Word Choice

Word Choice

By KACHINA MICKELETTO

Multiple Choice

Darrel is writing an email to members of the student council about a fund-raiser. He wants to improve the word choice to clarify his meaning. Read the sentences from the email and select the most precise phrase from each underlined pair.

This year's annual carwash fund-raiser will take place this Saturday at 8:00 a.m. We rely on our student council members to provide stuff for the carwash / cleaning supplies, so be sure to bring lots of towels and sponges. And remember, in addition to meeting our financial goal, the purpose of this year's fund-raiser is to get to know more local people / build relationships within our community.

• stuff for the carwash, get to know more local people

• stuff for the carwash, build relationships within our community

• cleaning supplies, get to know more local people

• cleaning supplies, build relationships within our community

Multiple Choice

A student is writing an essay about plants for biology class. The student wants to revise the draft to make the wording more precise. Read the sentences from the essay and answer the question.

 

Many people do not know that a natural treatment for poison ivy rash often grows next to poison ivy in wooded areas. The jewelweed plant can be used in a paste to ease itching and increase the speed of healing.

 

Which word best replaces the underlined phrase without changing the meaning of the sentence?

• accelerate

• influence

• rush

• spark

Multiple Choice

Becca is revising an announcement that will appear in the school's e-newsletter. She wants to revise the draft to make the wording more precise. Read the sentences from the announcement and answer the question.

 Remember to submit your cookie orders to volleyball team members who will be stationed outside the gymnasium throughout the week. All proceeds from cookie sales will help supply the money to order new jerseys for our undefeated team!

Which word best replaces the underlined phrase without changing the meaning of the sentence?

• fund

• get

• secure

• sponsor

Multiple Choice

A student is writing an article for the school newspaper and wants to improve the word choice. Read the sentences from the article and answer the question.

Street libraries are located throughout our town in various residential neighborhoods. These pop-up libraries boost neighborhood sharing and also encourage reading within the community.

Which word best replaces the underlined phrase to convey a precise meaning?

• advance

• generate

• motivate

• promote

Multiple Choice

Harrison is writing an article for his food blog. He wants to revise his word choice to make his meaning clear. Read the sentences from the article and select the most precise word from each underlined pair.

 

When making a roux, a thickener for a sauce, you must heat the fat—butter, lard, or another fat source—in a pan, then add flour until it has absorbed / consumed all of the fat. It is important to cook the roux long enough so that the raw flour cannot be tasted. You then add broth or milk and stir vigorously to merge / integrate the flour mixture into the liquid. Then, bring it to a boil.

• absorbed, merge

• absorbed, integrate

• consumed, merge

• consumed, integrate

Multiple Choice

A student is writing a letter to the newspaper editor. The student wants to revise the letter to improve the word choice to fit the audience and purpose. Read the sentences from the letter and answer the question.

  The recent newspaper article about restoring historic buildings was encouraging to me and other teenagers in our town. We appreciate the history these buildings represent and we do not want to see them torn down. Repairing these buildings will help preserve our community and our culture.

Which word best replaces the underlined phrase?

• diminished

• demolished

• destroyed

• damaged

Multiple Choice

Leslie is writing a story for English class. She wants to revise her word choice to be more descriptive. Read the paragraph from the story and answer the question.

For several minutes, Peter watched how quietly the tiny birds sat, perched side-by-side in a long row on the power line, soaking up the warm August sun. Then suddenly, as if they had received a silent signal, they all took off quickly and soared in the afternoon breeze.

Which phrase best replaces the underlined phrase to describe the birds' actions?

• left quite suddenly

• swiftly moved on

• scattered rapidly

• flew upward

Multiple Choice

Sebastian is writing a story for English class. He wants to improve the word choice by including descriptive details. Read the sentences from his draft and select the best descriptive phrase from each underlined set of phrases.

 

Josie felt clumsy / stumbled about as she walked down the hallway to the kitchen.  The 

            room was immersed in darkness / seemed incredibly dark since the storm had knocked

            the power out.

• felt clumsy, was immersed in darkness

• felt clumsy, seemed incredibly dark

• stumbled about, was immersed in darkness

• stumbled about, seemed incredibly dark