SAT Writing : SAT Writing

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store varsity tutors ibooks store

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.

Possible Answers:

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.

Correct answer:

still astonished at the massive waterfall.

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

the painter sticking closer

the painter sticking closely

the painter sticking close

a painter sticking closely

the painter stuck closely

Correct answer:

the painter stuck closely

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

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 

Correct answer:

The girls are having a party 

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

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.

Correct answer:

The battalion marches towards the battlefield on their way to the conflict.

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

having angering consumers

angering consumers

having anger consumers

having angry consumers

have angering consumers

Correct answer:

angering consumers

Explanation:

"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.

Possible Answers:

the man having had issues

the man has issues

the man had issues

the man have issues

the man having issues

Correct answer:

the man had issues

Explanation:

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

Possible Answers:

asked,

have to sleep

wouldn't have

No error

had booked

Correct answer:

have to sleep

Explanation:

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

Possible Answers:

I began volunteering

a wide array

No error

I don't think

I've ever seen

Correct answer:

I've ever seen

Explanation:

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

Possible Answers:

No error

before we finish our shifts.

suppose to

restrooms, and

According to our boss,

Correct answer:

suppose to

Explanation:

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

Possible Answers:

wouldn’t of known

midwifery,

deleterious

No error

in modern hospitals

Correct answer:

wouldn’t of known

Explanation:

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.”

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors