What you will find in this section

The Chapter 8: Developing an Effective Style - Exercise 8.4 asks students to edit several sentences according to Guidelines 1 through 3 on constructing sentences.

The Exercise

Simplify the following sentences by reducing wordiness:

1. Poor design engineering was said to be the most important factor in the results that caused the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to eventually collapse.
2. A recreation of true and accurate account of the incidents and events immediately prior to the collapse were used by the engineers to determine the reasons for the cause.
3. The location of the new bridge will be such that it is placed in the vicinity of and connected to the new highway.
4. The construction company of the new bridge suggests and advocates the repainting of the spans so as to maintain good condition by preventing rust and corrosion be done yearly.

Rewrite and simplify the following sentences by changing the verb:

1. A diverse team of engineers conducted the investigation of the accident.
2. There were several clues leading to the discovery of the faulty wiring by the electrical engineer.
3. It was a short circuit in the altimeter that was found to be the cause of the collision of the plane with the mountain.
4. The addition of new safety checks will provide insurance against a repetition of this failure.

Convert the following sentences to the active voice:

1. It was pointed out by the safety engineer that the new vans had dual air bags.
2. The place of the driver-side-only vans will be taken by these new models.
3. This improvement was first announced by the chief design engineer at the progress meeting.
4. After the announcement, the details of the design were discussed by the project engineer.

Rearrange the following sentences to emphasize what's most important:

1. NASA engineers and scientists successfully achieved a lunar landing eight years after President Kennedy announced the goal.
2. The decision to build a small, simple landing module was one reason for the landing's success.
3. Watching the landing was an exhilarating experience for all who saw it on television.