DIAGRAM OF AN ESSAY
To write an effective essay, first prepare an outline, using a form like the one below.
Intro- Thesis Statement ______________________________________________________ duction ______________________________________________________________________
Topic Sentence 1 ____________________________________________________________
Specific _____________________________________________________________ Supporting
Evidence _____________________________________________________________
Topic Sentence 2 ____________________________________________________________ Body
para- Specific _____________________________________________________________ graphs Supporting
Evidence _____________________________________________________________
Topic Sentence 3 ____________________________________________________________
Specific _____________________________________________________________ Supporting
Evidence _____________________________________________________________
TEST: AN INTRODUCTION TO WRITING
Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers.
1. An important difference between writing and talking is that a. writers make more points than speakers.
b. writers always use better English than speakers. c. writers do not write about personal matters. d. writers have to give reasons for their statements.
2. In most writing, your general aim should be to first advance a point and then ________________
that point.
3. TRUE or FALSE: _____ The introductory paragraph of an essay should always begin by stating the point the essay will prove.
4. The plan of development in an essay is a. the structure of a body paragraph. b. the same as a thesis statement.
c. a preview of the major points that support the essay. d. always part of an introductory paragraph.
5. TRUE or FALSE: _____ Supporting paragraphs in an essay do not need their own topic sentences.
6. Which of the following are advantages of learning how to write essays? a. Makes you think more logically.
b. Helps you write job application letters.
c. Improves your chances of success on written tests. d. All of the above.
7. The body of an essay consists of
a. paragraphs that support the thesis. c. introduction, development, and conclusion.
b. the thesis. d. topic sentences.
8. TRUE or FALSE: _____ The concluding paragraph of an essay can include both a summary of the main point and a final thought on the subject.
9. TRUE or FALSE: _____ If you don’t know your subject when you begin to write, you may discover it as you write.
TEST: THE WRITING PROCESS
Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple-choice questions, and some require you to write short answers.
1. FILL-IN: The five prewriting techniques are 1) freewriting, 2) questioning,
3) making a ____________________, 4) clustering, and 5) preparing a scratch outline.
2. When freewriting, you should concern yourself with a. spelling.
b. punctuation. c. constantly writing.
d. finding the exact words to say what you mean.
3. In questioning, you generate ideas about a topic by a. asking as many questions as you can think of. b. reading.
c. writing for ten minutes or so without stopping.
d. drawing boxes, arrows and circles to show relationships between ideas.
4. Another name for clustering is
a. brainstorming. c. outlining.
b. freewriting. d. diagramming.
5. In outlining, you must distinguish between major ideas and
a. minor details. c. lists.
b. diagrams. d. techniques.
6. FILL-IN: Writing is done through a series of stages: 1) _____________________________,
2) writing and revising, 3) editing, 4) proofreading.
7. FILL-IN: To revise your essay’s content, you should ask three questions. These are: (1) Is
my paper unified? (2) Is it supported? (3) Is it
_____________________________________?
8. A paper is considered supported when
a. there are at least three separate supporting points for the thesis. b. there is specific evidence for each supporting point.
c. there is plenty of specific evidence for each supporting point. d. all of the above.
b. Do I use specific words? c. Do I vary my sentences?
d. Do I use correct spelling and punctuation?
TEST: THE FIRST AND SECOND STEPS IN ESSAY WRITING
Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple-choice questions, and some require you to write short answers.
1. FILL-IN: The first step in essay writing is deciding what ____________________ you want to make.
2. TRUE or FALSE: _____ Formulating your thesis at the beginning will help you stick to the topic of your essay.
3. One way to make sure that your essay will have enough support is to start with
a. a thesis statement. c. an introduction.
b. an informal outline. d. all of the above.
4. Which of the following sentences is an announcement rather than a thesis statement? a. Professional athletes are underworked and overpaid.
b. My cousin has centered his life around becoming a professional basketball player. c. For several reasons, professional athletes today are a bad influence on young people. d. The importance of professional athletes is the subject of this paper.
5. Choose the sentence that is too broad to be an effective thesis for an essay. a. Our family outings tend to fall into three categories.
b. A bicycle trip is a terrible way to spend a vacation. c. Recreation is an important part of the American lifestyle. d. Several steps should be taken to speed up baseball games.
6. Choose the sentence that is too narrow to be an effective thesis for an essay. a. When I was eight years old, I got a parakeet.
b. Wild cats do not make good house pets.
c. Some people at zoos seem less civilized than the animals. d. There are three effective ways to housebreak a puppy.
7. Which of the following sentences is not an effective thesis because it contains more than one idea?
a. People who live in small towns escape many of the hazards of the city. b. Living in a small town can be boring at times, but it has its advantages. c. Moving to a small town required some major adjustments in my life.
d. My roommate’s small-town background did not prepare her for life at a large university.
8. FILL-IN: A “dead-end” statement is another name for a sentence that is too _________________________ to be developed into an essay.
9. Choose the vague term from the list below.
b. Vehicle d. Wagon
TEST: THE THIRD STEP IN ESSAY WRITING
Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple-choice questions, and some require you to write short answers.
1. FILL-IN: Two common methods of organizing the supporting material in an essay are emphatic order and ____________________ order.
2. In emphatic order, the most interesting or important detail is placed
a. last. c. in the middle.
b. first. d. in several places.
3. Which of the following is an addition signal?
a. but c. therefore
b. such as d. also
4. Which of the following is a change-of-direction signal?
a. another c. on the other hand
b. before d. once
5. FILL-IN: Transitions occur not only within the paragraphs of an essay, but also __________
the paragraphs, in the form of linking sentences.
6. TRUE or FALSE: _____ A topic sentence can also be a transitional sentence.
7. Which of the following are connecting words? a. repeated words
b. pronouns c. synonyms
d. all of the above
8. Repeating a key word in a paragraph a. is boring and should be avoided.
b. can serve to remind the reader of the paragraph’s main idea. c. shows the reader where the most important detail is.
d. is grammatically incorrect.
9. An introductory paragraph may a. contain a quotation.
b. include a question.
TEST: THE FOURTH STEP IN ESSAY WRITING I: REVISING SENTENCES
Revise each of the following sentences, using the strategy indicated.
A. Parallelism
1. Tired of your old hair? The hair-care aisle is full of products that can color it, straighten it, or make it curly.
2. Beautiful women, a suave hero, and villains who are despicable are the most important elements of a James Bond movie.
B. Consistent point of view
3. Joanna’s date smiled at her, reached for her hand, and says, “You’re looking beautiful tonight.”
4. Rhonda says that you can kill a dog by feeding it chocolate.
C.Specific words
5. Tonight I’d like a hamburger with all the trimmings.
6. The pile of junk on Carlos’s bed made it impossible for him to sleep there.
D.Active verbs
7. My sleep was shattered by a blood-chilling scream.
8. Every bit of the stew was eaten by the hungry hikers.
E.Concise words
9. Without any doubt whatsoever, the success of this project has been due to the fact that everyone involved gave it his or her absolute utmost effort.
