Standard Conventions English

Which of the following statements is an example of a thesis statement? a. More than 250,000 drivers in the United States fall asleep at the wheel everyday b. A tired driver can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver.

A tired driver can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver.

Where are topic sentences generally found in writing? Why?

At the beginning of an opening paragraph to summarize the main point of the written piece for the reader.

Why is it a good idea to think about how essays are structured?

Because you can then see essays as being composed of fundamental building blocks, which will make writing essays easier.

Which of the following sentences had been proofread to be completely free of grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and typos? a. Ever since the man-eating shark attack, wannabe swimmers have been prohibited from frolicking in the local lake. b. Ever since the man-eating shark-attack, wannabe swimmers have been prohibited from frolicking in the local lake.

Ever since the man-eating shark attack, wannabe swimmers have been prohibited from frolicking in the local lake.

Which tense is the verb will have finished in the following sentence? I will have finished my homework by the time my roommate gets home

Future perfect tense

Why is a thesis statement so important in writing?

It clearly explains the main idea and helps readers to better understand what the piece of writing is all about.

Which answer choice best demonstrates a descriptive title? The history of Redwood Trees in Northern California or oh, those towering trees

The History of Redwood Trees in Northern California

Does the following sentence contain the correct verb? The reason for my decisions is complicated.

Yes, because the word 'reason' is a singular subject, it calls for a singular verb.

Fundamental essay building blocks include: a. several introductory paragraphs b. a thesis statement c. a minimum of two body paragraphs

a thesis statement

Which of the following is NOT typically part of an essay? a. an abstract b. a thesis c. a concluding paragraph

an abstract

Vincent is reading over the paper that he has written. He realizes that he went off on a bit of a tangent, and one of his main points does not line up with his thesis statement. This was discovered while Vincent was _____.

editing for content

Sarah has just completed writing a paper. She is now spending time making sure that her subjects and verbs always agree, that she is using active voice instead of passive voice, and that she has good variety in her sentence structure. This is an example of what?

editing for mechanics

Which choice contains the past tense form of the verb to experience that would correctly fill in the blank in the following sentence? I __ a lot of great things on my trip abroad last summer.

experienced

Which of the following is NOT an example of a heterograph? a. no, know b. fine, find c. two, too d. bare, bear

fine, find

Suppose that you wanted to expand on an idea in your writing to further clarify the meaning for your readers. Which of the following words or phrases would you NOT want to use? Futhermore, similarly, likewise, meanwhile

meanwhile

Which tense is the verb have met in the following sentence? I have met many interesting people in my classes.

present perfect tense

The last step in the editing process is known as ___, which involves carefully reading over a document for the purpose of finding any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting that need to be corrected.

proofreading.

Which of the following is NOT a singular indefinite pronoun? everyone, nothing, someone, each, these

these

Which of the following is not included in the general rules for self-editing: a. read your paper aloud when you are in the process of editing. b. when working on a timed essay, budget 10-15% of your time for editing. c. to help you see each word, read your paper backward while editing. d. to be as fresh as possible, edit your paper immediately after you finish writing it.

to be as fresh as possible, edit your paper immediately after you finish writing it.

Why is it important to proofread your essay?

to ensure that you do not overlook silly mistakesthat can affect your credibility.

Which verb would correctly fill in the blank in the following sentence? Either my sister or my brother ___ my math textbook.

has

Which verb would correctly fill in the blank in the following sentence? There ____ a few problems with the new computer system.

have been

Which of the following is a singular personal possessive pronoun? ours, our, theirs, their, hers

hers

Which transition would signal to your readers that an opposing viewpoint is about to be explored?

in contrast

Which verb would correctly fill in the blank in the following sentence? Everyone ___ at the carnival.

is

Which choice contains the correct pronoun or pronouns to fill in the blank in the following sentence? Each pilot checked to be sure that ___ had all of the necessary equipment prior to takeoff.

he or she

What transition would you incorporate to indicate to readers they are nearing the end of a written piece?

to summarize

It is a good idea to understand your weaknesses when it comes to writing because ____.

you can build your confidence by improving your skills one at a time.