Investigating the Sneeze

In sentence 4, Quincy has attempted to provide a controlling idea for his paper. Which of the following could replace sentence 4 and more effectively state Quincy’s controlling idea?

• Everyone has experienced the experience of sneezing, and there is so much that we can study and learn about this normal and common human activity.

• Although sneezing is an everyday human occurrence, it’s also a remarkable function of the human body, and studies have revealed some rather interesting facts about it.

• In this paper, I would like to talk about sneezing, what it is, why it happens, how common it is, and what some of the strangest facts about it can be.

• The strange, itchy sensation is over as the sneeze is released from your body, but the cause and purpose of the activity is an amazing kind of thing

Answer explanation

A controlling idea is a statement that summarizes the main point or claim of a piece of writing. The ideas presented in this sentence highlight the information discussed throughout the paper, which results in an effective controlling idea.

Quincy would like to add the following detail to the second paragraph

(sentences 5–13)

The sneeze center then takes charge and sends the message to the many muscles that work together to produce a sneeze.

Where should this sentence be inserted?

• After sentence 6

• After sentence 7

• After sentence 9

• After sentence 12

Answer explanation

Details about the sneeze center are included in this sentence, clarifying the function of the “sneeze center,” which is introduced in sentence 6.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.3

CCSS.RI.8.5

Quincy is not pleased with his introduction to the third paragraph (sentences 14–20). Which of the following can replace sentence 14 and serve as a more effective topic sentence for this paragraph?

• There are some accurate and false things that have been said about the sneeze being a normal human function.

• Sneezing is known to help protect health, but people don’t sneeze when their body is actually sound asleep.

• Although it’s true that a sneeze is hard to stop once it is on its way, not everything related to the sneeze is true.

• People have some interesting notions about the sneeze, and although some of these ideas are facts, others are myths.

Answer explanation

A topic sentence is a sentence that captures the meaning of an entire paragraph. Including information about how there are “facts” and “myths” about the sneeze adds specificity and clearly introduces the topic of the paragraph.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Quincy would like to provide some additional support for the idea he has presented in sentence 19. Which of these ideas could best follow and support sentence 19?

• Doctors say this misconception may come from a slight change in blood pressure and blood flow during a sneeze, which may briefly change heart rhythm.

• This common myth, that a person’s heart stops during a sneeze, is just a myth, which means that there is no truth to the idea at all.

• A myth is defined as a “widely held but false belief or idea,” and the concept of the heart not beating during a sneeze is just that, a myth.

• Some people say that if you breathe through your mouth and pinch your nose when you feel a sneeze coming on, you can stop it.

Answer explanation

The idea in this sentence is used to effectively support the information in sentence 19 because reasons for the myth are explained

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 23?

• For example, the iguana sneezes more often and more efficiently than any other animal is what a WebMD article states.

• For example, a WebMD article states that the iguana sneezes more often and more efficiently than any other animal.

• For example, a WebMD article states this, the iguana sneezes more often and more efficiently than any other animal.

• No revision is needed in this sentence.

Answer explanation

The idea in this sentence is used to effectively support the information in sentence 19 because reasons for the myth are explained

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

What is the most effective way to revise sentence 26?

• Donna Griffiths, who earned the Guinness World Record, had the longest sneezing fit in history when she was from Worcestershire, England.

• Donna Griffiths earned the Guinness World Record from Worcestershire, England, for the longest sneezing fit in history.

• Donna Griffiths was from Worcestershire, England, she earned the Guinness World Record for the longest sneezing fit in history.

• Donna Griffiths, from Worcestershire, England, earned the Guinness World Record for the longest sneezing fit in history.

Answer explanation

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies or describes. Moving “Worcestershire, England” directly after Griffiths’s name corrects the misplaced-modifier error in the sentence.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

Quincy has not used the most effective word in sentence 30. To improve this sentence, he should change feeling to —

• tug

• impression

• urge

• encounter

Answer explanation

Replacing “feeling” with “urge” in the sentence eliminates repetition and clarifies that the feeling of a sneeze is strong

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5