1. In the following sentence, which words are used as adjectives?
The golden rays of the bright sun reflected off the clear waters of the calm lake.
A. The, of, in, clear, and calm
B. Golden, rays, clear, and waters
C. The, rays, the, sun, the, waters, the, and lake
D. The, golden, the, bright, the, clear, the, and calm
2. In the following sentence, identify the prepositional phrase, and tell whether it acts as an adjective or
adverb.
The children found the pictures in the book interesting.
A. The children; adjective
B. in the book; adjective
C. found the pictures; adverb
D. the pictures in; adjective
3. In the following sentence, which words are nouns?
During their vacation, Sarah and Matthew read the same book.
A. vacation, Sarah, Matthew, and book
B. their and book
C. vacation and book
D. Sarah, Matthew, the, and book
4. A common term for photographs, cartoons, advertisements, illustrations, drawings, PowerPoint slides,
and graphics used to help present information is
A. representers.
B. sight perks.
C. ocular enhancements.
D. visuals.
5. Which of the following is not a common sentence error?
A. Mixed construction
B. Prepositional phrase
C. Fragment
D. Run-on
6. Which of the following words would require the article a, instead of an?
A. Hotel
B. Honest
C. Elderly
D. Igloo
7. Which of the following correctly describes connotation?
A. An implied meaning of word understood by language users
B. The meaning of a word that has never changed
C. A new word added to the dictionary
D. The pronunciation of a word
8. What is the difference between abstract nouns and concrete nouns?
A. Abstract nouns describe something, but concrete nouns don’t.
B. Concrete nouns can be identified by the senses, but abstract nouns can’t.
C. There is no difference.
D. Abstract nouns are specific, but concrete nouns aren’t.
9. Which of the following is an antonym of the word happy?
A. Joyful
B. Miserable
C. Jovial
D. Blissful
10. Which of the following is a false statement about a basic dictionary?
A. In a basic dictionary, pictures are provided of every word.
B. Various types of words are included a basic dictionary.
C. The pronunciation of words is provided in a basic dictionary.
D. A basic dictionary is organized in alphabetical order.
11. Which of the following is not a synonym of the word beautiful?
A. Gorgeous
B. Attractive
C. Gritty
D. Stunning
12. In the following sentence, to which antecedent is the pronoun referring?
After Denise went to the grocery store, she stopped at the gas station.
A. store
B. Denise
C. she
D. station
13. Which of the following is an example of a third-person pronoun?
A. Ourselves
B. Yourselves
C. Them
D. Us
14. Which of the following is a correct statement about punctuation?
A. Each direct question should end with a period.
B. Punctuation marks show pauses, inflection, and emphasis.
C. Punctuation is usually an extra, unnecessary part of a sentence.
D. The two types of punctuation are beginning and external.
15. Which of the following is an example of an infinitive phrase?
A. running
B. to run
C. which had been running
D. having been running
16. Tom says that a preposition shows position. Ann says that a preposition shows the logical relationship
between ideas. Who is correct?
A. Ann is correct.
B. Both Tom and Ann are correct.
C. Neither Tom nor Ann are correct.
D. Tom is correct.
17. Which of the following is not a primary sentence pattern for asking questions in English?
A. Adjective/pronoun, subject, interrogative verb
B. Subject, action verb, direct object, helping verb
C. Helping verb, subject, main verb
D. Adverb, verb, subject
18. Which of the following is not a way of analyzing a reading?
A. Devise critical questions
B. Use a reading-response worksheet
C. Use annotation
D. Dismiss the reading as someone’s opinion
19. The unique way each person approaches assignments, interprets instructor comments, and best devises
plans for completing coursework is known as
A. academic development.
B. best student path.
C. learning style.
D. learning to discipline.
20. What is the difference between a clause and a phrase?
A. A phrase has a subject and a verb, but a clause doesn’t.
B. A phrase always contains a preposition.
C. A clause has a subject and a verb, but a phrase doesn’t.
D. A clause always contains a preposition.
21. When determining whether or not to use a source for your research, which of the following is the best
choice?
