Title: Writing Process
Course: Question Banks

Q: Micah’s instructor asks him to write on the broad topic of innovation in science. He remembers that in high school, he became interested in the possibility of cold fusion, and thinks that this could be a good place to start. Micah is
- beginning the research stage.
- formulating a question for his thesis.
- personalizing an assigned topic.
A: personalizing an assigned topic.

Q: Which scenario best describes the task of personalizing an assigned topic?
- Sahra finds two recently-published articles by a top scholar in the field.
- Marco creates a list of words that he frequently spells wrong or uses incorrectly.
- Zian chooses “acid rain” as something that interests him about the topic “climate problems.”
A: Zian chooses “acid rain” as something that interests him about the topic “climate problems.”

Q: To effectively build an argument for your paper, you should
- proofread your peer’s papers carefully.
- pre-write about as many topics as possible.
- focus on a problem in that area.
A: focus on a problem in that area.

Q: Which scenario best describes the task of focusing on a problem to help you find a topic?
- You read several journal articles on the topic of astronomy, and realize that this is a field you want to know more about.
- You realize that you need several more topics to free-write about.
- After an assigned reading, you realize that you’ve never thought about why there are so few women in engineering.
A: After an assigned reading, you realize that you’ve never thought about why there are so few women in engineering.

Q: Focusing on a specific time period, a specific event, or a geographic area are all ways to help you:
- Begin brainstorming.
- Think about sources.
- Narrow your topic.
A: Narrow your topic.

Q: If you decide to skip pre-writing and move right to drafting, what is a likely outcome?
- You will spend less time on your paper, create a better paper overall, and be more efficient.
- You will miss a chance to get familiar with academic processes and guidelines, like MLA citation formatting.
- You will miss a chance to gather many possible ideas about your topic, and may get stuck later on.
A: You will miss a chance to gather many possible ideas about your topic, and may get stuck later on.

Q: Prewriting has no set structure or organization because
- it’s not an important part of the writing process.
- its main point is to help you focus on grammar.
- it helps you generate ideas and overcome writer’s block.
A: it helps you generate ideas and overcome writer’s block.

Q: What advantages are there to creating a mind map as part of your prewriting strategy?
- A mind map lets you work without writing, since you just connect thoughts in your mind.
- A mind map helps you craft the sentences you’ll use in your final draft.
- A mind map can help you connect lots of different ideas about a single topic.
A: A mind map can help you connect lots of different ideas about a single topic.

Q: If you are working to define the context of your essay, or, in other words, to find out why you’re writing in the first place, you are
- creating a mind map of possible essay topics.
- beginning a rough draft of your essay.
- trying to better understand the essay’s rhetorical situation.
A: trying to better understand the essay’s rhetorical situation.

Q: How can you know if you’ve written an effective thesis statement?
- It provides balanced reasoning—it shows the pros and cons of a topic, but not your opinion.
- It presents an opinion that no one could possibly argue or disagree with.
- It acts as a roadmap—it tells the readers what to expect in the rest of the essay.
A: It acts as a roadmap—it tells the readers what to expect in the rest of the essay.

Q: Which of the following is the most effective to use as evidence in a research paper about the history of safety regulations in the American auto industry?
- A re-telling of a car crash that you survived as a child
- A paragraph that explains what injuries are most common after car crashes
- A chart that explains the results of Ford Motor Company’s latest crash test results
A: A chart that explains the results of Ford Motor Company’s latest crash test results

Q: Your classmate Gina says, “I’ve never had to find research for an essay before and I’m completely overwhelmed. Where do I begin?” What should you tell her?
- It’s good to just wander around the library for a bit and see what’s there.
- To free your mind, do something else, like playing an online game, while you wait for ideas.
- You should try looking up your topic in general databases, like encyclopedias.
A: You should try looking up your topic in general databases, like encyclopedias.

Q: Your paper is on the topic of death and dying in Shakespeare’s plays, and you have seen most of his tragedies in London. How can you best draw on this experience to use in your research paper?
- Since you have seen the plays live, your experience is as valid as any expert’s. You can use this experience instead of doing research.
- Your personal experience has no place in research papers, ever, because it is not valid.
- Your experience can frame your paper--short personal stories are good attention-grabbers in introductions, for example--but they shouldn’t be the bulk of your proof.
A: Your experience can frame your paper--short personal stories are good attention-grabbers in introductions, for example--but they shouldn’t be the bulk of your proof.

Q: Which of the following passages demonstrates a more effective use of quoted material?

1. “Since the 1950s,” educational expert Dwayne Robison writes, “government spending on education has gone up 233%, while increases in test results have only gone up 15%. This is a worrying fact for anyone arguing that increasing government spending will help our kids” (Robison 98).
2. Government spending on schools has gone up 233% since the 1950s and had very little positive effect, something that Dwayne Robison calls a “worrying fact for anyone arguing that increasing government spending will help our kids” (Robison 98). His research shows that government spending is not the most viable way to improve American education.
- A, because it includes the entire quote, so that the readers can see it for themselves.
- B, because the author paraphrases and quotes in the same sentence.
- B, because the author incorporates the quote into a larger argument.
A: B, because the author incorporates the quote into a larger argument.

