Comparative writing
Which elements does effective comparative writing always contain?
anecdotes
arguments
evidence
quotations
evidence
Read the sentences.
Alaskan brown bears are known to be fierce and protective parents. Encountering a bear and its cub could be dangerous, and hikers should be particularly cautious.
Which phrase is a gerund phrase?
Alaskan brown bears
and protective parents
encountering a bear
particularly cautious
encountering a bear
Read the sentence.
The teacher offered to lend me the book as often as needed.
Which word does this phrase modify?
teacher
lend
book
me
lend
Read the excerpt from "Children of the Drug Wars.”
To permanently stem this flow of children, we must address the complex root causes of violence in Honduras, as well as the demand for illegal drugs in the United States that is fueling that violence.
The purpose of the underlined phrase in the excerpt is to show that the consequences of violence in Honduras and drug demand in the US
have ended.
are continuous.
can be stopped.
come and go.
are continuous.
The central idea in a passage is
the main lesson or message
the characters involved
the speech between characters
the background information given
the main lesson or message
What are the primary functions of body paragraphs in a comparative essay that focuses on genres?
to present the writer's arguments in a logical order
to provide evidence that supports the writer's ideas
to anticipate disagreement and provide counterarguments
to present the writer's opinion
to provide evidence that supports the writer's ideas
Which of these phrases are infinitive phrases?
It is important to measure all ingredients by weight when you bake.
Being able to bake a perfect loaf of bread is rewarding for novice bakers.
Being a successful chef requires attention to detail and a lot of practice.
Diced celery, carrots, and onions are the ingredients in a traditional mirepoix.
It is important to measure all ingredients by weight when you bake.
Read the sentence.
The hair-care product is now available in all of our stores.
Which word does this phrase modify?
hair
product
now
available
available
Read the excerpt from Enrique’s Journey.
Moreover, the Mara Salvatrucha street gangsters, some deported from Los Angeles, always prowl the train tops looking for sleepers. Many MS gangsters settle in Chiapas after committing crimes in the United States and being expelled to their home countries in Central America. The police in Chiapas are more forgiving of gangs than those in El Salvador or Honduras.
How does the meaning of the underlined word, prowl, support the author’s purpose in this excerpt? Select two options.
It illustrates that the police overlook the gangsters’ crimes.
It shows what happens when police allow gangsters to operate.
It indicates that the gangsters are looking for vulnerable people.
It explains why the gangsters were sent back to their home countries.
It indicates that the gangsters are looking for vulnerable people.
Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice” by Julia Alvarez.
Perhaps because she had innocently revered him, my mother was now doubly revolted by this cold-blooded monster. He became something of an obsession with her—living as she was by then in exile with my father, isolated from her family who were still living on the Island. As my sisters and I were growing up, Trujillo and his excesses figured in many of my mother’s cautionary tales.
What is the central idea in this paragraph?
During her exile, the author’s mother did not know how she felt about Trujillo.
The author and her sisters were fascinated by Trujillo.
The author’s mother thought of Trujillo constantly.
Trujillo became more controlling to the author’s mother after her family fled the country.
The author’s mother thought of Trujillo constantly.
Which citation is correctly punctuated in MLA style?
"Mario Campos Gutiérrez, supervisor of Grupo Beta Sur, estimates that half eventually get here—after repeated attempts." (Nazario 4)
"Mario Campos Gutiérrez, supervisor of Grupo Beta Sur, estimates that half eventually get here—after repeated attempts. (Nazario 4)"
"Mario Campos Gutiérrez, supervisor of Grupo Beta Sur, estimates that half eventually get here—after repeated attempts (Nazario 4)."
"Mario Campos Gutiérrez, supervisor of Grupo Beta Sur, estimates that half eventually get here—after repeated attempts" (Nazario 4).
"Mario Campos Gutiérrez, supervisor of Grupo Beta Sur, estimates that half eventually get here—after repeated attempts" (Nazario 4).
Read the sentence.
After the thunderstorm, the sky was bright, and the open barrels were brimming with rainwater.
What type of phrase is this?
a gerund phrase
an infinitive phrase
a participial phrase
a prepositional phrase
a participial phrase
Which phrase gives specific details about place?
The grade I earned in trigonometry last year required a lot of time and effort.
The student council’s goal is to raise enough money for the homecoming dance.
Last week, construction workers began building a new fire station around the corner.
Generous and hardworking, the volunteers built the playground over there.
Last week, construction workers began building a new fire station around the corner.
Read the excerpt from Enrique’s Journey.
Enrique’s head throbs. The sun reflects off the metal. It stings his eyes, and his skin tingles. It drains the little energy he has left. He moves around the car, chasing patches of shade. For a while, he stands on a narrow ledge at the end of a fuel tanker. It is just inches above the wheels. He cannot let himself fall asleep; one good shake of the train, and he would tumble off.
What is the author’s purpose in this biography excerpt?
to tell when and where the story takes place
to explain how difficult it is to travel in some climates
to show how dangerous it is to leave Honduras
to introduce the main character and describe his traits
to show how dangerous it is to leave Honduras
Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice” by Julia Alvarez.
By the time my mother married my father, however, she knew all about the true nature of the dictatorship. Thousands had lost their lives in failed attempts to return the country to democracy. Family friends, whom she had assumed had dropped away of their own accord, turned out to have been disappeared. My father had been lucky. As a young man, he had narrowly escaped to Canada after the plot he had participated in as a student failed. This was to be the first of two escapes. That same year, 1937, El Generalísimo ordered the overnight slaughter of some eighteen thousand Haitians, who had come across the border to work on sugarcane plantations for slave wages.
