TSI flash cards for WRITING questions
with correct answers
What is a comma splice? - answersThe correct answer is:
the joining together of two independent clauses using only a comma between them
Explanation:
A comma is not strong enough to link two independent clauses together by itself; to link
two independent clauses you must use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or use a semicolon.
Jake wanted pizza, Michael wanted spaghetti. (comma splice)
Jake wanted pizza, but Michael wanted spaghetti. (comma splice fixed by adding the
coordinating conjunction but along with the comma)
Jake wanted pizza; Michael wanted spaghetti. (comma splice fixed by replacing comma
with semicolon)
The use of language to persuade or convince an audience is called ____. - answersThe
correct answer is:
rhetoric
Explanation:
Rhetoric is the language we use to try to convince someone of something. Rhetoric
generally appears as Ethos, Pathos, and Logos which mean language that appeals to
someone's sense of morals and trust in a speaker, language that appeals to someone's
emotions and makes them feel something, and language that appeals to someone's
sense of logic and reason.
A dependent clause is ____. - answersThe correct answer is:
, a group of words working together and containing a subject and a verb but which does
not express a complete thought and therefore cannot stand alone as its own sentence
Explanation:
Dependent clauses must be attached to an independent clause to form a sentence. An
example of a dependent clause would be, "when mom arrives." There is a subject
(mom) and a verb (arrives), but we are left wondering what will happen when mom
arrives. Connect it to an independent clause and then it will work as a complete
sentence: "When mom arrives, we can eat dinner."
What does the second sentence do?
"The child in the red shirt ate the last piece of chocolate cake."
"He has chocolate crumbs all over his face." - answersThe correct answer is:
The second sentence provides evidence to support the statement made in the first
sentence.
Explanation:
Evidence is important in writing. It is not enough to just make a claim and then walk
away from it; a good writer will support and explain his or her position using clear and
convincing evidence.
What is the relationship between the underlined words in this sentence?
"Mike went to the store, but when he got there he discovered that he had left his wallet
at home." - answersThe correct answer is:
antecedent and pronoun
Explanation:
Pronouns are the words that replace nouns in a sentence to help keep things from
sounding repetitive. Antecedents are the nouns the pronouns replace.
In this example, Mike is the antecedent and he is the pronoun (as is his).
Is this group of words an example of a phrase or a clause?
"the lost puppy" - answersThe correct answer is:
a phrase
Explanation:
with correct answers
What is a comma splice? - answersThe correct answer is:
the joining together of two independent clauses using only a comma between them
Explanation:
A comma is not strong enough to link two independent clauses together by itself; to link
two independent clauses you must use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or use a semicolon.
Jake wanted pizza, Michael wanted spaghetti. (comma splice)
Jake wanted pizza, but Michael wanted spaghetti. (comma splice fixed by adding the
coordinating conjunction but along with the comma)
Jake wanted pizza; Michael wanted spaghetti. (comma splice fixed by replacing comma
with semicolon)
The use of language to persuade or convince an audience is called ____. - answersThe
correct answer is:
rhetoric
Explanation:
Rhetoric is the language we use to try to convince someone of something. Rhetoric
generally appears as Ethos, Pathos, and Logos which mean language that appeals to
someone's sense of morals and trust in a speaker, language that appeals to someone's
emotions and makes them feel something, and language that appeals to someone's
sense of logic and reason.
A dependent clause is ____. - answersThe correct answer is:
, a group of words working together and containing a subject and a verb but which does
not express a complete thought and therefore cannot stand alone as its own sentence
Explanation:
Dependent clauses must be attached to an independent clause to form a sentence. An
example of a dependent clause would be, "when mom arrives." There is a subject
(mom) and a verb (arrives), but we are left wondering what will happen when mom
arrives. Connect it to an independent clause and then it will work as a complete
sentence: "When mom arrives, we can eat dinner."
What does the second sentence do?
"The child in the red shirt ate the last piece of chocolate cake."
"He has chocolate crumbs all over his face." - answersThe correct answer is:
The second sentence provides evidence to support the statement made in the first
sentence.
Explanation:
Evidence is important in writing. It is not enough to just make a claim and then walk
away from it; a good writer will support and explain his or her position using clear and
convincing evidence.
What is the relationship between the underlined words in this sentence?
"Mike went to the store, but when he got there he discovered that he had left his wallet
at home." - answersThe correct answer is:
antecedent and pronoun
Explanation:
Pronouns are the words that replace nouns in a sentence to help keep things from
sounding repetitive. Antecedents are the nouns the pronouns replace.
In this example, Mike is the antecedent and he is the pronoun (as is his).
Is this group of words an example of a phrase or a clause?
"the lost puppy" - answersThe correct answer is:
a phrase
Explanation:
