SAT

Defintions

Sentence Completion

Critical Reading Strategies

ID Sentence Errors

Improving Sentences

100

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. Because she has a great need for ------- , she loathes the public appearances demanded of her as a leading literary figure. A. luxury B. privacy C. reward D. devotion E. distraction

privacy Here's Why: The first part of the sentence describes a cause and the second part describes resulting behavior. The literary figure desires “privacy” and so she finds public appearances loathsome. Difficulty: Easy

100

Hoping to ------- the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be ------- to both labor and management. (A) enforce . . useful (B) end . . divisive (C) overcome . . unattractive (D) extend . . satisfactory (E) resolve . . acceptable

 Always check your answer by reading the entire sentence with your choice filled in. Does it make sense to say "Hoping to resolve the dispute, the negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be acceptable to both labor and management"? Yes. Correct answer: (E)

100

Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A. The gong, believed to have originated in Western Asia, reached China in the sixth century, where it continues to be used for a wide range of purposes, including as a military signal, a rhythmic accompaniment for vocal performance, and a ritual instrument. A. including as B. which include C. which includes D. including E. they include as

Choice (A) is correct. It avoids the errors of the other options by correctly using the preposition “as” to introduce the “wide range of purposes” for which the gong is used.

100

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E. Most saxophones, except for the straight-bodied A sopranino and soprano models, with an upturned B C lower end and a detachable crook, or neck , at the D upper end. No error E

A. (A) B. (B) C. (C) D. (D) E. (E) Correct! Answer C  Here's Why: The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where a sentence fragment is created. To fix this problem, use “have” as the main verb of the sentence.

100

Passage 1 The narrator would most likely describe Mr. Pontellier's conduct during the evening as (A) typically generous (B) justifiably impatient (C) passionate and irrational (D) patronizing and self-centered (E) concerned and gentle

Correct Answer: D Explanation: This question asks you to consider a large portion of the passage and to make an inference about the narrator's view of "Mr. Pontellier's conduct during the evening." To answer such a question, you should look carefully at the particular words used and details mentioned in the passage. In the first paragraph, Mr. Pontellier awakens his wife after his "night out"; he seems not to notice or care that she had been sound asleep. In lines 48-59, the narrator describes Mr. Pontellier speaking to his wife in a superior and condescending manner about "a mother's place" in caring for children and about how hard he works at "his brokerage business." (A) and (E) are not correct because the narrator does not depict Mr. Pontellier's words and actions during the evening as "generous" or "gentle." (B) is not correct because the narrator does not suggest that Mr. Pontellier's conduct with his wife is justifiable. (C) is not correct; although Mr. Pontellier's behavior is selfish and inconsiderate, it is not "passionate" — in fact, the narrator states that Mr. Pontellier "talked in a monotonous, insistent way." (D) is correct because it accurately describes the narrator's impression of Mr. Pontellier's behavior during the evening, "patronizing and self-centered." Someone who is "patronizing" has an attitude of superiority and thus treats others as if they were less important.

200

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Dahntay’s ------- over winning the prestigious prize was ------- only by the fact that his father was unable to attend the ceremony.

a.incredulity . . misconstrued

b.ebullience . . tempered

c.bashfulness . . extended

d.satisfaction . . confirmed

e.relief . . conveyed

B is Correct!

Here's Why: This sentence contrasts something positive (winning a “prestigious prize”) with something negative (the father’s absence), so it makes sense that the missing terms reflect Dahntay’s conflicted emotions. His joy, or “ebullience,” might certainly be curbed, or “tempered,” by the fact that his father could not be present for the special occasion.

Difficulty:

Medium Question Type: Sentence Completions (Critical Reading)

200

Because King Philip's desire to make Spain the dominant power in sixteenth-century Europe ran counter to Queen Elizabeth's insistence on autonomy for England, ------- was -------. (A) reconciliation . . assured (B) warfare . . avoidable (C) ruination . . impossible (D) conflict . . inevitable (E) diplomacy . . simple

Correct Answer: D Explanation: The word "because" indicates that the information in the first part of the sentence (the part before the comma) explains the reason for the situation described in the second part. The first part states that what King Philip wanted (domination for Spain) "ran counter to" what Queen Elizabeth wanted (independence for England). Choice (D) logically completes the sentence: Given that there was such a fundamental disagreement between the two monarchs, "conflict" would likely be "inevitable," or unavoidable.

