Language & Literature · Unit 13

Writing Well

Paragraphs, essays, voice and revision

Good writing is mostly rewriting. First drafts are for finding out what you think and the work of making it readable happens afterwards.

The unit covers paragraphs, essay structure, showing rather than telling, voice and tone, and editing and revising.

This unit breaks down into 22 short steps and 130 questions, starting at difficulty 2 and building to 4. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 22
Questions: 130
Difficulty: 2-4

What this unit covers

Paragraphs
Show, Don't Tell
Essay Structure
Voice and Tone
Editing and Revising

Where this fits

Needs Sentences and Punctuation.

Where people slip

One idea per paragraph is a genuine rule rather than a stylistic preference. Most confusing prose is confusing because a paragraph is trying to do two things.

How the unit is structured

Writing Well runs as 22 short steps that unlock in order. 16 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 2 and climb to 4 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 22 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 130 in the unit altogether.

Editing and Revising

Fill the blankLevel 3
1. Checking a draft for spelling and punctuation mistakes is called ____.
- editingcorrect
- drafting
- brainstorming
- outlining
Editing is the stage where small mechanical mistakes are corrected.
Match the pairsLevel 3
2. Match each writing stage to what a writer does during it.
Answer: Prewriting = Planning and brainstorming ideas; Drafting = Writing the first full version; Revising = Improving ideas and organization; Editing = Fixing grammar and spelling
Each stage of the writing process serves a different purpose in producing a finished piece.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
3. What is the process of making large-scale changes to ideas, organization, and clarity in a draft called?
- Revisingcorrect
- Publishing
- Brainstorming
- Outlining
Revising focuses on big-picture changes like ideas, organization, and clarity before fixing small errors.
Choose all that applyLevel 4
4. Which of these are typical steps in revising an essay? Pick all that apply.
- Cutting sentences that are unclearcorrect
- Reordering paragraphs for better flowcorrect
- Publishing the first draft unchanged
- Ignoring all feedback
Revising involves reworking word choice, reordering ideas, and cutting unclear parts for clarity.
Fact or fibLevel 4
5. It is best practice to submit the very first draft of an essay without any revision.
Answer: False
Skilled writers almost always revise, since first drafts rarely represent their best work.
Odd one outLevel 4
6. Which task belongs to proofreading rather than revising?
- Fixing a misspelled wordcorrect
- Reworking a weak thesis statement
- Adding a new supporting paragraph
- Reordering the essay's argument
Proofreading focuses on surface errors like spelling and punctuation, not the essay's structure.

Essay Structure

Choose all that applyLevel 2
7. Which of these are parts of a typical school essay? Pick all that apply.
- Introductioncorrect
- Bodycorrect
- Conclusioncorrect
- Bibliography song
A typical essay is built from an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Fill the blankLevel 3
8. An essay's opening sentence that grabs the reader's attention is called a ____.
- hookcorrect
- footnote
- index
- citation
A hook is designed to make the reader want to keep reading right from the first line.
Guess the numberLevel 3
9. How many body paragraphs does a classic five-paragraph essay typically have?
Answer: 3 paragraphs
A five-paragraph essay usually has an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Match the pairsLevel 3
10. Match each essay part to its main purpose.
Answer: Introduction = States the topic and thesis; Body paragraph = Develops one main point with evidence; Conclusion = Sums up the argument; Hook = Grabs the reader's attention
Each part of an essay plays a distinct role in building a clear argument.
Fact or fibLevel 4
11. A strong conclusion should introduce a brand new argument the essay never discussed before.
Answer: False
A conclusion should sum up and reflect on existing points, not introduce new arguments.
Multiple choiceLevel 4
12. An essay outline is most useful for which purpose before drafting?
- Planning the order of ideascorrect
- Replacing the need for a thesis
- Fixing spelling errors
- Choosing the essay font
An outline maps out the order of ideas so the essay stays organized while drafting.

