TEST BANK FOR Writing Today, 5th edition Richard Johnson-Sheehan Charles Paine Answer Key for The Corequisite Support Workbook for Writing Today 5e
Workshop 1: Getting Your Edge Activity 1.0.1: Think About This Answers will vary. Activity 1.2.1: Getting My Reading Done for My Classes Answers will vary. Activity 1.4.1: Managing Stress and Getting Help If I Need It Answers will vary. Activity 1.7.1: Finding Help on Campus Answers will vary.
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Workshop 2: Reading to Strengthen Your Writing Activity 2.0.1: Think About This: My Reading this Past Week Answers will vary. Activity 2.0.2: Think About This: What Makes Reading Hard and Easy? Answers will vary. Activity 2.1.1: Previewing a Text Answers will vary. Activity 2.2.1: Annotating a Text Answers will vary. Activity 2.3.1: Playing the Believing and Doubting Game Answers will vary. Activity 2.4.1: Analyzing Evidence Answers will vary. Activity 2.5.1: Recognizing and Identifying Proofs Answers will vary. Activity 2.6.1: Responding to a Text by Reflecting on Your Reading Process Answers will vary.
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Workshop 3: Inventing Ideas Before You Write Activity 3.0.1: Think About This: My Writing Process for a Past Project Answers will vary. Activity 3.1.1: Analyzing Your Rhetorical Situation Answers will vary. Activity 3.3.1: Making Your Own Concept Map Answers will vary. Activity 3.4.1: Using Freewriting to Get Your Ideas Flowing Answers will vary. Activity 3.5.1: Using Brainstorming to Make a List of Ideas Answers will vary. Activity 3.6.1: Using the Five-W and How Questions Answers will vary.
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Workshop 4: Writing a College Paper Activity 4.0.1: Think About This: Public Speaking or Death. Which Is Scarier? Answers will vary. Activity 4.1.1: The Five Moves in an Introduction Answers will vary. Activity 4.2.1: Coming Up with Your Paper’s Thesis Statement Answers will vary. Activity 4.3.1: Writing the Body of Your Paper by Sorting Your Ideas into Bins Answers will vary. Activity 4.4.1: The Five Moves in a Conclusion Answers will vary. Activity 4.5.1: Writing Great Headings Answers will vary.
Workshop 5: Writing Stronger Sentences Activity 5.0.1: Think About This: How Is Texting Different from Normal Writing? Answers will vary. Activity 5.1.1: Finding the Doer and the Main Action
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1. Jose cruised around town on his longboard. 2. The cedar trees on campus cause my allergies to flare up each spring. 3. The food courts here at Bristol College need more options for vegetarians. 4. Instead of partying this weekend, my roommates drove to Chicago for a Cubs game. 5. If you want to do well in your classes, you should go to class! 6. Calculus was easy in high school, but it’s much harder in college. 7. When Steph yells at her dog Bella, the poor thing sulks in her crate for hours. 8. The cause of Anita’s success is tenacity. Copyright © 2025 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
9. The entire pizza was eaten by my Saint Bernard, but Christina did not think that was as funny as I did. Activity 5.2.1: Revising Sentences to Put the Doer in the Subject Slot 1. My dog caught the Frisbee. 2. The icy roads caused the driver to swerve. 3. My roommate ate my cookie, which made me really unhappy. 4. Julie could have said that better in a variety of ways. 5. Juwan realized that working with Jamie is difficult when he’s hungry. 6. The storm blew the tree over. 7. The Chicago Tribune often highly ranked my high school’s football team. 8. Some students enjoy a dip in the hot tub after a rough test. 9. Caleb realized that making new friends in college is harder than it looks. 10. My friends and I always have fun running out for ice cream at midnight. Activity 5.3.1: Revising Sentences to Put the Main Action of the Sentence in the Verb 1. The police investigated the burglary. 2. The team was confused, because the coaches’ directions were confusing. 3. When diving underwater, you should save enough breath to get back to the surface. 4. The work crews always compete to be done first. 5. He confessed to breaking the window accidentally. 6. Elise did not like to admit mistakes. 7. Yusaf hosted parties at his house. 8. My dog was obsessed about the lost ball. 9. The scientists presented an analysis of the data. 10. We concluded that Nutella is really good when mixed with peanut butter. Activity 5.4.1: Changing Passive Sentences into Active Sentences 1. The colorful parrots perched on the trees. 2. Jeremy completed the video game, Thor’s Revenge, in only three hours. 3. The principal addressed the students’ concerns a few days too late. 4. I still like the soundtrack from Hamilton best. 5. The presidents of China and the United States signed the trade agreement. 6. Last Friday, a tornado destroyed a house in our neighborhood. 7. After leaving the harbor, the captain steered the sailboat to Cuba. 8. Two volunteers, Gina and Lars, stocked the food pantry overnight. 9. Several people from my family attended the football game. 10. After the half marathon was over, the runners gobbled up the granola bars. 5
