Mixed Deck — All TSIA2 Topics Flashcards

Which approach best avoids plagiarism when using a source in an essay?

Answer: Paraphrasing the idea in your own words and citing the source

Paraphrasing with a citation both demonstrates understanding and gives proper credit to the original author.

What is the y-intercept of the line 4x - 2y = 8?

Answer: y = -4

Solving for y: y = 2x - 4, so the y-intercept is -4.

What is the purpose of transitional words like 'furthermore,' 'however,' and 'therefore' in an essay?

Answer: To signal logical relationships between ideas and guide the reader

Transitional words clarify how ideas relate — adding, contrasting, or concluding — which helps readers follow the argument.

Which organizational strategy is most effective for an essay comparing two approaches to solving homelessness?

Answer: Point-by-point comparison, addressing each criterion for both approaches together

Point-by-point comparison keeps both subjects in direct dialogue, making similarities and differences immediately clear.

A passage about the civil rights movement uses both first-person accounts from participants and statistics on voter suppression. The author's purpose in combining these sources is most likely to:

Answer: Provide both emotional resonance and factual credibility

Combining personal accounts (emotional impact) with statistics (objective evidence) strengthens an argument by appealing to both heart and mind.

Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?

Answer: The number of homeless individuals in major cities are rising each year.

'The number' is a singular subject and requires the singular verb 'is,' not 'are.'

What does 'making an inference' mean?

Answer: Drawing a conclusion from evidence not explicitly stated

Inferring means using clues and prior knowledge to reach a conclusion that isn't directly stated in the text.

A passage's first paragraph describes a problem, the second proposes a solution, and the third evaluates the solution's limitations. What is the text structure?

Answer: Problem-solution with evaluation

The three-part structure (problem → solution → limitations) defines a problem-solution pattern extended with critical evaluation.

A student's essay prompt asks her to argue for or against year-round schooling. Her thesis states: 'Year-round schooling has pros and cons.' What is wrong with this thesis?

Answer: It does not take a clear position on the issue

An argumentative thesis must stake a clear position; 'pros and cons' is a neutral observation, not an argument.

Which option best fixes this run-on sentence: 'The lab results were ready the doctor reviewed them immediately.'?

Answer: The lab results were ready; the doctor reviewed them immediately.

A semicolon correctly separates two closely related independent clauses without introducing a comma splice.

Which approach to essay revision is MOST effective for improving overall argument quality?

Answer: Re-reading the essay to ensure each paragraph clearly supports the thesis

Checking that every paragraph serves the thesis ensures the essay is unified, coherent, and argumentatively sound.

What is the median of the data set: 14, 9, 22, 17, 5, 31, 17?

Answer: 17

Ordered: 5, 9, 14, 17, 17, 22, 31; the middle (4th) value is 17.

Which sentence correctly uses a colon?

Answer: She needed three things: a pencil, paper, and an eraser.

A colon should follow a complete independent clause before introducing a list or explanation.

An author describes rising sea levels, then explains how coastal cities are building seawalls. What organizational pattern is this?

Answer: Cause and effect with a proposed response

Rising sea levels (cause) prompt the building of seawalls (effect/response), making this a cause-and-effect structure.

If f(x) = 2x² - 3x + 1, what is f(-2)?

Answer: 15

f(-2) = 2(4) - 3(-2) + 1 = 8 + 6 + 1 = 15.

When writing a TSIA2 essay, what is the primary purpose of acknowledging a counterargument?

Answer: To demonstrate awareness of opposing views and strengthen credibility

Addressing counterarguments shows intellectual honesty and strengthens the writer's overall argument by refuting opposing views.

Which inequality represents all values of x such that 3 − 2x < 7?

Answer: x > −2

Subtract 3: −2x −2.

In which sentence is the apostrophe used correctly?

Answer: The students' projects were displayed in the hall.

When a plural noun already ends in -s, add only an apostrophe to show possession.

A student encounters this sentence: 'Her philanthropic endeavors included funding scholarships, building libraries, and sponsoring medical clinics.' Based on context, philanthropic most likely means:

Answer: Charitable and focused on public welfare

All three examples—scholarships, libraries, clinics—are charitable acts benefiting the public, defining philanthropic as charitable.

Which resource would be MOST useful for practicing the TSIA2 essay component specifically?

Answer: ETS official TSIA2 practice prompts with scored sample essays

ETS official practice prompts with annotated scored samples teach students how essays are evaluated and how to meet the scoring criteria.