Question 1

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) The bedroom had been carefully put in order. (2) The two French windows to the left of the door sparkled with the sunlight reflected onto their clean glass panes. (3) Beneath each window was a carved honey-colored bookcase about three feet high and four feet wide. (4) Both bookcases contained neat rows of leather-bound books. (5) Flush against the back wall stood a magnificent canopy bed covered with an eyelet comforter. (6) Several eyelet-covered pillows were plumped at the head of the bed. (7) Against the right wall was a carved writing table on which lay a neat stack of writing paper and a gold pen. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Accepted Answer

Transitional words or phrases are used in sentences (2), (3), (5), and (7). Sentence (2) uses "to the left of the door"; sentence (3) uses "beneath each window"; sentence (5) uses "flush against the back wall"; and sentence (7) uses "against the right wall". These transitional phrases help to create a clear and organized description of the room.

Question 2

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. The original fireworks were not so different from those we have now.

Accepted Answer

This idea supports the topic sentence by acknowledging that fireworks have not changed much since they were first developed in China.

Question 3

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. My family set fireworks off last summer.

Accepted Answer

The idea "My family set fireworks off last summer" is not relevant to supporting the topic sentence, which is about the origins of modern fireworks. Therefore, it should be dropped.

Question 4

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) The chronograph is a watch that measures time in different ways. (2) Its dial has two, three, or even four smaller subdials for this purpose. (3) A dial at the 9 o clock mark might measure continuous seconds; one at six o clock might count total hours up to twelve. (4) Specific features like these are useful to people who must measure time with great accuracy. (5) The stopwatch dial, for example, is useful to athletes who must time and assess their performance. (6) Another possible feature, the tachometer, can be used by race-car drivers to measure the speed of Formula One racers. (7) The chronograph s radium dial with luminous numbers and hands is helpful to military personnel conducting operations at night. (8) A waterproof version with rubber gasket rings can be used by divers who need to mark the tides. (9) Because of the chronograph s fancy, technical details, these timepieces project an active, competent, outdoor image. Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by...

Question 5

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Although separated by many years in age, Carolyn s father and her son are remarkably similar. (2) A gray-haired elderly gentleman, Carolyn s father always carefully selects his clothing before he steps into the public view. (3) His greatest treat is to browse through encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs to absorb scraps of knowledge, minute facts, and out-of-the-way statistics. (4) At dinner, he enjoys surprising his family with the annual rainfall of Australia or the average length of the tiger shark. (5) Billy, Carolyn s seven-year-old, also carefully surveys his clothing each morning to see what would best suit his mood. (6) He too loves to read, but he confines himself to children s books on exotic lands. (7) Just like his grandfather, at mealtime he parades his store of odd facts before the family, relishing the surprised looks on their faces. (8) Maybe the old saying should be Like grandfather, like grandson. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentence(s)?

Accepted Answer

Transitional words or phrases such as "also," "too," and "just like" are used in sentences (5), (6), and (7) to establish the similarities between Carolyn's father and son.

Question 6

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Networks should not present children s shows that contain violence. (2) Children fed a constant diet of TV violence begin to believe that brutality is acceptable. (3) Seeing dogs, cats, and mice pushing each other off roofs and hitting each other with bricks in these shows, children are bound to assume that brutality is and should be a way of life. (4) Another reason for keeping violence out of children s shows is that young viewers may get the idea that violence is not really painful. (5) For example, my neighbor has told me that after a Saturday morning of violent cartoons, her son Paul tends to hit and bully his sister and then seems amazed when, unlike the smiling cartoon characters, she cries. (6) Most important, the consequences of letting our children watch these shows are frightening to imagine. (7) We may be raising a generation of adolescents and then adults so used to watching cruelty on television that they will not be moved to stop it when they see it in real life. Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by...

Question 7

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. Most fireworks use gunpowder, dyes, and metal shavings for their special effects.

Accepted Answer

All of the listed ideas support the topic sentence by providing information about the origins and components of modern fireworks.

