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Difficulty: MediumEliminating Wordiness

In 1952, computer scientist Grace Hopper developed the first compiler, a pioneering technology that translated English-like instructions into computer code. By streamlining this translation process, the writing of computer programs was made to be a task that was far faster and more efficient than before by her.

Which choice most effectively and concisely completes the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. she made programming faster and more efficient.Answer
  3. C
    she made programming, faster and more efficient.
  4. D
    which made programming faster and more efficient.

Answer

she made programming faster and more efficient.
The correct choice is the most concise and direct option. By using active voice and placing the logical subject immediately after the introductory phrase, it fixes the wordiness and the dangling modifier of the original sentence while maintaining proper grammar.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined portion for wordiness and structural issues.
The original phrasing uses passive voice and indirect language, which makes it unnecessarily long. It also creates a dangling modifier because the action of streamlining is not performed by the writing of computer programs.
Locating structural errors and wordiness in the original sentence establishes what needs to be changed.
2
Evaluate the choices to find the most concise option that is grammatically correct.
The choice that states the subject performed the action directly uses active voice, aligns the subject with the modifier, and expresses the idea in the fewest possible words without adding incorrect punctuation or creating a sentence fragment.
ACT English conventions require choosing the option that expresses the intended meaning clearly, concisely, and with correct grammar.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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