Writing Flashcards

Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' versus 'less'?

Answer: She made fewer mistakes on this test than on the last.

'Fewer' is used with countable nouns ('mistakes'); 'less' is used with uncountable nouns.

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a thesis statement?

Answer: To present a debatable claim that the essay will support

A thesis statement presents the writer's central, arguable claim that the body of the essay will develop and support.

Choose the sentence free of wordiness.

Answer: We need to decide now.

'We need to decide now' conveys the full meaning in the fewest words without redundancy.

A writer wants to appeal to readers' emotions in a persuasive piece about hunger in schools. Which sentence best achieves this?

Answer: Seven-year-old Maya stares at an empty lunch tray, unable to concentrate on her afternoon math lesson.

A specific, concrete narrative detail about a child creates an emotional connection that abstract statements cannot.

Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe to show plural possession?

Answer: The students' lockers were inspected.

For plural nouns ending in 's,' add only an apostrophe after the 's' to show possession.

Which type of evidence is LEAST effective in an academic persuasive essay?

Answer: A personal anecdote from the writer's own experience

Personal anecdotes lack objectivity and generalizability, making them the weakest form of evidence in academic writing.

A student writes: 'The results of the study was alarming.' Which revision corrects the grammatical error?

Answer: The results of the study were alarming.

The subject 'results' is plural, so it requires the plural verb 'were,' not 'was.'