English Composition and Writing Flashcards

Which writing mode is primarily used when a writer describes a process step by step?

Answer: Process analysis

Process analysis explains how something works or how to do something by breaking it into sequential steps.

A writer argues that a politician's proposal must be wrong because the politician was once arrested. This is an example of which logical fallacy?

Answer: Ad hominem

Ad hominem attacks the person making an argument rather than the argument itself, which is a logical fallacy.

What is the purpose of hedging language (e.g., 'may,' 'suggests,' 'appears to') in academic writing?

Answer: To acknowledge uncertainty and avoid overstating claims

Hedging language signals appropriate epistemic humility, acknowledging the limits of evidence without abandoning the argument.

Which of the following is an example of a primary source in a literary analysis essay?

Answer: The novel itself

In literary analysis, the literary work being analyzed is the primary source; criticism and commentary about it are secondary sources.

When writing in second person ('you'), the most significant risk in academic essays is:

Answer: Creating ambiguity about who 'you' refers to and losing formality

Second-person address can be vague about who 'you' means and typically undermines the formal, impersonal tone expected in academic writing.

Which sentence best demonstrates an objective, academic tone?

Answer: Research indicates that the policy has produced mixed outcomes across demographic groups.

Academic tone relies on evidence-based, measured language that avoids emotional extremes, vague generalizations, and first-person opinion markers.

What is the primary difference between a summary and an analysis in college writing?

Answer: A summary restates the source's content; an analysis interprets its meaning or significance.

Summary reports what a text says, while analysis goes deeper by examining how or why it works and what it means.