Paragraphs

Build the sentenceLevel 3
13. Build a sentence describing what unity means in a paragraph.
Answer: Every sentence should support the paragraph's main idea
Unity means every sentence in a paragraph relates to a single main idea.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
14. Which of these are common transition words used to link ideas in a paragraph? Pick all that apply.
- howevercorrect
- furthermorecorrect
- turtle
- sandwich
However and furthermore both signal a shift or addition between ideas.
Fill the blankLevel 3
15. Sentences that explain or prove the topic sentence are called ____ sentences.
- supportingcorrect
- topic
- closing
- random
Supporting sentences give details, facts, or examples that back up the main idea.
Guess the numberLevel 3
16. A typical body paragraph in a school essay usually has around how many sentences?
Answer: 6 sentences
Most body paragraphs run about 5 to 8 sentences, enough to develop one idea fully.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
17. What is the sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph usually called?
- Topic sentencecorrect
- Thesis statement
- Conclusion sentence
- Hook sentence
The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph will be about.
Odd one outLevel 3
18. Which word is NOT commonly used as a transition between ideas in a paragraph?
- bananacorrect
- however
- therefore
- meanwhile
Banana is an ordinary noun, not a transition word used to link ideas.

Show, Don't Tell

Build the sentenceLevel 2
19. Build a sentence that shows a character is cold instead of just saying it.
Answer: She shivered and pulled her coat tighter
Showing uses sensory detail, like shivering, instead of the plain word cold.
Match the pairsLevel 2
20. Match each telling sentence to the sentence that shows the same idea.
Answer: She was sad = Tears rolled down her cheeks; He was tired = His eyelids drooped as he yawned; The room was messy = Clothes and books covered every inch of the floor; The dog was hungry = The dog whined and pawed at its empty bowl
Showing turns a plain statement into a vivid scene using details and action.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
21. Which of these techniques help a writer show rather than tell? Pick all that apply.
- Describing sensory detailscorrect
- Describing a specific actioncorrect
- Naming the emotion directly
- Summarizing in one word
Sensory details and specific actions both help a reader experience a scene instead of just being told about it.
Fact or fibLevel 3
22. Concrete sensory details, like sounds and smells, are a common tool for showing rather than telling.
Answer: True
Sensory details help readers picture and feel a scene rather than just being told about it.
Fill the blankLevel 3
23. Rewrite "He was angry" using "show, don't tell": He slammed the door and his ____ clenched.
- fistscorrect
- thesis
- paragraph
- footnote
Showing anger through a physical detail like clenched fists is more vivid than simply stating it.
Multiple choiceLevel 3
24. Which sentence best demonstrates "showing" rather than "telling"?
- Her hands trembled as she gripped the lettercorrect
- She was nervous
- She felt scared
- She was very sad
Showing uses sensory detail and action so the reader infers the emotion themselves.

Voice and Tone

Choose all that applyLevel 2
25. Which of these are examples of a possible tone in writing? Pick all that apply.
- Excitedcorrect
- Gloomycorrect
- Paragraph
- Essay
Excited and gloomy both describe attitudes a writer can express, unlike a paragraph or an essay, which are structures.
Multiple choiceLevel 2
26. What does a writer's 'tone' mean?
- The feeling or attitude shown in the writingcorrect
- The number of pages in the essay
- The font used to print the text
- The title of the essay
Tone is the attitude or feeling a writer shows toward the subject, such as serious or playful.
Sort into groupsLevel 2
27. Sort each piece of writing as formal or informal in tone.
Answer: A text message to a friend = Informal; A note passed in class = Informal; A school research report = Formal; A cover letter for a job = Formal
Formal writing follows careful rules for school or work, while informal writing sounds relaxed like everyday talk.
Build the sentenceLevel 3
28. Build a sentence written in a formal, academic tone.
Answer: The results clearly demonstrate a significant trend
Formal tone favors precise verbs and complete phrasing over casual contractions.
Fill the blankLevel 3
29. A letter to a close friend is usually written in a(n) ____ tone.
- informalcorrect
- legal
- scientific
- academic
Writing to a friend usually calls for a casual, informal tone rather than formal language.
Odd one outLevel 3
30. Which word choice does NOT fit a formal academic tone?
- gonnacorrect
- therefore
- significant
- demonstrates
Words like "gonna" are casual contractions that break a formal, academic tone.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Build the sentence
Choose all that apply
Fact or fib
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Picture question
Put in order
Sort into groups
Spell it
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Writing Well

130 questions across 22 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

Read about Writing Well

Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.

Tone in Literature: How to Identify a Writer's AttitudeTone in literature is the attitude a writer creates through word choice, detail, and style. Learn how to identify tone and explain it with evidence.August 14, 2026 · 6 min read

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