TEST: THE FOURTH STEP IN ESSAY WRITING II:
COMBINING SENTENCES THROUGH COORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION
On separate paper, use coordination and subordination to combine the groups of simple sentences below into one or (in most cases) two longer sentences. Omit repeated words. Since a variety of combinations is possible, you might want to jot several combinations on your paper. Then read them aloud to find the combination that sounds best. Keep in mind that, very often, the relationship between ideas in a sentence will be clearer when subordination rather than coordination is used.
1. • Everyone laughed at the boss’s story. • Stan laughed harder than anyone else. • He didn’t get the joke.
2. • My car developed an annoying rattle. • I took it to the service station.
• The mechanic couldn’t find what was wrong.
3. • I have always wanted to play the piano. • My parents couldn’t afford music lessons. • I still want to learn.
• I am taking an adult course at our school.
4. • A Vietnamese restaurant opened in our town. • It has been doing a tremendous business. • The food is reasonably priced.
• It is a delicious combination of Chinese and French cooking.
5. • A person at the party told a racist joke. • I decided to leave.
• My boyfriend told me to calm down. • I didn’t want to be around people like that.
6. • The burner was set only at “medium.” • The soup boiled over the top of the pot. • The mixture hit the hot stove.
• It smoked, hissed, and bubbled.
7. • I couldn’t decide which of the two sweaters to buy. • The saleswoman convinced me to take both. • At home, I regretted the expensive purchase. • I vowed to return one of the sweaters.
8. • Debbie felt nervous and out-of-place at the party. • She sat by herself at the end of the sofa.
• She didn’t want people to feel sorry for her. • She kept a strained smile on her face.
• People get the feeling he doesn’t care.
• Being called by another name is embarrassing. • It makes the students feel unimportant as well.
TEST: THE FOURTH STEP IN ESSAY WRITING III: VARYING SENTENCES
On separate paper, combine each of the following groups of simple sentences into one longer sentence, using the strategy indicated.
A. Special Opening Words and Phrases
1. Elias walked out of the theater. He was shocked by the movie’s violence.
2. The new receptionist was timid. She answered the office phone for the first time.
3. The cat was curled up in a sunny spot on the windowsill. It paid no attention to the people passing by.
4. Lilian was nauseated and feverish. She could not face the idea of making dinner for her children.
B.Series of adjectives
5. An odor filled the house. The odor was damp. The odor was musty. The house was cold. The house was creepy.
6. Hakim snarled at his computer. Hakim was impatient.
Hakim was angry.
The computer was ancient. The computer was slow.
C.Series of verbs
7. The runner stretched her legs. She rotated her shoulders. She talked quietly to herself.
WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT
This activity will give you practice in writing an effective thesis—one that is neither too broad nor too narrow for the supporting points in an essay. An added value of the activity is that sometimes you will construct your thesis after you have decided what your supporting points will be. You will need to know, then, how to write a thesis that will match exactly the points that you have developed.
1. Thesis ______________________________________________________________________
a. All the resorts, from beaches to mountains to amusement parks, charge top dollar at this time.
b. The heat and humidity during the summer months make traveling extremely uncomfortable.
c. Highways, campsites, and motels are jammed with other vacationers.
2. Thesis ______________________________________________________________________
a. Daydreaming allows us to exercise our imaginations.
b. Time spent daydreaming can aid relaxation and help eliminate stress.
c. Often, solutions to difficult problems pop into the mind while a person daydreams.
3. Thesis ______________________________________________________________________
a. Cutting down on salt will reduce water retention and that bloated feeling. b. Salt reduction may also help hypertension.
c. Without salt, the natural flavors of food come through.
4. Thesis ______________________________________________________________________
a. A digital camera permits on-the-spot deletion of poorly-shot photos. b. Using a digital camera eliminates pricey film developing costs.
IDENTIFYING ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS
The following body paragraphs were taken from student essays. Two of the paragraphs provide sufficient details to support their topic sentences convincingly. Write AD for adequate
development beside those paragraphs. There are also two paragraphs that, in large part, use vague, wordy, or general sentences as a substitute for real supporting details. Write U for underdeveloped beside those paragraphs.
______ 1. Chaperoning a group of Girl Scouts on a canoe trip turned out to be one of the three worst experiences of my summer. The day started out wrong, first, when a
scheduling mix-up occurred. A great deal of time had to be spent just getting this matter straightened out. Once we reached the river, we had problems teaching the girls how to handle their crafts in the water. There was not the cooperation and the simple skill at moving the crafts that might have been assumed. Finally, the loss of some important supplies and an unfortunate turn in the weather turned the whole outing into a horror show. Feeling altogether frustrated because of the many things that went wrong, I vowed that I would never again volunteer for a Scout field trip.
______ 2. Buying a new car can have its drawbacks as well. For instance, you begin to park in the farthest-out parking spaces you can find so that your car won’t be scratched or dented. Then you have to hike a quarter mile or so to reach the shopping center. A new car also demands constant attention. You feel you must immediately wipe any bird droppings, mud splashes, or water stains off the exterior, a chore you would never have bothered about with your old junker. A new car, in addition, forces you to avoid any indoor parking garages or restaurants with valet parking. The sight of a car attendant gunning your car up a ramp or squeezing it into a tiny space could cause heart failure.
______ 3. One way we could improve our lives would be by banning cars. The environment would improve, and the change for the better would be apparent in healthier lives for all of us. Without cars, Americans would have other benefits as well. An important one that should not be forgotten is the safety factor. There are many accidents that occur every year in which cars are involved. If all of these accidents could be avoided, everyone would benefit, and the country would be safer for all of us in living our everyday lives. In addition, the pace of our lives would slow down. There would be less worry and anxiety to deal with if people were not moving about in cars.
PROVIDING TRANSITIONS
In the spaces provided, add appropriate transitions to tie together the sentences and ideas in the following essay. Draw from the words given in the box below.
finally but for example in addition another
as a result one second for instance first of all
Hooked on Buying
Every day, Americans head out in droves for our country’s department stores, discount centers, and shopping malls. We all have to buy something we think we really need or we feel is an incredible bargain. In reality, though, we are just ready for another fix of our favorite drug: shopping. There are several reasons why we seem to have turned into a nation of consumer junkies.
______________________ , Americans believe in competition, even when it comes to acquiring possessions. We feel like losers if we don’t own the cars, appliances, clothes,
and furniture our neighbors and friends own. _______________________ , the Browns’ four-year-old car will seem fine until the Smiths next door buy a brand-new model. Then the competitive instinct to stay ahead in the game sends the Browns out scouting the new car lots. ___________________ , the competitive urge tells us that people’s success in life
is measured by how much they own. So we admire those with the most material possessions, the ones who own three cars or enough shoes to fill a walk-in closet.
