Question ID 960dec02

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 960dec02
A recent study tracked the number of bee species present in twenty-seven New York apple orchards over a ten-year period.
______ found that when wild growth near an orchard was cleared, the number of different bee species visiting the orchard
decreased.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Entomologist Heather Grab:

B. Entomologist, Heather Grab,

C. Entomologist Heather Grab

D. Entomologist Heather Grab,

ID: 960dec02 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a name and title and between a
subject and a verb. No punctuation is needed between the proper noun “Heather Grab” and “entomologist,” the title that
describes Grab. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the sentence’s subject (“Entomologist Heather Grab”) and
the main verb (“found”) that indicates what Grab did.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed. Setting the entomologist’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed
between the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 37e5c794
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 37e5c794
Despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce, ______ they are made from nonrenewable petroleum, and most do not
biodegrade in landfills.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. there are two problems associated with commercial plastics:

B. two problems are associated with commercial plastics:

C. commercial plastics’ two associated problems are that

D. commercial plastics have two associated problems:

ID: 37e5c794 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the
modifying phrase “despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce” appears immediately before the noun it modifies,
“commercial plastics,” clearly establishing that the commercial plastics—and not another noun in the sentence—are being
described as cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there” immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “there” is cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice B is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “two problems” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice C is incorrect
because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “commercial plastics’ two associated problems”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f0864217
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: f0864217
Rabinal Achí is a precolonial Maya dance drama performed annually in Rabinal, a town in the Guatemalan highlands. Based
on events that occurred when Rabinal was a city-state ruled by a king, ______ had once been an ally of the king but was later
captured while leading an invading force against him.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Rabinal Achí tells the story of K’iche’ Achí, a military leader who

B. K’iche’ Achí, the military leader in the story of Rabinal Achí,

C. the military leader whose story is told in Rabinal Achí, K’iche’ Achí,

D. there was a military leader, K’iche’ Achí, who in Rabinal Achí

ID: f0864217 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers
need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they
describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text
in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the
drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word
after the comma. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of
Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be
next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ea0aa676
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: ea0aa676
In the 1970s, Janaki Ammal, a prominent botanist, emerged as a powerful voice in India’s environmental conservation
movement. Her exhaustive chromosomal survey of plants in Silent Valley, a pristine tropical forest in Kerala, India, that is
home to nearly 1,000 species of native flora (many of which are endangered), ______ instrumental in the government’s
decision to preserve the forest.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. are

B. were

C. have been

D. was

ID: ea0aa676 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "survey" is singular, and so is the verb "was."

Choice A is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "are" is plural. Choice B is incorrect. The subject "survey" is
singular, but the verb "were" is plural. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "have been" is plural.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fba5d8d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fba5d8d1
In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants who
experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music, there was
one personality trait that they scored particularly ______ openness to experience.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. high. On

B. high on;

C. high on

D. high on:

ID: fba5d8d1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the
supplementary phrase ("openness to experience") and to introduce the information that identifies which personality trait
participants scored especially high on.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "on" and separates a
necessary preposition from the clause beginning with "there." Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this
way to join the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience"). A semicolon is
conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains
or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to
experience").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dc645172
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dc645172
The artistic talents of Barbara Chase-Riboud, most known for her 1979 historical novel Sally Hemings and the conversation it
inspired, ______ limited to the realm of prose: she first excelled in sculpture, where her affinity for bronze—a material she
described as “timeless” due to its use across eras and cultures—became part of her artistic identity.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. hasn’t been

B. wasn’t

C. isn’t

D. aren’t

ID: dc645172 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "talents" is plural, and so is the verb "aren’t": "the artistic talents…aren’t limited."

Choice A is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "hasn’t been" is singular. Choice B is incorrect. The subject
"talents" is plural, but the verb "wasn’t" is singular. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "isn’t" is
singular.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6ea8c23f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6ea8c23f
In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean mixing rates from
the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how current-driven mixing varies across
______ and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in the ocean.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. regions,

B. regions:

C. regions;

D. regions

ID: 6ea8c23f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two
elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was
able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no
punctuation is needed between them.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice
B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aab74a3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: aab74a3b
Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm
______ dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force
required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. silk, by

B. silk by

C. silk and by

D. silk. By

ID: aab74a3b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be
grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by
dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t
enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and
"by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both
independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a9e5b788
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a9e5b788
In discussing Mary Shelley’s 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader’s attention
to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley’s ______ as the recipient of
the letters that frame the book’s narrative, she’s the “occasion” of it.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. novel

B. novel,

C. novel; rather,

D. novel, rather,

ID: a9e5b788 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a semicolon to join a main clause (“Saville...novel”) and a second main clause (“she’s...it”) preceded by
supplementary elements (“rather...narrative”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be
used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, the comma after “novel” can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3bceeb93
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 3bceeb93
When they were first discovered in Australia in 1798, duck-billed, beaver-tailed platypuses so defied categorization that one
scientist assigned them the name Ornithorhynchus paradoxus: “paradoxical bird-snout.” The animal, which lays eggs but also
nurses ______ young with milk, has since been classified as belonging to the monotremes group.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. they’re

