Question 1

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Some people thought that her campaign would sour the fight for women's voting rights.
A)sour
B)excite
C)strengthen
D)hurt

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "hurt"
"Sour" is most associated with "taste," but can mean something that becomes bitter or unpleasant. "Excite" and "strengthen" have opposite connotations. "Hurt," which can mean to damage or to cause adverse affects, conveys a more appropriate meaning in context with the other words in the sentence.

Question 2

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.
A)Although extreme drought conditions have
B)Although extreme drought conditions has
C)Extreme drought conditions have
D)Extreme drought conditions has

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 3

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The World Wildlife Foundation recently reports that the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has declined drastically.
A)The World Wildlife Foundation recently reports
B)The World Wildlife Foundation recently reported
C)Reports recently, the World Wildlife Foundation,
D)Recent reports the World Wildlife Foundation

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "The World Wildlife Foundation recently reported"
"Recently" is an adverb signaling something that has already occurred. "Reports" is a present tense form of the verb "report" indicating present action. "Reported," the past tense form of "report," is the correct form of the verb to use with "recently."

Question 4

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The trees provide shelter to monarch butterflies they are also essential for the communities that surround the forests.
A)butterflies they are also essential
B)butterflies and they are also essential
C)butterflies; and they are also essential
D)butterflies, and they are also essential

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "butterflies, and they are also essential."
The sentence, in its original form, contains two independent clauses. Semicolons are appropriate for two closely related independent clauses; however, a comma is the best form of punctuation to insert before a coordinating conjunction.

Question 5

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
As a result of logging oyamel firs trees, the habitat of the monarch butterfly population has shrunk.
A)the monarch butterfly population has shrunk.
B)the monarch butterfly population is shrinking.
C)the monarch butterfly population had shrunk.
D)the monarch butterfly population was shrinking.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "the monarch butterfly population is shrinking."
"Has" is an auxiliary verb of the present perfect progressive form; it indicates something that happened in the past. Since monarch butterflies still exist, their numbers can continue to decline. Therefore, the present progressive form - "to be" and a participle - is the correct form to complete this sentence.

Question 6

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.
A)heating, but recently, they have began to sell it
B)heating. But they had recently began to sell it
C)heating. Recently, they have begun selling it
D)and they were selling it

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 7

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
The committee constitutes eleven persons from departments throughout the company.
A)Change persons to people.
B)Change constitutes to comprises.
C)Change committee to committee.
D)Remove the word departments.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing constitutes to comprises. To comprise is to be made up of; the US comprises 50 states. You could say that eleven people, or persons, constitute a new committee, but the committee cannot constitute people.

Question 8

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
In South Africa, the largest proportion of palladium and platinum resource are at the Bushveld Igeneous Complex.
A)palladium and platinum resource are
B)palladium and platinum resource is
C)palladium and platinum resources is
D)palladium and platinum resources are

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "palladium and platinum resources are"
Palladium and platinum are two different resources; therefore, "resources" should be included in the sentence. Singular nouns agree with "is" and plural nouns agree with "are."

