Greetings from the Author iii

PART I
The Basics: Getting Acquainted with the Writing Test 1
Overview of the Writing Test / 3
The Essay / 6
Multiple-Choice Questions / 8

PART II
Dress Rehearsal: A Sample Test 15
Sample Test / 19
Answer Key / 37
Performance Evaluation Chart / 45
Conversion Table / 46
Answer Explanations / 47

PART III
How to Write an Essay in 1,500 Seconds 57
Steps for Writing the Perfect Essay / 59
Prewriting: Getting Set to Write / 60
Reading and Analyzing the Topic Carefully / 60
Narrowing the Topic / 63
Choosing a Main Idea / 65
Gathering and Arranging Ideas Purposefully / 68
Composing: Putting Words on Paper / 71
Writing a Gripping Introduction / 71
Building an Essay with Paragraphs / 75
Paragraph Development / 82
Transitions / 87
Using Plain and Precise Language / 89
Fresh Language and Surprises / 94
Varying Sentence Structure / 97
Sentence Types / 100
Repetition of Ideas / 100
Short and Long Sentences / 101
Ending Your Essay / 105
Editing and Proofreading: The Final Touches / 108
Editing for Clarity / 108
Editing for Interest / 115
Checking for Standard Usage and Mechanics / 126
Review / 134
Answer Key to Practice Exercises / 134

PART IV
You Be the Ump: Essays for Evaluation 147
How Essays Are Judged and Graded / 149
Guidelines for Evaluation / 149
Essays for Evaluation / 151
Essay Topics for Practice / 164

PART V
The Heart of the Test: Multiple-Choice Questions 167
Introduction / 169
Improving Sentences Questions / 169
Sample Sentence Improvement Questions / 170
Problems in Style and Expression / 173
Problems in Sentence Structure / 178
Problems in Standard Usage / 196
Review / 217
Identifying Sentence Errors / 218
Errors in Expression and Style / 219
Errors in Grammar and Usage / 235
Improving Paragraphs Questions / 246
Answering the Questions / 248
How to Answer Improving Paragraphs Questions / 250
Review / 263
Answer Key to Practice Exercises / 264

PART VI
Tests for Practice, Practice, Practice 271
Practice Test A / 273
Answer Key / 291
Performance Evaluation Chart / 295
Conversion Table / 296
Answer Explanations / 297
Practice Test B / 305
Answer Key / 322
Performance Evaluation Chart / 326
Conversion Table / 327
Answer Explanations / 328
Practice Test C / 335
Answer Key / 352
Performance Evaluation Chart / 356
Conversion Table / 357
Answer Explanations / 358
Practice Test D / 367
Answer Key / 385
Performance Evaluation Chart / 389
Conversion Table / 390
Answer Explanations / 391

Index 400