AWA Clarity & Language Usage 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which revision of the following sentence most improves clarity by using active voice: 'Mistakes were made by the management team during the restructuring process'?
- During the restructuring process, mistakes had been made.
- The management team made mistakes during the restructuring process. (Correct answer)
- Restructuring produced mistakes being made by management.
- It was the management team by whom mistakes were made.
Correct answer: The management team made mistakes during the restructuring process.
Active voice places the agent ('management team') as the grammatical subject, making the sentence direct and attributing responsibility clearly.
Question 2: A writer uses the word 'utilize' throughout an AWA essay instead of 'use.' This is primarily a problem of:
- Grammatical inaccuracy, since 'utilize' is always incorrect
- Unnecessary verbosity, as 'use' is almost always clearer and equally precise (Correct answer)
- Register mismatch, since 'utilize' is too informal
- Diction error, since 'utilize' and 'use' have opposite meanings
Correct answer: Unnecessary verbosity, as 'use' is almost always clearer and equally precise
'Utilize' technically means to use something for a purpose beyond its original design; in most contexts, 'use' is simpler and equally precise.
Question 3: In AWA writing, what is the primary purpose of a topic sentence in a body paragraph?
- To provide a summary of the entire essay's argument
- To introduce evidence and quotations for the paragraph
- To state the paragraph's main idea and its connection to the overall thesis (Correct answer)
- To transition between the conclusion and the next paragraph
Correct answer: To state the paragraph's main idea and its connection to the overall thesis
A topic sentence anchors the paragraph by stating its central claim and signaling how that claim supports the essay's thesis.
Question 4: Which sentence most precisely conveys a causal relationship between two economic phenomena?
- Inflation went up and consumer spending also changed.
- There seems to be some kind of link between inflation and spending.
- Rising inflation eroded purchasing power, causing consumers to reduce discretionary spending. (Correct answer)
- Inflation and consumer spending are related to each other in various ways.
Correct answer: Rising inflation eroded purchasing power, causing consumers to reduce discretionary spending.
Precise causal language ('eroded,' 'causing') specifies the mechanism of the relationship rather than vaguely asserting a connection.
Question 5: A student writes: 'This proves that all government intervention inevitably fails.' What language problem weakens this AWA claim?
- Incorrect verb tense ('proves' should be 'proved')
- Overgeneralization through the use of absolute language ('all,' 'inevitably') (Correct answer)
- Passive voice that obscures who is making the claim
- Faulty parallelism between subject and predicate
Correct answer: Overgeneralization through the use of absolute language ('all,' 'inevitably')
Absolute terms like 'all' and 'inevitably' make claims that are nearly impossible to defend and invite easy counterexamples, undermining the argument's credibility.
Question 6: Which of the following best demonstrates effective use of cohesive devices to link sentences in an AWA paragraph?
- The company expanded. The market grew. Profits rose. Employees were hired.
- The company expanded. Also the market grew. Also profits rose. Also employees were hired.
- As the company expanded into new markets, profits rose accordingly, enabling it to hire additional employees. (Correct answer)
- The company expanded and then the market grew and profits rose and employees were hired.
Correct answer: As the company expanded into new markets, profits rose accordingly, enabling it to hire additional employees.
Subordination and adverbial connectors ('as,' 'accordingly') weave sentences together cohesively, showing logical relationships rather than mere sequence.
Question 7: Which scenario best describes a 'mixed metaphor,' a language error to avoid in AWA essays?
- Using a metaphor that is unfamiliar to a general audience
- Combining two incompatible metaphors in the same idea, such as 'we must iron out the stumbling blocks' (Correct answer)
- Repeating the same metaphor more than once in a paragraph
- Using a metaphor derived from a specialized field like sports or military
Correct answer: Combining two incompatible metaphors in the same idea, such as 'we must iron out the stumbling blocks'
A mixed metaphor combines images from different conceptual domains that clash logically, such as 'ironing' (smoothing fabric) with 'stumbling blocks' (obstacles on a path).
AWA Clarity & Language Usage 5
Which revision of the following sentence most improves clarity by using active voice: 'Mistakes were made by the management team during the restructuring process'?