A _________________________ reason for our addiction to consumer goods is the American belief that “new is better.” It is possible to fix a broken toaster, mend torn clothing, or make do with an outdated refrigerator. _____________________ we prefer to throw out the old and buy the new. _______________________ , we have junkyards and
dumps bursting with the still-usable items we no longer want. Instead of reusing or recycling, which would make more economic sense, we throw away.
________________________ , our buying habit is maintained and encouraged by advertisers. We are bombarded by television and print ads that carry seductive messages. ___________________ of these messages is that buying a particular product—a stereo, a motorcycle, or a dishwasher,______________________—is all that is needed to make the purchaser happy. _____________________ message is that buying a certain product will
make the user a better, more attractive person. Every shampoo, makeup, or cologne tries to convince us that a single item can transform us into the ideal self we fantasize about.
IDENTIFYING TRANSITIONS AND OTHER CONNECTING WORDS
The following selections use transitions, repeated words, synonyms, and pronouns to tie together ideas. The connecting words you are to identify have been boldfaced. In the space provided, write T for Transition, RW for Repeated Word, S for Synonym, or P for Pronoun.
______ 1. Charles Goodyear invented the process that produces rubber. But he died in poverty in 1860, over $200,000 in debt.
______ 2. An all-out nuclear war might destroy the earth’s ozone layer. Without it, we would be exposed to cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation.
______ 3. My new running shoes don’t have laces that have to be tied. Instead, their elastic opening allows them to be slipped on in an instant.
______ 4 The finest sandpapers can buff eggshells and hull peanut skins. In contrast, the toughest abrasives can grind through inches of steel in seconds.
______ 5 Too much intensive exercise can actually hurt the body. Muscles usually need a forty-eight hour rest after a good workout.
______ 6. The barrel of a gun is marked with grooves that leave unique marks on the bullet it fires. This is why an expert can match a bullet exactly to the gun it came from.
______ 7. Ticks can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They have also been identified as the cause of Lyme disease, a severe form of arthritis.
______ 8. McDonald’s, the fast-food chain, uses an enormous amount of paper. Every year, the yield of over 600 square miles of forest is needed to produce the company’s packaging.
______ 9. Lola loves to watch gymnastics and ice skating on television. She also enjoys demolition derbies.
IDENTIFYING INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
The box below lists six common kinds of introductions and three common kinds of conclusions. Read the two sets of introductory and concluding paragraphs that follow. Then, in the space provided, write the number of the kind of introduction or conclusion used in each case.
Introductions Conclusions
1. General to narrow 1. Summary and final thought 2. Starting with an opposite 2. Question(s)
3. Stating importance of topic 3. Prediction or recommendation
4. Incident or story 5. Question(s) 6. Quotation
______ Some of my most successful friends cannot balance a budget. I know an
assistant manager in a bank who can’t keep track of how much money is in his own checking account. My sister-in-law, a registered nurse, depends on overdrawn notices from the bank to let her know when she runs out of funds. These are both intelligent individuals, but managing their own finances causes them to sing the blues. Although I am not a whiz at math, I keep my budget in harmony by following a few simple hints. . . .
______ So, by keeping my financial records organized in one place, by keeping track of my income and expenses in a simple ledger book, and by keeping my check stubs filled out each time I write a check or make a deposit, I find that balancing my budget can be painless. And knowing how much money I have left at the end of the month makes life a lot easier.
______ Crime is increasing, pollution threatens our planet, and widespread poverty lowers the quality of human life. Surely these are enormous problems that have little to do with fuzzy thinking or imprecise language. George Orwell, however, believes that language does influence events; in his essay, “Politics and the English Language,” he argues that the misuse of language obscures clear thinking. This distorted thinking, in turn, allows political corruption to flourish. If Orwell were to update his essay to our own time, he would see that the state of the English
language has declined even further. . . .
______ The use of vague and dishonest language is dangerous. Language is filled with meaning, and its continued abuse and manipulation could have frightening
PROVIDING TITLES
A. In the space provided, correct the mistake made in each of the following titles:
1. Keys To Study Success
_______________________________________________________________________
2. “a discovery in my life”
_______________________________________________________________________
B. Write an appropriate title for each of the introductory paragraphs that follow.
1. It is harder than ever now for a couple to buy that first house. This is a frustrating fact of life that my husband and I learned after we were married. In order to make our dream of being homeowners come true, we decided to take certain steps. By moving in temporarily with my parents, severely limiting our leisure expenses, and working extra jobs, we hope to have enough money for a down payment on a modest house within two years.
Title: __________________________________________________________________
2. Their jingles are hummable. Their characters are lovable. Their approach, for the most part, is soft-sell, not hard. And their success or failure may means millions of dollars to business. What are they? They are the fast-food commercials that are shown dozens of times a day on television. Because the intent beneath the friendly surface is so serious, advertisers devote a great deal of attention to making these commercials work. The advertisers use several types of proven propaganda techniques to pitch fast-food to the American public.
Title: __________________________________________________________________
3. Most young people leave home eventually. Leaving home is a necessary stage in breaking ties to parents and beginning a life as an adult. Unfortunately, many young people are not prepared for the kind of world they will face on their own. They have no real concept of the kind of money, self-discipline, and continuing support they will need to make their first flight from the nest a successful one.
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY
The supporting paragraphs in the essay below contain four irrelevant sentences that do not relate to the thesis of the paper or support the topic sentences of the paragraph in which they appear. Read the essay carefully; then write the numbers of the four irrelevant sentences in the spaces provided at the bottom.
The Dangers of Housecleaning
1Many of the dangers of modern life are not out on the highway or in the workplace. 2Instead, dangers lurk where they are least unexpected: at home. 3I don’t mean the dangers of faulty wiring, cheap ladders, or leaking microwaves. 4No, I’ve found that trying to keep a clean house can be very hazardous to my health.
5For one thing, it does not pay to keep a clean kitchen. 6The oven, for instance, fights back. 7Whenever I stick my head into the oven’s greasy interior to spray it with Easy-Off, I end up being choked by a chemical cloud. 8I am glad I don’t live in the city, where I would have to put up with air pollution as well. 9When I scrub off the foam, I always break off my nails on the black, rock-hard globs cemented to the oven door. 10Cleaning the refrigerator can be dangerous, too. 11As I lean down to wipe out the vegetable drawer, the open freezer lies in wait. 12It knows I must straighten up again, and that I will inevitably bang my head on the freezer door. 13Garbage bags also resist tidiness. 14When I pull a bag out of the kitchen can, seams split and liquid seeps out onto my shoes. 15A jagged can lid slices through the bag, ready to slash my legs if I should bump the bag. 16The only bags that don’t rip open, it seems, are the ones that cost a fortune to buy.