A. Assume what you read is fact if it sounds factual
B. If two opinions are similar about something, they must be right
C. Use whatever you remember about the topic
D. Use statistical data from a credible source
22. Which of the following is not a way to succeed in college?
A. establish realistic goals for yourself
B. avoid procrastination
C. Be flexible with planning activities
D. organize a work space
23. Which of the following is not one of the eight standard parts of speech?
A. Modifier
B. Conjunction
C. Adverb
D. Preposition
24. When developing strategies for writing, which of the following is not a good strategy?
A. Rely more on your own experience than on the readings assigned.
B. Focus on learning and the process of learning.
C. Use school support and guidance
D. Plan for more time than you think you’ll need.
25. Why do writers often strive to write using more active-voice verbs and fewer passive-voice verbs?
A. The active voice usually makes the writing more clear and concise.
B. The passive voice never omits the actor.
C. The passive voice is usually more emphatic.
D. The active voice often puts the actor in a phrase after the verb.
26. Which of the following is an example of a proper noun?
A. Justice
End of exam
B. John G. Roberts, Jr.
C. Him
D. Gavel
27. Which of the following is not a reason to read successfully?
A. Avoid using visuals to accompany reading
B. Polish and improve your vocabulary
C. Learn to read critically for better understanding
D. Adapt your reading to various materials
28. Of the following, which correctly describes the complete predicate of a sentence?
A. All of the sentence except the simple subject
B. All of the sentence except the complete subject
C. The verb
D. The prepositional phrase
29. Which of the following would you most often be able to find in a basic dictionary?
A. An illustrated picture of a word you don’t already know
B. The pronunciation of a word you don’t already know
C. A narrative story featuring a word you don’t already know
D. A list of newspapers that frequently use a word you don’t already know
30. Which of the following is an example of an indefinite pronoun?
A. You
B. Each
C. Which
D. This

1. Your topic is courtesy, and you’re writing from the point of view of a caring mentor. Which of the
following sentences is most persuasive for an audience of high school graduates from a working-class
neighborhood?
A. Courtesy to others shows self-respect as much as it does respect for others.
B. Courtesy yields profits to the impecunious as well as to the wealthy.
C. Courtesy is the oil that lubricates the machinery of discourse.
D. Remember that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
2. Ron and Quincy are organizing the facts in their essays. Ron says putting details in spatial order means
to organize them according to the order in which they happened. Quincy says it means putting the details in
order according to their location. Who is correct?
A. Both are correct.
B. Only Ron is correct.
C. Only Quincy is correct.
D. Neither is correct.
3. Carmen asserts that a strong conclusion to an essay should look ahead and present a call for action. Carl
agrees, except he insists that a strong conclusion should restate the thesis verbatim. Who is correct?
A. Neither Carmen nor Carl is correct.
B. Only Carl is correct.
C. Only Carmen is correct.
D. Both Carmen and Carl are correct.
4. Which of the following is a common error in composing a thesis statement?
A. You offer an original perspective on a familiar theme.
B. Your thesis statement contains two or more central points.
C. Your thesis statement is specific as opposed to general.
D. You focus your thesis statement after you begin writing.
5. Which of the following is not a good suggestion for writing an introductory paragraph?
A. Describe a hypothetical situation.
B. Never asks questions.
C. Use a quotation to help illustrate your thesis.
D. Cite a surprising fact or statistic.
6. Please read the following excerpt from an essay, and answer the question that follows.
I’ve never actually met a real live humorist. Well, not in person at any rate. However, one summer, having
a lot of time on my hands, I discovered unexpected treasures lurking in the local public library. Among the
nuggets I unearthed in those musty stacks was a book by humorist Robert Benchley. To this day I
remember one of his quips. He wrote, “There are two kinds of people in this world; those who divide the
world into two kinds of people and those who don’t.” After laughing out loud, I became pensive. I
wondered why the quip was so funny. A year or so later, I formed a theory. Humor is based on the
unexpected.(br)In the passage above, the topic sentence and the thesis are one and the same.
In the paragraph about Robert Benchley, what types of evidence does the writer use to support his thesis,
other than narration?
A. Historical background
B. Classification
C. Comparison and contrast
D. Example
7. When you write, the tone, vocabulary, and type of information you choose should vary depending on
your
A. biases.
B. audience.
C. education.
D. values.
8. Paddy and Clare are writing effective conclusions. Paddy’s conclusion will summarize his main point and
reaffirm his theses statement. Clare’s conclusion will take the readers beyond the scope of her essay. Who
is writing an effective conclusion?
