Good writing is concise and precise; therefore, before a work is published, writers must clarify their thoughts by deleting unnecessary words and phrases such as needless repetition (redundancy) and empty sentences (useless fillers). It helps to avoid passive voice, changing passive verbs (forms of "to be" such as "is" or "was") to action verbs. Directions: Read the following paragraph. Then answer the following questions, revising the sentences to delete wordiness.

(1) I am going to write an essay about Sherman Alexie's article. (2) The article is named "Superman and Me." (3) Literacy provides opportunities; higher levels of literacy opens more doors. (4) In author Sherman Alexie's LA Times article, "Superman and Me," he writes about the significance of literacy and how significant it is in underserved populations of Americans. (5) Author Sherman Alexie, starts by telling his LA Times readers about his biographical information and background details. (6) The next paragraphs written are a description of his childhood home. (7) He is making a statement about equity because of this essay. (8) I think that he is providing Americans with an insight so that they might understand that importance of funding education in a fair and equitable manner. (9) Education is key. (10) This is why his article is important.

Writing clearly and concisely means choosing your words deliberately and precisely, constructing your sentences carefully to eliminate deadwood, and using grammar properly. By writing clearly and concisely, you will get straight to your point in a way your audience can easily comprehend.

Explanation:

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)

it creates a visual picture of the man.

it conveys what the scene sounds like.

it describes the actions of the boy.

it reveals the poet’s opinion of the characters.

it encourages readers to care for the characters.