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Activity 5.5.1: Making Long Sentences Breathing Length 1. The history of rapping can be traced back for centuries to the African continent, where chanting stories musically was common. The hip-hop movement began in the streets of America as young Blacks were trying to break out of the restrictive boundaries that controlled the pop, soul music, and rhythm and blues genres that dominated urban music. 2. Coming down from a thunderstorm cloud with wind speeds of about 300 miles per hour, a tornado is a rotating column of air that typically forms when warm moist air and cool dry air meet. The warm and cool air cause a spinning movement in the atmosphere below the cloud, which sends an updraft through the tube to the cloud itself. 3. Perhaps the reason why people are so fascinated by zombie movies is that they reveal weaknesses that we perceive in our societies and political systems. Zombie movies do so in a way that is clearly fictional with zombified people collectively walking (or maybe running) around looking for brains or human flesh in a mindless and relentless way. 4. As a kid growing up in small-town Idaho, playing soccer and being a passionate fan meant that I was out of step with most of the people in my town. They tended to follow the major sports like football, basketball, and baseball, so I always found it challenging to explain my favorite sport, which is the most followed around the world, to people who tend to think of the sport as boring or even confusing. 5. With a smile, people in my Puerto Rican New York neighborhood often remember our tito’s obsession with pizza. Even though he still had a strong Puerto Rican accent, he was always known to make some of the best Neapolitan pizza in the south Bronx. Even my Puerto Rican friends somehow thought he was Italian. Activity 5.6.1: Combining Short Sentences to Make Them Breathing Length 1. Henri went to the store, because he needed to buy some milk. 2. Bike commuting is good for the environment and also good for your health. 3. Wolves are amazing animals, but they are often misunderstood, while many myths about wolves are wrong. 4. Country music and the blues have similar lyrics, because both types of music tend to be about loss and love. They also tell stories about working-class struggles. 5. Zoos are unethical, because they keep animals in cages where they don’t have the freedom to roam. Maybe we should put people in cages, so they can better understand how that feels. 6. The beach is great, because people are always having fun. They like to play beach volleyball, lie out in the sun, and wade and swim around in the water. My favorite thing to do at the beach is watch other people.
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7. An earthquake can be dangerous, because it shakes buildings around and stuff falls off shelves. During an earthquake, you need to move as quickly as possible to get under a desk, look for a doorway, and stay calm. 8. I needed to make a choice between basketball and affording college. I love basketball, and I was good enough to play at a Division III college, but those colleges don’t offer scholarships for sports. I decided to go to a state university, because it was cheaper. Even though I couldn’t make the basketball team, I’m still happy with the choice I made. 9. I find that hunting is fun as a woman, because I like to be with my father and brothers. Few women hunt, but they might like it because it’s outdoors. Hunting helps you respect nature, and it helps you understand how animals live and think. 10. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call, and the government was not ready. People did whatever they wanted, and they didn’t take it seriously. The pandemic went on much longer than it should have with many people dying who could have survived.
Workshop 6: Revising Paragraphs Activity 6.0.1: Think About This Answers will vary. Activity 6.1.1: Identifying Topic Sentences Part 1 In Paragraph 1, the topic sentence is “It is easy to distinguish grizzlies from black bears as the physical features of the grizzly are noticeably different.” Point out to your students that the rest of the paragraph is talking about the features of grizzly bears. In Paragraph 2, the topic sentence is “Although the loss of habitat poses a significant threat to the grizzly, it is human activity that poses the greatest threat to their survival.” Again, as in Paragraph 1, you will notice that Paragraph 2 is essentially about this specific claim. The remainder of the sentences are offering proof for this claim. Part 2 Answers will vary. Activity 6.2.1: Using Support Sentences Answers will vary. Activity 6.3.1: Bridging Sentences with Transitional Words or Phrases Sentence Set 1: Therefore/Consequently and In addition 7 Copyright © 2025 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Sentence Set 2: For example and Therefore Sentence Set 3: For instance and If necessary Activity 6.4.1: Bridging Paragraphs with Transitions Paragraph Set 1: To clarify, the terms “take” and “harm” are defined in the following ways. Paragraph Set 2: Nevertheless or perhaps To illustrate Activity 6.5.1: Stacking Paragraphs to Create a Paper There are, of course, many ways to fill out the boxes on the left and lines on the right, but here is a possible answer to this activity: Introduction Paragraph Description Paragraph—This paragraph will describe a few types of on-campus housing options. Description Paragraph—This paragraph will describe a few types of off-campus housing. Comparison and Contrast Paragraph—This paragraph will compare and contrast the various advantages of living on campus or off campus. Comparison and Contrast Paragraph–This paragraph will compare and contrast some of the disadvantages of living on campus or off campus. Conclusion Paragraph
Workshop 7: Doing Research and Citing It Activity 7.0.1: Think About This: Do Your Research! Answers will vary. Activity 7.1.1: Spotting Fake News Answers will vary. Activity 7.2.1: Focusing Your Research Question Answers will vary. 8
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Activity 7.3.1: Creating a Working Thesis or Hypothesis Answers will vary. Activity 7.4.1: Triangulating Sources Answers will vary. Activity 7.5.1: Generating In-Text Citations Reference Abel, Daniel and Grubbs, R. Dean. Shark Biology and Conservation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2020. Armstrong, Sue. “Great White Sharks Defy Hollywood Image.” New Science, 144, 1994: p. 16.
