SAT Writing : SAT Writing
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Sat Writing
Identify the simple subject underlined in the following sentence.
Because it was difficult to schedule a meeting with the neighborhood council, the timeline for the new park was delayed.
meeting
park
council
timeline
schedule
timeline
The simple subject is the noun or pronoun that does the action conveyed by the sentence's verb. The correct answer here is "timeline," because it is the subject associated with the verb "was" in the sentence's independent clause, "the timeline for the new park was delayed." While the nouns "meeting" and "council" may look like potentially correct answers because they precede "timeline" in the sentence, they are contained in the subordinate clause "Because it was difficult to schedule a meeting with the neighborhood council," so neither of them can be the simple subject of the sentence, since the subordinate clause could be removed and the sentence would still be complete. Furthermore, "park" might look like a potentially correct answer because it immediately precedes the verb "was" in the independent clause; however, "new park" is found within the prepositional phrase "for the new park," so it cannot be the sentence's simple subject either.
Example Question #21 : Sat Writing
Which of the following is the simple predicate of the sentence?
The irregular verbs that fill the English language can make it difficult to learn.
can make
fill
verbs
language
learn
can make
The simple predicate is the verb of the main clause, conjugated according to the subject. The correct answer is "can make."
Example Question #22 : Sat Writing
Identify the predicate of the sentence.
Jim realized he had forgotten his sunscreen at home.
Jim
realized
had forgotten
at home
realized
The action completed by the subject (Jim) is "realized."
Example Question #23 : Sat Writing
Identify the predicates in the following compound sentence.
The customers at the café couldn't tell the difference between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, but the baristas could.
"caffeinated" and "decaffeinated coffee"
"couldn't tell the difference between decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee" and "could"
"the baristas" and "the coffee"
"The customers at the café" and "the baristas"
"at the cafe" and "could"
"couldn't tell the difference between decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee" and "could"
The best response here is '"couldn't tell the difference between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee' and 'could'" because each of these fragments makes up the predicate portion of its respective independent clause.
Example Question #24 : Sat Writing
Which of the following are the simple predicates of the sentence?
She came to the meeting, completely unannounced, and said some incredibly intelligent and courageous things.
meeting ... things
came ... unannounced
came ... intelligent
came ... said
unannounced ... said
came ... said
The simple predicate is the verb that corresponds to the subject of the main clause. In this sentence, the predicate is compound, so there are two: "came" and "said."
Example Question #25 : Sat Writing
Which of the following is the simple predicate of the sentence?
Because it was difficult to schedule a meeting with the neighborhood council, the timeline for the new park was delayed.
delayed
was
difficult
schedule
timeline
was
The simple predicate is the verb that corresponds to the subject of the main clause. The correct answer here is "was" (the one before "delayed").
Example Question #26 : Sat Writing
George Orwell's haunting novel, 1984, a nightmarish depiction of a future in which a totalitarian government seeks to eliminate all personal freedom.
1984, being called a nightmarish depiction of a future
1984, it is a nightmarish depiction of a future
1984 is a nightmarish depiction of a future,
1984, a nightmarish depiction of a future
1984; a nightmarish depiction of a future
1984 is a nightmarish depiction of a future,
The original sentence lacks a primary verb. To correct this error, remove the comma and add the necessary verb.
Example Question #28 : Sat Writing
Identify the verb in the sentence below.
Megan and I went to the movies on Friday night.
went
movies
Friday
Megan
I
went
"Went" is the verb in the sentence. It is the past tense of the verb "to go."
Example Question #29 : Sat Writing
Identify the verb in the sentence below.
On my birthday, I will eat the entire cake!
birthday
on my
entire cake
will eat
the entire cake
will eat
The verb is "will eat." It is the future tense of the verb "eat."
Example Question #27 : Sat Writing
Identify the verb in the sentence below.
Mary spent all afternoon cooking this delicious meal.
cooking
Mary
spent
all
afternoon
spent
The verb in this sentence is "spent." It allows the reader to understant that Mary took the entire afternoon to cook a meal. "Cooking" is not a verb in this sentence; it is a gerund and is an object in this sentence. (A gerund is a verb that acts as a noun, like the word "swimming" in the sentence "My favorite sport is swimming.")
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