English Skills with Readings 7th Edition by John Langan

Exercise 25

In the following groups, one statement is the general point and the other statements are specific support for the point. Identify each point with a P and each statement of support with an S.
EXAMPLE
S My mother has cancer.
S My fourteen-year-old sister is pregnant.
S I lost my job.
P My family has real problems.
EXPLANATION The point-that the family has real problems-is strongly supported by the three specific problems stated.
1.______The kitchen is so small that only one person can be there.
______A nearby bus station fills the apartment with exhaust fumes every morning.
______The apartment has some real drawbacks.
______There are no closets.
2. _______Some people skip breakfast.
_______Some people have poor eating habits.
_______Some people always order supersize portions.
_______Some people eat almost no fruits or vegetables.
3. _______Children are at risk at the school.
_______There are two active gangs in the school.
_______Knives and guns have been found in lockers.
_______Drug busts have been made at the school.
4. _______Cats are clean and do not require much attention.
_______Cats like living indoors and are safe to have around children.
_______Cats are inexpensive to feed and easy to keep healthy.
_______There are definite advantages to having a cat as a pet.
5. _______Ron feels short of breath.
_______ Ron is getting dizzy and sweaty.
_______Ron might be having a heart attack.
_______Ron has pain in his chest.
6._______ The couple had different goals.
_______The couple disliked each other's friends.
_______The couple shared few interests in common.
_______The couple had good reasons to break up.
7. _______The bread the waiter brought us is stale.
_______We've been waiting for our main course for over an hour.
_______It is time to speak to the restaurant manager.
_______The people next to us are awfully loud.
8. _______Carla asks you questions about yourself.
_______Carla is a pleasure to be around.
_______Carla has a great smile.
_______Carla really listens when you talk.
9. _______My boss is hard to work for.
_______She lacks a sense of humor.
_______She never gives praise.
_______She times all our breaks to the second.
10. _______The man doesn't use his turn signals.
_______The man drives too fast down narrow residential streets.
_______The man doesn't come to a complete stop at stop signs.
_______The man is an unsafe driver.
11. _______Though a mosquito is small, it has power. A mosquito can find you in the dark.
_______A mosquito can keep you awake all night.
_______A mosquito can make you scratch yourself until you bleed.
12. _______Because sending e-mail is so simple, family and friends may use it to stay in close touch.
_______When people are upset, they may send off an angry e-mail before they consider the consequences.
_______he jokes, petitions, and other e-mails that friends so easily forward can become a real nuisance.
_______The ease of using e-mail can be both a blessing and a curse.
13. _______When some people answer the phone, their first words are "Who's this "
_______Some people never bother to identify themselves when calling someone.
_______Some people have terrible telephone manners.
_______Some people hang up without even saying good-bye.
14. _______One mother created what she called the homework zone-the kitchen table after dinner-where she and her young children did their assignments.
_______Some adult students have taken classes at a nearby community college during their lunch hour.
_______Adult students often find creative ways to balance school, employment, and family responsibilities.
_______By listening to recorded lectures in the car, working students turn travel time into learning time.
15. _______Moviegoers can take several simple steps to save money at the movie theater.
_______Bringing homemade popcorn to the movies is cheaper than buying expensive theater popcorn.
_______Buying candy at a grocery store, not a theater, cuts candy costs in half.
_______Going to movies early in the day reduces ticket prices by as much as $3 each.