Page Number 52
MLA In-Text Citation (Abel and Grubbs 52)
APA In-Text Citation (Abel & Grubbs, 2020, p. 52)
16
(Armstrong 16)
(Armstrong, 1994, p. 16)
Benchley, Peter. “Great White Sharks.” National Geographic, 197(4), 2000: pp. 2–29.
15
(Benchley 15)
(Benchley, 2000, p. 15)
Broad, William J. “Uncovering the True Nature of a Great White Hunter.” National Wildlife, 37,1994: pp. 48–51.
48-50
(Broad 48-50)
(Broad, 1994, pp. 48-50)
Klimley, A. Peter. “The Predatory Behavior of the White Shark.” American Scientist, 82, 1994, pp. 122– 133. Monterey Bay Aquarium. “Sharks.” Montereybayaquarium.org, https:// www.montereybayaquarium. org/animals/animals-a-to-z/ sharks#siteWrapper. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020
125
(Klimley 125)
(Klimley, 1994, p. 125)
No page number
(Monterey Bay Aquarium)
(Monterey Bay Aquarium, n.d.)
Activity 7.6.1: Generating a Full Bibliographic Citation on Your Own Answers will vary. Activity 7.6.2: Fixing a Works Cited Bibliography
Works Cited
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Bamford, James. Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency from the Cold War through the Dawn of a New Century. Doubleday, 2001. Erdrich, Louise, The Night Watchman. Harper Collins, 2020. Gioe, David V., et al. “Can United States Intelligence Community Analysts Telework?” Intelligence and National Security, vol. 35, no. 6, 2020, pp. 885–901, doi:10.1080/02684527.2020.1767389. “Iran at Center of Cyber Crime Charges in Three Cases.” FBI, 18 Sept. 2020, www.fbi.gov/news/stories/iran-atcenter-of-cyber-crime-charges-in-three-cases-091820. Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri. "United States Secret Service." Government Agencies, edited by Donald R. Whitnah, Greenwood, 1983, pp. 12–28. Knott, Stephen F. Secret and Sanctioned: Covert Operations and the American Presidency. Oxford UP, 1996. McMahon, Adam M. “Layering and the Foundations of the Modern American Surveillance State, 1970-2020.” Intelligence and National Security, vol. 35, no. 6, 2020, pp. 823–839. Ransom, Harry H, “Secret Intelligence in the United States, 1947-1982: The CIA's Search for Legitimacy.” The Missing Dimension: Governments and Intelligence Communities in the Twentieth Century, edited by Christopher M. Andrew and David Dilks. Macmillan, 1984, pp. 199–226. Watner, Carl. “Computers and Privacy: National Identification Revisited from a Voluntaryist Perspective.” The Voluntaryist, no. 190, 2021, pp. 1–6. ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/2376705804?accountid=13360. Zegart, Amy, and Morrell, Michael. "Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: Why U.S. Intelligence Agencies Must Adapt or Fail." Foreign Affairs, vol. 98, 2019 (pp. 85–96).
