Question 1

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. When you look at the sky on a clear night, you will not see the exact same sky that the ancient Greeks saw thousands of years ago when they looked at the night sky .

Accepted Answer

The underlined portion is wordy because it can be rephrased more concisely as "the sky you see at night is different from what the ancient Greeks saw thousands of years ago."

Question 2

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. There are billions of stars in each galaxy, and there are billions of galaxies in the universe. Stars are bodies of gas that range in size, weight, and temperature, and can be hot or cold .

Accepted Answer

The underlined portion "that range in size, weight, and temperature, and can be hot or cold" is wordy because it can be simplified to "with varying sizes, weights, temperatures, and heat levels".

Question 3

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Accepted Answer

Sentence B is concise and straightforward, avoiding clichés and unnecessary words, making it the sentence with concise, fresh language.

Question 4

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Ancient people believed that stars were motionless, that they did not move .

Accepted Answer

The underlined portion of the sentence is wordy because it unnecessarily repeats information already stated in the sentence.

Question 5

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. The driving hail ____ our faces as we ran for the car.

Accepted Answer

The word "stung" most vividly describes the sensation of hail impacting the face, suggesting a sharp, painful feeling which is more specific and evocative than "was on" or "hit."

Question 6

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Accepted Answer

Sentence A uses concise language by stating "my mother teaches physics," instead of using more verbose language like "functions in the capacity of a professor of physics." It also uses fresh language by using the word "teaches" instead of a more generic term like "works" or "employs."

Question 7

In each group below, select the letter of the sentence that uses concise, fresh, and exact language. Which sentence uses concise, fresh, and exact language?

Accepted Answer

Sentence C is the most concise, fresh, and exact because it specifies the actions of both the paramedics and police officers with precise verbs ("treated" and "directed") and clarifies the nature of the accident ("around the crash").

Question 8

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. After lying to his best friend about the business deal, James felt ____.

Accepted Answer

Remorse is the best choice as it specifically means feeling guilty or regretful for one's actions. It is a more precise and vivid way to describe the feeling James experienced. The other choices are more general and do not capture the full depth of the emotion.

Question 9

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. The sun is an example of a medium heat, medium weight star. The hottest stars are blue in color , and the coolest stars are red.

Accepted Answer

The underlined portion "medium heat, medium weight" is wordy as it uses two words to convey one idea. A more concise statement could be "The sun is a medium-sized star".

Question 10

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. In her singing debut at Carnegie Hall, Constance gave a ____ performance.

Accepted Answer

"Stunning" accurately portrays a performance that is impressive, awe-inspiring and memorable at a prestigious venue like Carnegie Hall. "Good" is too generic and does not convey the same level of excellence. "Superduper" is not a standard or formal term indicating excellence in a performance.

Question 11

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. Sam ____ on the sofa reading a murder mystery.

Accepted Answer

"Slouched" is the best choice because it paints a more vivid picture of Sam's posture and position on the sofa, indicating that he may be relaxed or disinterested in what he's reading. "Sat" is a possibility, but it doesn't provide as much visual detail. "Was" is too vague and could apply to any activity.

Question 12

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Accepted Answer

The sentence "Elizabeth is painting right now" is more concise and uses fresher language compared to the wordy and redundant sentence "Elizabeth is at this very moment engaged in creating a work on canvas with paint."

Question 13

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Actually, the stars do move through space, but they are so far away that we cannot see the movement in our lifetimes. It's anyone's guess how many stars there are in the universe.

Accepted Answer

The phrase "It's anyone's guess" is considered trite because it is a cliché that is overused and lacks originality.

Question 14

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Accepted Answer

Sentence A is concise and uses fresh language such as "meet" and "restaurant", while sentence B is wordy and uses more formal language such as "gather together" and "eating establishment".

Question 15

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Accepted Answer

Sentence B is more concise and uses fresh language by avoiding unnecessary words and cliches such as "fair city" and "right as rain."

Question 16

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Enormous stars, called red giants, can be fifty times more massive than the sun. The smallest stars, called white dwarfs, are small, usually no larger than Earth.

Accepted Answer

The underlined portion "called red giants" is not wordy or trite, but the word "enormous" could be seen as wordy or unnecessary.

Question 17

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Clearly, then, stars are not cool and distant as they seem at first glance, but dynamic, evolving spheres of energy that never stop changing .

Accepted Answer

The phrase "at first glance" is a common phrase that adds unnecessary length to the sentence. "Stars are not cool and distant as they seem" is already enough to convey the intended meaning.

Question 18

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Stars glow like a light bulb , even from a distance, because of the nuclear fusion going on continually exploding in the star's center.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The following sentences form a paragraph. Select...

Question 19

In each group below, select the letter of the sentence that uses concise, fresh, and exact language. Which sentence uses concise, fresh, and exact language?

Accepted Answer

Sentence C is the most precise as it specifies what kind of crumbs, where they are, and how they are situated, providing a clear and detailed image with concise language.

Question 20

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. ____ boards make the porch dangerous.

Accepted Answer

The word "rotting" vividly describes the condition of the boards and implies a greater level of danger than simply being made of wood or being crummy.

Quiz 23: Revising for Language Awareness

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Ancient people believed that stars were motionless, that they did not move .

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. The driving hail ____ our faces as we ran for the car.

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

In each group below, select the letter of the sentence that uses concise, fresh, and exact language. Which sentence uses concise, fresh, and exact language?

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. After lying to his best friend about the business deal, James felt ____.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. The sun is an example of a medium heat, medium weight star. The hottest stars are blue in color , and the coolest stars are red.

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. In her singing debut at Carnegie Hall, Constance gave a ____ performance.

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. Sam ____ on the sofa reading a murder mystery.

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Clearly, then, stars are not cool and distant as they seem at first glance, but dynamic, evolving spheres of energy that never stop changing .

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the answer that correctly identifies the underlined portion of the sentence as wordy or trite. Stars glow like a light bulb , even from a distance, because of the nuclear fusion going on continually exploding in the star's center.

In each group below, select the letter of the sentence that uses concise, fresh, and exact language. Which sentence uses concise, fresh, and exact language?

In each of the sentences below, select the letter for the word that most exactly and vividly completes the sentence. ____ boards make the porch dangerous.