B. their

C. its

D. it’s

ID: 3bceeb93 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The singular possessive pronoun "its" agrees with the singular antecedent "the animal" and
indicates that the "young" belong to it.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "They’re" is a contraction of "they are," a
plural pronoun and verb, but the antecedent "the animal" is singular. Also, we don’t need the extra verb "are" — we already
have a main verb in this clause, so adding "are" would be confusing and ungrammatical. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "Their" is a plural pronoun, but the subject of the sentence is "the animal," a
singular noun. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a confusing and ungrammatical sentence. "It’s" is a contraction for
"it is." We already have the verb "nurses" in this clause, so we shouldn’t add the verb "is."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dab8b8ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dab8b8ee
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms such as
fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

B. an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a recent study.

C. these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.

D. a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

ID: dab8b8ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts."
Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other, so "biocrusts" or some variant
meaning "biocrusts" (in this case, "these crusts") must begin the missing clause.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in
arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study’s estimate." Choice B is incorrect. Modifiers and their
subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is
"biocrusts," not "an estimated 60 percent reduction." Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each
other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0fe5ce68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 0fe5ce68
Ten of William Shakespeare’s plays are classified as histories. Although each one of these plays, which include Henry V and
Richard III, ______ on a single historical figure (specifically, an English king), some, such as Henry VI Part One and Henry VI
Part Two, feature different episodes from the same monarch’s life.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. focuses

B. focus

C. are focused

D. were focused

ID: 0fe5ce68 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "focuses" agrees in
number with the singular subject "each one of these plays," which refers to each play individually.

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "focus" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "each one of these
plays." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "are focused" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "each
one of these plays." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "were focused" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "each one of these plays."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 790fc366
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 790fc366
Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important data
on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with African farmers, enabling them
to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. information, though;

B. information, though,

C. information; though

D. information though,

ID: 790fc366 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…
though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically
belongs.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent
clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition
word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon
can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the second
clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma
and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 50801257
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 50801257
In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical ______ the contributions of the
barrier-breaking 18th-century astronomer and author of “Dispute of the Procession of the Equinoxes,” naming a crater on
Venus after her.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Union would finally acknowledge

B. Union to finally acknowledge

C. Union, having finally acknowledged

D. Union, finally acknowledging

ID: 50801257 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. It’s the only choice that offers a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject
“International Astronomical Union” to make a complete sentence. This might seem like an odd use of “would,” but when
speaking from a point of view in the past, we can actually use “would” to express something that happened later. That’s the
case here: 200 years after Wang Zhenyi’s death, the IAU would finally acknowledge her contributions.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need
a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main
verb. “To acknowledge” can’t do that. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb
elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International
Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “Having acknowledged” can’t do that. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge”
that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. The “-ing” form can’t do that.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a14eef71
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: a14eef71
In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the coefficient of
friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless (and, as its name
suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.

B. two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.

C. reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

D. superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

ID: a14eef71 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier
placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the
missing clause.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly
frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,
so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier
placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement
requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly
frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,
so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d46ac7e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: d46ac7e7
A second-generation Japanese American, Wataru Misaka ______ in World War II (1941-45) and won two amateur national
basketball championships at the University of Utah when he joined the New York Knicks for the 1947-48 season, becoming
the first non-white basketball player in the US’s top professional league.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. already served

B. was already serving

C. already serves

D. had already served

ID: d46ac7e7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the New York Knicks in 1947. To show that a
past occurrence took place before another past occurrence, we need to use “had” + the past tense form of the verb. This is
called the past perfect tense.

Choice A is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the Knicks. Both events are in the past, but his service
in World War II happened earlier, so we need a verb that makes it clear that his service (and the two national championships)
had ended by the time he joined the Knicks. Choice B is incorrect. “Was already serving” forms the continuous past tense,
which we use when we’re showing a past action that was ongoing. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the
Knicks. Both events are in the past, but they’re not happening at the same time, so we shouldn’t use the continuous past
tense here. Choice C is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II in the past, so we shouldn’t use the present tense “serves.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fdb16e20
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fdb16e20
Quantum particles of light—photons—provide an unhackable means of transmitting encryption keys over networks, as
attempts to observe particles in quantum states will invariably alter the particles ______ dismantle any information they
transmit.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. and in the process,

B. and, in the process,

C. and in the process—

D. and, in the process

ID: fdb16e20 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses paired punctuation in the form of two commas to set off the nonessential
phrase "in the process."

