Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Each of the following groups of things or persons has been divided according to a single basis of classification. However, one item in each group does not belong it does not fit that single basis of classification. Read each group of items carefully; then select the letter of the one item that does not belong. Next, identify the single basis of classification that includes the rest of the group. Part A: Women a. blonde b. brunette c. shiny d. redhead Part B: Basis of classification: a. skin type b. hair color c. eye color

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: 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. Libraries of the Future - Now _____ (1) A third illustration of a library breaking the old mold, the Cerritos Public Library in New Mexico strives for mixed-media experience that reflects modern culture. (2) The first titanium-clad building in the U.S., this sleek library s golden skin changes colors with the weather. (3) Its lobby, where a 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium reproduces a coral reef, looks more like the inside of a futuristic shopping mall than a library. (4) Video screens flash images such as movie clips, and visitors glide in space-age elevators. (5) Librarians don t sit behind desks; instead, armed with headsets and handheld computers, they greet visitors and move among them to offer assistance and guidance. (6) In the children s library, kids can project themselves onto a video screen beside a life-size replica of a T. rex dinosaur. (7) The library aims, through interaction and sensory experience, to stimulate library-goers imaginations and curiosity, inspiring them to grab one of the library s 300,000 books and start reading. _____ (8) A second, even more experimental example is the Salt Lake City Library, which has become one of Utah s top attractions since it opened in 2003. (9) The curved glass skin of the building dazzles visitors with views of the city and the Wasatch Mountains beyond, and a roof garden overlooks the entire Salt Lake Valley. (10) Like Seattle s library, this has won architectural awards, but unlike Seattle, it has been called the unquietest library in America. (11) Inside, music pumps through speakers, and librarians wear No Shhh! buttons, although the five floors do get quieter the higher one goes. (12) Patrons can sip coffee at a caf , browse a huge CD and DVD collection, surf the Internet on one of the 163 computers, stroll through an art gallery, or attend a lecture or concert in the auditorium. (13) Of course, they can also help themselves to one of the books in the library s 500,000-volume collection. _____ (14) As information-seekers began turning to computers and the Internet, some people predicted the death of the public library, which supposedly would serve no purpose in an electronic world. (15) But that has not happened. (16) On the contrary, many city planners now think that libraries will take on a new role for busy people in the twenty-first century. (17) In fact, pioneering cities are spending vast sums to reinvent their libraries as community information centers that not only integrate the latest technology but also attract visitors with art, music, comfort, and beautiful design. _____ (18) To achieve the goal of expanding their citizens knowledge and literacy, savvy library planners know that, first, they must draw people inside. (19) In the case of these three libraries, the plan seems to be working. (20) Library membership at all three has risen dramatically. (21) Residents who never before set foot in a library are regulars, and after school, young people hang out and do homework. (22) As such extreme library makeovers are revealed, old perceptions of libraries as stuffy or boring shatter. (23) Wired? Enlightening? Gorgeous? Cool? (24) It might be a library. _____ (25) One example is the new library in Seattle, Washington, which opened in 2004 to worldwide praise. (26) After studying feedback from residents, librarians, and library users of all ages, architect Rem Koolhaas created at a cost of $165 million a modernistic copper and glass building with interior touches of eye-popping color. (27) Employees describe it as so much fun to work in that they never miss a day. (28) Library-goers enter a huge, welcoming living room where they can relax, socialize, read, or connect wirelessly to the Internet. (29) Virtual guides on large monitors greet people and later pop up helpfully on screens throughout the library. (30) At the building s core, a continuous, user-friendly spiral of bookshelves holds the library s collection. (31) Patrons can get help from librarians, search for information on 132 computers, or chat online with the virtual reference service in a space Koolhaas calls the mixing chamber. (32) In the teen center, young patrons can enter sound domes and blast ear-splitting music without disturbing anyone else. This essay is a(n) a. narrative essay. b. illustration essay. c. process essay.

