Sentence Correction Drill #9

1. The Pony Express was an ingenious system for carrying mail; it was in existence only briefly, however, before the telegraph system made it obsolete.

A. mail; it was in existence only briefly, however,
B. mail, for it was in existence only briefly, however,
C. mail; however, existing only briefly
D. mail, having existed only briefly
E. mail, but was existing only briefly

2. A recent discovery is the finding that people who both drink and smoke are greater cancer risks than those who do only one of these things.

A. A recent discovery is the finding that
B. A recent discovery came when they learned that
C. Recently, a finding is that
D. It has recently been discovered that
E. It is a recent discovery that

3. The notion that a biography should be full of praise and free of criticism prevailed during most of the nineteenth century.

A. The notion that a biography should be full of praise and free of criticism prevailed during most of the nineteenth century.
B. The notion that prevailed about a biography during most of the nineteenth century was that of being full of praise and free of criticism.
C. During most of the nineteenth century, they had a prevalent notion that a biography should be full of praise and free of criticism.
D. Prevalent as a notion during most of the nineteenth century was for a biography to be full of praise and free of criticism.
E. Prevalent during most of the nineteenth century, the notion prevailed that a biography should be full of praise and free of criticism.

4. A native New Yorker, Gloria Naylor's first novel won an American Book Award in 1983.

A. A native New Yorker, Gloria Naylor's first novel
B. A native New Yorker, the first novel by Gloria Naylor
C. The first novel by native New Yorker Gloria Naylor
D. Gloria Naylor, a native New Yorker, wrote her first novel thus having
E. Gloria Naylor wrote her first novel and the native New Yorker

5. Charlie Chaplin developed definite ideas about the art of comedy and as a result sentiment, satire, and social criticism were introduced into his work.

A. sentiment, satire, and social criticism were introduced
B. sentiment, satire, and social criticism were introduced by him
C. having introduced sentiment, satire, and social criticism
D. introduced sentiment, satire, and social criticism
E. the introduction of sentiment, satire, and social criticism

6. Someone living in a technological, consumption-oriented culture probably taxes the environment at a rate many times that of a country such as Myanmar.

A. that of a country such as Myanmar
B. that of someone living in a country like Myanmar
C. what you find in Myanmar, for instance
D. the rate in a country such as Myanmar
E. a citizen of Myanmar, for instance

7. Airport runways must be constantly swept clear of trash and other debris that could be sucked into a jet-engine intake or it could cause a serious accident.

A. intake or it could cause a serious accident
B. intake, this causes a serious accident
C. intake and cause a serious accident
D. intake, preventing a serious accident
E. intakes and avoiding a serious accident

8. In believing that firsthand experience would enhance the credibility of his biography of Columbus, Professor Morison retraced the route of Columbus' first voyage.

A. In believing that
B. Believing that
C. In his belief that
D. He believed that
E. By believing that

9. Except in mathematics, absolute proof is more often an ideal to be sought than a goal to be reached, a fact that the courts recognize by setting varying standards of proof for different kinds of cases.

A. a fact that the courts recognize by setting
B. which the courts recognize and set
C. and this is recognized when the courts are setting
D. and it is recognized by the courts when they set
E. and the courts recognize this fact setting

10. My grandfather never learned to use a calculator, as he shops he can accurately compute his grocery bill in his head to within a dollar.

A. as he shops
B. while shopping
C. but as he shops
D. therefore, when shopping
E. however, he shops so that

11. The first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks with her special interest in encouraging young poets.

A. with her special interest in encouraging
B. had a special interest in encouraging
C. having had a special interest, which was to encourage
D. who had a special interest in encouraging
E. she had a special interest to encourage

12. Although fascinated by chance and coincidence, Paul Auster's novels are written with careful attention to style and balance.

A. Paul Auster's novels are written
B. Paul Auster's novels were written
C. Paul Auster writes his novels
D. Paul Auster is a writer
E. Paul Auster had wrote