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

Corrected version: The interview was stressful, but
Either the semicolon should be changed to a comma or but should be removed. Full sentences can be joined by either a semicolon or a comma plus a conjunction.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: Stewart was worried that his
Him should be changed to his. This is a form called quasi-possessive. Getting is a gerund, a verb form that acts like a noun, so it can act as the subject of a sentence. Since Stewart was the one who got suspended it is his "getting suspended."

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: her award-winning chili a secret;
When joining two complete sentences, you should use a semicolon, not a colon.

Question 5

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 6

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Japan control the disputed East China Sea islands until World War II.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "controlled"
Since the sentence refers to an event that has already occurred, the past tense form of the verb "control" is necessary to properly complete the sentence. "Controlled" is the past tense form of "control."

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-China and Japan have been locked in a territorial dispute since the 1970s.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "have been locked"
Using the present perfect tense - "have been" - indicates that an event has happened in the past and is not complete. China and Japan are still disputing the territory, so they disputed it in the past and continue to dispute it.

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Its conflict has escalated in recent times, with citizens from both nations protesting and raising flags on different islands.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Their"
The conflict is between China and Japan, so a plural possessive pronoun is needed to properly complete the sentence. "It's" is a contraction of "it is." "There" is a not a possessive pronoun. "Their" is a plural possessive pronoun.

Question 9

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-President Truman assisted France by providing military equipment to help reestablish their presence and power in Vietnam.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "its"
"Their" is a plural possessive pronoun. France refers to one country; therefore, the sentence needs a singular pronoun. "There" is an adverb and "it's" is a contraction of "it is." "Its" is the singular possessive pronoun that properly completes the sentence.

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

The best choice is "increase"
"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.
-There are a group of islands located in the East China Sea that are the subject of a dispute between two nations.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "A group of islands located in the East China Sea is the subject of a dispute between two nations."
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 12

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-As water resources dwindle, competition for available sources rose.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "rises"
The present tense verb "dwindle" is inconsistent with the past tense verb "rose." Generally, the verbs in the sentence should have the same tense. "Risen" indicates the perfect and subjunctive tenses and "raised" is a past tense form of "raise." "Rises" is a present tense form that is consistent with "dwindle."

Question 13

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Her bid was very unsuccessful.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Her bid was unsuccessful"
Unnecessary words can affect sentence clarity. If Rankin did not win election to the Senate, then her bid was unsuccessful. The adverbs "very" and "mostly" do not add meaning to the sentence. "Unsuccessfully" is an adverb that improperly modifies "was."

Question 14

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-After the division of Vietnam, the United States supports South Vietnam.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "supported"
"Support" and "supports" represent the present tense, meaning an action is currently happening. "Will support" implies an action that will happen in the future. Since the Vietnam War already occurred, the past tense form - "supported" - is the best verb to use 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.
-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 16

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording 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 17

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

The best choice is "Vietnam"
"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 18

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Rankins involvement helped Montanan women gain the right to vote in 1914.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Rankin's involvement helped"
An apostrophe can show the possessive case of single nouns by using an apostrophe and s. An apostrophe after the s can indicate a plural noun or a noun that ends in s.Rankin is one person whose last name ends in n, so the apostrophe should appear before the s.

Question 19

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 best choice is "Vietnam, called the Viet Cong, started"
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 20

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-She attended public schools in Montana, and graduated from the University of Montana at Missoula in 1902 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "She attended public schools in Montana and"
Generally, commas are used before coordinating clauses such as "and" in sentences with two independent clauses. Periods and semicolons are inappropriate types of punctuation to use with this sentence. Since the clause after "and" cannot stand alone as a sentence, no punctuation is needed before the conjunction.

Quiz 2: Hiset: Editing and Improving Sentences and Passages

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.

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. -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. -Japan control the disputed East China Sea islands until World War II.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -China and Japan have been locked in a territorial dispute since the 1970s.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Its conflict has escalated in recent times, with citizens from both nations protesting and raising flags on different islands.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -President Truman assisted France by providing military equipment to help reestablish their presence and power in Vietnam.

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.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. 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.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -As water resources dwindle, competition for available sources rose.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Her bid was very unsuccessful.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -After the division of Vietnam, the United States supports South Vietnam.

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. -France colonized the country Vietnam in the mid-19th century.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Rankins involvement helped Montanan women gain the right to vote in 1914.

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.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -She attended public schools in Montana, and graduated from the University of Montana at Missoula in 1902 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.