Question 1

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
His daughters persuaded him to take a break from work and drive them to the mall so that they could meet with some of they're friends.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing they're to their. The former is a contraction meaning "they are," while the latter is the third-person plural possessive.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: what I'm supposed to do next,"
Suppose needs to be changed to supposed. The final -ed is often dropped in colloquial speech, but this is incorrect in formal writing.

Question 3

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The population grow each year at a rate of about 2.05 percent.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "The population has grown each"
The verb "grow" does not agree with the subject "population." The past tense form "verb" implies that population growth has stopped. Using the present perfect tense - "has grown" - indicates that an event has happened in the past and is not complete. The population grew in the past and continues to grow.

Question 4

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Therefore the etiquette rules differs depending on where a person lives.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Therefore, the etiquette rules differ"
To make the sentence easier to read or to signal a pause, a comma is used to set off the introductory adverb "therefore." In the original sentence, the subject and verb do not agree. "Differ" agrees with the plural subject "rules."

Question 5

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Another important source of income for Belize is the influx of money from the Belizean's that work abroad.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Belizeans"
An apostrophe can show possession. "Belizeans" does not need an apostrophe because it is the plural form of Belizean and not possessive.

Question 6

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has offered a loan to the government during the transition period. However, the IMF released a statement in April 2012 stating that it would withhold the loan because of concerns of instability.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "offered"
"Has offered" and "have offered" indicate the present perfect tense - an action in the past that continues into the present. Since the IMF stated that it was withholding the loan, it is not currently offering the loan. "Offers" is a present tense form of "offer." The past tense form of the verb, "offered," fits best within the context of the sentence.

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Many factors, including the climate, fishing, the Mayan's ruins, and the world's second longest barrier reef support the growth of tourism.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "the Mayan ruins"
"Mayan" should act as adjective in this sentence because it describes the ruins. An apostrophe, which is used to show possession, is unnecessary to properly complete this sentence.

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Men and women use separate communal bowls; often, women may sit together.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "communal bowls; often,"
Semicolons can separate two independent clauses - clauses that can stand alone as sentences - that are not joined by a coordinating conjunction. A comma is inappropriate to join the clauses. "Very" does not fit within the context of the sentence.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: It's not going to
In English 's can signify possession (e.g. the girl's doll) or contraction of is (e.g. Marcia's coming over later). To resolve this ambiguity, it's means it is, and its is the possessive form.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: member should proceed.
Precede should be changed to proceed. To precede is to come before; to proceed is to move forward. Ceed and cede have the same root despite the modern difference in spelling, but the prefixes give these words nearly opposite meanings.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: The Italian family emigrated
Immigrated should be changed to emigrated. Immigrants emigrate from one place and immigrate to another. The easy way to remember this is that emigrate has the same beginning as emit, which mean to send out.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: sure how to choose among them.
Between should be changed to among. Between is specifically reserved for when there are two options. If there are more than two options, use among instead. Remember that you get stuck between a rock and a hard place, and you get lost among the crowd.

Question 13

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
Even though he seemed generous, his actions were, in the end, self-serving.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by removing the hyphen. A compound adjective should be hyphenated when it comes before the noun or phrase it is modifying, but not when it comes after.

Question 14

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Greetings consists of speaking, shaking their hands, and smiling.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Greetings consist of speaking, shaking hands, and smiling."
The verb of a sentence must agree with the subject in number and in person. The verb "consist" agrees with the plural subject "greetings." Commas are the appropriate forms of punctuation to use in this sentence.

Question 15

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
It is the more populated Arab nation in Africa.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "most populated"
To properly complete this sentence, using a superlative adjective is appropriate because Egypt is compared to many nations. "Much" is a base or positive form of an adjective. "More" is a comparative adjective used to compare two things. "Most" is a superlative adjective.

Question 16

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 17

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: to avoid committing libel
Liable should be changed to libel. To be liable means to be legally responsible, while committing libel is damaging someone's reputation in print. The precise definition of libel varies from country to country.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: by airplane
In the interest of conciseness, by means of an airplane should be changed to by airplane. "By means of" can be replaced with "by" in almost all instances. These space filling phrases should be consistently edited out to give writing a strong, professional tone.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: his chronic lung problems
Acute should be changed to chronic. These terms are confused because they frequently refer to medical conditions, and often the same conditions. An acute condition is severe, and a chronic condition is one that recurs frequently.

Question 20

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
China calls the islands Diaoyu; in Japan, they are known as Senkaku.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Diaoyu; in Japan"
Semicolons can separate two independent clauses - clauses that can stand alone as sentences - that are not joined by a coordinating conjunction. A period can also separate two independent clauses, but the first letter in the following sentence should be capitalized. A comma or colon is inappropriate for this sentence.

Quiz 33: Praxis I Writing

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? His daughters persuaded him to take a break from work and drive them to the mall so that they could meet with some of they're friends.

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

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The population grow each year at a rate of about 2.05 percent.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Therefore the etiquette rules differs depending on where a person lives.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Another important source of income for Belize is the influx of money from the Belizean's that work abroad.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Many factors, including the climate, fishing, the Mayan's ruins, and the world's second longest barrier reef support the growth of tourism.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Men and women use separate communal bowls; often, women may sit together.

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 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? Even though he seemed generous, his actions were, in the end, self-serving.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Greetings consists of speaking, shaking their hands, and smiling.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. It is the more populated Arab nation in Africa.

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

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

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. China calls the islands Diaoyu; in Japan, they are known as Senkaku.