Question 8

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) New Jersey businessman Barry Halper owned the world s largest collection of baseball memorabilia. (2) Three packed rooms in his basement held countless baseball-related objects priceless to any lover of the game. (3) He owned, for instance, at least 1 million baseball cards, all in complete sets. (4) Nine hundred players uniforms on a dry cleaner s conveyor belt hummed through a huge closet in Halper s basement. (5) Another prized example of Halper s passion was a life-size wax statue of Babe Ruth purchased from Madame Tussaud s famous wax museum in London. (6) Halper displayed a huge leather chair shaped like a baseball mitt, 3,000 autographed balls, a baseball pinball machine made in the 1930s, posters, bats, masks, trophies. (7) In 1998, he sold his collection; Major League Baseball bought many of Halper s treasures and donated them to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Choose the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by...

Question 9

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. Washington, D.C., has great Fourth of July fireworks.

Accepted Answer

While the topic sentence mentions the origins of modern fireworks, the list of ideas is unrelated and focuses on the Fourth of July fireworks in Washington, D.C. Therefore, all ideas should be dropped as they do not support or relate to the topic sentence.

Question 10

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. A fireworks shell is a tube made of paper.

Accepted Answer

The idea that a fireworks shell is a tube made of paper doesn't directly support the topic sentence about the origins of modern fireworks. Therefore, it should be dropped. The idea that modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics is the focus of the paragraph and should be kept.

Question 11

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. Fireworks are too loud.

Accepted Answer

None of the ideas in the brainstormed list support the topic sentence that modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. Instead, the ideas are focused on the loudness of fireworks, which is a separate and unrelated topic. Therefore, all ideas should be dropped.

Question 12

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Achieving the position of attention a key position in all military movements is not as simple as most people think. (2) To obtain this position, a person must first bring his or her heels together and in line, toes forming a forty-five degree angle. (3) The person then rests his or her weight equally on the heels of both feet and straightens the legs without locking the knees. (4) Next, he or she stands erect, hips level, chest lifted and arched, shoulders square and even. (5) The head should be erect and square, eyes to the front, chin drawn in so that the head and neck are vertical. (6) Finally, the arms should be straightened with fingers curled so that the tips of the thumbs are touching the index fingers. (7) The thumb should rest along the seams of the pants. (8) Like everything else in military life, the position of attention has a format that must be followed. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Accepted Answer

The transitional words "To obtain this position" in sentence (2) and "Next" in sentence (4) show a clear sequence of steps. Additionally, the word "finally" in sentence (6) indicates the final step in achieving the position of attention. The transitional word "then" in sentence (3) could also suggest a sequence, but it is not as significant as the other transitional words in this paragraph. Sentences (1), (5), and (7) do not contain clear transitional words or phrases indicating a sequence.

Question 13

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Although separated by many years in age, Carolyn s father and her son are remarkably similar. (2) A gray-haired elderly gentleman, Carolyn s father always carefully selects his clothing before he steps into the public view. (3) His greatest treat is to browse through encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs to absorb scraps of knowledge, minute facts, and out-of-the-way statistics. (4) At dinner, he enjoys surprising his family with the annual rainfall of Australia or the average length of the tiger shark. (5) Billy, Carolyn s seven-year-old, also carefully surveys his clothing each morning to see what would best suit his mood. (6) He too loves to read, but he confines himself to children s books on exotic lands. (7) Just like his grandfather, at mealtime he parades his store of odd facts before the family, relishing the surprised looks on their faces. (8) Maybe the old saying should be Like grandfather, like grandson. Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

Accepted Answer

The paragraph is using the comparison/contrast mode of development to show the similarities between Carolyn's father and her son.

Question 14

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Networks should not present children s shows that contain violence. (2) Children fed a constant diet of TV violence begin to believe that brutality is acceptable. (3) Seeing dogs, cats, and mice pushing each other off roofs and hitting each other with bricks in these shows, children are bound to assume that brutality is and should be a way of life. (4) Another reason for keeping violence out of children s shows is that young viewers may get the idea that violence is not really painful. (5) For example, my neighbor has told me that after a Saturday morning of violent cartoons, her son Paul tends to hit and bully his sister and then seems amazed when, unlike the smiling cartoon characters, she cries. (6) Most important, the consequences of letting our children watch these shows are frightening to imagine. (7) We may be raising a generation of adolescents and then adults so used to watching cruelty on television that they will not be moved to stop it when they see it in real life. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Accepted Answer

The transitional words "Another reason" (sentence 4) and "For example" (sentence 5) indicate a continuation of ideas, and the transitional phrase "Most important" (sentence 6) signals a shift to a new, more important point. Therefore, transitional words or phrases are used in sentences (4), (5), and (6).

