Pretest How polished are your proofreading skills?

.Before dismissing proofreading skills as unimportant, compare  the following:

A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman!  without her, man is nothing!

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is all about.  You are generous, kind, thoughtful.  People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.  You have ruined me for other men.  I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart.  I can be forever happy --will you let me be yours?
Gloria

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is .  All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless  and inferior. You have ruined me.  For other men, I yearn.  For you, I have no feelings whatsoever,  When we're apart, I can be forever happy.  Will you let me be?  yours,  
Gloria

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The following sentences are taken from Hacker's exercise book.   The page number is indicated after each sentence.

• The chances of your being promoted (is/are) excellent  (24)
• Jack's first days in the infantry (was/were) grueling (25)
• When I get the urge to exercise I (lay/lie) down until is passes) (26)
• The Pell grant sometimes (cover/covers the student's full tuition. (27)
• After the path (was/had been) plowed, we were able to walk through the park. (28)
• Rich applied for the job even though he heard that other candidates were more experienced than (he/him) .  (32)
• What is the name of the person (who/whom) you are sponsoring for membership in the club? (34)
• Did you do (good/well) on last week's chemistry exam? (35)
• Love is blind (  ; /  :    ) envy has its eyes wide open  (56)
• Bill Cosby once said, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone (."  /  ".)     (59).
• (Eight / 8) students in the class had been labeled "brilliant." (66)
• If I (had / have) time, I would study both French and Russian next semester . (43)

Are commas needed in the following sentences?

• Because it rained all Labor Day our picnic was rather soggy. (49)
• We gathered our essentials, took off for the great outdoors, and ignored the fact that it was Friday the 18th. (50)
• My youngest sister who plays left wing on the team now lives at The sands a beach house near Los Angeles. (51)
• Although we invited him to the party Gerald decided to spend another late night in the computer room. (52)
• "Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus" wrote the editor (53)

How would you reword the following  five sentences to make them clearer?

1. It is more difficult to sustain an exercise program than starting one.   (1)
2. The monarch arrived in a gold carriage at the gate pulled by four white horses. (3)
3. At the age of ten, my parents took me on my first balloon ride. (4)
4. A single parent often has only their ingenuity to rely on (7)
5. In this box contains the key to your future (8)

Can you define the following terms?

• Symbolism
• Allegory
• Denotation
• Connotation
• Hyperbole
• Personification
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Thesis
• Theme
• Denouement
• Onomatopoeia
• SQ3R

   

Sm