200

Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book and she was sixty-five years old then. (A) and she was sixty-five years old then (B) when she was sixty-five (C) at age sixty-five years old (D) upon the reaching of sixty-five years (E) at the time when she was sixty-five

Correct answer is B

200

DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!!! The students have discoveredA that theyB can address issues more effectively throughC letter-writing campaigns and notD through public demonstrations. No errorE

Correct Answer: D Explanation:  The error in this sentence occurs at (D). When a comparison is introduced by the adverb "more," as in "more effectively," the second part of the comparison must be introduced by the conjunction "than" rather than "and not."  The other options contain no errors. In (A), the plural verb "have discovered" agrees with the plural subject "students." In (B), the plural pronoun "they" correctly refers to the plural noun "students." In (C), the preposition "through" appropriately expresses the means by which issues are addressed.  The sentence may be corrected as follows: The students have discovered that they can address issues more effectively through letter-writing campaigns than through public demonstrations.

200

What awoke Mr Pontellier's wife? A. A cat B. The doorbell C. Mr. Pontellier's entrance D. She fell out of bed.

Mr. Pontellier's entrance.

300

CORRECT! Correct Answer: D Explanation: The word "because" indicates that the information in the first part of the sentence (the part before the comma) explains the reason for the situation described in the second part. The first part states that what King Philip wanted (domination for Spain) "ran counter to" what Queen Elizabeth wanted (independence for England). Choice (D) logically completes the sentence: Given that there was such a fundamental disagreement between the two monarchs, "conflict" would likely be "inevitable," or unavoidable.

300

All states imposeA severe penalties onB drivers who do not stop when he or she isC involved inD accidents. No errorE

Correct Answer: C Explanation: The error in this sentence is (C): the pronouns "he or she" (which are both singular) do not agree with the noun "drivers" (which is plural). The correct sentence reads: All states impose severe penalties on drivers who do not stop when they are involved in accidents. Note that the verb "is" has to be changed to "are" when the subject becomes plural. © 2009 The College Board

300

Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner. (A) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner. (B) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans being realistically depicted in the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner. (C) The paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans. (D) Henry Ossawa Tanner, in his realistic paintings, depicting scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans. (E) Henry Ossawa Tanner, whose paintings realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans.

Correct Answer: C Explanation: For a sentence to be grammatically complete, it must include both a subject and a main verb. When a sentence lacks either a subject or a main verb, the result is a sentence fragment. In this example all options but (C) are sentence fragments.  In (A), the phrase "Scenes... Americans " is modified by the dependent clause "which... Tanner," but there is no main verb.  In (B), the phrase "Scenes ... Tanner" contains no main verb.  In (D), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner " is modified by "depicting " but is not combined with a main verb.  And in (E), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by the dependent clause "whose ... Americans " but not combined with a main verb.  (C) is correct. It is the only choice in which a subject ("The paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner") is combined with a verb ("depict") to express a complete thought.

300

AfterA hours of futile debate, the committee has decided to postponeB further discussion of the resolutionC until theirD next meeting. No errorE

Correct Answer: D Explanation:  The error in this sentence occurs at (D). A pronoun must agree in number (singular or plural) with the noun to which it refers. Here, the plural pronoun "their" incorrectly refers to the singular noun "committee."  The other options contain no errors. In (A), the preposition "After" appropriately introduces a phrase that indicates when the committee made its decision. In (B), "to postpone" is the verb form needed to complete the description of the committee's decision. In (C), the prepositional phrase "of the resolution" appropriately specifies the subject of the postponed discussion.  The sentence may be corrected as follows: After hours of futile debate, the committee has decided to postpone further discussion of the resolution until its next meeting.

