UK English Oxford Style Editing Skills MCQs
UK English Oxford Style Editing Skills MCQs
These UK English Oxford Style Editing multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of UK English Oxford Style Editing. You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these 70+ UK English Oxford Style Editing MCQs.
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Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Delilah's twenty page tale of derring do
2)delighted the dignitaries who stamped their
3)feet in approval. Reading from a dais draped
4)in crepe, she felt like a modern day Scheherazade.
A.
Edit lines (1) and (4) for hyphenation.
B.
Edit line (2) for missing comma.
C.
Edit lines (1) and (3) for diction.
D.
Edit line (4) for comma use and allusion errors.
E.
a and d
F.
a and b
G.
This passage does not need editing.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
To maintain a healthy body and mind, one must exercise, eat fruits and vegetables and refrain from cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
A.
refrain from smoking cigarettes and drinks.
B.
refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol.
C.
refrain from smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
D.
refrain from cigarettes and drinking.
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
'Have you read Zinn's A People's History of the United States?' asked Jamie.
'Yes', I replied, 'and I must say it's the most eye-opening history book I've read in some time.'
A.
Replace the comma after 'replied' with a period and capitalise the following 'and'.
B.
Change 'People's' from a possessive to a plural noun.
C.
Underline or italicize the book title.
D.
a and c
E.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
It will require diligence and careful planning to rebuild the town's infrastructure and create systems of protection for future hurricanes
A.
create systems of protection about future hurricanes
B.
to create systems of protection regarding future hurricanes
C.
create those systems needed to protect that infrastructure from any future hurricanes
D.
create systems of protection against future hurricanes
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Whether Steve is aware of it or not,
2)today is the anniversary of us packing up the
3)house and hightailing it to Canada. If I were
4)you, I wouldn't remind him of it
A.
Edit line (1) for structure and punctuation.
B.
Edit line (2) to correct error in possessive determiner.
C.
Edit line (3) to correct idiom and verb tense errors.
D.
Edit line (4) for pronoun reference.
E.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)If you are concerned about wrinkles and other telltale signs of age,
2)you should know that prolonged sun exposure has at least two damaging effects:
3)not only is the wrinkling of the skin hastened, but it may also result in
4)lowered immunity against infection.
A.
Edit line (1) for redundancy.
B.
Edit line (2) for passive voice.
C.
Edit line (3) for unnecessary shift in voice.
D.
Edit line (4) for faulty phrasing.
E.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Knowing she had no right for privacy as long
2)as she stayed in the convent, Marta hid her forbidden
3)diary in the secret compartment she'd discovered
4)besides the confessional in the chapel.
A.
Edit lines (1) and (4) for preposition usage.
B.
Edit lines (2) and (3) for pronoun usage.
C.
Edit line (2) for modifier placement.
D.
Edit line (1) for participle use.
E.
Edit line (3) for verb tense.
F.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Even though Sharon spends a good deal of time complaining,
2)bemoaning her fate and wishing that her circumstances
3)are not quite so humble, I'm pretty sure that she is
4)grateful for everything she has.
A.
Edit lines (1) and (4) for pronoun-antecedent agreement.
B.
Edit line (2) for verb tense consistency.
C.
Edit lines (1) and (3) to correct errors in diction and idiomatic expressions.
D.
Edit line (3) to correct error in present tense vs. past subjunctive mood.
E.
This passage does not need editing.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
A doctor at the City Clinic in Manchester claims that if women give up smoking and ate a healthy diet, their children would be less likely to develop lung diseases.
A.
claims that if women gave up smoking and ate a healthy diet
B.
claims that if women had given up smoking and eaten a healthy diet
C.
claimed that when a woman gives up smoking and eats a healthy diet
D.
claims that if women give up smoking and eat a healthy diet
E.
claimed that when women gave up smoking and ate a healthy diet
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Catherine Bliss, who was one of the richest women
2)in the city in the 1940s, died at the age of 92 in a dingy
3)London hotel suite where she had lived with 3 cats and five
4)parakeets for more than 20 years. Her downfall was attributed to
5)her husband Barry Bliss
A.
Edit line (1) for passive voice.
B.
Edit lines (2) and (5) for apostrophe usage.
C.
Edit lines (3) and (4) for number style.
