16. Which of the following would be the best revision of these sentences? "Our present receivables are in line with last year's. However, they exceed the budget. The reason they exceed the budget is that our goal for receivable investment was very conservative."

"Receivables are in line with last year's. They exceed the budget. Our goal for receivable investment was very conservative."
"The receivable investment was very conservative."
"Our present receivables are in line with last year's because they exceed the budget."
"Our present receivables, while in line with last year's, exceed the budget because our goal for receivable's days out was too aggressive."


17. Which of the following sentences is ACCURATE in terms of the words it uses? (Points : 5)
"There is a large amount of people at the convention."
"We have to decide between the four options available to us."
"Fewer people will attend the conference this year because of the higher costs."
"The speech had a profound affect on the audience."


18. Which of the following is NOT an example of parallel structure? (Points : 5)
"Yoga can help you develop flexibility, reduce stress, and increase relaxation."
"Learn how to analyze business audiences, improve your style, and edit thoroughly."
"You are all encouraged to come and share ideas, express concerns, and ask questions."
"You can pay by credit card, check, or just fill out a payroll deduction card."


19. Which of the following sentences uses passive voice appropriately? (Points : 5)
"Your order was shipped yesterday and should arrive by Friday."
"The shipping clerk sent your order yesterday and it should arrive by Friday."
"The decision was made after much debate and deliberation."
"An announcement about the company takeover will be made by the president later today."


20. Which statement correctly identifies the main benefit of writing a paragraph using the deductive order strategy? (Points : 5)
You can present any kind of evidence you wish to use.
The reader knows from the outset what your main point is so he or she is prepared to receive the evidence you provide to back up your idea.
It is an effective technique if you want to entice the reader into reading more.
The topic sentence acts as the concluding sentence.

Ooops! You forgot to tell us what YOU THINK the answers are.

16. The best revision of the sentences would be: "Our present receivables, while in line with last year's, exceed the budget because our goal for receivable's days out was too aggressive." This revision combines the information in the original sentences and provides a clear reason for why the receivables exceed the budget.

17. The sentence that is accurate in terms of the words it uses is: "Fewer people will attend the conference this year because of the higher costs." This sentence uses the correct word "fewer" to indicate a decrease in the number of people.

18. The sentence that is NOT an example of parallel structure is: "You can pay by credit card, check, or just fill out a payroll deduction card." This sentence includes a mix of different structures and does not follow a consistent pattern.

19. The sentence that uses passive voice appropriately is: "Your order was shipped yesterday and should arrive by Friday." In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is receiving the action, which is appropriate in this case where the focus is on the order being shipped.

20. The statement that correctly identifies the main benefit of writing a paragraph using the deductive order strategy is: "The reader knows from the outset what your main point is so he or she is prepared to receive the evidence you provide to back up your idea." Writing a paragraph using the deductive order strategy starts with the main point or topic sentence, which helps the reader understand the purpose of the paragraph and prepares them for the evidence and supporting details that follow.