free sat writing questions - improving sentences practice questions

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SAT Writing Practice Questions 1Your answer (C) Correct! Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner. (A) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner. (B) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans being realistically depicted in the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner. (C) The paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans. Your Answer (D) Henry Ossawa Tanner, in his realistic paintings, depicting scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans. (E) Henry Ossawa Tanner, whose paintings realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans. Explanation Difficulty: Medium For a sentence to be grammatically complete, it must include both a subject and a main verb. When a sentence lacks either a subject or a main verb, the result is a sentence fragment. In this example all options but (C) are sentence fragments. In (A), the phrase "Scenes ... Americans " is modified by the dependent clause "which ... Tanner," but there is no main verb. In (B), the phrase "Scenes ... Tanner" contains no main verb. In (D), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by "depicting" but is not combined with a main verb. And in (E), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by the dependent clause "whose ... Americans" but not combined with a main verb. (C) is correct. It is the only choice in which a subject ("The paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner") is combined with a verb ("depict") to express a complete thought. 2Your answer (E) Correct! Looking up from the base of the mountain, the trail seemed more treacherous than it really was. (A) Looking up (B) While looking up (C) By looking up (D) Viewing Free SAT Writing Questions - Improving Sentences Practice Questions https://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/practice-test-section-review?page... 1 of 4 07/09/2015 12:01

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Page 1: Free SAT Writing Questions - Improving Sentences Practice Questions

SAT Writing Practice Questions

1Your answer (C) Correct!

Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in thepaintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner.

(A) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in thepaintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner.(B) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans being realistically depicted in thepaintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner.(C) The paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives ofAfrican Americans. Your Answer(D) Henry Ossawa Tanner, in his realistic paintings, depicting scenes from the everyday lives ofAfrican Americans.(E) Henry Ossawa Tanner, whose paintings realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives ofAfrican Americans.

Explanation

Difficulty: Medium

For a sentence to be grammatically complete, it must include both a subject and a main verb.When a sentence lacks either a subject or a main verb, the result is a sentence fragment. In thisexample all options but (C) are sentence fragments.

In (A), the phrase "Scenes ... Americans " is modified by the dependent clause "which ...Tanner," but there is no main verb.In (B), the phrase "Scenes ... Tanner" contains no main verb.In (D), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by "depicting" but is not combinedwith a main verb.And in (E), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by the dependent clause "whose... Americans" but not combined with a main verb.(C) is correct. It is the only choice in which a subject ("The paintings of Henry OssawaTanner") is combined with a verb ("depict") to express a complete thought.

2Your answer (E) Correct!

Looking up from the base of the mountain, the trail seemed more treacherous than it really was.

(A) Looking up(B) While looking up(C) By looking up(D) Viewing

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Page 2: Free SAT Writing Questions - Improving Sentences Practice Questions

(E) Viewed Your Answer

Explanation

Difficulty: Hard

When a modifying phrase begins a sentence, it must logically modify the sentence's subject;otherwise, it is a dangling modifier. In this example, every option except (E) is a danglingmodifier.

In (A), the phrase "Looking up from the base of the mountain" does not logically modifythe subject "the trail." A person might stand at the base of a mountain and look up at atrail, but it is illogical to suggest that a trail looks up from the base of a mountain.(B), (C), and (D) are simply variations of the error found in (A). Each results in a sentencethat illogically suggests that a trail was looking up from the base of a mountain.(E) is correct. Although a trail cannot itself look up from the base of a mountain, a trail canbe viewed by someone looking up from the base of a mountain, so the phrase "Viewedfrom the base of the mountain" logically modifies the subject "the trail."

3Your answer (B) Correct!

One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced physicians make is misreadingsymptoms, another that occurs about as frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment.

(A) symptoms, another that occurs(B) symptoms; another one that occurs Your Answer(C) symptoms, the other, and it occurs(D) symptoms; another one which is occurring(E) symptoms and also occurring

Explanation

Difficulty: Hard

This sentence illustrates a comma splice, the incorrect use of a comma to connect two completesentences. Choice (B) correctly uses a semicolon to coordinate two independent clauses andform a compound sentence (while at the same time keeping verb tenses parallel). The correctsentence reads: One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperiencedphysicians make is misreading symptoms; another one that occurs about asfrequently is recommending inappropriate treatment.