Workshop 8: Fixing the Dirty Dozen Grammar Errors Activity 8.0.1: Think About This: If You’re Losing an Argument, Start Correcting Their Grammar! Answers will vary. Activity 8.1.1: Fixing Comma Splices 1. The tree was hit by lightning, but it missed hitting the trailer home. Alternatives: a. Delete the comma and use a period instead (or a semicolon, though we caution students to use them sparingly). 10 Copyright © 2025 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
b. Add a coordinating conjunction after the comma. c. Make one of the clauses dependent (see Module 5.6), e.g., “When the tree was hit by lightning,. . .” The same alternatives could apply to other questions. 2. Our trip to Florida was amazing! We spent most days on the beach. 3. Woody’s, our favorite restaurant, recently had problems with food poisoning, and therefore many people won’t eat there anymore. 4. The weather was perfect for hiking in the mountains, but my feet were in too much pain. 5. Our Labrador retriever leaped into the pond. It grabbed the stick and swam back. 6. The ball flew straight up in the air, and Yolanda spiked it over the net. 7. I felt something hit my hair as the bird flew over me, but I was afraid to see if it had pooped on me. 8. Shopping for clothing is not my favorite thing to do. Carey made it fun, though. 9. The canoe was hit by the big wave, so we held on for dear life! 10. We had a choice: eat the pizza with ants crawling on it, or we could spend our last 20 dollars on a new pizza. Note: This one is more complex. We could correct the sentence simply by eliminating the comma and adding “or”, but a comma plus “or” would be incorrect. Activity 8.2.1: Fixing Fused Sentences 1. My mom made us dinner. she never liked to cook, though. Alternative: a. Use a period instead of a comma (or a semicolon, though we caution students to use them sparingly). b. Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction. c. Make one of the clauses dependent (see Module 5.6), e.g., “Although my mother….” Note that the “though” becomes redundant when “however” is added. The same alternatives could apply to other questions. 2. The roofers were hammering away, and then I heard them gasp and start shouting. 3. Sam’s dog was barking in the back yard, so they knew something was wrong. 4. The earthquake shook the house, and stuff was falling and breaking all around us. 5. It seemed like we were going to be fine after the storm. The wind had stopped, and we didn’t see much destruction in the house, but then we went outside. (Note that this sentence has three independent clauses and needs three fixes.) 6. We were a bit disappointed with the ending of the movie Frozen II. Too many issues weren’t explained. 7. Drake doesn’t always get the credit he deserves, but he’s clearly one of the best hiphop artists of his generation. 11
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8. Living in the suburbs might seem like an ideal life. However, many dark secrets are hiding inside those tidy houses, though. Alternative: Living in the suburbs might seem like an ideal life, but many dark secrets are hiding inside those tidy houses, though. 9. Skateboarding was the best way for me to express myself, but my grandmother never really understood that. 10. Hitting a curveball isn’t as hard as people think. Just keep your eye on the ball. Alternative: Another possibility is to change the period to a colon (covered in module 9.4). Activity 8.3.1: Fixing Sentence Fragments You can read the examples out loud, or you can ask for a student to read an example. The first two answers in the answer key below simulate a discussion that you might have in class or in a student conference. Because there are so many possibilities for correcting these sentences, this can be a fun classroom activity, as students can make silly but grammatically correct suggestions. 1. Must have been a great place to go. You: Is this a fragment? Student: Yes. Y: Why? What’s missing? S: You can’t tell what would be a great place to go. Y: Right. So it’s missing a subject. How could you fix it? What needs adding here? S: You could add “your house.” Y: So now read the sentence with the subject added. S: “Your house must have been a great place to go.” Y: That’s great. What other subjects would work? [etc.] 2. The explosion about a mile away. You: Is this a fragment? Student: Yes. Y: Why? What’s missing? S: What about the explosion? What happened to it? Y: Right. So what is it missing, a subject or a verb? S: A verb? I: Yes, a verb describes what a subject does or what happens to it. So how could you fix it? What would you add here? S: You could add “was.” I: How would the sentence read then? S: “The explosion was a mile away.” I: Perfect. What other verbs could we add? [etc.] 12
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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
The guys who were watching from the sidelines saw the game. Because the truck broke down, we missed class. Our dog ran into the garage completely terrified, with the bear on his tail. The car twisted in the air, as we saw it coming down with a large crunching noise. I knew I was going to be a swimmer when they put that medal around my neck. Life can be a challenge in a small town, especially when you’re different. As a person who needs to be with others, I thought measles were the worst thing that could have happened to me. 10. The sand and water, tan and blue, swirled around us. Activity 8.4.1: Fixing Subject-Verb Disagreements 1. 2. 3. 4.
