difficult writing questions

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

  1. Although (they are not) A fast runners, wolves (could have maintained) B a loping run for (many) C miles, running (throughout) D the night if necessary. No error

  2. The newspaper (reported that) A (having) B the increase in the minimum wage, (many people) C are still having trouble (making) D ends meet. No error

  3. In many parts of the world (where) A grasses cover vast expanses of land, periodic, controlled burning (is practiced) B in order to keep woody brush (from gaining) C a foothold and (it stimulates) D continuing grass growth. No error

  4. Among birds (that forage) A in tree trunks, nuthatches are the only ones that (regularly feed) B with their heads facing downward, (when they often find) C food in bark crevices (overlooked in) D their upward search. No error

Please answer and explain the errors because I want to improve my writing score and avoid these mistakes

2
  1. "they are not" indicates that this is a general statement about the way wolves are. "could have maintained" is in the past, so it does not fit. It should be "can maintain"
  2. people don't "have" an "increase"; increase is an event, not something you can keep. That's partly an idiom problem, partly a logic problem.
  3. "it stimulates" is unclear. "It" should refer to the nearest noun ("brush" or perhaps "foothold") but that seems not to be the author's intention.
  4. "when they often find"; there has been no reference to a specific time, so "when" refers to nothing.
3

I actuallt understood all of them except number 2. Can you please explain it further more ?? @WasatchWriter

4
  1. is mostly an idiom problem. We never say that someone or something "has an increase." We might say a lot of similar things:

the minimum wage was increased
the government increased the minimum wage
john got a wage increase

but “have” just doesn’t go in any idiomatic expressions with “increase.” Note that “having” in this problem is not phrased like an auxiliary verb used to indicate a verb tense. The following uses of have as an auxiliary are all good:

The government has increased the minimum wage
Having increased the minimum wage, the senators drank a beer.

but those are not the same as “having the increase,” which seems to suggest some sort of possession.