PELLET B Sentence Clarity 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence is most clearly written?
- The officer arrested the suspect who had been identified by three witnesses at the convenience store. (Correct answer)
- The suspect who had been identified at the convenience store the officer arrested by three witnesses.
- At the convenience store the suspect by three witnesses was arrested who had been identified by the officer.
- Three witnesses the suspect identified the officer arrested at the convenience store.
Correct answer: The officer arrested the suspect who had been identified by three witnesses at the convenience store.
Option A presents a clear subject-verb-object structure with a properly placed relative clause.
Clear writing follows logical subject-verb-object order. Option A: 'The officer (subject) arrested (verb) the suspect (object) who had been identified by three witnesses (modifier).'
Question 2: Select the sentence that contains NO errors in clarity or grammar.
- After interviewing the complainant, the detective determined that the noise violation occurred at approximately 11 PM. (Correct answer)
- After interviewing the complainant the noise violation was determined to occur at approximately 11 PM by the detective.
- The detective after interviewing determined approximately 11 PM the noise violation the complainant occurred.
- Approximately 11 PM the noise violation after the complainant was interviewed by the detective was determined.
Correct answer: After interviewing the complainant, the detective determined that the noise violation occurred at approximately 11 PM.
Option A correctly places the introductory phrase and clearly identifies the detective as the actor.
Option A avoids the dangling modifier problem. The introductory phrase must be followed by the person who did the interviewing.
Question 3: Which revision best improves: 'The dog was observed by the officer running through the parking lot.'
- The officer observed the dog running through the parking lot. (Correct answer)
- Running through the parking lot, the dog was observed by the officer.
- The officer, running through the parking lot, observed the dog.
- Through the parking lot the dog running was observed by the officer.
Correct answer: The officer observed the dog running through the parking lot.
Option A eliminates ambiguity about who was running by using active voice and placing 'running' directly after 'dog.'
Option A uses active voice and places the modifier correctly to clarify the dog was running.
Question 4: Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
- The officer's duties include patrolling the neighborhood, responding to calls, and writing reports. (Correct answer)
- The officer's duties include patrolling the neighborhood, to respond to calls, and report writing.
- The officer's duties include patrolling the neighborhood, she responds to calls, and writing reports.
- The officer's duties include to patrol the neighborhood, responding to calls, and she writes reports.
Correct answer: The officer's duties include patrolling the neighborhood, responding to calls, and writing reports.
Option A maintains parallel structure with three gerund phrases: patrolling, responding, and writing.
Parallel structure requires items in a series to use the same grammatical form. Option A uses three gerund phrases consistently.
Question 5: Which sentence avoids wordiness while maintaining clarity?
- The suspect fled on foot heading northbound. (Correct answer)
- The suspect who was observed at the scene of the crime was seen fleeing away from the location on foot in a northbound direction.
- It was observed that the suspect was in the process of fleeing on foot going in the direction of north.
- The suspect, who was at the scene, fled on foot, heading in the direction that was northbound.
Correct answer: The suspect fled on foot heading northbound.
Option A conveys all essential information concisely.
Option A is concise and includes every essential detail: who, what, how, and direction.
Question 6: Identify the sentence with a misplaced modifier.
- Wearing a ski mask, the bank was robbed by the suspect. (Correct answer)
- The suspect wearing a ski mask robbed the bank.
- The suspect, who was wearing a ski mask, robbed the bank.
- A suspect in a ski mask robbed the bank on Fifth Street.
Correct answer: Wearing a ski mask, the bank was robbed by the suspect.
In Option A, 'Wearing a ski mask' incorrectly modifies 'the bank' instead of 'the suspect.'
A misplaced modifier is positioned so it appears to modify the wrong noun. 'Wearing a ski mask' grammatically modifies 'the bank.'
PELLET B Sentence Clarity 2
Which sentence is most clearly written?