SAT Writing : Correcting Other Errors and Recognizing No Errors

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #1354 : Improving Sentences

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.

Occasionally, the old memories would come back to the woman and give her nightmares.

Possible Answers:

Occasionally, the old memories

Occasionally the old memories

Occasionally, the old, memories

Occasionally the old memories,

Occasionally, the old memories,

Correct answer:

Occasionally, the old memories

Explanation:

The single word "occasionally," in this instance, operates as an introductory clause that gives a condition to the action of the sentence. All such introductory clauses must be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a comma; therefore, the sentence is correct as written.

Example Question #1355 : Improving Sentences

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.

Non-profit organizations often need much more help with their taxes than many corporations do.

Possible Answers:

Non-profit organizations often need much more help with there taxes than many corporations do.

Non-profit organizations often need many more help with their taxes than many corporations do.

Non-profit organizations often need much more help with their taxes than many corporations do.

Non-profit organizations often needing much more help with their taxes than many corporations do.

Non-profit organizations often need much more helping with their taxes than many corporations do.

Correct answer:

Non-profit organizations often need much more help with their taxes than many corporations do.

Explanation:

The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs nothing done to make it grammatically correct. Additionally, all the choices that do make a change turn the sentence into a grammatically incorrect one. The correct answer choice is to leave the sentence alone.

Example Question #131 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing No Errors

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.

The man was barred from entering any of the company's franchises until five years had passed.

Possible Answers:

The man was barred from entering any of the company's franchises until five years had passed.

The man was barred from entering, any of the company's franchises, until five years had passed.

The man was barred from entering any of the company's franchises, until five years had passed.

The man was barred, from entering any of the company's franchises, until five years had passed.

The man, was barred from entering any of the company's franchises, until five years had passed.

Correct answer:

The man was barred from entering any of the company's franchises until five years had passed.

Explanation:

The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs nothing done to it in order to improve it. Additionally, all of the answer choices that do add punctuation add it incorrectly. The best answer choice is to leave the sentence as it is written.

Example Question #1357 : Improving Sentences

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.

Even though she'd never received anything less than an A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Possible Answers:

Even though she'd never received anything less than a A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Because she'd never received anything less than an A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Even though she'd never received nothing less than an A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Even though she'd never received anything less than an A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Even though she'd always received anything less than an A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Correct answer:

Even though she'd never received anything less than an A, Farzana worried constantly about her grades.

Explanation:

The original sentence is actually grammatically correct, whereas the other answers contain errors or are illogical. The sentence should be left as it is.

Example Question #1358 : Improving Sentences

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.

I want to do three things: visit France, visit Norway, and visit Denmark, but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

Possible Answers:

I want to: visit France, visit Norway, and visit Denmark, but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

I want to do three things: visit France, visit Norway, and visit Denmark, but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

I want to, visit France, visit Norway, and visit Denmark, but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

I want to: visit France, visit Norway and visit Denmark; but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

I want to; visit France, visit Norway, and visit Denmark, but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

Correct answer:

I want to do three things: visit France, visit Norway, and visit Denmark, but I don't know when I'll have time for all of that travel.

Explanation:

This sentence is correct as written. The colon correctly introduces a list following a main clause, and a coordinating conjunction and a comma are correctly used to connect an independent clause into this compound sentence.

Example Question #132 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing No Errors

There once was a shepherd boy whom sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. He was hot and exhausted fanning himself, rapidly in a feeble attempt to cool himself down. On top of that, he had never been so bored before. To amuse himself, he decided to play a joke. He put his hands around his mouth and yelled in a loud voice, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is chasing the sheep!”

They came running. They asked the boy, “What’s going on? Did you yell ‘A wolf is chasing the sheep?’”

The boy laughed. “It was just a joke, everyone.”

The people fumed, but they all returned to their homes.

The next day, the boy bored again decided to amuse himself again. He bellowed, “Wolf! Wolf!” Again, the townspeople came running. Once they arrived and witnessed the laughing boy, they realized they’d been tricked a second time. Nonetheless, they returned home and irritated resolved to never fall for the trick again for third time.

The next day, the boy was watching his sheep. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a wolf appeared from behind the bushes. With its teeth bared, the boy cowered as the wolf approached the sheep. Terrified, he called, “Help! A wolf! A wolf is here!” The people ignored his cries. “That mischievous boy,” they all said to one another. “He must think he can fool us again.” But not one of them came running.

