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DSST Principles of Advanced English Composition study materials
DSST Principles of Advanced English Composition study resources

DSST Principles of Advanced English Composition practice questions

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Question 1Elements of effective writing

In a composition course unit on sentence variety, a writer revises a paragraph so that it opens with a short declarative sentence, follows with a compound sentence, and closes with a complex sentence. Which element of effective writing does this revision most directly strengthen?

  1. Sentence rhythm and syntactic variety Correct answer.
  2. Pronoun-antecedent clarity
  3. Spelling consistency
  4. Subject-verb agreement

Explanation

Varying sentence type and length across a paragraph creates rhythm and prevents monotony, which is a recognized element of effective prose style. The other listed concerns are local correctness issues rather than stylistic variety.

Question 2Elements of effective writing

A student writes: 'The report was submitted late. The committee rejected it.' Which revision best demonstrates the use of subordination to show the logical relationship between the two ideas?

  1. The report was submitted late; the committee rejected it.
  2. The report was submitted late. The committee rejected it.
  3. The report was submitted late, and the committee rejected it.
  4. Because the report was submitted late, the committee rejected it. Correct answer.

Explanation

Subordination places one idea in a dependent clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction such as 'because,' making the causal relationship explicit. Coordination with 'and' or a semicolon merely joins the ideas without signaling cause.

Question 3Elements of effective writing

Which sentence uses a coordinating conjunction correctly to form a compound sentence in an academic paragraph?

  1. The data were inconclusive; so the researchers extended the trial.
  2. The data were inconclusive so, the researchers extended the trial.
  3. The data were inconclusive, the researchers extended the trial.
  4. The data were inconclusive, so the researchers extended the trial. Correct answer.

Explanation

A compound sentence joins two independent clauses with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction such as 'so.' The comma precedes the conjunction, and both clauses remain complete.

Question 4Elements of effective writing

In the context of paragraph development, which term describes the sentence that states the central claim a paragraph will support?

  1. Transitional sentence
  2. Qualifying sentence
  3. Topic sentence Correct answer.
  4. Concluding sentence

Explanation

The topic sentence announces the paragraph's main idea and controls the supporting details that follow. Transitions link ideas, conclusions wrap up, and qualifiers limit a claim.

Question 5Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to signal a contrast between two consecutive sentences in an academic essay. Which transitional expression best serves that purpose?

  1. Therefore
  2. Similarly
  3. Furthermore
  4. However Correct answer.

Explanation

Contrast transitions such as 'however,' 'nevertheless,' and 'in contrast' signal that the upcoming idea departs from the preceding one. 'Furthermore' adds, 'therefore' concludes, and 'similarly' compares.

Question 6Elements of effective writing

Which choice best describes the role of a thesis statement in an academic essay?

  1. It lists every source the essay will cite.
  2. It summarizes the essay's conclusion in the final paragraph.
  3. It states the essay's central argument and previews its organization. Correct answer.
  4. It provides background statistics for the introduction.

Explanation

A thesis statement presents the essay's controlling claim and often forecasts the order of supporting points. It is not a bibliography, a closing summary, or a data dump.

Question 7Elements of effective writing

Which revision of the sentence 'The committee reviewed the proposal carefully and they approved it' best corrects the pronoun-antecedent problem for formal academic prose?

  1. The committee reviewed the proposal carefully and approved it. Correct answer.
  2. The committee reviewed the proposal carefully; they approved it.
  3. The committee reviewed the proposal carefully, and they approved it.
  4. The committee reviewed the proposal carefully and they approved it unanimously.

Explanation

Collective nouns such as 'committee' are singular in American academic usage, so the plural pronoun 'they' is inconsistent. Removing the redundant pronoun by compounding the verb avoids the mismatch entirely.

Question 8Elements of effective writing

Which sentence demonstrates the active voice most effectively for a persuasive academic paragraph?

  1. The policy was criticized by several economists.
  2. The policy has been criticized.
  3. Several economists criticized the policy. Correct answer.
  4. Criticism of the policy was offered.

Explanation

Active voice places the actor in the subject position and the action in a direct verb, which produces clearer, more forceful prose. Passive constructions obscure or omit the actor.

Question 9Elements of effective writing

A paragraph in a researched essay contains three sentences of evidence followed by two sentences that interpret what the evidence shows. Which element of effective paragraph development does the interpretive pair provide?

