Editing & Revising — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Read: "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor he also helped write the Declaration of Independence." What is the BEST way to fix this sentence?
A) "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor, he also helped write the Declaration of Independence."
B) "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor. He also helped write the Declaration of Independence."
C) "Benjamin Franklin, was a famous inventor he also helped write the Declaration of Independence."
D) "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor and he also, helped write the Declaration of Independence."
The correct answer is B) "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor. He also helped write the Declaration of Independence.". Read: "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor he also helped write the Declaration of Independence." What is the BEST way to fix this sentence — the answer is "Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor. He also helped write the Declaration of Independence.".
2. A student writes: "The assembly was boring. It was long. The speaker talked about stuff." Which revision BEST improves this passage?
A) Add "very" before "boring" and "long."
B) "Although the assembly ran over an hour, the guest speaker's stories about marine biology fascinated the audience."
C) Change the periods to exclamation points.
D) Delete the last sentence only.
The correct answer is B) "Although the assembly ran over an hour, the guest speaker's stories about marine biology fascinated the audience.". A student writes: "The assembly was boring. It was long. The speaker talked about stuff." Which revision BEST improves this passage — the answer is "Although the assembly ran over an hour, the guest speaker's stories about marine biology fascinated the audience.".
3. Read: "Each of the players were excited about the championship game, and they practiced everyday after school." How many errors does this sentence contain?
A) One — "were" should be "was"
B) One — "everyday" should be "every day"
C) Two — "were" should be "was" and "everyday" should be "every day"
D) No errors — the sentence is correct
The correct answer is C) Two — "were" should be "was" and "everyday" should be "every day". Read: "Each of the players were excited about the championship game, and they practiced everyday after school." How many errors does this sentence contain — the answer is Two — "were" should be "was" and "everyday" should be "every day".
4. A writer's conclusion reads: "So yeah, that is why I think dogs are good pets and stuff." Which revision makes the strongest conclusion?
A) "So yeah, that is why I think dogs are great pets and stuff."
B) "In conclusion, dogs make loyal, loving companions that bring joy to any family."
C) "Dogs are good. That is my opinion about dogs."
D) "So, in conclusion, dogs are nice and good and the best pets ever."
The correct answer is B) "In conclusion, dogs make loyal, loving companions that bring joy to any family.". A writer's conclusion reads: "So yeah, that is why I think dogs are good pets and stuff." Which revision makes the strongest conclusion — the answer is "In conclusion, dogs make loyal, loving companions that bring joy to any family.".
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A run-on sentence can be fixed by adding a comma and a conjunction between two complete thoughts.
A comma paired with a conjunction like "and" or "but" creates a proper break between two complete thoughts, preventing a run-on sentence.
2. The word "everyday" is an adjective, but "every day" means each day and works as an adverb phrase.
"Everyday" (one word) is an adjective meaning ordinary, while "every day" (two words) is an adverb phrase meaning each day, like "I practice piano every day."
3. A conclusion should restate the main idea without copying the introduction word for word.
A strong conclusion reminds readers of the main idea using fresh wording, reinforcing the argument without simply repeating the introduction.
4. Informal words like "yeah," "stuff," and "cool" should be replaced with formal language in formal writing.
Formal writing requires precise, professional language because slang words like "yeah" and "stuff" sound casual and weaken the writer's credibility.
5. When the subject is "each" or "everyone," the verb must be singular because these pronouns are singular.
Words like "each" and "everyone" refer to individuals one at a time, so they require a singular verb: "Each of the students was ready" not "were ready."