2014-12-01 09:00:22

First-time writers would be wise to eliminate any clichés or other ______ expressions from their writing.

(A) circumlocutory
(B) ambiguous
(C) vulgar
(D) hackneyed
(E) incoherent

The correct answer is D
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using clues in the sentence. Here, the best clue is the phrase "any clichés" which, along with the conjunction "or," implies that the types of "expressions" described by the missing word are similar to clichéd ones. As such, choice D is correct: "hackneyed" means "unoriginal, overused, and trite."

None of the other choices work, either:

circumlocutory: talking in a way that uses more words than necessary
ambiguous: lacking a clear meaning
vulgar: explicit and in poor taste
incoherent: unclear or expressed in an incomprehensible way