Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the questions below. If an essay exam question asks you to define something, your paragraph or essay should

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct words and punctuation for each blank. ____ the library was burned down by the English in the War of 1812.

Instructions: Read the definition below and answer the question(s) that follow. Spam is any e-mail or text message that is both unsolicited and undesirable. The subject of the sentence is ____.

Instructions: Select the answer that correctly adds the suffix to each word below. file + s/es

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) One of the most terrible encounters between sharks and humans in modern times occurred during World War II. (2) On July 30, 1945, the Navy ship USS Indianapolis was in the Philippine Sea when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. (3) About 300 crewmembers were killed in the explosion. (4) Twelve minutes later, the Indianapolis sunk, tossing the 900 remaining sailors into the ocean. (5) Due to a misunderstanding, their ship was not reported missing. (6) Floating in the sea without lifeboats, the survivors began to be hounded by hundreds of sharks. (7) For four days, they had no protection against the predators. (8) Finally, on August 2, the men were spotted by the pilot of a patrol plane, who radioed for help. (9) Two days later, rescuers were able to find only 319 men alive. How many transitional expressions in the paragraph above indicate time?

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct preposition to insert in each of the following sentences. Victoria was so fond ____ the film that she purchased the DVD.

Instructions: In each of the following plans, one detail has nothing to do with the topic sentence; it is merely a bit of irrelevant information. Select the letter of the irrelevant detail. In my mind s eye is the plan for the perfect workout room.

Instructions: For the following question(s), select the letter of the answer that arranges each set of sentences in logical time order. The first sentence is the topic sentence in each set. Creating a blog, or personal online journal, is relatively easy. ____ Once your blog is created, post new material every day, but wait until you have posted a month s worth of entries before you begin telling people about it. ____ First of all, choose the type of blog you want to create by picking a focus, such as one of your areas of expertise or some type of current event that fascinates you. ____ After selecting a topic on which to focus, go to a simple blog creation site, such as Blogger.com, and follow the directions there to create your blog. ____ When you have a month s worth of postings, tell your friends to visit your site and begin leaving links to your blog at other blogs you enjoy reading.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. Which prewriting technique involves writing without stopping or worry about grammar and spelling?

Instructions: Choose the sentence in which all the commas are used correctly. Select the letter of the correct answer. Which sentences uses all commas correctly?

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 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. This essay is a(n) a. process essay. b. narrative essay. c. illustration essay.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Some seemingly harmless substances can interfere with the way medicines work inside the body. (2) Take grapefruit juice, for example. (3) It disrupts the action of enzymes that break down drugs in the small intestine before they are absorbed into the bloodstream. (4) Therefore, taking a medication with grapefruit juice may cause the drug to enter the blood in dangerously high concentrations. (5) If this happens, not only is the drug less effective, but serious side effects can result. (6) Many common medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, and cholesterol drugs, are negatively affected by grapefruit juice. How many examples does the writer use to develop the topic sentence?

Instructions: For each of the following sentences, select the list of words that should include apostrophes. These farmers feelings about the secretary of agriculture were clear.

Instructions: Select the correct noun for each blank. For over forty years, Gloria Steinem has been a tireless crusader for women s ____.

Instructions: Select the correct term for the blank in each of the following statement(s). A method of putting source information in the body of the essay, in parentheses, rather than in footnotes or endnotes is called ____.

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 sentence is correct?

Instructions: What kind of paragraph or essay is required by each of the following questions? Select the letter of the correct answer. Explain the six different kinds of power.

Instructions: Choose the correct words to insert in each of the following sentences. Then select the letter of the correct response. ____ on the sales staff must have ____ presentation ready by Friday.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. Bram Stoker is best known for his novel Dracula .