Introduction
Clear and concise questions call on you to marshal your skills with sentence structure in ways similar to some other CLT questions. In addition, however, they require you to recognize the virtue of conciseness: direct phrasing that strives for clarity and avoids wordiness. With this priority, it would be easy to conclude that the right answer to such questions is always the shortest answer. Alas, it is not so simple; sometimes the shortest answer has a grammatical issue, or, more often, the shortest answer removes something necessary to the meaning of the sentence in context. We might even go so far as to suggest that the second-shortest answer is often best, but take this as a general idea prone to plenty of exceptions!
Approach Question
Should you leave the sentence below as it is or opt for one of the three alternatives listed in the answer choices?*
The reason why she was late was because of traffic.
- NO CHANGE
- She was late because of traffic.
- She was late due to the fact that there was traffic.
- The reason why traffic caused her lateness.
Whenever you encounter a sentence, clause, or phrase in the context of a “Clear and Concise” question, ask yourself whether the same idea could be conveyed in fewer words. In this example, you might that “the reason why” and “because of” are expressing the same idea, so it is likely that one of the answer choices will offer you a briefer way to say the same thing.
The other principle to keep in mind is that ordinarily, the main subject and verb of a sentence should be introduced as soon as possible. Otherwise, you are keeping the reader or hearer in suspense about the sentence is talking about, which can lead to confusion. The two answers that begin with “She was late …” are the most promising candidates because they make clear who the subject is and what her status is (lateness). But saying “due to the fact that there was traffic” is a very long-winded way of blaming traffic as the cause. Why not just say “because of traffic”? The latter is much better. Confirming our answer by noting that answer choice D doesn’t even constitute a complete sentence, we can confidently affirm that the answer is B.
Part 1: General Strategy
- Eliminate redundancy.
- Incorrect example: On a yearly basis, the store did over a million dollars in revenue annually.
- Correct example: The store did over a million dollars in revenue annually.
- Even better example: The store averaged over a million dollars in revenue per year.
- Replace phrases with single words.
- Non-concise example: At this point in time, the project is not yet completed.
- Concise example: The project is incomplete.
- Preserve meaning while reducing wordiness.
- Non-concise example: The research paper was very long, but it was extremely thorough and covered every aspect of the topic.
- Concise example: The research paper was thorough and comprehensive.
- Too concise example:The paper was long. (Important detail is omitted.)
- Make sure the answer you choose is stated clearly, with the subject and verb typically placed near the beginning of the sentence.
- Incorrect example: With much trepidation, fear, and trembling, and having not hardly slept at all, I approached the final exam.
- Correct example: I approached the final example with much trepidation, having hardly slept.
Practice Passage
In this section, you’ll find an excerpt from Soren Kierkegaard’s The Present Moment, translated by L.M. Hollander and published in the public domain by The Gutenberg Project. We have included five Clear/Concise questions to go with the passage.
Plato says somewhere in his “Republic” that things will go well only when those men shall govern the state who do not desire to govern. The idea is probably that, assuming the necessary capability, a man’s reluctance to govern affords a good guarantee that he will govern well and efficiently; whereas a man desirous of governing may very easily either abuse his power and become a tyrant, or by his desire to govern be brought into an unforeseen situation of dependence on the people he is to rule, so that his government really becomes an illusion.
This observation applies also to other relations where much depends on taking things seriously: assuming there is meddling with a man, it is best that he show ability by them. To be sure, as the proverb has it: “Where there is a will there is a way”; but true seriousness appears only when a man fully equal to his task is forced, against his will, to undertake it—against his will, but fully equal to the task.
In this sense I may say of myself that I bear a correct relation to the task in hand: to work in the present moment; for God knows that nothing is more distasteful to me.
Authorship—well, I confess that I find it pleasant; and I may as well admit that I have dearly loved to write—in the manner, to be sure, which suits me. And what I have loved to do is precisely the opposite of working in the present moment. What I have loved is precisely remoteness from the present moment—that remoteness in which, like a lover, I may dwell on my thoughts and, like an artist in love with his instrument, entertain myself with language and lure from it the expressions demanded by my thoughts—ah blissful entertainment! In an eternity I should not weary of this occupation.
To contend with men—well, I do like it in a certain sense; for I have by nature a temperament so polemic that I feel in my element only when surrounded by men’s mediocrity and meanness. But only on one condition: that I can scorn them happily—opportunity for which my career as an author has often enough given me.
I am therefore a man of whom it may be said truthfully that he is not in the least desirous to work in the present moment—very probably I have been called to do so for that very reason.
Now that I am to work in the present moment I must, alas! say farewell to thee, beloved remoteness, where there was no necessity to hurry, but always plenty of time, where I could wait for hours and days and weeks for the proper expression to occur to me; whereas now I must, in regard to all such things, break in love that is tender. And now that I am to work in the present moment I find that there will be not a few persons whom I must oblige by paying my respects to all the insignificant things which mediocrity with great self-importance will lecture about; to all the nonsense which mediocre people, by interpreting into my words their own mediocrity, will find in all I shall write; and to all the lies and calumnies to which a man is exposed against whom those two great powers in society: envy and stupidity, must of necessity conspire.
Why, then, do I wish to work in the present moment? Because I want to, and forever repent of having been discouraged by the consideration that the generation now living would find a representation of the essential truths of Christianity interesting and curious reading, at most; having accomplished which they will calmly remain where they are; that is, in the illusion that they are Christians and that the clergy’s toying with Christianity really is Christianity.
