Clarity & Concision - ACT English
Card 1 of 30
Which word improves conciseness: 'He was a man who loved music'?
Which word improves conciseness: 'He was a man who loved music'?
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He loved music. Eliminates unnecessary 'He was a man who' structure.
He loved music. Eliminates unnecessary 'He was a man who' structure.
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Find and correct the redundancy: 'The plan is absolutely essential.'
Find and correct the redundancy: 'The plan is absolutely essential.'
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The plan is essential. 'Absolutely' is redundant with 'essential' which already means necessary.
The plan is essential. 'Absolutely' is redundant with 'essential' which already means necessary.
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Choose the concise option: 'As a matter of fact, he was right.'
Choose the concise option: 'As a matter of fact, he was right.'
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He was right. Direct statement eliminates unnecessary introductory phrase.
He was right. Direct statement eliminates unnecessary introductory phrase.
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What concise word replaces 'at that point in time'?
What concise word replaces 'at that point in time'?
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then. Single word replaces unnecessarily long time reference.
then. Single word replaces unnecessarily long time reference.
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Identify the redundant word: 'He returned back to the store.'
Identify the redundant word: 'He returned back to the store.'
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back. 'Returned' already implies going back, making 'back' redundant.
back. 'Returned' already implies going back, making 'back' redundant.
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Which word improves conciseness: 'He made a decision to leave'?
Which word improves conciseness: 'He made a decision to leave'?
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decided. Single verb replaces wordy 'made a decision to' phrase.
decided. Single verb replaces wordy 'made a decision to' phrase.
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Choose the concise option: 'He is an individual who studies hard.'
Choose the concise option: 'He is an individual who studies hard.'
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He studies hard. Eliminates unnecessary 'He is an individual who' structure.
He studies hard. Eliminates unnecessary 'He is an individual who' structure.
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Identify the redundant phrase: 'He repeated it again.'
Identify the redundant phrase: 'He repeated it again.'
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again. 'Repeated' already implies doing something again.
again. 'Repeated' already implies doing something again.
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Choose the concise option: 'The fact of the matter is, she won.'
Choose the concise option: 'The fact of the matter is, she won.'
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She won. Direct statement eliminates unnecessary filler phrase.
She won. Direct statement eliminates unnecessary filler phrase.
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What concise term replaces 'at this moment in time'?
What concise term replaces 'at this moment in time'?
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now. Single word replaces overly verbose time phrase.
now. Single word replaces overly verbose time phrase.
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Which option best removes redundancy: "close proximity"?
Which option best removes redundancy: "close proximity"?
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proximity. Proximity already means closeness.
proximity. Proximity already means closeness.
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Find the most concise revision: "She returned back to the office."
Find the most concise revision: "She returned back to the office."
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She returned to the office. 'Back' is redundant with 'returned'.
She returned to the office. 'Back' is redundant with 'returned'.
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Which revision best follows concision: "a total of ten"?
Which revision best follows concision: "a total of ten"?
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ten. Removes redundant phrase 'a total of'.
ten. Removes redundant phrase 'a total of'.
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Which option best removes redundancy: "future plans"?
Which option best removes redundancy: "future plans"?
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plans. Plans inherently refer to the future.
plans. Plans inherently refer to the future.
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Which option best removes redundancy: "completely unanimous"?
Which option best removes redundancy: "completely unanimous"?
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unanimous. Unanimous already means complete agreement.
unanimous. Unanimous already means complete agreement.
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Which option best removes redundancy: "true facts"?
Which option best removes redundancy: "true facts"?
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facts. Facts are inherently true; modifier unnecessary.
facts. Facts are inherently true; modifier unnecessary.
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What is the concision rule for vague nouns like "thing" or "stuff" when a precise noun is available?
What is the concision rule for vague nouns like "thing" or "stuff" when a precise noun is available?
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Replace with a specific, concrete noun. Use precise vocabulary instead of generic terms.
Replace with a specific, concrete noun. Use precise vocabulary instead of generic terms.
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What is the concision rule for empty openers such as "It is important to note that"?
What is the concision rule for empty openers such as "It is important to note that"?
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Delete the opener and state the point directly. These phrases waste words without adding content.
Delete the opener and state the point directly. These phrases waste words without adding content.
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What is the concision rule for intensifiers such as "very" and "really" on ACT English?
What is the concision rule for intensifiers such as "very" and "really" on ACT English?
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Delete them unless they add essential meaning. Most intensifiers add no meaningful emphasis.
Delete them unless they add essential meaning. Most intensifiers add no meaningful emphasis.
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What is a common concision error involving pronouns such as "he or she" repeated many times?
What is a common concision error involving pronouns such as "he or she" repeated many times?
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Wordy repetition; revise to a concise plural or rephrase once. Avoid repetitive gender pronouns throughout passages.
Wordy repetition; revise to a concise plural or rephrase once. Avoid repetitive gender pronouns throughout passages.
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What is the primary goal of clarity and concision on ACT English?
What is the primary goal of clarity and concision on ACT English?
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Express the idea clearly with no unnecessary words. Eliminate wordiness while maintaining meaning.
Express the idea clearly with no unnecessary words. Eliminate wordiness while maintaining meaning.
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Choose the concise option: 'He is an individual who studies hard.'
Choose the concise option: 'He is an individual who studies hard.'
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He studies hard. Eliminates unnecessary 'He is an individual who' structure.
He studies hard. Eliminates unnecessary 'He is an individual who' structure.
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Which word improves conciseness: 'He is a man who knows art'?
Which word improves conciseness: 'He is a man who knows art'?
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He knows art. Eliminates unnecessary 'He is a man who' construction.
He knows art. Eliminates unnecessary 'He is a man who' construction.
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Identify the concise option: 'For the purpose of winning, she trained hard.'
Identify the concise option: 'For the purpose of winning, she trained hard.'
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To win, she trained hard. Replaces verbose purpose phrase with simple infinitive.
To win, she trained hard. Replaces verbose purpose phrase with simple infinitive.
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Choose the concise phrase: 'In the process of learning, he improved.'
Choose the concise phrase: 'In the process of learning, he improved.'
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While learning, he improved. Eliminates wordy 'In the process of' phrase.
While learning, he improved. Eliminates wordy 'In the process of' phrase.
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What concise term replaces 'a majority of'?
What concise term replaces 'a majority of'?
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most. Single word replaces unnecessarily formal quantifier.
most. Single word replaces unnecessarily formal quantifier.
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What is the concise phrase for 'in the event of'?
What is the concise phrase for 'in the event of'?
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if. Simple conditional word replaces formal phrase.
if. Simple conditional word replaces formal phrase.
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What is the concise form of 'in order to'?
What is the concise form of 'in order to'?
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'to' is the concise form. Eliminates unnecessary words while maintaining the same meaning.
'to' is the concise form. Eliminates unnecessary words while maintaining the same meaning.
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Identify the redundant word: 'The car was blue in color.'
Identify the redundant word: 'The car was blue in color.'
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'in color' is redundant. Colors are inherently about color, making 'in color' unnecessary.
'in color' is redundant. Colors are inherently about color, making 'in color' unnecessary.
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Find the redundancy: 'She made a free gift for him.'
Find the redundancy: 'She made a free gift for him.'
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'free' is redundant. All gifts are free by definition, making 'free' redundant.
'free' is redundant. All gifts are free by definition, making 'free' redundant.
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