11.8 – Writing Basics: Exercises

On your own sheet of paper, identify each sentence as a fragment, a run-on, or correct (no error).

1. My favorite book is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, he was born in 1894 and died in 1963                  .
2. Written in 1931                  .
3. A futuristic society where humans are born out of test tubes and kept in rigid social classes                  .
4. This may not seem like a humorous premise for a novel, but Huxley uses satire, which is a type of humor that is used to make a serious point                  .
5. The humans in Brave New World learn through sleep teaching, Huxley calls this “hypnopedia”                  .
6. Everyone is kept “happy” in the brave new world by taking a pill called soma, there is one character named John the Savage who does not take soma                  .
7. because he comes from a different part of the world where there is no technology, and he believes in natural ways of living                  .
8. It turns out that John has a big problem with the brave new world and how people live there                  .
9. Will he be able to survive living there, well you will have to read the novel to find out                  .
10. Brave New World is considered a classic in English literature, it is one of the best novels I have ever read                  .

Check Your Answers: ^[1]

Each sentence contains an error in subject-verb agreement, irregular verb form, or consistent verb tense. Identify the type of error.

1. Maria and Ty meets me at the community center for cooking classes on Tuesdays.
2. John’s ability to laugh at almost anything amaze me.
3. Samantha and I were walking near the lake when the large, colorful bird appears.
4. I builded my own telescope using materials I bought at the hardware store.
5. My mother freezed the remaining tomatoes from her garden so that she could use them during the winter.
6. Bernard asked the stranger sitting next to him for the time, and she says it was past midnight.
7. My mother and brother wears glasses, but my father and sister do not.
8. We held our noses as the skunk runs away.
9. Neither Soren nor Andrew are excited about the early morning swim meet.
10. My hands hurted at the thought of transcribing all those notes.
11. The police questioned the suspect for hours but she gives them no useful information.
12. Terry takes short weekend trips because her job as a therapist was very emotionally draining.
13. She criticize delicately, making sure not to hurt anyone’s feelings.
14. Davis winded the old clock and set it atop his nightstand.
15. Cherie losed four poker hands in a row before realizing that she was playing against professionals.
16. Janis and Joan describes their trip to the Amazon in vivid detail.
17. You should decides for yourself whether or not to reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet.
18. The oil rig exploded and spills millions of gallons of oil into the ocean.
19. The handsome vampire appeared out of nowhere and smiles at the smitten woman.
20. The batter swinged at the ball several times but never hit it.

Check Your Answers: ^[2]

Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct comparative or superlative adjective or adverb.

1. Denise has a (cheerful)                   outlook on life than her husband.
2. I don’t mean to brag, but I think I am the (good)                   cook in my family.
3. Lydia is the (thoughtful)                   person I know.
4. Italy experienced the (bad)                   heat wave in its history last year.
5. My teacher, Ms. Beckett, is the (strange)                   person I know, and I like that.
6. Dorian’s drawing skills are (good)                   this semester than last.
7. My handwriting is the (sloppy)                   of all my classmates.
8. Melvin’s soccer team played (badly)                   than it did last season.
9. Josie’s pen writes (smooth)                   than mine.
10. I felt (lucky)                   than my sister because I got in to the college of my choice.

Check Your Answers: ^[3]