EnglishYear 10

Year 10 Writing – Agreement and Reference 1

Practise revising a persuasive draft for parallel structure, dangling and misplaced modifiers, and agreement hidden in long sentences. 12 questions. 25 minutes.

Draft A: Should the school day start later for teenagers?

(1) Every morning, thousands of teenagers drag themselves out of bed before sunrise, and I believe the school day should start later. (2) A survey of 200 students at our school found that most of them feel too tired to concentrate during first period. (3) Starting at nine-thirty would give students more sleep, better focus and to begin the day calmly.

(4) Many adults assume that teenagers stay up late out of laziness, but the body clock actually shifts during adolescence. (5) Walking into first period, the yawns of half the class were impossible to ignore. (6) The student council's record of the complaints that families across our school have made since the trial are growing every term. (7) Teachers also report that students who arrive rested answer more questions and make fewer careless mistakes. (8) The trial timetable that the staff, after weeks of debate, approved were a compromise worth twenty extra minutes of sleep.

(9) Critics argue that a later finish would damage sport and part-time jobs, and some of their worries are fair. (10) Our coach almost trains every team for two hours after school, and the chess club alone misses out. (11) The cost of a later finish is smaller than tired students sitting through every lesson.

(12) This has convinced me that the change is worthwhile. (13) Students who start later will not only sleep for longer but also to concentrate more easily. (14) Their grades, attendance and mood could all improve as a result. (15) The stack of petitions that students handed to the office last week was read at the staff meeting. (16) Teachers who disagree with the change deserves a fair hearing, and I hope they receive one. (17) Having waited patiently for months, the decision now rests with the staff. (18) A later start is a small change, but it could make a large difference to every student at our school.

Choose the verb form that correctly completes the sentence.

The student council's record of the complaints that families across our school have made since the trial ₁ growing every term.

Blank 1: is · are · were

Which revision of Sentence 3 makes the three benefits read most consistently?

Starting at nine-thirty would give students more sleep, better focus and a calmer start to the day.Starting at nine-thirty would give students sleeping longer, better focus and a calmer start to the day.Starting at nine-thirty would guarantee students more sleep, better focus and a calmer start to the day.No change

Which version of Sentence 5 reads most logically?

Walking into first period, the yawns of half the class were impossible for me to ignore.Walking into first period, I found the yawns of the whole class impossible to ignore.No changeWalking into first period, I found the yawns of half the class impossible to ignore.

Which version of Sentence 10 best matches the meaning the writer intends?

Our coach trains every team for almost two hours after school, and the chess club alone misses out.Our coach trains every team for two hours after school almost, and the chess club alone misses out.Our coach trains almost every team for two hours after school, and the chess club alone misses out.No change

Which version of Sentence 9 is the strongest?

Critics argue that a later finish would damage sport and having part-time jobs, and some of their worries are fair.No changeCritics argue that a later finish would damage sport and part-time jobs, and some of their worries is fair.Critics argue that a later finish would damage sport and part-time jobs, and some of them are fair.

Which version of Sentence 11 compares its two items most logically?

The cost of a later finish is smaller than tired students, who sit through every lesson.The cost of a later finish are smaller than the cost of tired students sitting through every lesson.No changeThe cost of a later finish is smaller than the cost of tired students sitting through every lesson.

Which version of Sentence 8 best keeps the sentence grammatical?

The trial timetable that the staff, after weeks of debate, approved was a compromise worth twenty extra minutes of sleep.The trial timetable that the staff, after weeks of debate, had approved were a compromise worth twenty extra minutes of sleep.The trial timetable that the staff, after weeks of debate, approved was a compromise worth twenty extra hours of sleep.No change

Which version of Sentence 12 most clearly links to Paragraph 3?

That one point has convinced me that the change is worthwhile.All of this has convinced me that the change is worthwhile.The cost comparison has convinced me that the change is worthwhile.The coach's schedule has convinced me that the change is worthwhile.

Circle 1 word in the sentence below.

Click the one word that needs to be removed for these sentences to be correct.

Studentswhostartlaterwillnotonlysleepforlongerbutalsotoconcentratemoreeasily.Theirgrades,attendanceandmoodcouldallimproveasaresult.

10.

Circle 1 word in the sentence below.

Click the one word that needs to change for these sentences to be correct.

Thestackofpetitionsthatstudentshandedtotheofficelastweekwasreadatthestaffmeeting.Teacherswhodisagreewiththechangedeservesafairhearing,andIhopetheyreceiveone.

11.

Circle 1 word in the sentence below.

Click the one word that must be replaced for these sentences to be correct.

Havingwaitedpatientlyformonths,thedecisionnowrestswiththestaff.Alaterstartisasmallchange,butitcouldmakealargedifferencetoeverystudentatourschool.

12.

Which version of Sentence 7 works best in the draft?

Teachers also report that students who arrive rested answer more questions and making fewer careless mistakes.No changeTeachers also report that students who arrive rested answers more questions and make fewer careless mistakes.Teachers also report that students who arrive rested answer more questions and that they make fewer careless mistakes.

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Year 10 Writing – Agreement and Reference 1

Draft A: Should the school day start later for teenagers?