D.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
'Those fake pearls and the upswept hairdo makes her look like a poor man's Grace Kelly', drawled Inga. 'But please don't tell her I said that'.
A.
Edit the second quoted speech to correct ambiguous pronoun reference.
B.
Change 'poor man's' to 'second-rate' to correct error in idiom usage.
C.
Edit the main verb in the first quoted speech to correct a subject-verb agreement error.
D.
Insert a comma after 'Inga' and lower-case the capital B in 'But'.
E.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)After the accident, Justine left her teaching
2)job; she has not able to resume her teaching
3)and possibly never will be able
4)to resume her teaching again.
A.
Edit line (1) for adverb clause structure and punctuation.
B.
Edit line (2) for omission of a completing verb form.
C.
Edit lines (2), (3) and (4) to eliminate repetition of 'able' and 'her teaching'.
D.
Delete 'again' in line (4) to avoid redundancy.
E.
a, b and d
F.
b, c and d
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
After a whole morning of experimenting with all these new potions and pills, I'm sorry to say that my migraine is as bad today as yesterday.
A.
is as bad today just as it was yesterday
B.
is as bad today as it was yesterday
C.
was worse today than it had been yesterday
D.
was as bad today as yesterday
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
An understanding of the manner in which different types of disciplinary tactics affects student behaviour will help us design better methods for classroom management.
A.
Understanding how different types of disciplinary tactics affect student behaviour
B.
An understanding of the way that disciplinary tactics affects student behaviour
C.
Having an understanding of how different types of disciplinary tactics affect student behaviour
D.
Different types of disciplinary tactics affect students in diverse ways, and understanding that
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)I know that Thomas is eager to move
2)operations to the east; however, it might be a
3)first good step for him to assess just how many
4)of his current employees are willing to relocate.
A.
Edit line (2) for use of conjunctive adverbs.
B.
Edit line (2) for capitalisation.
C.
Edit line (3) for placement of adjectives.
D.
Edit line (4) for preposition usage.
E.
b and c
F.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)So the guy breaks into our house, steals our stuff and
2)then slips on the ice in the driveway on his way out,
3)breaking his ankles. And guess what? He hit us with a
4)personal injury suite. Isn
5)tragedy of justice you ever heard of?
A.
Edit lines (1) and (2) for comma usage errors.
B.
Edit line (3) for idiom usage error.
C.
Edit line (4) for spelling error.
D.
Edit line (5) for diction error.
E.
b and c
F.
c and d
G.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
If all goes according to plan, three years from now Agatha will marry, give birth to two children and learn how to juggle a hectic career in between.
A.
marries, gives birth to two children and learns how to juggle
B.
has married and given birth to two children and had already learned how to juggle
C.
will marry and give birth to two children and she will learn how to juggle
D.
will have married, given birth to two children and learned how to juggle
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Brooke went with Carrie, Tom
2)planner, to pick out flowers for Tom's luncheon,
3)but she couldn't find anything she liked; hence, they
4)went home empty-handed.
A.
Edit line (1) for punctuation.
B.
Edit line (2) for phrasal verb use.
C.
Edit line (3) for pronoun reference.
D.
Edit line (3) for conjunctive adverb use.
E.
Edit line (4) for diction and hyphenation.
F.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following closing paragraph of an Internet-based business-to-consumer sales letter and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
So are you ready to get your head out of the weeds? CLICK HERE to order your Garden Guru Deluxe package and FREE GardenFriend Tool Belt, and join more than 100,000 other hard-working people who now spend their weekends playing instead of pruning! And just to sweeten the pot, I'll take off an additional 30% if you order before 10th of December. You can't beat that with a stick!
Weedlessly Yours, Jay Appleseed President, Garden Guru Inc. P.S. I have your deluxe Package and FREE gift ready to send to you. After you order using your credit card, I'll send you your tracking number and full instructions. Click here to order
A.
For the sake of credibility, strongly suggest that the author back up his claim that '100,000 people' own this product.
B.
Change instances of ALL CAPS to sentence case or lowercase as appropriate.
C.
Recast the entire closing to eliminate humour.
D.
Delete the unprofessional 'P.S.'
E.
None of the above actions are necessary. Though it may benefit from a little tweaking, this closing is acceptable.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
According to the chief of surgery, the risk of death from this medical procedure is about the same from an airplane crash or from a nuclear reactor meltdown.
