English Language

Writing and Communication Skills

1,464 Questions

This hub tests writing techniques, essay structuring, and effective communication skills. It includes practical exercises on vocabulary replacement, drafting passages, and formatting reports. These English language questions appear in most competitive exams.

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Writing and Communication Skills Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the best way to rephrase sentence 9?

Directions for the question:

The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answer for the question that follows. Keep in mind that some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

[1] The whole progress of human civilization beyond its earliest stages has been made possible by the invention of methods of thought. [2] These methods enable us to interpret and forecast the working of nature more successfully than we could if we merely followed the line of least resistance in the use of our minds. [3] These methods, when applied in politics, still represent a difficult and uncertain art rather than a science producing its effects with mechanical accuracy.
[4] When the great thinkers of Greece laid down rules for valid reasoning, they had the needs of politics particularly in their minds. [5] If Plato could visit us now, he would learn that while our artisans proceed by rigorous and confident processes to exact results, our statesmen, like the artisans of ancient Athens, still trust to empirical maxims and personal skill. [6] Why is it, he would ask us, that valid reasoning has proved to be so much more difficult in politics than in the physical sciences?
[7] The universe which presents itself to our reason is the same as that which presents itself to our feelings and impulses—an unending stream of sensations and memories - every one of which is different from every other. [8] Our first answer might be found in the character of the material with which political reasoning has to deal. [9] Before these, unless we can select and recognize and simplify, we must stand helpless, unable to either act or think. [10] Man has therefore to create entities that shall be the material of his reasoning, just as he creates entities to be the objects of his emotions and the stimulus of his instinctive inferences. [11] Exact reasoning requires exact comparison. [12] In the desert or the forest there were few things which our ancestors could compare exactly. [13] The heavenly bodies seem, indeed, to have been the first objects of consciously exact reasoning, because they were so distant that nothing could be known of them except position and movement, and their position and movement could be exactly compared from night to night.

  1. Insert “feelings and impulses” after 'these'.

  2. Insert “them” after “simplify”.

  3. Replace “must” by “should”.

  4. Delete “either”.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Note that there is no option to keep the sentence unchanged. Although, the sentence may not be grammatically incorrect; it can be improved and made more intelligible by inserting “feelings and impulses” after 'these'.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the best way to revise sentence 10? (Reproduced below) The question is, which method is the most practical, the most successful and most popular?

Directions for the question:

The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answer for the question that follows. Keep in mind that some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

[1] There are two principal methods of treating disease. [2] One is the combative, the other the preventive. [3] The trend of medical research henceforth has almost entirely been along combative lines, although the progressive physician learns to work more and more along preventive lines. [4] The slogan of medical science has been, "Kill the germ and cure the disease." [5] The usual procedure is to wait until acute or chronic diseases have fully developed, and then, if possible, to subdue them by means of drugs, surgical operations, and by means of the morbid products of disease, in the form of serums, antitoxins, vaccines, etc.
[6] The combative methods fight disease with disease, poison with poison, and germs with germs and germ products. [7] In the language of the Good Book, it is "Beelzebub against the Devil." [8] The preventive method does not wait until diseases have fully developed and gained the ascendancy in the body, but concentrates its best endeavors on preventing, by hygienic living and by natural methods of treatment, the development of diseases. [9] By these put the human body in a normal and healthy condition which is practically proof against infection or contagion by disease taints and miasmas, and against the inroads of germs, bacteria and parasites.
[10] The question is, which method is the most practical, the most successful and most popular? [11] Which will stand the test in the great struggle for existence?
[12] The medical profession has good reason to be alarmed by the inroads made in its work by irregular, unorthodox systems, schools and cults of treating human ailments. [13] But instead of raging at the audacious presumption of these interlopers, would it not be better to inquire if there is not some reason for the astonishing spread and popularity of these therapeutic innovations?

 

  1. The question is, which method is the most practical, the most successful and most popular?

  2. The question is, which method is the most practical, the most successful and the most popular?

  3. The question is, which method is most practical, most successful and most popular?

  4. The question is, which method is the most practical, most successful and most popular?

  5. The question is, which method is more practical, more successful and more popular?

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The comparison is between two methods. Hence, we have to use the comparative 'more'. Also, there is error of parallelism in the sentence (the most practical, the most successful and most popular). This option rectifies this error by using the comparative form 'more'.