4Your answer (D) Correct!

Underestimating its value, breakfast is a meal many people skip.

(A) Underestimating its value, breakfast is a meal many people skip.(B) Breakfast is skipped by many people because of their underestimating its value.(C) Many people, underestimating the value of breakfast, and skipping it.(D) Many people skip breakfast because they underestimate its value. Your Answer(E) A meal skipped by many people underestimating its value is breakfast.

Explanation

Difficulty: Medium

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Page 3: Free SAT Writing Questions - Improving Sentences Practice Questions

The problem with this sentence is that the opening phrase "underestimating its value" modifies"breakfast," not "people." The order of the words in the sentence in choice (D) does not have thisproblem of a misplaced modifying phrase. Choice (D) also clarifies the causal relationshipbetween the two clauses in the sentence. None of the other choices convey the informationpresented in the sentence as effectively and directly as choice (D).

5Your answer (D) Correct!

Certain shipwrecks have a particular fascination for those people which have a belief in findingthe treasure in them.

(A) which have a belief in finding the treasure in them(B) that belief there is treasure to be found in them(C) who believe they hold treasure and that they can find it(D) who believe that there is treasure to be found in them Your Answer(E) who believe about treasure to be found in them

Explanation

Difficulty: Hard

This sentence is awkward as written, and the pronoun "which" is the wrong relative pronoun torefer to "people" (the antecedent of the pronoun in this sentence). Choice (D) uses the correctpronoun "who" and more effectively than the other choices states the characteristics of peoplewho are fascinated by shipwrecks. The correct sentence reads: Certain shipwrecks have aparticular fascination for those people who believe that there is treasure to befound in them.

6Your answer (D) Correct!

The revolt against Victorianism was perhaps even more marked in poetry than either fiction ordrama.

(A) either fiction or drama(B) either fiction or in drama(C) either in fiction or drama(D) in either fiction or drama Your Answer(E) in either fiction or in drama

Explanation

Difficulty: Easy

Correcting the error in this sentence requires close attention to the need for parallelism. Thestructure of the underlined portion should match the structure of the phrase "in poetry" thatappears earlier in the sentence. Neither choice (A) nor choice (B) includes the preposition "in."Among the remaining choices, only choice (D) has the preposition "in" appropriately located inthe phrase. The correct sentence reads: The revolt against Victorianism was perhapseven more marked in poetry than in either fiction or drama.

7Your answer (D) Correct!

Many of the instruments used in early operations of the United States Army Signal Corps wereadaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph.

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Page 4: Free SAT Writing Questions - Improving Sentences Practice Questions

(A) Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of theheliograph(B) Corps, there were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly theheliograph(C) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, was an adaptation of equipment used by the PlainsIndians(D) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the PlainsIndians Your Answer(E) Corps being adaptations, the heliograph in particular, of those used by Plains Indians

Explanation

Difficulty: Medium

Correcting the error in this sentence requires moving the information about the heliographcloser to "instruments," which is the material it relates to. Only choice (D) accomplishes thiswithout introducing an error in subject-verb agreement, as in (C), or producing a sentencefragment, as in (E). The correct sentence reads: Many of the instruments used in earlyoperations of the United States Army Signal Corps, and in particular theheliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians.

8Your answer (D) Correct!

The problem of antibiotic resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries because thesale and use of antibiotics are not tightly controlled.

(A) resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries because(B) resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries and(C) resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries when(D) resistance is frequently compounded in certain countries where Your Answer(E) resistance is frequently compounded in certain countries and

Explanation

Difficulty: Medium

This sentence is a fragment as written; there is no verb in the main clause. Of the choicesoffered, only (C) and (D) correct this problem. (D) is the best choice because the adverb "where"connects the second part of the sentence in a way that clarifies the relationship between the twoparts of the sentence. The correct sentence reads: The problem of antibiotic resistance isfrequently compounded in certain countries where the sale and use of antibioticsare not tightly controlled.

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