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Grammar for Grownups Quiz #49

Make Writing Shine. Lose the "it is" and "there are"!

First drafts aside, text written without the use of the wimpy pronoun/verb combinations "it is" and "there are" shine brightly. (First drafts may include them since a writer's first consideration is getting ideas on paper, not editing out the bugs.)

In the following sentences, remove these unimaginative pronoun/verb combinations and rewrite the sentences to make them more direct, more powerful, better understood, or more readable.

1. There are fifty stars in the U.S. flag.

2. When there are only two people walking, it isn't a parade.

3. It is frightening to imagine an earthquake.

4. Do you think it is possible for earthquakes to occur here?

5. There is always a chance it is time for the next ground shaking.

Click here for my answer.

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