ACT Lesson 28: Writer's Goal

ACT Lesson 28:

Writer's Goal

Multiple Choice

1.  Which of the following represents the main topic of the essay?

• A. The bureaucracy involved in raising funds for such   a massive project

• B. The imperialistic motivations behind a country’s expanding influence

• C.  The unsuccessful first attempt at building the   Panama Canal

• D. Ferdinand De Lesseps’s blemish on an otherwise   perfect career

Multiple Choice

2.  Suppose the writer had intended to write a brief essay   that describes the process of planning and constructing   the Panama Canal. Would this essay successfully fulfill   the writer’s goal?

• F.  Yes, because it offers details about the French   blueprints used for both the Suez and Panama Canals.

• G.  Yes, because it explains in detail each step in the   design and excavation of the Panama Canal.

• H.  No, because it focuses primarily on the problems faced during the first attempt to construct the Panama Canal.

• J.  No, because it is primarily a historical essay about the completion of the Panama Canal after de Lesseps’s project failed.

Multiple Choice

3.  Which of the following sentences is the least essential to   the essay?

• A.  The project had proven a huge financial strain, and   his men were either overworked or overwhelmed by   the elements of that region.

• B.  Many men contracted malaria or yellow fever, and   recurrent landslides from the bordering water-  saturated hills also plagued the excavation of the   canal.

• C.  Circumstances both foreseeable and otherwise threatened France’s vision for a forty-eight-mile canal   across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic   to the Pacific.

• D.  De Lesseps had tremendous success in his creation of   the Suez Canal through Egypt, as it had been a   crowning jewel of French imperialism.

Open Ended

Pick a story from a novel or a movie and summarize it using one sentence.

For example: "Boy goes to magic school to learn the ways to defeat the dark wizard."

Multiple Choice

1. Suppose the writer's goal had been to write an essay focusing on the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House as an influence on Davis's career. Would this essay accomplish that goal?

• A. Yes, because it describes how Davis drove the American boxing team into Olympic history.

• B. Yes, because it describes how Phyllis Wheatley's boxing program taught Davis how to win boxing matches.

• C. No, because it focuses on the highlights of Davis's entire career.

• D. No, because it focuses on the highlights of Davis's entire career.

Multiple Choice

2. Suppose the writer had intended to write a brief essay about W. Harry Davis's contribution to the sport of boxing. Would this essay fulfill that purpose?

• F. Yes, because the essay describes Davis's choice to come back to Phyllis Wheatley as a boxing coach.

• G. Yes, because the essay describes Davis's role in setting a significant boxing record with his Olympic team.

• H. No, because the essay focuses on Davis's civil leadership, not his boxing achievements

• J. No, because the essay focuses primarily on specific cases of polio and how to treat the disease.

Multiple Choice

3. Suppose the writer had decided to write an essay discussing how the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House's etiquette training influenced Davis's decision to run for mayor. Would this essay successfully fulfill the writer's goal?

• A. Yes, because the essay discusses the well-rounded education Davis received at the Settlement House.

• B. Yes, because the essay details the steps Davis took to excel and become the best student in his class.

• C. No, because the essay only briefly mentions Davis's decision to run for mayor as another of his achievements.

• D. No, because the essay limits itself to describing certain career milestones Davis made in boxing.

Multiple Choice

4. Suppose the writer had intended to write an essay describing one child's experiences playing junior tennis. Would this essay accomplish the writer's goal?

• F. Yes, because the narrator's daughter Bailey is now playing junior tennis, and the essay goes on to describe Bailey's experiences at one summer practice.

• G. Yes, because it discusses the narrator's daughter Bailey's tennis abilities, such as the fact that she can sometimes follow through on a serve.

• H. No, because while it mentions that the narrator's daughter Bailey plays tennis, it also makes the point that she is more interested in listening for the ice cream truck.

• J. No, because although the narrator alludes to the tennis experiences of his daughter Bailey, it is primarily about the general features of tennis at a junior level.

Multiple Choice

5. Suppose the writer's goal had been to write a brief essay documenting the formidable qualities of tennis equipment. Would this essay successfully fulfill that goal?

• A. Yes, because it highlights the practical use of a machine with an adjustable speed for serving.

• B. Yes, because it tells readers how parents will spend any amount of money on tennis rackets to keep their kids interested in the game.

• C. No, because it fails to mention any detailed descriptions of equipment and focuses more on the rules of the game.

• D. No, because it does not include information about tennis nets or appropriate footwear worn during the game.

Multiple Choice

6. Suppose the writer had chosen to write a brief essay about how humorous he believes children can be when participating in sports for the first time. Would this essay successfully fulfill the writer's goal?

• F. Yes, because the essay compares the narrator's experience of his daughter Bailey playing tennis to the experiences of other parents.

• G. Yes, because the essay includes examples of children behaving in ways the narrator finds funny.

• H. No, because the essay focuses primarily on junior league tennis rules, which coaches must impart to their younger players.

• J. No, because the essay primarily describes the kinds of dangers present in the game of tennis and, therefore, is not humorous at all.