My dad, who really hates to mow lawns, struggles with the lawnmower each Spring. The bakery that we love in town opens at 7:00 sharp every morning. Jane and Maria loves the way the light shines on the lake each evening. If the neighbors really care about the environment, they needs to put the cans in the recycling bin, not in the trash. 5. The eagle that lives by the two rivers scoops up fish right in front of our eyes. 6. Painting houses all summer are is a difficult job. 7. Your collection of posters from Taylor Swift concerts needs to be put in the basement, or I’m putting up my Phish posters. 8. When I’m on campus, I often finds myself wondering how people make friends with people they don’t know. 9. I decide right there that the pie or the cookies isare going to be dessert tonight. Remember, when two or more subjects are connected with “or,” the verb should agree with the last item in the list of subjects. 10. Every year, Lionel’s frat brothers or the house mother declares loudly that they can’t stand Valentine’s Day. Activity 8.5.1: Fixing Pronoun-Antecedent Disagreement 1. Any artist would be pleased to have his their work displayed in the Tuttle Gallery. Alternative: Change “his” to “his or her.” 2. After the team scored a goal, they it met at the midfield line to celebrate. Alternative: Change “they” to “the players” or something similar. 3. Before you jump out of the plane, everyone needs you need to double-check these straps. Alternative: It’s possible to imagine a context in which “everyone needs” would be correct, e.g., a parachuting class where indeed everyone needs to check a certain person’s straps. 4. I asked all violinists in the orchestra to bring her their own chair. Alternative: Change “her” to “her or his.” 13
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5. When you fall while skiing, anyone you should expect a little pain. Alternative: “When anyone falls while skiing, they should expect a little pain.” 6. Val and Yunghee like to go shopping at Thrifttown because she they always gets the best deals. Alternatives: Change “she” to “Yungee,” “Val,” or “shoppers there.” 7. Each of our rockets experienced broken fins when they were it was launched. Alternative: All of our rockets experienced broken fins when they were launched. 8. All of the dollar bills had something weird written on it them. Alternative: Each of the dollar bills had something weird written on it. 9. Some of the mint plants, including my peppermint, lost its their pleasant scent. Alternative: Each of the mint plants, including my peppermint, lost its pleasant scent. 10. After we lost the game, you we just knew the coach was going to be disappointed. Alternative: Change the “you” to “I.” Activity 8.6.1: Fixing Apostrophe Errors 1. The horse had a mind of it’s its own. 2. Theyv’e They’ve decided to go to the beach this summer rather than the mountains. 3. Haley picked up Pablos’ Pablo’s skateboard and threw it over the fence. Alternative: Is it possible there are two Pablos? If so something like this would be called for: “Haley picked up the two Pablos’ skateboard…” 4. The childrens’ children’s mother was very upset at the speeding car. This one might be tricky, especially for translingual writers. Children is already a plural, and therefore the apostrophe should be placed between the “n” and the “s.” 5. When Chris is angry, shes she’s really difficult to talk to. The word “she’s” is a contraction of “she is.” 6. Whats What’s really making me upset is that people never stopped to help. Another contraction. 7. When I reached over to get the dogs dog’s bone, it growled at me. 8. Somethings Something’s seriously wrong with that professor. 9. Because he speaks softly, its it’s difficult to understand what he’s saying. 10. The ships ship’s mast snapped when it hit the bridge. Activity 8.7.1: Fixing Misused Commas 1. To play disc golf, I need my new discs, that aren’t chewed up by my dog. Misused comma before “that.” 2. Jimmie wanted to hang out at the courthouse, and then go to Faye’s house. Misused comma before a dependent clause. 3. My grandparents, were hesitant to even ask us about school. Misused comma between the subject and verb. 14
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4. To open the door, I leaned my shoulder into it, and pushed as hard as I could. Misused comma between the subject and verb. Note that the first comma is not grammatically necessary, and some style guides would advise not using one here. 5. The bear, that finished eating the food on the picnic table, started shaking the camper. Neither comma should be used. The first misuse is the comma before “that.” It might be helpful to remind your students that “The bear that finished eating the food on the picnic table” is the subject, although a long and complex one. 6. The final sandwich sat alone on the plate, and was never eaten. Misused comma between subject and verb. The clause before that comma is the subject. 7. The phrase dead as a doornail, is something I never understood. Misused comma between subject and verb. The clause before that comma is the subject. 8. As they say, where there’s smoke, look for fire. The first comma is probably necessary here. But it’s true that a case could be made for keeping the second comma. Sometimes, when done deliberately, sidestepping the exact rules for rhetorical effect is the smart thing to do. 9. Life in high school, can be a real challenge when you’re different. Misused comma between subject and verb. The clause before that comma is the subject. 