College Composition / Unit 20 CMP 0483 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Best Version of a Sentence
The idea
Choosing the best version of a single sentence means checking each option for errors first and then for clarity and fit.
In practice
Work in order. First, eliminate options with errors in grammar, usage or punctuation, such as agreement errors, comma splices or dangling modifiers. Second, eliminate options that change the meaning. Third, compare the rest for clarity: active voice, concrete words, no filler. Fourth, check tone and register against the passage. Fifth, check emphasis: does the sentence end on the idea the paragraph needs? If the original survives every test, keeping it unchanged may be the best choice.
Where people slip
Errors are the first filter, not the last. Two error-free options can differ sharply in clarity; do not stop at the first one that is merely correct.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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