Question 1

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Japan wanted freedom from their dependency on the United States.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "its"
"Their" is a plural possessive pronoun. Japan refers to one country; therefore, the sentence needs a singular pronoun. "They're" and "it's" are contractions of "they are" and "it is" respectively. "Its" is the singular possessive form that properly completes the sentence.

Question 2

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
It had invaded China and its alliance with Germany and Italy (the Axis Powers), along with its occupation of French Indochina strained diplomatic relations.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "its"
"Its" is a possessive pronoun. "It's" is a contraction of "it" and "is." "Its" is the appropriate form to include in the sentence.

Question 3

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The United States put a freeze on all of Japan's assets and declared an embargo on oil and scrap metal shipments to Japan.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "froze"
Excessive words can affect sentence clarity. "Froze" conveys a similar meaning as "put a freeze on all of" and fits within the context of the sentence.

Question 4

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

The best choice is "resentment among the Japanese because"
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 5

Choose the most logical order of sentences from this paragraph. If you think the original order is best, choose option A.
[1] At the center of the controversy is Jammu and Kashmir (a territory both nations claim). [2] When the British government controlled the region, it appointed a Hindu leader - called the Maharaja - to rule over the Jammu and Kashmir territory. [3] Jammu is predominately Hindu while the majority of Kashmir residents are Muslim.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "1, 3, 2"
Sentence [1] tells readers the cause of the current controversy. Sentence [3] provides background about the region. Sentence [2] explains what happened when the British government controlled Jammu and Kashmir. It is logical for background information to follow the introductory information about the region.

Question 6

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Soon after, peace talks broke down and the war resumed, however, American troops did not return.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "resumed; however, American"
The initial sentence improperly uses two commas to enclose the conjunctive adverb "however." A colon is not appropriate punctuation to use in this sentence. When using conjunctive adverbs such as "however" in a sentence, they should be preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
This was the first war in a foreign country where combat forces did not achieve their goals of stopping the spread of communism.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "their"
"Their" is the possessive pronoun that properly represents "forces." "There" is an adverb. "Theyre" is not a word. "They're" is a contraction of "they" and "are."

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Palladium, a soft shiny silvery-white metal, is one of six platinum group metals and is relatively rare.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "a soft, shiny silvery-white metal"
"Soft" and "shiny" are two consecutive adjectives describing palladium. Therefore, a comma should separate the adjectives. "Soft shiny" should be "soft, shiny."

Question 9

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
This did eventually lead to President Johnson cut back on sending troops.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "As a result, President Johnson"
The Tet Offensive caused President Johnson to take certain actions. Therefore, there was a "result." "Despite this" implies that President Johnson maintained the same course of action. "Furthermore" signifies that he had taken previous similar action.

Question 10

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The United States sent troops in 1965 to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "The United States sent troops to South Vietnam in 1965 to contain the spread of communism and prevent the collapse of the government."
In the original sentence, it is unclear where the United States sent troops. Inserting "to South Vietnam" after "troops," properly conveys when, where, and why the United States sent troops to South Vietnam.

Question 11

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
In 1968, communists launched the tet offensive, a massive attack against the United States and South Vietnam.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Tet Offensive"
The "Tet Offensive" is a proper noun that refers to a specific event from the Vietnam War. Therefore, the first letters of "Tet" and Offensive" should be capitalized.

Question 12

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
They hoped that to cause the South Vietnamese to lose faith in their government and to deal a blow to United States forces.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "They hoped the South Vietnamese would lose faith in their government and wanted to deal a blow to United States forces."
The initial sentence has three infinitive phrases - "to cause," "to lose," and "to deal." Too many infinitive phrases cause wordy sentences that affect clarity and flow. Modifying the sentence so that it has only one infinitive phrase helps to convey the intended meaning.

Question 13

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
It was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "William Hyde Wollaston discovered it in 1803."
The original sentence uses the passive voice. To emphasize who discovered palladium, use the active voice, represented by the sentence "William Hyde Wollaston discovered it in 1803." Here, the sentence states the subject, Wollaston, before the noun (discovered).

Question 14

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Mining palladium uses mechanical extraction methods that simplify the process. Makes it easier to get down into the Earth's crust.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "the process and makes it easier"
The second clause is a sentence fragment, meaning it cannot stand alone as a sentence. Combining the sentence and the fragment by using a conjunction creates a complete sentence. The conjunction "but" implies that there is a condition to the simplification method. "And" correctly joins the clauses because the extraction methods make it easier to mine palladium.

Question 15

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The reserves in the upper portions of the crust is becoming depleted, so miners have to dig deeper.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "are becoming"
"Is" does not agree with the plural subject "reserves." "Would become" and "had become" do not convey the sentence's intended meaning. "Are" does agree with "reserves."

Question 16

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The largest North American palladium mine - Montana's Stillwater mine - is located in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "is in the United States"
"Is located" indicates the passive voice. Setting aside "located" will not change the sentence's intended meaning. "By" implies that the mine is near the United States and "through" implies that the mine covers a vast area across several states.

Question 17

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Palladium mining is an intricate process because it is spread out under the earth's surface.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Earth's"
The first letter in Earth should be capitalized when referring to the planet. Since there is only one Earth, an apostrophe precedes the s in the possessive case.

Question 18

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
It can be drawn into wire or hammered out into sheets, it is often mixed with gold for "white gold" jewelry.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "into sheets; it is often"
Use a comma between two independent clauses creates a comma splice, a type of run-on sentence. A semicolon can properly separate two independent clauses.

Question 19

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Palladium often replaces platinum since it is cheaper, harder and lighter. It can be drawn into wire or hammered out into sheets, it is often mixed with gold for "white gold" jewelry. Palladium can also be used to make surgical instruments.Automobile manufacturers need the world's palladium for catalytic converters.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "need most of the world's palladium"
The original sentence implies that automobile manufacturers use all of the world's palladium for catalytic converters, which is inaccurate. Setting aside "the world's" can possibly change the sentence's intended meaning. "Need most of the world's palladium" properly conveys how much of the metal automobile manufacturers use.

Question 20

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 best choice is "palladium is a precious metal"
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.

Quiz 19: Composition

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Japan wanted freedom from their dependency on the United States.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. It had invaded China and its alliance with Germany and Italy (the Axis Powers) , along with its occupation of French Indochina strained diplomatic relations.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The United States put a freeze on all of Japan's assets and declared an embargo on oil and scrap metal shipments to Japan.

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.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Soon after, peace talks broke down and the war resumed, however, American troops did not return.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. This was the first war in a foreign country where combat forces did not achieve their goals of stopping the spread of communism.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Palladium, a soft shiny silvery-white metal, is one of six platinum group metals and is relatively rare.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. This did eventually lead to President Johnson cut back on sending troops.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The United States sent troops in 1965 to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. In 1968, communists launched the tet offensive, a massive attack against the United States and South Vietnam.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. They hoped that to cause the South Vietnamese to lose faith in their government and to deal a blow to United States forces.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. It was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Mining palladium uses mechanical extraction methods that simplify the process. Makes it easier to get down into the Earth's crust.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The reserves in the upper portions of the crust is becoming depleted, so miners have to dig deeper.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The largest North American palladium mine - Montana's Stillwater mine - is located in the United States.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Palladium mining is an intricate process because it is spread out under the earth's surface.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. It can be drawn into wire or hammered out into sheets, it is often mixed with gold for "white gold" jewelry.

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.