7.W.5:Develop and Strengthen Writing

A student is writing an essay on Honduras. Read the excerpt and answer the questions.

The rugged topography and semi-isolation have provided Honduras some advantages as well as disadvantages. Unlike the neighboring republics of El Salvador and Guatemala, Honduras did not produce a totally dominant landholding oligarchy. It also escaped the turmoil over transisthmian transit routes that plagued Nicaragua and Panama. Finally, Honduras, alone among Central America's republics, is not dominated by a single city. The isolation of the capital led to the rise of San Pedro Sula, in the twentieth century, as the nation's commercial and industrial center.

1. How could the student revise her writing to make it more clear for her audience?

  1. Should could explain the meaning of the word "transisthmian."
  2. She could tell more about the topography of El Salvador and Guatemala.
  3. She could tell more details about the people that live in the capital.
  4. She could give information about the economy of Honduras.

2. How should the student edit the last sentence for grammar?

  1. The isolation of the capital led to the rise of San Pedro Sula in the twentieth century as the nation's commercial and industrial center.
  2. The isolation of the capital led to the rise of San Pedro Sula in the twentieth century, as the nation's commercial and industrial center.
  3. The isolation of the capital led to the rise of San Pedro Sula, in the twentieth century, as the nation's commercial, and industrial center.
  4. The isolation of the capital led to the rise of San Pedro Sula, in the twentieth century as the nation's commercial and industrial center.

3. How should the student rewrite the paragraph if she wants topresent it to younger students?

  1. She should give more information about San Pedro Sula.
  2. She should tell about a character in Honduras.
  3. She should explain the meaning of neighbor.
  4. She should explain the meaning of oligarchy.

A student is writing aparagraphabout lakes. Read the paragraph and answer the questions.

Lakes are highly valued for their recreational, aesthetic, scenic, and water-supply qualities, and the water they contain is one of the most treasured of our natural resources. Lakes constitute important habitats and food resources for a diverse array of fish, aquatic life, and wildlife. But lake ecosystems are fragile. Lake ecosystems can undergo rapid environmental changes, often leading to significant declines in their aesthetic, recreational, and aquatic ecosystem functions. Exposed to external effects from the atmosphere, their watersheds, and groundwater, lakes are subject to change through time. Human activities can further accelerate the rates of change. If the causes of the changes are known however human intervention lake-management practices sometimes can control or even reverse detrimental changes.

4. How should the student add punctuation to the last sentence?

  1. If the causes of the changes are known, however, human intervention (lake-management practices) sometimes can control, or even reverse, detrimental changes.
  2. If the causes of the changes are known however human intervention (lake-management practices) sometimes can control or even reverse detrimental changes.
  3. If the causes, of the changes are known, however human intervention lake-management practices sometimes can control or even reverse detrimental changes.
  4. If the causes of the changes are known, however human intervention lake-management practices sometimes can control, or even reverse, detrimental changes.

5. How should the student rewrite the paragraph if he is going to present it to a group of younger students?

  1. He should combine some sentences using semicolons.
  2. He should delete some of the commas in each sentence.
  3. He should replace the word rapid with the word expeditious.
  4. He should replace the word aesthetic with beautiful.