Which details does the author include to support the central idea about the result of the dictatorship?
“family friends”
“lucky”
“escapes”
“slaughter”
"Slaughter"
What would best conclude an essay comparing different genres?
a relevant quotation that focuses on the genres
an interesting anecdote related to the thesis of the essay
a summary of the main points of comparison and contrast
a solution to a problem mentioned in the thesis statement
a summary of the main points of comparison and contrast
Writers use verbal phrases containing gerunds, infinitives, and participles to add variety and interest to their writing.
What type of phrase is this?
a gerund phrase
an infinitive phase
a participial phase
a prepositional phrase
an infinitive phase
The following sentence has a misplaced modifier.
Tired of studying and writing research papers, summer vacation came as a relief to the student.
Which revision corrects the error in the sentence?
Summer vacation came as a relief to studying and writing research papers for the student.
Relief to the student came as summer vacation, which was tired of studying and writing research papers.
Summer vacation came as a relief to the student, who was tired of studying and writing research papers.
The student, who was tired of studying and writing research papers, came to summer vacation as a relief.
Summer vacation came as a relief to the student, who was tired of studying and writing research papers.
In Enrique’s Journey, Sonia Nazario tells readers about Enrique’s emotional journey as he tries to leave Honduras. Why does writing about this in the form of a biography support her purpose?
She is able to provide her opinion about Enrique’s difficult situation.
She is able to encourage the reader to do something to help Enrique.
She is able to include all the details about Enrique’s life from beginning to end.
She is able to give an objective account about one part of Enrique’s life.
She is able to give an objective account about one part of Enrique’s life.
Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice” by Julia Alvarez.
Images of the dictator hung in every house next to the crucifix and Ia Virgencita with the declaration beneath: In this house Trujillo is Chief. The pale face of a young military man wearing a plumed bicorne hat and a gold–braided uniform looked down beneficently at my mother as she read her romantic novelas and dreamed of meeting the great love of her life. Sometimes in her daydreams, her great love wore the handsome young dictator’s face. Never having seen him, my mother could not know the portrait was heavily retouched.
What is the central idea of this paragraph?
The images of Trujillo portrayed him falsely.
Trujillo wore elaborate uniforms and headpieces.
Alvarez's mother wanted to meet Trujillo one day.
Young people dream about the person they will marry.
The images of Trujillo portrayed him falsely.
A vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence.
Which sentence correctly cites these words?
According to Nazario, "a vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence" (3).
The problem is that "a vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence (Nazario)."
The problem is that "a vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence." (Nazario 3)
According to Nazario, "a vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence" (Nazario).
According to Nazario, "a vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence" (3).
Read the paragraph.
Volunteering at the animal shelter in my neighborhood has been a very rewarding experience. I started volunteering with a good friend of mine during summer vacation last year. Volunteering at the shelter is a lot of hard work, and it isn’t always fun. Volunteers spend a lot of time cleaning out cages.
What does the gerund phrase "volunteering at the animal shelter” contribute to the text?
The phrase conveys significant interest and variety.
The phrase adds a specific detail about time and place.
The phrase acts as a noun that is the subject of the sentence.
The phrase adds more details by providing a direct object.
The phrase acts as a noun that is the subject of the sentence.
The following sentence has a dangling modifier.
Having been taught to cook by her grandmother, most recipes were found easy to follow.
Which revision corrects the error in the sentence?
Most recipes taught by her grandmother found cooking easy to follow.
Most recipes were easy to follow, having been taught to cook by her grandmother.
Having been taught to cook by her grandmother made most recipes easy to follow.
Having been taught to cook by her grandmother, she found most recipes easy to follow.
Having been taught to cook by her grandmother, she found most recipes easy to follow.
Read the excerpt from Enrique’s Journey.
Enrique greets the dawn without incident. The stars recede. The sky lightens behind the mountains to the east, and mist rises off the fields on both sides of the tracks. Men trot by on burros with tin milk containers strapped to their saddles, starting their morning deliveries.
Which narrative technique does the author include in this excerpt, and how does it support the author’s purpose?
The author uses dialogue to evoke a sense of happiness.
The author uses characterization to show bitter feelings.
The author uses structure to show the sequence of events.
The author uses setting to show a sense of accomplishment.
The author uses setting to show a sense of accomplishment.
Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice” by Julia Alvarez.
Images of the dictator hung in every house next to the crucifix and Ia Virgencita with the declaration beneath: In this house Trujillo is Chief. The pale face of a young military man wearing a plumed bicorne hat and a gold–braided uniform looked down beneficently at my mother as she read her romantic novelas and dreamed of meeting the great love of her life. Sometimes in her daydreams, her great love wore the handsome young dictator’s face. Never having seen him, my mother could not know the portrait was heavily retouched.
Which quotation provides the best evidence for the central idea of this excerpt?
“In this house Trujillo is Chief.”
“The pale face of a young military man wearing a plumed bicorne hat and a goldbraided uniform looked down beneficently at my mother.”
“Sometimes in her daydreams, her great love wore the handsome young dictator's face.”
“Never having seen him, my mother could not know the portrait was heavily retouched.”
“Never having seen him, my mother could not know the portrait was heavily retouched.”