Writing Flashcards

Which sentence contains an error in parallel structure?

Answer: They enjoy hiking, to read, and painting.

Mixing 'hiking' (gerund), 'to read' (infinitive), and 'painting' (gerund) breaks parallel structure.

A writer includes the following sentence in a persuasive essay: 'Everyone knows that homework is harmful.' What is the main weakness of this sentence?

Answer: It relies on a hasty generalization with no evidence.

'Everyone knows' is an unsupported claim that relies on generalization rather than evidence.

Which word choice makes the following sentence most precise? 'The politician gave a _______ speech that changed few minds.'

Answer: uninspiring

'Uninspiring' precisely explains why the speech changed few minds, while 'nice' and 'good' are vague.

Which sentence avoids using a double negative?

Answer: They didn't say anything about the change.

'They didn't say anything' correctly uses one negative; 'nothing' with a negative verb creates a double negative.

In an expository essay, which organizational pattern is most appropriate for explaining how a bill becomes a law?

Answer: Chronological / sequential order

Chronological order is best for explaining a process that unfolds in sequential steps.

Which sentence correctly uses 'its' versus 'it's'?

Answer: The dog wagged its tail.

'Its' (possessive) shows the tail belongs to the dog; 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is.'

A student's essay has three body paragraphs that each begin with 'Another reason is...' What is the best way to improve the essay's style?

Answer: Vary the transition phrases using words like 'Furthermore,' 'In addition,' and 'A compelling factor.'

Varying transition phrases improves flow and demonstrates stronger command of language.