1. What is the sequence of components in the following sentence?

Listless and depressed by vistas of snow and gray skies, Dieter left the cabin and walked toward the frozen pond.

A. Modifier, subject, verb

B. Modifier, subject, modifier, verb

C. Subject, verb, modifier

D. Subject, modifier, verb

2. During revision, you should scan your paper for _______ words and replace them with concrete words or phrases.

A. general

B. figurative

C. formal

D. informal

3. Which of the following sentences uses concrete language?

A. When I saw Susan, she was reading a book.

B. Danny's Labrador retriever eagerly chases tennis balls.

C. Jerry saw that the glass was really dirty.

D. I met Cathy at a store on a street near the bridge.

4.. In the process of revision, your main objective should be to

A. clarify your ideas.

B. establish proper tone.

C. demonstrate correct grammar.

D. explain your essay's purposes.

5. Which of the following sentences uses a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence?

A. Out in the yard, the children shouted loudly and threw silly insults at each other.

B. My aunt, who usually behaves like a queen, was suddenly asking-no, begging-for help.

C. We fired our old housekeeper, who we thought had stolen Grandma's rings; we later regretted it.

D. The budget payment is much higher than we anticipated, but the price of heating oil has skyrocketed this year.

6. Which of the following sentences is without any surface errors?

A. The town is located near just a few miles from lake Ontario.

B. Mr. Campbell gave copies of his novel to Ruth and me.

C. I reluctantly gave the hamster to my cousin because I was afraid Teddy, my cat, would attack it.

D. It's up to Georgia and I who drives the car, whether Celine likes it or not.

7. Which of the following is a simple sentence?

A. When I realized I was too late, I called David's cell phone and made arrangements to meet them in town.

B. I got to the airport late because the traffic was so terrible.

C. Karen and David arrived at the airport at 3:35 P.M. and took a taxi to their hotel.

D. I went to the airport, but I was too late to meet them.

8. In which sentence does the italicized word have a negative connotation?

A. Although she had worked hard in high school, Ruth found the college courses challenging.

B. Matthew was a scrawnykid, but he grew up strong.

C. Jack, who is the most outspoken member of the group, led the opposition to the new rule.

D. Jenna's green eyes and dark eyelashes gave her an exotic look.

9. Which of the following is a compound sentence?

A. Because fraud is so common in some corporations, regulatory agencies are overworked.

B. Butterflies and hummingbirds feed on the nectar of flowering plants.

C. Because Viceroy butterflies migrate over very great distances, tracking them is a challenge to entomologists.

D. Corporate fraud is becoming more common in the United States, and the civil courts are being stretched to their limits.

10.. Which of the following correctly uses a transitional word or phrase?

A. Kara has been happily trying lots of new activities lately. For example, she took up needlepoint on the advice of her counselor.

B. The floodwaters receded. The bridge could be inspected.

C. Sadly, Mark broke his leg during the performance. The director regretted casting him in the part.

D. First impressions are so important in both personal and professional life. Addison shaved off his beard.

11. Which of the following is an evaluation tool using questions and answers that lead to effective strategies?

A. Thesis

B. Outline

C. Graphic organizer

D. Flowchart

12. Which sentence should be edited to eliminate its cliché?

A. The texture of the burlap was a cross between woven straw and a three-day beard.

B. The family was immensely relieved when Great-Aunt Martha's condition progressed from "critical" to "it looks like she'll live another 10 years."

C. Striding toward the barn in her red coverall and bucket hat, Gloria-tall and round-gave the impression of a charging silo.

D. I wanted to hire Dave, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

13. Which of the following sentences uses parallelism effectively?

A. Laura spent all her time gardening and arranging flowers, when she wasn't in a shoe store to shop.

B. The Red Sox fans screamed, yelled, and were applauding wildly.

C. The large plant-eating dinosaurs were quite slow, rather stupid, and extremely hungry.

D. The report was good because it was factual and offered many details.

14. While reviewing an essay, what should be your main purpose in applying questions of who, what, when, where, and why?

A. To be sure your evidence provides sufficient detail

B. To compare your thesis statement with your conclusion

C. To clarify your topic sentences

D. To organize your evidence

15. Which of the following sentences contains a redundancy?

A. At no time did Tony indicate a willingness to admit defeat.

B. Chris had trouble working up even mild enthusiasm for Mike's plan.

C. Steve admired the partially completed stadium.

D. Emily's sister gave birth to a pair of twins.

16. A student who regularly tracks mistakes in spelling, verb forms, and parallelism is probably

A. keeping an error log.

B. analyzing the essays' organization.

C. focusing on learning style.

D. using a flowchart.

17. Which of the following sentences shows correct usage of a comma or commas?

A. After a fire at their home, Carlie and her mother rented a house in Glendale, Arizona from November 14, 2007 to January 28, 2008.

B. William of Orange, arrived in England in 1688, to claim the English throne from James II.

C. Claire's plum pudding was mainly distinctive, for its absence of plums.

D. Christopher Wren, a contemporary of Isaac Newton and John Locke, was the architect of St. Paul's Cathedral.