A. Neither Paddy nor Clare
B. Both Paddy and Clare
C. Only Paddy
D. Only Care
9. Please read the following excerpt from an essay, and answer the question that follows.
After Sean was arrested for breaking into a pawnshop, I began to wonder. Why did some kids from my
neighborhood end up in trouble while most of us didn’t? I started out with a question: What causes young
people to make bad choices? Now, after two years of research, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that there is
no simple answer. There is no one reason why good kids go bad, but there are typical reasons.
According to my research, teenagers are most likely to get into trouble if they hang out with a bad crowd.
That’s because people learn their values from the people they associate with. So a very big reason for bad
behavior is imitating one’s peers. But there are other important factors as well. Kids who get in trouble are
often school dropouts. Also, kids being raised by a single mother are more likely to get in trouble than kids
raised in an intact family. Substance abuse also plays a role, especially when it comes to alcohol and legal
or illegal drugs.
What method of organization is used by the writer?
A. Chronological
B. Most-to-least
C. Spatial
D. Least-to-most
10. To narrow a general topic you’ve selected, which pair of techniques is most likely to be effective?
A. Branching diagram and questioning
B. Questioning and choosing an issue that interests you
C. Using a branching diagram and consulting your journal
D. Freewriting and questioning
11. Which of the following titles is made more effective by alliteration?
A. Now You See It; Now You Don’t
B. What’s in a Name?
C. Ruby, the Rose of Roslyn
D. Guns: Our Lethal Heritage
12. What type of information do you need to support your thesis statement?
A. Evidence
B. Theory
C. Reports
D. Back-up
13. The principles for supplying evidence in support of a thesis could be represented
by an acronym: RSVSRA. According to the information in your text, the two “Rs”
could stand for
A. relevant and representative.
B. representative and revealing.
C. revealing and relevant.
D. respectful and revealing.
14. Which of the following is not an example of a transition word or phrase?
A. For instance
B. Or
C. Beyond
D. Consequently
15. One of the nine ways, or patterns, of developing an essay is
A. elaboration.
B. process.
C. disputation.
D. editing.
16. Please read the following excerpt from an essay, and answer the question that follows.
Biologically, adolescence is marked by hormonal changes that produce secondary sexual characteristics.
These include breast development in females and beard growth in males. Psychologically, however,
adolescence is a concept that applies only to modern industrial societies. In fact, in most preliterate or tribal
societies, the modern American idea of adolescence simply does not exist. In such societies, the social roles
of adulthood are to be learned during childhood. Then, around the time of biological puberty, a child
becomes an adult through a ritual anthropologists call a rite of passage. By contrast, in American society,
adolescence amounts to a sort of social and cultural limbo. Informally, the end of childhood is often
marked by one’s thirteenth birthday. The child is now a “teenager.” More formally, the end of adolescence
is marked by legal strictures that vary irrationally. In a given state the age of sexual consent may be 16 for
girls and 18 for boys. An 18-year-old may vote or enlist to die for his country, but, until he reaches age 21,
he may not legally purchase alcoholic beverages.
If the topic of this paragraph is adolescence, which of the following statements best captures or reiterates
the thesis?
A. Adolescence is an aspect of modern society.
B. Adolescence is an irrational concept.
C. Western society has no single concept of adolescence.
D. Adolescence is defined differently in different societies.
17. Which of the following is a strong introductory sentence?
A. I don’t agree with any open-carry laws.
B. This essay will explain the open-carry laws in the United States.
C. Should each of the United States allow citizens to openly carry a weapon?
D. To carry or to not carry, that is the question.
18. What is the most likely purpose of the essay from which the following passage was taken?
Having been raised on a dairy farm in rural Minnesota, Lorie Ann Kline was having trouble adjusting to life
in the city and to Central High School. In a conference with her parents, the school guidance counselor
explained that Lorie Ann avoided talking to her fellow students and sat by herself in the lunchroom.
Perhaps most disturbing, her grades were not what one would expect given her high scholastic aptitude
scores. Mrs. Kline agreed that Lorie Ann was often shy around strangers. A solemn Mr. Kline explained
that his daughter had been severely bullied by two older children who had lived at the farm for a short time.
