All PSAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Identifying Verb Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Frustrated by the limited career options in his small, rural hometown, Frank ran away with the circus and was becoming a contortionist. No error.
was becoming
small, rural hometown
Frustrated by
No error.
with the circus
was becoming
There is no reason for the last verb in this sentence to be in the past progressive tense—it happened at a singular point in the past. The corrected sentence reads, "Frustrated by the limited career options in his small, rural hometown, Frank ran away with the circus and became a contortionist."
Example Question #1 : Identifying Verb Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although he found his job being dreadfully boring, he remained committed, knowing that his wages would buy him a plane ticket to Paris. No error.
Although
would buy
he remained
being
No error.
being
This sentence uses the wrong form of the verb “to be.” After “found,” it is correct to use the infinitive "to be" instead of "being." The corrected sentence reads, "Although he found his job to be dreadfully boring, he remained committed, knowing that his wages would buy him a plane ticket to Paris."
Example Question #253 : 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.
Long before she began her tenure as chair of the Biology department, Professor Green has taught undergraduate classes in Spanish literature. No error.
No error.
in
has taught
her tenure
Long before
has taught
The timeline of this sentence is off. The first phrase is in the past tense, so the verb “has taught” needs to indicate that it happened before that point in the past. So, "has taught" should be changed to "had taught," and "has taught" contains the sentence's error. The corrected sentence reads, "Long before she began her tenure as chair of the Biology department, Professor Green had taught undergraduate classes in Spanish literature."
Example Question #2 : Identifying Verb 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 show will not have been such a fiasco if the animals had not escaped from their kennels just as the curtain was rising. No error.
will not
No error.
such a fiasco if
had not escaped
just as
will not
This sentence describes a situation that did not happen, and should use the conditional “would” instead of the future tense “will.” The corrected sentence reads, "The show would not have been such a fiasco if the animals had not escaped from their kennels just as the curtain was rising."
Example Question #1 : Identifying Verb Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Her flat intonation masked the incredible excitement she felt at found the prize in the cereal box. No error.
No error.
in the cereal box
Her flat intonation
found
incredible
found
This sentence uses the wrong form of the verb “to find.” In order to fit into the timeline of the sentence, it should read “having found” or possibly "finding." The corrected sentence reads, "Her flat intonation masked the incredible excitement she felt at having found the prize in the cereal box."
Example Question #3 : Identifying Verb 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 issue being that the director does not come into the office on Fridays and I am not familiar with the process she uses. No error.
No error.
does not come into
she
familiar with
being that
being that
This sentence uses the "-ing" verb “being” when it isn’t necessary. In fact, this sentence is a fragment as it is written, but can be made into a complete sentence by changing "being" as "is." This also sounds much cleaner and more direct. The corrected sentence reads, "The issue is that the director does not come into the office on Fridays and I am not familiar with the process she uses."
Example Question #2 : Identifying Verb Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Robert being always the top of his class in high school, and he put enormous pressure on himself to maintain his rank in college. No error.
No error.
his
the top of his class
pressure on himself
being
being
The gerund “being” here is unnecessary and makes the sentence sound clunky. Replace it with “was” to make the sentence run more smoothly: "Robert was always the top of his class in high school, and he put enormous pressure on himself to maintain his rank in college."
Example Question #11 : Identifying Verb Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although he had never taken piano lessons, anytime that Jeff, who was unusually intelligent, sees a piano, he was able to play a song. No error
No error
Although
who was
sees
able to play
sees
The entire sentence refers to the past, as we can tell from the verb "was" in "who was unusually intelligent" and the verb "was" in "was able to play." Therefore, the verb "sees" should be in the past tense like the rest of the verbs in the sentence. To correct the sentence's error, we would need to change "sees" to "saw."
Example Question #3 : Identifying Verb 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 revolutionary, having been the subject of abuse during his childhood, emphatically lead the uprising, fueled by both a desire for social justice, as well as a certain anger that he himself did not entirely understand. No error
fueled by both
lead
No error
he himself
having been
lead
"Lead" is in the present tense. Given that the rest of the sentence is in the past tense, this verb should also be in the past tense. Therefore, it should be "led," not "lead."
Example Question #831 : Sat Writing
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
As soon as I booked my flight to visit my friends in New York, I am finding that all the prices for plane tickets were plummeting. No error
I am finding
prices for
As soon as
to
No error
I am finding
This sentence written in the past tense, except for the phrase “I am finding.” In order to maintain proper verb tense, the underlined portion should be changed to “I found.”