Essay Writing Practice

Instructions: Read the passage in the essay writing practice correction exercise below. Choose the best version of the underlined parts of the sentences from the choices provided. You will see your score when you have finished the quiz.

1. [1] The study of the philosophy of human nature is often regarded as an investigation for the meaning of life. [2] This subject deals with four key problem areas:  human choice, human thought, human personality, and the unity of the human being. [3] A consideration of these four problem areas can include scientific also and artistic viewpoints on the nature of human lives.

 
 
 
 

2. [1] The study of the philosophy of human nature is often regarded as an investigation for the meaning of life. [2] This subject deals with four key problem areas:  human choice, human thought, human personality, and the unity of the human being. [3] A consideration of these four problem areas can include scientific also and artistic viewpoints on the nature of human lives.

 
 
 
 

3. [1] The study of the philosophy of human nature is often regarded as an investigation for the meaning of life. [2] This subject deals with four key problem areas:  human choice, human thought, human personality, and the unity of the human being. [3] A consideration of these four problem areas can include scientific also and artistic viewpoints on the nature of human lives.

 
 
 
 

4. [4] The first problem area human choice, asks us to confront many questions. [5] Among these is the important inquiry as to whether human beings can really make decisions that can change their futures. [6] However, it investigates to what extent the individual’s future is fixed and pre-determined by cosmic forces outside the control of human beings.

 
 
 
 

5. [4] The first problem area human choice, asks us to confront many questions. [5] Among these is the important inquiry as to whether human beings can really make decisions that can change their futures. [6] However, it investigates to what extent the individual’s future is fixed and pre-determined by cosmic forces outside the control of human beings.

 
 
 
 

6. [4] The first problem area human choice, asks us to confront many questions. [5] Among these is the important inquiry as to whether human beings can really make decisions that can change their futures. [6] However, it investigates to what extent the individual’s future is fixed and pre-determined by cosmic forces outside the control of human beings.

 
 
 
 

7. [7] In the second problem area, human thought, epistemology is considering. [8] Epistemology means the study of knowledge, it should not be confused with ontology, the study of being or existence

 
 
 
 

8. [7] In the second problem area, human thought, epistemology is considering. [8] Epistemology means the study of knowledge, it should not be confused with ontology, the study of being or existence

 
 
 
 

9. [9] The third key issue, human personality, emphasized aspects of human life that are beyond mental processes. [10] They take a look at emotional, spiritual, and communal elements. [11] Yet, the study of the communal aspect focuses on community and communication, instead of the philosophy of the state.

 
 
 
 

10. [9] The third key issue, human personality, emphasized aspects of human life that are beyond mental processes. [10] They take a look at emotional, spiritual, and communal elements. [11] Yet, the study of the communal aspect focuses on community and communication, instead of the philosophy of the state.

 
 
 
 

11. [9] The third key issue, human personality, emphasized aspects of human life that are beyond mental processes. [10] They take a look at emotional, spiritual, and communal elements. [11] Yet, the study of the communal aspect focuses on community and communication, instead of the philosophy of the state.

 
 
 
 

12. [12] Finally, the fourth problem, the unity of the human being, explores the first three areas more full. [13] It asks if that there is any unifying basis for human choice, thought, and personality. [14] In other words, while the human is an inherently complex being, there must be a unity or wholeness which underlies these complications.

 
 
 
 

13. [12] Finally, the fourth problem, the unity of the human being, explores the first three areas more full. [13] It asks if that there is any unifying basis for human choice, thought, and personality. [14] In other words, while the human is an inherently complex being, there must be a unity or wholeness which underlies these complications.

 
 
 
 

14. [12] Finally, the fourth problem, the unity of the human being, explores the first three areas more full. [13] It asks if that there is any unifying basis for human choice, thought, and personality. [14] In other words, while the human is an inherently complex being, there must be a unity or wholeness which underlies these complications.

 
 
 
 

15.

[1] The study of the philosophy of human nature is often regarded as an investigation for the meaning of life. [2] This subject deals with four key problem areas:  human choice, human thought, human personality, and the unity of the human being. [3] A consideration of these four problem areas can include scientific also and artistic viewpoints on the nature of human lives.

[4] The first problem area human choice, asks us to confront many questions. [5] Among these is the important inquiry as to whether human beings can really make decisions that can change their futures. [6] However, it investigates to what extent the individual’s future is fixed and pre-determined by cosmic forces outside the control of human beings.

[7] In the second problem area, human thought, epistemology is considering. [8] Epistemology means the study of knowledge, it should not be confused with ontology, the study of being or existence

[9] The third key issue, human personality, emphasized aspects of human life that are beyond mental processes. [10] They take a look at emotional, spiritual, and communal elements. [11] Yet, the study of the communal aspect focuses on community and communication, instead of the philosophy of the state.

[12] Finally, the fourth problem, the unity of the human being, explores the first three areas more full. [13] It asks if that there is any unifying basis for human choice, thought, and personality. [14] In other words, while the human is an inherently complex being, there must be a unity or wholeness which underlies these complications.

