THEA THEA Writing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses a colon?
- She brought: a notebook, a pen, and an eraser.
- The ingredients are: flour, sugar, and eggs.
- She needed three things: a notebook, a pen, and an eraser. (Correct answer)
- She: needed a notebook, a pen, and an eraser.
Correct answer: She needed three things: a notebook, a pen, and an eraser.
A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list.
Question 2: What is the best definition of 'unity' in a paragraph?
- Every sentence is the same length
- All sentences relate to the paragraph's main idea (Correct answer)
- The paragraph includes at least five sentences
- The paragraph begins and ends with the same sentence
Correct answer: All sentences relate to the paragraph's main idea
Unity means every sentence in a paragraph supports and develops its single controlling idea.
Question 3: Which verb tense error appears in: 'Yesterday, she walks to school and bought lunch'?
- No error; both verbs are correct.
- 'walks' should be 'walked' to match the past tense context (Correct answer)
- 'bought' should be 'buys' to match the present tense
- 'Yesterday' should be replaced with 'Today'
Correct answer: 'walks' should be 'walked' to match the past tense context
'Yesterday' establishes a past-tense context, so 'walks' must be changed to 'walked' for consistency.
Question 4: In expository writing, the primary purpose is to:
- Persuade the reader to take a specific action
- Entertain the reader with a fictional story
- Inform or explain a topic clearly and objectively (Correct answer)
- Express the writer's personal emotions
Correct answer: Inform or explain a topic clearly and objectively
Expository writing aims to explain, describe, or inform with factual, objective content.
Question 5: Which sentence avoids gender-biased language?
- Every doctor should carry his stethoscope.
- Each nurse must submit her report on time.
- A pilot must check his instruments before takeoff.
- Every student should bring their own pencil. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Every student should bring their own pencil.
Using 'their' as a singular gender-neutral pronoun avoids assuming gender.
Question 6: Which of the following is the most specific and effective thesis statement?
- Social media is an interesting topic worth discussing.
- This essay will talk about social media and teenagers.
- Social media harms teenagers' mental health by increasing anxiety and reducing face-to-face interaction. (Correct answer)
- Many people have opinions about social media.
Correct answer: Social media harms teenagers' mental health by increasing anxiety and reducing face-to-face interaction.
An effective thesis makes a specific, arguable claim and previews the supporting points.
Question 7: Which choice correctly identifies the error in this sentence: 'The data shows that crime have decreased'?
- No error; the sentence is correct.
- 'data' is plural and should take 'show'; 'have' is correct (Correct answer)
- 'data' is singular; 'shows' is correct but 'have' should be 'has' — making the sentence internally consistent
- 'crime' is uncountable and needs an article
Correct answer: 'data' is plural and should take 'show'; 'have' is correct
'Data' is technically plural (datum is singular), so the correct form is 'The data show that crime has decreased.'
THEA THEA Writing 5
Which sentence correctly uses a colon?