Question 9

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?
A)The boy is the spitting image
B)of his father, differing with him
C)only in height and the depth
D)of his voice.
E)During the jury selection process
F)lawyers for each side are allowed
G)to strike jurors who they suspect
H)will not be uninterested observers.
I)The pick-up truck past
J)everyone on the road's shoulder
K)instead of waiting an hour for
L)the traffic jam to clear up.
M)The old farmer had gained the
N)respect of the townspeople
O)for his stayed demeanor and his
P)successful cattle business.
Q)Although they were not severe,
R)his acute lung problems
S)proved to be a source of annoyance
T)throughout his life.
U)"Give the rest of the pizza to
V)whomever asks for it;
W)I certainly don't want
X)any more slices."
Y)Irregardless of the next election's
AA)outcome, the incumbent president
AB)will continue to be influential
AC)within his party.
AD)John was certain that
AE)"The Godfather" was the greatest film
AF)of all time and made all of his
AG)friends watch the same.
AH)I don't care what happens
AI)to them; when we go you can
AJ)leave those old, dirty clothes
AK)behind for whoever.
AL)We called Tom from
AM)the party to ask him to
AN)take a couple of bottles of wine
AO)when he came.
AP)I'm traveling to London
AQ)by means of an airplane
AR)because it is both faster and
AS)cheaper than driving.
AT)After weeks of partisan debate
AU)both parties have at least agreed
AV)that no vote will be held
AW)at the present time.
AX)In view of the fact that his
AY)face was clearly visible on
AZ)the security cameras, everyone
BA)assumed he would be found guilty.
BB)The young man I met last night
BC)has lived in Kansas City, MO;
BD)Tucson, AZ; Boston, MA,
BE)Fairbanks, AK; and Paris, France.
BF)The dean had made many positive changes
BG)during the course of his tenure
BH)at the prep school, but it was time
BI)for someone else to take over.
BJ)Jimmy laid down to sleep around ten,
BK)but the apartment beneath his threw
BL)a party that went all night and
BM)he slept for less than an hour.
BN)If you are tired, lay down
BO )to take a quick nap,
BP )and we will leave after
BQ )you wake up.
BR )The realtor showed him six apartments
BS)that were close to his work and
BT )within his price range. Scott wasn't
BU )sure how to choose between them.
BV )Having lain the toddler in his
BW )cradle, Margaret hoped that
B X)he would sleep long enough for
BY )her to get some work done.
BZ)To avoid plagiarism charges,
CA)it is important to site any
CB )references that you consulted
CC)while writing your thesis.
CD)Tom's stylish friend paid him
CE )a great compliment, saying that
CF )his new jacket complimented
CG )his other clothes perfectly.
CH )The Italian family immigrated
CI )from Rome more than a decade
CJ )ago but only recently
CK )received their new citizenship.
CL )"Were you able to illicit
CM )the response that you wanted
CN )by asking that inane question?"
CO )Stephan asked him.
CP )The students were confused
CQ )because Eliot had made so
CR )many illusions in his poem
CS )that they could not understand it.
CT)Don't peak at your classmates'
CU)test papers; even if you don't get
CV)caught, you should rely on
CW)your own hard work.
CX)The human resources department
CY)disperses each of our salaries
CZ)on the first and third
DA)Friday of each month.
DB)The marksman was extremely accurate;
DC)he missed the mark by three inches
DD)to the top left each time
DF)that he took a shot.
DG)Mutually assured destruction is
DH)the theory that a nuclear strike
DI)can be detoured by possessing
DJ)one's own nuclear arsenal.
DK)Many Southerners, especially Georgians,
DL)still have mixed feelings about
DM)General Sherman's March to the Sea,
DN)which ravished Atlanta and other cities.
DO)The popularity of
DP)zombie movies, in which dead people
DQ)raise from their graves,
DR)has surged in recent years.
DS)At the end of each weekly
DT)meeting we review the minutes
DU)and decide how each team
DV)member should precede.
DW)The car is insured against accidents,
DX)but the insurance agent ensured the
