Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

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. Insomnia is defined as difficulty getting to sleep, maintaining sleep, or having nonrestorative sleep for at least one month, which causes clinically significant distress in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a very common result of insomnia and may impair cognitive functioning and alertness, performance at work, and enjoyment of family and recreational activities. David Sue et al. Understanding Abnormal Behavior . 8th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006: 549. Print. Student version: Prolonged insomnia can have some serious negative consequences. David Sue says that insomnia impacts all areas of a person s life, including work and relationships. Often, a sufferer will not be able to think clearly, do his or her job, or have fun with family members and friends (549).

Instructions: In each set below, choose the sentence that uses the correct coordinating or subordinating conjunction and that is punctuated correctly. Then select the letter of the correct answer. Which sentence uses the correct coordinating or subordinating conjunction and is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: Read the following paragraph. For each set of sentences below the paragraph, select the letter of the sentence that provides the best revision for consistency; parallel structure; sentence variety; and fresh, concise language. In 1929, toy dealer Edwin S. Lowe came across people having more fun than a barrel of monkeys while playing a game at a carnival in rural Georgia. A leader calls out each and every number, and the players use beans to cover the matching numbers on their cards. The winners yelled Beano! at the top of their lungs when they had filled in a row of numbers. Quick as a wink, Lowe saw the game was a winner. Sharp as a tack, he returned home and began testing the game on friends. Lowe markets the game as Bingo! and it sells like crazy. Which sentence provides the best revision for consistency; parallel structure; sentence variety; and fresh, concise language?

Instructions: In each of the sentences below, choose the correct words to fill in the blanks. Then select the letter that indicates your choice. ____ updates on the crisis, check ____ local news station once ____ hour.

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Choose the thesis statement.

Instructions: Number the sentences 1, 2, 3, and so on, as if you were preparing to write a paragraph. The apartment needed work before the new tenants could move in. ____ The handles on the kitchen cabinets were loose. ____ Every room needed plastering and painting. ____ The living room and bedroom rugs needed deep cleaning. ____ Two closet doors hung off the hinges. Select the letter of the answer that lists this set of sentences in logical order.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Rulers and governments have a long history of censoring or destroying books and other forms of expression that they find objectionable. (2) A book dictated by the prophet Jeremiah was burned by King Jehoiakim of Judah in 603 B.C.; and in the third century B.C., the Chinese emperor Shih Hwang-ti, who did things in a big way (he built the Great Wall), ordered the burning of all books, with the exception of those dealing with science, medicine, or agriculture. (3) Even philosophers have been in favor of censorship. (4) In the Republic , for example, Plato proposed to censor the writers of fiction in order to keep bad works away from children. Arthur Miller, Miller s Court , Published April 1, 1983 by Plume, p. 71 Select the transitional expression in the paragraph that introduces an illustration:

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct words for the blanks in each of the following sentences. Professional musicians ____ instruments for several hours each day.

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: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) When it comes to cleanliness, homeowners seem to fall into one of three categories. (2) The first group includes the spotless perfectionists. (3) These people would be horrified if anyone walked into their home and found even one speck of dirt, so they are constantly cleaning. (4) Everything they own is always in its place and dust-free. (5) The second group of homeowners is the complete opposite. (6) They are the slobs. (7) Visit their houses, and you will see dirty clothes and empty cans and pizza boxes strewn about. (8) Every available surface will be covered with stuff that looks like it belongs somewhere else, and the floor will be in need of some serious mopping. (9) The third group falls somewhere in the middle between these two extremes. (10) They tend to keep clutter at bay, and they probably clean house about once a week. (11) You might see a fine layer of dust or a dirty dish or two, but otherwise, the house is relatively tidy. Which of the following sentences does NOT contain a transitional expression that indicates classification?

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. After writing the first draft, it s a good idea to

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct verb for each blank. The Springfield Science Museum ____ while it amuses.

Instructions: Read the following draft paragraph, and then select the letter of the sentence in each set below that is the best revision. My niece is a ballet dancer. She has been accepted to the Dance Theater of Harlem. She will probably be a member of a professional dance company sometime in the future. She loves to dance. She has been dancing since she was five years old. She dances solo and also as a member of the ballet corps. I always enjoy attending her performances. Which sentence is the best revision?

Instructions: Read each of the sentences below carefully. Then select the correct word in parentheses. I love my cellphone s ringtone, but many people find ( it , them ) irritating.

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 of the effects are positive?

Instructions: Each group below contains one correct sentence. In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is correct. Which sentence is correct?

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Check the following paragraph for unity. Then select the number of the sentence that does not belong in the paragraph. (1) The first batch of one of the world s most popular soft drinks was mixed in a backyard kettle over a hundred years ago. (2) On May 6, 1886, Dr. John Styth Pemberton heated a mixture of melted sugar, water, coca leaves, kola nuts, and other ingredients. (3) He planned to make one of the home-brewed medical syrups so popular at that time. (4) However, this one tasted so good that Dr. Pemberton decided to sell it as a soda fountain drink for five cents a glass. (5) The first glass of this new drink was sold at Jacob s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. (6) Atlanta was and still is a wonderful place to live. (7) Pemberton s tasty invention, Coca-Cola, caught on. (8) Today, Coca-Cola is consumed by 140,000 people every minute.

Instructions: In each of the following sentences, a blank space appears where a verb should be. Select the letter of the correct helping verb and past participle form. Our English breakfast included toast, scrambled eggs, ham, and ____ tomatoes.

Instructions: Select True if the statement is true or False if the statement is false. People who proofread a paper on a computer screen tend to miss more errors.

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct preposition for each blank. Unsung Innovators However, in 1904, Buick lost control ____ his company to William C. Durant.