7th Grade Writing Quiz: Choose Precise And Concise Language

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Choose Precise And Concise Language, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for 7th Grade Writing.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. There are many people who think the idea is good and should be considered.
2. The idea is good and should be considered by people everywhere.
3. Many people strongly support the idea. (correct answer)
4. People think it is a really good idea worth considering.

Explanation: The best revision, "Many people strongly support the idea," uses one exact verb—"support"—to capture both "think it is good" and "should be considered." It states the point clearly without empty starters or repeated words. The version beginning "There are many people who think" keeps the weak, wordy opener "There are" and the vague "should be considered," so it barely trims the original. The version ending "should be considered by people everywhere" adds a hollow phrase ("by people everywhere") and still relies on the vague "good" and "should be considered" instead of a precise verb. The version ending "a really good idea worth considering" pads the sentence with the filler word "really" and loses the clear point that people actively favor the idea. Only "Many people strongly support the idea" replaces vague, padded language with one precise verb that keeps the full meaning.

Question 2

1. When the bell rang, Maya moved kind of fast down the hallway.
2. When the bell rang, Maya sprinted down the hallway. (correct answer)
3. When the bell rang, Maya went really fast down the hallway.
4. When the bell rang, Maya went down the hallway.

Explanation: The best revision replaces the vague verb-plus-adverb “went fast” with one exact verb: “sprinted” tells you Maya ran at top speed, so you get a sharper picture in fewer words. The choice with “moved kind of fast” is even vaguer than the original—“kind of” is filler, and “moved” still doesn’t name the type of movement. The choice with “went really fast” just swaps one weak adverb (“fast”) for another (“really fast”); it stays imprecise because “went” never says how she moved. The choice with only “went down the hallway” is short, but it deletes the speed entirely, so you lose the sense of Maya’s hurry. Only “sprinted” is both precise and concise.

Question 3

1. Our class carefully studied the history of the town. (correct answer)
2. Our class carefully studied the past history of the town.
3. Our class studied the past and the history of the town.
4. Our class studied the previous historical past of the town.

Explanation: The phrase "past history" is redundant, because history is already about the past. Removing "past" leaves "the history of the town," which keeps the meaning and cuts the repetition, so Choice A is correct. Choice B keeps "past history," Choice C repeats the idea with "past and the history," and Choice D piles on "previous historical past," so all three stay redundant.

Question 4

1. The final outcome was a success.
2. The outcome was successful. (correct answer)
3. The end result was a complete success.
4. The outcome was a complete success.

Explanation: The original sentence repeats ideas twice. An "outcome" is already the final result, so "final" adds nothing, and "complete success" pairs two words that mean the same thing. To remove all the redundancy, both problem spots have to be fixed, and "The outcome was successful." does exactly that with no leftover extra words. "The final outcome was a success." trims "complete" but keeps the redundant "final." "The end result was a complete success." swaps in new wording but still doubles up with "complete success" (and "end result" is just as repetitive as "final outcome"). "The outcome was a complete success." fixes the "final" problem but leaves the redundant "complete" in place. Only the choice that cuts both redundancies keeps the meaning while removing every extra word.

Question 5

1. Due to the fact that (correct answer)
2. was raining outside at that time
3. the game was called off
4. by the game officials on duty

Explanation: Concise writing swaps a wordy phrase for a shorter one that means the same thing. "Due to the fact that" is simply a long way to say "because," so it is the phrase that should be trimmed. "Was raining outside at that time" looks long, but the extra words repeat information already clear from the sentence rather than replacing a bloated connector, so it isn't the phrase the editing task targets. "The game was called off" is already clear and specific; it names the action plainly and has no wordy stand-in to cut. "By the game officials on duty" adds descriptive detail, but each word carries meaning and there is no single tighter phrase that says the same thing, so it doesn't fit the concise-language fix. Only "Due to the fact that" is a stock wordy phrase with an obvious one-word replacement, which makes it the best answer.

Question 6

1. Many students want longer lunch periods. (correct answer)
2. There are many students who want lunch periods to be longer.
3. There are longer lunch periods that many students really want.
4. There are many students who want longer lunch periods now.

Explanation: The wordy sentence begins with the empty starter “There are” and uses the extra word “who.” Neither adds meaning, so both can be cut. “Many students want longer lunch periods” keeps every important idea—how many (many), who (students), and what they want (longer lunch periods)—in the fewest words. That is why it is the most concise choice. “There are many students who want lunch periods to be longer” keeps the empty “There are” and “who,” and also spreads the idea of “longer” into a wordy phrase. “There are longer lunch periods that many students really want” keeps “There are,” adds the filler word “really,” and even changes the meaning by saying the longer periods already exist. “There are many students who want longer lunch periods now” keeps both “There are” and “who” and tacks on an unnecessary “now.” Only the shortest option removes the empty starter without losing meaning.

Question 7

1. Jada made her final decision about joining the debate club.
2. Jada decided to join the debate club. (correct answer)
3. Jada made a decision in regard to joining the debate club.
4. A decision to join the debate club was made by Jada.

Explanation: The wordy version leans on the weak verb + noun combination “made a decision.” The strongest, most concise fix turns that noun back into a verb: “Jada decided to join the debate club.” One clear verb, “decided,” carries the whole action in fewer words while keeping the exact meaning. The choice that says Jada “made her final decision about joining” still keeps the weak “made... decision” construction and even adds the extra word “final,” so it is longer, not tighter. The choice with “made a decision in regard to joining” is the wordiest of all—it keeps the weak verb phrase and piles on the empty filler “in regard to.” The choice “A decision to join the debate club was made by Jada” flips the sentence into passive voice, which adds words (“was made by”) and still relies on the weak noun “decision” instead of a strong verb. Only “decided” replaces the whole weak phrase with a single strong verb, so it is the concise revision that measures the skill.

Question 8

1. At the present time, we are making plans in order to organize a fundraiser for our school library.
2. We are currently planning a fundraiser for our school library. (correct answer)
3. Right now, we are working on a plan to help out our wonderful school library.
4. A fundraiser is being organized by us as a way to raise money for our school library.

Explanation: The best revision cuts every wasted word while keeping who is acting, what they are doing, and where: “We are currently planning a fundraiser for our school library.” It replaces the inflated “at this point in time” with “currently” and uses the strong verb “planning” instead of a wordy weak construction — same meaning, far fewer words. The choice beginning “At the present time, we are making plans in order to organize…” still carries an inflated phrase for “currently” and a weak “making plans in order to organize” instead of a single strong verb, so it stays wordy. The choice beginning “Right now, we are working on a plan to help out our wonderful school library” drifts from the meaning: “help out” and “wonderful” are vague, casual filler that lose the precise idea of organizing a fundraiser. The choice beginning “A fundraiser is being organized by us…” uses passive voice (“is being organized by us”) plus the padded phrase “as a way to raise money,” which is wordier and weaker than the direct active version. Only the keyed answer removes all the wordiness while keeping the full, exact meaning.

Question 9

1. If students forget their homework, they should be allowed to turn it in the next day. (correct answer)
2. In the event that students forget their homework, they should be allowed to turn it in the next day.
3. Should students forget their homework, they will be allowed to turn it in the following day after.
4. When students forget their homework, they should be granted permission to turn it in the next day.

Explanation: The best revision replaces the four-word phrase “In the event that” with the single word “If.” This trims wordiness while keeping every part of the meaning: the condition (forgetting homework), the action (turning it in), and the timeframe (the next day). That is exactly what concise writing does—fewer words, same message. The choice that keeps “In the event that” makes no change at all to the wordy phrase, so it is not more concise than the original. The choice using “Should students forget” does swap in a shorter opener, but then it adds the redundant pair “the following day after,” which repeats the same time idea twice and makes it longer, not shorter. The choice that begins with “When” changes the meaning—“when” suggests it always happens rather than stating a condition—and it also inflates “be allowed” into the longer “be granted permission,” adding words instead of cutting them. Only the version starting with “If” shortens the sentence without losing meaning or adding new wordiness.