Written Communication Lesson 1

Choose the connective the best completes the following sentence. Everyone appeared to be having a good time. _____, my impressions may have been wrong. a.) In fact b.) In other words c.) Furthermore d.) Of course

Of course

Stated intentions like "In this essay, I will" are sentences that _____. a.) make for interesting introductions in the first paragraph of your writing. b.) should be replaced with sentences that appeal to the reader's emotions and curiosity. c.) list the main points of an essay and belong at the end of every first paragraph. d.) are appropriate in informal writing but should be removed in formal writing.

should be replaced with sentences that appeal to the reader's emotions and curiosity.

A sentence that consists of single independent clause and make a single statement is called a _____ sentence. a.) simple b.) complex c.) run-on d.) compound

simple

To avoid plagiarism, you should _____. a.) rewrite what you've read elsewhere in your own words. b.) borrow ideas from several writers and organize them in your own way. c.) start from scratch and do all of the planning and writing on your own. d.) limit yourself to using only the ideas, and not the words, of other writers.

start from scratch and do all of the planning and writing on your own - The most surefire way to avoid plagiarism is to write from scratch. That way you can be confident that all of the ideas and ways of expressing them are your own.

The attitude of a writer toward the subject and the audience is called the writing's _____. a.) word choice. b.) style c.) tone. d.) formality.

tone.

Which occasion lends itself best to a FORMAL style? a.) A text to your coworker b.) An email to a close family member c.) A personal blog post d.) A business email

A business email - An email sent as part of your job requires a bit more formality and specificity in word choice than the other choices here. Even if you know the reader well, you probably want to keep your language somewhat formal.

Which of the following audiences and occasions would lend itself to a formal style of writing? a.) A note left on a coworker's desk b.) An email to your sibling c.) A letter to an old friend d.) A business report requested by your boss

A business report requested by your boss

Identify the part of speech of the italicized word: Wayne HAPPILY accepted the job offer. a.) Adjective b.) Verb c.) Noun d.) Adverb

Adverb - "Happily" is an adverb because it describes or explains a verb, "accepted." It describes how Wayne accepted.

Which of the following is an example of a run-on sentence? a.) I wanted to bake a cake for your birthday, but I ran out of time. b.) After I came home, I took a long, hot shower. c.) I lost my keys; therefore, I arrived late. d.) I received a surprise in the mail today, I can't believe it.

I received a surprise in the mail today, I can't believe it - The run-on sentence is: I received a surprise in the mail today, I can't believe it. - It contains two independent clauses. I received a surprise in the mail today and I can't believe it can each stand alone without needing the other to finish its thought. - They can appear in the same sentence if they're separated by a semicolon; however, a comma tells the reader that they're part of the same idea, which is confusing.

Which of the following sentences contains a verb phrase? a.) I believed every word he said. b.) June was a collector of memorabilia. c.) I shall be all that I am and more. d.) The crowed roared as the bull charged.

I shall be all that I am and more.

Select the word that most effectively connects the ideas in this sentence: I'm not in the mood for a salad today. _______ I don't like raw broccoli. a.) For example b.) Though c.) Therefore d.) Besides,

Besides, - "Besides" tells the reader that you're adding another thought to what you've already said.

Select the word that most effectively connects the ideas in this sentence: My family laughs when I sing in the shower. _______ my friends consider me an excellent singer. a.) For b.) But c.) And d.) Because

But - The best choice is "but" because it connects two contrasting ideas.

Select the word that most effectively connects the ideas in this sentence: She didn't mind the long drives to visit her friend, who had moved to the city. _______, she enjoyed the adventure. a.) However b.) But c.) In fact d.) For example

In fact - "In fact" is the most effective choice because it connects an idea that builds on the first idea.

Identify the part of speech of the italicized word: NEITHER John nor his sister can drive to the party. a.) Pronoun b.) Adjective c.) Noun d.) Conjunction

Conjunction - "Neither" is a conjunction because it shows relationships between ideas: John and his sister.

Read the following paragraph. Dogs and cats are both fantastic pets. Dogs are loving and playful. Cats are clean and self-sufficient. Dogs are sometimes hyper. ________. Both are effective communicators in their own right. Either one would make any lucky owner happy. The addition of which of the following sentence would create an effective paragraph? a.) Reptiles are good pets as well. b.) Owners must teach pets how to act. c.) Both animals are fun. d.) Cats are normally calm and resigned.

Cats are normally calm and resigned.

The following is an example of what type of sentence construction? Even though he had good intentions, Malik didn't make it to the party. a.) Compound b.) Simple c.) Interrogatory d.) Complex

Complex - This is a complex sentence: it contains a dependent clause, Even though he had good intentions, and an independent clause, Malik didn't make it to the party.

In which step of the writing process does this occur? Varying sentence lengths. a.) Editing and revising b.) Proofreading c.) Planning d.) First draft

Editing and revising - The goal of editing and revising is to establish a clear, concise writing style. During this step, you focus on grammar, sentence structure, word usage, punctuation, and spelling.

