plz plz help me with the following writ. problems from CB

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>he part in brackets is the underlined portion.</p>

<p>From one of the Online CB tests; sec 5:
Q. 5: Societies acting through their governments make rules (to state) which acts are illegal, but although war is the most violent of human activities, it has not been declared illegal by any of the world’s governments or their agencies.</p>

<p>Probable answers:
A. to state
B. stating
Error occurs at: B. But why? I think both A and B make perfect sense. Could you kindly also clarify when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive?</p>

<p>Q. 24: Although the precise date and place of the origins of baseball are (hotly debated), it is (beyond dispute) that the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn (play) an important role in (its) early development. (No error.)</p>

<p>Error occurs at: C( play). Why? Now, C is evidently incorrect, but isn’t D incorrect as well because the pronoun ‘its’ does not have any noun to which it may refer. It might be said that “its” refers to baseball, but the subject of the sentence is ‘precise date and place of the origins of baseball’ which is a plural and not baseball itself. Please clarify.</p>

<p>From Practice test 2007-2008:
Q. 25: The famous film maker (had a tendency) (of changing) his recollections, perhaps (out of boredom) (at having) to tell interviewers the same story over and over. (No Error)</p>

<p>Error occurs at B (of changing) please explain.</p>

<p>Q. 27: The television station (has received) many complaints (about) the clothing advertisements, (which some) viewers condemn (to be) tasteless. (No Error) </p>

<p>Error occurs at: D(to be). Please explain</p>

2

<p>Q5:</p>

<p>If you say "to state," then you're saying that the society made the rules with the purpose of stating which acts are illegal. The society is doing the act of stating. It made sense to me too, but look at B:</p>

<p>Using "stating" you would imply that the rules are what state which acts are illegal, etc. In this case, the rules are the ones stating the illegal acts, not the society. This is the correct answer.</p>

<p>Q24:</p>

<p>You see why C is incorrect, because it should be "played." However, D is fine because its can only refer back to the singular baseball, not the subject. You might see this as wrong, but it's talking about "its early development." Are we talking about he development of baseball, or the development of the date and place of origins"? D is correct because we refer back to the singular baseball.</p>

<p>Q25:</p>

<p>B is incorrect. It's an idiomatic error: you have a tendency TO do something, not a tendency of doing something.</p>

<p>Q27:</p>

<p>D is incorrect. It's an idiomatic error: you condemn something AS tasteless; you don't condemn it to be tasteless.</p>

3

<p>hey thanks diamondbacker. BTW, do you have the answers to writing sections of CB's online test 1. If yes, could you please send them to me?
Anyone else?</p>