Organizing- Paragraph Structure, Topic Sentences and Transitions Quick Quiz Answer Key

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Quick Quiz Answer Key

1) Below are 10 sentences that together make up a short piece of science writing. Try to split the writing into three separate paragraphs to organize it more effectively (three marks).

The correct solution appears below:

1Thoroughbred racehorses have been bred selectively for over 200 years. 2The breed has become faster with each passing decade. 3These horses have also become more prone to injury over time.

4To prove that they have become faster, it is easy to look in the record books and compare race times of winning horses that ran over the same distances. 5In one-mile races, which are commonly run every day, the best modern-day horses tend to finish almost two seconds faster than those racing 200 years ago. 6Two seconds might not seem that much, but it is enough to mean the best horses of the early 1800’s would struggle to compete with the slowest horses of the 2000’s.

7Horse-racing registries show that around 5 out of every 1,000 modern-day horses suffer impact injuries, such as fractures or limb soreness. 8Going back to the early 1800’s, best estimates place that number at nearer to 1 out of every 1,000. 9This is despite modern veterinary practices being considerably more advanced. 10Horses with fractured legs are routinely saved – and some even race again – whereas the same was not true 200 years ago.


2) Add in three topic sentences to your newly arranged three paragraphs, to make sure the reader would be well ‘sign-posted’ as to what to expect from each one (three marks).

Example solutions appear in bold font below:

Horse racing has, over time, led to the thoroughbred racehorse evolving physically.1Thoroughbred racehorses have been bred selectively for over 200 years. 2The breed has become faster with each passing decade. 3These horses have also become more prone to injury over time.

Comparisons between horses running under the same conditions have shown that today’s racers are quite significantly faster than those from the past. 4To prove that they have become faster, it is easy to look in the record books and compare race times of winning horses that ran over the same distances. 5</sun>In one-mile races, which are commonly run every day, the best modern-day horses tend to finish almost two seconds faster than those racing 200 years ago. 6Two seconds might not seem that much, but it is enough to mean the best horses of the early 1800’s would struggle to compete with the slowest horses of the 2000’s.

Treatments for injured horses are far more advanced these days, which is good, because today’s racers are more frequently injured than those that ran in the past. 7Horse-racing registries show that around 5 out of every 1,000 modern-day horses suffer impact injuries, such as fractures or limb soreness. 8Going back to the early 1800’s, best estimates place that number at nearer to 1 out of every 1,000. 9This is despite modern veterinary practices being considerably more advanced. 10Horses with fractured legs are routinely saved – and some even race again – whereas the same was not true 200 years ago.


Note that these are effective topic sentences because reading them – and them alone – still tells the reader the most important elements of the story:

Horse racing has, over time, led to the thoroughbred racehorse evolving physically.
Comparisons between horses running under the same conditions have shown that today’s racers are quite significantly faster than those from the past.
Treatments for injured horses are far more advanced these days, which is good, because today’s racers are more frequently injured than those that ran in the past.


3) Add in effective transitions throughout the whole paragraph, to make sure each sentence (and its logic) flows smoothly into the next one. For ‘grading’ purposes, you should add four transitions (four marks) between sentences in one of the paragraphs (the one that now has five sentences in it).

Example solutions appear in bold font below:

Horse racing has, over time, led to the thoroughbred racehorse evolving physically. This is because 1thoroughbred racehorses have been bred selectively for over 200 years. As a result, 2the breed has become faster with each passing decade. However, 3these horses have also become more prone to injury over time.

Comparisons between horses running under the same conditions have shown that today’s racers are quite significantly faster than those from the past. Objectively, 4to prove that they have become faster, it is easy to look in the record books and compare race times of winning horses that ran over the same distances. For example, 5in one-mile races, which are commonly run every day, the best modern-day horses tend to finish almost two seconds faster than those racing 200 years ago. On first reading this, 6two seconds might not seem that much, but it is enough to mean the best horses of the early 1800’s would struggle to compete with the slowest horses of the 2000’s.

Treatments for injured horses are far more advanced these days, which is good, because today’s racers are more frequently injured than those that ran in the past. For example, 7horse-racing registries show that around 5 out of every 1,000 modern-day horses suffer impact injuries, such as fractures or limb soreness. In comparison, 8going back to the early 1800’s, best estimates place that number at nearer to 1 out of every 1,000. Surprisingly, 9this is despite modern veterinary practices being considerably more advanced. Nowadays, 10horses with fractured legs are routinely saved – and some even race again – whereas the same was not true 200 years ago.