More Resources

Exercise: Style: Emphasizing main ideas 1 (autoscored)

In each of the following items, select the choice that appropriately highlights the main or most important idea in the sentence.

1 of 10

Click Submit after each question to see feedback and to record your answer. If your instructor has assigned this exercise set, you must answer every question before your answers will be submitted to the gradebook.

All medical papers, whether initial investigation, reports on work in progress, or presentation of final statistics, must undergo rigorous scrutiny.

All medical papers, whether initial investigation, presentation of final statistics, or reports on work in progress, must undergo rigorous scrutiny.

Whether presentation of final statistics, initial investigation, or reports on work in progress, all medical papers must undergo rigorous scrutiny.

2 of 10

Also notable throughout the story is the image of chrysanthemums.

Also notable is the image of chrysanthemums throughout the story.

Throughout the story, the image of chrysanthemums is also notable.

3 of 10

At the 1994 Winter Olympics, Nancy Kerrigan went on to receive the silver medal in figure skating despite the preceding media circus.

Despite the media circus preceding the 1994 Winter Olympics, Nancy Kerrigan went on to receive the silver medal in figure skating.

Nancy Kerrigan went on to receive the silver medal in figure skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics, despite the preceding media circus.

4 of 10

The scandal went all the way up to the CEO, starting with the accounting department and implicating other high-level executives.

The scandal started with the accounting department and implicated other high-level executives, going all the way up to the CEO.

Going all the way up to the CEO, the scandal started with the accounting department and implicated other high-level executives.

5 of 10

Victorian women were warned that if they smoked, they would become sterile, grow a mustache, die young, or contract tuberculosis.

Victorian women were warned of the side effects of smoking: they would become sterile, grow a mustache, die young, or contract tuberculosis.

Victorian women were warned that smoking would cause them to grow a mustache, contract tuberculosis, become sterile, or die young.

6 of 10

After he blew out a tire, Al Unser sped across the finish line first, thanks to his pit crew and his ability to control the car in a tailspin.

Al Unser blew out a tire, but thanks to his pit crew and his ability to control the car in a tailspin, he sped across the finish line first.

Al Unser sped across the finish line first even though he blew out a tire, thanks to his pit crew and his ability to control the car in a tailspin.

7 of 10

The bizarre nature of the clues and the lack of witnesses baffled the inspectors, but they eventually found the killer.

The case baffled the inspectors—even though they found the killer eventually—because of the bizarre nature of the clues and the lack of witnesses.

The inspectors found the killer eventually, but the bizarre nature of the clues and the lack of witnesses baffled them at first.

8 of 10

A crowd gathered, the stranded whale wriggled off the sandy beach, and a chorus of seagulls cried shrilly.

A crowd gathered, a chorus of seagulls cried shrilly, and the stranded whale wriggled off the sandy beach.

The stranded whale wriggled off the sandy beach after a crowd had gathered and while a chorus of seagulls cried shrilly.

9 of 10

In 2006, Barry Bonds surpassed Babe Ruth’s lifetime home-run record while recording a slugging percentage lower than any he had earned since 1991.

While recording a slugging percentage lower than any he had earned since 1991, Barry Bonds surpassed Babe Ruth’s lifetime home-run record in 2006.

In 2006, while recording a slugging percentage lower than any he had earned since 1991, Barry Bonds surpassed Babe Ruth’s lifetime home-run record.

10 of 10

Dr. Carver has separated several pairs of conjoined twins, he grew up in an impoverished family, and he achieved his dream of becoming a surgeon.

Although Dr. Carver grew up in an impoverished family, he has separated several pairs of conjoined twins, and he achieved his dream of becoming a surgeon.

Although Dr. Carver grew up in an impoverished family, he achieved his dream of becoming a surgeon, and he has separated several pairs of conjoined twins.