All PSAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Had been immersed in the literature since childhood, he maintained an appreciation for it as an adult.
Immersion having happened
Immersion happening
Had been immersed
Having been immersed
He who had been immersed
Having been immersed
The sentence's introductory clause seems to intend to describe the subject "he," but it begins with a verb that doesn't clearly connect to the rest of the sentence and is grammatically incorrect. Introductory clauses can begin with participles, which would make much more sense in this sentence by allowing the start of the sentence to connect clearly to the subject. Of the potential answer choices, only "Having been immersed" omits the incorrect verb and replaces it with a grammatically correct participle. The other answer choices don't make sense: "Immersion having happened" and "Immersion happening" don't clearly connect the first phrase to the subject, and "He who had been immersed" introduces a grammatical error by making the sentence contain two disconnected subjects, "He who had been immersed in the literature since childhood" and "he." The corrected sentence reads, "Having been immersed in the literature since childhood, he maintained an appreciation for it as an adult."
Example Question #802 : Psat Writing Skills
Conflicting desires existing in every single person, and are quite difficult to sort out.
Conflicting desires existing in every single person
Conflicting desires exist in every single person
The existence of conflicting desires in every single person
The existing of conflicting desires in every single person
Conflicting desires existence in every single person
Conflicting desires exist in every single person
The issue in the underlined portion of the sentence is the use of the verb form "existing," which is a participle and not an actual verb. The word needs to be changed into a form that functions as a verb. "Conflicting desires exist in every single person" is the correct choice among the answers.
Example Question #2 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
Hold back tears, the woman was moved deeply by her son's gift.
Holding backing tears
Held back tears
Hold back tears
Hold back of tears
Holding back tears
Holding back tears
The introductory phrase that is highlighted in the sentence describes the condition under which the woman reacted to her son's gift. Therefore, the verb form needs to describe a condition or way of being. Such a form is the present participle, which shows action currently being taken, and the correct answer is "Holding back tears."
Example Question #36 : Correcting Verb Errors
After a large lunch, the whole group did not want eating for a few hours.
did not wanting eating for a few hours.
did not want to eat for a few hours.
did not want eating over a few hours.
did not want eating for a few hours.
did not wanting to eat for a few hours.
did not want to eat for a few hours.
The underlined portion of the sentence has a problem with the verb form "eating." The gerund form, used here, is inappropriate, as it is actually a verb that functions as a noun; therefore, the correct answer is "did not want to eat for a few hours."
Example Question #3 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
The orders were unclear, confused the troops everytime they were read out.
confusing the troops
confused of the troops
confused all troops
confused troops
confused the troops
confusing the troops
The use of the verb "confused" creates many different problems in the sentence. By leading off a phrase, the word needs to be in a form that can link the phrase to the first part of the sentence. "Confusing the troops," which uses a past participle to describe the effect of the orders, is the correct answer choice.
Example Question #1 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
He regularly went seeing the parades that went through downtown.
went seen
went to see
seeing
went seeing
went saw
went to see
The verb form used in the underlined section is completely wrong. The use of the present participle "seeing" confuses the meaning of the sentence and is unclear. The verb "went" needs a complement form, such as an infinitive. Therefore, the correct answer is "went to see."
Example Question #1 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
Many people who do not believe in them, seeing ghosts.
them having seen ghosts.
them seeing ghosts.
them, see ghosts.
them, seeing ghosts.
them see ghosts.
them see ghosts.
The underlined portion of the senetence awkwardly separates out the seeing of ghosts from the rest of the sentence. The correct answer needs to smoothly place what people have done with those people as a subject. "Them see ghosts," is the best choice among the answer choices.
Example Question #2 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
Though meteorologists continue to gain access to more and more advanced technology, their weather forecasts wrong more than 50% of the time.
their weather forecasts which is wrong
their weather forecasts wrong
is their weather forecasts wrong
their weather forecasts are wrong
their weather forecasts that is wrong
their weather forecasts are wrong
This is a sentence fragment because it is lacking a verb. Only "their weather forecasts are wrong" adds a verb in the right tense.
Example Question #511 : Correcting Word Usage Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Those who enjoy that author's writing, being those who tend not to read traditional horror, preferring instead the comforts of peaceful stories.
writing tend not to read
writing, being those who tend not to read
writing, tending to be those who do not read
writing being the ones tending not to read
writing are the ones that tend not to be the ones reading
writing tend not to read
Let's break down the originaly sentence: we have "Those who enjoy that author's writing," a subject; "being those who tend not to read traditional horror," an interrupting phrase providing further information about the subject; and "preferring instead the comforts of peaceful stories," a participial phrase again describing the subject. This sentence doesn't contain an actual verb; it is one long description of "those." To correct the sentence's error, we need to introduce a verb, either by adding in a form of "to be" before one of the participles to make it a verb, or changing one of the participles to a different verb form. The only answer choice that corrects the sentence replaces the participle "being those who tend not to read" with the verb "tend not to read." The complete and corrected sentence thus reads, "Those who enjoy that author's writing are those who tend not to read traditional horror, preferring instead the comforts of peaceful stories."
Example Question #2 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
The trail was much steeper than appearing from the bottom of the mountain.
than appearing
than it had appeared
than was appearing
appearing as such
than was appeared
than it had appeared
The non-underlined, and therefore correct, verb in the sentence is "was," which is in the past tense. Therefore, the verb in the underlined portion of the sentence must also be in the past tense. The only answer choice that is both a correct grammatical form and in the past tense is "than it had appeared."
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