DY)young driver that it was still
DZ)important to be careful while driving.
EA)The bombing of Pearl Harbor
EB)was a historical event;
EC)one hundred years from now
ED)it will still be remembered.
EE)During the arraignment
EF)the witness's bizarre speech
EG)and disassembling left us
EH)at a loss as to what had happened.
EI)For all intensive purposes,
EJ)there is no difference between
EK)using cake mix and
EL)baking a cake from scratch.
EM)Many people thought
EN)of the priest as kind and generous,
EO)and a few people thought
EP)of him as discrete.
EQ)The principle reason
ER)the committee changed its mind
ES)about which design to use was
ET)the possibility of going over budget.
EU)Don't loose your fighting
EV)spirit, not even if the bookies
EX)have you down as a
EY)serious underdog.
EZ)The mediator used some
FA)light humor to try to
FB)diffuse the situation,
FC)but the tension remained.
FD)Gabriel went to the public library,
FF)and checked out The Stranger after
FG)being enthralled by an excerpt
FH)in his AP English class.
FI)The torrential rains
FJ)could of flooded the house
FK)if they had lasted
FL)for a few more hours.
FM)Tom spent his day off
FN)cleaning his apartment, planning
FO)his next vacation, running errands
FP)and he watched some television.
FQ)Including all the teachers in the
FR)workshop ensure that everyone
FS)is on the same page when the
FT)new school year starts.
FU)The majority of students from the
FV)town's high school was accepted
FW)into college after graduation; many
FX)of the rest went to community college.
FY)In the US Senate, a simple majority
FZ)of senators are able to pass a bill,
GA)but a supermajority is necessary
GB)to end a filibuster.
GC)Both siblings and their mother
GD)wants to go to Disneyland for
GE)their annual summer vacation,
GF)so they have started saving money now.
GG)Moby Dick is the story of
GH)a man who hunts
GI)a white whale that is extremely large in size
GJ)to avenge the loss of his leg.
GK)The interview was stressful; but
GL)John kept his cool throughout
GM)and felt good about his chances of
GN)landing a new job.
GO)Neither the basketball coach
GP)nor the members of his team
GQ)was happy about losing
GR)to their regional rival.
GS)All the students agreed that
GT)the calculus midterm exams
GU)were much harder then
GV)they had been expecting.
GX)The contribution to the national deficit by
GY)Medicare, Social Security,
GZ)the Defense Department and numerous
HA)other expenditures worry some people.
HB)Looking out the window,
HC)Suzanne saw that it was a
HD)cold, wet, miserable, day and
HE)decided to stay home.
HF)She kept the exact recipe for
HG)her award-winning chili a secret:
GH)no one would believe that she
GI)intentionally burned the meat.
GJ)The artichoke dip was the
GK)hit of the party, some people
GL)wondered how much butter
GM)had been mixed into it.
GN)Stewart was worried that him
GO)getting suspended would
GP)permanently mar his record
GK)and keep him out of Yale.
GR)The criminal was seen driving
GS)Tess' car away from her
GT)neighborhood less than an hour
GU)after Tess called in the theft.
GV)The director made a habit of
GX)telling each cast member that
GY)their role was important, even
GZ)if the part was relatively small.
HA)I asked them to share their
HB)baseball gloves with Jill and I
HC)so that we could all have a
HD)chance to play today.
HE)"I'm not always sure
HF)what I'm suppose to do next,"
HG)the confused math student
HH)told his teacher.
HI)Susan's primary criteria
HJ)for choosing a new car
HK)is low gas mileage;
HL)she isn't interested in aesthetics.
HM)Not all politicians are dishonest;
HN)some of them have
HO)sincerely run for public office
HP)to affect change.
HQ)He found it difficult
HR)to write a satisfying end to the story
HS)because he had not written
HT)a deeply-engrossing beginning.
HU)According to the local news,
HV)a nine year old boy
HW)was responsible for making
HX)the prank phone call.
HY)At first the constant teasing
HZ)only mildly aggravated me,
IA)but after a few months
IB)it became truly irritating.
IC)"Its not going to