Q: Your peer says “There’s no point in paraphrasing my sources.” What can you tell her to help her write a stronger essay?
- You should only quote sources that are more than fifty years old.
- Paraphrases are useful if you’ve forgotten what your source said originally.
- If you quote all the time, your paper will be choppy and hard to read.
A: If you quote all the time, your paper will be choppy and hard to read.

Q: You are peer-reviewing a paper that uses quotation marks around material that the writer has not quoted word for word. The author calls these passages “summaries.” What feedback should you give to help this author write a more effective essay?
- If you have the author’s material in their own words, direct quotations are far more effective than summaries.
- You can use quotation marks when you summarize a text, as long as you start your sentence with a phrase like “In this summary…”
- Summaries are actually overviews of an entire text. They don’t include word-for-word phrases.
A: Summaries are actually overviews of an entire text. They don’t include word-for-word phrases.

Q: Your instructor has given you data about marijuana use before and after legalization in Colorado. She wants you to use this information to draft a health care plan for a Colorado hospital. Which section that you have outlined best fits the assignment’s criteria?
- One that describes the history of marijuana growth and use from the early 1980s until now.
- One that compares the similarities of Colorado’s marijuana legislation to that of another state.
- One that defines an issue that you identified for the data, and explains what it means for hospital staff.
A: One that defines an issue that you identified for the data, and explains what it means for hospital staff.

Q: Which of the following is the most effective thesis statement?
- There are real advantages and disadvantages to being homeschooled.
- Many toy companies create advertisements to appeal to young children.
- The problem of homeless youth can best be solved by private charities.
A: The problem of homeless youth can best be solved by private charities.

Q: Which of the following is true about the different essay structures, such as analytical, argumentative, and cause and effect?
- These structure types vary in that some of them count as academic writing and some of them do not.
- The structure types vary in that for some of them, your claim or opinion drives the paper, and for others, you just have to list facts.
- These structure types all share similar qualities of academic writing, but they differ according to the purpose of the essay.
A: These structure types all share similar qualities of academic writing, but they differ according to the purpose of the essay.

Q: Your friend has written the statement “Concealed weapons permits are given to those who take a course on firearm safety and proper defense.” He wants to include it in one of his body paragraphs. What can you tell him to help him formulate an effective body paragraph?
- This should be your topic sentence, since it states your claim of gun control and concealed weapon permits.
- This should come in the middle of your paragraph, since it’s a piece of evidence working to prove your claim.
- This is a statement of fact, and as such, is not debatable. It doesn’t help to prove anything, so it shouldn’t be in a body paragraph.
A: This is a statement of fact, and as such, is not debatable. It doesn’t help to prove anything, so it shouldn’t be in a body paragraph.

Q: Does the following sentence belong in the body of a strong academic essay? Why or why not?

- “Furthermore, tenure does not always protect good teachers: a Teacher of the Year in Texas was laid off in 2009 due to budget cuts (Hampton 46).”
- No, this sentence provides a statement of fact that does not help to prove any claim.
- No, this sentence supports a claim that is not provable with academic research.
- Yes, this is a good piece of evidence with an effective introduction that shows what the evidence is helping to prove.
A: Yes, this is a good piece of evidence with an effective introduction that shows what the evidence is helping to prove.

Q: Your classmate Lily is struggling with writing her introduction. Which of the following should you advise her to include?
- The personal background of your paper’s main expert that you will quote later.
- A chart or graph that supports your main idea.
- An overview of the problem or issue her paper discusses.
A: An overview of the problem or issue her paper discusses.

Q: Your classmate Xuan isn’t sure how to write an effective conclusion. What should you tell her?
- The conclusion is where you put your main argument’s counter-points.
- This is where you should put summaries of surveys that support your argument.
- Here, include a re-statement of your essay’s main idea.
A: Here, include a re-statement of your essay’s main idea.

Q: You are encouraged to begin the drafting process of your essay by focusing on one of the middle sections because:
- You should not have developed an outline at this point, so thinking about structure comes later
- In this phase, you are actually more focused on spelling and grammar than on anything else
- The beginning and end of your paper are hard to write until you know what you’re actually saying
A: The beginning and end of your paper are hard to write until you know what you’re actually saying

Q: You have just begun the drafting process and you are struggling to come up with an effective introduction. What should you do to use your drafting time more effectively?
- Free-write to discover a list of topics you could write about.
- Take your essay to the writing lab to have a tutor help you with sentence structure.
- Start with one the sections in the body of your essay.
A: Start with one the sections in the body of your essay.

Q: You should embrace the concept of an ugly first draft because
- it helps you achieve realistic expectations about your final draft
- this strategy helps you focus your energies on your list of Works Cited.
- an ugly first draft takes the pressure off and makes writing less difficult.
A: an ugly first draft takes the pressure off and makes writing less difficult.

Q: You are interviewing a professional writer about the drafting process, and ask her how many drafts she writes for every book she publishes. What is she most likely to say?
- “I’m a one-and-done writer! There’s never a need for me to re-draft and revise.”
- “I always plan on exactly three drafts, and by then, everything is always ready to go.”
- “Because drafting and revising is an ongoing and important process, this is a hard question to answer, but I’m in that stage for a while.”
A: “Because drafting and revising is an ongoing and important process, this is a hard question to answer, but I’m in that stage for a while.”

Q: If you are somewhere in the drafting process and not sure what to do, which of these activities are most likely to help you?
- Evaluating your sentence length and grammar usage
- Creating a list of ideas that you can look up in the library
- Looking for evidence and evaluating your overall argument
A: Looking for evidence and evaluating your overall argument

Q: Macy, a student in your class, is reviewing your paper. She seems reluctant to say anything more than a couple of vague compliments. What should you say to her to make this experience valuable for both of you?
- “Thanks for the good feedback! I like your paper too because your topic is really interesting Good luck and see you later!”
- “Thanks. I will take this essay to the writing center for more specific feedback.”
- “Thanks, but I’m struggling specifically with my thesis statement and need your help. Is my claim too weak?”
A: “Thanks, but I’m struggling specifically with my thesis statement and need your help. Is my claim too weak?”

Q: During a peer review, your partner says, “Your thesis is way too controversial. I think you should re-consider your stance.” You don’t agree. What should you do?
- Ask the peer reviewer to stop and then ask if you could focus on her paper instead.
- Explain to the reviewer how and why she is wrong, and defend yourself and your essay.
- Write down her feedback and thank her, but when you revise, follow your own instincts.
A: Write down her feedback and thank her, but when you revise, follow your own instincts.

Q: You are creating a revision checklist for your essay. Which of these activities belong on this checklist?
- Make sure that your line spacing is set correctly and that it’s applied properly throughout the entire essay.
- Check carefully for each in-text citation, and remove each one for the final draft.
- Analyze your paper’s overall organization, and make sure that every body paragraph’s main point ties in to your thesis.
A: Analyze your paper’s overall organization, and make sure that every body paragraph’s main point ties in to your thesis.

Q: Your roommate tells you that he has not scheduled any time to revise his English essay. What could you say that would be the most helpful?
- “Revision is necessary, but don’t worry—it’s quick. Ten minutes or so should be all you need.”
- “If you’ve created many drafts, and each draft has gotten better, that’s the same as revising. You’re probably okay.”
- “Every professional writer revises. You may just need a plan of action to help you with this task.”
A: “Every professional writer revises. You may just need a plan of action to help you with this task.”

Q: You are peer-reviewing and notice that the paper you’re reading has problems on several levels. What strategy should you offer the writer to make his revision time the most effective?
- Start with the smallest “building blocks,” like words and sentences, and revise those first. Then move on to the larger issues.
- Read backwards: start with your conclusion, and fix problems there. Then, move to your second-to-last paragraph, and so forth.
- First, look at “larger” problems like the thesis and paper organization, and then move to “smaller” problems like sentence structure.
A: First, look at “larger” problems like the thesis and paper organization, and then move to “smaller” problems like sentence structure.

Q: Which of these three strategies is the most likely to help you proofread your essays most effectively?

1. Read your paper in two-sentence chunks and then pause between each.
2. If you stumble over a sentence, mark it for revision.
3. Circle places where you could add extra adjectives.
- A, because this is a normal reading speed for most readers, so you can spot errors this way.
- C, because adjectives help your readers better envision the points you’re making.
- B, because if you stumble over a sentence, so will your readers.
A: B, because if you stumble over a sentence, so will your readers.

Q: Which of the following strategies can best help you proofread for sentence clarity?
- Make sure that you use exclamation marks often for emphasis.
- Use “I” and “you” as referents, since these informal words help your readers understand that they are being addressed.
- Read through the essay looking only for pronouns and their antecedents to make sure they match.
A: Read through the essay looking only for pronouns and their antecedents to make sure they match.

Q: What does the term “fresh eyes” mean in the proofreading stage of the writing process?
- Approaching a topic from a completely different perspective at the last minute, to make sure that you’ve covered all content areas possible in the essay
- Completing a peer review to get input on your thesis and organizational approach
- Giving yourself a break of time between revision and proofreading to allow you to catch proofreading mistakes you might otherwise not have noticed
A: Giving yourself a break of time between revision and proofreading to allow you to catch proofreading mistakes you might otherwise not have noticed