ENGL 101 Composition Practice 6 Effective Introductions and Conclusions Assignment solutions answers

ENGL 101 Composition Practice 6 Effective Introductions and Conclusions Assignment solutions complete answers

 

1 . Cause and Effect

Many essays analyze causes and/or effects: What are the reasons the United States entered World War II? How did Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the Civil Rights Movement change the face of the American South? Cause papers are concerned with reasons why something happened; effect papers are interested in results, or what happened because of an action or event. In paragraphs, you will generally focus on either cause or effect; in essays you may deal with both. Note that there are several types of cause and effect relationships (one cause = one effect, one cause = several effects, multiple causes = one effect, multiple causes = multiple effects, and chains of causes and effects).

 

Directions: Read the following introductory paragraph from a cause-and-effect essay and answer the questions below.

(1) The town of Libby, Montana, is in a remote, wooded region of northern Montana near the Canadian border. (2) The town’s main industry used to be mining. (3) Until 1990, W. R. Grace & Company operated a mine in Libby that produced vermiculite, a substance used in many products such as insulation and fertilizer. (4) In the process of mining this substance, the company knowingly released asbestos, a dangerous toxin, into the surrounding environment. (5) W. R. Grace & Company’s mining practices had serious consequences for the community of Libby.

 

Discuss the effects of mining in Libby

Persuade the reader of the dangers of mining

Introduce various causes of asbestos dust in Libby

 

(1) During the past three years, ten babies have been born with birth defects in the farming community of Kettleman, California. (2) Although this number of birth defects would be normal in a larger city with millions of people, Kettleman is a tiny community, and the citizens are alarmed. (3) Residents of the town, environmental specialists, and health experts have started to investigate the causes of the high rate of birth defects in the community. (4) Experts believe that a variety of environmental factors may be causing the birth defects in Kettleman, California.

 

Which is the thesis statement of the essay?

 

According to the thesis statement, the essay will do which of the following?

Consider various effects of birth defects in Kettleman

Discuss possible causes of birth defects in Kettleman

Classify types of birth defects in Kettleman

 

(1) In the first half of the twentieth century, William T. Love began to develop his vision for an ideal community in Niagara Falls, New York. (2) His project failed, and a chemical company purchased his property to create a landfill. (3) For thirty years, chemical companies used the Love Canal neighborhood as a dump for chemical waste. (4) In 1953, the Hooker Chemical Company buried its gigantic hazardous waste dump and sold the land to the town for one dollar. (5) The effects of the buried toxic waste in Love Canal developed slowly and horrifically.

 

Argue for the historical relevance of the Love Canal incident to the twentieth century

Analyze the possible reasons for the business decisions to buy and sell Love Canal

Discuss the effects of the buried hazardous waste site in the Love Canal neighborhood

 

 

2 . The Writing and Research Process: An Overview

Because research-based writing is an increasingly common part of academic life, it is important to understand the steps in the writing and research process Following such a process helps writers break a research-based assignment down into smaller, more manageable tasks. The writing and research process also provides the perfect opportunity to create a working bibliography before the composition is even complete. Below are the steps, in order, involved in the writing and research process.

1.
Select a topic to research.
2.
Pose research questions that will help you narrow your topic.
3.
Begin research using library sources, engaging with librarians themselves, and completing internet searches.
4.
Compose the first draft of the writing assignment.
5.
Revise the first draft to ensure sufficient evidence is present to support the thesis statement.
6.
Proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
 

Directions: The following questions review the nature and utility of the writing and research process. Read each question, then select the correct answer.

 

How does the writing and research process make it easier to complete a research-based writing assignment?

The process helps you write a first draft that doesn’t require any revision.

The process helps you break the work down into a series of small, manageable, logically ordered tasks.

The process is faster than writing the entire essay the night before it is due.

 

Why are research questions important?

They typically count for a large portion of a student’s grade.

They help writers focus their research efforts and make it easier to articulate possible thesis statements.

They serve as the foundation for a works cited or references page.

 

When should a writer focus on editing the grammar of an essay?

