Final answer:
The sentence 'The fire was difficult to extinguish because it was too hot.' is the best revision, as it is clear and concise without redundancy. Eliminate wordiness by removing unnecessary words and ensure proper use of semicolons to enhance clarity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best way to revise the sentence "It was difficult to extinguish because the fire was too hot." is to reduce wordiness, increase clarity, and provide a concrete subject and an action. The revised sentence "The fire was difficult to extinguish because it was too hot." eliminates the redundancy of 'it' and 'because,' directly linking the difficulty with the fire's intensity. Similarly, in sentence improvements:
- Lack of water and fire extinguishers in the room aggravated the fire.
- Their analysis of the problem was accurate.
- My parents say that my curfew is not negotiable.
- The history teacher was irritated when she talked about the omission of an important fact in the students' exam responses.
- Lawmakers recommended the bill be changed before the final vote.
Eliminating Wordiness
When eliminating wordiness, such as editing "There was a really bright light that was shining on the waves in the ocean" to "A bright light shone on the ocean waves," the goal is to remove unnecessary words while maintaining the meaning of the sentence.
Review Questions
For adding or omitting semicolons:
- They gave the fire marshal a kickback to look the other way; consequently, the building went up in flames the very next year.
- The earthquake on March 22nd was nearly a 6.0 on the Richter scale; however, there was no loss of life.