The student wants to add a sentence to the second paragraph emphasizing the reasons for the importance of human choice. Which of the following sentences accomplishes this?

 
 
 
 


More Essay Writing Practice

Instructions: Look at each of the numbered clauses and phrases sentences in the essay writing practice exercise below. If the part of the sentence has an error, identify and correct it. Then check your answers in the next section.

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[1] Antarctica is a mysteriously and remote continent [2] one which is often forgotten by virtue of its geographical location. [3] Yet, the Antarctic could even be considered desolate and isolated. [4] Nevertheless, an understanding of the organisms that inhabit this continent was critical [5] to our comprehension of the world as a global community. [6] For this reason, the southernmost continent has the source of a great deal of scientific investigation.

[7] Many notable recent research has come from America and Great Britain. [8] The British Antarctic Survey, sponsored with the Natural Environment Research Council of the United Kingdom, [9] and the United States Antarctic Resource Center, a collaborate of the United States Geological Survey Mapping Division and the National Science Foundation, [10] are forerunners in the burgeoning currently field of research in this area.

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[11] This corpus of research has resulted in an abundance of factual data on the Antarctic. [12] For example, one now know that more than ninety nine percent of the land is completely covered by snow and ice, [13] which making Antarctica the coldest continent on the planet. [14] This inhospitable climate, has not surprisingly, brought about the adaptation [15] of a plethora of plants and biological organisms on the continent present.

[16] An investigation for the sedimentary geological formations provides testimony to the process of adaptation. [17] Ancient sediment’s recovered from the bottom of Antarctic lakes, [18] bacteria as well as discovered in ice, [19] has reveal the history of climate change over the past 10,000 years. [20] Hopefully, this important research will continue into the future.

Essay Practice – Answers

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  1. Change the adverb “mysteriously” to the adjective “mysterious”.

2. Remove the word “one” or put a comma after the word “continent”.

3. Remove the word “yet” at the head of the sentence and replace it with an emphatic phrase linker, like “Indeed” or “In fact”.

4. The sentence should be in the present tense since we are talking about the current relevance of the research. Therefore, “was” should be changed to “is”.

5. This phrase does not have an error.

6. Put the word “been” after the word “has”.

7. The word “many” should be changed to “much” since research is a non-countable noun.

8. Change the word “with” to the word ‘by”.

9. We are speaking about organizations (which are nouns), so the word “collaborate” should be changed to “collaboration” to use the noun form.

10. Move the word “currently” and put it after the word “are”.

11. There is no mistake in this sentence.

12. Subject-verb agreement is a problem in this part of the sentence. Change the word “one” to “we”. Alternatively, change “know” to “knows”.

13. Remember to use the present simple tense, so change “making” to “make”.

14. Remove the comma after “climate” and place it after “has” instead.

15. Place the word “present” before the word “on”.

16. There is a problem with the proposition “for”, which should be changed to “into”.

17. This is a question about unnecessary punctuation. Remove the apostrophe in the word “sentiment’s”.

18. Move the words “as well as” in front of the word “bacteria” in order to set up the comparison correctly.

19. Change the word “reveal” to “revealed” in order to correctly form the present perfect tense.

20. This sentence is correct as is is written.

Essay Writing – Practice Your Structure

You may be asked to write an essay as part of your standardized test. The essay may be human-read by an examiner, but many essays nowadays are written on a computer and graded by software.

The six following characteristics of your essay will be assessed:

Focus and purpose
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This means that your essay should answer the question that has been posed. You will need to express your main idea in a clear way in the introduction of the essay.

The examiner or software assesses this aspect of your essay by searching for a thesis statement in the first paragraph of your essay, which should clearly indicate what you are going to speak about in the remainder of the essay.

Organization
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Your essay should be divided into paragraphs, which have been set out in an organized manner. Each body paragraph should contain a point that supports your main idea. You should also include a conclusion that sums up the essay.

The examiner or software will look for logical paragraph divisions, as well as for linking words and phrases which indicate that a new paragraph is beginning.

Development and support
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It is extremely important to elaborate on the main idea of your essay and maintain your point of view throughout your writing. Your essay should include examples and explanations that illustrate and support your viewpoint. Remember that if your essay topic presents a contentious issue, you need to take a stance on only one side, rather than stating both the pro’s and con’s.

Be sure to use linking words and phrases that signal that examples or reasons are being provided in the essay. These linking words and phrases include the following: such as, for example, for this reason, because of.

Sentence construction
sentence construction

You should write long and developed sentences that demonstrate a mastery of the English language.

Use advanced writing strategies like subordination and coordination to improve your writing style.

Avoid repeatedly beginning your sentences in the same way, such as “I think that.”

Remember to use a variety of sentence patterns, using other linking words and phrases like the following: therefore, in addition, furthermore, moreover, in conclusion.

Mechanics
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Mechanics refers to the “rules” of English, particularly those of spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

Your essay should be grammatically accurate and punctuated correctly.

Your spelling should also be correct.

Exercises to Improve your English

Try our free grammar exercises

Look at our essay writing topics

See “General Writing” at Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)