17The living room becomes another danger zone when I attempt to clean. 18The light fixtures on the ceiling, for example, resent being taken down for cleaning. 19They refuse to come loose from the screws that anchor them; then they drop like rocks to the floor. 20Moving furniture to vacuum the rug underneath causes trouble, too. 21If I drag a heavy armchair across the rug, one of its legs will snap off. 22If I try to lift one side of the heavy sofa, the vacuum cord will wrap around my ankle and trip me. 23Moving furniture in general is a lot easier to do when you have someone to help you.
35After the experiences I have had in my house, I have decided that keeping a clean house is not as important as I thought. 36I would rather live with the dust and grime—and stay healthy.
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR SUPPORT
The essay below lacks details at certain key spots in its three supporting paragraphs. In the spaces provided at the bottom, write in the numbers of the five sentences after which more details are needed.
Leaving Home
1Everyone must leave the protection of the nest sooner or later. 2Whether young adults leave for college or rent a first apartment, they are certain to encounter problems during this transitional period. 3Young people on their own must learn to handle their own finances, take responsibility for their lives, and cope with loneliness.
4Being independent means dealing with money problems. 5First of all, a young person has to learn to stick to a budget. 6Another part of becoming a financial grown-up is being disciplined enough to save money for emergencies. 7Putting money aside, instead of spending it instantly, takes maturity and planning. 8But a rainy-day fund in the bank can take the panic out of
unexpected expenses that may occur. 9A young person must also work at building a good credit record. 10Without good credit, buying a car or a piece of furniture becomes nearly impossible. 11And the price of missing loan payments is high; bad credit references can haunt people for years.
12Second, young adults are faced with taking responsibility for many aspects of their personal lives—perhaps for the first time. 13They must learn to meet daily obligations, without being prodded by parents or teachers. 14Young people must also take responsibility for
household chores. 15Suddenly, there is no one to wash dishes, make beds, clean toilets, or do the laundry for them. 16Putting off the chores becomes very inconvenient after a while; there are no clean clothes, and dishes have to be scraped off and reused. 17The realization that there’s no one else to do the chores can sometimes be a shock. 18A third important responsibility young people confront is learning to look after their own health.
19Finally, young adults must learn to cope with loneliness. 20The everyday kind of
loneliness can be very painful. 21Coming home to an empty apartment, with only a television for company, may give someone an empty, aching feeling. 22But a young person can feel lonely surrounded by other people, too. 23Sometimes, a campus filled with students or a dorm room with two other roommates in it can be a lonely place. 24There is another kind of loneliness, even sharper, that young people must live with: spending certain special days alone.
25Leaving home is a major transition in life. 26Losing touch with familiar faces and settings, even temporarily, can be very difficult. 27However, all the problems young adults face are necessary ones. 28Learning to fly means taking risks and acquiring new skills.
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR COHERENCE
Read the essay below and then answer the questions about coherence that follow.
Labeling Animals
a In some ways, the human race seems to be in its childhood. Our attitude toward animals, for example, makes us seem like a seven-year-old pulling the wings off flies. Instead of respecting all animals as important parts of the chain of life, we rate them according to how useful they are to us. We consider animals to be either products, toys, or monsters.
b There are the products. These are the animals, such as cattle, pigs, and sheep, that provide much of our food. For this reason, we think of them less as living creatures than as growing crops. We fatten them up, herd them into slaughterhouses, and carve them into edible portions. These animals are useful to us, so we have generally positive feelings about them. Our actions show that we are not actually fond of them. We are willing to lock baby calves into dark boxes for months and then kill them for veal, or cram thousands of chickens into tiny pens and allow them to live for only six weeks. Increased production, not humane treatment, is the bottom line.
c Perhaps the most harmful label we pin on animals, though, is that of monster. We have no use at all for these creatures. We are all taught from birth that sharks, snakes, bats, and alligators, for instance, are evil and dangerous. The facts about these animals make no difference to our emotions. The fact that being attacked by a shark is less likely than being struck by lightning does not stop us from holding shark-killing contests. The fact that a snake is harmless does not stop us from crushing it. Very few of us will ever be mauled by a grizzly or bobcat or torn apart by wolves, yet we are willing to see these animals exterminated.
d We also label some animals as toys. These are the lucky ones, the puppies, kittens, pandas, koala bears, bunnies, and porpoises we consider cute. Toys make us feel
sentimental and protective. We are willing to devote five minutes on the evening news to a baby panda, we stock our children’s room with stuffed bunnies, and we make movies about friendly, funny porpoises. We would not think of holding puppy-shoots or koala-killing contests. Toy-like animals may occasionally be neglected or abused by individual owners, but we would never allow them to be destroyed on a wholesale basis.
e Labeling animals is not a harmless little quirk we humans have. This practice has dulled our respect for other living beings and even led to the destruction of entire species. We dominate the animals, but we have forgotten to be their caretakers.
2. What are the first several words of the sentence to which the transition word However could be added in the first supporting paragraph? _____________________________
3. What word is a synonym for animals in the second supporting paragraph? ______________
4. To what does the pronoun them refer in the third supporting paragraph? _________________
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY, SUPPORT, COHERENCE, AND SENTENCE SKILLS I
In this activity, you will evaluate an essay in terms of the four bases of unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills. Evaluative comments follow each supporting paragraph in the essay below. Circle the letter of the one statement that applies in each case.
Rock Concert Fans
If you see rock-concert audiences only on television or in photos, the people at these events may all seem to be excited teenagers. However, if you attended a few rock shows, you would see that several kinds of people make up the crowd. At any concert, you would find the typical fan, the out-of-place person, and the troublemaker.
Typical fans, first of all, are the people you would expect to see at a particular kind of concert, these fans will vary according to the group that is playing. If the attraction is a loud, heavy-metal band, for instance. Typical fans will have long hair, drink lots of beer, and leave on motorcycles. A hip-hop group, in contrast, will attract the people who copy the group’s baggy clothes and rhythmic dancing. At a concert featuring a smooth-jazz sound, fans will be clean-cut, calm, and conservatively dressed in pressed pants and knit polo shirts.
a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence.
b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words.
d. The paragraph contains a fragment and a run-on.
Looking around the arena, the concert-goer will quickly spot another category of people: the ones who look out of place. This group includes uncomfortable-looking parents who insisted on coming along with their thirteen-year-olds. Parents usually appear stunned by the noise level of the band, and they check their watches every few minutes. Parents will also drag their child away before any encores so that they can get out of the parking lot quickly. Out-of-place people might include, too, the Alicia Keys fan trapped on a date with a Metallica heavy-metal freak. This fan can be seen stuffing rolled-up Kleenex into his or her ears to block out at least some of the sound. The loud guitars and rebellious attitude of heavy-metal bands mean that these concerts usually attract the rowdiest crowds, as security guards will attest.
a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence.
b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words.
d. The paragraph contains a fragment and a run-on.