  1. Commentary or analysis Correct answer.
  2. Parallel structure
  3. Sensory imagery
  4. Citation formatting

Explanation

Evidence must be followed by commentary that explains how the evidence supports the paragraph's claim. Without analysis, a paragraph merely reports information rather than arguing.

Question 10Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best avoids a dangling modifier while preserving the writer's intended meaning?

  1. After reviewing the data, revisions to the conclusion were made.
  2. After reviewing the data, the conclusion needed revision.
  3. After reviewing the data, the team revised its conclusion. Correct answer.
  4. After reviewing the data, the conclusion was revised by the team.

Explanation

An introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause. Only the sentence that makes 'the team' the subject logically performs the reviewing action.

Question 11Elements of effective writing

In an argumentative essay, a writer acknowledges that a proposed policy has short-term costs before arguing that its long-term benefits outweigh them. Which rhetorical move does this represent?

  1. Circular reasoning
  2. False dilemma
  3. Concession followed by rebuttal Correct answer.
  4. Ad hominem attack

Explanation

Conceding a valid opposing point and then showing why the overall argument still holds is a standard, credible rhetorical strategy. It differs from fallacies that distort or evade the opposition.

Question 12Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best illustrates the use of a colon to introduce an explanation within an academic paragraph?

  1. The study reached one conclusion; the intervention reduced relapse rates.
  2. The study reached one conclusion: the intervention reduced relapse rates. Correct answer.
  3. The study reached one conclusion, the intervention reduced relapse rates.
  4. The study reached one conclusion the intervention reduced relapse rates.

Explanation

A colon may follow a complete independent clause to introduce an explanation, elaboration, or list. The clause before the colon must be grammatically complete.

Question 13Elements of effective writing

A writer composes a paragraph in which each sentence begins with 'The author argues that...' Which revision strategy most improves the paragraph's effectiveness?

  1. Lengthen each sentence to increase detail.
  2. Vary sentence openings and integrate the source material with the writer's own analysis. Correct answer.
  3. Add more quotations from the source.
  4. Insert additional citations after every clause.

Explanation

Repetitive sentence openings flatten prose and subordinate the writer's own voice to the source. Varying openings and blending analysis with source material restores control and readability.

Question 14Elements of effective writing

Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly in a series?

  1. The program aims to reduce costs, access improvement, and raising quality of care.
  2. The program aims at cost reduction, improving access, and quality care raises.
  3. The program aims to reduce costs, to improve access, and to raise the quality of care. Correct answer.
  4. The program aims to reduce costs, improving access, and the quality of care.

Explanation

Items in a series must share grammatical form. Repeating the infinitive 'to' before each item keeps the series consistently parallel and unambiguous.

Question 15Elements of effective writing

A student's paragraph opens with a broad claim, presents two supporting examples, and then introduces a third example that contradicts the claim. Which revision best serves effective paragraph unity?

  1. Move the topic sentence to the end without changing the examples.
  2. Combine all examples into a single long sentence.
  3. Remove or relocate the contradictory example, or revise the topic sentence to accommodate it. Correct answer.
  4. Keep the third example and add a fourth to balance the paragraph.

Explanation

Paragraph unity requires every sentence to support the controlling idea. A contradictory example either must be removed or the claim must be revised so the paragraph is internally consistent.

Question 16Elements of effective writing

Which sentence avoids a misplaced modifier?

  1. Covered in dust, the examination of the manuscript by the researcher proceeded.
  2. The researcher examined the ancient manuscript, which was covered in dust. Correct answer.
  3. Covered in dust, the researcher examined the ancient manuscript.
  4. The researcher examined the manuscript covered in dust carefully.

Explanation

A relative clause placed directly after the noun it describes keeps the modification clear. The other options attach the modifying phrase to an entity that cannot logically bear it.

Question 17Elements of effective writing

In academic prose, which sentence best demonstrates appropriate use of a semicolon to join closely related independent clauses?

  1. The experiment failed; contamination.
  2. The experiment failed; because the sample was contaminated.
  3. The experiment failed; the sample was contaminated. Correct answer.
  4. The experiment failed; and the sample was contaminated.

Explanation

A semicolon can join two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. Both sides must be complete clauses, and no coordinating conjunction is used with the semicolon here.

Question 18Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to strengthen cohesion between two paragraphs in an academic essay. Which technique most directly accomplishes this?

  1. Repeating the previous paragraph's topic sentence verbatim.
  2. Adding a footnote to the first sentence.
  3. Using a transitional phrase that echoes a key concept from the prior paragraph. Correct answer.
  4. Starting the new paragraph with a direct quotation.

