Choose the sentence that expresses the idea most clearly.

1.

a. Officer DeAngelo phoned his partner every day when he was in the hospital.
b. When his partner was in the hospital, Officer DeAngelo phoned him every day.
c. When in the hospital, a phone call was made every day by Officer DeAngelo to his partner.
d. His partner received a phone call from Officer DeAngelo every day while he was in the hospital.

2.
a. Some of the case transcripts I have to type are very long, but that doesn't bother one if the cases are interesting.
b. Some of the case transcripts I have to type are very long, but that doesn't bother you if the
cases are interesting.
c. Some of the case transcripts I have to type are very long, but it doesn't bother a person if
the cases are interesting.
d. Some of the case transcripts I have to type are very long, but that doesn't bother me if the
cases are interesting.

3.
a. In search of the missing teenagers, who still had not been found through snake-ridden underbrush all day, the exhausted volunteers had struggled.
b. All day the exhausted volunteers had struggled through snake-ridden underbrush in search
of the missing teenagers, who still had not been found.
c. All day the exhausted volunteers had struggled through snake-ridden underbrush who still
had not been found in searching for the missing teenagers.
d. The exhausted volunteers who still had not found in search of the missing teenagers when
they had struggled through snake-ridden underbrush.

4.
a. For three weeks the Merryville Fire Chief received taunting calls from an arsonist, who would not say where he intended to set the next fire.
b. The Merryville Fire Chief received taunting calls from an arsonist, but he would not say
where he intended to set the next fire, for three weeks.
c. He would not say where he intended to set the next fire, but for three weeks the Merryville
Fire Chief received taunting calls from an arsonist.
d. The Merryville Police Chief received taunting calls from an arsonist for three weeks, not
saying where he intended to set the next fire.


5.
a. There is no true relationship between ethics and the law.
b. Ethics and the law having no true relationship.
c. Between ethics and the law, no true relationship.
d. Ethics and the law is no true relationship.

6.
a. Some people say jury duty is a nuisance that just takes up their precious time and that we don't get paid enough.
b. Some people say jury duty is a nuisance that just takes up your precious time and that one
doesn't get paid enough.
c. Some people say jury duty is a nuisance that just takes up precious time and that doesn't
pay enough.
d. Some people say jury duty is a nuisance that just takes up our precious time and that they
don't get paid enough.

7.
a. As soon she realized that the hurricane was going to strike, the mayor told the residents to evacuate the city.
b. As soon she realized that the hurricane was going to strike, the city residents were told to
evacuate by the mayor.
c. As soon she realized that the hurricane was going to strike, the mayor tells the city residents of her decision to evacuate.
d. As soon she realized that the hurricane was going to strike, the residents of the city were told to evacuate by the mayor.

8.
a. A sharpshooter for many years, a pea could be shot off a person's shoulder from 70 yards away by Miles Johnson.
b. A sharpshooter for many years, Miles Johnson could shoot a pea off a person's shoulder from 70 yards away.
c. A sharpshooter for many years, from 70 yards away off a person's shoulder Miles Johnson could have shot a pea.
d. A sharpshooter for many years, Miles Johnson could shoot from 70 yards away off a person's shoulder a pea.

9.
a. By the time they are in the third or fourth grade, the eyes of most children in the United States are tested.
b. Most children by the time they are in the United States have their eyes tested in the third or fourth grade.
c. Most children in the United States have their eyes tested by the time they are in the third or fourth grade.
d. In the United States by the time of third or fourth grade, there is testing of the eyes of most children.

10.
a. Ultra-violet radiation levels are 60 percent higher at 8,500 feet from the sun than they  are at sea level, according to researchers.
b. Researchers have found from the sun ultraviolet radiation levels 60 percent higher, they say, at 8,500 feet than at sea level.
c. Researchers have found that ultra-violet radiation levels from the sun are 60 percent higher at 8,500 feet than they are at sea level.
d. At 8,500 feet researchers have found that ultra-violet radiation levels are 60 percent higher from sea level with the sun's rays.

Answers:

1. b. In the other choices, the pronoun reference is ambiguous; it is unclear who is in the hospital.

2. d. The other answers contain unnecessary shifts in person from I to one, you, and a  person.
3. b. This is the only choice that is clear and unambiguous. All the other choices contain misplaced modifiers, resulting in unclear and illogical statements.
4. a. The other choices are unclear because they are awkwardly constructed, obscuring who intends to set the fire.
5. a. Answers b and c are sentence fragments. Answer d represents confused sentence
structure as well as lack of agreement between subject and verb.
6. c. The other choices contain unnecessary shifts in person, from people to their and we in answer a, to your and one in answer b, and to our and they in answer d.
7. a. This choice is clear, has no misplaced modifiers, and has no shifts in verb tense. Choices b and d have misplaced modifiers and result in unclear sentences; c has an unnecessary shift from past to present tense.
8. b. This is the only choice that does not have a misplaced modifier. Because Miles Johnson
is the sharpshooter, his name should be placed immediately after the introductory phrase—which rules out choices a and c. Choice d is awkwardly constructed and unclear.
9. c. This is the only choice that is clear and logical. Choice a reads as though the eyes are in the third or fourth grade. Choices b and d are unclear.
10. c. This is the only choice that makes logical sense.