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Question

Difficulty: MediumEliminating Wordiness

While standing near an active radar magnetron, self-taught engineer Percy Spencer noticed that a peanut butter candy bar in his pocket had completely melted. Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, he then went ahead and invented the microwave oven, a device designed to heat food rapidly.

Which of the following choices is the most clear and concise way to write the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. A
    Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, he then went ahead and invented the microwave oven, a device designed to heat food rapidly.
  2. Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, Spencer invented the microwave oven.Answer
  3. C
    Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, the microwave oven was invented by Spencer.
  4. D
    Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, Spencer invented the microwave oven, which was a cooking machine.

Answer

Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, Spencer invented the microwave oven.
The correct answer, which states that Spencer invented the microwave oven after realizing electromagnetic waves could cook food, is concise and active. It removes the wordy phrasing and the redundant definition of what a microwave oven does.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify wordiness and redundancy in the original sentence.
The phrase 'then went ahead and' is wordy, and defining the microwave oven as 'a device designed to heat food rapidly' is redundant because the function of a microwave oven is already understood.
ACT English questions require eliminating unnecessary words and phrases that do not add new meaning.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the concise alternatives.
The option that changes the main clause to passive voice ('the microwave oven was invented by Spencer') creates a dangling modifier because 'the microwave oven' becomes the subject modified by the introductory phrase 'Realizing...'.
An introductory modifying phrase must logically describe the subject of the clause that immediately follows it.
3
Select the most direct and grammatically correct option.
The choice stating 'Realizing that electromagnetic waves could cook food, Spencer invented the microwave oven' is both grammatically correct and free of wordiness.
It maintains the active voice, ensures the modifier correctly targets 'Spencer', and eliminates all redundant detail.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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