Writing Choices That Make an Impact

English · Writing Composition · ages 11-14

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which line below is a tricolon?
- 'I came, I saw, I conquered'
- 'I came into the room and sat down'
- 'I saw a bird flying home'
What is a rhetorical question?
- A question the writer doesn't know the answer to
- A question that makes the reader think, not one that needs an answer
- A question that must end every paragraph
Starting every sentence with the same word or phrase keeps a reader interested.
Circle one: True False
A paragraph reads: 'The dog barked. The dog ran. The dog jumped.' What fixes the repetition?
- Start each sentence a different way, like 'Barking loudly, the dog...'
- Add a full stop after every word
- Make every sentence longer
Which sentence uses a rhetorical question to add persuasive punch about litter in parks?
- 'How many more years will our parks be buried in rubbish?'
- 'Litter is a problem in our parks.'
- 'What time does the park open?'
Leo read a story where fear was compared to a shadow creeping closer. He wants to use a device from his reading in his own writing on purpose. What should he do?
- Copy the exact sentence word for word
- Notice how the device works and write a similar one in his own words
- Avoid using any device he has read before
A tricolon has the strongest rhythm when its three parts:
- follow the same grammatical pattern
- grow longer and change pattern each time
- use three completely different sentence types
Read this opening: 'Then she ran. Then she stopped. Then she looked back.' What is the main problem?
- The sentences are too short to understand
- Every sentence starts with 'Then,' which gets repetitive
- There is no dialogue in it

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Writing Choices That Make an Impact W1-mt_s6-6FYb5UQ-s1

'I came, I saw, I conquered' · A tricolon is three matching parts in a row. Only "'I came, I saw, I conquered'" repeats the same short pattern three times.
A question that makes the reader think, not one that needs an answer · A rhetorical question isn't looking for a reply. It's there to make the reader stop and picture the idea.
False · Repeating the same opening again and again feels flat. Varying how sentences start keeps the reader engaged.
Start each sentence a different way, like 'Barking loudly, the dog...' · Changing how each sentence opens breaks the repeated pattern and keeps the reader's attention.
'How many more years will our parks be buried in rubbish?' · The first line makes readers picture the ongoing problem and answer it in their own head. The last one is a real question with a real answer, not a rhetorical one.
Notice how the device works and write a similar one in his own words · Borrowing a technique means using the idea in your own words for your own effect, not copying someone else's sentence.
follow the same grammatical pattern · The rhythm of a tricolon comes from repeating the same pattern three times, not from mixing different structures.
Every sentence starts with 'Then,' which gets repetitive · Repeating the same opening word three times in a row makes the writing feel mechanical instead of gripping.