PSAT/NMSQT Essay Writing & Analysis 3

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

To state the paragraph's main idea

Answer

A topic sentence announces the controlling idea of its paragraph.

Question 2

An author uses statistics showing 90% of scientists agree. Which appeal is this?

Accepted Answer

Logos

Answer

Logos appeals to logic and reason through data, facts, and evidence.

Question 3

Which sentence demonstrates the clearest, most concise revision of "Due to the fact that it was raining, we stayed inside"?

Accepted Answer

Because it was raining, we stayed inside.

Answer

"Because" replaces the wordy phrase "due to the fact that" without losing meaning.

Question 4

In an analysis, what does it mean to evaluate an author's diction?

Accepted Answer

Examining the author's word choice

Answer

Diction refers to an author's specific choice of words and their connotations.

Question 5

Which is the strongest concluding strategy for a rhetorical analysis essay?

Accepted Answer

Summarize how the techniques achieve the author's purpose

Answer

A strong conclusion ties the analyzed techniques back to the author's overall purpose.

PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test