PSAT Writing : Correcting Usage Errors

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Writing

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #2 : Correcting Verb Mood 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.

Victory is the ultimate goal of any general, but too precise a focus can clouds a leader's judgement.

Possible Answers:

can cloud a leader's judgement.

can clouds leader's judgement.

can cloud a leaders judgement.

can clouds a leader's judgement.

can clouds a leader's judgements.

Correct answer:

can cloud a leader's judgement.

Explanation:

The phrase underlined in the sentence uses the modal verb "can," which conditions what might happen in the future. The verb form "clouds" is incorrect as the verb after "can" still needs to feature the singular form necessary with the subject "focus." "Can cloud a leader's judgement" is the best choice among the answer.

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.

Had been immersed in the literature since childhood, he maintained an appreciation for it as an adult.

Possible Answers:

Having been immersed

Had been immersed

Immersion having happened

Immersion happening

He who had been immersed

Correct answer:

Having been immersed

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

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

Correct answer:

Conflicting desires exist in every single person

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

Holding backing tears

Held back tears

Hold back tears

Hold back of tears

Holding back tears

Correct answer:

Holding back tears

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

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.

Correct answer:

did not want to eat for a few hours.

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

confusing the troops

confused of the troops

confused all troops

confused troops

confused the troops

Correct answer:

confusing the troops

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

went seen

went to see

seeing

went seeing

went saw

Correct answer:

went to see

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

them having seen ghosts.

them seeing ghosts.

them, see ghosts.

them, seeing ghosts.

them see ghosts.

Correct answer:

them see ghosts.

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

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

Correct answer:

their weather forecasts are wrong

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

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

Correct answer:

writing tend not to read

Explanation:

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."

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors