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Question

Difficulty: MediumEliminating Wordiness

Read the following passage and consider the underlined portion:

During the cold, wet summer of 1816, Mary Shelley and her companions stayed near Lake Geneva, where they challenged one another to write ghost stories. Shelley was inspired by talks about the nature of life, and she then proceeded to write her masterpiece, which was a novel. The book, *Frankenstein*, became a landmark of science fiction.

Which choice best eliminates wordiness and redundant phrasing while maintaining the grammatical correctness and meaning of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. Inspired by discussions about the nature of life, Shelley wrote her masterpiece.Answer
  3. C
    Shelley was inspired by discussions about the nature of life, she wrote her masterpiece.
  4. D
    Inspired by discussions, about the nature of life, Shelley wrote her masterpiece.

Answer

Inspired by discussions about the nature of life, Shelley wrote her masterpiece.
The correct option uses a participle phrase ('Inspired by discussions about the nature of life') to modify the subject, which allows the main clause to be active and concise ('Shelley wrote her masterpiece'). It eliminates the redundant phrase 'which was a novel' and the wordy construction 'proceeded to write' while maintaining correct grammar.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the wordy and redundant elements in the underlined portion.
The original phrasing contains passive voice ('was inspired'), filler text ('then proceeded to'), and redundant details ('which was a novel' is unnecessary since writing a masterpiece in this context implies the book).
Locating passive constructions and repetitive descriptions allows you to determine what needs to be streamlined.
2
Evaluate the choices to find the most concise and grammatically correct option.
The correct option is the most concise active phrasing. The option with a comma splice creates a run-on error, and the option with unnecessary commas improperly separates a noun from its essential modifier.
The correct answer must improve conciseness without introducing grammatical errors.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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