CLEP COLLEGE COMPOSITION MODULAR EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

Idiom A figure of speech (sometimes called an idiom) is a rhetorical device. It's a phrase that is not intended to be taken literally. When a writer uses a figure of speech, their intention must be clear if it's to be used effectively. Some phrases can be interpreted in a number of ways, causing confusion for the reader. Look for clues to the writer's true intention to determine the best replacement. Likewise, some figures of speech may seem out of place in a more formal piece of writing. The word literally is a misused figure of speech. People use it when things didn't "literally" happen. If writer's want to use colorful use of language and idioms, they cannot use literally if they want it to be correct. Example of Idiom "Seat belts save more lives than any other automobile safety feature. Many... airbags. For instance... reliable. For example, studies show that in 15% of accidents, airbags don't deploy as designed, but on the other hand seat belt malfunctions happen once in a blue moon." Most people know that "once in a blue moon" refers to something that rarely happens. However, because the rest of the paragraph is straightforward and direct, using this figurative phrase distracts the reader. Active Voice Active Voice is a sentence structure in which the subject performs the action of the sentence. The verbs of these sentences are called active verbs. Example- "The deer jumped over the fence." In this example the deer is the one jumping. Normally the preferred sentence structure. Passive Voice Passive Voice is a sentence structure in which the the object performs the action of the sentence. The verbs in these sentences are called passive verbs. Example- "The fence was jumped by the deer." In this example, the fence is the subject, but it is not jumping over anything. The deer is still the one performing the action, but it is now the object of the sentence. Passive Voice is helpful when it's unclear who performed an action. Example- "The chair was moved." While passive voice can add variety to writing, active voice is generally the preferred sentence structure. Lack of Subject in Modifying Word Group: Dangling Modifier Modifier- a word or phrase meant to describe or clarify another word in the sentence. When a sentence has a modifier but is missing the word it describes or clarifies, it's an error called a dangling modifier. We can fix the sentence by revising to include the word that is being modified.