Writing Purposes
Advertisements and speeches made by politicians are meant to...
Persuade
Passive or Active?
Silent film star Charlie Chaplin was known by millions for his character The Tramp.
Passive (was know BY)
I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.
Hyperbole
Many genres of popular music have been heavily influenced by American blues, ____________, rock, hip-hop, and soul.
A) including: jazz
B) including jazz
C) including; jazz
B) never put a colon after a verb, and only use a semicolon between two complete sentences!
Select the misplaced modifier:
Though they are incredibly massive, astronomers cannot actually see black holes.
"Though they are incredibly massive" is misplaced--it seems to modify astronomers instead of black holes.
Factual texts and news articles are meant to...
Inform
Active or Passive?
The news of their granddaughter's birth thrilled the Hollands.
Active
She sells seashells by the seashore
Alliteration
You must be present at the raffle drawing in order to claim a __________ if you leave early, you automatically forfeit your potential winnings.
A) prize, consequently
B) prize consequently,
C) prize; consequently,
C
Select the misplaced modifier:
Contemplating all the options, Mark's situation seemed inescapably dire.
"Contemplating all the options" is meant to modify Mark, but actually is modifying Mark's situation, which cannot contemplate anything :)
Text that involves paying close attention to details, like game instructions, for example
To describe
Rewrite the sentence in active voice:
The neon sign is supported by wires.
Wires support the neon sign.
BANG!
Onomatopoeia
Ann was an experienced speed chess _______ still struggled with the pace of competitive tournaments.
A) player but
B) player; but
C) player, so
A) no comma needed because the second part of the sentence has no subject (not independent!)
Select the misplaced modifier:
Sculpted by an African artist, Tara's bedroom was decorated with tiny handcrafted statues of elephants, lions, and giraffes.
"Sculpted by an African artist"
An author’s purpose of a text that is written to entertain is to provide amusement to the reader or hold the reader’s interest.
To entertain
Rewrite the sentence in Active Voice:
I was dazzled by her charm and wit.
Her charm and wit dazzled me.
Jumbo shrimp, a tall midget, deafening silence
Oxymoron
Stacy rarely talks about work when she is at home or lets her home life interfere with her _______ has an impressive ability to keep one from intruding upon the other.
A) work; she
B) work, indeed, she
C) work, but she
A) check the last part of the sentence to see if it is a contrasting remark!
Select the misplaced modifier:
Appearing almost like an alien planet, Garrett could see a huge grid of wind turbines in rows and columns stretched out across the desert.
"Appearing almost like an alien planet"
Writing that uses words like "should", "ought to" or "must"
To persuade
Rewrite the sentence in Passive Voice:
Squatters occupied the abandoned building.
The abandoned building is/was occupied by squatters.
He spilled the beans, cry over spilled milk, a tough cookie
Idiom
Polar bears have translucent fur that appears white in the ________ makes them well adapted to life in the Arctic.
A) sunlight and this
B) sunlight; this
C) sunlight; since this
B
Select the misplaced modifier:
The paws of the giant panda have enlarged wrist bones that help the animal grip and eat bamboo like thumbs.
Like thumbs is a misplaced modifier because it appears to modify bamboo. The sentence wrongly suggests that the bamboo, not the enlarged wrist bones, somehow acts like thumbs.