PSAT Writing : PSAT Writing Skills

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #904 : Identifying 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.

Jean’s favorite activities are playing with her dog, visiting her grandmother, and going to the library. No error

Possible Answers:

No error

visiting

going

activities

favorite

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

This sentence is completely parallel. If it had said "to visit" instead of "visiting", that would have been incorrect.

Example Question #905 : Identifying 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.

Whether my aunt or uncle is arriving, it shouldn't matter—I really enjoy when either of them visit. No error

Possible Answers:

or

when either

No error

is arriving

Whether

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

There is no error here. If you chose "is arriving," it's actually grammatically correct: two singular subjects connected by "or" require a singular verb.

Example Question #906 : Identifying 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.

Every single dollar has been spent on candy; the children ought to be taught about saving their moneyNo error

Possible Answers:

their money

dollar has been

Every

No error

candy; the

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

There is no error. In particular, "every single dollar has been spent" is correct: "every" is a singular subject requiring a singular verb.

Example Question #907 : Identifying 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.

After hiking for three full days, the team of hikers arrived at the summit of the peak. No error

Possible Answers:

at the summit

Hiking

the team of hikers

No error

of the peak

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

This sentence contains no errors.

Example Question #908 : Identifying 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.

Making a quilt by hand takes a tremendous amount of planning, time, and effort, so should you ever be lucky enough to receive a handmade quilt, be sure to thank the person who made it for youNo error

Possible Answers:

be sure to thank the person who made it for you

should you ever be lucky enough

Making a quilt by hand

No error

a tremendous amount of planning, time, and effort

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

This sentence is grammatically correct as written and needs no stylistic revisions: "Making a quilt by hand" is a noun phrase based on a gerund that functions as the subject of the sentence; "a tremendous amount of planning, time, and effort" correctly uses parallel structure and the Oxford comma; "should you ever be lucky enough" correctly uses the present tense and subjunctive mood, and "be sure to thank to person who made it for you" is a correct imperative statement.

Example Question #909 : Identifying 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.

A group of leading experts in entomology, the study of insects, is coming to speak to my biology class about career opportunities in that exciting field. No error

Possible Answers:

is

about

in

in that

No error

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

Make sure that you identify the proper subject in this sentence. Many students are fooled by collective singulars: "a group of experts," "a team of players," "a school of fish," "a murder of crows," and so forth. In all of these cases, even though we are talking about many individual things, we are conceiving of them as single entities. As you may have noticed, the little word "of" will frequently alert you to the presence of a collective singluar in this kind of construction. This type of sentence can also confuse the eye, as there are two plural nouns ("experts" and "insects") between the subject ("group") and the main verb ("is").

Example Question #910 : Identifying 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.

Either house will do, but neither of the two is perfect. No error

Possible Answers:

will

neither

Either

is

No error

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

There is no error. "Neither" uses the correct verb (singular) and "either" is used properly.

Example Question #101 : Psat Writing Skills

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

The Statue of Liberty, perhaps the most recognizable symbol of American freedom, was actually constructed in France and given to the United States as a gift of friendship between the two nations. No error

Possible Answers:

given to

Liberty, perhaps

was

a gift of friendship.

No error

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

There is no error in the sentence. Verb tenses are consistent for the timeline, and the descriptive—or interrupting—phrase is correctly separated by two commas.

Example Question #102 : Psat Writing Skills

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

One brave woman surreptitiously entered the aliens’ spaceship, hoping to discover their weaknesses and use the information to aid the defense. No error

Possible Answers:

hoping

brave

No error

their weaknesses

surreptitiously

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

This sentence is correct as written.

Example Question #103 : Psat Writing Skills

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

One must not fault them for mistaking the date; it was, after all, leap year.

Possible Answers:

mistaking

it was

No error

fault them for

One

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

This sentence is correct as written.

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