The third type of person at a large rock concert is the troublemaker. This is usually a male who has decided that the concert is a place where law and order do not exist. People like this will, for example, bring all kinds of forbidden items into the arena or stadium. Troublemakers also ignore basic concert manners. They will try to sit in seats that have been assigned to other people, or they will stand directly in front of a row of people who are trying to see the stage. Finally, troublemakers seem to feel that a rock concert is not worthwhile without at least one fistfight. They may scuffle with a police officer who is guarding the stage, an usher who is trying to remove them from already-taken seats, or innocent bystanders who are waiting in line at the refreshment stand.
b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words.
d. The paragraph contains a fragment and a run-on.
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY, SUPPORT, COHERENCE, AND SENTENCE SKILLS II
In this activity, you will evaluate an essay in terms of the four bases of unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills. Evaluative comments follow each supporting paragraph in the essay below. Circle the letter of the one statement that applies in each case.
My Parents’ Vulnerability
As I’ve watched my parents get older, I’ve experienced a strange sensation. Our roles seem to be reversing. They were once the strong ones, and I was the dependent child. But now they sometimes turn to me for help, and I feel they are no longer as powerful as I thought they were. In many ways, my parents are now very vulnerable.
For one thing, my parents are more vulnerable than ever to money problems. They live in a mobile home park; they bought their trailer with the savings they managed to accumulate over the years. My parents worry that the rent for their lot will go up again, as it has in the past. They also worry about the rumor that the park is being sold and all the tenants may be evicted, they know they cannot afford to move on their social security income and my father’s small pension. A car problem can be big trouble for my parents, too. Because they live on a very tight budget. An unexpected car repair can mean that they must cut back on food and other essentials. Since my parents walk a financial tightrope, they are liable to be badly hurt at any time.
a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence.
b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitions.
d. The paragraph contains a run-on and a fragment.
In addition, my parents are vulnerable to health problems. My mother has always had problems with her inner ear, and this affects her sense of balance. Her dizzy spells are more frequent now, and we are thus concerned that she may fall and break a leg or hip. She is also susceptible to bronchitis and flu. As she gets older, every episode seems to get worse and to leave her weaker than ever. My father’s health problems are even more severe than my mother’s. I know that either one of my parents could become terribly sick at any moment.
a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence.
b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words.
d. The paragraph contains a run-on and a fragment.
a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence.
b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words.
d. The paragraph contains a run-on and a fragment.
GENERAL OUTLINING ACTIVITIES
Under each of the three thesis statements that follow is a scrambled list of primary and
secondary supporting ideas. Put the ideas into logical order by filling in the outline to the right of each list.
1. Thesis: In today’s world, people try to avoid silence as much as possible.
On vacation _____________________________________
TV on as background noise __________________________________
At school __________________________________
Muzak playing in cafeteria _____________________________________
Stereos and radios on nonstop __________________________________
Noisy “toys” such as snowmobiles and dirt bikes __________________________________
At home _____________________________________
Noisy places such as crowded beaches and __________________________________ amusement parks
TV soap operas on in lounges __________________________________
2. Thesis: A marriage improves when both partners work.
Helps relationship _____________________________________
Able to afford some luxuries __________________________________
Gives feeling of achievement __________________________________
Helps each individual _____________________________________
Learn to appreciate time together __________________________________
Helps financially __________________________________
Eases paying monthly bills _____________________________________
Gives feeling of independence __________________________________
Able to talk together about outside activities __________________________________
3. Thesis: A few tips can help you to be a smarter car buyer.
Agreeing on a price _____________________________________
Consult Consumer Reports __________________________________
Signing the final papers __________________________________
Shopping around _____________________________________
Ask for a discount if you’re paying cash __________________________________
Visit several dealers __________________________________
Make sure the loan interest rate you want is _____________________________________ specified on paper
Watch out for added contract clauses, such as __________________________________ insurance and special warranties
OUTLINING AN ESSAY I
Read the essay below. Then outline it on a separate sheet of paper. Write out the thesis statement and topic sentences, and list the three major points that fit under each topic sentence.
Escape Reading
Everyone needs to escape from a dull routine. Escape can sometimes be dangerous —if a person turns to alcohol or drugs, for instance. But escaping into a sport or hobby can be a healthy way to turn off the daily pressures. My escape hatch is reading books that carry me to other times and places.
I often escape, first of all, into spy stories. These books are usually set in exotic lands I’m sure I will never actually see. Spies, for example, pass information to each other in a market in Tokyo, a cafe in Venice, or an airport in Bombay. In addition, spy novels are filled with fascinating marvels of technology. James Bond has his Lotus car equipped with smokescreen and machine gun controls, of course, but even
less-glamorous spies use cameras the size of matchboxes and microphones that pick up conversations miles away. The intricate, twisted plots of spy stories also aid the sensation of total escape. Keeping up with the secret agents, the counterspies, and the double crosses occupies my mind completely. I don’t worry about whether my car will pass inspection when I’m trying to figure out which American agent is really working for the KGB.
A second kind of escape reading I enjoy is the Western. A book by Zane Grey or Louis L’Amour is filled with the atmosphere of a long-ago era. I can live for a time in a town like Dodge City; I can almost see the dusty main street, the raised wooden
sidewalks, and the women wearing calico sunbonnets. The Western also helps me escape by providing plenty of action. Almost every page puts me in the midst of a cattle
roundup, a gunfight, or a galloping posse. The non-stop action won’t allow my mind to wander back to the real world until I turn the last page. Finally, a Western tempts me to escape into it because the story usually describes a simpler, less confusing world than my own. The characters are either good guys or bad guys, and it is easy to tell the difference. In the Old West, justice always triumphs in the end.
The final and most enjoyable escape I know is reading horror stories. For one thing, such stories keep me interested because the authors create fascinating imaginary
monsters. A story about a slimy creature that emerges from a graveyard or a huge, hundred-pound rat that lives in a basement is a story that blanks out reality. Horror stories introduce me to imaginary places as well. A horror tale can be set in a series of tunnels beneath the Antarctic ice sheet or in another dimension that exists only in a spooky old house. Pure shock, however, is what makes horror stories sure-fire escapes. The problems I have at work could never be as bad, for example, as the horrible
rabid St. Bernard, or a little boy being pursued by an insane and murderous father, I forget the outside world completely.
OUTLINING AN ESSAY II
Read the essay below. Then outline it on a separate sheet of paper. Write out the thesis statement and topic sentences and list the three major points that fit under each topic sentence.
Problems with Holidays
When most of us think about holidays, we have images of togetherness, happiness, and freedom from everyday cares. However, these pleasant pre-holiday thoughts can often turn into an unpleasant reality. The problems connected with holidays tend to occur in three areas—family situations, personal expectations, and finances.
