Summary Sheet for “A Guide to College Writing”
(Explanations for Questions Most Commonly Missed)
9/15/05
·
Choose the best word or phrase to complete the
sentence below.
10. On a small table near the front of the classroom _________ a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a world globe.
The subjects of this sentence are dictionary, thesaurus, and globe. Since the subject is plural, it requires a verb that corresponds accordingly. In this case, sit would be the correct verb form. A rule of thumb says that verbs ending in –s are singular.
· Choose the best version of each sentence below.
27. A. Airbags can cause injuries to young children, and since this is well known, most parents tell their children to ride in the back seat.
B. Airbags can cause injuries to young children, but riding in the back seat can prevent this.
C.
Airbags
can cause injuries to young children, so most parents tell their children to
ride in the back seat.
D.
Airbags can cause injuries to young children but it can
be prevented by riding in the back seat.
The correct answer for this question is concise. The first answer choice makes sense, but it includes an unnecessary phrase, “and since this is well known.” This phrase adds nothing significant to the sentence, therefore making it more difficult to read. The second choice is unclear. Should the parents ride in the back seat? The final answer choice is a run-on sentence.
30. A. Working as a team, the job was completed quickly.
B. The job was completed quickly working as a team.
C. Working as a team, Orlando and Jamal completed the job quickly.
D. By working as a team, the job was completed quickly.
The correct answer makes clear who was working as a team. The other three sentences sound like “the job” was working as a team.
35. A. Jason tried to call Malika but could not reach her.
B. Jason tried to call Malika, but could not reach her.
C. Jason tried, to call Malika, but, he could not reach her.
D. Jason tried to call Malika be he could not reach her.
The first answer choice is correct. No comma is needed because “could not reach her” is not an independent clause. Therefore, the second answer choice is wrong for this very reason. The third answer choice is wrong because of Grammar English’s Famous Rule of Punctuation, “Never use only one comma between a subject and its verb.” The fourth answer choice needs a comma, because the sentence contains two independent clauses.
Refer to this website for additional information regarding commas: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm
42. A. Erica took a long time deciding among three outfits, but the yellow one looked good on her, so she decided to buy it.
B. Erica took a long time deciding between three outfits, but the yellow one looked well on her, so she decided to buy it.
C. Erica took a long time deciding between three outfits, but the yellow one looked well on her so she decided to buy it.
D. Erica took a long time deciding among three outfits but the yellow one looked good on her so she decided to buy it.
The first answer choice is correct, because it has correctly placed commas and it uses “good” instead of “well.” When using a linking verb that refers to one of the five senses, it is appropriate to use “good,” an adjective. “Well” is an adverb. Also, “among” is appropriate when showing a relationship of three or more of something, whereas “between” is used with two of something. The second and third answer choices are incorrect, because they use “well.” The fourth choice is a run-on sentence.
Refer to these websites for additional information regarding “good” vs. “well”:
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm - goodand http://www.bartleby.com/68/94/2794.html
Refer to this website for additional information regarding “among” vs. “between”:
http://www.bartleby.com/68/27/827.html
49. A. Philip K. Dick’s short story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” was the basis for the movie “Total Recall.”
B. Philip K. Dick’s short story, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, was the basis for the movie “Total Recall.”
C. Philip K. Dick’s short story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” was the basis for the movie Total Recall.
D. Philip K. Dick’s short story, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, was the basis for the movie Total Recall.
Short stories should have quotation marks around them, because they are shorter pieces of work. Movies, on the other hand, are long pieces of work, and they should be underlined. With this in mind, the first answer choice is the only correct choice.
Refer to the following website for additional information regarding underlining.
NOTE: this site actually discusses italics, which are synonymous with underlining.
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/italics.htm#titles
RM: Honors Workshop 9/05