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Difficulty: MediumEliminating Wordiness

A portion of the passage below is underlined.

In 1923, after witnessing a spectacular collision between a car and a carriage, inventor Garrett Morgan patented a new kind of traffic signal. This automated device, which was created for the purpose of directing the movement of vehicles, featured a T-shaped pole with three positions: Go, Stop, and an all-directional stop.

Which of the following choices makes the underlined portion most concise and grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    This automated device, which directed vehicles, featuring
  3. This automated device featuredAnswer
  4. D
    This automated device directed vehicles, it featured

Answer

This automated device featured
The correct answer provides the most concise phrasing by removing the redundant, wordy relative clause explaining the purpose of the device. It establishes a direct, grammatically correct subject-verb relationship with the active verb.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined portion to identify wordiness, redundancy, or grammatical errors.
The original phrasing contains a passive, wordy relative clause ('which was created for the purpose of directing the movement of vehicles') that adds unnecessary detail about the function of a traffic signal, which is already clear from the context.
ACT English prioritizes conciseness and clarity, so unnecessary words and redundant definitions must be eliminated.
2
Evaluate the choices for conciseness and grammatical correctness.
Removing the redundant clause yields a direct, active-voice sentence structure: 'This automated device featured...' Other options either remain wordy, create a fragment, or introduce a comma splice.
The correct option must be grammatically sound while achieving maximum conciseness.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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