Families can make holidays very trying times. First, for larger holidays such as Christmas, many families gather all the relatives in one place. Living with relatives, even temporarily, can be annoying. You discover, for instance, that Uncle Bob spends two hours in the bathroom every morning, and Aunt Helen performs dozens of noisy jumping jacks on the wooden floors of the upstairs bedroom. Besides the problems of close confinement, family get-togethers can also result in arguments and conflicts. Old wounds are opened and new ones inflicted. Aunt Helen will have one drink too many and remind your father that no one in their family thought Mom was good enough for him. Mom’s simmering dislike of Aunt Helen flares up, the entire family takes sides, children start crying, and the grudges are carried long past the holiday season.
A second area of holiday trouble revolves around personal expectations. One
expectation that can end in disappointment is the dream of a perfect gift. Your boyfriend shows up on Valentine’s Day with a card, not a dozen roses; a shirt is sitting under the Christmas tree, not the stereo system you wanted. Another false expectation is that something important will happen. For instance, the hope that this Thanksgiving will finally be the one that brings you and your father closer together vanishes as the day turns into the usual round of eating and watching football, rather than talking in an intimate way. A last false belief is that the holiday will lessen loneliness and depression. But, in fact, holidays may do just the opposite. You will probably feel especially miserable if you have no special someone and there are couples all around you at the Easter or Christmas church service.
Finances are the final area of holiday difficulty. Employees may be asked to contribute to holiday charity drives, the boss’ present, the secretary’s gift, or the
TEST: USING THE LIBRARY AND THE INTERNET
Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple-choice questions, and some require you to write short answers.
1. In order to locate a book called An Unfinished Woman, where in the book file should you look?
a. Under An in the title section.
b. Under Unfinished in the title section. c. Under Woman in the title section. d. Under Women in the subject section.
2. FILL-IN: You can best find books on a research topic by checking the (author, title, subject)
____________________ section of the book file, whether card catalog or computer file.
3. To find a particular book in a book file, you should track it down by using its _________________________, which is printed on the spine of the book.
4. Which of the following will be found in the reference section of the library? a. Encyclopedia Americana
b. A back copy of Time magazine c. Today’s newspaper
d. All of the above
5. TRUE or FALSE: _____ The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature lists magazine articles under both subject and author.
Following is an entry from the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature. Answer the questions below about the entry.
Infertility
Making Babies. P. Elmer-Dewitt. Il. Time 138: 56-63 S 30, ’91
6. What is the title and who is the author of the article? ________________________________
_________________________________
7. On what pages of the magazine does the article appear? _____________________________
9. A good way to use the Internet to find books on your topic is to a. visit an online bookstore and use its key word search box. b. use a search engine such as AOL NetFind.
c. post your topic on an online bulletin board. d. all of the above.
TEST: WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER
Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple-choice questions, and some require you to write short answers.
1. TRUE or FALSE: _____ You may have to choose another topic for your paper if there are not enough books and articles available for your research.
2. A research paper should be narrow and deep rather than broad and shallow. Which of the following topics would be most suited for a ten-page or so research paper?
a. Date rape c. Rape
b. Violence d. Causes of date rape
3. FILL-IN: Two common purposes of papers are 1) to make and defend a _______________ and 2) to present information on a subject.
4. A scratch outline for a research paper should be written
a. before note-taking. c. before limiting your topic.
b. before gathering information. d. after documenting your sources.
5. When writing a scratch outline for your paper, include your thesis and
a. your notes. c. areas of support for the thesis.
b. your sources. d. all of the above.
6. Notes for your research paper may be in the form of
a. direct quotations. c. paraphrasing.
b. summaries. d. all of the above.
7. TRUE or FALSE: _____ It’s best to take notes for a research paper on both sides of each card or sheet of paper.
8. According to the Modern Language Association’s style, the first citation for a source in a paper must be
a. at the bottom of the page. b. within the text of the paper. c. at the end of the paper. d. omitted.
9. TRUE or FALSE: _____ The “Works Cited” at the end of a paper must include all the sources actually used plus any other sources the writer has read.
10. Which of the following shows the correct format for a “Works Cited” entry? a. Will, George F. Men at Work. New York: Macmillan, 1990.
TEST ON FRAGMENTS
Each word group in the student paragraph below is numbered. In the space provided, write C if a word group is a complete sentence; write F it if is a fragment. You will find ten fragments in the paragraph.
Calling In Sick
1It takes skill to call in sick to work with a phony excuse. 2And not sound like a faker. 3First of all, you must be sure to speak directly to your boss. 4Not to a co-worker or secretary. 5If you talk to a person who doesn’t like you. 6The individual may “forget” to give the boss the message. 7Making you look totally irresponsible. 8Or the person may tell the boss, in a sarcastic tone, “Terry is sick again.” 9Transmitting the message that you are definitely faking. 10Second, being careful not to ruin your excuse by overacting or exaggerating. 11For example, coughing on the phone like a tuberculosis victim or sneezing after every word. 12Also, don’t tell the boss that you have a complicated disease. 13Such as bronchitis combined with pneumonia. 14A simple excuse sounds more truthful, so stick with the flu or a stomach virus. 15The most important technique involved in calling in sick is making sure you don’t get caught. 16You must, for instance, be willing to stay home all day. 17So that a co-worker can’t say, “I tried to reach him, but he doesn’t answer.” 18And never return to work after sick leave with a suntan or a leg you broke while skiing. 19If you follow these tips when you call in sick. 20No one can accuse you of “faking it.”
1. _____ 2. _____ 3. _____ 4. _____ 5. _____
6. _____ 7. _____ 8. _____ 9. _____ 10. _____
11. _____ 12. _____ 13. _____ 14. _____ 15. _____
TEST ON RUN-ONS
In the space provided, write R-O beside run-on sentences. Write C beside sentences that are punctuated correctly. Some of the run-ons have no punctuation between the two complete thoughts; others have only a comma.
Correct each run-on by using (l) a period and capital letter, (2) a comma plus a joining word, or (3) a semicolon. Do not use the same method of correction in each sentence.
_____ 1. The can of mushroom soup must have spoiled, it was bulging at the top.
_____ 2. I respect my parents, I resent their attempts to choose a career for me.
_____ 3. The most popular language in the world is Chinese nearly a billion people speak it.
_____ 4. I could tell the room had been dusted, for all the pictures were crooked.
_____ 5. George knew the answer to the last essay exam question he didn’t have enough time
to write his response.
_____ 6. We quickly closed the camper’s windows, but dozens of moths had managed to fly in anyway.
_____ 7. The candy bar in my glove compartment had melted sticky chocolate sauce coated my license and registration.
_____ 8. Erin sat on the park bench eating peanuts squirrels kept bouncing up to her for a handout.
_____ 9. The fumes from the glossy enamel paint were giving Maria a headache she took a break outside.
TEST ON VERBS
All but one of the following sentences contain a mistake involving (1) standard English or irregular verb forms, (2) subject-verb agreement, or (3) consistent verb tense. Cross out the incorrect verb and write the correct form in the space provided. Mark the sentence that uses verbs correctly with a C.
