Mastering Argumentative Writing Skills

What is the purpose of an argumentative essay?

• To persuade the reader of a specific viewpoint using evidence and reasoning.

• To entertain the reader with a story.

• To summarize a topic without taking a stance.

• To provide a detailed analysis of a subject without bias.

Identify the main idea in the following sentence: 'Many people believe that school uniforms improve discipline.'

• School uniforms improve discipline.

• Discipline is not affected by clothing.

• School uniforms are unnecessary.

• Many people dislike school uniforms.

Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence? 'I like pizza, and my brother likes pasta.' or 'I like pizza.'

• My brother likes pizza.

• I like pizza and pasta.

• I like pizza, and my brother likes pasta.

• I enjoy pasta, and my sister likes salad.

What punctuation mark is used to indicate a pause in a sentence?

• comma

• exclamation mark

• semicolon

• period

Provide an example of a simile in your own words.

• Her smile was like sunshine.

• The night sky was like a canvas of colors.

• His laughter was like a gentle breeze.

• Her smile was as bright as a star.

What is the role of a thesis statement in an argumentative essay?

• The thesis statement provides background information.

• The thesis statement lists all the sources used in the essay.

• The thesis statement summarizes the entire essay.

• The thesis statement presents the main argument and guides the direction of the essay.

Rewrite the following sentence to make it more descriptive: 'The dog ran fast.'

• The dog strolled leisurely through the park.

• The dog walked slowly down the street.

• The dog jumped high in the air.

• The dog sprinted swiftly across the grassy field.

What is the correct way to use a comma in a list?

• Use commas to separate items in a list, with 'and' before the last item.

• Use semicolons to separate items in a list.

• Only use commas for the first two items in a list.

• List items without any punctuation.

Identify the literary device used in this sentence: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

• Personification

• Alliteration

• Simile

• Metaphor

How can you improve the clarity of this sentence: 'The book was interesting to read.'?

• I didn't enjoy the book at all.

• The book was boring and hard to follow.

• The book was too long and tedious.

• The book captivated me with its engaging characters and thought-provoking themes.