Question 15

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. Be careful if you re setting off fireworks.

Accepted Answer

The idea to be careful when setting off fireworks does not directly support the topic sentence about the origins of modern fireworks in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics; it is more related to safety precautions.

Question 16

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) The chronograph is a watch that measures time in different ways. (2) Its dial has two, three, or even four smaller subdials for this purpose. (3) A dial at the 9 o clock mark might measure continuous seconds; one at six o clock might count total hours up to twelve. (4) Specific features like these are useful to people who must measure time with great accuracy. (5) The stopwatch dial, for example, is useful to athletes who must time and assess their performance. (6) Another possible feature, the tachometer, can be used by race-car drivers to measure the speed of Formula One racers. (7) The chronograph s radium dial with luminous numbers and hands is helpful to military personnel conducting operations at night. (8) A waterproof version with rubber gasket rings can be used by divers who need to mark the tides. (9) Because of the chronograph s fancy, technical details, these timepieces project an active, competent, outdoor image. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by...

Question 17

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) The bedroom had been carefully put in order. (2) The two French windows to the left of the door sparkled with the sunlight reflected onto their clean glass panes. (3) Beneath each window was a carved honey-colored bookcase about three feet high and four feet wide. (4) Both bookcases contained neat rows of leather-bound books. (5) Flush against the back wall stood a magnificent canopy bed covered with an eyelet comforter. (6) Several eyelet-covered pillows were plumped at the head of the bed. (7) Against the right wall was a carved writing table on which lay a neat stack of writing paper and a gold pen. Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

Accepted Answer

The paragraph is developed through description, as the writer gives detailed information about the appearance and arrangement of objects in the bedroom.

Question 18

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) New Jersey businessman Barry Halper owned the world s largest collection of baseball memorabilia. (2) Three packed rooms in his basement held countless baseball-related objects priceless to any lover of the game. (3) He owned, for instance, at least 1 million baseball cards, all in complete sets. (4) Nine hundred players uniforms on a dry cleaner s conveyor belt hummed through a huge closet in Halper s basement. (5) Another prized example of Halper s passion was a life-size wax statue of Babe Ruth purchased from Madame Tussaud s famous wax museum in London. (6) Halper displayed a huge leather chair shaped like a baseball mitt, 3,000 autographed balls, a baseball pinball machine made in the 1930s, posters, bats, masks, trophies. (7) In 1998, he sold his collection; Major League Baseball bought many of Halper s treasures and donated them to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Accepted Answer

The transitional words "for instance" in sentence (3) and "another prized example" in sentence (5) indicate the use of the pattern of exemplification, and thus a transition between specific examples. Therefore, option A is the correct choice. There are no transitional words or phrases in sentences (1), (2), (4), (6), or (7).

Question 19

Instructions: The topic sentence below is followed by a brainstormed list of possible ideas for a paragraph. Decide which ideas support the topic sentence and should be kept and which ideas should be dropped. Select keep or drop for each idea. Topic sentence: Modern fireworks have their origins in tenth-century Chinese pyrotechnics. Originally the Chinese invented firecrackers for use as weapons.

Accepted Answer

The idea that the Chinese invented firecrackers for use as weapons directly supports the topic sentence about the origins of modern fireworks in Chinese pyrotechnics. Therefore, it should be kept.

Question 20

Instructions: The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Achieving the position of attention a key position in all military movements is not as simple as most people think. (2) To obtain this position, a person must first bring his or her heels together and in line, toes forming a forty-five degree angle. (3) The person then rests his or her weight equally on the heels of both feet and straightens the legs without locking the knees. (4) Next, he or she stands erect, hips level, chest lifted and arched, shoulders square and even. (5) The head should be erect and square, eyes to the front, chin drawn in so that the head and neck are vertical. (6) Finally, the arms should be straightened with fingers curled so that the tips of the thumbs are touching the index fingers. (7) The thumb should rest along the seams of the pants. (8) Like everything else in military life, the position of attention has a format that must be followed. Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

Accepted Answer

The paragraph outlines a step-by-step process of achieving the position of attention, making it a clear example of process development.

Quiz 2: Writing Complete Sentences