Fragment & Run ONs
Which of these is a fragment?
A) College is stressful.
B) Because college is stressful.
C) College is stressful, but students succeed.
D) Students succeed in stressful situations.
Answer: B) Because college is stressful
Read the fragments out loud
Which transition best shows contrast?
A) For example
B) However
C) In addition
D) Therefore
Answer: B) However
Contrast transitions show a difference, an exception, or an opposite idea.
This sentence introduces the main idea of a paragraph.
Answer: Topic
A topic sentence introduces a body paragraph's main idea, while a thesis statement states an essay's main argument in the introduction paragraph.
What term describes a writer's ability to recognize and adapt to their audience, purpose, and context when communicating?
Answer: Rhetorical Knowledge
Rhetorical knowledge involves understanding how audience, purpose, and context influence the choices writers make, including tone, language, organization, and evidence.
A student needs to email their professor about a confusing assignment requirement.
Which approach demonstrates the best email etiquette?
A) Explain that the instructions are confusing and request a meeting immediately.
B) Briefly identify the assignment, explain the specific confusion, and politely request clarification.
C) Ask the professor to explain the entire assignment again to avoid misunderstanding anything.
D) Send a short email asking for help without mentioning the assignment.
B) Briefly identify the assignment, explain the specific confusion, and politely request clarification.
A professional email should be clear, specific, respectful, and considerate of the recipient's time.
Which sentence is a run-on?
A) Students need more parking. They are often late.
B) Students need more parking because they are often late.
C) Students need more parking, they are often late.
D) Students need more parking, and they are often late.
Answer: C) Students need more parking, they are often late.
It needs a conjunction or should be made into separate sentences.
Which transition best shows cause and effect?
A) In addition
B) For example
C) Therefore
D) However
Answer: C) Therefore
Cause-and-effect transitions show that one idea directly leads to another.
This sentence wraps up a paragraph and connects it back to the bigger idea.
Answer: Conclusion sentence
Conclusions always sum things up. Also, does not include new information.
What is the primary purpose of peer review in the writing process?
A) To identify every grammatical error in a classmate's essay.
B) To provide constructive feedback that helps a writer improve their draft.
C) To determine whether a classmate deserves a passing grade.
D) To rewrite unclear portions of a classmate's essay.
B) To provide constructive feedback that helps a writer improve their draft.
Peer review helps writers identify strengths and areas for improvement before submitting their final drafts.
Which of the following sentences correctly incorporates a quotation using MLA format?
A) According to Smith, "Writing is a process of discovery" (Smith 45).
B) According to Smith, "Writing is a process of discovery." (45)
C) According to Smith, "Writing is a process of discovery" (45).
D) According to Smith, "Writing is a process of discovery" (Smith, 45).
C) According to Smith, "Writing is a process of discovery" (45).
When the author is already mentioned in the sentence, MLA generally requires only the page number in parentheses. The period comes after the citation.
Which sentence looks complete but is actually a fragment?
A) The students studied all night for their midterms.
B) While the students studied all night for their midterms.
C) The students studied all night, and they felt exhausted the next day.
D) The students studied, but they were still nervous about the test.
Answer: B) While the students studied all night for their midterms.
It is a dependent clause, not a full thought.
What's wrong with this sentence, if any?
Students want healthier food options in the cafeteria, however, the school has limited funding.
A) A period after "however."
B) A period after "cafeteria."
C) There is nothing wrong with the sentence
Answer: B) A period after "cafeteria."
A period OR a semicolon before "however."
This part of a paragraph explains why the topic matters before showing proof.
Answer: Reason
Remember:
Topic + reason + evidence + analysis + conclusion
= a cohesive paragraph.
A student argues that SHSU should extend library hours. They survey 15 friends, and 13 agree. What is the BIGGEST limitation of using this survey to represent the entire student body?
A) Surveys cannot be used as evidence in academic writing.
B) The responses are invalid because the student conducted the survey independently.
C) The small, nonrandom sample may not accurately represent the opinions of all SHSU students.
D) The results are only useful if every respondent agrees.
C) The small, nonrandom sample may not accurately represent the opinions of all SHSU students.