Explanation

Cohesion across paragraphs is built by transitional devices and by echoing key terms that link the new paragraph to the preceding one. Verbatim repetition and unrelated insertions do not create logical linkage.

Question 19Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best demonstrates concision, a key element of effective academic writing?

  1. Due to the fact that the deadline was approaching, the team made the decision to expedite the process.
  2. In view of the fact that the deadline was approaching, the team decided to speed things up.
  3. Because the deadline was near, the team hurried. Correct answer.
  4. Owing to the circumstance of the approaching deadline, the team made a decision to accelerate.

Explanation

Concision replaces wordy phrases such as 'due to the fact that' and 'made the decision to' with direct wording. The concise version preserves meaning while eliminating empty padding.

Question 20Elements of effective writing

An essay's introduction ends with the sentence 'This paper argues that urban green spaces reduce heat-island effects and improve residents' mental health.' Which function does this sentence perform?

  1. It introduces a block quotation.
  2. It states a two-part thesis that forecasts the essay's structure. Correct answer.
  3. It concedes a counterargument.
  4. It provides a statistical warrant for the argument.

Explanation

The sentence names the essay's central claim and signals two supporting lines, which is the forecasting function of a thesis. It does not supply data, concede a point, or introduce a quotation.

Question 21Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best integrates a source into the writer's own argument rather than simply dropping in a quotation?

  1. "Green spaces reduce stress."
  2. As Smith says, green spaces reduce stress.
  3. Smith (2021) reports that green spaces reduce stress, a finding that supports the claim that city parks function as low-cost public health infrastructure. Correct answer.
  4. Green spaces reduce stress (Smith, 2021).

Explanation

Effective source integration frames the quotation or paraphrase with the writer's own analytical comment. The strongest version attributes the finding and then explains its significance to the argument.

Question 22Elements of effective writing

A writer produces the sentence 'The results were significant the hypothesis was supported.' Which description best characterizes the error and its correction?

  1. Dangling modifier; move the modifier closer to its subject.
  2. Comma splice; replace the comma with a period or semicolon.
  3. Sentence fragment; add a subject to the second clause.
  4. Fused sentence; insert a period or semicolon between the clauses. Correct answer.

Explanation

Two independent clauses run together with no punctuation form a fused sentence. The fix is to separate them with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.

Question 23Elements of effective writing

Which revision most effectively converts the nominalized sentence 'The implementation of the policy resulted in an improvement in outcomes' into clear academic prose?

  1. The implementation of the policy was the cause of outcome improvement.
  2. There was an improvement in outcomes due to policy implementation.
  3. Outcome improvement was the result of the policy's implementation.
  4. Implementing the policy improved outcomes. Correct answer.

Explanation

Nominalizations turn actions into abstract nouns, draining energy from prose. Converting them back into verbs-'implementing' and 'improved'-produces a direct, readable sentence.

Question 24Elements of effective writing

A paragraph's topic sentence claims that remote work increases productivity, but its supporting sentences report surveys showing mixed or inconclusive results. Which principle of effective writing is most directly violated?

  1. Use of the active voice
  2. Pronoun-antecedent agreement
  3. Paragraph coherence between claim and evidence Correct answer.
  4. Parallel structure

Explanation

Coherence requires that evidence actually support the stated claim. When the evidence is mixed, the topic sentence overstates the case and the paragraph loses logical integrity.

Question 25Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best demonstrates a subordinate clause used to qualify a claim rather than to assert an independent idea?

  1. The sample was small; the findings merit further investigation.
  2. Although the sample was small, the findings merit further investigation. Correct answer.
  3. The sample was small. The findings merit further investigation.
  4. The sample was small, and the findings merit further investigation.

Explanation

A subordinating conjunction such as 'although' demotes the sample-size point to a dependent clause, framing it as a concession that qualifies the main assertion. Coordination and separation give the two ideas equal weight.

Question 26Elements of effective writing

In an academic paragraph, a writer wants the topic sentence to announce the paragraph's controlling idea. Which characteristic of an effective topic sentence best supports that goal?

  1. It lists every piece of evidence the essay will eventually present.
  2. It quotes a secondary source to establish scholarly credibility.
  3. It states a claim specific enough to be developed by the sentences that follow. Correct answer.
  4. It restates the thesis statement in nearly identical wording.

Explanation

An effective topic sentence makes a focused, arguable claim that the rest of the paragraph can support and explain, giving the paragraph unity. Quoting a source or cataloging all evidence belongs elsewhere and does not define the paragraph's controlling idea.