After correcting the formatting of in-text citations

While writing the first draft

After making more significant revisions to the content and organization

 

Action
Step Number
Write a first draft.
 
Make sure you understand the assignment.
 
Assess whether the body of your essay supports the thesis statement.
 
Research the topic of your essay by consulting librarians, the library itself, and internet resources.
 
Complete prewriting activities such as freewriting or clustering.
 
Make an informal outline.
 
 

What is a major benefit of working through the writing and research process?

The process is faster than writing the entire essay the night before it is due.

The process allows you to avoid looking at sources that you will not cite in your essay.

The methodical approach that the process entails helps ensure that your essay is well informed and thoughtfully constructed.

 

At what point in the writing and research process should you create a working bibliography?

After the first draft has been completed

After the final draft has been completed

While doing research

 

When should writers focus on making big changes to the content and organization of their essays?

While composing the first draft

After they make changes to grammar and punctuation

When they begin revising the essays

 

Action
Step Number
 
 
Make significant changes to your essay.
 
Craft a solid thesis statement.
 
Compose a first draft.
 
Seek feedback from your instructor or from peers.
 
Pose research questions.
 
 

Why do writers find it helpful to follow the writing and research process when working on research-based writing assignments?

Following the process means that writers will not have to revise their first drafts.

Following the process means that writers will complete the assignment faster than people who do not follow the process.

Following the process allows writers to break the work down into a series of small, manageable, logically ordered tasks.

 

At what point in the writing and research process should you compose a tentative thesis statement?

After you have done enough research to formulate an answer to your research question.

Immediately after you have selected a topic.

After you have completed a formal outline.

 

What should a writer focus on when beginning to revise a first draft?

The formatting of in-text citations

Big ideas, such as whether the body of the essay supports the thesis statement

Errors in grammar and ineffective phrases

 

Directions: The following table lists some actions that must be taken in the writing and research process. Use the dropdown menus to place the steps in the proper order.

Action
Step Number
Pose questions about your topic that will help you focus your research.
 
Compose a first draft.
 
Select a topic to write about.
 
Make significant changes to your essay in order to ensure that the thesis statement is thoroughly supported by the evidence you provide.
 
Carefully proofread your essay, making sure that it is free of errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
 
 

3 . Outlines

An outline is a document that shows how the main point and supporting ideas in a piece of writing are or will be organized. To learn more about outlines, read the information that follows.

All About Outlines

Informal Outlines

After conducting research and forming tentative thesis statements, many writers find it helpful to create informal outlines.

An informal outline presents a writer’s tentative thesis and the ideas that he or she is likely to use to support it. Creating such an outline allows a writer to develop a better sense of what ideas need to be expressed and the order in which they should be presented.

Directions: Select the correct answers to the questions that follow.

 

What is an informal outline?

A comprehensive list of major and minor ideas that a writer plans to include in an essay

A brief list of the major ideas a writer may include in the first draft of an essay

An outline that is written by hand instead of typed on a computer

 

How do outlines help writers?

They help writers select essay topics and develop tentative thesis statements.

They help writers begin the research process.

They help writers determine which ideas should be included in an essay and the order in which they should be presented.

 

Directions: Indicate whether each statement is true or false.

Statement
True
False
It is best to complete an informal outline before writing a rough draft.
 
 
 
It is not necessary to include an essay’s thesis statement in an outline.
 
 
 
Outlines help writers determine if ideas are arranged in a logical way.
 
 
 
Creating a formal outline can be helpful when a writer is dealing with a complex subject.
 
 
 
 

Formal and Reverse Outlines

A formal outline is more comprehensive and thoughtfully arranged than an informal outline. It generally includes a more polished thesis statement than an informal outline. Moreover, rather than containing only major ideas, it typically accounts for all the major and minor ideas that an essay will present. Because formal outlines make it easy to see relationships among many different ideas, they are particularly helpful for writers who are dealing with complex subjects.