300

Some questions require you to make an inference or draw a conclusion about what you have read. In lines 69-113, Mrs. Pontellier's reactions to her husband's behavior on returning home suggest that (A) she accepts unquestioningly her role of caring for the children (B) this is one of the first times she has acknowledged her unhappiness (C) her marriage is not what is making her so depressed (D) she is angry about something that happened before her husband went out (E) she is not as worldly as her husband is

Correct Answer: B Explanation: In these lines, Mrs. Pontellier cries for a long time while sitting alone on the porch. Her husband's treatment of her has upset her greatly. The narrator indicates that such behavior by Mr. Pontellier was "not uncommon" but that Mrs. Pontellier had not previously been too bothered by such incidents: "They seemed never before to have weighed much against the abundance of her husband's kindness... "  (A) is not correct because the issue of "caring for the children" is not the focus of this part of the passage; Mrs. Pontellier's feelings of sadness and "oppression" are not related to her acceptance of "her role" as a mother.  (C) is not correct because it is precisely her relationship with her husband that has made her "so depressed."  (D) is not correct because there is no indication in the passage that "something that happened before her husband went out" has made Mrs. Pontellier "angry." In fact, it is his behavior after his return that has upset her.  (E) is not correct because whether Mrs. Pontellier is "as worldly as her husband" is irrelevant to her reaction to his treatment of her; the passage suggests not that she lacks sophistication but that he lacks consideration.  (B) is correct because Mrs. Pontellier's "strange and unfamiliar" mood of "oppression" and "anguish" marks a new realization on her part of her "unhappiness" with her husband.

400

Members of the research team were initially so adversarial that ---------- seemed impossible; the project's inauspicious start made its final success all the more ---------- . (A) concentration . . incidental (B) disagreement . . incongruous (C) collaboration . . predictable (D) hostility . . dazzling (E) cooperation . . remarkable

Correct Answer: E Explanation: Choice (E) is the only pair of words that logically completes this sentence. The "adversarial" attitude of the team members would suggest that working together would be quite difficult, or that "cooperation" would be "impossible"; given the project's bad start, its ultimate success would be "remarkable" because nobody would have expected it.

400

There is no doubt that Larry is a genuine ------- : he excels at telling stories that fascinate his listeners. (A) braggart (B) dilettante (C) pilferer (D) prevaricator (E) raconteur

Correct Answer: E Explanation: The structure of this sentence indicates that the words after the colon define or directly clarify what came before. The phrase "he excels at telling stories that fascinate his listeners" serves to define the missing word. Choice (E), "raconteur," is the only word that describes someone who excels at storytelling.

400

Looking up from the base of the mountain, the trail seemed more treacherous than it really was. (A) Looking up (B) While looking up (C) By looking up (D) Viewing (E) Viewed

Correct Answer: E Explanation: When a modifying phrase begins a sentence, it must logically modify the sentence's subject; otherwise, it is a dangling modifier. In this example, every option except (E) is a dangling modifier.  (E) is correct. Although a trail cannot itself look up from the base of a mountain, a trail can be viewed by someone looking up from the base of a mountain, so the phrase "Viewed from the base of the mountain" logically modifies the subject "the trail."

400

After the music recital, Alexandra enjoyed listeningA to her friend Mohammed's insightful interpretation, which sheB thought was more sophisticatedC than the other performers.D No errorE

Correct Answer: D Explanation: The problem in this sentence is one of illogical comparison. Alexandra is said to consider Mohammed's insightful interpretation more sophisticated than the other performers, improperly comparing his interpretation to other performers, rather than to interpretations of other performers. The correct sentence reads: At the music recital, Alexandra enjoyed listening to her friend Mohammed's insightful interpretation, which she thought was more sophisticated than the interpretations of the other performers

400

You may be asked to consider the overall description of a character, event, or phenomenon across an entire passage. The passage shows Mr. Pontellier as happiest when he (A) is attending to his children (B) sits outside and smokes a cigar (C) makes up with his wife after an argument (D) has been away from home or is about to leave home (E) has showered his children with gifts of candy

Correct Answer: D Explanation: The passage begins with Mr. Pontellier "in an excellent humor," having just returned after a night away from home. He becomes less happy, however, when his wife is too sleepy to talk with him, and when he discovers that his son Raoul "had a high fever and needed looking after." Subsequently, he lectures his wife about their family roles and responsibilities, finishes his cigar, and goes to bed. The next morning, Mr. Pontellier has "regained his composure" and is "eager to be gone, as he looked forward to a lively week" away from his family at work.  (A) and (E) are not correct because Mr. Pontellier gets upset the one time that he is "attending to" his sons, and he has forgotten to send them the treats that he had promised.  (B) is not correct because Mr. Pontellier is described as neither happy nor unhappy while he smokes; there are other occasions in the passage when he is happier.  (C) is not correct because the passage never shows Mr. Pontellier making up with his wife after their argument.  (D) is the correct answer based on the description of a happy Mr. Pontellier at the beginning and the end of the passage, when "he has been away from home or is about to leave home." tom of Form

500

The novel's protagonist, a pearl diver, naïvely expects that the buyers will compete among themselves to pay him the best price for his pearl, but instead they ------- to ------- him. (A) venture . . reward (B) pretend . . praise (C) conspire . . reimburse (D) refuse . . cheat (E) collude . . swindle

Correct Answer: E Explanation: The sentence states that the pearl diver expected one kind of behavior from the buyers, but instead they behaved in a different way. Since the pearl diver expected the buyers to "compete among themselves to pay him the best price," the correct answer must be two words that make the last clause describe an opposite situation. Choice (E) is the best answer: Instead of competing to pay the pearl diver the best price, the buyers colluded (or plotted) to "swindle" him.

500

A discerning publishing agent can ------- promising material from a mass of submissions, separating the good from the bad. (A) supplant (B) dramatize (C) finagle (D) winnow (E) overhaul

Correct Answer: D Explanation: To "winnow" is to sort through and select the desirable part of something or to get rid of the unwanted or undesirable part. If the publishing agent goes through the submissions, "separating the good from the bad," then he or she can be said to be winnowing "promising material from a mass of submissions."

500

One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced physicians make is misreading symptoms, another that occurs about as frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment. (A) symptoms, another that occurs (B) symptoms; another one that occurs (C) symptoms, the other, and it occurs (D) symptoms; another one which is occurring (E) symptoms and also occurring

Correct Answer: B Explanation: This sentence illustrates a comma splice, the incorrect use of a comma to connect two complete sentences. Choice B correctly uses a semicolon to coordinate two independent clauses and form a compound sentence (while at the same time keeping verb tenses parallel). The correct sentence reads: One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced physicians make is misreading symptoms; another one that occurs about as frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment.  (A) symptoms, another that occurs  (B) symptoms; another one that occurs  (C) symptoms, the other, and it occurs  (D) symptoms; another one which is occurring  (E) symptoms and also occurring

500

Originally a protest onA conventionalB painting, the Pre-Raphaelite movement exertedC great influence on the art of itsD time. No errorE

Correct Answer: A Explanation: The error in this sentence is (A): the phrase "protest on" is not idiomatic in standard written English. The verb "protest" takes the preposition "against." The correct sentence reads: Originally a protest against conventional painting, the Pre-Raphaelite movement exerted great influence on the art of its time.

500

Some questions ask you to focus on a specific piece of information presented in the passage. In context, the description in lines 58-59 of Mr. Pontellier's way of speaking suggests the narrator's belief that his complaints are (A) stumbling and confused (B) familiar and not as urgent as he claims (C) angry and sarcastic (D) too complex to make sense to anyone but himself (E) both rational and thought-provoking

Correct Answer: D Explanation: This question asks you to consider a large portion of the passage and to make an inference about the narrator's view of "Mr. Pontellier's conduct during the evening." To answer such a question, you should look carefully at the particular words used and details mentioned in the passage. In the first paragraph, Mr. Pontellier awakens his wife after his "night out"; he seems not to notice or care that she had been sound asleep. In lines 48-59, the narrator describes Mr. Pontellier speaking to his wife in a superior and condescending manner about "a mother's place" in caring for children and about how hard he works at "his brokerage business."  (A) and (E) are not correct because the narrator does not depict Mr. Pontellier's words and actions during the evening as "generous" or "gentle."  (B) is not correct because the narrator does not suggest that Mr. Pontellier's conduct with his wife is justifiable.  (C) is not correct; although Mr. Pontellier's behavior is selfish and inconsiderate, it is not "passionate" — in fact, the narrator states that Mr. Pontellier "talked in a monotonous, insistent way."  (D) is correct because it accurately describes the narrator's impression of Mr. Pontellier's behavior during the evening, "patronizing and self-centered." Someone who is "patronizing" has an attitude of superiority and thus treats others as if they were less important.