A Writer's Reference (Diane Hacker): Exercises for Advanced Composition

Exercises are to be completed in connection with A Writer's Reference, third edition, by Diane Hacker.

Advice: Read and study the Hacker text carefully before completing the exercises.
Note: Hacker exercises should be turned in on the due date at the beginning of class. They may be typed or NEATLY handwritten. Your name and the date should appear at the top.

Create "wrong" sentences and then provide corrections of these sentences.

For example:

Create a sentence with a comma splice. Then correct the sentence. (The sentence must be your own; it cannot be copied from the text or elsewhere. Use the Hacker numbering system with each example, as shown here.)

WRONG: G6. The baby cried, his wailing woke up the other children from their naps.

CORRECT: G6. The baby cried; his wailing woke up the other children from their naps.

Due: Friday 1/26
1. Read and study "G. Grammatical Sentences."
2. Create 12 "wrong" sentences showing examples of problems from section G, with no more than two examples from any sub-section (G1, G2, etc.). Then correct your "wrong" sentences.

Due: Friday 2/16
1. Read and study "P. Punctuation."
2. Create 14 "wrong" sentences showing examples of problems from section P, with no more than two examples from any sub-section (P1, P2, etc.). Then correct your "wrong" sentences.

Due: Friday 2/23
1. Read and study "R. Research Writing: Sub-sections 1d-1e; 2a- 2b; 3a-3c."
2. Create 3 examples of plagiarism and 2 examples of a dropped quotation. Then correct your "wrong" examples.

Due: Friday, 3/1
1. Read and study either "M. MLA Documentation" or "A Alternative Styles of Documentation" (depending upon which style you plan to use for your research paper).
2. Explain in a brief paragraph why you are using the style you have chosen.
3. Create six "wrong" examples of the documentation style you have chosen. Then correct your "wrong" examples.

Due: Friday, 3/15
1. Read and study "W. Word Choice."
2. Create 20 "wrong" sentences showing examples of problems from section W, with no more than 4 examples from any sub-section (W1, W2, etc.). Then correct your "wrong" sentences.

Due: Friday, 3/29
1. Read and study "E. Effective Sentences."
2. Create 14 "wrong" sentences showing examples of problems from section E, with no more than 2 examples from any sub-section (E1, E2, etc.). Then correct your "wrong" sentences.

Due: Friday, 4/12
1. Read and study "S. Spelling and Mechanics."
2. Create 12 "wrong" sentences showing examples of problems from section S, with no more than 2 examples from any sub-section (S1, S2, etc.). Then correct your "wrong" sentences.

Due: Friday, 4/26
1. Read and study "Basic Grammar."
2. List the eight parts of speech. Give two examples of each.
3. List the four types of sentence structures and give an example of each.