American Diploma

English/ EST I

Writing Book

Prepared by: Mrs. Somaya Ahmed Atta

 EST I
TEST STRUCTURE

Literacy Test Literacy Test Literacy Test Literacy Test

1 2 3 4

Grammar Reading Math Essay

(optional)

44 Questions 52 Questions 45 MCQs and 13 One prompt

short
constructive
response
questions

35 Minutes 65 Minutes 90 Minutes 50 Minutes

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 Unit 1
Sentence Structure

A. Modifiers

Incomplete sentence, complete sentence

Discussing other alternatives, the manager gave direct instructions.

➢ After being beaten and deflated, the baker shaped and seasoned the dough.
The sentence is ridiculous because of the comma phrase at the start--it seems like the baker is being beaten before
he goes off to work on the dough. After being beaten and deflated is called a modifier because it modifies or
describes someone or something in the same sentence. Here, the modifier is misplaced. Instead, it should go right
next to the thing it's supposed to modify:
➢ After being beaten and deflated, the dough was shaped and seasoned by the baker.
A modifier is like a describing phrase. How do you know if a phrase is a modifier? Usually, it comes at the
beginning of the sentence and is separated by a comma (but not always). If all you read was After being beaten
deflated, your natural thought would be, “Who or What is being beaten?" Having that thought is how you know
you're dealing with a modifier. Without the rest of the sentence, it leaves you wondering what's being talked
about. When correcting sentences that have this error, you want to make sure there is a sensible noun that is
right next to the modifier.
➢ Example 1
Wrong: I bought a house from the local bakery made of gingerbread.
Correct: I bought a house made of gingerbread from the local bakery
Modifiers don't necessarily have to be at the start of the sentence. Here, made of gingerbread should be placed
next to the house it's describing. Otherwise, it seems like the local bakery is the thing that's made of
gingerbread.

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 Incomplete sentences
Gerund -Hoping for a fair trial next month, the students will exert their utmost efforts.

-Trying to finish the assignments before the deadline, some students plagiarized
the answers.

Preposition -During the past seven years, my team experienced its best winning streak.

-My friends ate all day long and looked like couch potatoes, on the comfy sofa in
our cozy house.

Conjunction -The scientists didn’t convince the government of the plan, although they presented
a systematic analysis of the issue.

-Although he supports Manchester United in the group stage of the Champions

League, John didn’t lose hope of beating the opposing team.

Infinitives -To win the approval of his parents, Kareem revised all of his accumulated lessons.

-To read about literature and poetry in the early ages, one has to get familiar with
the different ages: Medieval and Early ones.

Adjectives -Trapped inside a secluded building, the culprit attempted to evade the chase.

-Concerned about the weather, the family used umbrellas and hats.

Adverbs -Slowly walking down the aisle, the bride looked absolutely eye-catching.

-Gracefully towards the track, the athlete bragged about her late win.

Article -I resumed watching Wuthering Heights, a movie that depicts an unforgettable love
story between the gypsy Heathcliff and the snobbish Catherine.

Modifier Error

Dangling Misplaced
Modifier Modifier

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 I. Dangling Modifier
Correct structure and incorrect meaning

Examples Meaning
Swimming toward the shore, a little girl was building a sand castle. ❌
Without even consulting notes, the podium that Dr. King stood on began to speak ❌
passionately about challenges common to Jamaica and the United States.
The magician's wand across the stage was too intriguing, dazzling the crowd with ❌
card tricks.

Tip: The following three steps will help you quickly spot a dangling modifier:
1. Look for an -ing modifier at the beginning of your sentence or another modifying phrase:

➢ Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie. (Painting is the -ing modifier.)
2. Underline the first noun that follows it:

➢ Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie.
3. Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. If they do not, it is very likely you have a
dangling modifier.

After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence.

➢ Painting for three hours at night, Maggie finally finished the kitchen.
Your turn

Examples Meaning
Flashing lightning and thunder, the little child struggled through the storm.
Hungry after two hours of hiking, my packed sandwich was quickly devoured upon
reaching the peak.
If you want to understand the rules of rugby, you should watch several matches.
Lying still in bed, the loud storm outside scared her.
Hoping that her performance in the rehearsals had been good enough to earn her a
spot in the school’s play, Sandra waited in the hallway.

II. Misplaced Modifier

Incorrect order within 1 sentence
Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide descriptions in sentences. Typically, a modifier is placed
near the word or phrase that it modifies. A misplaced modifier creates confusion because it appears to modify
some word or phrase other than the word or phrase it was intended to modify. The following are examples of
misplaced modifiers along with suggested corrections:

Incorrect: She wore a bicycle helmet on her head that was too large.
Correct: She wore a bicycle helmet that was too large on her head.
Incorrect: They bought a kitten for my brother they call Shadow.
Correct: They bought a kitten they call Shadow for my brother.

