Thea writting review 2 pot

Verb Tenses
Unless there is a very good reason for doing otherwise,
the same tense should be used throughout your essay.
You may use perfect tenses when appropriate, but try
to avoid using future, past, and present in one para-
graph. See whether you can find the tense mistakes in
the following paragraph.
Uniforms cost no extra money for teachers and
administrators, yet the benefits are great. Because
there is less competition in school, teachers and
administrators report that there are fewer fights,
less bullying, and fewer complaints from the stu-
dents. Instead, principals and teachers were able to
use uniforms to build school pride and loyalty.
Administrators and teachers will be able to concen-
trate on what they love to do most, teach, instead of
dealing with problems from children and parents.
The first part of the paragraph is in present tense.
The past tense verb were able in the third sentence
should be changed to the present are able. In the last
sentence, the future tense will be able should also be
changed to the present are able.
Instead, principals and teachers are able to use uni-
forms to build school pride and loyalty. Adminis-
trators and teachers are able to concentrate on what
they love to do most, teach, instead of dealing with
problems from children and parents.
Finalizing
Notice how the few remaining problems with transi-
tions have been cleaned up in this final version of the
essay on school uniforms. The body paragraph on

teachers and administrators ended with too strong a
statement—no one will believe that school personnel
will have no problems from children just because of
uniforms—so that statement has been softened.
Imagine a school auditorium full of alert children,
all dressed neatly in blue and white uniforms.
Imagine these same children happily running out to
play in their blue shorts and white oxford shirts,
playing tag, and flying on swings. Whether or not to
dress public school children alike has been the sub-
ject of much controversy in recent decades. Oppo-
nents suggest that requiring uniforms will stifle
children’s ability to choose, squash necessary indi-
viduality, and infringe on the rights of children and
families. Although there is some justification for
these arguments, the benefits of uniforms far out-
weigh the disadvantages. Adopting a uniform policy
will benefit parents, children, and the school staff.
A uniform policy will benefit parents. Uni-
forms save parents money. Parents will not have to
provide their children with a different matched set
of clothes for each day, so fewer school clothes will
be needed. Because uniforms are all the same style
and shape and usually very well made, they can be
passed down from an older child to a younger one,
or even sold. On a recent survey, parents new to
school uniforms estimated they saved up to $1,000
on school clothes per child the first year alone. The
survey also reported that 95% of parents attributed
an increased feeling of peace to the adoption of the

uniform policy. Children will have already agreed on
what clothes their parents will need to buy, so there
will be fewer arguments on this often touchy subject.
Not only are parents happy to see a uniform
policy in place, but their children benefit as well. If
you were poor, wouldn’t you feel badly if you were
not dressed as well as your peers? Children who
dress differently are usually alienated from cliques at
school and left to feel like outsiders. Often they are
teased unmercifully. Dressing in uniform eliminates
that problem. Instead, uniformed children feel an
increased sense of belonging that enables them to be
more relaxed and quiet in school. Children do not
need to compare their clothing with that of others,
so they have fewer distractions during their learning
time. Children like the policy because there is less
nagging at home, and dressing for school is much
easier.
– THEA WRITING REVIEW–
195
Parents and children are not the only ones who
are better off with school uniforms. Teachers and
administrators love them too. Uniforms cost no
extra money, yet the benefits are great. Because there
is less competition in school, teachers and adminis-
trators report that less time is spent mediating
because there are fewer fights, less bullying, and
fewer complaints from students. Administrators and
teachers can use the time they save to do what they
are paid to do—build school loyalty, form young

minds, and teach basic skills. Teachers report a more
peaceful classroom, and administrators report a
more cooperative student body.
Adopting a uniform policy will lighten the
burden of parents. It will promote cheerfulness and
scholarship in children. Lastly, it will free the time
and talents of teachers and administrators. What
are we waiting for? We need to talk to our teachers,
principals, and school boards, and give our chil-
dren all the tools we can that will enhance their
growth and development.
Now that you have reviewed these writing strate-
gies, apply them to the essays in the practice exams
that follow.
– THEA WRITING REVIEW–
196
L
ike the real THEA, the exam that follows is made up of three sections: a Reading section, a Mathe-
matics section, and a two-part Writing section that consists of multiple-choice questions and one
essay topic.
For this practice exam, you should simulate the actual test-taking experience as closely as you can. Find a
quiet place to work where you won’t be disturbed. You can use the answer sheet on the following page. You should
write your essay on a separate piece of paper. Allow yourself five hours for the entire exam. Don’t worry about
how long it takes to do each section. On the actual THEA, you may move from section to section as you please,
go back and forth between sections, or even decide to do only one section. Since you should decide beforehand
how many sections you will take and in what order, use this practice test to find out how you work best. Perhaps,
for example, you can do your writing sample first, while you are fresh.
After the exam, review the answer explanations to find out what questions you missed and why.
CHAPTER
THEA Practice

Exam 2
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Here is another practice test based on the Texas Higher Education
Assessment (THEA). After working through the review lessons in Chap-
ters 4, 5, and 6 take this test to see how much your score has
improved.
7
197
– LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET–
199
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Answer Sheet
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