azmerit writing (grammar). parallel structure problem: which sentence uses parallel structure? a....

AZMerit Writing (Grammar)

Parallel Structure

• Problem: Which sentence uses parallel structure?• A. Michael likes to go hunting,

fishing, and biking.• B. Michael likes to hunt, go

fishing, and ride his bike.

• This type of question has to do with parallel structure. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

For each set of sentences, choose the sentence that is written using parallel structure.

• 1. Anna needs to go to the grocery store, then to the bank, and then to the post office. • 2.Anna needs to go to the grocery store, bank, and drive to the post

office.

• 1. Nicole likes reading, swimming, and taking hikes.• 2. Nicole likes reading, swimming, and hiking.

Phrases

• Decide if the underlined phrase is participial, prepositional, or absolute phrase.

• Working around the clock, the firefighters finally put out the last of the California brush fires.

• This type of question has to do with types of phrases. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Phrases

• Decide if the underlined phrases are noun, verb, adjectival, or adverbial phrases. • 1. The story that he was once a soldier in the French Foreign Legion is

false. • 2. Andy can drink an entire bottle of soda in less than a minute. • 3. This is the end of a very long road. • 4. The cat is asleep on the bed.

Clauses

• Decide if the underlined clause is independent or dependent.

• Energy supplies will dwindle, unless we conserve.

• This type of question has to do with types of clauses. What are some things to remember about this type of question.

Clauses

• Decide if the underlined clauses are independent or dependent clauses. • 1. They are going on a picnic later today. • 2. Although I lost the library book, I did not have to pay to replace it. • 3. We are planning to have a party to celebrate the end of the school

year.

Clauses

• Decide if the underlined clause is a noun, relative, or adverbial clause. • What I had for breakfast gave

me an upset stomach.

• This type of question has to do with types of clauses. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Clauses

• Decide if the underlined clauses are a noun, relative, or adverbial clause. • 1. When she was in Minneapolis, she visited many of her old friends. • 2. Angela screamed when she saw the giant spider that dangled from

the once clean bathroom towel. • 3. Teachers dispense wisdom to whoever will listen.

Clauses

• Join the two independent clauses by using a semicolon. • I like cows. However, I hate the

way they smell.

• This type of question has to do with joining independent clauses. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Clauses

• For each question, link the two independent clauses using a semicolon. • 1. Amy studied in the student center for her chemistry quiz. But it was

hard to concentrate because of the noise. • 2. Becky trained every day after school for the track meet. However,

she only took fourth place.• 3. Amy wanted to go to a movie with her friends. However, her

parents would not let her go until she finished her homework.

Spelling

• Find the word in the following list that is spelled incorrectly, and spell it correctly. • Abdomen• Acknowledge • Desendant

• This type of question has to do with spelling correctly. What are some things to remember about this type of question.

MLA In-Text Citations

• Create a correct in-text citation according to MLA standards. • Excerpt from: Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed by Mark Daniels. Page

120. • “It is my contention, however, that if you are going to teach an active

learning classroom, especially in the inner city, you had better get used to noise. Noise does not necessary equal disorder. Actually, many times what appears to be noise and chaos to the un-initiated, actually means a high level of learning is taking place”.


• This type of question has to do with using correct MLA format. What are some things to remember about this type of question?


• Choose the correct answer for each question.• 1. Which of the following is a correctly formatted endnote according

to MLA citation? • A. 1. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying (New York:

Macmillan, 1969) 45-60.• B. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying (New York: Macmillan,

1969)• C. 1. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying


• 2. Which of the following is not a general guideline for formatting a paper using MLA format? • A. Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g.

Times New Roman). • B. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your

instructor’s name, the course, and the date. • C. Set the margins of your document to 0.5 on all sides.


• 3. If the source has no known author, how would you write the in-text citation? • A. Using the title of the article.• B. You can’t cite it.

Context Clues

• Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence. • The babysitter hampered the

baby’s attempt to run over to the top of the stairs. • A. To hinder or obstruct• B. To put away

• This type of question has to do with finding meanings of unknown words using context clues. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Context Clues

• Choose the correct definition for the underlined word in each sentence. • 1. The noxious fumes from the chemical spill caused the highway to

be closed. • A. Calm and peaceful• B. Harmful, poisonous, or lethal • 2. His actions after losing the football game were reprehensible. • A. Overdue or late• B. Of little value

Adjectives

• Choose the adjective form of the word in the following list.

• A. Analytical • B. Analysis• C. Analyze

• This type of question has to do with knowing the different forms of words. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Parts of Speech

• Choose the correct sentence for each question. • 1. Which sentence uses the underlined word as a verb? • A. Books are made of ink, paper, and glue.• B. Richard waits patiently while Susan books the plane tickets.

• 2. Which sentence uses the underlined word as a noun?• A. In early October, Polly plants twenty tulip bulbs. • B. We have driven past three power plants today.