10. The bicyclist saw my truck in the dark, but he still rammed into the tailgate. The second clause in the original is dependent; adding the word “he” makes it independent. Simply deleting the comma altogether is another correct possibility. Activity 8.8.1: Fixing Dangling Modifiers 1. Shouting loudly that I would be late, I realized my keys were nowhere to be found. 2. While we were riding horses through the forest, our dogs were searching for squirrels. 3. Almost tearful with her sadness, I put back the old wedding dress and tuxedo were put back in the attic. 4. When we’re hungry, even disgusting food starts to sound good. 5. After we had finished enjoying our dinner, the video games were the main attraction for the rest of the night. 6. Getting to class one minute late, I saw the professor glared at me as I took my seat. 7. Hoping to get a free lunch, I met my parents at the restaurant was where I met my parents. 8. After I heard Hearing that bit of gossip, the rest of my day was devoted to figuring out if it was true. 9. As we were hiking Hiking down the mountain, the car suddenly came into our view. 15
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10. Watching her chow Chowing down on her bowl of cat food, Jana sat there admiring the beautiful cat. Activity 8.9.1: Fixing Faulty Parallelism 1. All day, we went swimming, hiking, and eating great food. The first three items are gerund nouns while “eat” is a verb. Alternative: “All day, we swam, hiked, and ate great food.” 2. In the hot sun, the carnival had too many people, too much noise, and too many smells. Although the list elements (“people,” “noise,” and “smell”) are parallel (i.e., all nouns), they are not parallel. Alternative: “In the hot sun, the carnival had too many people and too much noise and food.” 3. Hating and to loveloving the same person has always been one of my problems with dating. The first item, “hating,” is a gerund noun, whereas “to love” is an infinitive verb. Alternative: “To love and to hate the same person is one of the problems I’ve always had with dating.” 4. That summer we worked hard, studied hard, and did other things I can’t tell you. Because “worked” and “studied” are verbs, the third item in the list also needs a verb. 5. The parrot sat on the perch and sayssaid some naughty stuff. While “sat” and “says” are both verbs, their tense is different. Alternative: “The parrot sits on the porch and says some naughty stuff.” 6. Being a housepainter and mowing lawns will make you look forward to going to class again. Because “being” is a gerund, the word “mowing” must also be a gerund. Alternative: “Being a housepainter and a mower of lawns will make you…” 7. Someday, I want to see the Sistine Chapel, throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and visiting the Roman Colosseum. All three of the verbs in the list must be in the same tense or case. Alternative: “Seeing the Sistine Chapel, throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and visiting the Roman Colosseum are things I want to do someday.” 8. Patiently, quietly, and firmly, she showed us how to sew our own quilts. All three items must be the same part of speech. (The first two are adverbs while the last is an adjective.) 9. Sebastian’s favorite sports are baseball, soccer, and to bowling. All items in a list should be the same part of speech. Here the first two are nouns and the final item is an infinitive verb. 10. My roommate walked quickly, circled the corner, and acted unpredictably. Because “walked” and “circled” are verbs, the third item in the list also needs a verb. 16
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Activity 8.10.1: Fixing Pronoun-Case Errors 1. Damian will be stopping by later to see you and Ime. Using “you and I” in the objective case is an example of “hypercorrection,” the result of trying to sound correct and adhere to the rule. On the other hand, in some regions and groups of speakers, it adheres to the norm. 2. Eventually, an accident will happen to weus drivers. This is another example of hypercorrection. 3. Julian and hershe were walking towards us on the sidewalk. “Julian and she” are the sentence subjects, so the pronoun needs to be in the subjective case. 4. Jamie and myselfI will be attending the party tonight. “Jamie and I” are the sentence subjects, so the pronoun needs to be in the subjective case. This is another hypercorrection error that even highly educated fluent English speakers often make. 5. Xavier insisted that we stop off to visit sheher, his sister, and their family the next day. 6. My roommate predicted that Jamel and meI would be dating within a week. 7. While flying back from Brazil, Gina and themthey started planning their next adventure. 8. Between you and Ime, we can agree that smoking is bad for people. 9. The honest truth is that me and Sharon and I just never really got along well. 10. As for she and hehim and her, they aren’t people you will really miss after college is over. Activity 8.11.1: Fixing Shifted Tenses 1. They ate calamari as an appetizer, and then they gobbled down a full dinner. Alternative: “They were eating calamari….” 2. I will finish my assignment tonight when I hadhave finished studying for my math test. 3. My teacher wasis confused, because Ethan is asking ridiculous questions. 4. Everyone thought our strategy willwould win this time against the state champions. Alternative: Although this sentence would mean something different, it would be grammatically correct: “Everyone thought our strategy won this time against the state champions.” 5. The deer leaps in front of our car, which causedcauses me to swerve and drovedrive into the ditch. Alternatives: “The deer leapt in front of our car, which caused me to swerve, and I drove into a ditch.” 17