A.
the same as an airplane crash or
B.
the same as from an airplane crash as well as that from
C.
the same as from an airplane crash or
D.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Greta, who is completely enamoured of her new
2)designer handbag, is even more enamoured of the
3)envious glances she receives from her pals.
4)Made of buttery leather, Greta
A.
Edit lines (1) and (2) for diction.
B.
Edit lines (2) and (3) for adjective usage.
C.
Edit line (4) for dangling modifier.
D.
Edit line (5) for phrasal verb usage.
E.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)I am unable to forgive my neighbour who
2)fails to return a lawnmower he had taken
3)from my garage without my permission. He is
4)now persona non grata in my home.
A.
Edit line (1) for pronoun reference.
B.
Edit line (2) for verb tense consistency.
C.
Edit lines (1) and (4) for diction.
D.
Edit line (3) for punctuation.
E.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)If you cut along the crease here', said Haruko, 'then
2)fold the paper into a triangle thusly and then fold it
3)again to form a base, you will have made yourself a
4)chic—and cheap—yacht'. She sat back, clearly satisfied.
5)'And that's the beauty of origami!'
A.
Edit lines (1), (3) and (4) for punctuation.
B.
Edit line (2) for adverb usage.
C.
Edit line (4) for dangling modifier.
D.
Edit line (5) for end punctuation.
E.
a, b and d
F.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Like a miniature solar system, the moths orbited the
2)fire, their firefly companions providing intermittent
3)flashes of starlight. We sat in our lawn chairs,
4)as silent as empty space, enthralled by the show.
A.
Edit line (1) for illogical comparison.
B.
Edit line (2) for faulty phrasing.
C.
Edit line (3) for clarity.
D.
Edit line (4) for incomplete comparison.
E.
This passage does not need editing.
Read the following passage and identify the type of error it contains.
Harold simply cannot get over the fact that Maude eats up every night of the week. If he had his druthers, he'd tie her over until she realized how wonderful it was to tuck into a nice home-cooked meal
A.
Error in phrasal verb usage
B.
Error in modal verb usage
C.
Incorrect use of idiomatic expressions
D.
Inconsistency in verb tense
E.
This passage is correct.
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
Herbert works hard all week and has plans every weekend for the next year and he still finds time to volunteer at the animal shelter.
A.
Herbert works hard all week and he has plans every weekend for the next year and he
B.
Working hard all week and having plans every weekend for the next year, Herbert
C.
Although Herbert works hard all week and has plans every weekend for the next year, he
D.
Despite working hard all week and with plans every weekend for the next year, Herbert
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
1)Why, Helen wondered, did I ever show my face in Troy?
2)There's been nothing but infighting, death and destruction
3)—not to mention the cost of launching those thousand
4)ships. My choice is clear: I'm moving to Swindon.
A.
Edit line (1) for inverted commas.
B.
Edit lines (1) and (2) for overuse of commas.
C.
Edit line (2) for omission of hyphen.
D.
Edit line (3) for use of em dash.
E.
Edit line (4) for capitalisation and use of colon.
F.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
Outsourcing our accounting and collections tasks has really laid credence to our company. Our customers now perceive us to be bigger than we are and are certainly put hard to ignore their outstanding invoices.
A.
Edit the first sentence to correct the error in diction.
B.
Edit the second sentence to correct the idiomatic error.
C.
Recast the second sentence for logic and parallel structure.
D.
a and b
E.
a and c
F.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
29: Which of the following sentences requires editing to correct a modifier usage error?
A. Your opinion will greatly influence the outcome of today's vote.
B. Wendy barely threw the ball two feet, thereby losing the game for the team.
C. Having sung his heart out, Billy took a bow and exited stage left.
D. 'This cake tastes wonderful', said Frederick, 'but I'd prefer fewer raisins next time'.
Read the following passage from a play script and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
HORATIO, preparing to blow his horn. Aw, dang! The pistons are all gummy. Now what?
JOE. Chill out. (He takes off his shoe.) Here, hit
A.
Enclose 'preparing to blow his horn' in brackets.
B.
Change 'Aw, dang!' to 'Oh, dear!' to eliminate colloquial speech.
C.
Eliminate inappropriate slang by changing 'Chill out' to a phrase like 'Never fear'.
D.
Italicize the stage direction in the second line.
E.
