Writing Skills Flashcards

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier? A) Running quickly, the finish line was crossed by Maria. B) Maria crossed the finish line running quickly. C) Running quickly, Maria crossed the finish line. D) Maria, running quickly, crossed the finish line.

Answer: Running quickly, the finish line was crossed by Maria.

The participial phrase 'Running quickly' must be next to the noun it modifies (Maria), but in option A it incorrectly modifies 'the finish line.'

Choose the sentence that uses the semicolon correctly.

Answer: She studied hard; she passed the exam.

A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction; 'She studied hard' and 'she passed the exam' are both independent clauses.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'The committee made ______ decision after hours of debate.'

Answer: its

'Its' is the possessive pronoun for a singular collective noun like 'committee'; 'it's' means 'it is' and would be incorrect here.

Identify the sentence with a subject-verb agreement error.

Answer: The team are playing well this season.

In American English, collective nouns like 'team' take singular verbs; the correct form is 'The team is playing well.'

Which transitional phrase best shows a contrasting relationship between two ideas?

Answer: However

'However' signals a contrast or shift in thought, while 'furthermore' and 'in addition' add information and 'therefore' shows result.

Which revision best improves the clarity of this sentence? 'The book that I read it was very interesting.'

Answer: The book that I read was very interesting.

The original sentence has a pronoun echo error ('it' is redundant after 'that I read'); removing 'it' makes the relative clause grammatically correct.

What is the purpose of a thesis statement in an essay?

Answer: To present the main argument or central claim of the essay

A thesis statement presents the writer's central claim or argument that the rest of the essay will support and develop.