Essay Writing Flashcards

Which revision corrects the dangling modifier in: 'Running to class, the bell rang'?

Answer: Running to class, students heard the bell ring.

The participial phrase 'Running to class' must be immediately followed by the noun it modifies — the students, not the bell.

Which of the following is an example of an appeal to authority (ethos)?

Answer: The American Medical Association states that vaping poses serious health risks to teens.

Ethos appeals to credibility by citing a respected organization or expert to support a claim.

A student is told her paragraph 'lacks unity.' What should she fix?

Answer: Remove or revise sentences that drift away from the paragraph's main idea.

Unity means every sentence in a paragraph directly supports the topic sentence; off-topic sentences must be removed or relocated.

Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?

Answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and riding bikes.

Parallel structure requires that items in a series use the same grammatical form — here, all gerunds (-ing).

What is the best way to address a counterargument in a persuasive essay?

Answer: Acknowledge it fairly, then explain why your argument is still stronger.

Acknowledging and then refuting a counterargument shows intellectual honesty and strengthens your credibility.

Which word choice is most appropriate for a formal CHSPE essay?

Answer: Adolescents require adequate sleep for optimal cognitive function.

Formal academic writing uses precise, professional vocabulary rather than slang or colloquial expressions.

When revising an essay, which step should come FIRST?

Answer: Checking that ideas are well-organized and fully developed.

Revising for content and structure (big-picture issues) should happen before editing surface-level errors.