República Bolivariana de Venezuela

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL EXPERIMENTAL SIMON RODRIGUEZ

NUCLEO PALO VERDE
CURSO: COMPOSITION & STYLE

EXERCISES
CHAPTER 1 & 3

Student: Professor:
Ilse Alvarez Myrla Lozano
C.I.: 11.557.846
 Exercises Chapter 1

1. Indicate which of the four forms of discourse each of the

following would presumably represent.

a. A set of operating instructions accompanying a new television

set. (Exposition)

b. A tract distributed by an evangelistic religious organization.

(Argument)

c. An article in a series entitled “My Most Unforgettable

Character.” (Description)

d. A best-selling novel. (Narrative)

e. A speech printed in the Congressional Record, constituting

part of the discussion or a tariff bill. (Argument)

f. An account of a summer resort area, published by an

association of real estate owners in the area. (On the surface,
description)

g. A short story. (Narrative)

h. An informal piece entitled “My Garden.” (Description)

i. A theme entitled “Class Attendance Should Be Voluntary

Rather Than Compulsory.” (Argument)

j. A chapter entitled “England in 1685” in a history book.

(Exposition)

2. Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false.

a. A writer should ordinarily try to impress his audience by using
language somewhat over their heads. (False)

b. If a theme assignment does not include a context, the student need

not envision a context for himself, but may effectively write in
general terms that would be appropriate to any context. (False)

c. Under certain special circumstances it may occasionally be

appropriate for a writer to employ the vulgar level of usage. (True)

d. The formal level includes established contractions. (False)

e. Most words are appropriate on any level of usage. (True)

f. Level of usage is a matter of diction exclusively. (False)

g. On the informal level it might be appropriate to use a word which

was originally slang but which has risen to colloquial status. (True)

h. The level of usage of any word is definitely fixed. (False)

i. In determining the most appropriate level of usage for a particular

piece of writing, the author should consider the audience he is
addressing. (True)

j.The ability to write well insures good grades in all school work.
(False)
3. Indicate the highest level of usage on which each of the following
expressions would be appropriate.

a. Should you care to neglect this opportunity? Certainly not!

(Formal)

b. Do you want to pass up this chance? Not on your life! (Informal)

c. Who did you say you gave it to? (Informal)

d. We’re afraid that they won’t arrive before Sunday. (Informal)

e. All men are created equal. (Formal)

f. Then we were really in a fix! (Informal)

g. I wasn’t help to what was going on, but John gave me the inside
dope. (Vulgar)

h. The team doesn’t seem to have the old snap any more. (Informal)

i. The manager hopes that he can up production next month.

(Informal)

j. “What, all my pretty chickens and their dam At one fell swoop?”
Shakespeare
(Formal)
 Exercises Chapter 3

1. Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false.

a. The most important kind of coherence is based on organic

relationships among the parts. (True)

b. The central effect of a composition addressed chiefly to the

reader’s emotions must be a single feeling, pure and unmixed.
(False)

c. The most emphatic position in the whole composition is at the

beginning. (False)

d. Good style is inconspicuous. (True)

e. A good choice of subject for an inexperienced writer would be the

feelings of a condemned man on the eve of his execution. (False)

f. After receiving a theme assignment, the writer should sometimes

allow himself a day or two to think about his subject, rather than
beginning immediately to write his first draft. (True)

g. The writer of an argumentative theme addressed chiefly to the

intellect should decide upon a central emotional effect rather than a
central idea. (False)

h. As he whites his first draft, the writer should take time to check
all mechanical details about which he is uncertain. (False)

i. Ordinarily a topic outline should be subdivided to the paragraph

level. (True)

j. Level of usage is one of the means by which tone is developed.

(True)
2. Fill in the blanks in the following statements:

a. The principal criteria for choosing among optional topics for a

short theme are the writer’s knowledge of and his interest in the
different topics given.

b. The two principal aspects of organization are proportion and

sequence.

c. The two chief types of outlines are the sentence outline and the
topic outline.

d. The criterion of functional material is that it be closely related to

the central idea or the central emotional effect of the composition.

e. In a theme discussing one’s country, one’s alma mater, and one’s

God as proper objects of devotion, the best sequence in which to
arrange these would presumably be: (1) alma mater, (2) country,
(3) God.

3. Indicate whether each of the following would be appropriate as a

statement of the central idea or emotional effect of a composition.
For any that would not be, indicate why not.

a. I shall discuss campus publications. (Not appropriate)

b. The team should have a good average this year. (Appropriate)
c. Evening is a time of quietness and tranquillity. (Appropriate)
d. My theme will be about hunting, fishing, and trapping. (Not
appropriate)
e. My father has a good sense of humor. (Appropriate)
4. Indicate whether each of the following brief topic outlines is
logical. Diagnose any failure in logic by citing the pertinent rule.

a. (Principal means of news dissemination) (NOT LOGICAL)

I. The Printed Word
A. Newspapers and Magazines
II. The Spoken Word
A. Radio
b. (Types of competitive sports) (LOGICAL)
I. Primarily Team Sports
A. Football
B. Baseball
C. Basketball
II. Primarily Individual Sports
A. Tennis
B. Swimming
C. Track