Creating a formal outline can be beneficial in two situations:

1.
Just before you compose your first draft. At this stage, you have thoroughly examined your research materials, formulated a thesis statement, and developed a sense of how to support that thesis statement. Taking the time to list the specific points your essay should make will give you a blueprint to follow when you start writing.
2.
After you have completed a rough draft of a piece of writing. In this situation, you create an outline showing how you arranged the ideas in your rough draft and use this to figure out whether any ideas are missing, unnecessarily repeated, or illogically placed. (Note: An outline that reflects the contents and organization of a rough draft is sometimes called a reverse outline).
 

What is a reverse outline?

A brief list of the major ideas a writer may include in the first draft of an essay

An outline that lists an essay’s points in reverse order of importance

An outline that reflects the contents and order of ideas presented in a rough draft

 

At what point in the writing process is a formal outline typically constructed?

It is most effective to make a formal outline after you have finished most of your research and formulated a tentative thesis statement.

It is most effective to make a formal outline after you have finished your research but before you have formulated a tentative thesis statement.

It is most effective to make a formal outline before you do any research.

 

Statement
True
False
An outline should be created before a writer does any research.
 
 
 
Informal outlines may use bullet points to distinguish ideas from each other.
 
 
 
Creating a reverse outline can help a writer determine whether any ideas are missing.
 
 
 
Informal outlines typically account for all the major and minor ideas that an essay will present.
 
 
 
 

General Tips

Here are some tips for creating and using outlines:

•
Use letters, numbers, and indentations consistently.
•
Be sure to include your thesis statement at the top of the page.
•
Make sure that all points in the outline support the thesis statement.
•
Make sure that the points in the outline are logically arranged.
Directions: Select the correct answers to the questions that follow.

 

What is the difference between a formal outline and an informal outline?

An informal outline is a comprehensive list of major and minor ideas that a writer plans to include in an essay; a formal outline is a brief list of major ideas that a writer may include in an essay.

An informal outline is an outline that is written by hand and may contain spelling mistakes; a formal outline is an outline that is typed and has been thoroughly edited.

An informal outline is a brief list of major ideas that a writer may include in an essay; a formal outline is a comprehensive list of major and minor ideas that a writer plans to include in an essay.

 

Why do writers make formal outlines?

In order to determine whether their research is sufficiently current and reliable.

In order to formulate thesis statements.

In order to determine which ideas will appear in their essays and the order in which those ideas will be presented.

 

Statement
True
False
A reverse outline should be completed before writing a rough draft.
 
 
 
A reverse outline should begin with the essay’s thesis statement.
 
 
 
All points in a formal outline should appear flush against the left-hand margin of the paper.
 
 
 
Informal outlines are especially effective when a writer is dealing with a complex subject.
 
 
 
 

4 . Writing an Effective Introduction

A strong introduction is important to a successful paper because it sets the tone and topic of what is to come. Your introduction needs to:

•
get the reader’s attention (this is called the hook)
•
present the subject of your paper
•
clearly state your thesis (the claim that you will develop, explain, and/or prove in the body paragraphs—this is usually the last sentence of the introductory paragraph, but it does not have to be)
Below is the introduction for a student’s essay. Read the paragraph and then answer the questions below using the dropdown menu.

(1) Imagine being ten years old again, waking up each morning with no adult figure to turn to for advice or support. (2) Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a nationwide organization that pairs children with positive role models. (3) This organization has been changing the lives of children and their mentors for over 100 years. (4) I first became involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program when I was in elementary school; my teacher recommended that I be paired with a big sibling to help me build self-esteem. (5) I first met my Big Sister, Augusta, when I was nine years old. (6) Ten years later, Augusta and I are still in touch, and our relationship has convinced me of the importance of this program in the lives of children. (7) My relationship with my Big Sister changed my life in three specific ways.

 

The student provides the thesis statement of the essay in     .

 

The student hooks the reader with     .

 

The student introduces the paper’s topic in     .

 

 (1) "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." (2) This inspirational quotation from Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl could have been written about the City Year volunteer organization. (3) City Year is a nationwide program that involves young people, ages 17 to 24, in a year of full-time service. (4) During their City Year experience, volunteers work directly with students to keep them on track for high school graduation and to turn around at-risk schools. (5) I learned about City Year during my senior year in high school, and I chose to spend the following year as a volunteer in Philadelphia. (6) I was able to make important changes in the lives of middle school students, but I learned as much as the students that I worked with. (7) The City Year experience teaches volunteers the important life skills of responsibility, leadership, and team building.

