PSAT Writing : Identifying Other Usage Errors
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Writing
All PSAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #31 : Identifying Other Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Secretly delighted that the prank, the author admonished his friends for giving him such a fright. No error
Secretly
delighted that
giving
admonished
No error
delighted that
The correct idiomatic preposition after “delighted” in this context would be “by.” The corrected sentence reads, "Secretly delighted by the prank, the author admonished his friends for giving him such a fright."
Example Question #32 : Identifying Other Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
While his style was initially a protest to painting, Jackson Pollock's brand of artistic expression is now widespread and has influenced many other artists. No error
protest to
has influenced
widespread
No error
traditional painting
protest to
As a general rule for prepositions, "protest" is accompanied by the preposition "against," not "to." Therefore, "protest to" contains an error.
Example Question #31 : Identifying Preposition Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
As the dictator established more policies to repress the population, many rebels decided to protest of them. No error
established
No error
of
to repress
decided
of
The error in this sentence involves prepositions. Instead of saying "protest of them," which is incorrect, it should read either "protest against them" or "protest them."
Example Question #31 : Identifying Preposition Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The results of the experiment indicate that children prefer the voices of adults rather than those of other children. No error
indicate
No error
those of
rather than
children
rather than
This sentence contains an idiom error. It is incorrect to say that someone "prefers X rather than Y." Instead, the correct form of the idiom is "prefer X to Y," so the sentence should read, "The results of the experiment indicate that children prefer the voices of adults to those of other children."
Example Question #32 : Identifying Preposition Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
To the professor's surprise, the measurements obtained by her colleagues were inconsistent to the predictions of classical Newtonian physics. No error
No error
professor's
to
were
classical
to
This sentence contains an incorrect idiomatic expression. The phrase "inconsistent to" should be "inconsistent with."
Example Question #33 : Identifying Preposition Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
When the earthquake hit, Martin, fearing for his life, ran to cover underneath a nearby tree, not knowing he was safer out in the open. No error
a nearby tree
No error
out in the open
for his life
ran to cover
ran to cover
The phrase "ran to cover" contains the sentence's error; it should be written as "ran for cover" instead so that it correctly follows the conventions of preposition usage.
Example Question #34 : Identifying Preposition Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Somehow, I managed to talk with my professor for twenty minutes and successfully evade from the topic of my seriously late literature review. No error
seriously
evade from
and
talk with
No error
evade from
This sentence does not follow the conventions of prepositions. “Evade” is not typically followed by a preposition; the “from” is unnecessary and incorrect. The corrected sentence reads, "Somehow, I managed to talk with my professor for twenty minutes and successfully evade the topic of my seriously late literature review."
Example Question #33 : Identifying Preposition Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Ron used to prefer cats for dogs, but recently changed his mind on the matter after being befriended by a charming canine. No error
but recently
being befriended
for
used to prefer
No error
for
When using the word "prefer" to describe a preference for one item versus another, the proper preposition to use along with "prefer" is "to," not "for." Therefore, the proper formation of this part of the sentence would be "prefer cats to dogs," not "prefer cats for dogs."
Example Question #31 : Identifying Other Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
In the cities of the Pacific Northwest, like Seattle and Portland, there isn't hardly a single day that passes without rain. No error
cities
single day
No error
isn't
without
isn't
This sentence's meaning is confused because it uses two negative words: "isn't" and "hardly." Double negatives are grammatically incorrect in modern English and would technically yield a positive meaning, so we need to change out one of these negative words for a positive one. Since it isn't an option to change or omit "hardly," "isn't" contains the sentence's error and is the correct answer. One way to correct the sentence would be to change "isn't" to "is," yielding the sentence, "In the cities of the Pacific Northwest, like Seattle and Portland, there is hardly a single day that passes without rain."
Example Question #1 : Identifying Conventional And Idiomatic Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The writing tutor noticed that her student's writing skills had significantly improved since their first session. No error
had significantly improved
No error
student's
their
that
had significantly improved
The sentence's error is a split verb phrase. Verb phrases, like "had improved," should be kept together and not split by adverbs, like "significantly." To correct the split verb phrase, the verb and adverb should be rewritten as "had improved significantly."
Certified Tutor
Certified Tutor
All PSAT Writing Resources
