CBST Content and Structure 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence structure error occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma?
- Fragment
- Comma splice (Correct answer)
- Dangling modifier
- Run-on sentence
Correct answer: Comma splice
A comma splice incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a conjunction or semicolon.
Question 2: A paragraph's concluding sentence should primarily:
- Introduce a new argument
- Restate the topic sentence in different words or summarize key points (Correct answer)
- Present the most important evidence
- Ask a rhetorical question to engage the reader
Correct answer: Restate the topic sentence in different words or summarize key points
A concluding sentence wraps up the paragraph by restating the main idea or summarizing the supporting points.
Question 3: Which of the following best defines a 'thesis statement'?
- A sentence that introduces background information
- A sentence that presents the central argument or main point of an essay (Correct answer)
- A list of the supporting details used in the essay
- The topic sentence of the final paragraph
Correct answer: A sentence that presents the central argument or main point of an essay
A thesis statement presents the main claim or central argument that the entire essay will support.
Question 4: When organizing information in a report, using headers and subheadings primarily helps the reader:
- Understand the author's writing style
- Navigate the document and locate specific sections quickly (Correct answer)
- Identify the author's opinion
- Count the number of topics covered
Correct answer: Navigate the document and locate specific sections quickly
Headers and subheadings act as signposts that help readers navigate a document and find relevant information efficiently.
Question 5: Which word is used to show contrast between two ideas?
- Furthermore
- Similarly
- However (Correct answer)
- Therefore
Correct answer: However
'However' is a transitional word that signals a contrast or shift between two ideas.
Question 6: A sentence that lacks a subject or a verb is called a:
- Comma splice
- Fragment (Correct answer)
- Run-on
- Compound sentence
Correct answer: Fragment
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence because it is missing a subject, a verb, or both.
Question 7: In an informational text, what is the main purpose of a topic sentence?
- To provide a transition to the next paragraph
- To state the main idea of the paragraph (Correct answer)
- To give a specific example that supports the conclusion
- To summarize the entire document
Correct answer: To state the main idea of the paragraph
A topic sentence introduces and states the central idea of the paragraph that the rest of the paragraph will develop.
CBST Content and Structure 2
Which sentence structure error occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma?