12th grade writing & editing

Question 1

Which choice is best for the part in brackets? Choose NO CHANGE if the original is best. The ancient road [was built] by the Romans.

• A. built
• B. had been build
• C. was builded
• D. NO CHANGE

Question 2

A travel article aims to evoke the atmosphere of a night market: "There were a lot of people and some food." Which revision best achieves the writer's goal?

• A. The market had people in it, plus food.
• B. Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals.
• C. There were many people and also some food items.
• D. People were there. Food was there too.

Question 3

Claim: "Homework should be optional in secondary school." Which sentence best concedes a point and then rebuts it?

• A. Admittedly, homework can build independent study habits; however, the same habits can be built through optional projects that students actually choose.
• B. Some people think homework is good, and they are right.
• C. Homework is boring and nobody likes it.
• D. Homework should be optional because I said so.

Question 4

Which statement is this: arguable, specific thesis?

• A. Water boils at 100 °C at sea level.
• B. The voting age should be lowered to sixteen because sixteen-year-olds already work, pay tax and can make informed choices.
• C. Social media has changed the way teenagers communicate.

Question 5

Is the proposed answer correct? Claim: "Students should be allowed to use AI tools for homework." Which sentence best concedes a point and then rebuts it? → AI tools are computer programs.

• A. yes, it is correct
• B. no, it is not correct

Question 6

Is this the right way to classify the student's version? Original (Lee, 2019): "Teenagers who sleep less than seven hours are more likely to report low mood." Student: Young people who get under seven hours of sleep tend to feel down more often. → plagiarism

• A. yes, it is correct
• B. no, it is not correct

Question 7

What kind of statement is this, as the thesis of an essay? Water boils at 100 °C at sea level.

• A. arguable, specific thesis
• B. just a fact
• C. too broad or vague
• D. an announcement of the topic

Question 8

"This proves that social media causes loneliness." (The evidence is a single correlational survey.) Which revision uses appropriate hedging?

• A. This totally proves social media causes loneliness.
• B. Social media definitely makes everyone lonely.
• C. These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness.
• D. Nobody could ever disagree that social media causes loneliness.

Question 9

Purpose: a short article for a science magazine for 11-year-olds explaining black holes. Which opening suits the audience and purpose best?

• A. Imagine something so heavy that not even light can escape its pull — that's a black hole!
• B. Black holes, lol.
• C. To whom it may concern: black holes.
• D. Black holes are regions of spacetime exhibiting gravitational effects so strong that no particles or electromagnetic radiation can escape.

Question 10

How should the student's version be classified? Original (Okafor, 2021): "Urban trees reduce summer temperatures by shading streets and releasing water vapour." Student: According to Okafor (2021), city trees cool streets in summer through shade and the moisture they give off.

• A. acceptable paraphrase (with citation)
• B. correctly cited quotation
• C. patchwriting (too close to the original)
• D. plagiarism

Question 11

Is the proposed edit for the part in brackets the best choice? The two companies agreed to [cooperate together] on the project. → cooperate jointly together

• A. yes, it is correct
• B. no, it is not correct

Question 12

Is the proposed answer correct? Purpose: an email to a company complaining that a product broke after one week. Which sentence suits the audience and purpose best? → I am writing to report that the headphones I bought on 3 May stopped working after one week, and I would like a replacement or refund.

• A. yes, it is correct
• B. no, it is not correct

Question 13

Which choice is best for the part in brackets? Choose NO CHANGE if the original is best. The team of researchers [have published] its findings.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. have publish
• C. publishing
• D. has published

Question 14

An academic essay reads: "The study's methodology was, like, super solid, so its conclusions are pretty legit." Which revision best matches the essay's formal tone?

• A. The study's methodology was totally awesome, so its conclusions rock.
• B. The methodology? Solid. The conclusions? Legit.
• C. The study's methodology was rigorous, so its conclusions are credible.
• D. The study's methodology was solid-ish, so its conclusions are kind of fine.

Question 15

Claim: "Museums should be free for everyone." Which sentence best concedes a point and then rebuts it?

• A. Museums are full of old things.
• B. While free entry costs money, money is not important at all.
• C. Free entry is good because free things are good.
• D. While free entry costs money to fund, it pays back by attracting visitors who spend in cafés, shops and the wider city.

Question 16

Which statement is this: too broad or vague?

• A. This essay is about the novel 'Frankenstein'.
• B. In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents ambition not as a personal flaw alone but as a force encouraged by the people around Macbeth, especially his wife.
• C. Technology is good and bad.