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6. Last night, we seesaw the planet Jupiter near the moon, and then we spotted an even brighter planet, Venus, near the horizon. 7. The Spanish Flu iswas really bad in 1918, and many people around the world died. 8. The reporter was pressing the candidate about the scandal before she will even haveeven had a chance to say something. 9. My doctor is concerned that I had a concussion, especially after I knocked my head into the wall. 10. My mother walks five miles, and then she wentgoes shopping at the mall. The suggested correction implies the mother’s walking and shopping habits occur regularly, but if the writer intended to describe a single occurrence, the correction would be: “My mother walked five miles, and then she went shopping . . .” Activity 8.12.1: Fixing Vague Pronouns 1. David and Gino were really upset about the comedian’s racist jokes, so heGino called the management to complain. Alternatives: change “he” to “David” or “they.” Similar alternatives could be applied to all of these questions. 2. Emily and Fran worked equally hard on their projects, so sheFran was disappointed when they earned very different grades. 3. Angela told Dana herthat Dana’s pants had a huge rip at the knee. 4. I had a choice of root beer, orange juice, or water, so I decided to pick up a glass of iteach one on the way out the door. 5. Dogs and cats can behave quite differently around water, so I was surprised when itthe cat just jumped right in. 6. Having a good time and drinking are not necessary, so I avoided itthe drinking. 7. Brad picked up both his towel and his hat, and then he tied itthe towel around his waist. 8. Enrique drove his little brother to the game after heJaime finished eating his dinner. 9. The badger and the rabbit eyed each other before itthe rabbit scurried back into its hole. 10. The sheriff and a local reporter called the house, but theythe owner didn’t answer.
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Workshop 9: Punctuating Correctly Activity 9.0.1: Think About This: A Time When Someone Misinterpreted Something You Wrote Answers will vary. Activity 9.1.1: Using End Punctuation 1. What should we have for dinner tonight? 2. First, take out the garbage and then rake the leaves. This sentence might also be ended with an exclamation point, depending on the context and the writer’s intentions. 3. I’m absolutely delighted with the grade I received in computer science! This sentence might also be ended with a period, depending on the context and the writer’s intentions. 4. The weather forecast looks okay today, so I’m not bringing an umbrella. 5. You’re Johnny Fontaine’s little brother, aren’t you? 6. What’s on the schedule in today’s chemistry lab? 7. How wonderful! That’s such exciting news! 8. Jeremy walked into the room and asked, “Has anyone seen my pants?” Inside: The quoted words form a question. 11. And then Robert exploded with this news: “I’ve won the lottery!” Inside: The quoted words are an exclamation. 12. Did Maria really say, “I’m going to the party with or without you”? Outside: It is the writer who is asking the question, not the speaker whose words are quoted. Activity 9.2.1: Using Commas 1b is correct. Use a comma to set off quotations from the words that introduce them. 2a is correct. Use a comma in addresses and dates. 3c is correct. Use a comma to join independent clauses. 4b is correct. Use a comma to separate items in series, but do not use one before the beginning of the series. 5c is correct. Use a comma with an introductory phrase, also called an “appositive.” 6b is correct. Use a comma to join independent clauses. 7a is correct. Use a comma with transitions and introductory phrases. 8a is correct. Use a comma with transitions and introductory phrases. 19
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Activity 9.3.1: Using Apostrophes 1b is correct. Use an apostrophe to signal a contraction. 2a is correct. Use an apostrophe to signal possession. 3b is correct. The word its is the possessive form of it; the word it’s always means “it is.” 4c is correct. The word ours is the possessive form of our; our’s is not a word and should never be used. 5a is correct. The word week’s is the possessive form of the word week. 5c would be correct if the sentence were “The last two weeks’ newsletters will be late.” 6a is correct. This is a tricky one, possibly a subject for class discussion, depending on the context of your class. The words their belongings suggest there was more than one stranger. However, in many style sheets, it is increasingly acceptable to use their as the non-gender-specific pronoun, instead of “his,” “her,” his or her,” or “her or his.” 7b is correct. This is more straightforward than question #6 because the words “his belongings” implies—without any ambiguity—that there was only one stranger. Activity 9.4.1: Using Semicolons and Colons 1b is correct. While writers should use a colon to lead off a list, in most cases the colon should be used after phrases such as “as following,” “such as the following,” or “as follows” (e.g., “The dog is bad for the following reasons: He won’t fetch, he bites people, and he growls at everyone ….”) 2b is correct. The usage of the semicolon in 2a is unnecessary. It could be argued that a simple comma might be added after “younger,” and that would not be an error, but the meaning of the sentence is clear without the comma. 