SAT Writing : SAT Writing
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or words that need to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences may not contain an error.
Given the choice, which would you rather do: have your mother cut your hair or go to a salon? No error.
salon?
Given
choice,
No error.
do:
do:
Because “have your mother cut your hair or go to a salon” isn’t a list of three or more items, no colon is necessary to introduce it. To correctly punctuate the sentence, you would instead use a comma between “do” and “have.” The question mark and other comma are correctly placed in the sentence.
Example Question #2 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or words that need to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences may not contain an error.
I have no idea if she’s coming to the dance marathon on Thursday: last week she sprained her ankle at a ballroom competition, and she may be recovering still. No error.
No error.
may be
if she's
competition,
Thursday:
Thursday:
Because the first sentence isn’t really introducing the second sentence but is rather a separate thought, a colon isn’t the correct punctuation mark. Instead, a semicolon should be used to separate these two independent clauses.
Example Question #3 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or words that need to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences may not contain an error.
The way I see it, the animal shelter has three options: ask the city for more money, host a fundraiser, or employ more volunteer workers. No error.
fundraiser,
money,
it,
No error.
options:
No error.
This sentence has no error. The part of the sentence preceding the list is an independent clause (a complete sentence that can stand on its own), so the list is correctly introduced with a colon. Each item in the list is correctly separated with a comma, and the introductory clause (“The way I see it”) is correctly set off from the main clause (“the animal shelter has three options”) with another comma.
Example Question #4 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or words that need to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences may not contain an error.
It’s a pity you can’t come to the party, since we need so much help: decorating, setting up seating, and preparing food. No error.
help:
decorating,
No error.
party,
, and
help:
Here, the colon is incorrectly splitting up a clause. You wouldn’t say “we need so much help: decorating.” Instead, you’d say “we need so much help decorating.” For the same reason, you also wouldn’t break up the longer sentence, even though it ends with a list. Elsewhere, the commas are correctly separating the items in the list and separating the main clause (“It’s a pity you can’t come to the party”) from the dependent clause (“since we need so much help decorating, setting up seating, and preparing food.”)
Example Question #5 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or words that need to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences may not contain an error.
I have no idea if she’d rather: have dinner at an elegant restaurant, go to a comedy club, or compete in a trivia challenge to celebrate our anniversary. No error.
rather:
No error.
, or
challenge to
she'd
rather:
Because “I have no idea if she’d rather” isn’t an independent clause (a complete sentence that can stand on its own), the list that follows it should not be separated with a colon or with any other punctuation. You would only use a colon to introduce the list if the part of the sentence before the list was an independent clause. The correct sentence is as follows: "I have no idea if she’d rather have dinner at an elegant restaurant, go to a comedy club, or compete in a trivia challenge to celebrate our anniversary."
Example Question #6 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Henry has faced significant personal losses this year: His grandmother died, his dog was hit by a car, and his identity was stolen by a Bulgarian hacker. No error
died,
His
has faced
year:
No error
His
Here, the colon is the correct punctuation to separate the first part of the sentence (an independent clause) from the second part of the sentence (a three-item list); however, the "His" that immediately follows the colon should not be capitalized.
Example Question #7 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Leila was convinced that her new boyfriend was the man she would someday marry: however, when he showed up late for three dates in a row, she began to have second thoughts. No error
marry:
in a row,
was convinced
however,
No error
marry:
A semicolon, not a colon, is needed to separate the two independent clauses in this sentence. Colons are only used to introduce lists, and the second part of the sentence is not a list; it’s a full sentence in its own right. Therefore, a semicolon is the correct punctuation mark to use between “marry” and “however.”
Example Question #8 : Identifying Colon 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’ve never: seen such a beautiful night, had such a delicious dinner, or danced with such a graceful man,” Lily said. No error
man,"
such a beautiful night,
dinner, or
No error.
never:
never:
Because “I’ve never” isn’t an independent clause (a complete sentence that can stand on its own), the list that follows it should not be separated with a colon or with any other punctuation. You would only use a colon to introduce a list if the part of the sentence before the list was an independent clause.
Example Question #9 : Identifying Colon Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
It’s been a long, hard winter: everyone in the Alaskan village just wants to see some green grass and feel the sun shining again. No error
shining
winter:
long,
No error
the Alaskan
winter:
Since the first sentence isn’t introducing the second sentence but is rather a separate thought, a colon isn’t the correct punctuation mark to use. Instead, a semicolon should be used to separate these two independent clauses.
Example Question #601 : Sat Writing
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Learning to crochet is a difficult task: since there are many stitches and patterns to keep track of and the yarn often slips off the hook entirely. No error
to keep track of
No error
there
often slips off the hook entirely.
task: since
task: since
The colon that is used in this sentence is extraneous. While the part of the sentence that precedes the colon is an independent clause, the part of the sentence that follows the colon is not; it is a subordinating clause because it is introduced by "since," which is here acting as a subordinating conjunction. Colons are not used to separate independent and subordinating clauses.
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