The guidance counselor nodded in understanding.
A. To argue for urban over rural life
B. To point out the harm done by bullies
C. To inform people about the work of guidance counselors
D. To tell the life story of Lorie Ann Kline
19. The usual point of view when writing a formal academic essay is
A. personal.
B. subjective.
C. third person.
D. second person.
20. Lillian is looking for ideas to write about, and she decides to make a list of everything she can think of
that relates to the topic of teenage romance. Which concept best describes Lillian’s strategy?
A. Brainstorming
B. Mapping
C. Outlining
D. Free association
21. When using pronouns such as you, your, and yours, you’re writing in which point of view?
A. Third-person
B. Compound-person
C. First-person
D. Second-person
22. As a general rule, where in your essay is it best to place your thesis statement?
A. At the end of the essay, as part of the conclusion
B. Anywhere at all, because the best thesis statement is implied, not specified
C. In the second or third paragraph of the body of the essay
D. In the first, introductory paragraph of the essay
23. Terri and Jose are preparing outlines. In preparing an informal outline, Terri will use key words and
phrases to list her main points. In preparing a formal outline, Jose will use capital letters and Roman
numerals to list the important points. Who is using the correct outline for the purpose?
A. Neither Terri nor Jose
B. Both Terri and Jose
C. Only Terri
D. Only Jose
24. Suppose you’re writing an essay about the process of changing a tire on your car. Which of the
following is the best example of evidence to support your thesis?
A. Sometimes a flat tire is just a tire that has run over a nail.
B. The first tires were bands of iron that were fitted by wheelwrights onto the rims of wooden cart and wagon wheels.
C. Remove the hub cap and loosen the nuts by turning counterclockwise.
D. The first rubber tires appeared in the mid-1800s.
25. Karen asserts that a thesis statement is best developed as part of the prewriting process. Kyle claims
that a thesis statement should be completely developed before the writer is sure of the topic. Who is
correct?
A. Both Karen and Kyle are correct.
B. Only Kyle is correct.
C. Neither Karen nor Kyle is correct.
D. Only Karen is correct.
26. A _____________ should make clear what the paragraph is about and express a view about the subject
matter.
A. title
B. thesis statement
C. topic sentence
D. conclusion
27. When you write your ideas quickly and don’t worry about punctuation, what writing strategy are you
using?
A. Mapping
B. Narrowing
C. Freewriting
D. Styling.
28. Please read the following excerpt from an essay. The sentences are numbered to help you
respond to the question that follows.
(1) After Sean was arrested for breaking into a pawnshop, I began to wonder. (2) Why did some kids from
my neighborhood end up in trouble while most of us didn’t? (3) I started out with a question: What causes
young people to make bad choices? (4) Now, after two years of research, I’ve arrived at the conclusion
that there is no simple answer. (5) There is no one reason why good kids go bad, but there are typical
reasons.
(6) According to my research, teenagers are most likely to get into trouble if they hang out with a bad
crowd. (7) That’s because people learn their values from the people they associate with. (8) So a very big
reason for bad behavior is imitating one’s peers. (9) But there are other important factors as well. (10) Kids
who get in trouble are often school dropouts. (11) Also, kids being raised by a single mother are more likely
to get in trouble than kids raised in an intact family. (12) Substance abuse also plays a role, especially when
it comes to alcohol and legal or illegal drugs.
Sentence 7 of the excerpt is an example of
A. an opinion.
B. random evidence.
C. a conclusion.
D. a supporting explanation.
29. Please read the following excerpt from an essay, and answer the question that follows. In the
passage, the sentences are numbered to help you respond to the question.
(1) Biologically, adolescence is marked by hormonal changes that produce secondary sexual characteristics.
(2) These include breast development in females and beard growth in males. (3) Psychologically, however,
adolescence is a concept that applies only to modern industrial societies. (4) In fact, in most preliterate or
tribal societies, the modern American idea of adolescence simply does not exist. (5) In such societies, the
social roles of adulthood are to be learned during childhood. (6) Then, around the time of biological
puberty, a child becomes an adult through a ritual anthropologists call a rite of passage. (7) By contrast, in
American society, adolescence amounts to a sort of social and cultural limbo. (8) Informally, the end of
childhood is often marked by one’s thirteenth birthday. The child is now a “teenager.” (9) More formally,
the end of adolescence is marked by legal strictures that vary irrationally. (10) In a given state the age of
sexual consent may be 16 for girls and 18 for boys. (11) An 18-year-old may vote or enlist to die for his
country, but, until he reaches age 21, he may not legally purchase alcoholic beverages.
