Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist. He lived from 1821 to 1881. He wrote Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
Which of the following sentences correctly restates the passage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When combining sentences on the TEAS, your answer needs to follow two rules:
The meaning of the original sentences must be the same.
The combined sentence must be clear and grammatically correct.
Let's walk through each sentence together:
Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist. He lived from 1821 to 1881. He wrote Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
From 1821 to 1881, Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist, wrote Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
This is not the best choice because the meaning is changed from the original. This answer choice makes it sound like Fyodor spent 1821 to 1881 writing those two books, when in the original sentences we are told that he lived from 1821 to 1881.
The Idiot of Fyodor Dostoevsky, who was a Russian novelist who lived from 1821 to 1881, wrote Crime and Punishment.
This sentence makes Fyodor Dostoevsky's book, The Idiot, the subject of the sentence. This makes it sound like the book was a Russian novelist who lived from 1821 to 1881 and wrote Crime and Punishment. This would not make sense.
A Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoevsky, lived from 1821 to 1881 writing Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
This sentence is incorrect as it makes it sound like he spent his entire life writing the two books.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist who lived from 1821 to 1881, wrote Crime and Punishment and The idiot.
This is the best choice as it retains the meaning of the original sentences and is grammatically correct.
When doing these problems, the simplest, clearest sentence that does not change the meaning of the original statement will be the best answer choice.

Fyodor Dostoevsky Was a Russian Novelist