SAT Writing : Correcting Grammatical Errors in a Full Sentence

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #51 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 The lost-wax casting method may sound cryptic, but its really a fairly simple and comprehendible process. 2 It is also known as investment or precision casting. 3 It involves twelve steps in that an artist makes an original wax model; creates rubber and plaster molds from the model; fills the molds with wax; coats the new wax models with a ceramic material; and fires the wax-ceramic mixture into a kiln so that the outer layer becomes a reusable mold and the inner wax melts away. 4 Despite involves technical jingo such as spruing, metal-chasing, and burnout, it is a very versant process that can be applied to everything from jewelry making and sculpture, automobile and gun manufacturing.

5 Lost-wax has been used by sculptors from ancient Greece all the way to modern day Germany. 6 Lost-wax has even been applied to dentistry, it is most frequently used to make gold crowns and inlays.7 Why not give it a try? 

In Sentence 3, what punctuation change should be made?

Possible Answers:

add a colon after “steps”

no change should be made

delete the semicolons

replace the semicolons with colons

replace the semicolons with commas

Correct answer:

replace the semicolons with commas

Explanation:

Semicolons are only used to separate items in a list if those items are complex and contain commas themselves. Since this is not the case in this list, standard commas should be used.

Example Question #52 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 The legend of Billy the Kid, one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West. 2 Allied Henry McCarty and William H. Bonney, Billy the Kid was a gunfighter who was rumored to have killed nearly two dozen men in 19th century America. 3 Friendly and charming, his status was relatively unknown until a price was put on his head in 1881 by the governor of New Mexico, than a territory. 4 He lived in New York City, Indiana, Kansas, and Arizona at various points within his life. 5 Billy the Kid’s various crimes include: murder, horse thievery, stealing firearms, and escaping from jail. 6 Many of these various crimes were committed as part of his membership in Old West gangs. 7 He was finally, captured and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in New Mexico in 1881.

How should Sentence 1 be rewritten?

Possible Answers:

The legend of Billy the Kid, one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West. (no change)

The legend of Billy the Kid, one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West, was legendary.

The legend of Billy the Kid, was one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West.

The legendary Billy the Kid, one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West.

The legendary Billy the Kid was one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West.

Correct answer:

The legendary Billy the Kid was one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West.

Explanation:

Some rewriting is necessary to change Sentence 1 from a fragment into a complete sentence. Since the subject of the sentence is clearly "one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West" not  a story of "legend," the use of "legend" in the introductory clause creates a dangling modifier.

Example Question #51 : Improving Paragraphs

1 If you’re wearing clothes right now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced. 2 But what you may not know is the history of the sewing machine that made your clothes. 3 The device was invented in England during the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th-century. 4 Greatly increasing efficiency by mechanizing the process. 5 Early machines were often used for stitching leather and canvas for various purposes including, horse tack, sails, and shoes. 6 Gradually, other machines emerged that were superior in Europe and America. 7 Famous brands today; include those by 19th century inventor Isaac Singer. 8 As the 1800s progressed sewing machines became purchases for not just clothing manufacturers but individuals. 

How should the underlined portion of Sentence 5 be rewritten?

Possible Answers:

leather, and canvas for various purposes including, horse tack, sails, and shoes.

leather and canvas for various purposes including horse tack, sails, and shoes.

leather and canvas for various purposes, including, horse tack, sails, and shoes.

leather and canvas for various purposes including, horse tack, sails, and shoes.  (no change)

leather, and canvas for various purposes including horse tack, sails, and shoes.

Correct answer:

leather and canvas for various purposes, including, horse tack, sails, and shoes.

Explanation:

“… including horse tack, sails, and shoes” is a dependent clause, so we need a comma to separate it from the rest of the sentence. No comma is necessary after “including” (that word rarely has a comma immediately after it) or “leather” (commas only precede conjunctions when the conjunctions are separating two independent clauses).

