THEA THEA Essay Writing Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Transitional words and phrases in an essay are used to:
- Add word count to the essay
- Connect ideas and guide the reader through the argument (Correct answer)
- Introduce quotations from outside sources
- Replace weak verbs with stronger ones
Correct answer: Connect ideas and guide the reader through the argument
Transitions link sentences and paragraphs, helping readers follow the logical flow of the argument.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a logical fallacy that weakens an essay argument?
- Providing statistical evidence
- Using expert testimony
- Ad hominem (attacking the person rather than the argument) (Correct answer)
- Giving a concrete example
Correct answer: Ad hominem (attacking the person rather than the argument)
An ad hominem fallacy attacks the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself, weakening the essay's logic.
Question 3: When writing a THEA essay prompt response, what should you do FIRST?
- Begin writing the first body paragraph immediately
- Read and analyze the prompt to understand what is being asked (Correct answer)
- Write the conclusion
- Look for spelling errors
Correct answer: Read and analyze the prompt to understand what is being asked
Carefully reading and analyzing the prompt ensures you understand the task and can plan a focused, relevant response.
Question 4: What is the function of supporting details in a body paragraph?
- To restate the thesis statement
- To provide evidence, examples, or reasoning that proves the topic sentence (Correct answer)
- To introduce a new topic unrelated to the essay
- To provide a personal anecdote unconnected to the argument
Correct answer: To provide evidence, examples, or reasoning that proves the topic sentence
Supporting details such as examples, facts, and reasoning develop and prove the claim made in the topic sentence.
Question 5: Which writing mode is MOST appropriate for a THEA essay prompt asking you to argue a position?
- Narrative
- Descriptive
- Persuasive/Argumentative (Correct answer)
- Expository summary
Correct answer: Persuasive/Argumentative
Persuasive/argumentative writing presents a clear position and supports it with evidence to convince the reader.
Question 6: Parallelism in essay writing means:
- Writing two identical paragraphs
- Using consistent grammatical structure for items in a list or series (Correct answer)
- Avoiding any use of transitions
- Writing one paragraph for each sentence in the thesis
Correct answer: Using consistent grammatical structure for items in a list or series
Parallelism requires that items in a list or series follow the same grammatical form, creating clarity and rhythm.
THEA THEA Essay Writing Strategies 2
Transitional words and phrases in an essay are used to: