All SAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #2431 : Act English
The entire town became obsessing with the case, following every detail mentioned in the newspapers.
The entire town became obsessed among the case
The entire town becomes obsessing with the case
The entire town became obsessing with the case
The entire town became obsessed with the case
The entire town became obsessing among the case
The entire town became obsessed with the case
The underlined portion of the sentence contains a strange use of the verb "obsessing," which should not be used with the past tense "became." The correct answer choice must change "obsessing" to an appropriate past tense form; therefore, the correct answer is "The entire town became obsessed with the case."
Example Question #154 : Correcting Verb Errors
Most people ignoring the warnings of the government officials about the storm.
Most people ignoring
Many people ignoring
Most persons ignores
Most people ignored
More people ignoring
Most people ignored
The use of the verb "ignoring" is incorrect in this sentence, as it is a present participle and the sentence needs a past tense active verb; therefore, the correct answer is "Most people ignored."
Example Question #382 : Correcting Usage Errors
The man keeping up with the friends he made in childhood.
The man's keeping up with
The man who had kept up with
The man keeping up with
The man keeps up with
The man keeping with
The man keeps up with
The use of the past participle "keeping" is inappropriate as it needs either an infinitive or a version of "be" to be used as the verb in a sentence. "Keeping" needs to be changed to an appropriate verb form without changing the meaning of the sentence. The only answer choice that does both is "The man keeps up with."
Example Question #1451 : Improving Sentences
The power of monarchy in Renaissance Europe questioning by modern scholars.
is questioning by modern scholars.
questioned by modern scholars.
questionable by modern scholars.
is questioned by modern scholars.
questioning by modern scholars.
is questioned by modern scholars.
The use of the verb form "questioning," a gerund, makes the sentence confusing. The word should be changed to a form that properly reflects the "scholars" are questioning "the power of monarchy." The answer choice that best does this is "is questioned by modern scholars."
Example Question #141 : Correcting Verb Errors
Due to his condition, the professor keeping an extra pair of glasses by his podium.
keeping the extra pair of glasses
keeping an extra pair of glasses
keeps an extra pair of glasses
by keeping an extra pair of glasses
keeping extra pair of glasses
keeps an extra pair of glasses
The use of the participle form "keeping" is incorrect without a version of the verb "to be," and needs to either be changed to a non-participle or have the version of "to be" added. This is the only issue with the sentence as it is written. Therefore, the correct answer choice is "keeps an extra pair of glasses."
Example Question #851 : Word Usage Errors
The protesters moving into position to have a confrontation with the police.
The protesters moves into position
The protesters moving into position
The protesters move into position
The protesters had moving into position
The protesters moving in towards position
The protesters move into position
The use of the participle form "moving" makes the sentence have no actual verb, as any participle needs a form of the verb "to be" to function as the verb in a sentence. The form needs to to either have the active form "is" attached or be changed into the active form; therefore, "The protesters move into position" is the correct answer choice.
Example Question #2102 : Correcting Grammatical Errors
Under the terms of the treaty, the victorious nation keeping the territory it acquired during the war.
the victorious nation kept the territory
the victorious nation keep the territory
the victorious nation keeping territory
the victorious nation having keeping the territory
the victorious nation keeping the territory
the victorious nation kept the territory
The use of the verb "keeping," a participle, is incorrect and confusing in the sentence, as a participle always needs to function with a version of the form to be. Either one of these forms needs to be added in or the form should be changed. The only answer choice that appropriately does this is "the victorious nation kept the territory."
Example Question #11 : Correcting Other Verb Errors
How long a person could live in outer space is a question scientists still debating.
still debating.
debating still.
debating.
still debated.
still debate.
still debate.
The underlined portion of the sentence needs to align with what it describes, the "scientists." To make it grammatically correct, the verb form of "debating" needs to be changed to a simple present form. "Still debate" is the correct answer choice.
Example Question #591 : Usage Errors
The nervous woman making mistakes every time she tried to make cupcakes.
made mistakes
making the mistakes
making mistakes
makes mistakes
making, mistakes
made mistakes
The use of "making," a participle means the sentence has no verb, as a participle needs some form of "to be" to function as a full verb; therefore, a complete verb form needs to be used, and has to match the past tense usage of "tried." This makes the correct answer choice "made mistakes."
Example Question #1452 : Improving Sentences
His father was usually ready telling a joke to lighten the mood.
to tell a joke
telling a joke
telling the joke
telling a joking
telling jokes
to tell a joke
The use of "telling" in the sentence is strange and confusing, as the participle form appears to modify "ready." To appropriately explain what the father was "ready" for, an infinitive, which gives a sense of action; therefore, the correct answer choice is "to tell a joke."
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