 

 (1) Have you ever wondered how you can make a difference in a child's life? (2) Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a nationwide organization that pairs children with positive role models. (3) This organization has been changing the lives of children and their mentors for over 100 years. (4) I became a Big Sister during my second year of college, and I learned firsthand about the incredible impacts that this program can have. (5) Although I know that I made a big difference in my Little Brother's life, his impact on my life was even greater. (6) My experience as a Big Sister changed my life in three very important ways.

 

5 . Considering Different Types of Introductions

While there are many ways to write an effective introduction, you want to keep these tips in mind to ensure your hook is not weak:

•
Do not announce your intentions (e.g., “In this essay, I am going to tell you why . . .”).
•
Do not lead with an obvious statement or question (e.g., “Many people think the death penalty is bad” or “Does failure lead to success?”).
•
Do not begin with a dictionary entry “Webster’s Dictionary defines success as . . .”).
The above types of hooks are flat, unsophisticated, and do not add anything to your writing. However, there are several good ways to write a fresh, effective hook. You may use:

•
an anecdote or example
•
background information, context, or definition (only if the definition is unusual or unfamiliar)
•
a relevant quotation
•
an interesting fact or statistic
•
a thought-provoking question (not something generic or obvious, but a question that will truly make your reader stop and think)
 

Read each student's concern, and then answer the question that follows.

"My teacher said my introduction makes my main point clear but doesn't really engage readers. But so what? Does the introduction really have to be engaging?"

What would you say to help this student?

An introduction doesn't have to be engaging—but if it's boring or doesn't say why its ideas matter, readers won't understand what your topic is.

An introduction doesn't have to be engaging—but if it's boring or doesn't say why its ideas matter, readers are unlikely to keep reading.

An introduction doesn't have to be engaging—but if it's boring or doesn't say why its ideas matter, readers won't understand the main point.

 

"I want to write an essay arguing that owning a gun does not increase a person's safety. What would be an effective way to begin my essay?"

Which suggestions would help this student create an engaging introduction? Check all that apply.

Try beginning with a question such as "Do guns really keep people safe?" It's an interesting question, and people will want to know more.

Start by directly stating what each paragraph of your essay is going to prove. That will guarantee that there are no surprises in your essay.

See if you can find an interesting or provocative quotation about gun ownership. Starting with that might pique the interest of readers and make them want to know more.

Start by defining the term safety. That will ensure readers know you're about to challenge their assumptions about gun ownership.

 

"I'm really interested in my essay topic and I want to write something that other people will want to read voluntarily. How can I do that?"

One thing to do is to try writing an introduction that provides the dictionary definitions of all important terms.

One thing to do is to try writing an introduction that gives readers a blueprint for your essay—that is, an introduction explaining what each paragraph is going to be about.

One thing to do is to try writing an introduction that engages readers right away with a short, interesting story.

 

"I want to write an essay arguing that we have to do more to protect forests. What would be an effective way to begin my essay?"

Start by defining the term conservation. That will ensure readers know you're focused on protecting nature.

See if you can find an interesting or provocative quotation about trees or nature conservation. Starting with that might pique the interest of readers and make them want to know more.

Try beginning with a story about the bad things that happened because a specific forest was cut down. That will help readers understand the importance of protecting forests.

Try beginning with a broad statement like "Trees have always been important." This will help readers understand that trees are important even today.

 

"I feel like the beginning of my essay is kind of plain and boring. How can I make it more engaging for readers?"

Try beginning with a provocative quotation or question.

Try beginning with a dictionary definition.

You can't make the beginning more engaging. Readers will only be engaged if they're already interested in your topic.

 

"I want to write an essay arguing that college athletes should be paid for the thousands of hours of athletic work they do every year. What would be an effective way to begin my essay?"

Try beginning with a question such as "Should college athletes be paid for their labor?" It's an interesting question, and readers will want to know more.

