of them contain accurate information, and some contain only opinions, inaccurate information, or information that s been manipulated in some way. (26) Therefore, people who use a search engine to look for web sites about a particular topic need to know how to distinguish a credible web site from a dud. (27) To evaluate the trustworthiness of a web site, online researchers can use a three-step procedure. What are the three transitional expressions that help show the relationships between the three body paragraphs? a. therefore, usually, in particular b. first, next, finally c. on the other hand, also, therefore

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. Trading My Brown Shirt for a Backpack _____ Although I was prepared to have less money, one effect I didn t expect from losing my job was the negative feelings I would have. I was embarrassed to tell my family what had happened, worried that my fianc e would think less of me, and angry that events I couldn t control had ruined my life. It was strange and depressing not having the job to go to every day. Maybe some wouldn t consider delivering packages a career, but I liked my work, it paid well, and I was outside driving a truck all day. So it s not just the money I miss; it s the job. _____ The words economic downturn didn t mean much on the front of a newspaper, but then I got laid off. Suddenly, those weren t just words but the beginning of a long chain of events in my life. I liked my job at the United Parcel Service, and I had received many positive performance reviews, so I didn t think the rising unemployment rate was going to touch me. People still have to ship packages, right? Wrong. Getting my pink slip had powerful effects on my lifestyle and plans, but not all the effects have been bad ones. _____ The one positive effect of getting laid off is that it forced me to reconsider college. When I got a good job shortly after high school, in confirmed my decision to head straight into the real world. Now that there are so few full-time jobs with benefits out there, getting more education and training seems like the logical move. A counselor at the unemployment office encouraged me to attend a career fair at San Francisco Community College. I ended up taking placement exams and enrolling that same afternoon. _____ After losing my job, I have had to make major financial changes. My unemployment check is about half what I was making at UPS, so I have to budget very carefully. I used to take my fianc e out to a nice dinner almost every week. Now our dates involve pizza and rented movies. We also had to postpone our wedding until I m back on my feet. The hardest change by far has been moving back in with my dad because I couldn t make the rent on my apartment. _____ So here I am in a freshman writing class, returning to school the spring I expected to be getting married and hunting for a nice apartment. So far I m enjoying college more than I thought. I feel proud to be pursuing my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate. When I m done, I ll be driving around in an ambulance instead of a delivery truck, and I have a feeling I m going to like it. Alex Silvio, Student How many effects are provided to support the thesis statement?

Instructions: For each sentence below, choose the correct preposition to insert. Select the letter of the correct answer. I am grateful to the university for offering this scholarship ____ me.

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. For each one, select the type of error in the sentence. If the sentence is free of mechanics errors, select Correct. Children of the Kindertransport Unable to escape themselves, Jewish parents brought their young ones to railway stations and put them on trains bound for england. For many of the children, the ride seemed like an adventure; they did not understand that most would never see their families alive again.

Instructions: Read each of the sentences below carefully. Then select the correct word in parentheses. ( She , Her ) and I have been close friends since college.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. If an essay exam question asks you to illustrate something, your paragraph or essay should

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct verb or verbs for each sentence. But the horrific tsunami of 2004 in southern Asia ( holds , hold ) the record for deadly consequences, killing over 250,000 people.

Instructions: Select True if the statement is true or False if the statement is false. Your classmates are the best source of information about your personal error patterns.

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. Identify the kind of definition used in the topic sentence.

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. Select the correct noun for each blank. ____ who saw him on the street yelled insults at him.

Instructions: Identify each of the following statements as true or false. The words plagiarism and paraphrasing mean the same thing.

Instructions: Select the letter of the word in the sentence that is a look-alike/sound-alike error. The Jacksons have raised ten foster children over the years; that s quiet a family.