Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Identify the cause and the effect contained in each of the following statements. President Harry Truman dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 to end World War II and save American lives.

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. Which of the following sentences does NOT contain a transitional expression that indicates time?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni is not easy to maneuver the driver has to steer with one hand and adjust the ____ controls with the other.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. One of Josephine s contact lenses fell out of her eye.

Instructions: Select the answer that correct joins each pair of simple sentences with conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs and is punctuated correctly. I couldn t bring the clients both to and from the conference. Betty offered to drive one way.

Instructions: What kind of paragraph or essay is required by each of the following questions? Select the letter of the correct answer. How do identical and fraternal twins differ?

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) Joe Ward, a recent graduate of his local community college, has been searching for a job. During his job search, he has had numerous interviews with a variety of companies. There are two companies from which Joe would particularly like to receive an offer. If he gets offers from both, Joe is unsure about how he will decide which job to take, because both jobs offer different but excellent opportunities. The fortunate job seeker who is faced with this dilemma should consider several important factors in making this important decision. Adapted from Amy Solomon et al., 100% Job Search Success , 2 nd edition. Wadsworth, 2012, p. 160

Instructions: Select the correct preposition in parentheses for each of the following sentences. Mona studied ( on , in ) the library until it closed.

Instructions: Number the sentences 1, 2, 3, and so on, as if you were preparing to write a paragraph. ____ She started her new work with the poor by teaching the street children of Calcutta arithmetic and reading. ____ Mother Teresa was rightly and lovingly named the Saint of the Gutters. ____ After several years at the school, she decided that her calling lay with the poor. ____ After her efforts in India, she aided relief agencies in Lebanon and Ethiopia, caring for the displaced and the starving. ____ With help from local authorities, she opened and staffed free clinics in the worst sections of Calcutta. ____ Soon she realized that what these poor people needed most was adequate medical facilities. ____ She began her career working at a Catholic school for the wealthy in Calcutta. What type of order did you use to arrange the sentences?

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. He is the creator of SwarmBots, large numbers of small robots.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) An unlikely friendship formed in 2005 at the Mutsugoro Okoku Zoo near Tokyo, Japan. (2) In October of that year, a snake named Aochan refused to eat the frozen mice zookeepers gave him for his dinner. (3) Then, the zookeepers presented a live hamster named Gohan, which means meal. (4) Instead of eating the hamster, however, Aochan made friends with it. (5) Three months later, when newspapers began to print the story, predator and prey were still sharing a box. (6) Gohan was even taking naps on top of the snake, who eventually developed a taste for frozen rodents. (7) Even then, Aochan showed no sign of wanting to gobble up his new companion. Select the number of the topic sentence that tells the point of the story.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each pair, select the answer with more sentence variety. Which answer choice has sentence variety?

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. In some areas, farmers have raise and harvested cranberries in bogs.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. The main idea and supporting points of a longer work, presented in the writer s own words, is called

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: Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the letter of the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince someone to eat at Lou s Famous Barbeque Restaurant, you could say that

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The staff at the Shoe Barn is trained to use a very effective customer service procedure. (2) When a customer enters the store, a nearby salesperson first greets that person by saying, Hello, welcome to Shoe Barn. (3) Second, the salesperson asks the customer, Can I help you find something today? (4) Third, the employee listens carefully to the customer s description of the shoes he or she is looking for and leads the customer to the appropriate part of the store. (5) While helping the customer find what he or she needs, the salesperson also describes that day s specials and sales. (6) Finally, when the customer is ready to purchase an item or leave the store, the salesperson smiles and says, Thank you for shopping at Shoe Barn! Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. Select the correct noun for each blank. In 1947 Robinson stepped onto the playing field in a Brooklyn Dodgers ____.

Instructions: Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Instructions: If the sentence is correctly punctuated, select Correct. If the sentence is not correctly punctuated, select Not correct. When asked his opinion about the family s move, Juan said, I think it s a mistake.