Question 1

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? "Tom Brady is one of the NFL quarterbacks who has won more than one Super Bowl."

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by substituting have for has. Think of it this way; Tom Brady is a member of a group, the group of quarterbacks who have won more than one Super Bowl.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Was should be changed to were. In a neither/nor construction the verb should agree with the subject closest to the verb. In this sentence, the nearest subject is members, so we must use the plural form of the verb.

Question 3

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? "Don't forget to change your car's oil every 3000 miles, you risk damaging the engine if you drive without enough oil."

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by fixing the comma splice. You can either change the comma to a semicolon or put a conjunction after the comma.

Question 4

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "It was the precursor to the eventual constitutional amendment ratified two years later."

Accepted Answer

"Precursor" is a noun that means something that comes before someone or something. "Starting," "forefront" and "catalyst" are also nouns, but they do not fit based on the context. Since the resolution came before the constitutional amendment, it was a precursor to the amendment.

Question 5

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "The oil embargo caused the most resentment, among the Japanese, because Japan did not have any oil of its own. Japan wanted freedom from its dependency on the United States."

Accepted Answer

Commas can separate parenthetical expressions (nonessential words or phrases) in a sentence. "Among the Japanese" is significant because it describes who resented the United States and why. Therefore, no punctuation is necessary to separate the phrase from the rest of the sentence.

Question 6

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Although water covers approximately sixty-seven percent of the Earth's surface, less than three percent is fresh water."

Accepted Answer

Commas can be used between with two dependent clauses such as the ones ending with "surface" and beginning with "less." Colons, periods, and semicolons are inappropriate types of punctuation to use with this sentence.

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "France colonized the country Vietnam in the mid-19th century."

Accepted Answer

"Vietnam" and "the country" refer to the same noun. Omitting "the country" does not change the sentence's meaning. A comma is unnecessary after "Vietnam."

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "The North Vietnamese and supportive rebel communists in South Vietnam, called the Viet Cong, started fighting."

Accepted Answer

The words "called the Viet Cong" from an appositive because they identify the rebel communists. Appositives are set off by commas. The dash, colon, and semicolon are not appropriate within the context of this sentence.

Question 9

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Despite the support of the United States, the Vietnamese was able to defeat France in 1954."

Accepted Answer

"Was" is inconsistent with the plural noun "Vietnamese." "Where" indicates location and "will" does not fit within the context of the sentence." "Were" is consistent with "Vietnamese."

Question 10

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "They believe labeling will drive food costs and will confuse consumers."

Accepted Answer

"Drive" can mean to direct in a particular direction. One of the meanings of "hamper" is to "hold back," which is inappropriate based on the context of the passage. "Enforce" implies that the law will apply to food cost. "Increase" fits best within the sentence because it means to "expand or make larger."

Question 11

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Some countries such as the United States have ample sources of water."

Accepted Answer

Commas can be used before and after non-essential phrases. These parenthetical expressions can be set aside and not change the meaning of a sentence. The United States is listed as an example. If the country is set aside, it would not change the meaning of the sentence. Therefore, that phrase can be set off by commas.

Question 12

Choose the answer which best rewords the following sentence. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "There are a group of islands located in the East China Sea that are the subject of a dispute between two nations."

Accepted Answer

Wordiness can affect sentence clarity and cause confusion. Setting aside unnecessary words and phrases can strengthen a sentence. Removing inappropriate commas and "there are" and "that" do not change the sentence's meaning. The phrase "between two nations" is necessary because it tells readers "who" is disputing the islands.

Question 13

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Building infrastructure and developing oil reserves is becoming increasingly important to the economy."

Accepted Answer

"Infrastructure" and "oil reserves" refer to more than one thing. Therefore, a plural form of "to be" is necessary to properly complete the sentence. "Becoming" indicates that something is presently happening and will continue to happen so "are" is the appropriate verb form to use in this sentence.

Question 14

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Some people thought that her campaign would sour the fight for women's voting rights."

Accepted Answer

"Sour" is most associated with "taste," but can mean something that becomes bitter or unpleasant. "Excite" and "strengthen" have opposite connotations. "Hurt," which can mean to damage or to cause adverse affects, conveys a more appropriate meaning in context with the other words in the sentence.

Question 15

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Main cash crop for Belize was sugar, but in recent years, citrus fruits have become the leading source of crop income."

Accepted Answer

The sentence should begin with the definitive article "the" because "cash crop" refers to a one specific thing - sugar. "A" and "an" are indefinite articles.

Question 16

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "Dressing in the Congo is greatly influenced by the Western world, however, they are mixed with traditional clothing such as kikwembe, abacos, or a dashiki."

Accepted Answer

Semicolons are used to separate independent clauses joined by conjunctive adverbs such as "however." A comma is inappropriate punctuation to use between the clauses.

Question 17

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "The country of Belize's economy is fueled greatly by foreign aid because it is based on an agrarian economy."

Accepted Answer

"The country of" conveys the same meaning as "Belize." Setting the phrase aside does not change the meaning of the sentence. "Belize's country" and "Belize's the" do not fit within the context of the sentence.

Question 18

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? "Neither side was completely happy with the mediator's judgment, but they agreed to abide by it nonetheless."

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing mediator to arbitrator. A mediator facilitates negotiations but has no power to force an agreement. An arbitrator acts as a judge and is responsible for determining the final outcome.

Question 19

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? "Some people have called for an end to the US boycott of Cuban goods."

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing boycott to embargo. Consumers who choose not to buy a product are boycotting it; governments that forbid trade have placed an embargo on another country. Both actions inhibit trade.

Question 20

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. "In the past, residents used the wood for cooking and heating, but recently, they have began to sell it in order to support their livelihoods."

Accepted Answer

"Began" is a past tense form of "begin." "Begun" is the past particle form of the verb. Joined with the auxiliary verb "have," it indicates something has happened for an unspecified time before the present and will continue to happen.

Quiz 6: English