SAT Writing : Improving Paragraphs

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #65 : Separating, Combining, Or Moving Sentences

1 One such example of regional cooking could be found in the American South. 2 Wherefore foods such as gumbo, barbecue, fried chicken, and watermelons can now be found all across the country, it was once specific to states south of the Mason-Dixon line. 3 And while Southern cuisine has been influenced by Native American tribes, Scottish immigrants, and Cajun settlers, one of the most significant culinary inspirations came from the South’s black population. 4 Dishes such as cornbread, succotash, collard or turnip greens, pimento cheese, crawfish, and sweet tea all hale from the South, as well. 5 For example, okra, black-eyed peas, and sorghum are all foods brought to America and cultivated by African slaves. 6 Soon, soul food (a sometimes contentious term among black chefs) began to be served in black-owned restaurants in the South. 7 Borne out of competing cultural influences and not-infrequent strife, it should be no surprise that Southern food remains a complex delicious cuisine to this day.

Where should Sentence 4 be moved in the passage?

Possible Answers:

Before Sentence 7

Before Sentence 3

Before Sentence 1

Before Sentence 5

Before Sentence 6

Correct answer:

Before Sentence 3

Explanation:

Because both Sentences 2 and 4 discuss specific dishes common in Southern cuisine, they should appear next to each other.

Example Question #66 : Separating, Combining, Or Moving Sentences

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?

Where should Sentence 3 be moved in the passage?

Possible Answers:

Before Sentence 6

Before Sentence 1

Before Sentence 5

Before Sentence 2

The sentence should not be moved.

Correct answer:

Before Sentence 1

Explanation:

Sentence 3 provides a definition for a term that the rest of the passage discusses, so the only logical place to move it is the beginning of the passage. (Moreover, Sentence 1 contains an unclear referent – “this agricultural practice” – that would be clarified if another sentence preceded it.)

Example Question #67 : Separating, Combining, Or Moving Sentences

1 It may be hard to believe. 2 But light was once a rare and inviolate commodity. 3 Our ancestors invented willful ways to harness natural light; burning lumps of tallow or animal fat, capturing fireflies in glass jars, and even threading wicks down the throats of a bird called the storm petrel.4 Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly. 5 So it was fortunate when kerosene became popular. 6 Whale oil was another way to get light, but whaling was a dangerous and deadly occupation. 7 The innovation of the electric light bulb represented another huge leap in convenience and cost-effectiveness. 8 While light is not scarce today; in fact, we often have the opposite problem. 9 Light pollution, or excessive artificial light, which can keep city denizens from ever seeing the stars or appreciating true darkness.

How should Sentence 4 and 5 be combined?

Possible Answers:

Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly, so it was fortunate when kerosene became popular.

Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly so it was fortunate when kerosene became popular.

Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly. So it was fortunate when kerosene became popular. (no change)

Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly; so it was fortunate when kerosene became popular.

Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly, so; it was fortunate when kerosene became popular.

Correct answer:

Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly, so it was fortunate when kerosene became popular.

Explanation:

Sentence 4 is an independent clause, and Sentence 5 is an independent clause preceded by a coordinating conjunction, so the simplest combination would be simply to add a comma before the conjunction.

Example Question #181 : Improving Paragraphs

1 It may be hard to believe. 2 But light was once a rare and inviolate commodity. 3 Our ancestors invented willful ways to harness natural light; burning lumps of tallow or animal fat, capturing fireflies in glass jars, and even threading wicks down the throats of a bird called the storm petrel.4 Most of these methods were messy, inconvenient, and costly. 5 So it was fortunate when kerosene became popular. 6 Whale oil was another way to get light, but whaling was a dangerous and deadly occupation. 7 The innovation of the electric light bulb represented another huge leap in convenience and cost-effectiveness. 8 While light is not scarce today; in fact, we often have the opposite problem. 9 Light pollution, or excessive artificial light, which can keep city denizens from ever seeing the stars or appreciating true darkness.

Where should Sentence 6 be moved?

Possible Answers:

Before Sentence 4

Before Sentence 3

Before Sentence 2

It should not be moved.

Before Sentence 1

Correct answer:

Before Sentence 4

Explanation:

Sentence 6 discusses another means by which people used to get light, so it belongs immediately after the sentence in which the other methods of achieving light were discussed.

Example Question #182 : Improving Paragraphs

1 The word wig itself comes from the English word periwig and can demote a variety of styles, materials, and colors. 2 Have you ever wondered what goes into making a wig? 3 Historically wigs have served a variety of functions and took a number of forms. 4 Wigs have been used as fashion accessories, costume components, and to disguise baldness. 5 These days, wigs are most commonly made from synthetic materials, real human hair, or hair from animals, such as goats and yaks.

Where should Sentence 1 be moved in the passage?

Possible Answers:

After Sentence 4

After Sentence 3

After Sentence 2

After Sentence 5

It should not be moved.

Correct answer:

After Sentence 3

Explanation:

Sentence 1 does not serve as a good introduction, since it’s more specific than the sentences that immediately follow it. Because it concerns the history of the word “wig,” Sentence 1 should be moved after Sentence 3, which discusses the history of wigs in general.

