Precision and Economy · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Shorter, sharper, exact

English · Writing Composition · ages 14-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Why does the evil duck sentence beat the plain duck sentence?

    • It uses more words in total
    • It removes every adjective
    • Exact words show motive, taste, and manner

  2. What do precision and economy mean?

    • More adjectives in every sentence
    • More meaning in fewer, exact words
    • Longer sentences everywhere

  3. Words like thing, aspect, and situation name exactly what you mean.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A report says the situation was bad. What improves it most?

    • Add very before bad
    • Name the actual problem plainly
    • Repeat situation twice

  5. She walked slowly and quietly across the room. Which single verb best replaces the weak verb plus adverbs?

    • Crept
    • Walked
    • Went

  6. You cut a tenth of your draft. How do you check the cut?

    • Count the words that remain
    • Check the title changed
    • Confirm no meaning was lost

  7. A student defends stuff and things as precise style. What is the flaw?

    • Short words are always wrong
    • Nouns should never repeat
    • Vague nouns force readers to guess the meaning

  8. Two rewrites of a card line: Ann writes the dealer shuffled briskly and dealt, smirking. Ben writes the dealer very quickly shuffled in a fast way. Whose is sharper?

    • Ann, because briskly and smirking do exact work
    • Ben, because longer means sharper
    • Both are exactly equal
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Shorter, sharper, exact W1-mt_6IiH44N01F-s1

  1. Exact words show motive, taste, and manner · Evil, stale, and greedily each do exact work.
  2. More meaning in fewer, exact words · Exact words carry more with less.
  3. False · Vague nouns hide meaning. Name the real thing instead.
  4. Name the actual problem plainly · Naming the real problem beats decorating a vague noun.
  5. Crept · Crept packs slow and quiet into one exact verb.
  6. Confirm no meaning was lost · A safe cut keeps every scrap of meaning.
  7. Vague nouns force readers to guess the meaning · Precision names. Vagueness shrugs.
  8. Ann, because briskly and smirking do exact work · Briskly shows manner and smirking raises questions in few words.
Worksheet · LightMySky