Which sentence most effectively uses a formal style and tone? in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, europe was obsessed with finding a clock that could keep accurate time aboard a rocking ship. clockmaking was important to britain. they relied heavily on trade by sea. they needed to find a clock that could keep accurate time. as a maritime nation, britain was particularly concerned with creating a clock that could keep accurate time, even when aboard a rolling ship. i think it was smart that britain focused on creating a clock that could keep accurate time under all circumstances. look at the benefits.