Read this paragraph.
Devon spent several hours preparing for an upcoming audition for a play at the community theater. (2) First he did vocal exercises to practice his diction and projection so that his words would carry clearly throughout the large auditorium. (3) Then he studies the text of the monologue to better understand the emotions, and motivations of the character he plans to portray. (4) Finally he recited his monologue in front of a mirror many times, making slight adjustments and improvements to his performance each time.
How should the paragraph be revised?
- ASentence 1: Change spent to had spent, AND insert a comma after play.
- BSentence 2: Change did to does, AND insert a comma after projection.
- CSentence 3: Change studies to studied, AND delete the comma after emotions.
- DSentence 4: Change recited to recites, AND delete the comma after times.
Show the answer
Correct answer: C
The question asks for the necessary revisions to the paragraph. Option C is correct because the errors appear in sentence 3 of the paragraph. The word “studies” is in the present tense, but it should be changed to “studied” to match the past tense established in the paragraph (“spent,” “recited”). Additionally, the comma after the word “emotions” needs to be removed because the words “emotions and motivations” are part of a group (series) of two elements, and when there are only two elements in a series, a comma is not used.
Option A is incorrect because sentence 1 does not need to be revised. The word “spent” is correct in the past tense, and there is no need to insert a comma after the word “play.”
Option B is incorrect because sentence 2 does not need to be revised. The word “did” is correct as written in the past tense, and there is no comma needed after the word “projection” because “so” is not functioning as a conjunction but rather as part of the conjunction phrase “so that,” which does not take a comma.
Option D is incorrect because sentence 4 does not need to be revised. The word “recited” is correct as written in the past tense, and the comma after “times” is needed in order to separate the modifying phrase “making slight adjustments and improvements to his performance each time” from the main clause.