ACT (Enhanced)EnglishEasy
A student is writing a report for a science class and wants to maintain a formal and objective tone. They have written the following sentence: 'Many people reckon that the experiment's results were pretty cool.' Which revision best maintains the desired tone?
- AMany people reckon that the experiment's results were quite cool.
- BThe experiment's results were widely considered to be impressive.
- CA lot of folks thought the experiment's results were really neat.
- DIt is generally believed that the experiment's results were pretty awesome.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The experiment's results were widely considered to be impressive.
Option B uses formal vocabulary ('widely considered,' 'impressive') and removes informal language ('reckon,' 'pretty cool'), thus maintaining an objective and academic tone suitable for a science report. Options A, C, and D retain or introduce informal phrasing.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Retains informal 'reckon' and 'pretty cool,' failing to achieve a formal tone.
- C. Uses highly informal language ('a lot of folks,' 'really neat'), making it unsuitable for a science report.
- D. Retains informal 'pretty awesome' and uses 'generally believed,' which is less precise than 'widely considered' in an objective report.
Formal and Objective Tone
A writing style characterized by precise, professional language, avoidance of personal opinions or emotional expressions, and focus on facts and evidence.
- Uses standard English grammar.
- Avoids slang, contractions, and colloquialisms.
- Focuses on facts and evidence, not personal feelings.
Memory trick: Formal writing Focuses on Facts, not Feelings.