Question 27Elements of effective writing

A writer needs to combine two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning and wants to signal that relationship without a conjunction. Which punctuation choice best fits formal academic prose?

  1. A dash between the clauses in every case
  2. No punctuation at all between the clauses
  3. A comma alone between the clauses
  4. A semicolon between the clauses Correct answer.

Explanation

A semicolon is the standard mark for joining two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction. It signals a tight logical connection while keeping both clauses grammatically complete.

Question 28Elements of effective writing

A student writes, 'The survey results were analyzed by the research team before the report was drafted.' Which revision most effectively shifts the emphasis to the research team as the agent?

  1. Before the report was drafted, the survey results were analyzed.
  2. The research team analyzed the survey results before drafting the report. Correct answer.
  3. Analysis of the survey results preceded the drafting of the report.
  4. The report was drafted after the survey results were analyzed.

Explanation

Using the active voice with 'the research team' as the grammatical subject makes the agent the focus of the sentence and tightens the phrasing. The passive and nominalized versions keep attention on results or reports rather than the team.

Question 29Elements of effective writing

Which sentence uses a colon in a way that is conventional and effective in academic writing?

  1. The study, which reached a conclusion: about feedback timing, was widely cited.
  2. The study reached one conclusion: that feedback timing matters more than feedback volume. Correct answer.
  3. The study reached a conclusion about: feedback timing and volume.
  4. The study reached: a conclusion about feedback timing and volume.

Explanation

A colon should follow a complete independent clause and introduce an explanation, list, or amplification. Here the colon comes after a full clause and introduces the specific conclusion.

Question 30Elements of effective writing

A writer wants a paragraph to move from a general claim to a specific illustration. Which organizational pattern best accomplishes that movement?

  1. General claim in the topic sentence, followed by a concrete example and commentary Correct answer.
  2. A series of unrelated examples with no stated claim
  3. A quotation followed by a new claim in each sentence
  4. Specific example first, then the general claim, with no transition

Explanation

Deductive paragraph organization places the general claim first and then supports it with a specific example and interpretive commentary. This gives readers a frame before the detail arrives.

Question 31Elements of effective writing

In the sentence 'Having reviewed the data, the conclusion seemed clear to the analyst,' what is the grammatical problem?

  1. The sentence contains a comma splice.
  2. The sentence uses a pronoun with no antecedent.
  3. The introductory participial phrase has no logical subject. Correct answer.
  4. The sentence uses a semicolon incorrectly.

Explanation

The participial phrase 'Having reviewed the data' should modify the person who reviewed the data, but the sentence makes 'the conclusion' the subject. This creates a dangling modifier; recasting so the analyst is the subject fixes it.

Question 32Elements of effective writing

Which sentence maintains parallel structure in a list of the study's aims?

  1. The study aimed to measure stress, comparing coping strategies, and identification of risk factors.
  2. The study aimed at measuring stress, to compare coping strategies, and risk factors identified.
  3. The study aimed to measure stress, comparison of coping strategies, and to identify risk factors.
  4. The study aimed to measure stress, to compare coping strategies, and to identify risk factors. Correct answer.

Explanation

Parallelism requires items in a series to share grammatical form. Three infinitive phrases ('to measure,' 'to compare,' 'to identify') keep the list balanced and readable.

Question 33Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to reduce wordiness in the sentence 'Due to the fact that the deadline was approaching, the team made the decision to revise the draft.' Which revision best achieves concision while preserving meaning?

  1. Because the deadline was approaching, the team decided to revise the draft. Correct answer.
  2. The deadline was approaching, and a decision was made by the team to revise the draft.
  3. In light of the fact that the deadline was approaching, the team made a decision about revising.
  4. Owing to the approaching nature of the deadline, revision of the draft was decided upon.

Explanation

Replacing 'due to the fact that' with 'because' and 'made the decision to' with 'decided to' removes empty phrasing without losing meaning. Concision favors direct verbs and single words over multiword substitutes.

Question 34Elements of effective writing

A paragraph's opening claim is that standardized testing narrows curricula, but its supporting sentences describe how testing has expanded accountability measures. Which description best characterizes this paragraph?

  1. It is cohesive because it uses consistent terminology.
  2. It lacks coherence because the evidence does not support the stated claim. Correct answer.
  3. It is well developed because it offers several supporting details.
  4. It is unified because all sentences discuss testing.

