English 104/Winter 2014
Assignment Sheet #5: Final Test Review
I will not be collecting this homework. We’ll go over it in class, and you can keep it to study for the
final. If you have questions we didn’t answer in class, please ask me.
Due Monday, 3/17: Read Writers’ Choices, Ch. 18 (pp. 241-247). Do Sentence Combining #1-10 on
pp. 247-248. Do “On Your Own” #1-4 on p. 249 (for each item, write only one sentence for a total of
four sentences).
Due Tuesday, 3/18: Complete review questions #1-6 and #12-22.
Due Wednesday, 3/19: Complete review questions #7-11 and #23-31.
Due Thursday, 3/20: Complete the extra review questions at the end of this sheet.
Due Friday, 3/21: Complete question #1 at the very end of this sheet. Also, the Review Extra Credit
Assignments (optional, and given separately) will be due today.
Tuesday 3/24, 10:30-12:30: Final Exam. You may use two pages of notes (must be handwritten by
you!) and a dictionary (paper, not electronic). All phones will be collected at the beginning of the final
and returned to you at the end.
Review Questions
Diagram:
1. To impress his girlfriend’s parents, Larry decided that he should try to discuss all the topics that
they introduced in conversation.
2. After discussing politics, he felt very ignorant, but it was even more difficult for him to talk about
the science special they had seen on television the night before.
3. Trying to act smart, Larry felt so shy that he ran out of the room while Mr. Bluet was
philosophizing about the shape of the universe.
4. Mr. Bluet was saying that the shape of the universe can be more difficult to understand than one’s
own heart.
5. Dancing gives people a social experience and lets them exercise in a fun way.
6. If chosen by the committee, you will be notified by a registered letter which will tell you where to
pick up your prize.
7. Football being very popular, buses on game nights are crowded with fans trying to get to the
stadium without being stuck in traffic or paying for parking.
8. Upon hearing about the attack of the zombies, Burton decided that it would be wise to purchase
some candles and a portable radio.
9. To obtain approval of higher tax rates, the President argued that they will mainly affect people
earning annual incomes above one hundred thousand dollars.
10. During its first year, the zombie invasion was tolerable, but after that, it became clear that
zombies and living people had extremely different ideas about how to build a society.
11. People who love language often find sentence diagramming fun; others consider it torture.
12. Prepositional phrases/adverbs (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 2): Do you know when to use a prepositional
phrase to highlight something or to avoid an awkward series of adverbs? Combine: (a) People
listened to the news about a possible hurricane. (b) The listening was anxious. (c) The anxiety was
increasing.
13. Appositives (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 3): Are you able to put information in an appositive when that
is most efficient? Combine: (a) Prozac has side effects that many people are not warned about. (b)
Prozac is a widely prescribed anti-depressant.
14. Adjectives/appositive adjectives (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 3): Do you know when it might be
desirable to place adjectives in an appositive position and when to leave them in standard position?
Combine: (a) The wedding set a happy tone for the marriage. (b) The wedding was an outdoor
wedding. (c) It was a simple wedding. (d) It was a tasteful wedding. (e) It was a high-spirited
wedding.
15. S-LV-SC pattern (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 6): Do you know how to use this pattern to make a simple
statement that something equals something else? Revise: Mt. Rainier has a quality of majesty on a
cold, clear morning. Revise: Sam likes to tell lies.
16. S-TV-DO pattern (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 7): Do you know how to use a strong transitive verb to
avoid unnecessary prepositional phrases and expletives? Rewrite: There is a strong preference in me
for cookies in which there are nuts.
17. S-TV-IO-DO pattern (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 8): Do you know when it might be best to put
something in an indirect object and when it might be best to put it in a prepositional phrase?
Combine: (a) Alexis wrote a letter to the publisher. (b) She wrote a letter in which she complained
bitterly about how few books by women are published and reviewed compared to the large
percentage of published and reviewed books by men.
18. S-TV-DO-OC pattern. (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 9): Do you know how to choose a verb that can link a
direct object and an object complement? Do you know when it might be desirable to move the
object complement from its normal position and place it before the direct object? Combine: (a)
Some people have an opinion about shopping malls. (b) The opinion is that shopping malls are
depressing in their sameness. Combine: (a) The courts made a declaration about the agreement
among major cable TV companies to raise their rates for the second time in one year. (b) The
declaration was that this was illegal.
19. Passive voice (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 10): Can you use passive voice to improve coherence between
two sentences? Rewrite sentence b to create coherence with sentence a: (a) A Harvard Medical
School study demonstrated that eating a lot of tomato products reduces one’s chances of getting
prostate cancer. (b) Manufacturers of spaghetti sauce welcomed the study.
20. Adverb clauses (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 11): Do you know how to punctuate adverb clauses
depending on where they occur in a sentence -- beginning, middle, or end? Do you know how to
position an adverb clause in the middle of a sentence so as to place it as close as possible to a word or
idea it modifies? Do you know how to use elliptical clauses that don’t dangle (p. 128)? Combine: (a)
Edna is so afraid of flying that she needs special sessions with a therapist and a hypnotist. (b) She
needs these when she absolutely has to fly. Combine: (a) I saw an accident. (b) I was driving to work
at the time.
21. Relative clauses (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 12): Do you know how to put information into a relative
clause that could interrupt the flow of a paragraph if it were in a separate sentence? Do you know
how to determine if a relative clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive, and how to punctuate it?
Combine (place focus on starred sentence): *(a) Michael Jackson was very popular in the 1980s. (b)
Michael Jackson wrote many award-winning songs.
22. Noun clauses (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 13): Do you know when to use a noun clause in its normal
position (as subject, say, or direct object) and when to use it as a delayed subject or direct object?
Combine: (a) You refuse to apologize. (b) This is frustrating. Combine: (a) A little-noticed part of a
new law has permitted logging to resume in old-growth forests in Oregon. (b) This is a terrible
development.
23. Gerund phrases (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 14): Do you know how to use gerunds in making general
observations about actions or states of being? Combine: (a) Someone starts a war. (b) This is easier
than for someone to end it. Combine: (a) Priscilla talked to her roommate about her troubles. (b)
After this, she felt better.
24. Participle phrases (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 15): Do you know how to use participle phrases to add
details to a sentence? Do you know how to make sure a participle phrase doesn’t dangle? Combine:
(a) Brian, with his usual attention to detail, baked a cake. (b) He used high-quality chocolate. (c) He
added a drop of the best vanilla extract. Combine: (a) Joe was alarmed by the sound of footsteps
downstairs. (b) He immediately called 911.
25. Infinitive phrases (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 16): Do you know how to use infinitive phrases to tighten
the syntax and focus of a sentence? Do you know how to place adverb infinitive phrases for
maximum emphasis? Revise: “We hope that notifying you will be possible by next week.” Combine:
(a) He wrote her letters. (b) He sent her gifts. (c) He spent hours fixing her car. (d) His aim was that
he would win her heart.
26. Nominative absolutes (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 17): Do you know how to use nominative absolutes
to “zoom in” on a detail? Do you know how to use them to show a time or causal relation? Combine:
(a) The boxer climbed out of the ring. (b) His right eye was blue and swollen. (c) His lip was puffed
up. Combine: (a) Julie’s hands were shaking. (b) Julie spilled her coffee. Which of these nominative
absolutes shows detail and which shows cause?
27. Coordination, parallelism, and balance (Writers’ Choices, Ch. 18): Can you construct sentences in
which elements are coordinated and made parallel? Can you properly use coordinate correlative
conjunctions such as both. . . and and not only. . . but also? (a) Complete the following sentence with
a structure that parallels the ones already in the sentence: “Felix promised that he would stop
coming late to work, that he would start being more polite to his co-workers,
____________________________.” (b) Complete the following with a coordinate structure: “Felix
not only used to come to work late _____________________.”
28. Compound elements: Can you distinguish between sentences that contain compound elements
(compound subject, compound verb, etc.) and compound sentences? Do you know how to punctuate
each kind of sentence? In the following sentences, a short blank indicates a point of coordination;
decide whether a comma, a semicolon or period, or nothing is required at that point: (a) The
Republicans keep telling the President he should cut spending even more ___ but do not tell him
where he should cut it. (b) When I had a lot of money, I thought I had many friends ___ but when I
became poor, I discovered who my real friends were. (c) Some people think ancient bones near the
Columbia River should belong to the Indians who live in that region ___ others believe the bones may
pre-date the Indians and should be scientifically analyzed.
29. Please fill in the blanks below with sentence structures that are coordinated, parallel, or balanced
with other structures in the sentence:
(a) When studying, I like to be alone;________________________.
(b) Either you will start showing some respect ___________________________.
(c) Both teachers and _____________ are curious about the revised SAT test.
(d) Darwin’s theory of evolution earned him the respect of many scientists, the jealousy of his
competitors, _______________________________________.
(e) Love me or _______________.
30. If a sentence contains a dangling modifier, rewrite it correctly. It if is correct, write “C” in the
space.
(a) Impressed by the violinist’s ability, a special scholarship was awarded to her by the judges.
(b) Understanding that chocolate is essential to happiness, Zubin bought a year’s supply.
(c) Knowing that a birthday present from her far-away mother awaited her, the girl’s steps
quickened as she approached her dorm.
(d) Running across the “Finish” line yards ahead of the other runners, loud cheering greeted
Floris.
31. Some of the sentences below contain participle phrases; some contain relative clauses. Some of
the phrases or clauses are nonrestrictive and should be set off by commas and some are restrictive
and should not be set off by commas. Write “nonrestrictive” or “restrictive” next to each sentence;
add commas to the sentences with nonrestrictive clauses or phrases.
(a) Camels which have two humps are more comfortable to ride than camels with only one.
(b) The State of Washington which borders the Pacific usually gets mild weather.
(c) Some people feel that everybody who lives in the United States should have health
insurance.
(d) My oldest brother who is a doctor agrees with this point of view.
(e) A mother carrying a baby and two bags of groceries has a harder time on the bus than a
businessman carrying a smartphone.
(f) Global warming once considered a distant possibility has now become a real danger for
everyone who lives on earth.
Additional Review Material (for Thursday, March 20 )
Diagram:
1. It is very hard to imagine any concept of manliness that does not belittle women, and it begins
very early. (Paul Theroux, from “Being a Man”)
2. Most people think that the principal problem is that writers are too proud of what they have
written. (Donald M. Murray, from “The Maker’s Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscript”)
3. Behind the newspaper Julian was withdrawing into the inner compartment of his mind where he
spent most of his time. (Flannery O’Connor, from “Everything That Rises Must Converge”)
4. He was standing at the gate, his peaked cap pushed back on his head and his hair tumbled
forward over a face of bronze. (James Joyce, from “Eveline”)
Follow the instructions carefully for each item below:
5. Combine the following two sentences by reducing one to a relative clause. Keep the focus on the
sentence with an asterisk (*). Punctuate carefully. *(a) Students were given extra credit. (b) The
students painted the comma out of the sign in the wetland.
6. Compose a sentence containing a participle phrase. Use the past participle.
7. Compose a sentence in which two independent clauses with compound subjects or compound
direct objects are joined by a semi-colon.
8. Compose a sentence containing a series of adverb clauses. Use the same subordinating
conjuction for each adverb clause.
9. Compose a sentence with a noun clause as a delayed subject.
10. Compose a sentence with an elliptical adverb clause.
11. Compose a sentence with a nominative absolute phrase that shows detail.
12. Rewrite the sentence below, incorporating the following adjectives to modify “student”: young,
studious, motivated, chemistry. Place the adjectives in normal and/or appositive positions:
The student earned a 4.0 in the class.
13. If a sentence contains a dangling modifier, rewrite it correctly. If it is correct, write “C” in the
space.
(a) Having finished the difficult crossword puzzle, the morning coffee break was over.
(b) Surprised by the bitterness of the fruit, the grapefruit was left on the plate.
Question for Friday, March 21
Also: Review Extra Credit assignment/s due today
1. What are you going to put on your pages of notes for the final? Make a list of what you plan to
include in your notes.