Communication, Grammar, and Writing

Which of the following sentences has a misplaced modifier? a. He only talks about changing his habits. [Intended meaning: He only talks but does nothing else, like consulting a psychiatrist, about changing his habits. b. A dog appeared in my dreams that sang like an angel. c. The steak on the grill is hers. d. none of these

b. A dog appeared in my dreams that sang like an angel.

The dictionary definition of a word is known as: a. Connotation b. Denotation c. Phrasing d. Accuracy

b. Denotation

First-generation immigrant children sometimes feel ashamed of their foreign-born parents. (On the other hand/For example), they sometimes refuse to bring their American friends home to meet their families. a. On the other hand b. For example

b. For example

Select the correctly written sentence in this group. a. I like to listen to rock music doing my homework. b. I like to listen to rock music while I do my homework.

b. I like to listen to rock music while I do my homework.

By whom were you given that lovely silver and turquoise Navajo bracelet? a. Active b. Passive

b. Passive

The e-mail message was received by both Lee and me. a. Active b. Passive

b. Passive

The enchiladas that were prepared by Aunt Flora were enjoyed by the entire family. a. Active b. Passive

b. Passive

The keynote speech at the state convention was delivered by Nora McPherson. a. Active b. Passive

b. Passive

The news was announced by the White House press secretary. a. Active b. Passive

b. Passive

We were advised by Mr. Rawlings to get a good night's sleep before the test. a. Active b. Passive

b. Passive

A word that can take the place of a noun is commonly referred to as a: a. Noun b. Pronoun c. Verb d. Adverb

b. Pronoun

Select the correctly written sentence in this group. a. The soccer team only won four games in the last three years. b. The soccer team won only four games in the last three years.

b. The soccer team won only four games in the last three years.

Why is it important to have open-ended questions when interviewing someone? a. So that the interviewee can talk about whatever they want to b. To encourage full, meaningful answers c. To keep your audience from being bored d. none of these

b. To encourage full, meaningful answers

Why is it important to do your homework before an interview? a. Because everything in life involves homework b. To establish credibility with the interviewee c. So that you do not get nervous d. none of these

b. To establish credibility with the interviewee

At the end of the speech, it is important that you _____________. a. smile as you leave the stage b. allow the audience to show their appreciation c. take your seat immediately d. none of these

b. allow the audience to show their appreciation

The driver said that she didn't see the children before they dashed out into the street; (specifically/apparently) they ran out from behind a parked car. a. specifically b. apparently

b. apparently

Which of the following is not something your group might do while selecting the best solution? a. vote, rank, rate b. brainstorm c. build consensus d. compromise

b. brainstorm

Which of the following is part of generating creative solutions? a. voting, ranking, and rating b. brainstorming c. building a consensus d. compromising

b. brainstorming

Read the passage below. Using context clues determine the meaning of the underlined word. "Abigail, is there any other cause than you have told me, for your being *discharged* from Goody Proctor's service? I have heard it said, and I tell you as I heard it, that she comes so rarely to the church this year for she will not sit so close to something soiled. What signified that remark?" a. reprimanded b. fired c. hired d. none of the above

b. fired

A good practice when giving any presentation, impromptu or not, is to decide what your ________________ is going to be. a. time allotment b. main point c. audience's view d. none of these

b. main point

It is important for your group to _____________ evaluate all of the options. a. subjectively b. objectively c. carefully d. slowly

b. objectively

"What do you think about the two candidates in this election?" is an example of a(n) _____________ question. a. impersonal b. open-ended c. close-ended d. none of these

b. open-ended

Asking someone how they would approach a certain situation is an example of a(n) _____________ question. a. personal b. open-ended c. close-ended d. none of these

b. open-ended

If you are talking about something serious during an interview, your rate of speech should a. speed up b. slow down c. not change at all d. none of these

b. slow down

If a person editing your paper is circling repetitive words, he/she is focusing on a. overall structure. b. word choice. c. sentences. d. paragraphs.

b. word choice.

It is important not to apologize or make excuses to the audience because a. no one cares about excuses. b. you ruin your credibility with the audience. c. it can be embarrassing. d. you will forget your main subject.

b. you ruin your credibility with the audience.

Read the passage below and determine the part of speech of the underlined word. He was a huge man in a bright red robe (bright as holly berries) with a hood that had fur inside it and a great white beard that fell like a *foamy* waterfall over his chest.... a. Noun b. Pronoun c. Adjective d. Adverb

c. Adjective

All of the following are steps your group should follow to be effective, except: a. Identify and define the problem. b. Analyze the problem. c. Discuss one solution. d. Take action.

c. Discuss one solution.

Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier? a. Walking through the woods, we could see there were animals everywhere. b. Opening the door, we could see that the room was very large. c. Looking through the window, the room seemed very large. d. none of these

c. Looking through the window, the room seemed very large.

"Consider your strengths" is another way of saying: a. Pick a topic that you feel strongly about. b. Decline the invitation if you are not a strong speaker. c. Pick a style that suits your personality. d. none of these

c. Pick a style that suits your personality.