Instructions: Select the answer that correctly adds the suffix to each word below. limp + ing

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The swim-with-dolphin programs popular in tropical resorts have been described as a delightful way to get to know these gentle, intelligent animals. (2) However, people should consider the harmful consequences of swimming with a dolphin and avoid these programs. (3) For one thing, getting into a pool with a dolphin may result in injuries. (4) Quite a few participants have suffered from cuts, bruises, cracked ribs, and broken arms because dolphins are wild animals, and they don t always behave in predictable ways. (5) What s more, swimming with dolphins can be harmful not only to humans but also the dolphins. (6) Trainers may say that these playful, permanently smiling creatures are friendly and love interacting with humans. (7) According to marine mammal scientist Dr. Ben Coleman, though, the dolphins in these programs are being held captive, which causes them stress. (8) Their happy expressions mask their true mental and emotional state. (9) Finally and most important, capturing a wild animal and forcing it to perform tricks for humans amusement is just downright unethical. (10) These animals deserve to live their lives in freedom in the open seas, as nature intended. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.

Instructions: In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. After lying to his best friend about the business deal, James felt ____.

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct preposition for each blank. Unsung Innovators The ends of all three men s lives were very different ____ their early successes.

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. If the sentence contains a pronoun error, select Pronoun error. If the sentence is free of pronoun errors, select Correct. I placed the dough in the bowl, covered it with a cloth, and let it rise for two hours.

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: Each question below is a plan for a process paragraph. The steps for the plan(s) are not in the correct chronological order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the steps in the proper time sequence. Ted learned business skills in stages throughout his life. ____ He took several sales and marketing courses in college. ____ As a child after school, he watched his parents run their candy shop. ____ Finally, he opened his own T-shirt store in the mall after his graduation from college. ____ In high school, he spent afternoons selling shoes at his uncle s store. ____ In his senior year of high school, Ted made excellent money selling health products out of his home.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. ____ invited to sit for moldings, a process that takes six months and costs over $100,000. Mother Teresa was one of the few people ever to decline an invitation from Madame Tussaud s.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) When he first became a star, the young Elvis Presley wore his coal-black hair in a slicked-back, ducktail haircut. (2) Dark sideburns framed the sides of his handsome face. (3) His intense eyes were blue, and his mouth curled up on one side when he smiled. (4) When he sang, his lips pouted or snarled, depending on the lyrics. (5) On his trim body, he wore loose, open-necked shirts that started a major new fashion trend among young males. (6) On his famous swiveling, wiggling hips, he usually wore black slacks. (7) Elvis definitely had a distinct look, one that made teenage girls melt and boys want to copy him. How are the details arranged in this paragraph?

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

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. Which led to honors as a young inventor.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Emoticons are the facelike symbols made of keyboard characters in e-mail messages. (2) Meant to be read sideways, with the head tilted 90 degrees, these symbols help to overcome the lack of facial expressions and body language that are present in face-to-face communications but missing from written communications. (3) Specifically, emoticons make the emotions of the person sending the message clearer so that the receiver of the message will not misinterpret the meaning of the words. (4) For example, a smile is made with a colon, a dash, and a parenthesis, forming :-), and a frown with the other parenthesis :-(. (5) Other common emoticons are the wink ;-), surprise :-o , and laughing hard with eyes closed XD. (6) The symbols for a clown face, :o), can indicate that a statement was made tongue-in-cheek. How many examples does the writer use to develop the topic sentence?

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. To catch errors most effectively,

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. My son ____ by your dog.

Instructions: Select the letter of the word in the sentence that is a look-alike/sound-alike error. Although the old saying claims that know news is good news, I love listening to the news.

Instructions: For each of the following sentences, 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. In the late 1600s barbecues were introduced to the southern United States.

Instructions: In each set below, one sentence in the set contains an error. Select the letter of the sentence that contains an error. Which sentence contains an error?