PSAT Writing › Identifying Other Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
She aspired to someday live in Barcelona, learn Spanish, and traveling through the country. No error
through
live in
traveling
someday
No error
This sentence has a problem with parallelism. The items in the list should be formatted the same. The corrected sentence reads, "She aspired to someday live in Barcelona, learn Spanish, and travel through the country."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although it was easy for Mary to identify the problem, she found it more difficult to communicate with the technical crew and solving it. No error
solving it
Although
found
more difficult
No error
This sentence has a problem with parallelism. The verbs “communicate” and “solving” should be formatted in the same way, since they are the two things it was "more difficult" for Mary to do. Since only "solving it," and not "communicate," is underlined, "solving it" contains the sentence's error and is the correct answer. The corrected sentence reads, "Although it was easy for Mary to identify the problem, she found it more difficult to communicate with the technical crew and solve it."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
When I worked for Mr. Tipler, my daily duties included running the cash register, cleaning the store, and records of inventory. No error.
records of inventory
When I worked
daily duties
cleaning
No error.
This sentence does not demonstrate proper parallel structure among the elements in the list. Each should be formatted similarly. So, because the first two elements in the list are gerunds ("running" and "cleaning"), the noun phrase "records of inventory" should be changed to a gerund as well. The corrected sentence reads, "When I worked for Mr. Tipler, my daily duties included running the cash register, cleaning the store, and recording inventory."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Virtue is, in many ways, a foreign idea to him, every kind gesture he thinks he knows is proven false. No error
him, every
Virtue
, in many ways,
false.
No error
In this sentence, the independent clauses "Virtue is, in many ways, a foreign idea to him" and "every kind gesture he thinks he knows is proven false" are linked with a comma. This is called a comma splice and should be avoided. Replacing the comma with a semicolon fixes the error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Important things to remember when adding fractions include creating a common denominator and reduce. No error
reduce
to remember
when adding
include
No error
The forms of verbs used in a list need to agree for the sentence to use proper parallelism. Because the sentence begins its list of two items with "creating," "reduce" should be changed to "reducing" in order to match the form of "creating." So, the corrected sentence would read, "Important things to remember when adding fractions include creating a common denominator and reducing."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The evening's entertainment consisted of a jazz quartet, a juggler, and playing musical chairs. No error
playing musical chairs
evening's entertainment
consisted of
jazz
No error
The three elements in the list should be formatted in the same way. Since the first two are just nouns without verbals, the third should be too. The corrected sentence reads, "The evening's entertainment consisted of a jazz quartet, a juggler, and a game of musical chairs."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I would rather make my own ice cream than store-bought. No error.
than store-bought
would rather
make
my own
No error.
This sentence compares two unlike things: the action of making ice cream and the description of “store-bought.” Structure these two things similarly for the sentence to make more sense: "I would rather make my own ice cream than buy it from the store."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
When I worked for Mr. Tipler, my daily duties included running the cash register, cleaning the store, and records of inventory. No error.
records of inventory
When I worked
daily duties
cleaning
No error.
This sentence does not demonstrate proper parallel structure among the elements in the list. Each should be formatted similarly. So, because the first two elements in the list are gerunds ("running" and "cleaning"), the noun phrase "records of inventory" should be changed to a gerund as well. The corrected sentence reads, "When I worked for Mr. Tipler, my daily duties included running the cash register, cleaning the store, and recording inventory."
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Virtue is, in many ways, a foreign idea to him, every kind gesture he thinks he knows is proven false. No error
him, every
Virtue
, in many ways,
false.
No error
In this sentence, the independent clauses "Virtue is, in many ways, a foreign idea to him" and "every kind gesture he thinks he knows is proven false" are linked with a comma. This is called a comma splice and should be avoided. Replacing the comma with a semicolon fixes the error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
In particular, the audience’s worry that the vicious dogs might bite. No error.
the audience's worry
In particular
vicious
might bite
No error.
This sentence is a fragment, because it does not have a main verb. Changing the noun phrase “the audience’s worry” to a noun and verb fixes this nicely: "In particular, the audience worried that the vicious dogs might bite."