Free THEA Writing Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following statements would be best in line with the writer's goals and target audience if they were inserted between Parts 3 and 4 of the first paragraph?
- I am aware that commuter students cannot and should not request special treatment from campus officials.
- We commuter students don't drive to campus just because it's nice to have a car around in case we want to go shopping or to the movies. (Correct answer)
- Even a cursory survey of the situation should be sufficient to reveal the significant burdens that such a demanding life style must place on the average commuter student.
- One must accept the statistically verifiable fact that, as a group, commuter students take more difficult courses than students who live on campus.
Correct answer: We commuter students don't drive to campus just because it's nice to have a car around in case we want to go shopping or to the movies.
The statement that best fits the writer's objective and target audience is "We commuter students don't drive to campus just because it's good to have a car around in case we want to go shopping or to the movies." <br> This phrase highlights the author's thesis that commuter students drive to university for practical reasons, such as juggling employment, family, and academics, as opposed to solely using their cars for recreational pursuits like shopping or going to the movies. It supports the author's claim that convenient parking spaces are necessary to meet the hectic schedules of commuter students.
Question 2: Which of the following modifications to the second paragraph is necessary?
- Part 7: Change "it's" to "its."
- Part 10: Change "we" to "us." (Correct answer)
- Part 6: Change "nearest" to "nearer."
- Part 9: Change "our" to "their."
Correct answer: Part 10: Change "we" to "us."
A change is needed in Part 10 of the second paragraph. The pronoun "we" should be changed to "us" to maintain grammatical correctness. The revised sentence would be: "I say forget the lawns and build a couple of convenient parking lots for us harried commuters!"
Question 3: Which of the following alterations would help draw attention to the first paragraph's primary idea?
- Delete the phrase "with a minimum of research" from Part 4
- Change Part 7 from the plural to the singular, as in "Plainly, I do not."
- Delete Part 3 (Correct answer)
- Change Part 6 from an interrogative to a declarative sentence by dropping the word "Do.
Correct answer: Delete Part 3
Deleting Part 3 would not help focus attention on the main idea of the first paragraph. Part 3 states that public opinion polls have proven valuable in the political process, which is relevant to the discussion of measuring public opinion. Removing this part would disrupt the flow of ideas and weaken the argument being presented in the paragraph.
Question 4: Which of the following should be substituted for the word in Part 4 of the first paragraph that is highlighted?
- thinks (Correct answer)
- should think
- thinking
- will think
Correct answer: thinks
The highlighted word "think" in Part 4 of the first paragraph should be used in place of "thinks."
Question 5: Which of the following alterations would help the second paragraph's ideas to flow more naturally?
- Place Part 9 after Part 11. (Correct answer)
- Reverse the order of Parts 10 and 11.
- Delete Part 12.
- Reverse the order of Parts 8 and 9.
Correct answer: Place Part 9 after Part 11.
Placing Part 9 after Part 11 in the second paragraph would make the sequence of ideas clearer. <br> By moving Part 9 after Part 11, the paragraph now flows logically from discussing the media's role in analyzing candidate positions to acknowledging that this approach may not be well-received, but it would still be a valuable service to the voting public.
Question 6: Which of the following sentences in the first paragraph doesn't fit the rules of grammar?
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3 (Correct answer)
- Part 4
Correct answer: Part 3
Part 3 of the first paragraph is a nonstandard sentence. It lacks a subject and verb, making it an incomplete fragment. The sentence fragment "When you've finished the book" does not convey a complete thought on its own. It would need to be connected to a main clause to form a grammatically correct sentence.
Question 7: Which of the following would be best in line with the writer's goals and target audience if put between Parts 7 and 8 of the second paragraph?
- You are comforted by the fact that your friend still has all of the same wonderful qualities that captured your affection when you first met. (Correct answer)
- I rarely read the same book more than once, though; I think that is a waste of time.
- Within that realm of fictional escapism, you extract solace and intellectual gratification.
- That, of course, is not true of the books that you are forced to read for most college literature courses.
Correct answer: You are comforted by the fact that your friend still has all of the same wonderful qualities that captured your affection when you first met.
The sentence "You are comforted by the fact that your friend still has all of the same wonderful qualities that captured your affection when you first met." would be most consistent with the writer's purpose and intended audience if added between Parts 7 and 8 of the second paragraph. This sentence reinforces the idea that a good book, like a good friend, provides comfort and reassurance by retaining its positive qualities over time.
Free THEA Writing Questions and Answers
Which of the following statements would be best in line with the writer's goals and target audience if they were inserted between Parts 3 and 4 of the first paragraph?