In which sentence of the paragraph do you find a transitional word or phrase that shows a time connection?
A. Sentence 3
B. Sentence 4
C. Sentence 6
D. Sentence 7
30. Leila says that a thesis statement is like a promise to a reader. Lucas says a thesis statement expresses
the writer’s point of view. Who is correct?
End of exam
A. Neither Leila nor Lucas is correct.
B. Only Lucas is correct.
C. Only Leila is correct.
D. Both Leila and Lucas are correct.
1. A passive verb is the better choice if you wish to
A. establish a casual tone.
B. deemphasize the subject.
C. emphasize the subject.
D. establish a formal tone.
2. Which of the following sentences contains a redundancy?
A. Emily’s sister gave birth to a pair of twins.
B. Chris had trouble working up even mild enthusiasm for Mike’s plan.
C. At no time did Tony indicate a willingness to admit defeat.
D. Steve admired the partially completed stadium.
3. A _______ can be used for both organizing and revising an essay.
A. flowchart
B. verbal sketch
C. topic sentence
D. graphic organizer
4. A judicial decision handed down in court uses the _______ level of diction.
A. colloquial
B. informal
C. formal
D. popular
5. Spotting errors as you proofread is easier if you
A. reassess your marked-up copy.
B. read your work from the computer screen.
C. handwrite your essay.
D. use a clean printed copy each time.
6. In the process of revision, your main objective should be to
A. establish proper tone.
B. explain your essay’s purposes.
C. demonstrate correct grammar.
D. clarify your ideas.
7. A student who regularly tracks mistakes in spelling, verb forms, and parallelism is probably
A. keeping an error log.
B. using a flowchart.
C. analyzing the essays’ organization.
D. focusing on learning style.
8. As you’re revising an essay, you write down several sentences to describe your intended readers. Why
should you do this?
A. To ensure that your essay will entertain the audience
B. To ensure that you’re instructing your audience adequately
C. To see if your essay is directed toward its intended audience
D. To make sure you’re writing what you know, not what you believe
9. Which of the following sentences uses a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence?
A. My aunt, who usually behaves like a queen, was suddenly asking–no, begging–for help.
B. The budget payment is much higher than we anticipated, but the price of heating oil has skyrocketed this year.
C. We fired our old housekeeper, who we thought had stolen Grandma’s rings; we later regretted it.
D. Out in the yard, the children shouted loudly and threw silly insults at each other.
10. Which of the following is a compound sentence?
A. Butterflies and hummingbirds feed on the nectar of flowering plants.
B. Because Viceroy butterflies migrate over very great distances, tracking them is a challenge to entomologists.
C. Because fraud is so common in some corporations, regulatory agencies are overworked.
D. Corporate fraud is becoming more common in the United States, and the civil courts are being stretched to their limits.
11. Which of the following sentences contains a dependent clause?
A. Kicking and leaping, the three deer behaved like rambunctious rabbits.
B. The red sports car that was parked under the tree belongs to Alan.
C. Please clear the table and wash the dishes.
D. Jared eagerly climbed into the boxing ring; he was on his back and out for the count in less than ten seconds.
12. Which of the following techniques would be best used to present constructive feedback on a draft of an
essay to a peer?
A. Point out the negative aspects so your peer can improve
B. Only write notes on the things you like about it
C. Concentrate on content and the message of the paper
D. Rewrite sections for your peer
13. Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
A. Either Dennis or Susan is going to pick you up.
B. Each of the 14 groups are going to contribute an item to the auction.
C. Kristy, Molly, and Kate attend the same university and ride the bus together.
D. Which one of these shirts is your favorite?
14. During revision, you should scan your paper for _______ words and replace them with concrete words
or phrases.
