Liberty University ENGL 101 Mindtap 7 assignment complete solutions correct answers updated

Liberty University ENGL 101 Mindtap 7 assignment complete solutions correct answers updated

1.     Eliminating Redundant Words and Phrases

Sometimes when we are trying to write formally, we add extra words that turn out to be unnecessary—these words are called redundant, because they essentially repeat the meaning of another word or phrase already used. Consider the following examples of redundancy and the more concise alternatives:

Redundant

Concise

all together

together

and also

and (or also)

cash money

cash (or money)

circle back

return

collaborate together

collaborate

consensus of opinion

consensus

each individual member

each member

end result

result

kneel down

kneel

mutual cooperation

cooperation

pick and choose

choose (or pick)

refer back

refer

reply back

reply (or respond)

spell out in detail

explain

weather conditions

weather (or conditions)

Additionally, there are common phrases that may sound more formal but in reality do not add any meaning to a statement. These phrases are overextended because they are simply longer but not any more effective, for example:

Overextended

Concise

as to whether

whether

at the present time

now

at this point in time

now

because of the fact that

because

due to the fact that

because

during the course of

during

in this day and age

today

In general, it is better to use avoid using two words when one will do.

In each of the following sets of sentences, choose the ones that do NOT use any redundant words or phrases.

2.     Expressing Your Thoughts Clearly by Avoiding “There is/are” and “It is”

Sentences with there or it in the subject position (as in there is, there was, it is, it was) generally are weak. Make these sentence leaner, more direct, and more interesting by rewriting them with a verb that describes the action and a subject that performs the action.

Version A

Jealousy

¹There was a writer named Gore Vidal who famously said: "Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little." ²It is my own feeling as well, though I hate to admit it. ³I tell myself that supporting my friends and reveling in their successes will make me a happier, more confident person, but I just can't overcome my sense of jealousy. ⁴For example, there were three friends of mine who all received big promotions in the same year. ⁵When we went out to celebrate, I smiled and patted them all on the back, but inside I was despondent. ⁶I have decided to examine my sources of insecurity as a first step to remedying this ugly aspect of my personality.

Read the sentences pulled from the passage above. Decide if each sentence uses or doesn’t use “there” or “it” in the subject position.

There was a writer named Gore Vidal who famously said: "Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little."

It is my own feeling as well, though I hate to admit it.

I tell myself that supporting my friends and reveling in their successes will make me a happier, more confident person, but I just can't overcome my sense of jealousy.

For example, there were three friends of mine who all received big promotions in the same year.

When we went out to celebrate, I smiled and patted them all on the back, but inside I was despondent.

I have decided to examine my sources of insecurity as a first step to remedying this ugly aspect of my personality.

Read the following sentences and then select the best revision for each. If no revision is needed, select "No revision is needed."

There is some plant growth despite the harsh climate.

There will be construction crews working all summer.

It's a calculation that our accountants double-checked.

Version B

Bright Light on the Moon

¹On March 17, 2013, there was a meteoroid impact on the surface of the moon. ²Although lunar impacts are relatively common, this one was unique in its luminosity. ³It is a fact that this explosion shone ten times brighter than any lunar impact witnessed since a monitoring program began eight years ago, according to Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. ⁴In fact, the March 17 explosion was so bright that a person could have seen it without the aid of a telescope. ⁵Contrary to what people may assume, the meteoroid that caused this explosion was not large in size. ⁶It was about 40 kg in weight and was just 0.3 to 0.4 meters in width.

Source: Philips, Tony. “Bright Explosion on the Moon.” NASA Science News, 17 May 2013, science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/16may_lunarimpact/.

Version C

A Terrible Loss

¹Thousands of years ago, Mayans built a ceremonial center in what is today northern Belize. ²Although abandoned, many of the structures from the center remained intact over the millennia. ³Today the structures make up an important archaeological site called the Nohmul complex. ⁴It was the destruction of one of the tallest pyramids in this complex by a construction company that brought the site to the world's attention recently. ⁵There were trees and shrubs growing on the stone structure, so some may argue the workers mistook it for a natural hill. ⁶Yet Jaime Awe, head of the Belize Institute of Archaeology, says the workers knew it was a pyramid.

