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Question

Difficulty: EasyEliminating Wordiness

During night-time excursions along the coast of Puerto Rico, kayakers often witness a spectacular display. The water glows with a brilliant blue-green light whenever it is disturbed by a paddle. This phenomenon is caused by microscopic organisms known as dinoflagellates, which are tiny creatures that are too small to be seen without a microscope and emit light when agitated.

Which of the following choices, when replacing the underlined portion of the sentence, is the most concise and grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    which are tiny organisms that
  3. whichAnswer
  4. D
    which, because of the fact that they are tiny, they

Answer

The most concise and grammatically correct option is to simply use the relative pronoun 'which' to connect the clause to the verb.
The correct option is the relative pronoun 'which'. Since the sentence already establishes that the organisms are 'microscopic,' any additional description of their size is redundant. This option is grammatically correct and communicates the intended meaning in the fewest words possible.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the redundancy in the underlined portion.
The sentence already uses the word 'microscopic' to describe the dinoflagellates. Defining them as 'tiny creatures that are too small to be seen without a microscope' is completely redundant.
ACT English tests reward the most concise option that retains the original meaning and is grammatically correct.
2
Evaluate the remaining options for wordiness and grammatical correctness.
Using only 'which' removes all redundant information and allows the sentence to flow directly to the verb 'emit' while remaining grammatically sound.
Eliminating unnecessary words improves sentence flow and clarity.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness and Redundancy
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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