- assuming there is meddling with a man, it is best that he show ability by them
A. NO CHANGE
B. assuming that, as it pertains to a man, there is ability, then it is advisable for him to have some reluctant meddling in these things
C. assuming that a man has the ability, it is reluctantly best for him to meddle
D. assuming there is ability in a man, it is best that he show reluctance to meddle with them
The answer is D. Although the lesson doesn’t specifically mention context because the focus of these questions is usually on the immediate phrasing, context can still play a role in helping find the right answer. In this case, it is helpful to note that the author prefers a public servant who is reluctant to serve in the role to one who is eager to do so. This background helps explain the meaning of the clauses we have before us here. Kierkegaard wants the man to have ability, but even if he does, he should be cautious about taking on the mantle of leadership.
With this in mind, we can rule out the NO CHANGE answer because it doesn’t mention reluctance and also doesn’t craft the logic in a sensible order (“assuming there is meddling” sounds strange). Choice B is an overly wordy answer; surely this idea can be conveyed more succinctly than that! Choice C has the fewest words, but the phrasing in “it is reluctantly best for him to meddle” is confusing and fails to place the reluctance upon the man himself. That leaves answer D, which begins by assuming the presence of ability and then ascribes to the man an appropriate reluctant in meddling with “them” (the “them” in this case would be the things of government–that is, the opportunity to serve in some public leadership role).
- In an eternity I should not weary of this occupation.
A. NO CHANGE
B. I will never stop loving it.
C. Though an everlasting number of days pass by in this occupation, I shall never flag in my enthusiasm for the activity.
D. I shall never tire of doing this thing throughout an eternity of days.
The answer is A. In this paragraph, the author has been speaking of how much he loves writing. The final sentence of the paragraph should clearly sum up his passion. Something as brief as “I will never stop loving it” doesn’t add any meaning to the paragraph and represents the kind of overly brief answer that should be typically avoided. Choice C goes to the other extreme, saying in many complicated words what could be said more briefly in clearer words. That leaves choice D and the original NO CHANGE When two answers are similar, choose the shorter one if it clearly conveys the specific information that fits the context. That points toward the original. This is one other subtle factor: the use of “should” here is appropriate to suggest a hypothetical situation. Kierkegaard is not suggesting that he will be able to write forever and ever, but rather that, if he were hypothetically able to do so, he would never grow weary of the activity. This makes “should” better than “shall” in this context.
- that I can scorn them happily
A. NO CHANGE
B. that I am allowed to satisfy my scorning soul in that I scorn these men that I would like to scorn
C. that I be permitted to scorn them in silence and to satisfy the master passion of my soul
D. that I be given latitude to mutely hold such men in contempt and thereby to satiate the domineering and overriding predilection of my soul
The answer is C. When offered an answer choice much shorter than the other answers, you must determine if that choice contains the full meaning of the sentence in context (hint: it usually doesn’t; it typically leaves something out). The other three answer choices all mention something about the author’s “soul”, indicating that this sentence isn’t just about showing scorn to others but also about the satisfaction that such scorn brings to the author. So we can rule out NO CHANGE in this case.
Choice B puts a strong focus on the scorn–-too strong, in fact!–-by repeating the idea three times. This is needless repetition. Choice D, on the other hand, uses too many and too fancy words (e.g., “satiate” versus “satisfy”; “domineering and overriding” versus “master”); if given an answer like choice C, which conveys the same idea in fewer words and in a style appropriate to the author, you should choose that one.
- whereas now I must, in regard to all such things, break in love that is tender
A. NO CHANGE
B. whereas now I must stop.
C. whereas now I must break with all such regards of tender love
D. whereas, in regard to all such things, in love that is tender I must now break
The answer is C. By now you have probably seen the pattern of short answers enough to confidently reject choice B here. The author is saying more than that; there is something about love that he is turning away from. Choice D is too wordy; why say “love that is tender” when you could say “tender love”? Choice A has the same kinds of problems, just with different phrase order. Choice C is the classic “second-shortest answer” that succinctly accomplishes the author’s goal.
- Because I want to
A. NO CHANGE
B. Because I would always regret the not doing of it
C. Because I should forever repent of not having done so
D. Because I should in all the ages of eterne have the pangs of repentance and regret of failure to actuate the event
The answer is C. Kierkegaard has posed a rhetorical question immediately before this sentence; he asks why he should write something at this particular moment. The best choice here will answer that question with a specificity that fits the context. “Because I want to” is hardly a sufficient answer! So NO CHANGE is out. The other answers talk about the concept of regret or repentance; choice B does so awkwardly by saying “regret the not doing of it,” so we can get rid of that choice. Choice D is the classic overly wordy answer, even using the high-sounding archaic word “eterne” in place of the simple “forever”. Instead, answer C, the correct answer, directly and succinctly conveys the idea, once again using the word “should” in a hypothetical sense to describe how Kierkegaard would feel if he failed to write about Christianity in this important time.
For Reflection
- Rate the difficulty of CLT Clear/Concise questions for you from 1 (no problem) to 5 (problem!). This will help you decide how much time to spend preparing for this passage.
- What is the difference between being clear and being concise? Be sure you understand how correct answers to these kinds of questions accomplish both clarity and succinctness.
