Procrastination and Me
(1) Most people think that procrastination is a negative habit. (2) In fact, Benjamin Franklin said, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” (3) But people like me, who routinely put off doing assignments and chores, are likely to defend our “slower” approach to getting tasks done. (4) I was in for a surprise when my history teacher assigned a big project last month. (5) I wasn’t expecting to learn that too much procrastination really can keep you from doing your best work.
(6) I’m the only procrastinator in my family. (7) My parents and sister were all born with the “do it right now” gene. (8) Personally, I prefer a more relaxed pace.
(9) When my parents expressed concern about my tendencies, I researched procrastination and found that the behavior is not all bad. (10) People procrastinate when they need to solve a problem or commit to a topic or project. (11) In these cases, waiting to make a decision can be a good thing. (12) This is because our minds continue to mull over problems even when we are not actively thinking about them, which can lead to more creative solutions. (13) My findings made me feel smug. (14) My method for gettings things done was just as good as my sister’s . . . or so I thought.
(15) At school we’d been talking about the colonial days. (16) My teacher said we would each have a month to build a replica of a small colony out of any materials we wanted. (17) We were expected to include things we had learned regarding the lives of the early colonists. (18) Some worked in the towns, while others made a living on small farms. (19) The finished projects would be displayed in the cafeteria.
(20) I thought the assignment sounded really fun. (21) But November was busy, and I didn’t think about the project much. (22) Before I knew it, I had only three days left for the project. (23) In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and finding scraps that I hastily glued together. (24) The finished result looked like something my little cousin might have made.
(25) When I entered the cafeteria and saw everyone else’s models on display, I felt even more unusual about mine. (26) Several of my classmates had created amazingly detailed colonies. (27) They had used materials such as clay, wood, and in one case, sugar cubes. (28) It was obvious that they had put a lot more time into the assignment than I had.
(29) That day was a bit of a wake-up call for me. (30) I’m still more relaxed about deadlines than the rest of my family, but something has changed. (31) Now I tackle things a lot earlier than I would have in the past. (32) This means I don’t have quite as much time for drawing and gaming, but the trade-off is worth is. (33) And I have to admit that it feels pretty good!
What is the MOST effective revision to make in sentence 23?
A. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps that I hastily glued together.
B. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out and removing brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps for hastily gluing together.
C. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and there were paper scraps that I hastily and quickly glued together.
D. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, hastily and quickly gluing together what I pulled out, which was brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps.
no spamming large things
The most effective revision to make in sentence 23 is option A: "In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps that I hastily glued together."
To determine the most effective revision for sentence 23, let's first analyze the original sentence:
"In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and finding scraps that I hastily glued together."
The original sentence is clear and concise, providing the necessary information about the speaker's actions and the materials they found in the recycle bin. However, there is room for improvement in terms of sentence structure and word choice.
Now, let's examine the options:
A. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps that I hastily glued together.
Option A improves the sentence by including the word "paper" before "scraps" to clarify the type of scraps being mentioned. This revision maintains the clarity and conciseness of the original sentence.
B. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out and removing brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps for hastily gluing together.
Option B introduces unnecessary repetition and awkward phrasing ("for hastily gluing together"). This revision does not improve the sentence and makes it less clear.
C. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and there were paper scraps that I hastily and quickly glued together.
Option C includes the phrase "there were" before "paper scraps," which adds unnecessary words and disrupts the flow of the sentence. This revision does not improve the sentence and makes it wordy.
D. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, hastily and quickly gluing together what I pulled out, which was brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps.
Option D completely changes the structure of the sentence, making it convoluted and less clear. The revised sentence does not effectively convey the speaker's actions or the materials found.
Based on the analysis, the most effective revision for sentence 23 is option A:
"In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps that I hastily glued together."
A. In a panic I ransacked our recycle bin, pulling out brown cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper scraps that I hastily glued together.
The other options either add unnecessary words or have incorrect grammar. Option A is the most clear and concise way to convey the intended meaning.