Question

question 5 of 20
which revision best reduces the wordiness in this sentence without changing its overall meaning?

researchers found that banning drivers from cell phone use while driving is associated with a lower accident rate in urban areas.

a. researchers found that banning drivers from cell phone use while driving provides the public with a lower accident rate in urban areas.

b. researchers found that banning drivers from cell phone use while driving is associated with lower rates of accidents in urban areas.

c. researchers found that banning cell phone use while driving is associated with a lower accident rate in urban areas.

d. it was found by researchers that banning drivers from cell phone use while driving is associated with a lower accident rate in urban areas.

Explanation:

To reduce wordiness, we simplify the phrase "banning drivers from cell phone use" to "banning cell phone use" (since the context implies drivers are the ones using phones while driving, so "drivers from" is redundant). Let's analyze each option:

• Option A: Adds "provides the public with", which is wordy and changes the meaning slightly (original is about association, not provision).
• Option B: Changes "a lower accident rate" to "lower rates of accidents", which is not a reduction in wordiness (just rephrasing) and is not more concise.
• Option C: Removes the redundant "drivers from" in "banning drivers from cell phone use", making the sentence more concise while keeping the meaning the same.
• Option D: Uses passive voice "It was found by researchers", which is more wordy than the original active voice.

Answer:

C. Researchers found that banning cell phone use while driving is associated with a lower accident rate in urban areas.