Explanation

Coherence depends on evidence actually supporting the paragraph's controlling claim. Sharing a broad topic like testing is not enough if the details contradict or diverge from the claim.

Question 35Elements of effective writing

A writer introduces a source by writing, 'Smith reports that turnover rose 12 percent.' Which follow-up sentence best integrates the source into the writer's own argument?

  1. That is what Smith said about turnover.
  2. This finding suggests that retention policies, not pay alone, drive departures. Correct answer.
  3. Smith, a researcher, studied turnover for many years.
  4. Turnover rose 12 percent, according to a report.

Explanation

Integration means connecting the cited evidence to the writer's own claim through interpretation. The sentence that explains what the finding implies does that interpretive work.

Question 36Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to qualify a claim without asserting a second independent idea. Which sentence best uses a subordinate clause for that purpose?

  1. Remote work raises productivity. The effect varies by task type.
  2. Remote work raises productivity; the effect varies by task type.
  3. Remote work raises productivity, and the effect varies by task type.
  4. Remote work raises productivity, although the effect varies by task type. Correct answer.

Explanation

A subordinate clause beginning with 'although' attaches a limitation directly to the main claim, making the qualification part of the same assertion. The other versions present the qualification as a separate, coordinate idea.

Question 37Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best maintains a formal academic register while reporting a finding?

  1. The results were a real shocker and a bit of a puzzle.
  2. The results were super surprising and kind of hard to explain.
  3. The results were unexpected and proved somewhat difficult to interpret. Correct answer.
  4. The results were shocking, and honestly, who knows what they mean.

Explanation

Formal academic register favors measured vocabulary and avoids slang, intensifiers like 'super,' and conversational asides. 'Unexpected' and 'somewhat difficult to interpret' keep the tone precise and restrained.

Question 38Elements of effective writing

A writer composes the sentence 'The policy reduced emissions it also lowered costs.' Which revision best corrects the error while preserving the logical relationship between the ideas?

  1. The policy reduced emissions; it also lowered costs. Correct answer.
  2. The policy reduced emissions and it also lowered costs.
  3. The policy reduced emissions, it also lowered costs.
  4. The policy reduced emissions it also lowered costs, however.

Explanation

The original is a fused sentence because two independent clauses run together without punctuation. A semicolon correctly separates the clauses and preserves their close relationship.

Question 39Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to show that one event caused another within a single sentence rather than merely listing them. Which sentence best expresses that causal relationship?

  1. The funding was cut, and the program ended.
  2. Because the funding was cut, the program ended. Correct answer.
  3. The program ended, and the funding was cut.
  4. The funding was cut; the program ended.

Explanation

A causal subordinator such as 'because' explicitly marks one clause as the cause of the other. Coordination and semicolons merely place events side by side without asserting causation.

Question 40Elements of effective writing

In revising an essay, a writer notices a shift from 'researchers' to 'you' within the same paragraph. Which description best identifies the problem and the appropriate fix?

  1. The paragraph lacks a topic sentence; one should be added at the end.
  2. The paragraph shifts point of view; it should use a consistent third-person perspective. Correct answer.
  3. The paragraph overuses passive voice; every clause should become active.
  4. The paragraph shifts tense; all verbs should be changed to the past tense.

Explanation

Mixing third-person 'researchers' with second-person 'you' creates an inconsistent point of view that distracts readers. Academic prose typically maintains a consistent third-person perspective unless a deliberate shift is warranted.

Question 41Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to replace the nominalized sentence 'An evaluation of the data was conducted by the team.' Which revision best restores a strong verb and a clear agent?

  1. An evaluation of the data was conducted.
  2. There was an evaluation of the data by the team.
  3. The team evaluated the data. Correct answer.
  4. The data underwent an evaluation by the team.

Explanation

Nominalization turns verbs into abstract nouns, weakening the sentence. Converting 'evaluation' back to the verb 'evaluated' and naming the team as subject produces a direct, agent-centered sentence.

Question 42Elements of effective writing

A writer wants a transition that signals a contrast between two sentences in an academic paragraph. Which connective best serves that function?

  1. Therefore
  2. However Correct answer.
  3. Similarly
  4. Furthermore

Explanation

'However' signals contrast or concession, telling readers that the next statement departs from what preceded it. The other connectives signal addition, causation, or similarity.

Question 43Elements of effective writing

A student's essay uses the same sentence-opening pattern in every paragraph: 'Another reason is that...' Which revision strategy most improves stylistic variety and flow?

