Reasoning Through Language Arts Writing Flashcards

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

Answer: He was tired; however, he kept working.

A semicolon is correctly used before conjunctive adverbs like 'however' to join two independent clauses.

Which revision best improves the clarity of this sentence: 'The report that the manager who was hired last year wrote was confusing.'?

Answer: The report written by the manager hired last year was confusing.

Moving the participial phrase 'written by the manager hired last year' reduces nested clauses and improves readability.

In an extended response, what is the PRIMARY purpose of a concluding paragraph?

Answer: To restate the thesis and summarize the main points

A concluding paragraph reinforces the essay's argument by restating the thesis and summarizing key supporting points.

Which of the following is an example of a run-on sentence?

Answer: The movie was long it was also very boring.

Two independent clauses joined without a conjunction or punctuation form a run-on sentence.

Which word best completes this sentence: 'The committee made its decision _____ careful deliberation.'?

Answer: after

'After' correctly indicates that the deliberation came before the decision in time.

Read the passage: 'Students should exercise regularly. Exercise improves concentration. Concentration helps academic performance.' Which revision best combines these sentences?

Answer: Students should exercise regularly because it improves concentration, which in turn helps academic performance.

Using 'because' and 'which in turn' creates a logical cause-and-effect chain that reads smoothly and eliminates repetition.

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

Answer: She handed the report to her boss, which was late.

'Which was late' incorrectly modifies 'boss' rather than 'report' due to its placement at the end of the sentence.