______________ 1. Dot searched for the twenty-dollar bill she had hid somewhere in her purse.
______________ 2. Hovering overhead at the scene of the accident was several traffic helicopters.
______________ 3. When I caught my little boy pulling the dog’s ears, I sat him down and talk to him about being kind of animals.
______________ 4. Somebody in the dorm always keep a stereo playing all night long. ______________ 5. The giant-size box of Raisinets sells for three dollars at the theater’s
candy counter.
______________ 6. This coat and scarf looks very warm, but the wind seems to go right through them.
______________ 7. Wanda swabbed the inside of her cheek with a Q-tip, smears the cells on a glass slide, and then looked at them through the microscope.
______________ 8. Last August, Carmen taked his family on a long car trip to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon.
______________ 9. When smoke spilled from the front of the overheated car, the driver opened up the hood and then jumps back as steam billowed out.
TEST ON PUNCTUATION MARKS
Each of the sentences below contains an error in punctuation. Refer to the box below to write, in the space provided, the letter identifying the error. Then correct the error.
a. missing comma b. missing apostrophe
c. missing semicolon d. missing quotation marks
_____ 1. When Karen’s mother returned to college this year the entire family had to help out with the housework.
_____ 2. The cashier testified that the robbers face had been covered with a nylon stocking.
_____ 3. Arlene just received a promotion she’s now an assistant buyer for the sports shop in the mall.
_____ 4. Im thinking about calling the humane society, for our neighbor leaves his dog outside in the most bitterly cold weather.
_____ 5. President Coolidge, who was known as “Silent Cal” didn’t talk much and slept eleven hours a day.
_____ 6. My dad’s favorite saying is, Don’t pull tomorrow’s cloud over today’s sunshine.”
_____ 7. Lou rarely has a chance to relax on the weekends he’s too busy catching up on the laundry and the food shopping.
_____ 8. “Were you fired or laid off?” the woman at the unemployment office asked. “There’s a big difference.
_____ 9. The galaxy we live in is moving slowly through space someday it will probably collide with another galaxy.
EDITING FOR SENTENCE-SKILLS MISTAKES
See if you can locate and correct the ten sentence skills mistakes in the following passage. The mistakes are listed in the box below. As you locate mistakes, place checks in the spaces
provided.
2 sentence fragments _____ _____ 1 missing comma after introductory words _____
2 run-ons _____ _____ 2 missing commas
around an interrupter _____ _____
1 inconsistent verb tense _____ 1 nonparallel structure _____
1 apostrophe mistake _____
Another field that seems to attract eccentric teachers is English. One of my high school English teachers Mr. Karlinsky used to carry a long wooden pointer around the room. When he spotted a student who was not paying attention. He would sneak up from behind and rap the pointer as hard as possible on the student’s desk. The unexpected and earsplitting crack would cause the victims body to rise at least six inches from the desk chair. College has its share of strange English teachers as well, for example, one of my professors liked to draw on the board. Dr. Sandlin would stroll around the room, chalk in hand, waiting for the chance to draw something. Then she would spend thirty minutes of a fifty-minute class drawing Shakespeare’s Globe Theater or a seventeenth-century sword. The oddest English teacher I have had was Mr. Shaw, who taught a drama course. Mr. Shaw loved the sound of his own voice, when we read a play, he would take all the parts. Standing behind the lectern Mr. Shaw would run through an entire play by himself. While the students either fell asleep, doing homework for other classes, or read
TEST: ESL POINTERS
In each of the following sentences, underline the correct form in parentheses.
1. (Is, There is) much too much salt in this soup.
2. Lay your homework papers (on, in) the table before you leave.
3. Kim likes getting attention and hates to be (ignored, ignoring).
4. My grumpy neighbor (always, he always) seems to have something to complain about.
5. (Pizza, The pizza) is the most popular fast food in the United States.
6. Do you ever watch television (at, in) the daytime?
7. Blue jeans (like, are like) a uniform at my school—nearly everyone wears them.
8. People who win the lottery have to decide what to do with their sudden (wealth, wealths).
9. Chung wanted to thank Emily (for to give, for giving) him a gift.
ESSAY WRITING ASSIGNMENTS I
Write a five-paragraph essay of about 500 words on one of the following topics. Your instructor may allow you to choose a topic from either Group A or Group B or may ask you to choose a topic specifically from Group A or Group B.
In either case, your paper should have a one-paragraph introduction that engages the
reader’s interest and presents the thesis statement to be developed in your essay; three supporting paragraphs, each with a topic sentence; and a short concluding paragraph consisting of a
summary and a final thought.
Group A: Writing about Yourself
1. Many students have trouble with their college studies because they don’t like to read. On the other hand, students who have formed a love of reading can usually handle college assignments very well. Are you a reader? Do you enjoy nothing more than sitting down with a newspaper, magazine, or book? Or do you usually read only when you have to—for a college or work assignment? Think carefully about the reasons why you do or don’t enjoy reading. Then write an essay that fully explains three of the most important reasons why you feel the way you do.
2. All of us at one time or another receive advice, and some of that advice turns out to help or hurt us in a significant way. Think of the three most significant bits of advice ever given to you. The advice could come from anyone: a parent, a teacher, a friend, a TV personality. The advice does not have to be good advice; what matters is the influence it had on you. Write an essay in which you tell, for each piece of advice, who said it to you and the specific ways in which it affected your behavior.
3. Do you have any habits or traits that always get you into trouble? For instance, do you have a short temper? Do you tell white lies? Are you always late, too truthful, hard to wake up, or especially sloppy? Name three traits or qualities that get you into trouble and give examples of exactly how they have created problems for you.
Group B: Writing about Larger Issues
4. The current school year—from fall to spring—is really a relic of nineteenth-century agricultural society. Children used to start school after the harvest was in and leave at spring planting time, in order to help their families during the crucial growing season. Should we change this out-of-date system? After all, our expensive school buildings are vacant for three months; in addition, having the children at home all summer can cause problems for families with two working parents. Or is a long summer break still necessary? Give three detailed reasons why we should or should not change the school calendar.
ESSAY WRITING ASSIGNMENTS II
Write a five-paragraph essay of about 500 words on one of the following topics. Your instructor may allow you to choose a topic from either Group A or Group B or may ask you to choose a topic specifically from Group A or Group B.
In either case, your paper should have a one-paragraph introduction that engages the
reader’s interest and presents the thesis statement to be developed in your essay; three supporting paragraphs, each with a topic sentence; and a short concluding paragraph consisting of a
summary and a final thought.
Group A: Writing about Yourself
1. As you look around you, you probably see some people who seem to have gotten all the breaks and others who have gotten no breaks at all. Do you think life has treated you fairly or unfairly? Have you gotten mostly lucky breaks or unlucky breaks? Provide three detailed examples that show why you are one kind of person or the other.