Multiple choice

Which of the following sentences can be removed from the essay, without affecting the flow of the argument?

Directions for the question:

The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answer for the question that follows. Keep in mind that some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

[1] There are two principal methods of treating disease. [2] One is the combative, the other the preventive. [3] The trend of medical research henceforth has almost entirely been along combative lines, although the progressive physician learns to work more and more along preventive lines. [4] The slogan of medical science has been, "Kill the germ and cure the disease." [5] The usual procedure is to wait until acute or chronic diseases have fully developed, and then, if possible, to subdue them by means of drugs, surgical operations, and by means of the morbid products of disease, in the form of serums, antitoxins, vaccines, etc.
[6] The combative methods fight disease with disease, poison with poison, and germs with germs and germ products. [7] In the language of the Good Book, it is "Beelzebub against the Devil." [8] The preventive method does not wait until diseases have fully developed and gained the ascendancy in the body, but concentrates its best endeavors on preventing, by hygienic living and by natural methods of treatment, the development of diseases. [9] By these put the human body in a normal and healthy condition which is practically proof against infection or contagion by disease taints and miasmas, and against the inroads of germs, bacteria and parasites.
[10] The question is, which method is the most practical, the most successful and most popular? [11] Which will stand the test in the great struggle for existence?
[12] The medical profession has good reason to be alarmed by the inroads made in its work by irregular, unorthodox systems, schools and cults of treating human ailments. [13] But instead of raging at the audacious presumption of these interlopers, would it not be better to inquire if there is not some reason for the astonishing spread and popularity of these therapeutic innovations?

 

  1. Sentence 3

  2. Sentence 5

  3. Sentence 7

  4. Sentence 9

  5. Sentence 11

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Although sentences 7 and 9, both seem to repeat the ideas contained in the preceding sentences, it is 7 which does not add value to the preceding sentence.

Multiple choice

In context what is the best place for sentence (8)?

Directions for the question:

The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answer for the question that follows. Keep in mind that some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

[1] The whole progress of human civilization beyond its earliest stages has been made possible by the invention of methods of thought. [2] These methods enable us to interpret and forecast the working of nature more successfully than we could if we merely followed the line of least resistance in the use of our minds. [3] These methods, when applied in politics, still represent a difficult and uncertain art rather than a science producing its effects with mechanical accuracy.
[4] When the great thinkers of Greece laid down rules for valid reasoning, they had the needs of politics particularly in their minds. [5] If Plato could visit us now, he would learn that while our artisans proceed by rigorous and confident processes to exact results, our statesmen, like the artisans of ancient Athens, still trust to empirical maxims and personal skill. [6] Why is it, he would ask us, that valid reasoning has proved to be so much more difficult in politics than in the physical sciences?
[7] The universe which presents itself to our reason is the same as that which presents itself to our feelings and impulses—an unending stream of sensations and memories - every one of which is different from every other. [8] Our first answer might be found in the character of the material with which political reasoning has to deal. [9] Before these, unless we can select and recognize and simplify, we must stand helpless, unable to either act or think. [10] Man has therefore to create entities that shall be the material of his reasoning, just as he creates entities to be the objects of his emotions and the stimulus of his instinctive inferences. [11] Exact reasoning requires exact comparison. [12] In the desert or the forest there were few things which our ancestors could compare exactly. [13] The heavenly bodies seem, indeed, to have been the first objects of consciously exact reasoning, because they were so distant that nothing could be known of them except position and movement, and their position and movement could be exactly compared from night to night.

  1. Where it is now.

  2. At the end of the first paragraph.

  3. At the beginning of the second paragraph.

  4. At the beginning of the third paragraph.

  5. At the beginning of the last paragraph.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The last sentence of paragraph two raises a question. The same gets answered in sentence (8). So this sentence should logically be at the beginning of the third paragraph.

Multiple choice

Which of the following will most strengthen the author's argument in paragraph 3?

Directions for the question:

The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answer for the question that follows. Keep in mind that some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

[1] There are two principal methods of treating disease. [2] One is the combative, the other the preventive. [3] The trend of medical research henceforth has almost entirely been along combative lines, although the progressive physician learns to work more and more along preventive lines. [4] The slogan of medical science has been, "Kill the germ and cure the disease." [5] The usual procedure is to wait until acute or chronic diseases have fully developed, and then, if possible, to subdue them by means of drugs, surgical operations, and by means of the morbid products of disease, in the form of serums, antitoxins, vaccines, etc.
[6] The combative methods fight disease with disease, poison with poison, and germs with germs and germ products. [7] In the language of the Good Book, it is "Beelzebub against the Devil." [8] The preventive method does not wait until diseases have fully developed and gained the ascendancy in the body, but concentrates its best endeavors on preventing, by hygienic living and by natural methods of treatment, the development of diseases. [9] By these put the human body in a normal and healthy condition which is practically proof against infection or contagion by disease taints and miasmas, and against the inroads of germs, bacteria and parasites.
[10] The question is, which method is the most practical, the most successful and most popular? [11] Which will stand the test in the great struggle for existence?
[12] The medical profession has good reason to be alarmed by the inroads made in its work by irregular, unorthodox systems, schools and cults of treating human ailments. [13] But instead of raging at the audacious presumption of these interlopers, would it not be better to inquire if there is not some reason for the astonishing spread and popularity of these therapeutic innovations?

 

  1. Detail how combative and preventive principles fight diseases.

  2. Offer evidence how preventive principle is superior to combative principle.

  3. Offer evidence that physicians prefer preventive principle to combative principle.

  4. Offer evidence that physicians prefer combative principle to preventive principle.

  5. Answer the questions raised and show how one is better than the other.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The author has raised a couple of questions, but not answered them directly, nor offered evidence in support.

Multiple choice
  1. Misinterpretation of Hemingway's intent was possible if the reader wasn't attuned to the writing.

  2. Hemingway wanted to leave a certain leeway in the interpretation of his characters.

  3. Hemingway shunned verbosity and clichés.

  4. Hemingway had a way of drawing the attention of the reader towards the nuances of his plots and characters.

  5. Hemingway portrayed his characters as being no mere mortals.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

(1) Incorrect; Hemingway himself said that reader involvement was necessary so as to not miss the subtle nuances of his writing. (2) Incorrect; Hemingway is quoted as saying that his style of writing was more suggestive than direct. (3) Incorrect; the passage mentions that Hemingway shunned adjectives and his writings had to conform to his standards of brevity. (4) Incorrect; the passage mentions that Hemingway made his characters stay in the readers' heads with the use of selective emphasis and repetition. (5) Correct; since Hemingway shunned adjectives in his writings, and used only nouns, it figures that his characters would not take on grandiose proportions.

Multiple choice
  1. A, B and E

  2. B, C and E

  3. A and B

  4. C and D

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(2) A is incomplete in the absence of possessive pronoun 'your'.

D ought to use subjective pronoun “we graduates” (are at the).

Multiple choice

Which of the following would make the most logical final sentence for the essay?

Direction for questions 1 to 6: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – I
(1) Last summer, I wrote an essay for a Freshman Composition course on the subject of race relations. (2) It was called "A Single-Hued World: Laughable or Logical?", the paper explored the effects of a world where people could not visually distinguish race.
(3)The constantly reoccurring issue of race is one I'm familiar with. (4) I'm biracial and I love it, but I detest standardized forms that demand I label myself as one race. (5) I don't see my ethnicity as "check only one," and I don't feel this is an option.
(6) I do think about race, though, and I feel very strongly that race relations will naturally improve with time, as a two-stage process occurs. (7) First, ethnic differences should continue to be celebrated, as they are currently in California. (8) Cultural holidays, festivals, and trends will gain popularity across nationalities, and races historically degraded will gain the pride necessary to attain cultural confidence. (9) Mexican, Black, Asian Pride will grow greatly, and people will appreciate contrasts between them.
(10) The passing time would lead to equality of races, which will become an obvious state and it will diminish then. (11) In time, equality of races will become an obvious state, and the importance of race will diminish. (12) If people don't have to fight for their value as people, their insecurities will vanish. So in time, I believe racial differences will evolve into a triviality, something easily ignored.

 (13) All I could possibly suggest to improve race relations is that this process be allowed to continue without interference. (14) Multicultural exhibitions and displays that inform people about different ethnic customs and traits. (15) It also as well shows racial pride, such issues are encouraged.

  1. To be an effective leader, this should be your first principle.

  2. When working with them, they will be more efficient followers.

  3. Actions must line up with words.

  4. Your actions must set up an example.

  5. You will definitely gain respect if you are an effective leader.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The best version is option (C) as it can be logically deduced from sentence 12. Moreover, sentence 12 is a general statement, without any pronoun reference. Hence, (C) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Which of the following most effectively revises the underlined portions of sentences 11 and 12 (reproduced below) in order to combine the sentences? "I know I can do it," I keep encouraging my self. My mind generates zero ideas for my essay: which is due six hours from now.

Direction for questions 7 to 12: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – II
(1) In life people have to make choices, in my life I have had to make many, many choices.  (2)  I think that my biggest decision or choice would be my application and move to college. (3) This would be considered the biggest decision I would have to make in my life so far.
(4) When your senior year in high school rolls around, most people have to start thinking about what they want to do with their lives in the next four years, and what will happen after these four years are done.
(5) This was a time in my life when I had to make a choice about what I was going to do. (6)  I knew that I wanted to do something that involved the technology of computers and I thought I wanted to be an engineer. (7) Well that was a choice I made, and it was not exactly a choice I thought about adequately. (8) Engineering just wasn't what I was meant to do.
(9) Computer engineering (the major that I choose first semester) was a lot more than I expected. (10)  I ended up failing Physics, Calculus and Chemistry!  (11)  In addition to that, I was subject to separation from < > college. (12) Well, now a decision really had to be made; a choice had to be made.
(13)  My parents told me to think about other colleges and to think about other things to do instead of college, but I knew that <  > was right for me. (14)  They often suggested that I go to community college for a semester or two and make sure that I was doing something that I wanted to do. (15) I had attended the community college in my area during my last year in high school to take some extra courses, and I truly detested the place.  (16)I really did not want to go anywhere but <  >.
(17)   So I petitioned for readmission to a new department at<  >. (18)  I decided that I should focus my studies on something other than engineering, because it was much more than I had expected, and it was flat out, too hard for me.
(19)  Eventually I was allowed back, and as of right now I am on academic warning.  (20)  This is a result of my low GPA from last semester. (21)  I know this time around I will do better.  (22)  As I really messed up the last semester due to my choice of classes that made me skate on thin ice. (23) My CHOICE to come back and give this my all, and to do well, is the right CHOICE for me. (24)  <  > is the right place for me.
(25)  People sometimes underestimate the power of choice in their lives. (26)  They don't realize the impact that it can have. (27)  Obviously I didn't realize it earlier this year. 

  1. myself ; my mind generating

  2. myself as my mind generates

  3. myself in the time that my mind generates

  4. myself in view of my mind is generating

  5. myself while my mind generates

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

In sentence 11, the author is encouraging himself whereas in sentence 12, his mind is giving him no ideas to complete the essay. This implies that these two sentences are in contrary to each other. Option (E) retains this contrast, hence the answer.

Multiple choice

All of the following strategies are used by the writer of the passage EXCEPT:

Direction for questions 13 to 18: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – III
(1) I believe my love and fascination with travel is somewhat hereditary. (2) I got interested in traveling to far away places from looking at albums of my father’s many travels. (3) I recall with great fondness many afternoons pouring over the big, bulky albums, labeled on the side - "Greece," "Italy," "France," "Israel," and others. (4) It was with curious awe that I saw my father pictured in exotic locales wondering what rich stories should be accompanying these snapshots of cherished memories.
(5) Of course, my dad would regale us at the dinner table with many a story, as we listened and absorbed his enthusiasm from the retelling of his adventures. (6) Then, we traveled a bit as a family, to Israel, then Belgium and the Netherlands, and then an awe inspiring summer in China.
(7) As I got older, my interest in travel continued, as read books on a variety of topics from world religions to international affairs. (8) Setting my first taste for another culture as a teenager, I spent a summer abroad.
(9) During high school, I took advantage of the study abroad program and spent a semester in Sydney, Australia. (10) The more I traveled, the more I wanted to travel and the more I wanted to share my experiences with others. (11) Trips to Italy, France, and England as a child further enriched my passion for learning about visiting other countries and learning about their cultures.
(12) It culminated in a three month trip around the world, visiting ten countries from Africa, to Southeast Asia and then through Australia and New Zealand. (13) This trip was a life altering, life affirming adventure that influenced my worldview and philosophy on life.

  1. Rhetorical questions

  2. Criticizing quotes

  3. Background explanations

  4. Personal narration

  5. Verbose perspective

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The writer makes no past references while expressing his viewpoint in the essay. Hence, (C) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Which of the following sentences is best to insert between sentences 7 and 8?

Direction for questions 1 to 6: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – I
(1) Last summer, I wrote an essay for a Freshman Composition course on the subject of race relations. (2) It was called "A Single-Hued World: Laughable or Logical?", the paper explored the effects of a world where people could not visually distinguish race.
(3)The constantly reoccurring issue of race is one I'm familiar with. (4) I'm biracial and I love it, but I detest standardized forms that demand I label myself as one race. (5) I don't see my ethnicity as "check only one," and I don't feel this is an option.
(6) I do think about race, though, and I feel very strongly that race relations will naturally improve with time, as a two-stage process occurs. (7) First, ethnic differences should continue to be celebrated, as they are currently in California. (8) Cultural holidays, festivals, and trends will gain popularity across nationalities, and races historically degraded will gain the pride necessary to attain cultural confidence. (9) Mexican, Black, Asian Pride will grow greatly, and people will appreciate contrasts between them.
(10) The passing time would lead to equality of races, which will become an obvious state and it will diminish then. (11) In time, equality of races will become an obvious state, and the importance of race will diminish. (12) If people don't have to fight for their value as people, their insecurities will vanish. So in time, I believe racial differences will evolve into a triviality, something easily ignored.

 (13) All I could possibly suggest to improve race relations is that this process be allowed to continue without interference. (14) Multicultural exhibitions and displays that inform people about different ethnic customs and traits. (15) It also as well shows racial pride, such issues are encouraged.

  1. I had to make sure I did not abuse my power or freedom as a worker.

  2. The campers approached me for their requirements and problems.

  3. This challenged my leadership integrity.

  4. Every morning, I used to set directions for them.

  5. The powers beheld to me were at my discretion and I was to make judicious use of them.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

align=justify> 'This' is option (C) is very ambiguous and moreover 'leadership integrity' is out of tune as it sets no relationship  between these 2 sentences. Option (E) is verbose, therefore ruled out. Hence, (A) is the answer.

Multiple choice

In context, which is the best way to revise and combine sentences 1 and 2 (reproduced below)? Anyone who has talked to me about leadership has mentioned that you are not a leader. Someone should always follow you.

Direction for questions 1 to 6: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – I
(1) Last summer, I wrote an essay for a Freshman Composition course on the subject of race relations. (2) It was called "A Single-Hued World: Laughable or Logical?", the paper explored the effects of a world where people could not visually distinguish race.
(3)The constantly reoccurring issue of race is one I'm familiar with. (4) I'm biracial and I love it, but I detest standardized forms that demand I label myself as one race. (5) I don't see my ethnicity as "check only one," and I don't feel this is an option.
(6) I do think about race, though, and I feel very strongly that race relations will naturally improve with time, as a two-stage process occurs. (7) First, ethnic differences should continue to be celebrated, as they are currently in California. (8) Cultural holidays, festivals, and trends will gain popularity across nationalities, and races historically degraded will gain the pride necessary to attain cultural confidence. (9) Mexican, Black, Asian Pride will grow greatly, and people will appreciate contrasts between them.
(10) The passing time would lead to equality of races, which will become an obvious state and it will diminish then. (11) In time, equality of races will become an obvious state, and the importance of race will diminish. (12) If people don't have to fight for their value as people, their insecurities will vanish. So in time, I believe racial differences will evolve into a triviality, something easily ignored.

