Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

A)  Jorge will always remember June 10, 1985 as the day he became office manager, bought a house and became a father. 
B)  Jorge will always remember June 10 1985, as the day, he became office manager, bought a house and became a father. 
C)  Jorge will always remember June 10, 1985, as the day he became office manager, bought a house, and became a father.

Question 2

Instructions: Find the complete subject and the complete verb in each sentence. Then select the letter of the answer that contains both the subject and the verb. The river water contains alkaline substances.

Accepted Answer

A)  river water, contains 
B)  river, substances 
C)  river water, alkaline

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

A)  Shall we meet at that restaurant at the time we agreed on? 
B)  Shall we gather together at that eating establishment at the time at which we came to an agreement about?

Question 4

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. Janice and me took turns kneading the dough for ten minutes.

Accepted Answer

A)  Pronoun error 
B)  Correct

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

A)  flying 
B)  fling

Question 6

Instructions: In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. ____ boards make the porch dangerous.

Accepted Answer

A)  Wooden 
B)  Rotting 
C)  Crummy

Question 7

Instructions: Select the sentence that uses concise, fresh, and exact language. Which sentence uses concise, fresh, and exact language?

Accepted Answer

A)  We went to the post office, bought stamps, and left. 
B)  We walked to the post office, bought two rolls of stamps, and went home. 
C)  We went to the post office, bought two rolls of stamps, and left.

Question 8

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) People who are thinking about getting a pet should carefully consider the kind of care that animal will require. (2) Pets can be classified into three categories according to how labor-intensive they are. (3) The first category includes very labor-intensive pets. (4) These animals require the most time, energy, and money because they need constant, daily care. (5) Horses kept in a barn are probably the best example, for they need to be fed, exercised, and groomed on a daily basis. (6) Dogs, which need to be fed and walked at least once a day, are another good example of a high-maintenance pet. (7) The second category contains those pets that are only moderately labor-intensive, such as a cat or a hamster. (8) They need to be fed every day, but other maintenance is done on only a weekly or monthly basis. (9) For example, a cat s litter box or a hamster s cage needs only periodic cleaning. (10) The third and final category includes very low-maintenance pets. (11) Fish are the best example. (12) They need just a little sprinkling of food every day, and their tanks need cleaning only a few times a year. Which of the following sentences does NOT contain a transitional expression that indicates classification?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sentence 3 
B)  Sentence 4 
C)  Sentence 10

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

A)  Sentence 2 
B)  Sentence 3 
C)  Sentence 4 
D)  Sentence 5

Question 10

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  This barbecue would be well if it weren t so oppressively hot. 
B)  This barbecue would be better if it weren t so oppressive hot. 
C)  This barbecue would be better if it weren t so oppressively hot.

Question 11

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. Which of the following are crucial considerations during prewriting?

Accepted Answer

A)  availability of a computer 
B)  subject, audience, and purpose 
C)  correct grammar and spelling 
D)  final length of the paper

Question 12

Instructions: Read the passage and then answer the question(s) that follow. Nail polish dates back to about 3000 B.C. In China, it was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum. In ancient Egypt, the cosmetic was made from henna, a reddish-brown dye from the leaves of a henna tree or shrub. In both societies, fingernail colors depended upon one s social and economic class. A royal woman was allowed to wear gold and silver polish. ____________, a lower-ranking woman could wear only pale tones. If she wore royal colors, she was punished with death. What transitional expression belongs in the blank?

Accepted Answer

A)  Next 
B)  For instance 
C)  However

Question 13

Instructions: Read the following sentence(s) carefully. Then select the correct adjective or adverb in parentheses. The leak in the pipe is ( badder , worse ) now than it was last week.

Accepted Answer

A)  badder 
B)  worse

Question 14

Instructions: In each set below, select the letter of the sentence in which all the apostrophes are used correctly. In which sentence are apostrophes used correctly?

Accepted Answer

A)  Your e careless about crossing your t s and dotting your is. 
B)  You re careless about crossing your t s and dotting your i s. 
C)  You re careless about crossing your ts and dotting your is.

Question 15

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. First, we collected all the ingredients for the dough and placed them on the kitchen counter.

Accepted Answer

A)  Pronoun error 
B)  Correct

Question 16

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. The events in the plan(s) are not in the correct chronological order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. Football fans still call the Immaculate Reception one of the most famous and exciting plays in the history of the sport. ____ The ball bounced off Tatum and tumbled backward, end over end, toward Steelers running back Franco Harris, who scooped it up just before it hit the ground. ____ Needing to move the ball 60 yards to score again and win the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw began the play by throwing the football to his fullback John Fuqua. ____ Harris ran the ball the rest of the way, down the field, to score the Steelers game-winning touchdown with only 5 seconds remaining on the clock. ____ As the ball reached Fuqua, he collided with Raiders player Jack Tatum. ____ In the fourth quarter of a 1972 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders, with only 22 seconds left to play, the Raiders were winning 7-6, but the Steelers had the ball.

Accepted Answer

A)  4, 2, 5, 3, 1 
B)  1, 2, 5, 4, 3 
C)  3, 4, 2, 1, 5

Question 17

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer. Which prewriting technique involves jotting down a list of words and phrases?

Accepted Answer

A)  brainstorming 
B)  writing in a journal 
C)  freewriting 
D)  clustering 
E)  asking questions

Question 18

Instructions: Select the letter of the answer with the correct words for the blanks in each of the following sentences. Freda ____ to ____ her vitamins from ____ pharmacy.

Accepted Answer

A)  used, by, you re 
B)  use, buy, your 
C)  used, buy, your

Question 19

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Last September, I watched my ten-year-old grandson act like an adult in an emergency. (2) While cleaning the living room carpet, I tripped and fell over the vacuum cleaner hose. (3) At first, I was dazed. (4) Soon, I realized that my left arm hurt terribly. (5) I called to my grandson Joel, who was the only other person at home. (6) When Joel saw me on the floor, his face went pale. (7) Then he calmly took charge of the situation. (8) He went to the phone and dialed for emergency help. (9) I heard him give our address, exact details of what had happened, and a description of the position I was lying in. (10) I could tell that he was carefully listening to the instructions he was given. (11) Returning to the living room, Joel covered me with a wool blanket and told me that an ambulance was on its way. (12) He sat by my side in the ambulance and stayed with me while the doctor treated me. (13) My sprained arm bothered me for only three weeks, but I will always feel proud of what my grandson did on that day. Select the number of the topic sentence that tells the point of the story in the paragraph above.

Accepted Answer

A)  Sentence 1 
B)  Sentence 2 
C)  Sentence 3

Question 20

Instructions: Proofread the following sentence(s) for inconsistent tense and person. In addition, check for faulty parallelism. Select the type of error each sentence contains. Steven and Sarah are less prepared for the job market than he or she think.

Accepted Answer

A)  inconsistent tense 
B)  inconsistent person 
C)  faulty parallelism

Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs