Writing Skills Flashcards

Which sentence demonstrates the most formal and appropriate word choice for an academic essay?

Answer: The findings significantly exceeded the researchers' initial projections.

Academic writing requires precise, formal diction; 'significantly exceeded initial projections' is objective and professional.

Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'who' versus 'whom': '_______ did the principal choose for the award?'

Answer: Whom did the principal choose for the award?

'Whom' is correct because it functions as the object of the verb 'choose' (the principal chose him/her).

Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?

Answer: She is a well-known author.

Compound adjectives appearing before a noun are hyphenated; 'well-known' modifies 'author' and comes before it.

What is the purpose of a topic sentence in a paragraph?

Answer: To introduce the main idea that the paragraph will develop

A topic sentence states the central idea of the paragraph, which all other sentences then support or develop.

Identify the incorrect word in: 'The principle reason we failed was poor planning.'

Answer: 'principle' should be 'principal'

'Principal' as an adjective means 'main' or 'primary'; 'principle' is a noun meaning a rule or belief.

Which option provides the best concluding sentence for a paragraph arguing that exercise improves academic performance?

Answer: Thus, regular physical activity is not only beneficial for physical health but also a proven catalyst for academic achievement.

A strong concluding sentence reinforces the argument with precise language and connects physical activity to the paragraph's academic focus.

Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' versus 'less'?

Answer: She made fewer errors on the second attempt.

'Fewer' is used with countable nouns like 'errors'; 'less' is used with uncountable/mass nouns like 'time.'