Revise and Edit Skills Quiz

Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice?

• The cake was eaten by the children.

• The children ate the cake.

• The cake is being eaten by the children.

• The cake had been eaten by the children.

Answer explanation

The sentence 'The children ate the cake.' is in active voice because the subject (the children) performs the action (ate) directly on the object (the cake). The other sentences are in passive voice.

Identify the correct spelling of the word that means "to change something to make it better."

• Revize

• Revise

• Revice

• Revies

Answer explanation

The correct spelling is 'Revise', which means to change something to make it better. The other options, 'Revize', 'Revice', and 'Revies', are incorrect spellings.

Which sentence is the most clear and concise?

• Due to the fact that it was raining, we decided to stay indoors.

• Because it was raining, we stayed indoors.

• We stayed indoors because of the rain that was falling.

• The rain was falling, so we decided to stay indoors.

Answer explanation

The sentence 'Because it was raining, we stayed indoors.' is the most clear and concise. It uses straightforward language and eliminates unnecessary words, making the meaning direct and easy to understand.

Choose the best word to replace "big" in the sentence: "The big dog barked loudly."

• Large

• Huge

• Enormous

• Gigantic

Answer explanation

The word 'large' is the best replacement for 'big' as it conveys a similar meaning without exaggeration. 'Huge', 'enormous', and 'gigantic' imply a greater size than 'big', making 'large' the most appropriate choice.

Which of the following sentences uses a variety of sentence structures?

• I went to the store. I bought milk. I came home.

• I went to the store, bought milk, and came home.

• After going to the store, I bought milk and came home.

• I went to the store; I bought milk; I came home.

Answer explanation

The sentence 'After going to the store, I bought milk and came home.' uses a complex structure with a dependent clause, showcasing variety. The other options are simpler and lack this complexity.

What is the main purpose of revising a draft?

• To check for spelling errors

• To improve clarity and coherence

• To add more words

• To change the topic

Answer explanation

The main purpose of revising a draft is to improve clarity and coherence. This ensures that the ideas are presented clearly and logically, making it easier for readers to understand the message.

Which sentence is organized in a logical order?

• The cat chased the mouse after it ate the cheese.

• After eating the cheese, the mouse was chased by the cat.

• The mouse was chased by the cat after it ate the cheese.

• The cat ate the cheese and then chased the mouse.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'After eating the cheese, the mouse was chased by the cat,' logically sequences the events: first the mouse eats cheese, then it is chased, making the order clear and coherent.

Select the sentence that best demonstrates varied sentence length.

• The sun set. It was beautiful. The sky turned orange.

• The sun set beautifully, and the sky turned orange.

• As the sun set, the sky turned a beautiful shade of orange.

• The sun set, and the sky turned orange; it was beautiful.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'The sun set, and the sky turned orange; it was beautiful,' effectively combines shorter and longer phrases, showcasing varied sentence length, unlike the other options which are more uniform.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

• Neither the teacher nor the students was ready for the test.

• Neither the teacher nor the students were ready for the test.

• Neither the teacher or the students were ready for the test.

• Neither the teacher nor the students is ready for the test.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready for the test.' This is because 'students' is plural, so the verb 'were' agrees with the plural subject. The other options contain grammatical errors.

Identify the sentence that needs revision for clarity.

• The book on the table is mine.

• The book is mine on the table.

• On the table, the book is mine.

• Mine is the book on the table.

Answer explanation

The sentence 'The book is mine on the table.' is unclear because it suggests that the ownership is conditional on the book being on the table. The clearer options are 'The book on the table is mine.' or 'On the table, the book is mine.'.