2011 January SAT: Writing Section

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
341

<p>since there still seems to be some debate about this question:
Very subtle stuff, but I picked “to complete” as the error, because the phrase “to complete” has a different implicit subject than the one previously established in the sentence.</p>

<p>“Jerry agreed to perform”
is a correct sentence, because Jerry is the one doing the performing.</p>

<p>“The chunnel (blahblah correct stuff), and it took years to complete”
Seemed initially wrong to me, because the chunnel is not the one doing the completing. Obviously, people say this type of thing all the time, so I second guessed myself as to whether or not this was correct. What I found at [Infinitive</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitive]Infinitive”>Infinitive - Wikipedia) is that nothing is technically wrong with the sentence, since the infinitive follows “years,” the object of the sentence. It is technically an adverb phrase.</p>

<p>With that said, I think that “to be completed” is infinitely more stylistic, so I think this one is still open for debate.</p>

342

<p>Yeah, I don’t think the chunnel question is going to have a definitive answer until the scores are released. Though to be honest I don’t see how they could make the argument that “to complete” is necessarily incorrect.</p>

<p>Oh well, we’ll just have to wait and see.</p>

343

<p>OSU, just wondering, how many no errors did you have in Error ID, and how many "A"s in sentence improvement?</p>

344

<p>No idea, sorry.</p>

345

<p>the thing is whenever I’ve read/heard about any project, it’s always been “this took ___ years to complete”. It’s not an infitive per se… It’s almost a purpose clause (here’s where the latin helps) It took 15 years so that the chunnel might be completed = It took 15 years to complete the chunnel = it took 15 years to complete. syntax is different, meaning isn’t.</p>

<p>It’s some kind of adverbial infinite use, but if I was thinking in latin grammar (which helps more with english than you know), it reeks of a purpose clause</p>

346

<p>The right answer should be coffee tastes bitter and gives off a burned smell right? <- Yup</p>

347

<p>Concerning the chunnel problem:
SAT Writing asks you to look for grammatical errors, not stylistic preferences.</p>

348

<p>thre was one about he was full well guilty yet hoping for leniency or yet he hoped?</p>

349

<p>I put “yet hoped”.</p>

350

<p>I also had “yet hoped.”</p>

<p>How about “little or no” vs “little to no”? It was in identifying the errors section.</p>

351

<p>rover, we’ve come to realize that while the latter option is more colloquial, there is nothing technically wrong with the little or no.</p>

352

<p>I was torn on that one. I selected the “little or no” as being incorrect.</p>

<p>Oh well. -1 so far for me. Still hoping for that 800…</p>

353

<p>why can’t it be and yet hoped. what rules concern this question?</p>

354

<p>and yet hoped would need a he… or else it might be mistaken that the jury from the beginning of the phrase hoped.</p>

355

<p>ok thanks , i can’t believe i made such a silly mistake. oh well :slight_smile: .</p>

356

<p>Does anyone remember what the full sentence for the jury/criminal one was?</p>

357

<p>Something along the lines:
The man went to court knowing that the jury would find him was guilty, [yet hoping] for lienency.</p>

358

<p>i thought the answer to that question was yet he hoped</p>

359

<p>“yet he hoped”
“knowing that the jury would find him guilty yet hoped” has the same ambiguity</p>

360

<p>why cant it be hoping?</p>