Exam 1: College Writing Skills with Readings

EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR COHERENCE Read the essay below and then answer the questions about coherence that follow. Labeling Animals a In some ways, the human race seems to be in its childhood. The conventional attitude toward animals, for example, makes humanity seem like a tribe of seven-year-olds pulling the wings off flies. Instead of respecting all animals as important parts of the chain of life, humans rate them according to their usefulness. Historically, humankind has failed to recognize animals as anything other than products, toys, or monsters. b There are the products. These are the animals, such as cattle, pigs, and sheep, that provide much of the world's food. For this reason, people tend to think of them less as living creatures than as growing crops, fattening them up, herding them into slaughterhouses, and carving them into edible portions. These animals are "useful," so the general population has typically positive feelings about them. Humankind's actions show that most people are not actually fond of them. People are willing to lock baby calves into dark boxes for months and then kill them for veal, or cram thousands of chickens into tiny pens and allow them to live for only six weeks. Increased production, not humane treatment, is the bottom line. c Perhaps the most harmful label that humans pin on animals, though, is that of monster. The general population has use at all for these creatures. They are taught from birth that sharks, snakes, bats, and alligators, for instance, are evil and dangerous. The facts about these animals make no difference to people's emotions. The fact that being attacked by a shark is less likely than being struck by lightning does not stop fishermen from holding shark-killing contests. The fact that a snake is harmless does not stop sadistic hikers from crushing it. Very few will ever be mauled by a grizzly or bobcat or torn apart by wolves, yet many support the extermination of these animals in the name of "safety." d Advertisers label some animals as toys. These are the lucky ones-the puppies, kittens, pandas, koala bears, bunnies, and porpoises that children consider cute. Toys make people feel sentimental and protective. Many are willing to devote five minutes on the evening news to a baby panda, they stock their children's room with stuffed bunnies, and watch movies about friendly, funny porpoises. No one in their right mind would advocate a puppy-shoot or a koala-killing contest. Toy-like animals may occasionally be neglected or abused by individual owners, but polite society does not allow them to be destroyed on a wholesale basis. e Labeling animals is not a harmless little quirk that humans have. In separating the animal kingdom into products, toys, and monsters, society has made it easier to brutalize these defenseless creatures. The practice of categorizing has dulled humanity's respect for other living beings and even led to the destruction of entire species. As people dominate animals, they forget to behave as caretakers. This results in a loss of dignity and humanity-not only for the victimized animals, but for their human counterparts as well. -What are the first several words of the sentence to which the transition word However could be added in the first supporting paragraph? _____________________________

RUN-ONS In the space provided, write R-O beside run-on sentences. Write C beside sentences that are punctuated correctly. Some of the run-ons have no punctuation between the two complete thoughts; others have only a comma. Correct each run-on by using (l) a period and capital letter, (2) a comma plus a joining word, or (3) a semicolon. Do not use the same method of correction in each sentence. -_____ 9. The fumes from the glossy enamel paint were giving Maria a headache she took a break outside.

Which of the following is not an effective strategy for writing summary?

Notes for your research paper may be in the form of

Choose the vague term from the list below.

When writing a scratch outline for your paper, include your thesis and

EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR UNITY, SUPPORT, COHERENCE, AND SENTENCE SKILLS (I) In this activity, you will evaluate an essay in terms of the four bases of unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills. Evaluative comments follow each supporting paragraph in the essay below. Circle the letter of the one statement that applies in each case. -Rock Concert Fans If rock-concert audiences are viewed only on television or in photos, the people at these events may all seem to be excited teenagers. However, to those who have actually attended a few rock shows, it is clear that several kinds of people make up the crowd. At any concert, there is the typical fan, the out-of-place person, and the troublemaker. Typical fans, first of all, are the people one would expect to see at a particular kind of concert, these fans will vary according to the group that is playing. If the attraction is a loud, heavy-metal band, for instance. Typical fans will have long hair, drink lots of beer, and leave on motorcycles. A hip-hop group, in contrast, will attract the people who copy the group's baggy clothes and rhythmic dancing. At a concert featuring a smooth-jazz sound, fans will be clean-cut, calm, and conservatively dressed in pressed pants and knit polo shirts. a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence. b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words. d. The paragraph contains a fragment and a run-on. Looking around the arena, the concert-goer will quickly spot another category of people: the ones who look out of place. This group includes uncomfortable-looking parents who insisted on coming along with their thirteen-year-olds. Parents usually appear stunned by the noise level of the band, and they check their watches every few minutes. Parents will also drag their child away before any encores so that they can get out of the parking lot quickly. Out-of-place people might include, too, the Alicia Keys fan trapped on a date with a Metallica heavy-metal freak. This fan can be seen stuffing rolled-up Kleenex into his or her ears to block out at least some of the sound. The loud guitars and rebellious attitude of heavy-metal bands mean that these concerts usually attract the rowdiest crowds, as security guards will attest. a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence. b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words. d. The paragraph contains a fragment and a run-on. The third type of person at a large rock concert is the troublemaker. This is usually a male who has decided that the concert is a place where law and order do not exist. People like this will, for example, bring all kinds of forbidden items into the arena or stadium. Troublemakers also ignore basic concert manners. They will try to sit in seats that have been assigned to other people, or they will stand directly in front of a row of people who are trying to see the stage. Finally, troublemakers seem to feel that a rock concert is not worthwhile without at least one fistfight. They may scuffle with a police officer who is guarding the stage, an usher who is trying to remove them from already-taken seats, or innocent bystanders who are waiting in line at the refreshment stand. a. The paragraph contains an irrelevant sentence. b. The paragraph lacks key supporting details at one spot. c. The paragraph lacks transitional words. d. The paragraph contains a fragment and a run-on. A rock concert brings together a wide variety of people to see a show. Some attend to see their idols, others are there to guard their children, and a few want to raise a little hell. This combination of people is sometimes more intriguing than the singer prancing around up on the stage.

Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -_____ The introductory paragraph of an essay should always begin by stating the point the essay will prove.

INFORMATION LITERACY Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -FILL-IN: In a Web address, the three letters following the "dot" are called the ______________.

_____ The "Works Cited" at the end of a paper must include all the sources actually used plus any other sources the writer has read.

An introductory paragraph may ____________.

_____ If a paper has been written on a computer, all revisions must be made at the computer rather than in longhand.

_____ You may have to choose another topic for your paper if neither books nor articles are available for your research.

PUNCTUATION MARKS Each of the sentences below contains an error in punctuation. Refer to the box below to write, in the space provided, the letter identifying the error. Then correct the error. a. missing comma b. missing apostrophe c. missing semicolon d. missing quotation marks -_____ 1. When Karen's mother returned to college this year the entire family had to help out with the housework.

IDENTIFYING TRANSITIONS AND OTHER CONNECTING WORDS The following selections use transitions, repeated words, synonyms, and pronouns to tie together ideas. The connecting words you are to identify have been boldfaced. In the space provided, write T for Transition, RW for Repeated Word, S for Synonym, or P for Pronoun. -______ 6. The barrel of a gun is marked with grooves that leave unique marks on the bullet it fires. An expert can match the bullet exactly to the gun it came from.

A scratch outline for a research paper should be written

WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT This activity will give you practice in writing an effective thesis-one that is neither too broad nor too narrow for the supporting points in an essay. An added value of the activity is that sometimes you will construct your thesis after you have decided what your supporting points will be. Thus, you can gain experience here in writing a thesis that stems from a set of supporting points. -Thesis a. All the resorts, from beaches to mountains to amusement parks, charge top dollar at this time. b. The heat and humidity during the summer months make traveling extremely uncomfortable. c. Highways, campsites, and motels are jammed with other vacationers. 2. Thesis a. Daydreaming allows us to exercise our imaginations. b. Time spent daydreaming can aid relaxation and help eliminate stress. c. Often, solutions to difficult problems pop into the mind while a person daydreams. 3. Thesis a. Cutting down on salt will reduce water retention and that bloated feeling. b. Salt reduction may also help hypertension. c. Without salt, the natural flavors of food come through. 4. Thesis a. A digital camera permits on-the-spot deletion of poorly-shot photos. b. Digital cameras are lightweight and compact. c. Digital cameras have the capacity to hold many consecutive photos.

IDENTIFYING TRANSITIONS AND OTHER CONNECTING WORDS The following selections use transitions, repeated words, synonyms, and pronouns to tie together ideas. The connecting words you are to identify have been boldfaced. In the space provided, write T for Transition, RW for Repeated Word, S for Synonym, or P for Pronoun. -______ 3. My new running shoes don't have laces that have to be tied. Instead, their Velcro opening allows them to be slipped on in an instant.

PUNCTUATION MARKS Each of the sentences below contains an error in punctuation. Refer to the box below to write, in the space provided, the letter identifying the error. Then correct the error. a. missing comma b. missing apostrophe c. missing semicolon d. missing quotation marks -_____ 2. The cashier testified that the robbers face had been covered with a nylon stocking.

_____ Formulating your thesis at the beginning will help you stick to the topic of your essay.