Solutions – Chapter 3 ⚫ 1
CHAPTER 3 SOLUTIONS
Writing Improvement Exercises
Sentence Type (Obj. 3)
Sentence Faults (Obj. 3)
22. Fragment. Revision. Because 90 percent of all business transactions involve written
messages, good writing skills are critical.
Emphasis (Obj. 4)
28. b 33. a
Active Voice (Obj. 4)
37. The manager gave employees their checks at 4 p.m. every Friday.
Passive Voice (Obj. 4)
41. A computational error was discovered in the company’s tax figures.
Solutions – Chapter 3 ⚫ 2
Parallelism (Obj. 4)
45. To be hired, an applicant must be reliable, creative, and enthusiastic.
46. If you have decided to cancel our service, please cut your credit card in half and return the
pieces to us.
47. Guidelines for improving security at food facilities include inspecting incoming and
outgoing vehicles, restricting access to laboratories, preventing workers from bringing
personal items into food-handling areas, and inspecting packaging for signs of tampering.
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers (Obj. 4)
51. After leaving the midtown meeting, Angela discovered that her car would not start.
52. Walking up the driveway, the detectives immediately spotted the Hummer parked in the
garage.
Organizing Paragraph Sentences (Obj. 5)
Building Coherent Paragraphs (Obj. 5)
Note: Many possible revisions may be appropriate for all of the following paragraphs.
59. The old sports scoreboard should be replaced for many reasons. This tired warhorse was
60. A number of high-level positions are available to current employees. These positions are in
production, marketing, and administrative support. If you are interested, come to the Human
61. You are invited to a demonstration of our new software to be installed shortly. Paula Roddy,
Solutions – Chapter 3 ⚫ 3
62. Buying a new or used car can be challenging. You have two payment options: you may pay
in full or finance over time. To get the best deal, shop around. Compare offers and try to
negotiate the best deal. If you are a first-time buyer—or if your credit isn’t great—be
3.1 Radical Rewrite
Seattle Health Club Offers Ailing E-Mail Message
What three sentences have dangling modifiers? Sentences 3, 11, 17
Revision
Dear Mr. Long:
1You probably chose 24-Hour Gym here in Seattle because it is one of the top-rated gyms in the
Northwest. 2Our principal goal has always been making your workouts productive. 3To continue
to provide you with the best equipment and programs, we need your feedback.
424-Hour Gym provides an outstanding program with quality equipment and excellent trainers.
5However, we could give more individual attention to our customers if we could extend our peak
usage time. 6You have probably noticed that attendance at the gym increases from 4 p.m. to 8
p.m. 7We wish it were possible to accommodate all our customers on their favorite equipment
during those hours. 8Although we can’t stretch an hour, 9we would like to make better use of the
time between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. 10If more members came later, the gym would have less crush
from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
11To encourage you to stay later, my partner and I are considering adding security cameras for
our parking area. 12We may also add cameras for some inside facilities. 13We have given this
matter considerable thought, 14although 24-Hour Gym has never had an incident that endangered
a member.