All SAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3511 : Sat Writing
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.
Having seen many natural wonders in his life, the general was still astonishing at the massive waterfall.
still astonishing at the massive waterfall.
still astonished at the massive waterfall.
still astonishing in the massive waterfall.
still astonishing to the massive waterfall.
also astonishing at the massive waterfall.
still astonished at the massive waterfall.
The "waterfall" makes the "general" have a feeling of astonishment. The sentence as written makes this quite confusing. To make it correct grammatically, the form of the word needs to be something the general does. "Still astonished at the massive waterfall" is the correct answer choice.
Example Question #62 : Correcting Other Verb 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.
Unlike his contemporaries, the painter sticking closely to shapes that could exist in reality.
the painter sticking closer
the painter sticking closely
the painter sticking close
a painter sticking closely
the painter stuck closely
the painter stuck closely
The use of the verb form "sticking," a past participle," makes the action of the sentence unclear, as such forms usually need an extra verb to clarify the action. The verb form should be change to an active tense. Thus, "the painter stuck closely" is the correct answer choice.
Example Question #211 : Correcting Verb 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.
The girls having a party commemorating the end of the school year.
The girls having the party
The girls are having a party
The girls having some party
The girls having a party
The girls having party
The girls are having a party
The sentence as constructed does not actually contain a verb. "Having" in this sentence is the present participle, which always needs a form of the verb "to be." In this sentence, the appropriate form is "are," the plural form, making "The girls are having a party" the correct answer.
Example Question #62 : Correcting Other Verb 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.
The battalion marching towards the battlefield on their way to the conflict.
The battalion marching towards the battlefield on their way to the conflict.
The battalion marches towards the battlefield on their way to the conflict.
The battalion marching towards the battlefield on there way to the conflict.
The battalion marching toward the battlefield on their way to the conflict.
The battalion marching towards the battlefield on their way against the conflict.
The battalion marches towards the battlefield on their way to the conflict.
The use of "marching" makes the sentence not have a verb, as the participle form always needs some form of the verb "to be" used immediately before it to make it a complete verb. (For example, it's not grammatically correct to say "The fish swimming across the lake." Anyone who heard this might ask, "The fish swimming across the lake did what?" since "swimming" is a participle—a verb acting like an adjective. Instead, the correct way to say this would be, "The fish was swimming across the lake," or, alternatively, use a different verb form altogether, such as "The fish swam across the lake." To correct the problem's sentence, either the participle "marching" needs to be preceded by some form of the verb "to be," or it should be changed to some other form than the present participle to avoid functioning as an adjective and instead clearly function as the sentence's verb. The only answer choice that uses either of these options is "The battalion marches towards the battlefield on their way to the conflict."
Example Question #373 : Correcting Usage Errors
Issues began cropping up as soon as the new software was introduced, having angering consumers who bought the initial run of the product.
having angering consumers
angering consumers
having anger consumers
having angry consumers
have angering consumers
angering consumers
"Having angering" is a universally incorrect construction, and needs to be made appropriate grammatically. The -ing verb form following a comma that ends a complete thought is a participial modifier, which modifies the result of that clause. Here the result of "issues began cropping up" is that consumers became angry (at those issues). Using "angering" as the modifier, then, makes complete sense: the issues angered the consumers, so "angering consumers" properly uses a participial modifier to describe the effect of the action that takes place before the comma. "angering consumers" is correct.
Example Question #51 : Correcting Verb Errors
For a long time, the man having issues with his wife that they could not resolve.
the man having had issues
the man has issues
the man had issues
the man have issues
the man having issues
the man had issues
The use of the patriciple form "having" is incorrect in the sentence, as the participle cannot stand on its own as the verb of the sentence. The word needs to be changed, and must match the later use of the past tense construction "that they could not." The correct answer, therefore, is "the man had issues."
Example Question #411 : Identifying Word Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
If you had booked a hotel like I asked, we wouldn’t have have to sleep at the airport. No error
asked,
have to sleep
wouldn't have
No error
had booked
have to sleep
Here, the correct form of the present perfect is “wouldn’t have had to sleep,” not “wouldn’t have have to sleep.”
Example Question #1011 : 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.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a wide array of neglected animals before I began volunteering at the shelter. No error
I began volunteering
a wide array
No error
I don't think
I've ever seen
I've ever seen
The form of the sentence requires that we use the past perfect (e.g. "I had done something") instead of the present perfect (e.g. "I have done something") since the speaker is discussing the time "before [he or she] began volunteering at the shelter." The correct form of the past perfect is “I’d,” a contraction of “I had," instead of "I've," a contraction of "I have."
Example Question #413 : Identifying Word Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
According to our boss, we are suppose to lock the register, clean the restrooms, and restock the shelves before we finish our shifts. No error
No error
before we finish our shifts.
suppose to
restrooms, and
According to our boss,
suppose to
Here, we have a simple verb error. The correct form is always “supposed to,” never “suppose to.”
Example Question #414 : Identifying Word Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
If he hadn’t read the book on midwifery, he wouldn’t of known that birthing practices in modern hospitals are sometimes deleterious to women. No error
wouldn’t of known
midwifery,
deleterious
No error
in modern hospitals
wouldn’t of known
We have another simple verb error here. Despite how it sounds in spoken dialogue, the correct form is always “wouldn’t have” and never “wouldn’t of.”
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