Grammar Test: Concise Writing and Clarity

Which of the following sentences is the most concise?

• The reason why she left the room was because she was feeling very tired.

• She left the room because she was tired.

• She left the room due to the fact that she was feeling very tired.

• The reason for her leaving the room was that she was feeling tired.

Answer explanation

The most concise sentence is 'She left the room because she was tired.' It eliminates unnecessary phrases and conveys the same meaning clearly and directly, making it the best choice among the options.

Identify the redundant phrase in the following sentence:

"In my personal opinion, I think that the movie was very interesting."

• very interesting

• I think

• In my personal opinion

• the movie

Answer explanation

The phrase 'In my personal opinion' is redundant because 'I think' already conveys the speaker's opinion. Therefore, it can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Choose the best revision for the sentence:

"He returned back to the store to buy some more groceries."

• He returned to the store to buy more groceries.

• He went back to the store to buy some more groceries.

• He returned back to the store to buy groceries.

• He returned to the store for groceries.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'He returned to the store to buy more groceries,' eliminates redundancy by removing 'back' and 'some,' making the sentence clearer and more concise.

Which word or phrase can be removed to make this sentence less wordy?

"The end result of the experiment was surprising."

• end

• result

• of the experiment

• The

Answer explanation

Removing the word 'end' simplifies the phrase to 'The result of the experiment was surprising,' making it more concise without losing meaning.

Select the sentence that eliminates unnecessary words:

• At this point in time, we are unable to make a decision.

• We are unable to make a decision at this time.

• We are unable to make a decision now.

• We are not able to make a decision at this point in time.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'We are unable to make a decision now,' is concise and eliminates unnecessary phrases like 'at this point in time' and 'at this time,' making it clearer and more direct.

Which sentence is the most concise and clear?

• The reason that he was late was because he missed the bus.

• He was late because he missed the bus.

• He was late due to the fact that he missed the bus.

• Because he missed the bus, he was late.

Answer explanation

The sentence 'He was late because he missed the bus.' is the most concise and clear. It directly states the cause of his lateness without unnecessary words, making it easy to understand.

Identify the unnecessary word in the sentence: "She absolutely had to finish the assignment in order to be able to pass the class."

• absolutely

• finish

• in order to

• be able to

Answer explanation

The word 'absolutely' is unnecessary because it adds emphasis without changing the meaning of the sentence. The sentence remains clear and complete without it.

Which revision removes redundancy from the sentence?

"Each and every student must submit their homework."

• Every student must submit their homework.

• Each student must submit their homework.

• All students must submit their homework.

• Each and every student must submit their homework.

Answer explanation

The phrase 'Each and every' is redundant since 'every' alone conveys the same meaning. Therefore, 'Every student must submit their homework.' is the most concise and clear revision.

Choose the best revision for clarity:

"The teacher explained the lesson in a way that was easy and simple to understand."

• The teacher explained the lesson in a simple way.

• The teacher explained the lesson simply.

• The teacher explained the lesson clearly.

• The teacher explained the lesson in an easy and simple way.

Answer explanation

The phrase 'explained the lesson clearly' is more concise and directly conveys the idea of easy understanding, making it the best choice for clarity compared to the other options.

Which sentence avoids redundancy?

• The two twins wore matching outfits.

• The twins wore matching outfits.

• Both twins wore matching outfits.

• The two twins both wore matching outfits.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'The twins wore matching outfits,' avoids redundancy by using 'twins' instead of 'two twins' or 'both twins,' which are repetitive. It clearly conveys the idea without unnecessary repetition.