<p>I have a few I need help with.
1) (We had never seen) anything like this style of architecture before, we thought we were looking at giant sculptures, not buildings.
a)we had never seen
b) we never saw
c)never had we seen
d)Never Having seen
e)never seeing.</p>
<p>I know the answer is D, but why?</p>
<p>2)A great gray owl (flying low) across a forest clearing, its (wings beating) quietly and its ultra sensitive ears turned to the (faint sounds) made by small (creatures concealed) under leaves.</p>
<p>The first one is a run-on sentence as it is written. Both parts can stand alone as sentences:</p>
<p>We had never seen anything like this style of architecture before. We thought we were looking at giant sculptures, not buildings.</p>
<p>So you need to subordinate the first clause and make it a dependent clause. Choice (D) does that and maintains tense.</p>
<p>The second one is (A) for a similar reason. Currently the sentence has two dependent clauses, and we need the first part to be an independent clause. I would replace “flying” with “flies.”</p>
<p>@Sat writer- Thanks, that was exactly what I was thinking while doing the test (I got them both correct)… I just wasnt sure if there was another reason. But for 1, why cant it be never seeing (I know, it sounds kinda awkward)… is there a rule with the word ‘having’?
Also, I have another one:
3) With the Louisiana Purchase, the united states acquired a (larger territory in area than if you combined Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal).
a) Larger territory in area than if you combined Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
b) Larger territory in are than combining Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
c) territory larger in area than if Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal were combined.
d) territory larger in area than Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal combined.
e) territory larger than if the area of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal combined.
I got C, but the answer is D… why is that? Is D more concise and to the point?</p>
<p>Well, the original had “had” in it, indicating this happened first (before “we thought”) so you have to maintain that tense. To remove it slightly alters the tense. And like you said, it sounds funny. Never underestimate your intuition on the SAT!</p>
<p>For the third one, the proper structure is acquired an X larger than Y, where X and Y are in the same form (nouns). When you add “if” you ruin the noun format.</p>