A small convenience sample can provide useful insight, but its findings cannot automatically be generalized to the entire university.
A student uses information from a website written by Taylor Johnson. The website has no page numbers.
Which sentence correctly follows MLA guidelines?
A) According to Johnson, college students benefit from stronger campus resources (Johnson).
B) According to Johnson, college students benefit from stronger campus resources (Johnson, n.p.).
C) According to Johnson, college students benefit from stronger campus resources.
D) According to Johnson, college students benefit from stronger campus resources (Johnson 1).
C) According to Johnson, college students benefit from stronger campus resources.
When the author's name is already introduced in the sentence and the online source has no page numbers or other numbered divisions, MLA does not require a parenthetical citation. The author's name in the sentence provides the attribution.
Which revision correctly fixes the run-on by using a semicolon?
Graduate students are busy they often teach classes they also do research.
A) Graduate students are busy, and they often teach classes, they also do research.
B) Graduate students are busy; they often teach classes, and they also do research.
C) Graduate students are busy. They often teach classes. They also do research.
D) Graduate students are busy because they often teach classes and they also do research.
Answer: B) Graduate students are busy; they often teach classes, and they also do research.
B is strongest. C works, but it is choppy
Which transition would BEST fit here?
First-year students often oversleep for class. ___, many report staying up past midnight several times a week.
A) For example
B) Therefore
C) Nevertheless
D) In contrast
Answer: A) For example
Reason: It’s an illustration/evidence transition.
Which element of this paragraph needs more development?
Graduate students work long hours. For example, many work more than 30 hours a week. As a result, their stress levels rise.
Answer: Analysis
Develop an analysis that explains how the evidence supports the paragraph's main claim.
Is this mini paragraph cohesive? (True/False)
The library has computers, tutoring, and quiet spaces. However, many students complain about parking and commuting. This shows that the campus is too spread out for learning.
Answer: False
The topic drifts away from the library to parking.
A student uses information from a website but changes the wording into their own words. What should they do?
A) Nothing, because it is not a direct quotation.
B) Include an in-text citation and Works Cited entry
C) Only include the website's URL at the bottom of the paper.
D) Put quotation marks around the entire paraphrase.
B) Include an in-text citation and Works Cited entry
Paraphrased information still requires citation
Which revision best fixes this run-on?
Students study in the library, they print assignments, they rush to class.
A) Students study in the library; they print assignments, and they rush to class.
B) Students study in the library, and they print assignments, and they rush to class.
C) Students study in the library. They print assignments. They rush to class.
D) Students study in the library because they print assignments and rush to class.
Answer: A) Students study in the library; they print assignments, and they rush to class.
A has the best cohesion. B and C is grammatically correct, but is too choppy.
Which transition creates the clearest flow in this sentence?
Graduate students face financial stress. ___, many work more than 30 hours per week while also enrolled full-time.
A) Therefore
B) For example
C) However
D) In conclusion
Answer: B) ("For example" shows illustration)
Which sentence is evidence, not analysis?
A) A 2022 survey showed that 65% of freshmen reported missing at least one deadline.
B) This demonstrates that time management is a widespread issue, not just a personal problem.
Answer:
A) A 2022 survey showed that 65% of freshmen reported missing at least one deadline.
Which one is NOT "explaining".
Is this paragraph cohesive? (True/False)
Freshmen often struggle with time management. For example, many stay up too late and miss assignments. Professors post office hours every week. As a result, students sometimes feel unprepared for exams.
Answer: False
The third sentence about professors’ office hours doesn’t clearly connect to the time management focus, so the paragraph drifts.
A student includes three sources on their Works Cited page but only cites two of them within their essay.
Which statement best explains the issue?
A) The student has followed MLA guidelines because every researched essay should have at least three sources.
B) The third source is acceptable as long as the student read it while researching.
C) The student should remove all in-text citations because the Works Cited page already identifies the sources.
D) The student should cite the third source within the essay if they use it, or remove it from the Works Cited page if they don't.
D) The student should cite the third source within the essay if they use it, or remove it from the Works Cited page if they don't.
In MLA, the Works Cited page lists sources actually cited in the paper. Sources that were consulted but not cited generally do not belong on that page.