Source: Jones, Patrick E., and Mark Stevenson. "Mayan Nohmul Pyramid In Belize Destroyed By Bulldozer.” AP/Yahoo News, 13 May 2013, www.yahoo.com/news/builders-bulldoze-big-mayan-pyramid-belize-225012836.html?ref=gs.

3.     Expressing Your Thoughts Clearly by Minimizing Passive Construction

For the most part, writers should use active verbs so that their sentences are strong and clear. This means that they should describe who or what acts upon someone or something, instead of describing who or what is acted upon, which is passive construction. Examples:

Active

Passive

The local credit union awarded Janie a scholarship.

Janie was awarded a scholarship by her local credit union.

Mitchell has been working on his thesis for two years.

The thesis has been worked on by Mitchell for two years.

Directions: Carefully read each sentence in the following table and indicate whether the verb in bold  is active or passive.

Version A

Sentence

Active

Passive

1. The woman was awarded a scholarship by the committee.

2. Mitchell has been working on his thesis for two years.

3. Ariana invited me to attend her class as a guest speaker.

4. Elspeth was bitten by mosquitoes.

5. Although I was tired, I ran to the park with my dog.

6. Michelle Obama advocates programs that prevent childhood obesity.

7. The goal is being defended remarkably well by the defensive players.

Directions: In each of the following sentences, the main verb (which appears in  bold) is in the passive voice. Select the sentence that uses the same verb and verb tense in the active voice.

Recently, more research by sociologists has been focused on the relationship between diet and acculturation among Latinos in the United States.

Acculturation is the process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group; Latinos' acculturation into American culture is shown in part by their food choices.

Fewer fruits and vegetables and more fried foods are eaten by Latinos after they move to the United States, causing an increased risk for diabetes and hypertension.

In conclusion, the worst American eating habits, such as consuming fast foods and snacking excessively, have been adopted by more Latinos; therefore, their rate of obesity has increased. This trend has contributed to almost 73% of Latinos living in the United States being overweight or obese.

Version B

Sentence

Active

Passive

1. Renee was sitting in traffic for over an hour.

2. The building façade was vandalized by middle school students.

3. Moses has been accused of cheating.

4. Voice-recognition technology truly fascinates my father.

5. William Shakespeare is known as a great dramatist.

6. Colleen hasn't forgotten her promise to us.

7. The airliners are being retrofitted with several new safety features.

Directions: In each of the following sentences, the main verb (which appears in  bold) is in the passive voice. Select the sentence that uses the same verb and verb tense in the active voice.

Recently, more research has been done by sociologists on the relationship between diet and acculturation among Latinos in the United States.

Acculturation is defined by researchers as the process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group.

Fewer fruits and vegetables and more fried foods are contained in the diet of Latinos after they move to the United States, causing an increased risk for diabetes and hypertension.

In conclusion, as more of the worst American eating habits, such as consuming fast foods and snacking excessively, are taken up by Latinos, their rate of obesity increases. This trend has contributed to almost 73% of Latinos living in the United States being overweight or obese.

Version C

Sentence

Active

Passive

1. All four sandwiches were devoured by Tony.

2. She regularly insults my intelligence.

3. The sidewalk was freshly paved by the Department of Public Works.

4. We were bombarded with calls from marketing agencies.

5. Allegedly, Mr. Fleming burned down his own house to collect the insurance money.

6. Mei Su has been training for a half marathon since April.

7. Is that any way for a dog to be treated by its owner?

Directions: In each of the following sentences, the main verb (which appears in  bold) is in the passive voice. Select the sentence that uses the same verb and verb tense in the active voice.

Recently, research by sociologists has been concentrated on the relationship between diet and acculturation among Latinos in the United States.

Acculturation is the process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group; the extent of Latinos' acculturation into American culture is illustrated by their food choices.

Fewer fruits and vegetables and more fried foods are consumed by Latinos after they move to the United States, causing an increased risk for diabetes and hypertension.

