All PSAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Commas For Introductory Or Interrupting Phrases
The conclusion, reached through faulty logic proved unsatisfactory to a majority of the report's readers.
The conclusion, reached through faulty logic, proved
The conclusion, reached through faulty logic proved
The conclusion, reached, through faulty logic proved
The conclusion reached through faulty logic proved
The conclusion reached through faulty logic, proved
The conclusion, reached through faulty logic, proved
The phrase "reached through faulty logic" is an interrupting phrase, or one that gives crucial information to the meaning of the sentence, but is not necessary to the sentence's construction. All interrupting phrases must be set apart from the rest of the sentence by commas, making "The conclusion, reached through faulty logic, proved" the correct answer choice.
Example Question #1 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Commas For Introductory Or Interrupting Phrases
The new manager a former player for the team commented that he was excited to be back in a familiar space.
The new manager, a former player for the team commented
The new manager a former player for the team commented
The new manager the former player for the team commented
The new manager a former player for the team, commented
The new manager, a former player for the team, commented
The new manager, a former player for the team, commented
The phrase "a former player for the team" is an interrupting phrase, a phrase that provides extra information, but is apart from the structure of the sentence. All interrupting phrases must be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, making "The new manager, a former player for the team, commented" the correct answer choice.
Example Question #1 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Commas For Introductory Or Interrupting Phrases
The executive worn out from his travels, barely made it through his speech at the conference before falling asleep.
The executive worn out from his travels, barely
The executive, worn out from his travels, barely
The executive worn out from his travels barely
The executive being worn out from his travels, barely
The executive worn out from his travels, bare
The executive, worn out from his travels, barely
The phrase "worn out from his travels" is an interrupting phrase, or a phrase that provides additional meaning to the sentence, but stands apart from its essential structure. To show this, all interrupting phrases must be set off by commas on each end. This makes "The executive, worn out from his travels, barely" the correct answer choice.
Example Question #32 : Correcting Punctuation Errors
The advisor, a close confidante for years gave strict warnings about what the minister could and could not do.
The advisor as a close confidante for years gave
The advisor, a close confidante for years gave
The advisor a close confidante for years, gave
The advisor, a close confidante for years, gave
The advisor a close confidante for years gave
The advisor, a close confidante for years, gave
The phrase "a close confidante for years" is an interrupting phrase, or a phrase that gives additional information without being crucial to the structure of the sentence. All such phrases need to be separated by commas, making "The advisor, a close confidante for years, gave" the correct answer choice.
Example Question #41 : Correcting Punctuation Errors
The debaters all still in high school showed a maturity beyond their years.
The debaters all still in high school, showed a maturity beyond their years.
The debaters, all still in high school showed a maturity beyond their years.
The debaters all still in high school showed a maturity beyond their years.
The debaters all still in high school showed a maturity beyond there years.
The debaters, all still in high school, showed a maturity beyond their years.
The debaters, all still in high school, showed a maturity beyond their years.
The phrase "all still in high school" is an interrupting phrase, one that provides extra information to the sentence but is not a part of the sentence's main structure. Because of this separation, all interrupting phrase should be surrounded by commas; therefore, the correct answer choice is "The debaters, all still in high school, showed a maturity beyond their years."
Example Question #1 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Commas For Introductory Or Interrupting Phrases
Select the answer that produces the most effective sentence, one that is clear and exact, without awkwardness or ambiguity.
The Americans unaware of their countries tense foreign relationship with the small island, were surprised when they heard of the protests.
The Americans are unaware of their country's tense foreign relationship
Unaware of their country's tense foreign relationship the Americans
The Americans, unaware of their country's tense foreign relationship
Unaware of the American's tense foreign relationship
The Americans, having been unaware of their countries tense foreign relationship
The Americans, unaware of their country's tense foreign relationship
When additional elements are put after or before the subject (in this case, "unaware of their country's") it should be separated by commas. Also look for the answer where "country" is in its proper possessive state: "their country's tense foreign relationship."
Example Question #421 : Correcting Punctuation 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.
The speaker a long time civic activist urged the crowd to take a grass roots approach to politics.
The speaker a long time civic activist urged
The speaker a long time civic activist, urged
The speaker, a long time civic activist urged
The speaker as a long time civic activist urged
The speaker, a long time civic activist, urged
The speaker, a long time civic activist, urged
The phrase "a long time civic activist" is an appositive, a noun that renames a previously introduced noun while providing more information about that previously introduced noun. Appositives that can be removed from a sentence without affecting the sentence's meaning must be set apart by commas. "The speaker, a long time civic activist, urged" is the only answer choice that actually does this.
Example Question #422 : Correcting Punctuation Errors
The dogs all rescued from local shelters took quite awhile to adjust to their new foster homes.
The dogs, all rescued, from local shelters, took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes.
The dogs, all rescued from local shelters, took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes.
The dogs all rescued from local shelters, took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes.
The dogs all rescued from local shelters took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes.
The dogs, all rescued from local shelters took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes.
The dogs, all rescued from local shelters, took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes.
The phrase "all rescued from local shelters" is an interrupting phrase, a phrase that gives additional information to the sentence but remains apart from its structure. All interrupting phrases must be set apart from the rest of the sentence by commas. The only answer choice that appropriately does this is "The dogs, all rescued from local shelters, took quite a while to adjust to their new foster homes."
Example Question #1671 : Improving Sentences
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.
The tournament held every four years is one of the biggest spectacles in the world.
The tournament held every four years is
The tournament held every four years are
The tournament, held every four years is
The tournament, held every four years, is
The tournament held every four years, is
The tournament, held every four years, is
The phrase "held every four years" is an adjectival participle phrase, one that sits outside the structure of the sentence, but provides extra information. Any such phrase must be set apart by commas. "The tournament, held every four years, is" is the only answer choice that appropriately does this.
Example Question #1672 : Improving Sentences
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.
The dance originally scheduled for three hours had to be cut short after just an hour.
The dance, originally scheduled for three hours, had to be cut short after just an hour.
The dance, originally scheduled for three hours had to be cut short after just an hour.
The dance originally scheduled for three hours had to be cut short after just an hour.
The dance originally scheduled for three hours, had to be cut short after just an hour.
The dance originally, scheduled for three hours had to be cut short after just an hour.
The dance, originally scheduled for three hours, had to be cut short after just an hour.
The phrase "originally scheduled for three hours" is an interrupting phrase, or one that sits outside the sentence's structure but provides extra information. All interrupting phrases must be set apart by commas. The only answer choice that appropriately does this is "The dance, originally scheduled for three hours, had to be cut short after just an hour.