Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) A first glance at Benny tells you that he is an attractive young man. (2) The riveting feature is the contrast between his close-cropped black hair and his light skin. (3) There are two slight scars on his left cheek, but they add to instead of detract from his appearance. (4) His eyelashes are not prominent, but dark brown eyes gaze at you from under a canopy of thick, black eyebrows. (5) His nose is short and straight, befitting his oval face. (6) The cheekbones are high but not prominent, and the well-kept mustache gives a promise of luxuriant growth if given free reign. (7) Benny s mouth is small and full, and though the braces are off-putting, that shy smile will someday break a lot of hearts. (8) All of these factors put together with a mischievous gleam in his eyes draw the picture of an intelligent, quite personable young man. Carmen Crawford, student How are the details in this paragraph arranged?

Instructions: Each question below is an entry for a Works Cited page. Select Correct if the entry is correctly formatted according to MLA guidelines or Incorrect if the entry is not correctly formatted. Barack Obama. The Audacity of Hope , 2008.

Instructions: Select True if the statement is true or False if the statement is false. The bottoms up proofreading technique involves reading a paper one sentence at a time, from the beginning to the end.

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

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The solution to an important AIDS puzzle came from an unlikely source, video gamers. (2) For fifteen years, researchers at the University of Washington have been trying to understand the structure of the AIDS virus, knowing that this discovery would lead to better treatments, maybe even a cure. (3) In 2010, Seth Cooper, a computer scientist at the same university, created a video game called Foldit, the purpose of which was to encourage gamers to work on real scientific problems. (4) Hearing about Foldit, the frustrated scientists decided to ask gamers for help. (5) In three short weeks, the gamers came up with such good models that the scientists found their answer. (6) The scientists are thrilled, and the gamers loved using their skills for such a worthwhile project. Select the number of the topic sentence that tells the point of the story.

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct preposition for each blank. Unsung Innovators Buick s last job was as a clerk ____ a vocational school; Durant went bankrupt and died penniless.

Instructions: What kind of paragraph or essay is required by each of the following questions? Select the letter of the correct answer. What is the difference between a frog and a toad?

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 statement above is a

Instructions: Identify the cause and the effect contained in each of the following statements. The factory is adding a second shift and hiring more employees because orders have increased.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Amateur stargazing is an interesting and rewarding hobby. (2) Exploring astronomy builds knowledge about our amazing universe. (3) It s an inexpensive pastime, too. (4) All that s needed is a telescope, a book about how to understand what you re looking at, and maybe a membership in an astronomical club. (5) Studying the night sky is free! (6) That s why astronomy is also a great family activity. (7) In fact, looking at the heavens may awaken a love of science in children. (8) Plus, those who star-gaze long enough might even make an important discovery. (9) After all, many amateur astronomers have discovered comets, asteroids, and other heavenly bodies. (10) In 2005, for example, two amateur sky-watchers in New Zealand discovered a new planet 15,000 miles from Earth using only a backyard telescope. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following question(s). A sentence that provides someone else s exact words is called a(n)

Instructions: For each paragraph, select the number of the topic sentence. Identify the topic sentence of the paragraph below. (1) A well-written resume is a critical component for a successful job search. (2) To write a resume that gets results, always include action verbs that clearly reveal your skills and abilities. (3) Specific action verbs help potential employers understand how your experiences match their needs, so these action words should always begin your descriptions of duties you performed at previous jobs. (4) As you are listing these duties, use verbs such as analyzed, calculated, delivered, wrote, monitored, and purchased to describe the actions you have performed in the past. (5) In addition, make sure that, as much as possible, the verbs in your resume match the employer s description of the position. (6) If the position description states that good organizational skills are required, make sure to use the verb organized to describe at least one duty that you ve performed in past jobs. If the position description asks for a supervisor, and you have supervisory experience, use the word supervised to describe one of your previous responsibilities.

Instructions: In each of the following sets, select the letter of the sentence that uses the correct coordinating or subordinating conjunction and that is punctuated correctly. Which sentence uses the correct coordinating or subordinating conjunction and is punctuated correctly?

Instructions: Each one of the following groups contains one correct sentence. Select the letter of the one correct sentence. Which sentence is correct?

Instructions: Select the answer that correct joins each pair of simple sentences with conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs and is punctuated correctly. Audrey was late for work. She had to drive her sister to school.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies each of the types of prewriting illustrated below. The prewriting below is an example of Bad habits procrastination smoking hard to quit eating junk food/not exercising foul language biting fingernails disorganization drinking too much gossip interrupting not listening breaking promises tardiness

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. My favorite pair of jeans are beat up and worn out.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: In each of the following sentences, a blank space appears where the verb should be. Choose the correct past tense verb. Select the letter of the correct answer. Toni Morrison ____the first African American to receive the Nobel Prize for literature.

Instructions: Study the body of each of the following paragraphs. Then, select the letter of the topic sentence that is most accurate. Select the best topic sentence for the paragraph. For example, a substance in chocolate is a cardiac stimulant that can increase a dog s heart rate and cause it to beat irregularly. Dogs that eat large quantities of chocolate may even die. Onions and garlic, too, contain an ingredient that is toxic to dogs. Onion poisoning causes the dog s red blood cells to burst while they circulate in its body. Vomiting and diarrhea will be followed by breathlessness as the dog s blood loses its ability to carry oxygen. Another toxic food is macadamia nuts, which can cause muscle weakness and pain in a dog s limbs. Other potential hazards for dogs include broccoli, raisins, grapes, potato peelings, and yeast dough.