3b is correct. A semicolon can be used to join together two independent clauses in a sentence. An alternative correction could use a coordinating conjunction such as but: e.g., “Bear cubs continue to suckle nearly until they hibernate in fall, but father bears do not help in raising the cubs.” 4a is correct. A colon is used to lead off lists. Strictly speaking, using a semicolon, answer 4b, is not grammatically incorrect. However, colons, not semicolons, are by convention used to signal that what has been promised in the first part of the sentence will now be completed after the punctuation. 5b is correct. Use a semicolon to join two independent clauses. An alternative would be to use a coordinating conjunction after a comma this way: “The short story is “A Rose for Emily,” and it is one of Faulkner’s eeriest tales. 6b is correct. A comma—not a semicolon—is used to set off an introductory phrase. Activity 9.5.1: Using Quotation Marks and Italics
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1a is correct. The words in quotation marks are a direct quote, the exact words spoken by the mother. 2a is correct because the quote is clearly not a direct quote. The butcher would not have said “they…” but instead “We are out of ground beef.” 3b is correct. Short-story titles are placed inside quotation marks. Some other kinds of titles are italicized. 4a is correct. Book titles are italicized, with chapter titles in quotation marks. 5b is correct. Scientific names in Latin are italicized. 6a is correct. Double quotation marks signal a first quote, single quotation marks signal quoted words inside of a quotation. (A complication some students may want to know: If Dr. Jackson, in turn, quoted what someone else said, there would be a return to double quotes—Dr. Jackson asked me to tell you ‘according to the lab, your results are “negative,”’ so you should be discharged soon.”) Activity 9.6.1: Using Dashes and Hyphens 1. My Aunt Frieda often uses off hyphen color humor. The words “off” and “color” are joined to make a compound adjective that modifies the word “humor.” 2. My Aunt Frieda’s humor could be described as off blank space color. Here, “off” and “color” are not joined to make a compound adjective. Therefore, no hyphen should be used. 3. She was a door hyphen to hyphen door salesperson. As in question #1, the words “door,” “to,” and “door” are joined to make a compound adjective that modifies “salesperson.” . Therefore, hyphens should be used. 4. She was a salesperson who went door blank space to blank space door. As in question #3, the words “door,” “to,” and “door” are not joined to make a compound adjective that modifies “salesperson.” 5. Jeremy glanced at his watch em dash a quick furtive glance em dash as his expression grew more anxious. An em dash is used to signal the continuation of a thought. Note that commas or even parentheses could be used instead of the em dashes; the em dashes signal a more robust break from the main sentence. 6. The relevant discussion in the journal article appears on pages 664en dash671. 21
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An en dash is used to signal range between numbers or dates (although in most manuscripts, hyphens are considered acceptable). 7. Were you worried about the exam, eager to take it, unsure how you’d do em dash or was it something else? An em dash is used to signal the continuation of a thought. As in question #5, instead of the em dash, a comma or parentheses could be used; here even a colon would work. The em dash signals a more robust break from the main sentence. 8. Marie Curie (1867en dash1934) was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. An en dash is used to signal range between numbers or dates. 9. A coupe is a two hyphen door car. The words “two” and “door” are joined to make a compound adjective that modifies the word “car.” 10. A coupe is a car with two blank space doors. Here “two” and “doors” do not combine to form a compound adjective. Activity 9.7.1: Using Parentheses, Brackets, and Ellipses 1. The campus writing center has posted this on their website: “We strive to promote growth in the writer and ellipsis emphasize that learning to write is a lifelong process.” Ellipses are used to indicate that some of the words in a quotation have been omitted from the quotation. Here, the ellipsis indicates omitted words between “and” and “emphasize.” 2. The manufacturers have worked to improve the sensitivity parenthesis percentage of correctly identified positives parenthesis and specificity parenthesis percentage of correctly identified negatives parenthesis of their assays. The words inside the parentheses contain additional information: They provide definitions of “sensitivity” and “specificity.” Note that if this this were a quotation (as in question #3), brackets would have been appropriate to indicate additional words were added. 3. Laquan pointed out, “She bracket the witness bracket could not have actually seen the accident from two blocks away.” The words enclosed in brackets indicate that the words have been added to the quoted material. 22
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4. The President stated, “I have never lied to the public, but my opponent’s charge that I am insane shows that it’s my opponent who is in fact insane” parenthesis emphasis mine parenthesis. 5. For example, Webster’s defines the word aardvark as “a large burrowing nocturnal mammal (Orycteropus afer) of sub-Saharan Africa that has a long snout ellipsis.” The ellipsis indicates there were words omitted from the quotation.
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