Try beginning with a broad statement like "Sports are important in many cultures." This will let you ease readers into your essay topic gradually.

Try beginning with a description of a college athlete's demanding daily routine, and then pointing out that for all this work, the athlete receives no compensation. This will illustrate how unfair it is that college athletes aren't paid.

Try beginning with dictionary definitions of work and athlete. That will make sure readers know exactly what you're talking about.

 

6 . Writing an Effective Conclusion

The conclusion is an integral part of an essay because it is the last thing that your audience will read, so you want to use this paragraph to reinforce your message. You can achieve this by doing one or more of the following:

•
Reiterate your thesis (using different phrasing—do not repeat your thesis statement).
•
Call back to your introduction (reference what you discussed in your hook—this will give your essay a nice cohesiveness, a connective thread).
•
Issue a call to action (invite your reader to do or to consider something specific).
•
Review your key points (especially if the essay or paper is several pages or more).
•
Ask a thoughtful question.
However, just as there are pitfalls to avoid when writing an introduction, there are a few important don’ts for writing an effective conclusion:

•
Do not introduce a new idea or opinion.
•
Do not summarize your intentions (e.g., “In this essay, I tried to show that . . .”).
•
Do not make insecure statements (e.g., “I don’t really know, but . . .”) that suggest you are not confident in your thesis
•
Again, do not simply repeat your thesis statement
Select the correct answers to the following question.

 

Which of the following statements about conclusions are true? Check all that apply.

A conclusion can urge readers to take action.

A conclusion can point back to a particular aspect of the introduction.

A conclusion must restate the thesis word for word.

A conclusion can explain to readers why the main point is important.

A conclusion can provide supporting ideas not included elsewhere in the essay.

A conclusion must remind readers of the main point.

 

Read this student's concern, and then answer the question that follows.

"I'm writing an essay that explains how poaching is destroying elephant populations. My teacher really liked my first draft, but she said that I should try to do more with my conclusion than simply remind readers of my main point. What else can I do?"

What would you say to help this student?

Your conclusion could be an opportunity to restate your thesis word for word—exactly as it appears in the introduction.

Your conclusion could be an opportunity to provide readers with supporting ideas you didn't include in other parts of your essay.

Your conclusion could be an opportunity to tell readers why they should care: What are the consequences of poaching? What will happen if it continues unabated?

 

Read the thesis statement, and then answer the question that follows.

The poaching of African and Asian elephants—largely for the ivory of their tusks—is threatening these creatures with extinction.

Which of the following options would be appropriate for the conclusion of an essay whose introduction contains this thesis statement? Check all that apply.

The poaching of African and Asian elephants—largely for the ivory of their tusks—is threatening these creatures with extinction.

In summary, the poaching of African and Asian elephants—largely for the ivory of their tusks—is threatening these creatures with extinction.

If the world community continues to tolerate the poaching of African and Asian elephants, not only will they become extinct, but the ecosystems that they help support will be devastated.

There is one basic thing that all people, regardless of where they live, can do to discourage poaching: stop buying ivory! If we can destroy the market for ivory, we can make poaching a thing of the past.

 

Conclusions can point back to particular aspects of the introduction.

Conclusions can provide supporting ideas not included elsewhere in the essay.

Conclusions can tell readers why the main point is important.

Conclusions must clarify the main point.

Conclusions can urge readers to take some kind of action.

Conclusions must state the thesis exactly as it appears in the introduction.

 

"I'm writing an essay arguing that standardized testing is having a negative effect on education. My teacher really liked my first draft, but she said I should consider using a call to action in the conclusion. Why would that be an effective way to end the essay?"

If you don't use a call to action, readers won't see the connection between an aspect of your introduction and your conclusion.

If you don't use a call to action, readers won't recognize that standardized testing is having a negative effect on education.

A call to action can inflame readers' passions and help them understand that nothing about standardized testing will change unless they do something.

 

The ever-increasing focus on standardized testing is preventing teachers from creating more valuable learning experiences for their students.