Choice A is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation.
We need a comma after "and" to match the one after "process." Choice C is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a
nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation, so we would need a dash after "and" to match the one
following "process." Choice D is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with
paired punctuation. We would need a comma after "process" to match the one following "and."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2bb7416a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2bb7416a
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct.
Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis
taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: 2bb7416a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5b8f9cf2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 5b8f9cf2
In the canon of North African literature, Moroccan author Driss Chraïbi’s 1954 novel The Simple Past (Le Passé simple)
looms large. A coming-of-age story, a social meditation, and a sober gaze into the dark maw of French colonialism, ______
interrogates systemic power with memorable intensity.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Morocco gained its independence two years before the publication of Chraïbi’s debut novel, which

B. Chraïbi’s debut novel, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,

C. Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,

D. published two years before Morocco gained its independence, Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that

ID: 5b8f9cf2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other. The
subject of the modifier "a coming-of-age story…colonialism" is Chraïbi’s novel The Simple Past, so the subject "Chraïbi’s debut
novel" fits perfectly after this introductory modifying phrase.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-of-age
story…colonialism" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, not Morocco. However, this choice places Morocco directly next to that
modifier. Choice C is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-
of-age story…colonialism" all describes Chraïbi’s novel, not Chraïbi himself. However, this choice places Chraïbi directly next
to that modifier. Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier "a coming-of-
age story…" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, so that needs to be the subject immediately after the modifier. This choice adds
another modifier that describes Chraïbi’s novel, but then puts "Chraïbi" himself—not the novel—right after that modifier, which
doesn’t make sense. Chraïbi wasn’t "published two years before" Moroccan independence; his novel The Simple Past was.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID de3dd17d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: de3dd17d
Planetary scientist Briony Horgan and her colleagues have determined that as much as 25 percent of the sand on Mars is
composed of impact spherules. These spherical bits of glass form when asteroids collide with the planet, ejecting bits of
molten rock into the atmosphere that, after cooling and solidifying into glass, ______ back onto Mars’s surface.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. to rain

B. raining

C. having rained

D. rain

ID: de3dd17d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. "That…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface" is a relative clause that describes the "bits of molten
rock." Forming the clause requires a conjugated, finite verb, and this is the only choice that provides that.

Choice A is incorrect. "To rain" is an infinitive and can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated verb is needed here
to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the "bits of molten rock."
Choice B is incorrect. "Raining" is a present participle and, on its own, can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated
verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the
"bits of molten rock." Choice C is incorrect. "Having rained" is a perfect participle and can’t serve as the main verb of a
clause. A conjugated verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface,"
which describes the "bits of molten rock."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 59094d87
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 59094d87
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing the culture and
history of the Mohegan ______ today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -operated museum in the
country.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Tribe, and

B. Tribe

C. Tribe and

D. Tribe,

ID: 59094d87 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent
clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”).

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after
“Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent, so they
can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a
grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with
just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 594b4a94
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 594b4a94
The field of geological oceanography owes much to American ______ Marie Tharp, a pioneering oceanographic cartographer
whose detailed topographical maps of the ocean floor and its multiple rift valleys helped garner acceptance for the theories
of plate tectonics and continental drift.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. geologist,

B. geologist

C. geologist;

D. geologist:

ID: 594b4a94 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. “Marie tharp” is essential information that completes the first clause — the first clause doesn’t
function without it. So we don’t want to separate it with punctuation.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to
American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s
essential information and should not be separated by a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation
error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking
about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a
semicolon. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much
to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means
it’s essential information and should not be separated by a colon.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6d4b2e1e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6d4b2e1e
The 1977 play And the Soul Shall Dance depicts two Japanese American farming families in Depression-era Southern
California. Critics have noted the way pioneering ______ compares the experiences of issei (Japanese nationals who
emigrated to America) and nisei (their American-born children).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi,

B. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi

C. playwright Wakako Yamauchi,

D. playwright Wakako Yamauchi

ID: 6d4b2e1e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" from the title that describes Yamauchi, "pioneering
playwright." Because "Wakako Yamauchi" is essential information identifying the "pioneering playwright," no punctuation is
necessary.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Setting the
playwright’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence,
which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the title "pioneering playwright" and
the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the proper noun
"Wakako Yamauchi" and the verb "compares."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 109d5bbb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 109d5bbb
With some 16,000 in attendance, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and ______ or FESTAC ‘77, as the event
was more commonly known—became the largest pan-African event on record. FESTAC drew people from around the world
to Lagos, Nigeria, for a monthlong celebration of Black and African art, scholarship, and activism.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Culture:

B. Culture—

C. Culture,

D. Culture

ID: 109d5bbb Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text uses a dash to introduce a nonessential element that explains the acronym FESTAC.
The dash matches the dash that comes after “known,” ending the descriptive aside.

Choice A is incorrect. A colon can only come after an independent clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect.
While punctuation is required to set off “or FESTAC…known” from the rest of the sentence, nonessential elements must be
separated from the sentence with matching punctuation. Since a dash appears on the other side of the element, we can’t use
a comma here. Choice D is incorrect. The descriptive aside “or FESTAC…known” is a nonessential element that must be
separated with punctuation from the rest of the sentence. This choice fails to add the necessary punctuation before the
nonessential element.

Question Difficulty: Hard