Accepted Answer

Corrected version: His training regimen
Regiment should be changed to regimen. A regimen is a program that someone follows, usually in exercise or medicine. A regiment is a military division.

Question 10

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
I didn't get to go to the museum before the Van Gogh exhibit left town.
A)Fix subject/verb agreement.
B)Fix the misplaced modifier.
C)Capitalize museum.
D)Change "didn't get to go" to "did not go."

Accepted Answer

The phrase, "didn't get to go" is somewhat informal. If it is important to express the inability to go, "I wasn't able to go" will also work.

Question 11

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
The passage was read aloud by the student in case some of the class had fallen behind in the reading.
A)Fix the tense shift.
B)Fix subject/verb agreement
C)Change to active voice.
D)Change had fallen to fell.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing the sentence to active voice. Active voice uses fewer words than passive voice and moves the reader along more quickly. Passive voice should only be used when the object of a sentence requires particular emphasis.The active equivalent of the above question would be, "The student read the passage aloud in case some of the class had fallen behind in the reading."

Question 12

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
Both of the twins were top-notch students at their local high school.
A)Fix the parallel structure.
B)Fix subject/verb agreement.
C)Remove the words both of.
D)Remove the hyphen in top-notch.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by removing the words both of. Since we are talking about twins, we already know there are two of them. Cutting out unnecessary words makes your writing clearer and easier for your reader to understand.

Question 13

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
The Johnsons's family car was broken into, the window was shattered and the radio was stolen.
A)Change Johnsons's to Johnsons'.
B)Fix the parallel structure.
C)Change the sentence to past perfect tense.
D)Fix subject/verb agreement.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by changing Johnsons's to Johnsons'. This is the normal rule for plural possessives. People sometimes overthink possessives and add the extra s when it isn't necessary.

Question 14

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
If you would have taken out a second mortgage to finance your vacation, you would be in trouble now that you are out of work.
A)Remove the tense shift.
B)Fix the parallel structure.
C)Fix subject/verb agreement.
D)Fix the comma splice.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by removing the unnecessary tense shift. This is an example of a conditional sentence, and the tenses can get tricky. A possible fix might be, "If you had taken out a second mortgage to finance your vacation, you would be in trouble now that you are out of work."

Question 15

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
In 2011, Spain elected a conservative government due to the current economic situation.
A)situation
B)data
C)by product
D)crisis

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "crisis"
"Due to" signifies that something occurred in order for the conservative government to take power. "Situation," "data," and "by product" have neutral connotations. "Crisis" can indicate danger or an emergency, which could cause the election of a new government.

Question 16

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.
A)troubled, property, development loans
B)troubled property, development loans
C)troubled property development loans
D)troubled property development, loans

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 17

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
However, it is unclear if the new provisions will cover the loans as property prices continue to fall and the recession continues.
A)to fall and the recession continues.
B)to fall, and the recession continues.
C)to fall; and the recession continues.
D)to fall - and the recession continues.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "to fall and the recession continues."
Since the sentence contains an independent clause and a dependent clause, punctuation is unnecessary before the coordinating conjunction "and." A comma, semicolon, or dash does not properly complete the sentence.

Question 18

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The problems may lead to a international bailout that could destabilize the global economy.
A)to a international bailout
B)to an international bailout
C)to the international bailout
D)to international bailout

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "to an international bailout"
The original sentence lacks the proper article. Use "an" preceding a noun beginning with a vowel.

Question 19

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.
A)was
B)were
C)where
D)we're

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 20

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Because of the preemptive strike, Japan was able to carry out its plans for Southwest Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago.
A)Because of the preemptive strike,
B)And the preemptive strike,
C)The preemptive strike
D)The strike was preemptive

Accepted Answer

The best choice is "Because of the preemptive strike"
The adverbial clause "Because of the preemptive strike" tells why Japan was able to carry out its plans. The other answer choices do not properly complete the sentence.

Quiz 19: Composition

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Some people thought that her campaign would sour the fight for women's voting rights.

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. The World Wildlife Foundation recently reports that the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has declined drastically.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The trees provide shelter to monarch butterflies they are also essential for the communities that surround the forests.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. As a result of logging oyamel firs trees, the habitat of the monarch butterfly population has shrunk.

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.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? The committee constitutes eleven persons from departments throughout the company.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. In South Africa, the largest proportion of palladium and platinum resource are at the Bushveld Igeneous Complex.

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? I didn't get to go to the museum before the Van Gogh exhibit left town.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? The passage was read aloud by the student in case some of the class had fallen behind in the reading.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? Both of the twins were top-notch students at their local high school.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? The Johnsons's family car was broken into, the window was shattered and the radio was stolen.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? If you would have taken out a second mortgage to finance your vacation, you would be in trouble now that you are out of work.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. In 2011, Spain elected a conservative government due to the current economic situation.

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. However, it is unclear if the new provisions will cover the loans as property prices continue to fall and the recession continues.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The problems may lead to a international bailout that could destabilize the global economy.

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. Because of the preemptive strike, Japan was able to carry out its plans for Southwest Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago.