Writing Flashcards

Choose the best version of the sentence's underlined part. The first option corresponds to the original sentence. Choose the first option if you believe the original sentence is the best. Many gardeners are already generating their own compost in their backyards,which is not only cheap, but also helps to cut down on landfill waste.

Answer: which is not only cheap, but also helps to cut down on landfill waste

Explanation: This solution is brief, has the correct comma, and communicates the information in a straightforward and unobtrusive manner.

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Firefighters and police officers risk their lives often by stepping into the way of danger physically; therefore, professionals such as doctors and lawyers have an equally significant impact on individuals’ lives medically and legally.

Answer: nevertheless

Explanation: Because the first clause (everything before the semi colon) does not produce the second clause (everything after the semi-colon), the transition "therefore" is ineffective. Because two of the professions (firefighter/police officer and doctor/lawyer) are considered blue-collar (working class) while the others are white-collar (professional), contrasting conjunction is required in this statement.

Choose the best version of the sentence's underlined part. The first option corresponds to the original sentence. Choose the first option if you believe the original sentence is the best. The growth of the security industry can be large attributable to the fact that people are less trusting of others than they once were.

Answer: The growth of the security industry can be largely attributed

Explanation: The usage of large in front of attributable is wrong, as is the use of ascribed. The growth of the securities sector is a bit of a stumbling block. This is the best option because it alludes to the security industry's expansion and uses the grammatically correct phrase "primarily ascribed."

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. In many cultures they consider fish eggs a delicacy.

Answer: In many cultures fish eggs are considered a delicacy.

Explanation: In many cultures fish eggs are considered a delicacy.

In your head, rewrite the statement using the instructions below. Keep in mind that your replacement statement should be well-written and generally convey the same meaning as the original. Chemical changes are sometimes difficult to distinguish from physical changes, but some examples of physical changes, such as melting water, chopped wood, and ripped paper, are very easy to recognize. Rewrite, beginning with Melting water, chopped wood, and ripped paper, The next words will be

Answer: are some examples of physical changes

Explanation: Melting water, chopped wood, and ripped paper are all instances of physical changes that are easy to distinguish from chemical changes in the original text. This option is the best because it recognizes the previously specified objects as physical changes.

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Sports are a significant part of life for people all across the world, as was demonstrated in 2006 when billions of people came together to be involved with the World Cup either through playing, watching or thru advertising.

Answer: World Cup either through playing, watching or advertising.

Explanation: This statement puts your capitalization and parallelism skills to the test. Because alternative A eliminates the parallelism (i.e. through advertising instead of simply "advertising") and utilizes the informal spelling of through (i.e. "through"), the original statement is wrong.

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. During the summer many students go away to summer camps that teach them skills about camaraderie, perseverance and integrity.

Answer: Summer many students go away to summer camps that teach them skills about camaraderie, perseverance and integrity.

The correct answer: Summer many students go away to camps that teach them skills about camaraderie, perseverance and integrity

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. The argument between Paarin and me about the dent in his car continued until the early morning.

Answer: between Paarin and me about the dent in his car continued

The correct answer: between Paarin and me about the dent in his car continued

For homes in typically colder geographic regions, it is particularly important to have effective and efficient heating systems.

Answer: For homes in typically colder geographic regions

Explanation: This line is problematic because it makes sense in speech but not in written English. When there is no object of comparison, you cannot simply assert "colder geographic locations." What makes it colder? Without a prior standard, an area can be easily identified as cold (such as the southern regions or areas near the equator), but not "colder." It's also incorrect to refer to people as the subject of this sentence because the second clause states that "it is particularly important to have...heating system," which most people cannot have.

Read the statement. Choose the correct answer to tell if it is a fact or an opinion. The final quarter was the most exciting of all.

Answer: Opinion

This is an opinion because "most exciting" is a subjective judgment that varies from person to person and cannot be objectively measured or proven. A fact would be something verifiable, like the final score or the time the quarter started.

I will pick it up now ____________ I forget it later.

Answer: lest

"Lest" is correct because it expresses a precautionary purpose—the speaker picks it up now specifically to prevent forgetting it later. "If" sets up a condition and "as" indicates time or cause, but neither conveys the meaning of "for fear that" or "in order to avoid."

Miss Peggy swam to the boat __________it began to rain.

Answer: as

"As" is correct because it shows two actions happening at the same time—Miss Peggy was swimming at the moment the rain began. "Lest" expresses prevention and "if" expresses a condition, so neither fits the idea of simultaneous events.

Which sentence is correct?

Answer: Mart is not certain which college to select.

"Mart is not certain which college to select" is correct because "college" is spelled properly. The other options each misspell the word: "collage" (which actually means an art arrangement), "colege," and "colage" are all incorrect spellings of college.

Which subordinating conjunction completes the following statement the most effectively? You can have two muffins ____________ you are hungry.

Answer: since

"Since" is correct because it gives the reason you are permitted two muffins—you may have them because you are hungry. "Even if" would suggest the permission holds regardless of hunger, and "unless" would mean the opposite, denying the muffins when you are hungry.

Which subordinating conjunction completes the following statement the most effectively? The bear will come down the hill ____________ it gets scared.

Answer: unless

"Unless" is correct because it introduces the exception—the bear will come down except in the case that it gets scared. "Even if" would mean fear doesn't stop it (the opposite meaning), and "since" would wrongly make fear the reason it comes down.

Choose the correct quantifier for the next sentence. Are there ….. cookies left?

Answer: many

"Many" is correct because "cookies" is a countable plural noun, and "many" is the quantifier used with countable nouns. "Much" is used only with uncountable nouns like water or sugar, so it does not fit here.