Insert inverted commas around all dialogue.
F.
d and e
G.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
The award was received joyously by Mr. Pocklock for his volunteer service. So pleased was he, he began to dance a jig and didn
A.
Rewrite the second sentence to eliminate stilted phrasing.
B.
Change the first 'he' in the second sentence to 'Mr. Pocklock' to avoid awkward phrasing.
C.
Recast the whole passage into one sentence instead of two.
D.
Recast the first sentence to eliminate unnecessary use of passive voice.
Read the following sentence and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
If you can learn to control your anger just a touch more, you ought to find that people react to you more positively.
A.
Edit both modal verbs to correct usage and tense errors.
B.
Change all verbs to future tense.
C.
Change the first modal verb to 'could', but leave the second modal verb as is.
D.
Recast the sentence to eliminate all adverbs.
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
33: Which of the following sentences requires editing to correct an error in parallel structure?
A. We applauded him not only for admitting his serious offences and helping the police, but also for expressing his sincere regret for the pain he had caused.
B. The merger led to restructuring the internal systems, redefining the roles of each department and realigning the company's goals to those of its parent company.
C. According to a recent survey, the average French woman speaks two languages, marries and divorces twice in her lifetime and drinks seventeen gallons of wine a year.
D. 'This is a time not for words, but action'! roared the candidate, backed up by the deafening cheers of the crowd.
Read the following sentence and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
At this point in the play, we see that Hamlet has still not decided whether to kill Claudius, despite brooding over it for quite some time.
A.
Change 'whether' to 'whether or not' to clarify Hamlet's intentions.
B.
Change the present participle 'brooding' to the perfect participle 'having brooded'.
C.
Change the present participle 'brooding' to the past participle 'brooded'.
D.
Change all present tense verbs to past tense.
E.
a and b
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
I was truly shocked—could anyone have suspected such a thing?—to hear the news of his arrest. Correct me if I just leave it at that.
A.
Place the question mark in the second sentence outside the inverted commas.
B.
Replace the em dashes with brackets.
C.
Recast the last sentence to avoid the use of ellipsis points.
D.
Insert a comma after 'officials' in the last sentence.
E.
a and d
F.
This passage is correct; the editor should take no action.
A.
Change 'forthcoming' to 'imminent' to clarify the intent of the sentence.
B.
Change 'has' to 'will have had'.
C.
Change the correlative pronoun to 'whoever'.
D.
Place a comma after 'tickets'.
E.
c and d
37: Which of the following sentences does NOT require editing to correct an error in subject-verb agreement?
A. He drank a fifth of whiskey after two-fifths of his vineyard was destroyed in the flood.
B. The study on drug abuse showed that the number of teenage victims are increasing every year.
C. Neither of my brothers, who are more artistic by nature, are particularly interested in sports.
D. The assistants, but not the manager, has decided not to come in over the weekend.
Read the following passage and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
The news of the avalanche shocked the citizens in our little town, where everyone knew everyone else. Fortunately, however, Sven was the only one of the skiers who were injured in the incident.
A.
Correct the preposition error in the first sentence.
B.
Delete the comma after 'Fortunately'.
C.
Delete 'Sven was' and insert 'was Sven' after 'incident'.
D.
Edit the auxiliary verb in the second sentence to correct an error in subject-verb agreement.
E.
a and d
F.
This passage does not need editing.
39: Which of the following sentences requires editing to correct errors in diction or spelling?
A. Please lie the snake on the table and back away slowly.
B. The reason I'm late is because my car got stuck in a snow bank.
C. The crowd held its breath, hoping that the matador gorged by the bull would be all right.
D. Helga must try and finish her credits by May if she wants to graduate with the class.
Read the following sentence and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
Our voyage would have been a different and much more boring experience would it not have been for the family of dolphins that followed the ship from Mallorca to Malta.
A.
Edit the predicate to correct parallel structure.
B.
Change all verbs to simple past tense.
C.
Edit to correct error in use of conditional and/or subjunctive mood.
D.
Query the author about the factual validity of the claim that dolphins were present between Mallorca and Malta.
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following sentence and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
If we decided to move venues, our production process would not be likely to suffer much, as long as a system of checks keeps production tasks on schedule.
A.
Change 'decided' to 'would have decided' to ensure consistency of conditional mood.
B.
