First Year Writing Quiz

Emma is writing an essay about the impact of climate change. What is the purpose of a thesis statement in her essay?

• To provide a summary of the essay's main points.

• To clearly state the main point or argument of the essay and guide the reader in understanding the essay's focus.

• To entertain the reader with interesting anecdotes about climate change.

• To introduce the topic of climate change.

In writing an essay about the importance of recycling, Benjamin used a topic sentence to introduce the main idea of a paragraph, while Priya used a thesis statement to introduce the main idea of her entire paper. What is the difference between a topic sentence and a thesis statement?

• A topic sentence is only used in fiction writing, while a thesis statement is only used in academic writing.

• A topic sentence introduces the main idea of a paragraph, while a thesis statement introduces the main idea of an entire essay or paper.

• A topic sentence and a thesis statement are the same thing.

• A topic sentence is a statement of fact, while a thesis statement is a statement of opinion.

Elijah, Daniel, and Harper are preparing to write an essay on 'Climate Change'. Why is it important for them to brainstorm before they start writing?

• To generate ideas, organize thoughts, and create a clear structure for the essay.

• To limit creativity and originality in the essay

• To confuse the writer and make the essay less coherent

• To waste time and procrastinate

Daniel, Priya, and Charlotte are working on a group project to write an essay. They are discussing the key components of an introduction paragraph. What should they include?

• Conclusion, evidence, and analysis

• Hook, background information, and thesis statement

• Thesis statement, evidence, and counterargument

• Body paragraphs, conclusion, and thesis statement

Harper is writing an essay about the importance of recycling. What is the purpose of using evidence in her essay?

• To provide irrelevant information

• To support and strengthen arguments or claims about recycling benefits

• To confuse the reader

• To make the essay longer

What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source?

• A primary source is more recent than a secondary source.

• A primary source is written by an expert, while a secondary source is written by a novice.

• A primary source provides direct evidence or firsthand information, while a secondary source interprets or analyzes primary sources.

• A primary source is more reliable than a secondary source.

What are some strategies for revising and editing an essay?

• Only focusing on grammar and punctuation errors, neglecting the clarity and coherence of the content, and not seeking any feedback or input from others.

• Reviewing the content for clarity and coherence, checking for grammar and punctuation errors, ensuring proper organization and structure, seeking feedback from others, and making necessary revisions based on feedback.

• Skipping the revision process altogether and submitting the essay as is, relying solely on spell checkers and grammar correction tools, and making changes randomly without considering the overall structure.

• Proofreading for spelling mistakes and typos, checking for proper citation and referencing, and adding more examples and evidence.

What is the role of transitions in writing?

• Transitions are used to introduce new ideas that are not related to the previous paragraph.

• Transitions add unnecessary words to a piece of writing.

• They connect ideas and paragraphs in a piece of writing.

• Transitions are only important in spoken language, not in writing.

What are some common grammar mistakes to avoid in writing?

• Subject-verb agreement errors, using the wrong tense, using apostrophes incorrectly, using commas incorrectly, and using run-on sentences.

• Using too many adjectives

• Using all caps

• Using the wrong font

Riyan told Danyea to use the writing process as he composes his academic essay. What are the stages of the writing process?

• prewriting, drafting, composing, proofreading, publishing

• prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing

• prewriting, editing, plagiarizing

• writing, re-writing, publishing