2. All of us have fears—and those fears can have a real influence on our everyday behavior. Some people, for example, are afraid of numbers; as a result, they postpone taking a required math course in school or they automatically freeze up whenever they have a math quiz. Think about three of your greatest fears. Then write an essay in which you provide examples of those fears and show how they affect your daily life.
3. Everyone has certain valued material possessions in their lives—items that carry special meanings or provide special pleasures. Such an item might be, for example, a car, a personal computer, a ring, an article of clothing, a pen, or a photograph; it might be an expensive item or it might have cost very little. Write an essay in which you develop three reasons why a certain material item is especially valuable or important to you.
Group B: Writing about Larger Issues
4. One out of two marriages now ends in divorce. The vow “till death do us part” seems to have little meaning for most of today’s couples. Should marriage be a temporary, contractual arrangement, with options for renewal? In other words, would it be a better idea to marry under a three-year contract and, if the relationship was unsatisfactory, simply fail to renew the option? Give reasons why this system would or would not be a change for the better.
5. Many countries have a maximum (as well as a minimum) driving age, anywhere from 60 to 75. In other words, a person reaching that age must turn in his or her driver’s license. Should we do this in America? Write an essay on why we should or shouldn’t, using examples of elderly drivers you know (or have seen) to prove your point.
cardboard box or paper shopping bag. Some of these people are senile, some are mentally ill, and some have simply managed to slip through our welfare system. As part of the richest
ANSWERS TO THE THIRTY-TWO SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES AND TESTS
TEST: AN INTRODUCTION TO WRITING
1. d 6. d
2. support 7. a
3. F 8. T
4. c 9. T
5. F 10. d
TEST: THE WRITING PROCESS
1. list 6. prewriting
2. c 7. organized
3. a 8. d
4. d 9. d
5. a 10. F
TEST: THE FIRST AND SECOND STEPS IN ESSAY WRITING
1. point 6. a
2. T 7. b
3. b 8. narrow
4. d 9. b
5. c 10. T
TEST: THE THIRD STEP IN ESSAY WRITING
1. time 6. T
2. a 7. d
3. d 8. b
4. c 9. d
5. between 10. F
TEST: THE FOURTH STEP IN ESSAY WRITING I: REVISING SENTENCES
1. or curl it. 6. The soda cans, pizza boxes, and dirty clothes 2. and despicable villains 7. A blood-curdling scream shattered . . .
3. and said 8. The hungry hikers ate . . .
4. one can kill 9. Undoubtedly, the project succeeded because
5. with onions, tomato, and lettuce everyone gave it his or her best effort. 10. One benefit of exercise is that the person is
TEST: THE FOURTH STEP IN ESSAY WRITING II: COMBINING SENTENCES THROUGH COORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION
Note: Suggested combinations are given below for each of the ten selections. Other combinations that read smoothly and clearly are possible.
1. Everyone laughed at the boss’s story, but Stan laughed harder than anyone else, even though he didn’t get the joke.
2. When my car developed an annoying rattle, I took it to the service station, but the mechanic couldn’t find what was wrong.
3. I have always wanted to play the piano, but my parents couldn’t afford music lessons. I still want to learn, so I am taking an adult course at our high school.
4. Since a Vietnamese restaurant opened in our town, it has been doing a tremendous business. The food is reasonably priced, and it is a delicious combination of Chinese and French cooking.
5. After a person at the party told a racist joke, I decided to leave. My boyfriend told me to calm down, but I didn’t want to be around people like that.
6. Even though the burner was set only at “medium,” the soup boiled over the top of the pot. As the mixture hit the hot stove, it smoked, hissed, and bubbled.
7. When I couldn’t decide which of the two sweaters to buy, the saleswoman convinced me to take both. At home, I regretted the expensive purchase, so I vowed to return one of the sweaters.
8. Because Debbie felt nervous and out-of-place at the party, she sat by herself at the end of the sofa. She didn’t want people to feel sorry for her, so she kept a strained smile on her face.
9. Because Mr. Blatt always mixes up the students’ names, people get the feeling he doesn’t care. Being called by another name is embarrassing, and it makes the students feel unimportant as well.
10. Although we have discovered thousands of dinosaur fossils, we still don’t know much about these creatures. They dominated the earth longer than humans have, but they suddenly died out for unexplained reasons.
TEST: THE FOURTH STEP IN ESSAY WRITING III: VARYING SENTENCES
1. Shocked by the movie’s violence, Elias walked out of the theater.
2. Timidly, the new receptionist answered the office phone for the first time.
3. Curled up in a sunny spot on the windowsill, the cat paid no attention to the people passing by.
4. Nauseated and feverish, Lilian could not face the idea of making dinner for her children. 5. A damp, musty odor filled the cold, creepy house.
7. The runner stretched her legs, rotated her shoulders, and talked quietly to herself.
WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT
Answers may vary slightly.
1. Summer is the worst time to take a vacation. 2. Daydreaming has several benefits.
3. There are several advantages of reducing salt in your diet. 4. A digital camera offers many benefits.
IDENTIFYING ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS
U 1.
AD 2.
U 3.
AD 4.
PROVIDING TRANSITIONS
First of all, Americans . . .
For example (or For instance), the Browns . . . In addition, the competitive . . .
A second reason . . . But we prefer . . . As a result, we have . . . Finally, our buying . . . One of these . . .
for instance (or for example)—is . . . Another message . . .
IDENTIFYING TRANSITIONS AND OTHER CONNECTING WORDS
1. T 6. RW
2. P 7. P
3. T 8. S
4. T 9. T
5. S 10. S
IDENTIFYING INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
1 Summary and final thought 1 General to narrow
PROVIDING TITLES
A. 1. Keys to Study Success 2. A Discovery in My Life
B. (Answers may vary slightly.) 1. Buying Our First Home
2. How Fast Food Commercials Work 3. Leaving Home
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY
Irrelevant sentences: 8, 16, 23, 27
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR SUPPORT
The spots in the first supporting paragraphs where more details are needed occur after sentences number 5 and 8; the spots in the second supporting paragraphs where more details are needed occur after sentences number 13 and 18; the spot in the third supporting paragraph where more details are needed occurs after sentence number 24.
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR COHERENCE
1. First, there are the products. 2. However, our actions show . . . 3. creatures
4. toy-like animals 5. b, d, c
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY, SUPPORT, COHERENCE, AND SENTENCE SKILLS I
First supporting paragraph: d
Fragment: If the attraction . . . for instance. Run-on: Typical fan . . . that is playing.
Second supporting paragraph: a
Irrelevant sentence: The loud guitars . . . will attest.
EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY, SUPPORT, COHERENCE, AND SENTENCE SKILLS II
First supporting paragraph: d
Fragment: Because
