CMAS CMAS Writing Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence contains a comma splice error?
- She studied hard, and she passed the test.
- He ran quickly, however he missed the bus. (Correct answer)
- The dog barked, but the cat ignored it.
- They arrived early; the seats were still available.
Correct answer: He ran quickly, however he missed the bus.
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma; 'however' requires a semicolon or period before it.
Question 2: What is the difference between a 'claim' and 'evidence' in argumentative writing?
- A claim is a fact; evidence is an opinion
- A claim is the writer's position; evidence is data or examples that support the claim (Correct answer)
- A claim is a story; evidence is a summary
- There is no difference; they mean the same thing
Correct answer: A claim is the writer's position; evidence is data or examples that support the claim
A claim states the writer's position or argument, while evidence provides facts, data, or examples that back up that claim.
Question 3: Which revision best improves the vague sentence: 'The environment is bad because of things people do'?
- The environment is very, very bad because of things.
- Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation are causing environmental degradation. (Correct answer)
- People do bad things to the environment every day.
- The environment has problems because of humans.
Correct answer: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation are causing environmental degradation.
Replacing vague language with specific examples (fossil fuels, deforestation) makes the writing clearer and more informative.
Question 4: In CMAS writing, what does 'elaboration' mean?
- Copying sentences directly from the source text
- Developing ideas with details, examples, or explanations beyond a brief mention (Correct answer)
- Shortening paragraphs to one sentence each
- Writing in all capital letters for emphasis
Correct answer: Developing ideas with details, examples, or explanations beyond a brief mention
Elaboration means expanding on an idea with specific details, examples, or explanations to make the writing more complete and convincing.
Question 5: Which sentence correctly uses a colon to introduce a list?
- The backpack contained: books, pencils, and a water bottle.
- She needed: to finish her homework.
- The three main subjects are: tested by CMAS.
- Colorado tests students in three subjects: math, ELA, and science. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Colorado tests students in three subjects: math, ELA, and science.
A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list, as in the fourth option.
Question 6: What writing trait focuses on the organization and logical flow of ideas within an essay?
- Word choice
- Voice
- Organization (Correct answer)
- Conventions
Correct answer: Organization
Organization refers to how well ideas are structured and whether they flow logically from introduction to conclusion.
CMAS CMAS Writing Skills 2
Which sentence contains a comma splice error?