No one was there to witness as the wolf ate every last sheep on the hillside, as the boy helplessly cowered behind a bush. As the boy hid, he shook his head. “I shall never fib again,” he resolved to himself.

How should the underlined section be corrected?

Possible Answers:

To amuse himself he decided to play a joke.

NO CHANGE

To amuse himself: he decided to play a joke.

To amuse himself; he decided to play a joke.

To bemuse himself he decided to play a joke.

Correct answer:

NO CHANGE

Explanation:

The underlined sentence is correct as written. The introductory phrase "to amuse himself," is correctly separated from the main clause "he decided to play a joke" with a comma. The introductory phrase accurately and necessarily contextualizes the simple subject-verb-object main clause. All of the other options, in fact, add grammatical or punctuation errors.

Example Question #1 : New Sat Writing And Language

There are two different ways to consider the so-called “Dark Ages.” On the one hand, you can think of the period directly after the fall of the Roman Empire, when civilization began to collapse throughout the Western Empire. On the other hand, you can consider the period that followed this initial collapse of society. It is a gross simplification too use the adjective dark to describe the civilization of either of these periods.

As regards the first period, it is quite a simplification to consider this period to be a single historical moment. It is not as though the civilization switched off like a lightbulb. At one moment light and then, at the next, dark. Instead, the decline of civilization occurred over a period of numerous decades and was, in fact, already occurring for many years before the so-called period of darkness. Thus, the decline of civilization was not a rapid collapse into barbarism, but instead, was a slow alteration of the cultural milieu of a partition of Europe. Indeed, the Eastern Roman Empire retained much of it’s cultural status during these years of decline!

More importantly, the period following the slow collapse of the Western Empire was much less “dark” than almost every popular telling states. Indeed, even during the period of decline, the seeds for cultural restoration was being sown. A key element of this cultural revival were the formation of monastic communities throughout the countryside of what we now know as Europe. Although these were not the only positive force during these centuries, the monasteries had played an important role in preserving and advancing the cause of culture through at least the thirteenth century and arguably until the Renaissance.

How should the underlined section be changed?

Possible Answers:

ways to consider the so-called, “dark ages.”

ways to consider the so-called “dark ages.”

ways to consider the so-called Dark Ages.

NO CHANGE

ways to consider the so-called, “Dark Ages.”

Correct answer:

NO CHANGE

Explanation:

The expression “Dark Ages” is being used here as a standard expression for a given period of time. Therefore, it is best to keep the capitalization that is used in the passage as written; however, given that the author has referred to the period as the "so-called" period, it is best to keep the quotation marks. This indicates that it is an expression used in writing and speech by various standard authorities on the topic. Also, since this is not a direct quotation, you do not need a comma preceding the expression.

Example Question #133 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing No Errors

The businessman, already strapped for cash, had to turn down the expensive investment opportunity.

Possible Answers:

The businessman already strapped for cash, had to

The businessman already strapped for cash had to

The businessman, already strapped for cash, had been to

The businessman, already strapped for cash, having to

The businessman, already strapped for cash, had to

Correct answer:

The businessman, already strapped for cash, had to

Explanation:

The underlined portion of the sentence is actually perfectly correct. The phrase "already strapped for cash" is an interrupting phrase, and needs to be set off by commas, as it is in the sentence. The verb form had is also the appropriate tense.

Example Question #134 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing No Errors

The order was given quite clearly to both me and him.

Possible Answers:

to both him and I.

to both me and him.

to both me and he.

to both myself and himself.

to both he and I.

Correct answer:

to both me and him.

Explanation:

The pronoun usage in the underlined portion of the sentence is perfectly correct. Both "me" and "him" are properly used as objects, which they are in this sentence. All the other choices are grammatically incorrect.

Example Question #1 : Correcting Other Errors

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.

It was there fault that the car was parked there in the first place.

Possible Answers:

It was their fault that the car was parked there in the first place.

It was there fault that the car was parked there in the first place.

It was their fault that the car was parked they’re in the first place.

It was there fault that the car was parked their in the first place.

It was they’re fault that the car was parked there in the first place.

Correct answer:

It was their fault that the car was parked there in the first place.

Explanation:

Here, a reader must be able to distinguish between the homonyms “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” Because “there” refers to a location, “their” is a possessive pronoun, and “they’re” is a contraction that’s short for “they are,” the correct usage is,  “It was their fault that the car was parked there in the first place.”

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