  1. Repeat the pattern more often to create rhythm.
  2. Shorten each sentence by deleting the opening phrase entirely.
  3. Convert every sentence into a question to engage readers.
  4. Vary openings by leading with subordinate clauses, transitions, or the key term itself. Correct answer.

Explanation

Monotonous openings flatten prose. Varying sentence beginnings with subordinate clauses, transitions, or emphasized key terms creates rhythm and clarifies relationships among ideas.

Question 44Elements of effective writing

Which sentence best uses a dash to set off a parenthetical aside while keeping the main clause intact?

  1. The findings which contradicted-earlier work prompted a reanalysis.
  2. The findings-which contradicted earlier work-prompted a reanalysis. Correct answer.
  3. The findings which-contradicted earlier work-prompted a reanalysis.
  4. The findings-which contradicted earlier work prompted a reanalysis.

Explanation

A matched pair of dashes can enclose a parenthetical interruption, and here the aside 'which contradicted earlier work' sits cleanly between them. The main clause remains grammatically complete.

Question 45Elements of effective writing

A writer wants the final sentence of a body paragraph to connect the paragraph's evidence back to the essay's thesis. Which sentence best performs that function?

  1. Another study reached a similar conclusion about schedules.
  2. These data therefore support the claim that flexible schedules improve retention. Correct answer.
  3. The data were collected over six months from three sites.
  4. Flexible schedules are an interesting topic for future research.

Explanation

A concluding or linking sentence should interpret the paragraph's evidence in light of the larger argument. The sentence that draws an inference connecting evidence to the thesis does that work.

Question 46Elements of effective writing

Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement in a construction with an intervening phrase, a common editing concern in academic prose?

  1. The collection of student essays have been published last spring.
  2. The collection of student essays were published last spring.
  3. The collection of student essays was published last spring. Correct answer.
  4. The collection of student essays are published last spring.

Explanation

The grammatical subject is the singular 'collection,' not the plural noun in the intervening phrase 'of student essays.' The verb must therefore be singular, as in 'was published.'

Question 47Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to combine these ideas without creating a run-on: 'The trial was small. Its results were nonetheless striking.' Which sentence best preserves the concessive relationship while remaining grammatically sound?

  1. The trial was small; nonetheless, its results were striking. Correct answer.
  2. The trial was small and its results were striking nonetheless.
  3. The trial was small nonetheless its results were striking.
  4. The trial was small, its results were nonetheless striking.

Explanation

A semicolon plus the conjunctive adverb 'nonetheless' correctly joins the clauses and signals concession. The punctuation marks the clause boundary while the adverb carries the contrast.

Question 48Elements of effective writing

A paragraph contains this sequence: a claim, then a statistic, then an anecdote, then a counterargument, then a new claim unrelated to the first. Which revision most improves the paragraph's unity?

  1. Remove the unrelated final claim or revise it to develop the opening claim. Correct answer.
  2. Add more statistics so the evidence outweighs the anecdote.
  3. Move the counterargument to a separate essay entirely.
  4. Convert the anecdote into a direct quotation.

Explanation

Unity requires every sentence to develop the paragraph's controlling idea. The unrelated final claim breaks that unity, so it should be removed or rewritten to advance the opening claim.

Question 49Elements of effective writing

A writer drafts, 'The committee, having reviewed the proposal, and after consulting stakeholders, they approved it.' Which revision best resolves the sentence's structural problems while preserving its meaning?

  1. The committee, having reviewed the proposal and after consulting stakeholders, approved it.
  2. Having reviewed the proposal and consulted stakeholders, the committee approved it. Correct answer.
  3. The committee, having reviewed the proposal, and after consulting stakeholders, approved it.
  4. The committee reviewed the proposal and consulted stakeholders, and they approved it.

Explanation

The original redundantly supplies a pronoun subject ('they') after already naming the committee and stacks awkward participial phrases. Converting both actions into parallel participles modifying 'the committee' yields a clean, correct sentence.

Question 50Elements of effective writing

A writer wants to emphasize a contrast between two clauses of unequal importance, placing the more important idea in the main clause. Which sentence best achieves that emphasis?

  1. Although the initial costs were high, the program eventually saved money. Correct answer.
  2. The program eventually saved money, and the initial costs were high.
  3. The initial costs were high, and the program eventually saved money.
  4. The initial costs were high; the program eventually saved money.

Explanation

Subordinating the less important idea with 'although' places the main clause's idea-eventual savings-in the position of emphasis. The other versions give both ideas equal grammatical weight.