FOURTH EDITION

FROM PARAGRAPH TO ESSAY

3
KAREN BLANCHARD • CHRISTINE ROOT

ANSWER KEY
 Analyzing Topic Sentences (page 28)
PART 1: THE ELEMENTS OF
GOOD WRITING 1. Topic: Mahatma Gandhi
Focus: was an influential leader
CHAPTER 1 2. Topic: Email
Getting Ready To Write Focus: is a great way to stay in touch with
your family and friends
Elements of Good Writing: SPA 3. Topic: The clothes we wear
Focus: often reflect a lot about our personality
Identifying Purpose  (pages 6–9)
4. Topic: The Japanese subway system
A. Focus: is very efficient
1. inform 5. inform 5. Topic: Television commercials
2. persuade 6. inform Focus: are often insulting to women
3. persuade 7. persuade 6. Topic: My older brother
4. entertain 8. entertain Focus: is a perfectionist
7. Topic: The laws on child abuse
B. Focus: should be strictly enforced
ENTERTAIN INFORM PERSUADE 8. Topic: Being a twin
blogs blogs advertisements Focus: has both advantages and
emails directions emails disadvantages
essays emails essays 9. Topic: The new shopping mall
jokes essays letters Focus: has brought many economic benefits
letters letters memos to our community
newspaper memos op-eds 10. Topic: Golf
articles newspaper Focus: is a difficult sport to master
novels articles
Evaluating Topic Sentences  (page 28)
op-eds op-eds
poems reports Effective topic sentences: 3, 5, 12, 13
stories textbooks
Writing Topic Sentences  (pages 29–30)
Answers will vary. Possible answers:
CHAPTER 2
2. English dictionaries contain a lot of useful
Writing Paragraphs information.

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Step Two of the Writing Process: 3. Climate affects our lives in many ways.
4. Gift-giving customs are different all over the
Writing world.
Topic Sentences  (page 27) 5. The Nobel Prize has a long and interesting
Sentence 1: history.

1. nuclear power
2. is our greatest hope for solving the energy crisis
Supporting Sentences
Sentence 2:
Analyzing Paragraphs for Support 
(page 31)
1. nuclear power
Paragraph with specific support: Paragraph 2
2. is a huge threat to life on the planet
Examples of specific support: a boa constrictor
swam right in front of us while we were rafting
down the Río Claro; spider monkeys threw
branches at us deep in the rain forest; we saw
brilliant scarlet macaws and toucans with huge
yellow beaks

2  Ready to Write 3 Answer Key

 Evaluating Support  (pages 32–34) stress at work; Many airports have shops and
restaurants where you can spend time between
Set 1
flights; unfortunately, the food served on many
1. Paragraph 1 flights is unappetizing.
2. I had to pay $395 to get the brakes repaired;
another $100 to get the wheels aligned; The
Create Coherence
engine oil change was $30; the replacement of
the air filter was another $20 Organize Your Ideas  (pages 43–44)
Set 2 1. spatial order
2. order of importance
1. Paragraph 2 3. time order
2. responsible for two labs every week, which
means a minimum of ten hours a week in Use Transitions  (pages 45–46)
the lab; three tests per month; questions are
A.
very tricky, and we have to memorize long,
complicated formulas; reading load is also quite First of all, In fact, In addition, also, Finally, For
heavy—as much as twenty-five pages a night example, More than ever before
Set 3 B.
1. Paragraph 2 1. Transition signals that indicate spatial
2. Once it begins, the trend toward warmer relationships: in the center, in a U-shape, on
temperatures could be disastrous; this the back wall, on both sides, to the left, To the
warming could have a severe impact on our right, Behind you, Above the boards
environment and the world as we know it. 2. Transition signals that indicate additional ideas:
3. An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide One cue, Another navigational cue, The most
of 10 percent over the past century has important cue
led some authorities to predict a long-term 3. Transition signals that indicate time
warming of Earth’s climate; In 2007, more than relationships: At first, Eventually, Finally, Today
10,000 scientists, environmental activists, and
government officials from 187 countries met in
Bali, Indonesia, for the United Nations Climate CHAPTER 3
Change Conference. Revising and Editing
Titles Step Three: Revising and Editing
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Correct the title  (page 39) Practicing Paragraph Revision 

(pages 53–54)
A.
Numbers refer to Revising Checklist on Student
Correct the titles
Book page 52.
1. Benefits of Solar Energy
1. Problem: 5; Solution: Add transition words.
2. My New Roommate
2. Problem: 2; Solution: Delete the sentence that
3. How to Change a Tire
does not support the topic sentence.
4. Spending Time with Friends
3. Problem: 1; Solution: Add a clear topic
5. Dressing for a Job Interview
sentence.
Identifying Irrelevant Sentences  (page 42) 4. Problem: 4; Solution: Organize sentences in a
logical order.
C. 
Topic sentence: If you are a nervous flier, there are
several things you can do to alleviate the stress.
Irrelevant sentences: There are also many
interesting workshops you can take to relieve

Ready to Write 3 Answer Key  3

Grammar Check Run-on Sentences  (page 62)
Agreement of Subjects and Verbs  1. R Possible answer: I like my dentist because
(page 56) he is very gentle.
2. R Possible answer: My son bought two
1. has 5. is
T-shirts because he thought they were so
2. does 6. is
cool.
3. like 7. go
3. R Possible answer: It was too cold yesterday
4. doesn’t 8. have
to ski so we stayed in the lodge all day.
Agreement of Pronouns and Nouns  4. C
(page 57) 5. R Possible answer: The Pilgrims first came
to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. They
1. comes 4. cares were seeking religious freedom.
2. have 5. is 6. C
3. is 7. R Possible answer: Dennis called to say that
his computer is making strange noises. He
Clear Pronoun Reference  (pages 57–58)
thinks it is broken.
1. Tim walked onto the soccer field after the 8. R Possible answer: They wanted to play golf
coach gave him the ball. but we thought it was too hot so we all
2. Yoko smiled when she saw her sister. went swimming instead.
3. Justin told his father to take a taxi. 9. R Possible answer: There are several ways
4. Harriet made a mistake and she told Nancy to get from New York to Philadelphia. The
about it. most convenient is by train.
5. Luke and Dave went to the new Japanese 10. R Possible answer: I have a very good
restaurant, but Dave forgot his wallet. memory. My husband, on the other hand,
6. My kite hit the window, but luckily the window does not.
did not break.
Gerunds and Infinitives  (page 64)
Agreement of Possessive Pronouns and
1. Victoria enjoys working with small children.
Adjectives  (page 58)
2. I decided to take another economics course.
1. their 5. her 4. Jason keeps looking at his watch. I think he is
2. her 6. mine bored.
3. his 7. hers 5. They prefer to live in the suburbs.
4. their 6. She agreed to help me with the assignment

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7. He finished studying at 9:00.
Sentence Fragments  (page 60) 9. They decided to move to a bigger apartment.
A. 10. I hope to complete my degree in four years.
2. C
Using Parallel Structures  (page 66)
3. C
4. F Possible answer: I was confused because I A.
couldn’t understand the homework. P 1. I spent the morning doing laundry,
5. F Possible answer: I forgot to stop at the gas dusting furniture, and washing dishes.
station and ran out of gas on my way to NP 2. I’m going to vote for Nathan because
work. he is honest, intelligent and hard-
6. F Possible answer: Whenever my next-door working.
neighbor has time, she works in her garden. NP 3. She read the instructions slowly and
7. F Possible answer: Although she had a bad cold carefully.
and hadn’t slept well for days, she took the P 4. Taking the train is fast, comfortable, and
test. safe.
8. F Possible answer: My friend told me that it NP 5. You can vote by calling, texting or
was the best movie he had ever seen. sending an email.

4  Ready to Write 3 Answer Key

 NP 6. Tom likes riding his bike more than 3. I meet with my advisor every Tuesday and
taking a taxi. Thursday morning.
NP 7. Jogging and swimming are good 4. My sister, Ruth, has just returned from a trip to
exercise. Istanbul and Athens.
NP 8. Paula is honest and reliable. 5. Shopping is one of the most popular activities
P 9. We enjoy visiting our friends more than of visitors to New York City.
staying home. 6. We usually celebrate Thanksgiving with our
NP 10. You can do the activity individually, in cousins, Betty and Alvin.
pairs, or in groups.
NP 11. Her new dress is beautiful but Punctuation and Capitalization
expensive Review  (page 71)
NP 12. The movie was long, boring, and 1. Traffic is causing serious pollution in some
depressing. cities such as Athens, Mexico City, and Los
Angeles.
B.  (pages 66–67) 2. When will Professor Klein be in his office?
1. a 4. a 3. My favorite poem is “Fire and Ice” by Robert
2. b 5. b Frost.
3. b 4. I’ll meet you on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 in
front of the library on Liberty Street.
Punctuation and Capitalization 5. Mrs. Baker is one of the most inspiring
speakers I’ve ever heard.
Punctuation  (page 69) 6. The earliest maps anyone knows of were
1. He was born in Portland on April 22, 1981. made by Babylonians and Egyptians more
2. How many books have you read lately? than 4,000 years ago.
3. We will have to leave by 5:30 P.M. 7. The Himalayas are the world’s highest
4. Dr. Anderson has a very full schedule today. mountains.
5. I just finished reading Hemingway’s novel The 8. Maria asked, “What time does the movie
Old Man and the Sea. Casablanca start?”
6. Most people like chocolate, but Jane is allergic 9. In 1980 the wildlife biologist George Shaller
to it. began researching the panda in its natural
7. I woke up with a headache; therefore I habitat.
decided not to go to class this morning. 10. Professor Dickens is sick, so his Tuesday night
8. The restaurant has three specialties: grilled class will be canceled.
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steak, marinated chicken, and fried shrimp.

9. In conclusion, Mario Vargas Llosa is one of the Spelling Check  (page 75)
greatest writers of the twentieth century. 1. planned 6. mixing
10. Marion said, “I can’t go with you because I 2. bouncing 7. damaged
have too much homework.” 3. supplies 8. watches
11. I think that Pablo Neruda’s poem “If You 4. knives 9. enjoyed
Forget Me” is the most beautiful poem I’ve 5. beginning 10. lying
ever read.
12. I like to watch science fiction movies;
however, I don’t like to read science fiction CHAPTER 4
novels. Writing Essays
Capitalization  (pages 70–71) Parts of an Essay  (pages 81–82)
1. My Russian teacher is very handsome. Introduction; first supporting paragraph; second
2. Have you read Romeo and Juliet in your supporting paragraph; third supporting paragraph;
English literature class yet? conclusion

Ready to Write 3 Answer Key  5

The Introduction  (pages 83–85) 7. yes
B. 8. Microwave oven were an accidental discovery.
9. story of discovery of microwave oven
1. move from general to specific; present facts 10. The accidental discovery of penicillin.
and statistics 11. yes
2. ask a question; present facts and statistics 12. penicillin
3. present facts and statistics 13. The story of Alexander Fleming accidently
4. use an anecdote discovering penicillin.
5. use a quotation; present facts
The Conclusion  (pages 88–90)
Analyzing Thesis Statements  (pages 85–86)
A.
A.
1. make a prediction
1. yes 2. make a prediction
2. yes; Aspects of the subject that the essay 3. restate the main points
develops: popsicles, microwave ovens, and 4. make a prediction
penicillin. 5. ask a question
6. make a prediction
B.
1. More than a method of combat, karate
emphasizes self-discipline, positive attitude, PART 2: TYPES OF ESSAYS
and high moral purpose.
2. Most students cheat on tests because they feel
CHAPTER 5
pressure to get into a good college, because Process Essays
they want to avoid the hours of studying they
need in order to get high grades, or simply The Language of Process:
because they are not concerned with honesty. Useful Phrases and Sentence
3. The solution to this growing problem is not to Patterns  (page 103)
build more and bigger prisons, but rather to
First, Then, Next, After that, Once, When, Finally
examine and deal with the causes: access to
guns, drug use, and poverty. Analyzing a Process Essay  (page 110)
4. Pets ranging from dogs to tropical fish are
B.
showing up as therapists in hospitals, nursing
homes, and prisons. 1. ask a question

©2017 by Pearson Education, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
5. A job-sharing arrangement increases 2. how to perform a magic trick
productivity, helps maintain diversity, and brings 3. process (time order)
a broader range of skills to the job. 4. a. decide on a trick
b. learn and memorize the basic steps of the
The Body (Supporting Paragraphs)  trick
(pages 86–87) c. practice
1. Three of the most well-known inventions or 5. The first thing; At this point; Also; The next, and
discoveries that happened by accident are most important step; Finally
popsicles, microwave ovens, and penicillin 6. people interested in learning to do magic tricks
2. Popsicles
3. Popsicles were invented by accident by an
eleven-year-old boy named Frank Epperson
4. yes
5. The story of Epperson’s accidental discovery of
popsicles
6. Like popsicles, microwave ovens were an
accidental discovery

6  Ready to Write 3 Answer Key

 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7
Division and Classification Cause and Effect Essays
Essays Analyzing an Essay about Causes 
The Language of Classification  (page 119) (page 138)

A. 1. parasites, pesticides, and climate change.

2. Introduction—Ask a question
1. B
 asis of division: physical state of fuels in Conclusion—Restate main point and make a
nature suggestion
Groups: solid, liquid gaseous. 3. because, cause, causes, effect, lead to, affect,
2. Basis of division: What animals eat causing, caused by, impact
Groups: carnivores, herbivores, omnivores.
3. Basis of division: number of players Analyzing an Essay about Effects 
Groups: individual sports, two-player sports, (page 140)
team sports
A.
4. Basis of division: function of muscles
Groups: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. 1. bookmaking became cheaper and faster,
5. Basis of division: how musical instruments scholars had better access to one another’s
produce sound ideas, regional languages increased as the use
Groups: percussion, string, brass, wind of Latin decreased
6. Basis of division: how considerate roommates 2. general to specific summary
are 3. effect, caused, because, resulted in
Groups: those who are very considerate,
those who are indifferent, those who are
inconsiderate
CHAPTER 8
Comparison and Contrast Essays
Analyzing a Classification Essay  (page 122) Analyzing Essays of Comparison
B. and Contrast  (pages 155–157)
1. sensory memory, short-term memory, long- B.
term memory
1. the block method
2. how information is recalled
2. It was only after I analyzed the similarities and
3. Sensory memory
differences between the two schools that I
a. When you are listening to a lecture,
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finally came to my decision to begin classes at

you need to remember the words at
Greenwell in the fall.
the beginning of a sentence in order to
3. both located in Pennsylvania; tuition is exactly
understand the sentence as a whole.
the same; have good basketball teams; have
b. When you snap your fingers, you will notice
large libraries, excellent academic reputations,
that the sound seems to remain for a
and first-class engineering departments
moment and then fade.
4. It was when I looked at the differences
c. When you look at something and then close
between the two schools that I made my final
your eyes, you will still be able to “see” it
decision.
for a moment because it is in your sensory
5. State’s location is better; State’s campus is
memory.
more attractive; Greenwell offered an $8,000
short-term memory: a seven-digit phone number scholarship, but State offered no financial
can be kept in your STM by repeating the number aid; Greenwell is closer to home than State;
until you dial it, and then the number fades as Greenwell has smaller classes and students get
soon as you start the conversation. more personal attention than at State
long-term memory: how to ride a bike, read a
letter, send an email, sing a song,

Ready to Write 3 Answer Key  7

C. Summary 2 does not give the name of the original
article. It also includes personal opinions.
1. the point-by-point method
Summary 4 contains too many details while failing
2. It was only after I compared the location, cost,
to mention all the important points of the original
and quality of education of the two schools
article. It also includes personal opinions.
that I could finally come to my decision to
attend Greenwell. Completing a One-Paragraph Summary 
3. location, cost, and quality of education (pages 181–182)
4. least important to most important
5. first paragraph: Although second paragraph: In “The New Theory about Why Animals Sleep”
first thing, First of all third paragraph: In Amy Barth reported evidence from scientists that
addition, However, Also, Finally fourth suggests there are several reasons that animals
paragraph: In many ways, Also, So, On the sleep. They studied sleep patterns of more than
other hand fifth paragraph: In conclusion 30 mammalian species. They discovered that
animalsthat slept the longest had six times as
many immune cells while animals that slept
CHAPTER 9 for shorter periods had 24 times as many
Problem-Solution Essays parasites. According to researcher Brian Preston,
“Maintaining the immune system may be the
Analyzing a Problem-Solution reason sleep has evolved,”
Essay  (page 170)
B. Writing One-Paragraph Summaries 
(page 182)
1. Several achievable solutions to the food
shortage crisis include eliminating biofuel B.
subsidies, introducing new farming techniques, The chimp prodigy Ayumu may be teaching
weather- proofing farm land, and eating less himself to read.
meat.
2. elimination of subsidies for biofuel; develop
new tools to increase crop production; CHAPTER 11
weather-proof farm land; eat less meat Expressing Your Opinions
3. restate the main points; make a prediction
Expressing Your Opinion About
PART 3: WRITING FOR Controversial Issues  (page 190)

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D.
SPECIFIC PURPOSES
1. The student is opposed to the death penalty.
CHAPTER 10 2. death penalty is immoral and cruel; death
Writing for Specific Purposes penalty is ineffective; death penalty is costly

Analyzing a One-Paragraph Summary 

(pages 179–180)
Expressing Your Opinion Through
Poetry
B.
Prewriting  (page 199)
Summary 3 is the best because it states the main
point of the article and accurately summarizes the 1. II
main ideas in the article. It does not include any 2. IV
of the minor points of the original article or any 3. I
personal opinions of the author. 4. III

C.
Summary 1 is too short and doesn’t cite all the
main points of the original article.

8  Ready to Write 3 Answer Key

 CHAPTER 12
Writing Undergraduate and
Graduate School Application
Essays
Analyzing a Graduate School Personal
Statement  (pages 211–212)
1. The student grew up in Turkey. His father is
a civil engineer. The student has been in the
United States for five years and has earned a
bachelor of science in finance with a minor
in economics. He is currently completing a
second undergraduate degree, in mathematics.
2. It shows that the student has always had an
interest in building things.
3. The student wants to return to Turkey and work
on improving the operation and management
of the country’s infrastructure.
4. growing up with a father who was a civil
engineer; the experience of living in a
developing country
5. by getting two undergraduate degrees in
related fields
6. He knows how to work hard, and he can
express himself clearly in correct written
English.
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Ready to Write 3 Answer Key  9