Identify the type of sentence: I don't understand why there is a fee. a.) Interrogative b.) Imperative c.) Exclamatory d.) Declarative

Declarative - This is a declarative sentence because it makes a statement and ends in a period.

Choose the connective that best completes the sentence. She left the party early. Afterward, she went to a movie. _____, she went home. a.) Next b.) Finally c.) Meanwhile d.) First

Finally

In which step of the writing process does this occur? Getting your first full essay down on paper. a.) Presenting b.) Proofreading c.) Revising and editing d.) First draft

First draft - Your first draft is your first try at writing your essay. At this stage, you focus on getting your words on paper and don't worry about making it perfect or avoiding errors. The next few steps are when you can polish your essay before you finally present it.

Which of the following is correct regarding the use of formal English? a.) When completing a resume, it's best to keep the language formal. b.) Contractions are considered acceptable in any formal document. c.) Formal English is used more frequently in speaking than in writing. d.) In formal English, we use words the say precisely what we mean.

In formal English, we use words the say precisely what we mean.

In which step of the writing process does this occur? Checking for homonyms and homophones. a.) Planning b.) Prewriting c.) First draft d.) Proofreading

Proofreading - Since homophones and homonyms can lead to inaccurate spelling or word choice, this step is proofreading: looking for and correcting spelling and word choice errors.

Which of the following sentences contains a compound predicate? a.) She placed the shells in a plastic bag while he dried himself off. b.) She raced along the path to beat him to the beach. c.) While he swam, she collected shells. d.) She washed the shells and dried them in the sun.

She washed the shells and dried them in the sun.

Which of the following words is a superlative adjective? a.) Sleepiest b.) Whichever c.) Angrier d.) Blue

Sleepiest - When comparing three or more people, places or things, a superlative adjective is used to describe them.

Which of the following is the best way to avoid plagiarism? a.) Look on the internet for similar examples to your writing assignment. b.) Paraphrase someone else's paragraphs. c.) Start from scratch, using your own ideas and your own wording. d.) Use someone else's ideas but change the wording to make it your own.

Start from scratch, using your own ideas and your own wording.

How should you use grammar-check and spell-check programs during the writing process? a.) Use spellcheck at every stage of the writing process, but never use grammar checks. b.) Use these programs carefully during the proofreading stage. c.) Never use these programs, as they are wrong all the time. d.) Use every suggestion from these programs during the drafting stage.

Use these programs carefully during the proofreading stage.

Plagiarism is serious because _____. a.) you waste too much time looking for other writings on your topic. b.) your writing is likely to be less clear because you haven't thought and planned on your own. c.) it's greedy to use other's ideas when you could do just as well on your own. d.) it's a type of theft; it's stealing another person's work.

it's a type of theft; it's stealing another person's work - Plagiarism is very serious because it's literary or academic theft. It's never acceptable.

A _____ verb connects the subject to another part of the sentence that gives more detail about the subject, like the word IS in the sentence, "Hans is my dog's name." a.) relative b.) linking c.) phrasal d.) helping

linking

Which of the following is an action taken during the editing process? a.) Replacing specific examples with general statements b.) Adding cliches c.) Checking paragraphs indentation d.) Varying sentence lengths

Varying sentence lengths

Identify the part of speech of the italicized word. She PENS her letters very neatly. a.) Adjective b.) Preposition c.) Noun d.) Verb

Verb - Even though "pen" is usually a noun, in this case it indicates action: writing. So it's a verb.

Which of the following is an interrogative sentence? a.) Please don't go. b.) Where are you going? c.) She isn't telling him where she's going. d.) They questioned where he was going.

Where are you going?

Which sentence contains a preposition phrase? a.) Running all the way, he got there early. b.) They sang it, then sang it again. c.) They tried, although they didn't expect to win. d.) With the proper help, they'll complete the project early.

With the proper help, they'll complete the project early.

Which of the following statements about connecting paragraphs is correct? a.) Two paragraphs may be joined by an action verb. b.) You can't state an idea in paragraph 2 that's related to an idea in paragraph 1. c.) You can use a pointing word in paragraph 2 that refers to a word in paragraph 1. d.) A good connection between two paragraphs is an implied transition.

You can use a pointing word in paragraph 2 that refers to a word in paragraph 1.

Which audience lends itself best to an informal style? a.) Your best friend b.) An older relative you don't know very well c.) Your congressional representative d.) Your boss's boss

Your best friend - Presumably, you know your best friend very well and are comfortable communicating casually. Although certain rare occasions may require a formal style, in all likelihood, it's appropriate to communicate informally with a good friend.

Outlining and mapping are two ways of organizing your ideas during the _____ stage of the writing process. a.) planning b.) drafting c.) editing d.) revising

planning

During the prewriting stage, an author will determine _____. a.) paragraph organization. b.) specific examples. c.) formatting. d.) purpose.

purpose