If our society continues to force educators to teach test-taking skills before anything else, students will emerge from school unable to do the kind of high-level thinking that makes college and real life meaningful.

In conclusion, the ever-increasing focus on standardized testing is preventing teachers from creating more valuable learning experiences for their students.

The ever-increasing focus on standardized testing is preventing teachers from creating more valuable learning experiences for their students.

Therefore it is up to us—every person who believes that education is important and that children are the future—to get involved: we must contact school boards and senators and representatives and make it known that if students are to emerge from school adequately prepared for real life, we must allow teachers to provide more valuable learning experiences.

 

A conclusion should restate the thesis verbatim.

A conclusion should clarify the main point.

A conclusion can ask readers to take action.

A conclusion can give readers new supporting ideas.

A conclusion can explain to readers why they should care about the main point.

A conclusion can remind readers of something in the introduction.

 

"I'm writing an essay that explains how greed and ambition affect the characters in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. My teacher really liked my first draft, but she said I should try to do more with my conclusion than simply remind readers of my main point. What else can I do?"

Your conclusion could be an opportunity to provide readers with supporting ideas you didn't include in other parts of your essay.

Your conclusion could be an opportunity to restate your thesis word for word—exactly as it appears in the introduction.

Your conclusion could be an opportunity to tell readers why they should care: perhaps the play is warning the audience about the effects of greed and ambition.

 

Macbeth and his wife are ultimately destroyed not by supernatural forces, but by an overwhelming combination of greed and ambition.

This play shows not only that greed and ambition can destroy not just these characters—Macbeth and Lady Macbeth—but anyone who aspires to political power.

Macbeth and his wife are ultimately destroyed not by supernatural forces, but by an overwhelming combination of greed and ambition.

In closing, Macbeth and his wife are ultimately destroyed not by supernatural forces, but by an overwhelming combination of greed and ambition.

This play shows that greed and ambition can destroy even the strongest among us—and consequently it presents a lesson: we must never allow ourselves to be motivated by the singular desire for power.

 

7 . Repeating Key Words and Using Synonyms
One effective way to create coherence within a paragraph is to repeat key words throughout the paragraph. This helps make the focus of the paragraph clear to the reader. You can use synonyms, or words that have a similar meaning, to avoid using key words too much.

Directions: Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

Repeating the Story of the Titanic

¹The sinking of the world’s most famous ship in 1912 generated three waves of Titanic mania. ²The first wave happened immediately after the disaster, with newsreels, books, poems, and songs telling stories of suffering and bravery. ³The mid-1950s, in the midst of the cold war, is generally considered to represent the second wave of Titanic fever, when a mist of nostalgia hung over the disaster—a longing for a society in which people behaved according to a strict set of rules. ⁴Thirty years later, in 1985, oceanographer Robert Ballard and French explorer Jean-Louis Michel discovered the wreckage of the Titanic lying roughly two and a half miles below the ocean’s surface. ⁵The world went into a Titanic frenzy again, with the third wave becoming even more intense than those before. ⁶This was followed in 1997 by the release of James Cameron’s blockbuster film, Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as two lovers from vastly different backgrounds who meet on board the doomed ship, which has made over $2 billion worldwide and is one of the most successful movies of all time. ⁷Indeed, the disaster has become such a widely recognized story that the event almost seems to repeat itself on a never-ending loop.

Source: Wilson, Andrew. “Why the Titanic Still Fascinates Us.” Smithsonian.com, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-the-titanic-still-fascinates-us.

 

What is the most important key word in this paragraph?

Waves

Disaster

Ship

 

Which sentences in the paragraph repeat the key word to create coherence? Check all that apply.

Sentence 6

Sentence 3

Sentence 5

Sentence 4

 

Which of the following does the paragraph use as a synonym for the key word “mania”?

Bravery

Nostalgia

Frenzy

 

The Power of Music

¹Many people think of music as a source of entertainment, while others feel it’s just a tune playing in the background. ²However, active listening of anything from a Mozart symphony to a Beatles song has an enormous, positive effect on the brain. ³Engagement with music can improve memory and focus, especially in children, by stimulating the brain. ⁴It also engages parts of the brain that control our emotions. ⁵When you listen to music, the brain releases dopamine, prolactin, and serotonin, which are chemicals that boost your mood. ⁶As a result, people tend to feel an increase in energy and a decrease in stress levels. ⁷Finally, tuning out and turning on your tunes can shift your brain waves from beta to more relaxed alpha and theta states.

