Question
Which revision of the second sentence follows the style guide and best retains the clarity of the original?
We conducted a survey of notaries public in the immediate area and asked which type of notary stamp they liked best. Everyone but Sara and Jonah chose a pre-inked stamp. Her preference was an embosser and his was an integrated ink pad.
Responses
Their choice was not the pre-inked stamp.
Their choice was not the pre-inked stamp.
Everyone but she and he chose a pre-inked stamp.
Everyone but she and he chose a pre-inked stamp.
All but two of the notaries chose a pre-inked stamp.
All but two of the notaries chose a pre-inked stamp.
Two notaries public preferred other notary stamps.
We conducted a survey of notaries public in the immediate area and asked which type of notary stamp they liked best. Everyone but Sara and Jonah chose a pre-inked stamp. Her preference was an embosser and his was an integrated ink pad.
Responses
Their choice was not the pre-inked stamp.
Their choice was not the pre-inked stamp.
Everyone but she and he chose a pre-inked stamp.
Everyone but she and he chose a pre-inked stamp.
All but two of the notaries chose a pre-inked stamp.
All but two of the notaries chose a pre-inked stamp.
Two notaries public preferred other notary stamps.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The revision that follows the style guide and best retains the clarity of the original is:
**All but two of the notaries chose a pre-inked stamp.**
This option clearly indicates that two specific notaries (Sara and Jonah) selected different types of stamps without compromising the clarity of the original sentence.
**All but two of the notaries chose a pre-inked stamp.**
This option clearly indicates that two specific notaries (Sara and Jonah) selected different types of stamps without compromising the clarity of the original sentence.