In conclusion, the worst American eating habits, such as consuming fast foods and snacking excessively, have been embraced by more Latinos; therefore, their rate of obesity has increased. This trend has contributed to almost 73% of Latinos living in the United States being overweight or obese.

4.     Expressing Your Thoughts Clearly by Avoiding Wordy Verb construction

Another way to minimize wordiness is to use the shortest verb construction possible. Consider these examples:

Concise

Wordy

Shakespeare presented several complex themes in all of his comedies and tragedies.

Shakespeare was presenting several complex themes in all of his comedies and tragedies.

Many bestselling female authors want their work to be taken more seriously.

Many bestselling female authors are wanting their work to be taken more seriously.

Select from the dropdown menu to complete each sentence with the most concise verb phrasing.

Version A

Actors who crave their privacy     from posting on social media.

That historic night, everyone     the moon landing on television.

My uncle’s family     from vacation tomorrow.

Version B

Author Jennifer Weiner     with her readers through social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook.

Many college students     in anti-war protests during the late 1960s.

Our plane     at 8:00 p.m.

Version C

Popular music     seemingly personal relationships with their fans through social media.

During World War II, many women     in jobs that had been held by men.

The President     in the city after noon today.

5.     Combining Closely Related Sentences

An excellent way to be concise in your writing is to look for opportunities to combine sentences. Look for words or ideas that are repeated in two or more connecting sentences, then cut them out and revise into one sentence. Consider this example:

Sentences with repetition: The Getty Villa in Malibu boasts many beautiful sculptures. The sculptures in the museum are from ancient Greece and Rome.

Revised sentence: The Getty Villa in Malibu boasts many beautiful sculptures from ancient Greece and Rome.

Explanation: The words underlined in the second sentence are essentially repeated from the first sentence, so they can be cut and the sentences combined with a slight revision to be strong and concise.

Read the text and determine which sentence is the best replacement to achieve clear and concise writing.

Version A

Samantha will approach the podium at this point in time. She will do it now.

We bought tickets to the concert. The tickets cost a great deal of money. However, we got sick and had to give the tickets away.

Derek is afraid of speaking in public. He doesn’t like talking in front of an audience.

Version B

John and I postponed the ceremony. We did it due to the fact that the auditorium had flooded.

My parents toured the cave with a guide. The guide knew a great deal about geology. At the end of the tour, my parents gave the guide a generous tip.

Karla is interested in baking bread. But she finds it challenging.

Version C

I enjoyed the way the director brought the movie to a conclusion. I really liked the ending.

I own a pocket watch. The pocket watch belonged to my grandfather. He wore the pocket watch when he came to this country in 1946.

The report is about coastal pollution. It analyzes the problem.

6.     Writing

Directions: The following self-assessment is designed to help you evaluate your own writing habits. To complete it, indicate whether each statement is A (Always true), S (Somewhat or Sometimes true), or N (Never true). You cannot answer incorrectly.

Directions: Which of the following actions are likely to help you complete the writing step of the writing process effectively and efficiently? Select all that apply.

7.     Revising

Directions: Examine the document, then answer the question that follows.

What evidence of revision do you see in this document? Select all that apply.

Directions: Imagine that a classmate needs your help revising the sentences that follow. Read the sentences, and then indicate which comment would best help the classmate revise her work.

Which of the following comments would best help the author of these sentences revise his work?

8.     Revising Essays

Directions: The following questions review matters related to revising essays. Read each question, then select the correct answer or answers.

Which of the following questions are appropriate to ask when revising the introduction of an essay? Select all that apply.

Which of the following should you consider when revising the body of an essay? Select all that apply.

Directions: Indicate whether each statement in the following table is true or false.

9.     Editing

Directions: Examine this student’s concern and then select the most appropriate response.

What would you say too help this student?

Directions: Examine the editing scenarios presented below and select the option that best answers each question.

Which of the following comments would help someone edit a paragraph that contained these sentences?

Which editing symbol would you most likely use to mark the following sentence?

10.  Publishing

Directions: Imagine that a friend is getting ready to publish the following academic essay and has asked you for advice. Examine the document, then answer the question that follows.

What would you advise the author of this document to do when submitting the final draft? Select all that apply.