 (13) All I could possibly suggest to improve race relations is that this process be allowed to continue without interference. (14) Multicultural exhibitions and displays that inform people about different ethnic customs and traits. (15) It also as well shows racial pride, such issues are encouraged.

  1. Anyone who talks about being a leader should always remember that someone should follow you.

  2. Anyone who ever mentions to me about leadership always says a leader is the one followed by someone.

  3. Anyone who talks about leadership to me always mentions of being a leader while you are being followed by somebody.

  4. Anyone who has talked to me about leadership has mentioned that you are not a leader unless someone is following you.

  5. Those who talk to me about leadership always focus that leaders should be followed by someone or the other.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The best version of the sentence is option (D), as 'unless' in (D) indicates a conditional limit that explains the viewpoint of a person about a leader. Moreover, sentence 2 is the logical sequence of this sentence, thereby supporting it. Hence, (D) is the answer. All the other options are incorrect due to wrong conjunction use.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the best way to revise and combine sentences 8 and 9 (reproduced below)? Nowdays slavery is restricted to jobs in more remote locations for obvious reasons so you wouldn’t find slaves working for or around the city. One will find the slaves working in and around the households in the country.

Direction for questions 19 to 24: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – IV
(1) Pearl Buck's style in The Good Earth has been compared to old Chinese novels. (2) Actually, it is a simple, direct narrative style. (3) There are no complicated techniques such as cut-back or stream of consciousness. (4) The narrative moves along smoothly towards its conclusion. (5) There are no complicated subplots or subthemes. (6) Wang Lung is the central character; the actions of all the other characters relate directly to him. (7) No one in the story performs any action which is independent of the main action.  (8) Buck wrote The Good Earth at great speed, finishing it in there months.
(9)  Perhaps the greatest strength of the style of Pearl Buck in The Good Earth is the manner in which her characters perform. (10) No matter what any one of them does, it is always in keeping with his personality. (11)  Nevertheless, none of them can be described as stereotypes; their motivations are too complex. (12)  In O-lan, the reader sees a person who is fundamentally good. (13)  Yet she does some seemingly wicked things. (14)  She steals the jewels from the rich man's house.  (15) Worse than this, she kills her own child. (16)  But both of these actions are consistent with her character indicating the context of the situations involved.
(17)  Much has been written about Pearl Buck's style of writing in The Good Earth. (18) One critic calls it "almost Biblical," while others compare it to ancient folk epics. (19)  Another critic describes it as a blend of the King James Version of the Bible and a traditional Chinese epic.
(20) A writer's style can't always be traced to the influences of his or her childhood reading. (21) The two influences exist in Pearl Buck’s case. (22)   As the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Buck was brought up on the Bible. (23)  And although she read widely in English literature, she also read Chinese novels.

  1. Nowdays slavery is restricted to jobs in remote locations for obvious reasons, so you wouldn’t find slaves working for and around the city, but rather in and around households in the country.

  2. You wouldn’t find slaves working for and around the city, but in and around households in the country because slavery is restricted to such jobs.

  3. Nowdays, slavery is restricted to in and around households and not to for and around the city because of obvious reasons.

  4. The obvious reasons have restricted the slavery for and around the city.

  5. Restrictions on for and around the city slavery and nowdays the restrictions are removed for in and around the country.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The best way to combine the 2 options is the (A) option. All the other options miss out the cause which has resulted into slavery in and around the city. Options (D) and (E) distort the actual meaning.

Multiple choice

Of the following, which is the best way to write the underlined portions of sentences 16 and 17 (reproduced below)? In ancient times war was a popular place for capturing people to be sold into slavery; this gave the army a lot of its money and power. So what is implied by me is that Romans captured merciless people and sent them back to their country.

Direction for questions 19 to 24: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – IV
(1) Pearl Buck's style in The Good Earth has been compared to old Chinese novels. (2) Actually, it is a simple, direct narrative style. (3) There are no complicated techniques such as cut-back or stream of consciousness. (4) The narrative moves along smoothly towards its conclusion. (5) There are no complicated subplots or subthemes. (6) Wang Lung is the central character; the actions of all the other characters relate directly to him. (7) No one in the story performs any action which is independent of the main action.  (8) Buck wrote The Good Earth at great speed, finishing it in there months.
(9)  Perhaps the greatest strength of the style of Pearl Buck in The Good Earth is the manner in which her characters perform. (10) No matter what any one of them does, it is always in keeping with his personality. (11)  Nevertheless, none of them can be described as stereotypes; their motivations are too complex. (12)  In O-lan, the reader sees a person who is fundamentally good. (13)  Yet she does some seemingly wicked things. (14)  She steals the jewels from the rich man's house.  (15) Worse than this, she kills her own child. (16)  But both of these actions are consistent with her character indicating the context of the situations involved.
(17)  Much has been written about Pearl Buck's style of writing in The Good Earth. (18) One critic calls it "almost Biblical," while others compare it to ancient folk epics. (19)  Another critic describes it as a blend of the King James Version of the Bible and a traditional Chinese epic.
(20) A writer's style can't always be traced to the influences of his or her childhood reading. (21) The two influences exist in Pearl Buck’s case. (22)   As the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Buck was brought up on the Bible. (23)  And although she read widely in English literature, she also read Chinese novels.

  1. (As it is now)

  2. this gave the army a lot of its money and power, so what is implied by me

  3. this gave the army a lot of its money and power, consequently is applied by me

  4. this gave the army a lot of its money and power, what I am saying

  5. this gave the army a lot of money and power, which states that I am saying

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Multiple choice

In context, which of the following is the best revision of the sentence 20 (reproduced below)? With consistency or sense of responsibility, you can win the battle of procrastination that people are fighting with themselves.

Direction for questions 7 to 12: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Passage – II
(1) In life people have to make choices, in my life I have had to make many, many choices.  (2)  I think that my biggest decision or choice would be my application and move to college. (3) This would be considered the biggest decision I would have to make in my life so far.
(4) When your senior year in high school rolls around, most people have to start thinking about what they want to do with their lives in the next four years, and what will happen after these four years are done.
(5) This was a time in my life when I had to make a choice about what I was going to do. (6)  I knew that I wanted to do something that involved the technology of computers and I thought I wanted to be an engineer. (7) Well that was a choice I made, and it was not exactly a choice I thought about adequately. (8) Engineering just wasn't what I was meant to do.
(9) Computer engineering (the major that I choose first semester) was a lot more than I expected. (10)  I ended up failing Physics, Calculus and Chemistry!  (11)  In addition to that, I was subject to separation from < > college. (12) Well, now a decision really had to be made; a choice had to be made.
(13)  My parents told me to think about other colleges and to think about other things to do instead of college, but I knew that <  > was right for me. (14)  They often suggested that I go to community college for a semester or two and make sure that I was doing something that I wanted to do. (15) I had attended the community college in my area during my last year in high school to take some extra courses, and I truly detested the place.  (16)I really did not want to go anywhere but <  >.
(17)   So I petitioned for readmission to a new department at<  >. (18)  I decided that I should focus my studies on something other than engineering, because it was much more than I had expected, and it was flat out, too hard for me.
(19)  Eventually I was allowed back, and as of right now I am on academic warning.  (20)  This is a result of my low GPA from last semester. (21)  I know this time around I will do better.  (22)  As I really messed up the last semester due to my choice of classes that made me skate on thin ice. (23) My CHOICE to come back and give this my all, and to do well, is the right CHOICE for me. (24)  <  > is the right place for me.
(25)  People sometimes underestimate the power of choice in their lives. (26)  They don't realize the impact that it can have. (27)  Obviously I didn't realize it earlier this year. 

  1. Leave it as it is

  2. The battle of procrastination that the people fight is won with consistency or sense of responsibility.

  3. One should win the battle of procrastination they are fighting with their ownselves with consistency or sense of responsibility.

  4. People can always fight procrastination with consistency or sense of responsibility but they will never win the battle.

  5. If you want to fight procrastination and win the battle, you must be consistent or realize sense of responsibility.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Option (D) retains the original meaning of the sentences while using correct tense and modal. Moreover, it is also coherent with sentences 18 and 19 that suggest the author’s generalized perspective on procrastination.  Rest all the options are ruled out due to improper tense or modal use. Hence, (D) is the answer.