For This Assignment, Use One Of Two Writing References ✓ Solved

For this assignment, use one of two writing references and c

For this assignment, use one of two writing references and complete the activities in the 'Writing Guide Scavenger Hunt' included in the Resources. Answer the following:

1. Name the three acts that are considered plagiarism.

2. List the information that should be added to an APA cover sheet.

3. Does the following sentence require a comma or a semi-colon? The test was difficult it contained questions that I wasn’t prepared for. Explain.

4. Should you use slang or jargon in a business letter? Explain.

5. List the basic points for setting up a page in an APA paper.

6. What is a paraphrase?

7. Where in A Writer’s Reference is the 'General Guidelines for the Reference List' located?

8. How would you make the following word into a possessive, a plural? Student. Explain.

9. Move each of the three following words into past tense: pass, locate, follow.

10. Define the term 'introductory phrase.'

11. Format the following information about a book and an article into correct APA reference formatting:

Book: John Jones and Jim Jones. A Handbook for the Ages. Cleveland, Ohio. 1975, Barnburner Publishing.

Article: 'The Aspects of Business Ethics.' John Smith. 1999, Volume 30, Number 15, pages 25-33, The Journal of Business Relations.

12. Where would commas be placed in the following sentence? The class was difficult interesting but fun.

13. The following sentence contains an introductory phrase. Does the phrase need to be set off by a comma? When the course is concluded you should know how to punctuate a sentence.

14. True or False: References on an APA reference page are not alphabetized. Explain your answer.

15. Placing an apostrophe in the following word makes it into a plural: Book’s

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

This paper answers the 15 questions from the Writing Guide Scavenger Hunt using standard academic and style resources (primarily the APA Publication Manual and Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference) and respected writing guides. Each item is addressed concisely with practical examples and citations so the student can apply correct APA formatting, punctuation, and documentation practices in academic and professional writing (APA, 2020; Hacker, 2016).

1. Three Acts Considered Plagiarism

Plagiarism typically includes (a) directly copying another person’s words without quotation marks and citation, (b) paraphrasing another’s ideas without attribution, and (c) presenting another person's work (or data) as your own, including submitting purchased or ghostwritten work (CWPA, 2003; APA, 2020). All three are academic dishonesty and require formal citation or explicit acknowledgement.

2. Information for an APA Cover Sheet

An APA student title page should include: the paper title, author name(s), institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, and assignment due date. It should also include a page number in the header; a running head is not required for most student papers under APA 7th edition (APA, 2020; Purdue OWL, n.d.).

3. Comma or Semicolon?

The sentence "The test was difficult it contained questions that I wasn’t prepared for." is a comma splice (two independent clauses joined without proper punctuation). Correct options include: use a semicolon — "The test was difficult; it contained questions that I wasn’t prepared for." — or split into two sentences, or add a conjunction with a comma (e.g., "The test was difficult, and it contained...") (Garner, 2016; APA, 2020).

4. Slang or Jargon in a Business Letter?

Avoid slang and unnecessary jargon in business letters. Use clear, professional language tailored to the reader; specialized jargon is acceptable only when the audience shares that technical knowledge. Clear, formal tone preserves professionalism and prevents miscommunication (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2018; Lunsford, 2018).

5. Basic Points for Setting Up an APA Page

Key APA page setup: 1-inch margins on all sides, double-spacing for all text, a readable font (e.g., 12-pt Times New Roman or an approved alternative), page numbers in the header, title page for student papers, and a references page with hanging indents. Headings follow APA levels, and tables/figures follow APA labeling rules (APA, 2020; Purdue OWL, n.d.).

6. What Is a Paraphrase?

A paraphrase restates another person’s ideas in your own words and sentence structure while preserving the original meaning. Paraphrasing still requires a citation to the source because the idea originates elsewhere (APA, 2020; Hacker, 2016).

7. Location in A Writer’s Reference

In A Writer’s Reference, the "General Guidelines for the Reference List" appear in the documentation or reference-list section of the book (look under Documentation/References). The guide organizes documentation rules and examples to show how to format entries and apply general reference-list guidelines (Hacker, 2016).

8. Possessive and Plural of "Student"

The plural of "student" is "students." The singular possessive is "student’s" (e.g., "the student’s paper"), and the plural possessive is "students’" (e.g., "the students’ papers"). Use apostrophes to indicate possession, not pluralization (Garner, 2016).

9. Past Tense Forms

Pass → passed. Locate → located. Follow → followed. These regular verbs take the –ed ending to form the simple past (Garner, 2016).

10. Definition of Introductory Phrase

An introductory phrase is a group of words that occurs at the beginning of a sentence and provides context (time, condition, reason, etc.) but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence (often a dependent clause or phrase). Introductory phrases are typically set off by a comma when they precede the main clause (Fowler/Chicago conventions; APA, 2020).

11. Correct APA Reference Formatting

Book (APA 7th ed., no publisher location required): Jones, J., & Jones, J. (1975). A handbook for the ages. Barnburner Publishing. Article: Smith, J. (1999). The aspects of business ethics. The Journal of Business Relations, 30(15), 25–33. These follow APA order: author, year, title (sentence case), source (italicized journal title and volume) and pages (APA, 2020; Purdue OWL, n.d.).

12. Commas in "The class was difficult interesting but fun."

When listing three coordinate adjectives, separate them with commas or use a coordinating conjunction: "The class was difficult, interesting, but fun." Alternatively, use "and": "The class was difficult, interesting, and fun." If adjectives are cumulative (not coordinate), commas are not used; test adjective order by inserting "and"—if natural, use commas (Garner, 2016).

13. Comma After an Introductory Phrase?

The sentence "When the course is concluded you should know how to punctuate a sentence." requires a comma after the introductory clause: "When the course is concluded, you should know how to punctuate a sentence." Dependent clauses at the start of a sentence are normally followed by a comma (APA, 2020; Hacker, 2016).

14. Are APA References Alphabetized?

False: APA reference lists must be alphabetized by the surname of the first author of each work. Entries are arranged alphabetically and use a hanging indent for subsequent lines (APA, 2020).

15. Apostrophe in "Book’s" Makes It a Plural?

Placing an apostrophe in "Book’s" makes it possessive (e.g., "the book’s cover"), not plural. To make plural, write "books." Apostrophes should not be used to form plurals of regular nouns (Garner, 2016).

Summary

These concise answers follow standard style and grammar guides. For classroom use, consult the assigned writing reference (e.g., A Writer’s Reference) and the APA Publication Manual for authoritative examples and further elaboration (APA, 2020; Hacker, 2016).

References

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.
• Hacker, D. (2016). A writer’s reference (8th ed.). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). APA formatting and style guide. Purdue University. https://owl.purdue.edu
• Council of Writing Program Administrators. (2003). Defining and avoiding plagiarism: The WPA statement on plagiarism. https://wpacouncil.org
• University of North Carolina Writing Center. (n.d.). APA citation style. https://writingcenter.unc.edu
• Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
• The Chicago Manual of Style. (2017). University of Chicago Press.
• Lunsford, A. (2018). The St. Martin’s handbook (8th ed.). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• Locker, K. O., & Kaczmarek, S. K. (2018). Business communication: Building critical skills (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• Modern Language Association. (2021). MLA handbook (9th ed.). Modern Language Association.