Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the letter of the word that is misspelled. The art of origami is not a simple one. Many different books have been writen on origami techniques.

Instructions: In each sentence below, a blank space appears where the verb should be. Decide which verb agrees with the subject of the sentence. Select the letter of the correct answer. Neither the buyer nor the seller____ with the lawyer s suggestion for the closing date on the house.

Instructions: Proofread the following sentence(s) for inconsistent tense and person. In addition, check for faulty parallelism. Select the type of error each sentence contains. Thomas is moving to Cleveland for graduate school and because of his girlfriend.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each blank. A ____ is the main idea and supporting points of a longer work, presented in the writer s own words.

Instructions: Read each of the following essay conclusions. Then choose the letter of the method the writer used to end the composition. The essay below concludes with a Clearly, the American government is not doing enough to provide adequate pensions, disability payments, and medical care for disabled military veterans. These people fought for us, and they now deserve our financial support. We should be ashamed that so many of them are now homeless and in need. We must all urge our elected officials to make sure that we repay these men and women for their sacrifice, their pain, and their suffering.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Study the body of the following paragraph. Then, select the letter of the topic sentence that is most accurate. From 1869 to 1875, as a poor child in Ohio, Annie Oakley paid off the family s mortgage by hunting and selling wild game. In her teens, she competed against Frank Butler, a famous marksman who came to town, and beat him by one point. European kings and queens loved to watch her perform, and she once shot a cigarette from the lips of the future Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Years later, Annie married Butler and joined Wild Bill s Wild West Show, where she was the star.

Instructions: For each group of sentences below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph. Select the good topic sentence.

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. The events in the plan(s) are not in the correct chronological order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. The debut of our singing group at the college talent show last Saturday was a total disaster. ____ Halfway through our act, our lead singer s microphone went dead for three minutes. ____ Calvin arrived so hoarse that he could hardly sing at all. ____ The announcer introduced us as the Huge Notes instead of the High Tones. ____ All the lights in the theater flashed on and off throughout our last song. ____ Starting our first song a half-beat too late, Dina threw the rhythm off for the rest of us.

Instructions: Select the letter of the list of words that should be capitalized. In 1995, hallmark sold over 2 billion christmas cards.

Instructions: In each set of sentences below, select the letter of the sentence that includes an error. Which sentence includes an error?

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: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Street skateboarding and vert skateboarding differ in several ways. (2) Street skateboarding takes place in outdoor public areas where there are staircases, benches, walls, and sidewalks. (3) In contrast, vert skateboarding usually takes place in skate parks with ramps or bowls. (4) Another major difference is the tricks performed in each type of skateboarding. (5) Street skaters use a style called the grind, which involves scraping their boards axles against objects such as stairway handrails. (6) They also perform tricks that involve kicking the board to flip it into the air. (7) Vert skaters, on the other hand, use the steep walls of the ramps or bowls to pick up speed and gain air time at the edges. (8) While airborne, they perform different flips and spins. (9) To achieve these tricks, they use boards that are wider and flatter than street boards, which have upturned noses and tails to aid kicking. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.

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. The Warrior Queen of Jhansi _____ (1) The British cursed her as a devil; the people of India revered her almost as a god. (2) All agreed, however, that the Indian queen, Lakshmi Bai, was a powerful and daring woman. _____ (3) Finally, in early 1858, the British made the queen an outlaw and lay siege to Jahansi for more than two weeks. (4) The queen heroically fought for her city from a high tower where her people and the enemy could clearly see her. (5) As the city prepared for defeat, the queen, who was an expert horsewoman, fled. (6) After riding for four days, she at last formally joined the rebelling forces. _____ (7) The queen led the defense at Gwalior, the last rebel stronghold. (8) Leading her men in hand-to-hand combat, she wore trousers, a silk blouse, and a red silk cap with a loose turban around it. (9) A pearl necklace that was one of the treasures of India hung around her neck. (10) Mortally wounded in battle, she immediately became a beloved hero of the Indian nationalist movement. _____ (11) However, throughout India, discontent against the British grew until rebellion broke out in 1857. (12) In Jhansi, rebels took the British fort and then massacred the British women and children living in the city. (13) Though the queen did not support this bloodshed, the British held her responsible. (14) For a while in late 1857, in the absence of the British, the queen got her chance to rule. (15) Rising at 3:00 a.m., she spent her days first attending to matters of state, then riding and training with arms, and later meditating and praying. _____ (16) Before the ruler of Jhansi died in 1853, he willed his land and title to his five-year-old son. (17) He told his young wife, Lakshmi Bai, to rule until their child came of age. (18) Despite the young queen s ability and popularity, the British declared the will illegal and seized the kingdom. (19) Lakshmi Bai swallowed the insult and remained loyal to the British. Select the number of the thesis statement of this essay. a. Sentence 2 b. Sentence 10 c. Sentence 19

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. What type of order did you use to arrange the sentences above?

Instructions: Proofread the following sentence(s) for inconsistent tense and person. In addition, check for faulty parallelism. Select the type of error each sentence contains. Paula spent two years in the army and then she goes to college.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and then answer the question(s) that follow(s) by choosing the letter of the correct response. Students who do not have the money to pay for some or all of their college expenses can apply for various forms of financial aid. Obtaining the funds for tuition, books, and even living expenses begins with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The fastest way to fill out this form is to complete it online at www.fafsa.gov , but students can also fill out and mail in a paper version of the form. This form asks for information about students financial situation and requires them to answer questions about their taxable and untaxed income and their assets, such as savings account balances and investments. If students are considered dependent on their parents, their parents financial information is also required. After students submit their FAFSA forms, those forms are processed, and students receive a Student Aid Report. A report is also sent to the colleges the student identified on the FAFSA. Each college uses the information it receives to calculate the amount of aid the student can receive; then, the college generates an award letter for the student. This application process must be completed every year a student is enrolled in school and needs financial aid. The purpose of this paragraph is to

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: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. The events in the plan(s) are not in the correct chronological order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. In a lifetime of many successes, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams pioneered open-heart surgery the day he operated on James Cornish. ____ According to eyewitnesses, Williams first made a six-inch incision and removed Cornish s fifth rib. ____ Cornish s frightened friends brought him to Provident Hospital, the first interracial hospital in the United States. ____ Then he repaired a torn artery and stitched up the punctured sac surrounding the heart. ____ On July 9, 1893, James Cornish received a deep knife gash near his heart during a fight. ____ Dr. Williams examined Cornish and immediately decided to operate. ____ Fifty-one days later, Cornish left the hospital, recovered and deeply grateful to Dr. Williams for his life.

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. How many categories are there?

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct words for the blanks in each of the following sentences. Ever since she ____ a child, Juanita ____ her summers in Maine.