Change 'keeps' to 'kept' to correct the unnecessary shift in verb tense.
C.
Edit to correct error in use of past perfect tense.
D.
a and c
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
42: Which of the following sentences requires editing to correct an error in the use of conjunctions?
A. Alfred latched onto Amy as though he'd been waiting for her all his life.
B. Everyone in the acting troupe expressed doubt that Samantha would star in the production.
C. Clarissa trumped Claude not only in talent but also in popularity.
D. No improvement in our conditions will be possible unless the naysayers are weeded out.
Read the following sentence and identify the type of error it contains.
We have no doubt that the minister's lofty speech will be accompanied by any clandestine deal for lucrative building contracts and secret talk of future collaborations.
A.
Error in determiner usage
B.
Error in adverb usage
C.
Error in conjunction usage
D.
Error in preposition usage
E.
This sentence is correct.
Read the following sentence and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
Happiness has always and will always be an elusive element in my life, yet I don't let that fact bother me too much
A.
Delete the comma before the second independent clause.
B.
Insert a completing verb form for 'has' to correct the parallel structure of the first clause.
C.
Enclose 'Happiness' in inverted commas to show its status as a concept.
D.
Change 'elusive' to 'illusive' to correct diction error.
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
Read the following sentence from a journal article and select the option that illustrates the best course of action for an editor to take.
Of the two control groups, a significant number (85) of those in Group A scored higher (74%) than those in group B (66 percent), while both had similar standard deviations (8.3% and 7.9% respectively).
A.
Change '66 percent' to '66%'.
B.
Edit passage to ensure consistency in capitalisation.
C.
Remove statistics from the sentence and place them in a table.
D.
Suggest the use of inferential statistics rather than descriptive statistics.
E.
All of the above may be necessary. Before editing, refer to the publication's in-house style sheet for guidance on capitalisation, use of tables and preferred style for writing statistics.
46: Which of the following sentences does NOT require editing to correct errors in punctuation?
A. Dahlia, Doris's younger sister, asked me, 'Could I please join you' I nodded in affirmation; however, I didn't want her to join me.
B. Dahlia, Doris' younger sister, asked me, 'Could I please join you'? I nodded in affirmation, however; I didn't want her to join me.
C. Dahlia, Doris' younger sister, asked me, 'Could I please join you'? I nodded in affirmation, however, I didn't want her to join me.
D. Dahlia, Doris's younger sister, asked me, 'Could I please join you?' I nodded in affirmation; however, I didn't want her to join me.
Read the following sentence and identify the type of error it contains.
The differences in the two committees had finally reached an insurmountable level; each wanted to delve in the problem more deeply, but neither wanted to cooperate among the other.
A.
Errors in pronoun usage and agreement
B.
Incorrect placement of adjectives and adverbs
C.
Incorrect use of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
D.
Errors in preposition usage
E.
This sentence is correct.
48: Which of the following sentences requires editing to correct an error in subject-verb agreement?
A. Every single one of the scouts is responsible for his own camping equipment and should come prepared for a strenuous hike.
B. The walls of the old villa have been newly plastered with white stucco, which robs them of their charm.
C. In your case, I'd say that a deepened sense of self-awareness and a lessened propensity to fly off the handle have made you much more pleasant to be around.
D. The receptionists and clerks each hope for a substantial bonus this year.
The following sentence is devoid of punctuation. Which of the given editing options turns it into a coherent, plausible sentence?
The point is Mr. Rosenwell said Andrew whether or not you intend to pay off your debts
A.
Andrew said, 'The point is Mr. Rosenwell, whether or not you intend to pay off your debts'.
B.
'The point is, Mr. Rosenwell', said Andrew, 'whether or not you intend to pay off your debts'.
C.
'Mr. Rosenwell', said Andrew: 'The point is whether or not you intend to pay off your debts'.
D.
'The point, Mr. Rosenwell, is whether or not you intend to pay off your debts', said Andrew.
E.
b and d
Choose the editing option that best corrects the underlined part of the following sentence.
The Board of Directors on Monday said that the company could undertake the additional activities without first seeking the consent of the foreign investors.
A.
without the assent of the foreign investors
B.
without first seeking approval from the foreign investors
C.
without first seeking the approval of the foreign investors
D.
whether or not they receive the consent of the foreign investors
E.
This sentence is correct; the editor should take no action.
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