EOC Terms

EOC TERMS

Style is the particular way in which a writer uses language. Style reflects an author’s personality. Factors that contribute to an author’s style include level of formality, use of figurative language, diction or word choice, sentence patterns, and methods of organization.

Tone is the author’s attitude toward both the subject and readers or listeners. In conversations, you can hear a speaker’s tone in the way words and phrases are spoken. When reading, you can “hear” tone in an author’s choice of words and details. The tone of a literary work can often be described with a single word such as: pompous, playful, serious, personal, sarcastic, or friendly .

Perspective is the viewpoint or opinion an author expresses about the subject, either directly or indirectly. Bias occurs when a writer makes a one-sided presentation (for example, by ignoring relevant facts or by using emotional language that unfairly sways readers’ or listeners’ feelings).

Purpose is the author’s reason for writing. Common purposes are to inform, to persuade, to honor, to entertain, to explain, and to warn.

ricks for Passing the Editing and Composition section of the English I EOC

Introduction

The first section that you will encounter on the English I EOC is the editing and composition section. This part of the exam tests your reading and grammar skills. The problem with this section of the test is English teachers. English teachers are not the best test writers. In grammar and reading, there is often more than one right answer. Sometimes the answer choices given are very different from your own opinions. So even if you are great at grammar, this test can still be difficult. The good news is there are some short cuts you can use to outsmart the test makers and improve your score.

Hint One: Be Familiar with the Test

If you are familiar with the types of questions on the test, you won't waste time trying to figure out what the question is asking you to do. Instead you can go straight for the right answer. Try taking some practice tests before the real EOC. This way you can learn how the test is set-up. Over spring break take home one the EOC practice test books. You can get one from your English teacher. There is nothing worse than the feeling of looking at a test and having no idea what the test is asking of you. Don't be that person. Take some practice tests.

Hint Two: Avoiding Mass Confusion

The bozo test makers thought it would be a good idea to number all the sentences on the essays. This can cause big time confusion because it is easy to mix up the number of the sentence with the number of the question. Try highlighting the sentence that the question asks about. That way you won't waste time looking for the sentence over and over again. Remember you can mark all over the test booklet to help you find the answers.

Hint Three: An Essay You Don't Have to Read

Because this section is a grammar test and not a reading comprehension test, there is no reason to read the whole essay. You must simply read the sentences and paragraphs that the questions refer to. Some students, however, find it easier to read the whole essay first to scan for mistakes. If you like to read the essay before the questions, use a highlighter to mark any mistakes you find as you read. Try some practice tests to decide which style you like best.

Hint Four: Why Can't They Just Say What They Mean?

One of the problems students experience on the EOC is that they don't understand the question. Even great English students, sometimes have problems figuring out what a question means. Here are some key words that will help you figure out how to answer the questions correctly. Be sure to circle these words when you see them in a question. No matter what you are told, you can write on your test.

Key Words

• Fragment

Question: Which sentence is a fragment?

A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It is a missing a subject, verb, or complete thought. Often fragments start with words like when or if. The test wants you to find a incomplete sentence. All of the other answer choices will be complete sentences. You can spot the answer by crossing out all of the complete sentences first.

• Written Correctly

How could this sentence be written correctly?

This question wants you to find a complete sentence. All of the other choices will be sentence fragments. Simply eliminate all of the sentence fragments first, and you will be left with the correct answer. Sentence fragments and "written correctly' questions are usually right next to each other on the test and ask about the same sentences. Sometimes if you look closely the test will even give away an answer in the question.

• Run-on

Which sentence is a run-on?

This question wants you to find two sentences smashed together as one. Often a comma joins these sentences together. Remember a comma is not strong enough to join to complete sentences together. In this question all of the other answer choices will be complete sentences. To find the right answer look for a sentence that has two subjects and two verbs and is missing a coordinating conjunction.

• Combine

How could sentences one and two best be combined to enhance conciseness and variety?

These questions are hard. They want you to choose a compound sentence that does not change the meaning of the original sentences. Some of the answer choices will be run-on sentences or fragments and are easy to eliminate. Other answer choices will complete sentences, but they change the meaning of the sentences and must eliminate. You have to choose a correct sentence that keeps the meaning of the sentence the same. YUCK!

• Enhance and Conciseness

How could sentences one and two best be combined to enhance conciseness and variety?

Enhance is a fancy way of saying to make better. Conciseness means to make shorter and easier to read. You will see these to words in sentence combining questions.

• Sentence Varity

How could sentences one and two best be combined to enhance conciseness and variety?

Variety means to come up with different types of sentences. Often the correct answer might start with a subordinating conjunction (when, although, even though) or a prepositional phrase (to, at, during).

• Improve Organization

Which of the following improves the organization of the third paragraph?

In this question the test wants you to rearrange sentences so that the paragraph will be easier to read. Be sure to read the whole paragraph through a couple of times before you may your decision. You might also want to highlight the sentences that are possible answer choices. Often the right answer will include moving a sentence to the end of the paragraph because it sums up the main ideas in the paragraph and makes a good conclusion.

• Main idea

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this essay?

The main idea of a paragraph or chapter is what the whole selection is about. It is the most important idea in the paragraph, chapter, or essay. In this question you have to choose the sentence that describes the whole essay not just a part of it. The rest of the answer choices will be supporting details that only tell about part of the essay.

Using the right word click here to download notes for the grammar part of the test.