All of the following are characteristics of an effective group member, except: a. Treats others kindly b. Develops a variety of viable options c. Subjectively evaluates options d. Gathers and uses information effectively

c. Subjectively evaluates options

Which of the following is not a question your group might ask while analyzing the problem? a. Who is affected? b. How long has this problem existed? c. What do we hope to accomplish? d. What are the criteria for our solution?

c. What do we hope to accomplish?

Which of the following is not a part of taking action? a. assigning roles b. following through c. brainstorming d. All of the above are parts of taking action.

c. brainstorming

Questions that encourage short or single-word answers are known as a. open-ended questions b. short-ended questions c. close-ended questions d. none of these

c. close-ended questions

Select the letter of a category on which you should focus when proofreading. a. strength of your lead sentence b. Who, What, Where, When, Why and How c. conventions d. elaboration

c. conventions

A common mistake is to be thinking about the next question while the subject is answering the previous one, to the point that the interviewer misses some important information. This can lead to all sorts of embarrassing outcomes. This is an example of poor ________ skills. a. reading b. writing c. listening d. attention

c. listening

When a writer focuses on providing a conclusion that gives the reader a sense of resolution and ties everything together, he/she is focusing on good a. voice. b. presentation. c. organization. d. sentence fluency.

c. organization.

Which stage of writing should you never skip or skimp on? a. revising b. editing c. prewriting d. drafting

c. prewriting

The sentence "John wants to really do well on this exam" contains which of the following errors? a. dangling modifier b. squinting modifier c. split infinitive d. all of the above

c. split infinitive

The most important thing you can do with the little bit of preparation time you may have for an impromptu speech is _____________. a. make sure you look presentable b. try to hide c. write an outline d. ask people questions

c. write an outline

If you receive a 6 on the voice rubric, it may mean that a. there is no engagement of the writer. b. writing is flat and lifeless. c. writer has a strong sense of the audience. d. there is no interaction between the reader and the writer.

c. writer has a strong sense of the audience.

What are four ways to analyze an unknown word?

-context clues -parts of speech -connotation and denotation -resources

How can you be an effective group member?

-identify clear goals -develop an action-oriented structure -gather and use information effectively -develop a variety of viable options -objectively evaluate the options -treat others kindly

When should passive voice be used?

-to emphasize the receiver of an action rather than the performer. -to point out receiver when the performer is unknown, unimportant, or unnamed in the segment.

Identify the transition word in the sentence below. Matt snowboarded down the slope; however, he did not know that there was a huge storm on the way.

However

The heart of the message.

Ideas and content.

The stage in which you rework and improve your draft.

Revising.

The feeling and conviction of the individual writer coming out through the words.

Voice.

The stage in which you explore topics and gather ideas.

Prewriting.

The final stage, during which you share your writing.

Publishing.

What are the six traits of writing?

- Ideas/Content - Organization - Voice - Word Choice - Sentence Fluency - Conventions Presentation is another trait but it is only used before you publish your paper.

What is the lowest score you can get on a writing rubric?

1

What are the steps for effective group work?

1. Identify and define the problem. 2. Analyze the problem. 3. Generate creative solutions. 4. Select the best solution. 5. Take action.

What is the highest score you can get on a writing rubric?

6

What does word analysis mean?

Choosing the best way to figure out what the word means.

Punctuation, spelling and grammar.

Conventions.

Identify the transition words in the sentence below. Despite the previous arguments, evidence exists to disprove the idea that someone other than Shakespeare wrote the works attributed to him.

Despite the previous arguments

The stage in which you jot down ideas in a rough form.

Drafting.

The stage in which you polish your writing and fix errors.

Editing and proofreading.

Rewrite the following sentence using a cause and effect transition. England waited as long as possible to enter World War II. It had time to build and raise a better military.

England waited as long as possible to enter World War II so it had time to build and raise a better military.

Your communication skills are not directly related to how effective you are as a group member.

False.

The internal structure of a piece of writing.

Organization.

What is an action-oriented structure?

Organizing group activities to encourage the group to take action and get things done.

The rhythm and the flow of the language.

Sentence fluency.

Identify the direct reference (pronoun) in the sentence below. Molly went to the store, and then she had a wreck in the parking lot.

She

What is the common goal of persuasive media?

To sell a product, service, person, or idea.

The media sometimes use fear to motivate the masses to do something or act in a certain way.

True.

When trying to remember your speech with a mnemonic trick, just remember the order of important points-no more than ___. a. 5 b. 7 c. 10 d. 12

a. 5

Bluebirds have moved into the birdhouse that Lonnie built. a. Active b. Passive

a. Active

Both Lee and I received the e-mail message that you sent us. a. Active b. Passive

a. Active

The President will award a medal to each of the soldiers. a. Active b. Passive

a. Active

We saw you and Michelle at the mall yesterday. a. Active b. Passive

a. Active

The implied or emotional meaning of a word is known as: a. Connotation b. Denotation c. Dictionary definition d. all of the above

a. Connotation

My backpack was stuffed so full of books I had a hard time finding my homework. The connotative meaning of the underlined word is: a. Negative b. Positive c. Neutral d. None of the above

a. Negative

A person, place or thing is commonly referred to as a: a. Noun b. Pronoun c. Verb d. Adjective

a. Noun

Which of the following sentences has a misplaced modifier? a. This morning, I walked my dog wearing shorts and sneakers. b. Jogging down the hill, I realized that I was never going to be on time. c. In the hopes that I would be elected to student council president, I prepared a short acceptance speech. d. none of these

a. This morning, I walked my dog wearing shorts and sneakers.

