Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Select the letter of the word in the sentence that is a look-alike/sound-alike error. First Tony scraped the floors; then he set in a corner and surveyed his fine work.

Instructions: For the following sentences, select the letter of the incorrect past tense verb in each group. When the media first reported Lyuba s discovery, many people questioned whether cloning the mammoth would be the next step and be concerned about the consequences of resurrecting an extinct species that would have no natural environment and might harbor unknown diseases.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. The group of sentences below can be unscrambled and written as a paragraph. Select the letter of the topic sentence in this group of sentences.

Instructions: Select True if the statement is true or False if the statement is false. Proofreading is the first stage of the revision process.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the letter of the correct response. When Lewis and Clark made their way through what is now North Dakota, the Shoshone Indian woman named Sacajawea joined the team of explorers. Because the expedition was traveling with a Native American, other tribes did not attack the group. In fact, one tribe even supplied horses to help the explorers and their interpreter cross the Rocky Mountains. This invaluable team member taught the men how to find medicine and food in the wilderness and once even saved the records of the journey when a canoe overturned during a storm. She reached the Pacific Ocean with Lewis and Clark in 1805. Her fame eventually spread; one of the best-known monuments to her is a statue in Portland, Oregon. Which of the following is a pronoun used to refer to the subject of the paragraph?

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Visiting the house of poet Pablo Neruda was like entering a rich mind obsessed with the sea. (2) The peaked ceiling of the main room was covered with beautiful old ship s timbers. (3) Hanging from the ceiling were several large weathered figureheads from ships, one with the wings of an angel. (4) Near the angel, on the stone wall above the fireplace, was the model of an old ship with eleven canvas sails. (5) More life-size carved figureheads, all women, stood on the floor around the room, leaning forward as if listening. (6) Some were painted, some worn to the wood, some missing fingers or noses from the passing of time. (7) On every table and surface were ocean treasures shells, starfish, heaped sea glass and beach agate, a brass ship s lantern, a narwhal tusk. Select the number of the topic sentence that states the overall impression of the subject.

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. Your tickets will be sent to you by the first week of November.

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?

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. Select the transitional expression in the paragraph that introduces an illustration:

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. Traditional musical instruments can be divided, according to how they produce sounds, into three categories: stringed, wind, and percussion. Stringed instruments produce music through the vibration of taut strings that are plucked, strummed, or bowed. The harp, the guitar, the banjo, and the violin are examples of stringed instruments. The second category contains the wind instruments, which are usually sounded by the player s breath. This category includes the clarinet, the tuba, the trumpet, and so on. The third category, percussion instruments, makes sounds when they are struck. Obvious examples of percussion instruments are drums, gongs, and cymbals. Surprisingly, the piano is also considered a percussion instrument because, when the player touches a key, a small hammer inside the piano strikes a string. Which of the following is not a transitional expression indicating classification?

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. To properly use a fire extinguisher, use the PASS (pull-aim-squeeze-sweep) procedure. ____ Next, squeeze the handle to release the substance inside the fire extinguisher. ____ First of all, hold the fire extinguisher upright, remove the plastic tie from the handle, and pull out the pin. ____ Finally, sweep the extinguisher from side to side until the fire goes out. ____ Then, continuing to keep the extinguisher upright, aim the nozzle at the base of the blaze.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the letter of the word that is misspelled. Although the Japanese have produced origami art for centuries, the origins of this importent art form are not known.

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) According to researchers, babies can be classified according to their temperament, the general pattern of their emotional reactions to their environments. (2) In the first category are the easy babies, who account for about 40 percent of all babies. (3) They are usually in a positive mood, and they adapt well to new situations. (4) Another category contains the difficult babies, who make up about 10 percent of all infants. (5) They are often in a bad mood, and they exhibit signs of stress when placed in new situations. (6) The next group, the slow-to-warm-up babies, account for 15 percent of all infants. (7) They are moody, and they struggle to adapt to new experiences, but to a lesser degree than the difficult babies. (8) In the last group are the mixed-pattern babies, the 35 percent of infants who do not fall clearly into any of the other three groups because their moods and reactions are less predictable. On what basis does the writer classify babies?

Instructions: For the following sentences, select the letter of the incorrect past tense verb in each group. When experts studyed the near-perfect remains, their findings revealed that Lyuba nursed its mother s milk but also swallowed bits of mammoth dung, just as baby elephants do today to build up healthy bacteria in their intestines.

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. The demolition of a building occurs in four main stages. ____ Based on the information they gather, the blasters then carefully plan what type of explosives to use, where to position them in the building, and how to time their detonation. ____ Finally, the team clears the area, begins a countdown, detonates the explosions, and watches as the building collapses in a cloud of dust in just a few seconds. ____ First, the demolition crew studies the building s architectural blueprints to find out exactly how the building is put together. ____ After the demolition team figures out how to set up the blast, it prepares the building by knocking out walls, weakening its support columns, and loading those columns with dynamite.

Instructions: In each set below, select the letter of the sentence in which every adjective and adverb is correct. Which sentence contains correct adjectives and adverbs?

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. From the group below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. If an essay exam question asks you to take a stand on something, your paragraph or essay should

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

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. Events in each plan are not in correct chronological order. For each plan, select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. Since its establishment over 150 years ago, Steinway Sons has become known for making some of the world s most innovative and highest quality pianos. ____ Today, the Steinway company still dominates the piano industry, crafting about 5,000 pianos a year for appreciative musicians all over the world. ____ Instrument maker Henry Steinway established his business in Germany but then moved to America in 1850, bringing with him his vision of building a piano better and stronger than any made before. ____ In 1854, Henry and his sons embarked upon a forty-year period of revolutionizing and perfecting the modern piano, patenting 114 innovations in the process. ____ Henry Steinway Jr. was awarded in 1859 the patent for the overstrung scale, a significant development that helped the grand piano rise to the demands of leading composers such as Chopin and Liszt.