1. AZMerit Writing (Grammar)

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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?

9. 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.

10. 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?

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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”.

14. MLA In-Text Citations
This type of question has to do with using correct MLA format. What are some things to remember about this type of question?

15. MLA In-Text Citations 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)
B. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying (New York: Macmillan, 1969)
C. 1. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying

16. MLA In-Text Citations
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.

17. MLA In-Text Citations
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.

18. 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?

19. 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

20. 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?

21. 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.

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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?

25. 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?

26. 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.

27. 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?

28. 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.

29. 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?

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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?

33. 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.

34. 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?

35. 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?

36. 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?

37. 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 Web. 24 May 2009.
B. Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. New York: Springer, Print.
C. Pepin, Ronald E. Literature of Satire in the Twelfth Century, 1988.

38. Citations Answer the following questions.
1. What is missing from the following citation?
---.”Global Warming Economics.” Science 9 Nov. 2001: Science Online. 24 May 2009
A. The publisher information.
B. The second author’s name.
C. Whether the information was in print or online.

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