Example Question #391 : Sat Writing

1 “Waltzing Matilda” is the title of an Australian song. 2 This song is often called Australia’s unofficial national anthem. 3 Although unscrupulous to a foreigner, the song’s seemingly nonsensical lyrics are actually slang that describes a migrant worker’s travels. 4 The song even has it’s own museum in Queensland. 5 Can you believe that? 6 It was written in 1895 by the Australian author Banjo Paterson and has more recordings than any other Australian song, including the national anthem; “Advance Australia Fair.”

Where should Sentence 5 be moved in the passage?

Possible Answers:

Before Sentence 1

Before Sentence 3

This sentence should not be moved.

Before Sentence 2

Before Sentence 4

Correct answer:

Before Sentence 4

Explanation:

Sentence 5 discusses particulars about the song, which is also the topic of Sentence 3. Therefore, it makes sense for these two sentences to appear next to each other in the passage.

Example Question #391 : Sat Writing

1 Today, different methods are adopted to strive off these threats to biological diversity. 2 By now, the occurrence of invasive species is a common place problem. 3 It occurs when a non native species of plant or animal is introduced into a new environment. 4 Invasive species cause problems, such as kudzu, Asian carp, and zebra mussels. 5 Habitats can be destroyed and human economies can be damaged by the invidious effects of species that are inoculated or even charming pets in other ecosystems. 6 For example, rabbits in Australia. 7 They were introduced in the 1780s by British penal colony ships and became widespread after an 1859 outbreak, destroying millions of dollars worth of crops. 8 Pheromone traps can lure in insect pests and genetic modification can cause invasive carp to produce only male offspring, limiting their reproduction. 9 Given our widespread global commerce and travel, however, it may be impossible to foresight all damage done by species that end up somewhere they don’t belong.

Where should Sentence 1 be moved in the passage?

Possible Answers:

After Sentence 6

After Sentence 7

After Sentence 4

After Sentence 8

After Sentence 5

Correct answer:

After Sentence 7

Explanation:

Sentence 1 contains an unclear pronoun referent, which means that it does not work well as the introductory sentence to the passage. Because Sentence 1 discusses modern-day approaches to fight invasive species, it would fit nicely between Sentence 7 (a discussion of historical invasive species) and Sentence 8 (an elaboration on these modern-day approaches to invasive species).

Example Question #71 : Analyzing, Combining, And Moving Content

1 As anyone who has tried it can tell you, Filipino food is an exciting intriguing blend of flavors. 2 Due to interaction with various nations and cultures, it’s cuisine is marked by influences from Austronesia, Spain, China, Malaysia, and the United States. 3 Some typical dishes including pancit, longganisa, lumpia, kare-kare, pinakbet, sinigang, and adobo. 4 For example, one could find everything from Spanish paella and Chinese spring rolls (locally called lumpia) if you walked into a Filipino restaurant.

5 Another important compound of Filipino cuisine is street food. 6 These street foods include many fried foods, such as bananas, plantains, dumplings, squid balls, battered quail eggs, and fruit or vegetable spring rolls.7 Taho, a warm street food, is composed of bean curd, a caramel syrup or arnibal, and tapioca pearls.8 Don’t forget dessert! 9 With such a variety of flavors, textures, and cooking styles, there’s certainly to be something for every gourmand.

Where should Sentence 4 be moved?

Possible Answers:

The sentence should not be moved.

Before Sentence 6

Before Sentence 2

Before Sentence 3

Before Sentence 7

Correct answer:

Before Sentence 3

Explanation:

Sentence 4 is providing further evidence for the assertion made in Sentence 2, so it should immediately follow Sentence 2.

Example Question #71 : Separating, Combining, Or Moving 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? 

Where should Sentence 6 be moved?

Possible Answers:

After Sentence 2

After Sentence 1

After Sentence 3

It should not be moved.

After Sentence 4

Correct answer:

After Sentence 4

Explanation:

Sentence 6 discusses specific applications of the lost-wax method, as does Sentence 4. The two sentences should appear together, and since Sentence 4 provides an introduction to the various applications of the process, it should precede Sentence 6.

Example Question #72 : Analyzing, Combining, And Moving Content

1 Unlike most languages, Esperanto was created artificially and not arrived naturally from other language’s evolution. 2 If you’ve ever traveled in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you’ll be familiar with the motives of the creators of Esperanto; a universal language constructed in 1887. 3 It was invented by the linguist L.L. Zamenhof, its name translating roughly to “the hopeful one,” and it was intended as a simple, neutral language that could transfer national differences and promote international harmony.

4 Implementing Esperanto, although, was more difficult than anticipated. 5 Yet more than two million people world-wide are fluent in Esperanto, far more are fluent in so-called global languages, such as English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Hindi. 6 Linguistically, Esperanto relies within a Latin alphabet and a grammar and vocabulary based primarily on Indo-European languages. 7 Luckily, free online resources, local clubs, and interminable school-sponsored instruction have kept this valuable linguistic experiment from dying out altogether.

Where should Sentence 1 be moved?

Possible Answers:

After Sentence 5

After Sentence 3

After Sentence 2

After Sentence 4

The sentence should not be moved.

Correct answer:

After Sentence 2

Explanation:

Sentence 2 makes a far superior introduction to the passage. Because Sentence 2 is discussing the construction of Esperanto and because Sentence 1 develops this discussion in more detail, the two should be presented in order.

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