In what situation would an interviewer want to provide the interviewee a list of questions before the interview ? a. When the questions are technical and may require some research from the interviewee. b. When the interviewee is shy. c. When the interviewer is looking for a spontaneous response from the interviewee. d. none of these

a. When the questions are technical and may require some research from the interviewee.

Which of the following is not a question your group might ask while analyzing the problem? a. Which is the most viable solution? b. How long has this problem existed? c. What are the criteria for our solution? d. What are the limitations?

a. Which is the most viable solution?

Select the correctly written sentence in this group. a. Without a plan for the weekend, we decided to take in a Saturday matinee. b. Without a plan for the weekend, a Saturday matinee seemed a good idea at the time.

a. Without a plan for the weekend, we decided to take in a Saturday matinee.

Select the letter of the topic that could best be organized using a timeline. a. a cross-country train ride b. rainbow c. an obstacle course d. a famous painting

a. a cross-country train ride

The most stressful parts of your speech, and the most critical when it comes to good delivery is the _________________. a. beginning and ending b. body c. jokes d. none of these

a. beginning and ending

Your speech should be informative, naturally, but a really good speech will also evoke some ________ in your audience. a. emotion b. criticism c. reaction d. none of these

a. emotion

Waverly sees her conflict with her mother in terms of chess. (For instance/Nevertheless), when she runs away from her mother after the fights, she says that the alley contains "no escape routes," a term she previously used to describe "chess secrets." a. for instance b. nevertheless

a. for instance

Immigrant parents want their children to succeed in their new country; (however/consequently), they are sorry to see them give up the old ways and traditions. a. however b. consequently

a. however

Which of the following is not something your group might do while trying to select the best solution? a. look at the problem from every angle b. vote, rank, rate c. build consensus d. compromise

a. look at the problem from every angle

"How does this make you feel?" is a. one of the most famous open-ended questions. b. the most hated question by interviewees. c. is not a good question. d. none of these

a. one of the most famous open-ended questions.

If you receive a 1 on the conventions rubric, it may mean that a. the severity and frequency of errors are so overwhelming that the reader finds it difficult to focus on the message. b. sentences that are disjointed, confusing, or rambling. c. there are general, vague words that fail to communicate. d. paragraph breaks reinforce the organizational structure.

a. the severity and frequency of errors are so overwhelming that the reader finds it difficult to focus on the message.

He is going to the play; (therefore/since), he must leave early. a. therefore b. since

a. therefore

A writer creates a mental picture for the reader by using effective a. word choice. b. voice. c. organization. d. ideas and content.

a. word choice.

A word that modifies a verb; answering the questions how, when, where and how much is commonly referred to as a: a. Pronoun b. Adjective c. Verb d. Adverb

d. Adverb

What strategy can you use to determine the meaning of a word? a. Context clues b. Resources c. Part of speech d. All of the above

d. All of the above

Which of the following questions should someone editing your writing ask him or herself? a. Did the writer fail to include important details, causing confusion? b. Did the writer repeat information unnecessarily? c. Can I suggest improvements with typos, misspelled words, or clarifications? d. All the above

d. All the above

All of the following are characteristics of an effective group member, except: a. Objectively evaluates options b. Treats others kindly c. Develops an action-oriented structure d. Develops a single viable option

d. Develops a single viable option

Which of the following is a question your group might ask while trying to identify or define the problem? a. Who is affected? b. What are the limitations? c. What are the criteria for our solution? d. What are we concerned about?

d. What are we concerned about?

Choosing the best way to figure out a word's meaning is called: a. Fluency b. Accuracy c. Word structure d. Word analysis

d. Word analysis

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? a. Only Bill wanted to go to the lake. [Intended meaning: Bill wanted to go to the lake, but no one else did.] b. Bill only hinted that he would help us move. [Intended meaning: Bill hinted but did not, for example, promise that he would help us move.] c. Bill wanted only Mary to win. [Intended meaning; Bill wanted Mary to win, but did not want anyone else to win. d. all of these

d. all of these

If you receive a 6 on the organization rubric, it may mean that a. pacing is consistently awkward. b. there is a lack of transitions. c. even after re-reading the reader is confused. d. details fit where they are placed.

d. details fit where they are placed.

You should take the platform with _____________. a. caution b. apprehension c. patience d. enthusiasm

d. enthusiasm

Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier? a. Having worked for the company for twenty years, I was surprised to learn that my retirement benefits would not be sufficient. b. Having taught phonology every semester for the last five years, he was eager to teach syntax. c. After sweating in Reavis Hall throughout the summer, I am ready for winter. d. none of the above

d. none of the above

According to the lecture, what can either make or break your interview? a. your question b. the interviewee c. mood d. tone

d. tone