Example Question #54 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 If you’re wearing clothes right now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced. 2 But what you may not know is the history of the sewing machine that made your clothes. 3 The device was invented in England during the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th-century. 4 Greatly increasing efficiency by mechanizing the process. 5 Early machines were often used for stitching leather and canvas for various purposes including, horse tack, sails, and shoes. 6 Gradually, other machines emerged that were superior in Europe and America. 7 Famous brands today; include those by 19th century inventor Isaac Singer. 8 As the 1800s progressed sewing machines became purchases for not just clothing manufacturers but individuals. 

How should Sentence 6 be rewritten?

Possible Answers:

Gradually other superior machines emerged in Europe and America.

Gradually, in Europe and America other machines emerged that were being superior.

Gradually other machines emerged that were being superior, in Europe and America.

Gradually, other machines emerged that were superior in Europe and America. (no change)

Gradually, superior machines emerged in Europe and America.

Correct answer:

Gradually, superior machines emerged in Europe and America.

Explanation:

The machines weren’t superior in America and Europe; they were superior machines that appeared in America and Europe. Since the original sentence contains a misplaced modifier, we need to rewrite it to clarify the meaning.

Example Question #51 : Improving Paragraphs

1 If you’re wearing clothes right now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced. 2 But what you may not know is the history of the sewing machine that made your clothes. 3 The device was invented in England during the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th-century. 4 Greatly increasing efficiency by mechanizing the process. 5 Early machines were often used for stitching leather and canvas for various purposes including, horse tack, sails, and shoes. 6 Gradually, other machines emerged that were superior in Europe and America. 7 Famous brands today; include those by 19th century inventor Isaac Singer. 8 As the 1800s progressed sewing machines became purchases for not just clothing manufacturers but individuals. 

Which sentence contains a semicolon error?

Possible Answers:

None of the sentences in the passage.

Sentence 5

Sentence 7

Sentence 3

Sentence 1

Correct answer:

Sentence 7

Explanation:

Sentence 7 is a straightforward independent clause, so there is no need for a semicolon or any other punctuation in the middle of it.

Example Question #261 : Sat Writing

1 The tornado, a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature. 2 But what is it really? 3 Also known as a twister or a cyclone, tornadoes are rapidly rotating funnels of air linked between a cloud and either the surface of the earth or water. 4 They are caused by the creation of strong thunderstorms by rotating columns of air, resultantly increased rainfall causes increased downward air movement. 5 Rather than the Richter scale measures the strength of hurricanes the Fujita scale measures the strength of a tornado. 6 This natural disasters’ destructive mite is commemorated in such classic films as the 1996, movie, Twister. 7 And the 2014 “Into the Storm” and even the 2013 sparse “Sharknado.” 8 The Fujita scale, also called the F-scale, was named after an employee at the University of Chicago and originally had 13 different levels.

How should Sentence 1 be rewritten?

Possible Answers:

The tornado, a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature. (no change)

The tornado, being a dreaded meteorological phenomena, is a verifiable force of nature.

The tornado: a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature.

The tornado, a dreaded meteorological phenomena, a verifiable force of nature.

The tornado is a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature.

Correct answer:

The tornado is a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature.

Explanation:

To change Sentence 1 from a sentence fragment to a complete sentence, we need to add a verb.

Example Question #52 : Improving Paragraphs

1 The tornado, a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature. 2 But what is it really? 3 Also known as a twister or a cyclone, tornadoes are rapidly rotating funnels of air linked between a cloud and either the surface of the earth or water. 4 They are caused by the creation of strong thunderstorms by rotating columns of air, resultantly increased rainfall causes increased downward air movement. 5 Rather than the Richter scale measures the strength of hurricanes the Fujita scale measures the strength of a tornado. 6 This natural disasters’ destructive mite is commemorated in such classic films as the 1996, movie, Twister. 7 And the 2014 “Into the Storm” and even the 2013 sparse “Sharknado.” 8 The Fujita scale, also called the F-scale, was named after an employee at the University of Chicago and originally had 13 different levels.

Which of the following sentences needs to have a comma replaced with a semicolon?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 4

none of the sentences needs a semicolon

Sentence 1

Sentence 3

Sentence 2

Correct answer:

Sentence 4

Explanation:

Sentence 4 is a comma splice: two independent clauses incorrectly joined by a comma. To rectify the error, use a semicolon instead.

