Style & Clarity Quiz

Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct use of active voice?

• The book was read by Mary.

• Mary read the book.

Identify the sentence that is more concise.

• The reason for the failure of the project was primarily due to the lack of planning and organization.

• The project failed primarily because of poor planning and organization.

Choose the option that best improves the word choice in the following sentence: "The man went to the store very quickly."

• The man rushed to the store.

• The man did go to the store very fast.

Which of the following sentences is an example of a complex sentence structure?

• I like coffee.

• Although I like coffee, I prefer tea in the morning.

Select the sentence that demonstrates proper paragraph organization.

• I went to the store. It was an unusual day. I bought apples. Apples were on sale.

• It was an unusual day. I went to the store and noticed apples were on sale, so I bought some.

Which option best represents an effective transition between two paragraphs?

• "Furthermore,"

• "For example,"

Identify the sentence that uses more precise word choice.

• The scientist looked at the microscope.

• The scientist examined the specimen under the microscope.

Choose the sentence that best demonstrates conciseness.

• At this point in time, we need to make a decision about the future direction of our company.

• We need to decide our company's future direction now.

Which of the following sentences is an example of passive voice?

• The chef cooked a delicious meal.

• A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.

Select the option that best improves sentence structure in the following sentence: "He liked playing basketball and to swim."

• He liked playing basketball and swimming.

• He liked to play basketball and swimming.