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Incorrect: The patient was referred to the physician with stomach pains.
Correct: The patient with stomach pains was referred to the physician.

Meaning Examples
The Great Wall of China was constructed by thousands of workers and originally
consisted of separate military fortifications.

❌ Explanation: The sentence makes it sound as if the workers originally consisted of

separated military fortifications.
The Great Wall of China, originally consisting of separated military
fortifications, was constructed by thousands of workers.

✔ Explanation: This version makes it clear that the Wall originally consisted of
separated military fortifications.

Practice 1
1. Once school starts again, my classmates and their parents, are just about the only people I see in town.

A. NO CHANGE
B. classmates and their parents
C. classmates, and their parents
D. classmates’ and their parents’
2. Joe is seven, living in those two or three years when children can manage to throw a baseball a few feet but
when they're really interested in are things closer at hand, bugs, butterflies, dirt (if they're in the infield), grass
(if they're in the outfield).

A. NO CHANGE
B. hand, bugs, butterflies, dirt,
C. hand: bugs, butterflies, dirt
D. hand: bugs, butterflies, dirt,
3. Each species being a different size, shape, color, and heat.

A. NO CHANGE
B. having
C. has
D. OMIT the underlined portion.
4. When out to a leaky, flat-bottomed boat made festive with flowers and pink balloons.

A. NO CHANGE
B. boat for it has been made
C. boat, which it was made
D. boat. Making it
5. During that time, as I talked to the workers—with my friend's help—in Hindi.

A. NO CHANGE
B. time, when
C. time,
D. time that
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6. Temperancc advocates believed that meat, like alcohol, was overstimulating and that its consumption could
led to degradation.

A. NO CHANGE
B. its consumption could lead
C. it’s consumption could lead
D. it’s consumption could led
7. Nevertheless, you may prefer to think of them as emotional teary-eyed, over creating new life.

A. NO CHANGE
B. them as emotional, teary-eyed over
C. them, as emotional, teary-eyed over
D. them as, emotional teary-eyed over,
8. These tests convinced the officials of the value, of using the Navajo language in a code.

A. NO CHANGE
B. officials, of the value
C. officials of the value
D. officials, of the value,
9. Smith realized the extent of her gift when her friend Alex Haley who had gathered essential material for his
best-selling novel Roots from a griot in Gambia, began to refer to her as "my American griot." This was a
revelation to Smith.

A. NO CHANGE
B. friend, Alex Haley
C. friend Alex Haley;
D. friend Alex Haley,
10. Her persistence paid off in her twenties, when Cisneros was admitted prestigious to the Writers' Workshop at
the University of Iowa.

The best placement for the underlined portion would be:

A. where it is now.
B. before the word admitted.
C. before the word Writers’.
D. before the word Workshop.
11. Ratings for parents a rough guide to the nature of a recording's contents.

A. NO CHANGE
B. providing parents with
C. give parents
D. to give parents
12. Now having lived in central Michigan where winter days are still considerably shorter than summer days,
but the rate of change is much slower and the difference is less extreme.

A. NO CHANGE
B. while I live
C. living
D. I live
13. On each wing, all flighted birds, having ten primary flight feathers, each one shaped slightly differently.
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A. NO CHANGE
B. birds, by having
C. birds, which have
D. birds have

14. Sincerely, gracious, always in full command of her art, she seemed completely absorbed in every song she
sang.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Sincere, gracious,
C. Sincere graciously,
D. Sincere, gracious

15. In the months I spent in that central Asian capital, I was intrigued by the culture, having allowed local
traditions and modern importations to flourish side by side.

A. NO CHANGE
B. allowing
C. which has allowed
D. that it has allowed
16. I can recall students from Costa Rica, Italy, Norway, and Nigeria. Last year, one of our school's exchange
students being Ligia Antolinez, whom came from Bucaramanga, Colombia.

A. NO CHANGE
B. students was
C. students , named
D. students
17. You sit in the bright Silverlight on a ber moonlach where its 10,000 miles from home.

A. NO CHANGE
B. and its
C. it’s
D. OMIT the underlined portion.
18. She sought start-up funding for the Cherokee Gardens, a commercial gardening operation. Her success with
economic development led to her election, in 1983, as deputy chief.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Leading to her election in 1983 as deputy chief, her success was with economic development.
C. Her election in 1983 as deputy chief was resulting from her economic success.
D. In 1983, electing her as deputy chief, her success with economic development was recognized.
19. All along, she was telling stories—everything from social satire to her retelling of "Cinderella" as Cindy
Ellie, a poor African American girl whose rags are transformed into magnificent African-style gowns.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Ellie. A
C. Ellie; a
D. Ellie, she was a
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20. One popular practice among students in many colleges has been for participation in a marathon oral reading
of an important literary work.