Source: ”Music and Health: 11 Ways Playing and Listening to Music Help Both Body and Mind." Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 11 April 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.

 

Which of the following does the paragraph use as a synonym for the key word “music”?

 

Has Gender Equality Been Achieved?

¹For many Americans, equality between the genders is a shared, if not given, value. ²Nevertheless, the statistics show that Americans differ on whether enough has been done to achieve balanced opportunities between men and women. ³A greater number of women than men believe that equality has not been achieved, and the data suggest women are right. ⁴Equality has not been achieved in the workplace, where a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar a man makes according to the Department of Labor statistics. ⁵Also, the median annual earning for full-time, year-round women workers in 2010 was $36,931 compared with men's $47,715. ⁶In addition to the workplace, women also have less of a voice in government. ⁷Women constitute about 51% of the population, but they hold only 17% of the seats in Congress, which suggests that balance has not yet been achieved in this sphere either.

Source: Shannon, Victoria. "Equal Rights for Women? Survey Says: Yes, but..." The New York Times, 1 July 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/world/01iht-poll.html?_r=0.

 

Which of the following does the paragraph use as a synonym for the key word “equality”?

 

8 . Replacing Proper Nouns with Pronouns
Definition: Nouns are people, places, and things. Pronouns are words that can take the place of nouns. Here are three examples:

 
The noun Allison could be replaced by the pronoun she.
 
The noun coffee mug could be replaced by the pronoun it.
 
The nouns girls and boys could be replaced by the pronoun they.
You can use them to connect sentences and avoid unnecessary repetition.

Directions: Read each passage and then select the correct answer to the question that follows.

¹Landed on the surface of Mars in August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory is equipped with several fascinating science instruments. ²For example, an imaging device on the Mars Science Laboratory takes extreme close-up pictures of rocks and soil. ³The Mars Science Laboratory also has an instrument that detects radiation and helps assess the planet’s ability to support life. ⁴The Mars Science Laboratory’s most interesting instrument is a laser that vaporizes Martian rocks so their content can be analyzed.

 

In which of the following sentences would it not make sense to replace the proper noun Mars Science Laboratory with the pronoun it? Check all that apply.

Sentence 1

Sentence 4

Sentence 3

Sentence 2

 

¹The uses of the Clydesdale breed of horses have changed significantly in the past century. ²In the past, Clydesdales were never ridden for sport or leisure; now, however, such activity is commonplace. ³Clydesdales often generate publicity for breweries or other businesses by pulling carts with company logos on them. ⁴Because automated farm machinery is now widespread, Clydesdales no longer pull ploughs or other heavy farm equipment. ⁵For example, to better protect delicate ecosystems, the logging industry has recently begun using Clydesdales in timber extraction.

 

In which of the following sentences would it not make sense to replace the proper noun Clydesdales with the pronoun they? Check all that apply.

 

¹At the 2012 London Olympics, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt proved to be both a winner and a showman. ²When introduced to the Olympic Stadium crowd, Mr. Bolt gave a stiff-wristed royal wave. ³Mr. Bolt wore a ball cap turned backward and smiled for the cameras when stepping out onto the track for the 200-meter sprint. ⁴Mr. Bolt avenged his losses to teammate Yohan Blake from Jamaica's Olympic trials, winning the London 200-meter race in 19.32 seconds despite relaxing over the last 15 meters and putting his left index finger to his lips as if to quiet skeptics who predicted he would falter under Olympic pressure. ⁵With teammates Blake and Warren Weir finishing second and third, Mr. Bolt declared himself to be a living legend after becoming the first man ever to win the 100- and 200-meter titles in successive Olympics.

 

In which of the following sentences would it not make sense to replace the proper noun Mr. Bolt with the pronoun he? Check all that apply.