SAT Writing : Identifying No Errors or Other Errors
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Example Question #81 : Identifying Sentences That Contain No Errors
1 The purpose of this agricultural practice is to produce large amounts of meat, milk, eggs, and textiles, such as wool and leather, at low costs. 2 It has many negative consequences; however, and many activists have raised concerns about sustainability, environmental risks, and ethics. 3 Factory farming, sometimes known euphonically as intensive animal farming, or industrial farming, is the practice of raising livestock at very high densities in order to decrease the costs of production. 4 On most factory farms, animals are reduced to commodities: bred unnaturally, confined in uncomfortably small cages, and dosed with high strength antibiotics to reduce concomitant infections. 5 Although, the livestock suffers considerately, drug-resistant bacteria become more common, and significant environmental hazards arise from the high quantities of animal waste. 6 Does the phrase manure lagoons sound familiar? 7 As a light of this issue, many people choose to become vegetarian or join anti-factory farming campaigns. 8 What will you do?
How should the underlined portion of Sentence 4 be rewritten?
animals are reduced to commodities;
animals are reduced to commodities,
animals are reducing to commodities:
animals are reducing to commodities;
animals are reduced to commodities: (no change)
animals are reduced to commodities: (no change)
Here, a colon is correctly used to introduce a list that is preceded by an independent clause. The sentence is correct as written.
Example Question #921 : 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.
As we climbed up and over the rocky, sere, cheerless hilltop, the wind rose to a howling pitch; I almost lost my hat. No error
up and
rose
pitch;
No error
sere,
No error
The sentence contains no errors as written. It is correct to use commas to separate the sequential adjectives in the description of the hill, but it would be incorrect to insert one between "up" and "and" (since "As we climbed up" is not an independent clause). "Rose" is the correct past tense use of "rise," and since "I almost lost my hat" could function as a sentence by itself, the semicolon after "pitch" is appropriate.
Example Question #922 : Identifying Sentence Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the following sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," she said softly, lowering her face, "but I just haven't been able to bring myself to hurt you like that." No error
been meaning
No error
softly,
face, "but
like
No error
There are no errors in the sentence as written. The divided quotation is clearly a single sentence, and it is appropriately set off from the dialogue tag by the commas after "you" and "face." Note that if the dialogue were inserted between two separate sentences in the quotation, you would need to use a period after "face" and a capital letter for the first word in the second quoted sentence.
Example Question #923 : Identifying Sentence Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no errors at all.
Georgina thought that she and Helen had both had a good time, but she was worried in her heart that the other woman despised her. No error
thought
but
No error
had both had
despised
No error
There are no errors in this sentence. Although it may look at a glance like an ambiguous pronoun reference, Georgina is clearly the subject of the sentence (indicated by the clear subject-verb pairing "Georgina thought"), so the "she" in the second clause continues to refer to her rather than to Helen.
Example Question #924 : 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.
Paul was at the end of his rope; he wasn't sure if he was going to make it through the conference. No error
wasn't sure
going to make
Paul was at
No error
rope;
No error
This sentence contains no errors. The two independent clauses making up this compound sentence are correctly connected using a semicolon. The rest of the sentence is also correct. Note that a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction could also have been used to connect these two sentences.
Example Question #81 : Identifying No Errors Or Other Errors
Select the underlined portion of the sentence below that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Paul was having a hard time in training; his instructor Duncan was forcing him to work incredibly hard. No error
No error
incredibly hard.
was forcing
training;
Paul was having
No error
In this sentence a semicolon is correctly used to connect two independent clauses into a compound sentence. The verb tenses are all correct, and all grammatical elements of the sentence agree with the subject. There is no error in the sentence above: it is correct as it is written.
Example Question #82 : Identifying No Errors Or Other Errors
Select the underlined portion of the sentence below that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I bought several things from the store last night: I bought cheese, I bought tortillas, and I bought tomatoes. No error
store last night:
I bought
No error
I bought tomatoes.
I bought tortillas,
No error
In this sentence, a colon correctly introduces a list, which itself correctly uses a parallel structure. Note that the same verb structure is used in the list, and that the clause preceding the colon is an independent clause that does not end with a verb. There is no error in the sentence above: it is correct as it is written.
Example Question #83 : Identifying No Errors Or Other 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 days of indecision, the school's Board of Athletic Safety and Welfare has decidedto delay further discussion of the new agenda until its next annual meeting. No error
No error
indecision
of the new agenda
has decided to delay
further
No error
This sentence is correct as written.
Example Question #84 : Identifying No Errors Or Other Errors
Select the underlined portion of the sentence below that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I like to eat many desserts: cookies, ice cream, and cake, but I really shouldn't eat them every single day. No error
single day.
I like to eat many desserts:
No error
ice cream, and cake,
really shouldn't
I like to eat many desserts:
The example sentence correctly uses a colon to introduce a list of items, in this case desserts. Since the clause preceding the colon is a complete independent clause, and the last word of that clause is a noun, the colon is correctly placed. The rest of the sentence is also correctly punctuated.
Example Question #1 : Identifying Other Errors
The United States has been a country of immigrants since its foundation. This is still true today. The United States allows more people to immigrate to it then any other country. This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages. As most public schools in the United States provide a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not they should teach their children their heritage language.
There are many myths surrounding the idea of bilingual education that prevent its widespread implementation in public schools. However, bilingual education has actually been shown to produce higher achievements in both languages. As well as enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills. Because some public school systems have successfully implemented bilingual education, there are still enormous difficulties in terms of resources and support from the U.S. Board of Education.
Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
As the United States School system provides a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not to teach their children their heritage language.
However, bilingual education has actually been shown to produce higher acheivements in both languages.
There are many myths surrounding the idea of bilingual education that prevent its widespread implementation in public schools.
As most public schools in the United States provide a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not they should teach their children their heritage language.
This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages.
This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages.
The sentence which contains an error is "This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages." The verb used should be "has" rather than "have" because the subject of the sentence is the singular "stream."
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