A. NO CHANGE
B. by participating
C. as participants
D. to participate
Practice 2

1. My friend, a young man who had lived in Bombay his entire life except a few years spent studying in
the United States, if he were to walk with me to the post office.

A. NO CHANGE
B. walked
C. if he would walk
D. is walking

2. Taeko Komiyama, however, can reach the summit it in only forty minutes.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Komiyama; however
C. Komiyama however,
D. Komiyama, however;
3. Fleer Corporation, now only one of countless bubble gum manufacturers, makes four million pieces of
bubble gum a day selling them in fifty countries.

A. NO CHANGE
B. as they are sold
C. and sells them
D. that is sold
4. Health spas, especially cereal king, John Harvey Kellogg, strictly vegetarian Battle Creek Sanitarium in
Michigan, rose in popularity, catering to the nation's rich and famous.

A. NO CHANGE
B. king, John Harvey Kellogg’s,
C. king John Harvey Kellogg’s
D. king John Harvey Kellogg

5. Shortly after our daughter was born, my wife returned to her job, and leaving each moring for her office.

A. NO CHANGE
B. job, leaving
C. job;leaving
D. job.leaving
6. However, I was certain that my grandparents had once again taught me something important, and with that,
some of my misgivings about, the visit, began to disappear.

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A. NO CHANGE
B. misgivings about the visit,
C. misgivings about the visit
D. misgivings, about the visit
7. For the patient, persistent, and lucky performer, though, the financial rewards more than compensate for the
many disappointments.

A. NO CHANGE
B. performer though
C. performer; though
D. performer, though;
8. The children regularly engaged in activities stimulating their curiosity and creativity, which were designed by
Wyeth.

A. NO CHANGE
B. that would stimulate their curiosity as designed by Wyeth.
C. designed by Wyeth, they were to stimulate their curiosity.
D. that were designed by Wyeth to stimulate their curiosity.
9. The average performer is cast in only a tiny proportion of the commercials auditioning for.

A. NO CHANGE
B. to audition
C. auditioned
D. auditions

10. Hikers, typically, find, that the climb takes at least three hours.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Hikers typically find
C. Hikers typically, find
D. Hikers, typically find
11. In 1945, in Oklahoma, Mankiller (the name stems from a Cherokee military title) was born.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Being in Oklahoma in 1945, Mankiller, the name stems from a Cherokee military title, was born.
C. Mankiller (the name stems from a Cherokee military title) was born in 1945 in Oklahoma.
D. Mankiller’s name stems from a Cherokee military title, and in 1945 in Oklahoma, she was born.
12. Joy Kogawa was born in 1935 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Like Uchida, Kogawa, and her family were
removed from their home and relocated by the government, first to the interior of British Columbia, then to a
farm in Alberta.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Kogawa, and her family,
C. Kogawa and her family,
D. Kogawa and her family

13. All of them trace their accomplishments to their remarkable childhood under the watchful eye of their
father's dedication and determination.
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A. NO CHANGE
B. dedication and determination of their father.
C. their dedicated and determined father.
D. the dedicated determination of their father.
14. The Anaheim pepper often graces doorways tied into ropes called ristras.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Tied into ropes called ristras, the doorways are often graced with the Anaheim pepper.
C. The Anaheim pepper tied into ropes, often graces doorways, called ristras.
D. Tied into ropes called ristras, the Anaheim pepper often graces doorways.
15. Following the war, however, interest in vegetarianism resumed. This time in connection with a rising public
concern over the adulteration of processed foods with unpalatable and sometimes toxic substances.

A. NO CHANGE
B. resumed, this
C. resumes. This
D. resumes, this
16. Its removal, my father said, was like the erasure of a memory—the discarding of a traditional landmark.

A. NO CHANGE
B. There
C. It’s
D. Its,

17. According to Wilma P. Mankiller, whose job was like running a large company.

A. NO CHANGE
B. her job was
C. who’s job was
D. the job being

18. After aeons of erosion, accelerated by the Ice Age and the landscape began to assume its modern
appearance.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Age;
C. Age,
D. Age, and
19. One possible solution to the censorship dilemma is, to rate albums as we do movies.
A. NO CHANGE
B. dilemma, is to rate albums
C. dilemma is to rate albums
D. dilemma is, to rate albums,
20. When storyteller Mary Carter Smith practices her art and everybody listens.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Smith, practices her art
C. Smith, practices her art,
D. Smith practices her art,

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