Question 1

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Although extreme drought conditions have dried up nectar plants monarch butterflies rely on for food.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Extreme drought conditions have"
"Although" is a subordinating conjunction, meaning it comes at the beginning of a dependent clause (a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence.) Beginning the sentence with "extreme" transforms the dependent clause into an independent clause. The auxiliary verb "have" agrees with the subject "conditions."

Question 2

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

The best choice is "heating. Recently, they have begun selling it"
"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.

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.
-Main cash crop for Belize was sugar, but in recent years, citrus fruits have become the leading source of crop income.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "The main cash crop"
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 5

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-People should only eat with their right hands, especially if they are eating with their fingers.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "their"
"They're" is a contraction of "they are." "Their" is a non-specific possessive pronoun. It appropriately shows possession of "right hands."

Question 6

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-In Belize tourism has become one of the fastest growing sources of employment and income.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "In Belize, tourism has become"
A comma is needed to separate the introductory phrase "In Belize" from the main part of the sentence. Commas are unnecessary after "tourism" and "become."

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-With over 200 ethnic groups represented the people of the Congo have a wide variety of customs, traditions, and values.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "With over 200 ethnic groups represented, the people"
A comma is needed to separate the introductory phrase "With over 200 ethnic groups represented" from the main part of the sentence. A period or semicolon is inappropriate punctuation to use with this sentence.

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-The economy in Egypt has suffered due to the fact that there was a political upheaval caused by the revolution and the removal of President Mubarak.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "because"
Wordiness can affect sentence clarity. Using "due to" or "through" will make the sentence grammatically incorrect. Inserting the conjunction "because" maintains the meaning of the sentence while setting aside unnecessary words.

Question 9

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 best choice is "Belize's"
"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 10

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-In 2008, scientists used satellite imagery to illustrate the degradation of oyamel fir forests.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "In 2008, scientists used satellite imagery to illustrate the degradation of oyamel fir forests."
The year indicates an event that happened in the past. "Use" and "uses" are two present tense forms of "use." "Had" is an inappropriate verb for this sentence. "Used" is the correct form of the verb to include in this sentence.

Question 11

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-The government has requested loans to help their banks, but the government has not been able to repay the money.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "it"
Using "the government" two times in a sentence is redundant. Replace "the government" with the proper pronoun will eliminate the redundancy. "It" is a single pronoun that can represent "government."

Question 12

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-In total there have been four wars between the two countries.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "In total, there have been four wars between the two countries."
A comma is needed to set off the introductory phrase "In total" from the main part of the sentence. A comma is unnecessary after "wars," and a semicolon does not properly complete the sentence.

Question 13

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Four U.S. battleships was sunk, and the rest were badly damaged.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "were"
"Was" is inconsistent with the plural noun "battleships." "Where" indicates location and "we're" is the contraction of "we are." "Were" is consistent with "battleships."

Question 14

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Many tourists fear terrorism and of being targeted by religious political parties.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "attacks"
"Being targeted" indicates the passive voice. Using the active voice can make a sentence more concise. "Agendas" does not fit within the context of the sentence. "Attacks" relates to terrorism and places emphasis on what the tourists fear.

Question 15

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-On the day of the attack three cruisers, two tankers, two battleships, six aircraft carriers, and nine destroyers sailed to a point north of Hawaii.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "On the day of the attack, three cruisers"
A comma is needed to set off the introductory phrase "On the day of the attack" from the main part of the sentence. A comma is unnecessary after "day," and a semicolon does not properly complete the sentence.

Question 16

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-The commander in chief of Japan's fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto believed that attacking Pearl Harbor would allow Japan to rebuild its defenses.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Japan's fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, believed"
"Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto" is an appositive because it is the proper noun identifying the "commander in chief." Using commas before and after the appositive properly completes the sentence.

Question 17

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-Recently, the new government ordered banks to set aside money for troubled, property, development loans because of the mortgage crisis and recession.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "troubled property development loans"
In this sentence, "troubled" is an adjective that describes the type of loans - property development loans. Therefore, commas are unnecessary between "troubled," "property," "development," or "loans."

Question 18

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-If further efforts are not made, some scientist predict the total collapse of the ecosystem that supports monarch butterflies in Mexico.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "some scientists predict"
The subject and verb must agree in a sentence. The verb "predict" does not agree with the subject "scientist." The adjective "some" indicates more than one scientist, but not all of them. Setting aside "some" can change the meaning of the sentence. "Scientists" agrees with the verb "predict."

Question 19

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-When dining in the Congo hands should be washed before and after eating.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "When dining in the Congo, hands should be"
The comma is required to separate the dependent (introductory) clause from the independent clause. The plural form of "hands" is appropriate. A semicolon is inappropriate in this sentence.

Question 20

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
-The first war between India and Pakistan began in 1947 and continued until 1949, when the United Nations stepped in and broker a ceasefire.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "brokered"
The other verbs in this sentence - "began," "continued" and "stepped" are past tense forms of verbs. Therefore, "brokered," the past tense form of "broker," fits within the sentence's structure.

Quiz 2: Hiset: Editing and Improving Sentences and Passages

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Although extreme drought conditions have dried up nectar plants monarch butterflies rely on for food.

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.

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. -Main cash crop for Belize was sugar, but in recent years, citrus fruits have become the leading source of crop income.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -People should only eat with their right hands, especially if they are eating with their fingers.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -In Belize tourism has become one of the fastest growing sources of employment and income.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -With over 200 ethnic groups represented the people of the Congo have a wide variety of customs, traditions, and values.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -The economy in Egypt has suffered due to the fact that there was a political upheaval caused by the revolution and the removal of President Mubarak.

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.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -In 2008, scientists used satellite imagery to illustrate the degradation of oyamel fir forests.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -The government has requested loans to help their banks, but the government has not been able to repay the money.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -In total there have been four wars between the two countries.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Four U.S. battleships was sunk, and the rest were badly damaged.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Many tourists fear terrorism and of being targeted by religious political parties.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -On the day of the attack three cruisers, two tankers, two battleships, six aircraft carriers, and nine destroyers sailed to a point north of Hawaii.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -The commander in chief of Japan's fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto believed that attacking Pearl Harbor would allow Japan to rebuild its defenses.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -Recently, the new government ordered banks to set aside money for troubled, property, development loans because of the mortgage crisis and recession.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -If further efforts are not made, some scientist predict the total collapse of the ecosystem that supports monarch butterflies in Mexico.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -When dining in the Congo hands should be washed before and after eating.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. -The first war between India and Pakistan began in 1947 and continued until 1949, when the United Nations stepped in and broker a ceasefire.