A. formal
B. informal
C. general
D. figurative
15. Which of the following is a good rule to follow when proofreading an essay?
A. Scan the essay twice, once for organization and once for surface errors.
B. Read the essay aloud to hear where words are missing or awkward phrasings or grammatical errors occur.
C. Use the computer’s spell-check and grammar-check functions to be sure you catch any errors.
D. Ask your best friend to critique your essay.
16. Which of the following sentences contains one or more strong, active verbs?
A. Having been away in London for two years, Conrad was happy to see Denise.
B. It was believed by some that Conrad’s father had been a war hero.
C. The phone directory was hastily searched by Conrad.
D. Conrad trembled with anxiety and anticipation as he pressed Denise’s doorbell.
17. Which punctuation mark should you use in a compound sentence that includes a conjunction?
A. Comma
B. Period
C. Semi-colon
D. Colon
18. In the following sentence, which word is used as a conjunction?
Lisa and Mary were home on time, but Kim, Francine, and Penny weren’t going to make it.
A. Were
B. But
C. On
D. And
19. While reviewing an essay, what should be your main purpose in applying questions of who, what,
when, where, and why?
A. To organize your evidence
B. To clarify your topic sentences
C. To be sure your evidence provides sufficient detail
D. To compare your thesis statement with your conclusion
20. Which of the following is a simple sentence?
A. Karen and David arrived at the airport at 3:35 P.M. and took a taxi to their hotel.
B. I got to the airport late because the traffic was so terrible.
C. When I realized I was too late, I called David’s cell phone and made arrangements to meet them in town.
D. I went to the airport, but I was too late to meet them.
21. Both Ada and Phil are evaluating their thesis statements, topic sentences, and evidence. If Ada finds
that her essay doesn’t have a thesis statement identifying the topic of the essay, Ada will reread the essay
and decide what the main point of the essay. If Phil finds that her essay lacks evidence to support her
thesis statement, she’ll do additional research to find substantial evidence. Who is correctly evaluating and
revising their essays?
A. Both Ada and Phil
B. Neither Ada nor Phil
C. Only Ada
D. Only Phil
22. Which of the following is an Assessment tool using questions and answers that lead to effective
strategies?
A. Outline
B. Graphic organizer
C. Flowchart
D. Thesis
23. Which statement about sentence lengths in a written piece is true?
A. In spite of their name, compound-complex sentences are usually shorter than compound or complex sentences.
B. Varying sentence type has no appreciable effect on relative sentence length.
C. Regardless of the sentence type, the audience tends to read at its own pace.
D. Short sentences tend to move ideas quickly.
24. Choosing a good reviewer for your writing means finding someone who
A. concentrates on correcting your spelling and grammar errors.
B. knows everything about writing and will find every mistake.
C. will concentrate on your ideas and how well you support them.
D. is a close friend and will give you a positive review.
25. In which sentence does the italicized word have a negative connotation?
A. Although she had worked hard in high school, Ruth found the college courses challenging.
B. Jenna’s green eyes and dark eyelashes gave her an exotic look.
C. Matthew was a scrawnykid, but he grew up strong.
D. Jack, who is the most outspoken member of the group, led the opposition to the new rule.
26. Which sentence should be edited to eliminate its cliché?
End of exam
A. Striding toward the barn in her red coverall and bucket hat, Gloria–tall and round–gave the impression of a charging silo.
B. The family was immensely relieved when Great-Aunt Martha’s condition progressed from “critical” to “it looks like she’ll live
another 10 years.”
C. I wanted to hire Dave, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
D. The texture of the burlap was a cross between woven straw and a three-day beard.
27. The following is an example of what kind of sentence?
Because it had rained earlier in the week, the game was cancelled.
A. Compound-complex
B. Compound
C. Simple
D. Complex
28. Nathan argues that each paragraph in a narrative should support the author’s thesis. Nan says that
paragraphs in a narrative should illuminate some part of the action. Which one is correct?
A. Only Nathan is correct.
B. Both Nathan and Nan are correct.
C. Only Nan is correct.
D. Neither Nathan nor Nan is correct.
29. Which of the following sentences uses concrete language?
A. I met Cathy at a store on a street near the bridge.
B. Jerry saw that the glass was really dirty.
C. Danny’s Labrador retriever eagerly chases tennis balls.
D. When I saw Susan, she was reading a book.
30. Reading your draft aloud, using peer review, and using a typed and printed copy are all examples of
A. patterns of development.
B. graphic organizers.
C. points of view.
D. useful techniques for revision.