Figures of Speech

• Choose the correct figure of speech for each statement. • 1. I was quaking from head to food, and could have hung my hat on

my eyes, they stuck out so far. (Mark Twain, “Old Times on the Mississippi”)• A. Pun• B. Hyperbole• C. Antithesis

Figures of Speech

• Choose the correct figure of speech for each statement. • To write with a broken pencil is pointless.• A. Alliteration• B. Pun• C. Paradox

Figures of Speech

• Choose the correct figure of speech for that statement below. • “That’s one small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind.”- Neil Armstrong• A. Alliteration• B. Oxymoron• C. Antithesis

• This type of question has to do with knowing the different figures of speech. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Nuances of Words

• Choose the sentence that uses the most positive underlined nuance. • 1. Because Mary uses coupons

when shopping, she could be seen as frugal. • 2. Because Mary uses coupons

when shopping, she could be seen as cheap.

• This type of question has to do with knowing nuances of words. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Nuances of Words

• Choose the sentence that uses the most positive underlined nuance for each word. • 1. Her roommate’s dirty laundry on the floor annoyed Jessica.• 2. Her roommate’s dirty laundry on the floor bothered Jessica.

• 1. Aaron found the geometry quiz to be challenging. • Aaron found the geometry quiz to be difficult.

Claims

• Which of the following is not a good claim? Why?• A. Parents should allow their

teenage children to have an after school job to teach responsibility. • B. Parents should not ground

their children when they get in trouble because it is not a good idea.

• This type of question has to do with developing claims and pointing out strengths and weaknesses in claims. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Claims

• Answer the following questions. • 1. Write a sentence you could use in a formal essay that supports the following claim:

“SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and trackable.”

• 2. List the strengths and limitations of the following claim: “Field trips are a poor use of academic teaching time.”

• A. It is a strong claim that could be backed by facts, but it is an opinion and there are facts and other claims that could dispute this claim.

• B. It is a weak claim that cannot be backed up by facts, but it is a good opinion.• C. It is a strong claim that can have many other opinions to back it, it is not a fact and no

one agrees with it.

Phrases

• Which of the following is a phrase that could be used to link two or more claims in an argumentative essay?• A. There are many reasons

parents should allow their teenagers to work after school.• B. Parents should not ground

their children when they get in trouble because they will rebel and get in more trouble later.

• This type of question has to do with linking major sections of the text, creating cohesion, and clarifying relationships between claims. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Phrases

• Choose the phrase, word, or clause that best links each set of statements. • 1. Argumentative essays are easy to write. Most people have an

opinion on many topics. • A. Because• B. Therefore • C. Since

Phrases

• Choose the phrase, word, or clause that best links each set of statements. • 2. Some teachers believe that textbooks should not be used in the

classroom. Textbooks have been around for many years. • A. Since• B. Therefore• C. Although

Phrases

• When writing an argumentative essay, which of the following statements would you not include?• A. I believe that technology in

the classroom is important for learning.• B. Today, many teachers use

technology in the classroom to enhance their lessons.

• This type of question has to do with establishing and maintaining an objective tone. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Phrases

• Answer the following questions.• 1. When writing a formal essay, which of the following statements

would you not include?• A. I think that every student should get a computer from the school so

they can do their homework on it.• B. Many schools are starting to provide laptops or electronic readers

to students. • C. Providing laptops for students in school is a good way to increase

learning.

Concluding Statements

• Which of the following statements is not a good concluding statement?• A. Nothing can compare to a dog’s

many wonderful qualities such as friendship, loyalty, and intelligence. I now know why people say that “a dog is a man’s best friend”. • B. San Francisco is a great place to

visit because of its many art galleries.

• This type of question has to do with providing a strong concluding statement. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Concluding Statements

• When writing a letter to an editor of a newspaper, which of the following would you not include?• A. Concrete reasons why you agree or

disagree with a topic of or statement made in an article. • B. Citation of any research you have

done to support or contradict what was stated in the article. • C. A narrative telling how you felt

when you were reading the article.

• This type of question has to do with developing and strengthening writing by focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific audience. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

What is wrong with the following statement?• M.H. Abrams and Stephen

Greenblatt assert, “The poet was reviving the heroic language, style, and world of ancient Germanic oral poetry, but it is now widely believed that Beowulf is the word of a single poet who was a Christian and that his poem reflects Christian tradition.”

• This type of question has to do with following a standard format for citation. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

Citations

• Which of the following citations is incorrect?• A. Ebert, Roger. “An Inconvenient Truth.” Rev. of An Inconvenient

Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim.rogerebert.com. Sun-times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009. • B. Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth or Reality?: The Erring Ways

of Climatology. New York: Springer, 2005. Print. • C. Pepin, Ronald E. Literature of Satire in the Twelfth Century, 1988.

Citations

• Answer the following questions. • 1. What is missing from the following citation?• ---.”Global Warming Economics.” Science 9 Nov. 2001: 1283-84.

Science Online. 24 May 2009• A. The publisher information.• B. The second author’s name.• C. Whether the information was in print or online.

GOOD LUCK!!!!Eat breakfast. Get some sleep.