Question

7 what is the best way to revise sentence 11? \\(\bigcirc\\) a. the tower has a soil base, so it leaned. \\(\bigcirc\\) b. the reason for this tilt is the clay soil underneath the tower. \\(\bigcirc\\) c. because of the clay base, the tower leaned. \\(\bigcirc\\) d. the leaning is due to the soil underneath the tower.

Explanation:

First, we need to identify sentence 11: "This base was not strong enough to hold the weight of the tower and hence, the tower began to lean to one side." The best revision should clearly and concisely link the clay base to the tower's lean, while being grammatically smooth and precise.

• Option A is incomplete, as it only states the base material and the lean without a clear causal connection.
• Option B is wordy ("The reason for this tilt is") and less direct.
• Option C is concise, uses a clear causal phrase ("Because of"), and directly connects the clay base to the tower's lean, matching the logical flow of the passage.
• Option D is also wordy ("The leaning is due to") compared to option C, and is less fluid in context.

Answer:

C. Because of the clay base, the tower leaned.