Example Question #51 : Correcting Grammatical Errors In A Full Sentence

1 The tornado, a dreaded meteorological phenomena and a verifiable force of nature. 2 But what is it really? 3 Also known as a twister or a cyclone, tornadoes are rapidly rotating funnels of air linked between a cloud and either the surface of the earth or water. 4 They are caused by the creation of strong thunderstorms by rotating columns of air, resultantly increased rainfall causes increased downward air movement. 5 Rather than the Richter scale measures the strength of hurricanes the Fujita scale measures the strength of a tornado. 6 This natural disasters’ destructive mite is commemorated in such classic films as the 1996, movie, Twister. 7 And the 2014 “Into the Storm” and even the 2013 sparse “Sharknado.” 8 The Fujita scale, also called the F-scale, was named after an employee at the University of Chicago and originally had 13 different levels.

How should Sentence 4 be rewritten?

Possible Answers:

They are caused by the creating of strong thunderstorms, rotating columns of air, resultant increases in rainfall, and the increase of downward air movement.

They are created by strong thunderstorms by the rotating columns of air, resultantly increasing rainfall; increasing downward air movement.

They are caused when strong thunderstorms create rotating columns of air and increased rainfall cause a resultant increase of downward air movement.

They are caused if strong thunderstorms and rotating columns of air, resultantly increase rainfall, causing an increase of downward air movement.

They are caused by the creation of strong thunderstorms by rotating columns of air, resultantly increased rainfall causes increased downward air movement. (no change)

Correct answer:

They are caused when strong thunderstorms create rotating columns of air and increased rainfall cause a resultant increase of downward air movement.

Explanation:

The original sentence is a grammatical disaster. The correct answer follows proper sentence structure and accurately identifies various factors in the tornado formation process.

Example Question #53 : Improving Paragraphs

1 The famous artist Man Ray is not nearly as well known as Picasso or Dalí, however, he contributed significantly to 20th century art. 2 Man Ray was particularly influential in Surrealism and Dadaism. 3 He worked in a variety of media including painting and photography, and he renamed a certain type of shadow-image photography “rayographs” after himself. 4 Born in Pennsylvania Ray lived in both New York City and Paris. 5 He also worked with fabric and collage.

How should Sentence 2 be rewritten? 

Possible Answers:

Man Ray was particularly influential, in Surrealism and Dadaism.

Man Ray was particularly influential in Surrealism or Dadaism.

Man Ray, being particularly influential in Surrealism and Dadaism.

Man Ray was particularly influential in Surrealism, and Dadaism.

Man Ray was particularly influential in Surrealism and Dadaism. (no change)

Correct answer:

Man Ray was particularly influential in Surrealism and Dadaism. (no change)

Explanation:

Sentence 2 contains no grammatical errors. It is a straightforward independent clause.

Example Question #265 : Sat Writing

1 If you’re wearing clothes right now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced. 2 But what you may not know is the history of the sewing machine that made your clothes. 3 The device was invented in England during the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th-century. 4 Greatly increasing efficiency by mechanizing the process. 5 Early machines were often used for stitching leather and canvas for various purposes including, horse tack, sails, and shoes. 6 Gradually, other machines emerged that were superior in Europe and America. 7 Famous brands today; include those by 19th century inventor Isaac Singer. 8 As the 1800s progressed sewing machines became purchases for not just clothing manufacturers but individuals. 

How should Sentence 1 be rewritten? 

Possible Answers:

If you’re wearing clothes (right now) you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced.

If you’re wearing clothes right now, you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced.

If you’re wearing clothes right now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced. (no change)

If you’re wearing clothes right, now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced.

If you’re wearing clothes, right now you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced.

Correct answer:

If you’re wearing clothes right now, you’re likely wearing something a sewing machine has produced.

Explanation:

In Sentence 1, we have a dependent clause that is not being separated from its independent clause. We need to add a comma to create this separation. Note that since this sentence uses the conditional "if," the use of the second person is not as unappealing as it is when it is framed as a definitive statement in Sentence 2.

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