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 . abcd 16. abcd 17. abcd 18. abcd 19. abcd 20 . abcd 21 . abcd 22 . abcd 23 . abcd 24 . abcd 25 . abcd 26 . abcd 27 . abcd 28 . abcd 29 . abcd 30. abcd 31. abcd 32. abcd 33. abcd 34. abcd 35. abcd 36. abcd 37 abcd 22 . abcd 23 . abcd 24 . abcd 25 . abcd 26 . abcd 27 . abcd 28 . abcd 29 . abcd 30. abcd 31. abcd 32. abcd 33. abcd 34. abcd 35. abcd 36. abcd 37. abcd 38. abcd 39. abcd 40. abcd 41. abcd 42. abcd 43 abcd 2. abcd 3. abcd 4. abcd 5. abcd 6. abcd 7. abcd 8. abcd 9. abcd 10. abcd 11. abcd 12. abcd 13. abcd 14. abcd 15. abcd 16. abcd 17. abcd 18. abcd 19. abcd 20 . abcd 21 . abcd 22 . abcd 23 . abcd 24 .