Question 1

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Accepted Answer

Criteria is plural, but there is only a single prerequisite given, low gas mileage. The plural form must be changed to the singular form, criterion.

Question 2

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
The novel affected great personal growth when I was a teenager; I have recommended it to a large number of teens since then.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing affected to effected. Effect as a verb means to bring about, while affect as a verb means to alter. The writer is saying that the novel caused personal growth, so effected should be used.

Question 3

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
It is important to greet each other, and inquire about each others situation before other matters are discussed.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is not a compound sentence, meaning it does not have at least two independent clauses. Therefore, the clauses do not need to be separate by a comma. The correct possessive form of the singular noun "other" is "other's."

Question 4

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Belize is the less populated country in Central America with approximately 321,000 people.

Accepted Answer

Using the appropriate adjective will properly convey the sentence's meaning. "Less," "smaller," and "smallest" do not fit within the context of the sentence. The superlative adjective "least," which means smallest in amount, does fit within the context of the sentence.

Question 5

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Scientists use genetically modified organisms to protect crops. add variety to certain foods.

Accepted Answer

The original sentence has an inappropriate period that results in a complete sentences and a sentence fragment. The coordinating conjunction "and" properly joins the two clauses.

Question 6

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
After World War II the nationalist movement led by Ho Chi Minh tried to take down the French government.

Accepted Answer

A comma is needed to set off the introductory phrase "After World War II" from the main part of the sentence. A comma is unnecessary after "movement" or "after."

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Along with gold, silver, and platinum, palladium is a precious metal owned and traded by investors.

Accepted Answer

The opening part of the original sentence is an introductory clause. Palladium is the subject of the sentence. Therefore, "is" is the proper verb for this sentence.

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
After the conclusion of Great Britain's partition of India and Pakistan, the state of Jammu and Kashmir did not decide what nation to join.

Accepted Answer

Wordiness can affect sentence clarity and cause confusion. Removing "after" or using "because" modifies what the sentence conveys. Setting aside "the conclusion of" does not change the sentence's meaning.

Question 9

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
In 1969, the United Nations reported that there was a possibility of large oil reserves in the East China Sea near the islands location.

Accepted Answer

An apostrophe can show the possessive case of nouns by using an apostrophe and s. An apostrophe after the s can indicate a plural noun or a noun that ends in s.Since the passage refers to more than one island, the plural form of the word should have an apostrophe after s.

Question 10

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Etiquette, which is sometimes unwritten, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior of people.

Accepted Answer

The clause "which is sometimes unwritten" includes relevant information, but is not needed to complete the sentence. Therefore, it is a non-restrictive clause and should be offset by commas at the beginning and at the end of the phrase. "Which" is a pronoun used with non-restrictive clauses. Generally, "that" is a part of a restrictive clause.

Question 11

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
However, the IMF released a statement in April 2012 stating that it would withhold the loan because of concerns of instability.

Accepted Answer

A comma is necessary to separate the conjunctive adverb "however" from main clause. Colons and semicolons are not appropriate types of punctuation to use in this part of the sentence.

Question 12

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
If the bill passes, it will be the first law in the United States that required GMO labeling.

Accepted Answer

The past tense form of the verb "require" is inappropriate in this sentence because the event has not occurred. The present tense form of the verb must agree with the subject - "law." "Requires" agrees with the subject.

Question 13

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
As a result of logging oyamel firs trees, the habitat of the monarch butterfly population has shrunk.

Accepted Answer

"Has" is an auxiliary verb of the present perfect progressive form; it indicates something that happened in the past. Since monarch butterflies still exist, their numbers can continue to decline. Therefore, the present progressive form - "to be" and a participle - is the correct form to complete this sentence.

Question 14

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
The rule of law, a middle class that is growing and fair elections are all vital to a healthy, functional democracy.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by fixing the parallel structure. "The rule of law, a growing middle class and fair elections" has better structure.

Question 15

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Although extreme drought conditions have dried up nectar plants monarch butterflies rely on for food.

Accepted Answer

"Although" is a subordinating conjunction, meaning it comes at the beginning of a dependent clause (a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence.) Beginning the sentence with "extreme" transforms the dependent clause into an independent clause. The auxiliary verb "have" agrees with the subject "conditions."

Question 16

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The World Wildlife Foundation recently reports that the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has declined drastically.

Accepted Answer

"Recently" is an adverb signaling something that has already occurred. "Reports" is a present tense form of the verb "report" indicating present action. "Reported," the past tense form of "report," is the correct form of the verb to use with "recently."

Question 17

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Accepted Answer

Whomever should be changed to whoever. Whoever is used in the subject position of a sentence, and whomever is an object. In the above sentence, whoever is the subject of the embedded clause, "whoever asks for it," even though the embedded clause is itself an indirect object.

Question 18

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Accepted Answer

Take should be changed to bring. Bring and take are often confused because their meanings are nearly the same, but usage depends on the point of reference. You take something there and bring something here. In some instances there is no clear point of reference and either word works. "He brought the car to the garage," and "he took the car to the garage" could both be correct depending on the larger context.

Question 19

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
The committee constitutes eleven persons from departments throughout the company.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing constitutes to comprises. To comprise is to be made up of; the US comprises 50 states. You could say that eleven people, or persons, constitute a new committee, but the committee cannot constitute people.

Question 20

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Accepted Answer

Uninterested should be changed to disinterested. An uninterested observer does not care about the proceedings, while a disinterested observer has no stake in the outcome.

Quiz 3: Act-Compass-Writing-Practice-Test

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? The novel affected great personal growth when I was a teenager; I have recommended it to a large number of teens since then.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. It is important to greet each other, and inquire about each others situation before other matters are discussed.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Belize is the less populated country in Central America with approximately 321,000 people.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Scientists use genetically modified organisms to protect crops. add variety to certain foods.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. After World War II the nationalist movement led by Ho Chi Minh tried to take down the French government.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Along with gold, silver, and platinum, palladium is a precious metal owned and traded by investors.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. After the conclusion of Great Britain's partition of India and Pakistan, the state of Jammu and Kashmir did not decide what nation to join.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. In 1969, the United Nations reported that there was a possibility of large oil reserves in the East China Sea near the islands location.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Etiquette, which is sometimes unwritten, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior of people.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. However, the IMF released a statement in April 2012 stating that it would withhold the loan because of concerns of instability.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. If the bill passes, it will be the first law in the United States that required GMO labeling.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. As a result of logging oyamel firs trees, the habitat of the monarch butterfly population has shrunk.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? The rule of law, a middle class that is growing and fair elections are all vital to a healthy, functional democracy.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Although extreme drought conditions have dried up nectar plants monarch butterflies rely on for food.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The World Wildlife Foundation recently reports that the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has declined drastically.

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? The committee constitutes eleven persons from departments throughout the company.

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?