Post Writing Questions Here

[crazybandit]

<p>

1)))The reason first novels are so often their writers’ best work <is that=“” it=“” draws=“” upon=“”> all the experiences of childhood.</is></p>

<p>Answer: is that these first efforts draw upon</p>

<p>isn’t that too redundant?
Why can’t <is because=“” of=“” them=“” drawing=“” upon=“”> or <is their=“” drawing=“” upon=“”> be an answer??

</is></is></p>

<p>A “reason” indicates the why, and “because” indicates the why. Using both (as in, “the reason I did this is because…”) is unnecessary and wrong. You say “the reason I ate so much food is that I was hungry.”</p>

<p>“That” is a conjunction that connects “the reason is…” and “…I was hungry.” It makes the action “I was hungry” a noun – “that I was hungry” refers to the fact that you were hungry, or the event or state of being hungry. It makes it a noun so you can say “the reason is [noun]/[that I…]” or more generally “the [noun] is [noun]”</p>

<p>You say “these first efforts draw upon” because the sentence has two plural nouns, “novels” and “writers.” You can’t just say “their” because we wouldn’t know what it was referring to. “These first efforts” is accurate based on the intended meaning of the sentence.</p>

<p>

2)))No one objects to his company, even though he has made insulting remarks about almost every member of the group, <when> he is a remarkably witty man.</when></p>

<p>What should it be instead of when?

</p>

<p>It should be “because.”</p>

<p>"No one objects to his company, even though he has made insulting remarks about almost every member of the group, because he is a remarkably witty man."</p>

<p>The bold part is essentially a sentence of its own – “No one objects to his company because he is a remarkably witty man.” The “even though…” simply modifies the first clause and cannot stand on its own.</p>

<p>EXAMPLES<a href=“bold%20is%20a%20simple%20sentence,%20italicized%20is%20dependent%20clause”>/u</a>:
“Wherever she goes, she leaves a piece of luggage behind.”
“Although he was not talented, his work ethic and personality convinced the company to hire him.”
“I was hungry, even though I had eaten an hour before, so I grabbed a sandwich at my local deli.”
“I was very tired yesterday, as I had gotten very little sleep the night before, so I just couldn’t go to class”</p>

<p>You are basically pausing and adding a little note (“as I had gotten very little sleep…”) and then continuing on with the sentence (“…so I just couldn’t go to class”).</p>

<p>

3)))<until being=“” widely=“” hunted=“” for=“” its=“”> ivory and blubber in 18th century, walruses were plentiful in the waters of the northeastern united states.</until></p>

<p>Answer: Until they were widely hunted for their</p>

<p>Why can’t it be <before they=“” have=“” been=“” widely=“” hunted=“” for=“” their=“”>

</before></p>

<p>“have been” roughly indicates that an action occurred in the past and is still occurring in the present. “had been” roughly indicates that an action occurred in the past and ended in the past.</p>

<p>“It is now 1:00 in the morning, and I have been awake since 10:00” (I was awake in the past, and still am. I will fall asleep in the future).
“It is now morning, and I had been awake between 10:00 and around 1:15” (I was awake in the past, and fell asleep in the past)</p>

<p>So, it is the wrong tense because the walruses were being hunted in the past (18th century), and stopped being hunted in the past. “Had been” is still wrong, however, because the simple past “were” is all that is needed:</p>

<p>“Walruses were hunted in the 18th century”
“Before they were hunted, they were plentiful.”
“Until they were hunted, they were plentiful.”</p>

<p>

4)))<that the=“” ancient=“” egyptians=“” actually=“” sailed=“”> to south america remains uncertain, but heyerdahl’s ra II expedition demonstrated that they could have done so.</that></p>

<p>What does <that> do or mean in that sentence?
You can use <whether> in that sentence right? if there’s no “but” afterwords?

</whether></that></p>

<p>Like in question #1, “that” indicates something like “the fact” or “the event.”
The arbitrary event that the ancient Egyptians actually sailed to South America remains uncertain. It makes the act of sailing a noun.</p>

<p>“I don’t believe that you did it.”
“That you did it I don’t believe.”</p>

<p>

5)))The exchange between the teacher and the student promotes learning far different from that which results <as> the student listens but does not participate.</as></p>

<p>is “far different from- as” an idiomatic phrase??

</p>

<p>No.</p>

<p>“as” indicates two events that occur at the same time
“when” in this case means “whenever,” or ANY time.</p>

<p>Since “that which results when the student listens” is a hypothetical situation, you say “something results whenever the student listens.” The sentence is comparing two arbitrary situations.</p>

<p>WRONG: “I cry as I am hungry.”
CORRECT: “I cry when I am hungry.” = “I cry whenever I am hungry”</p>

[240000]

<p>“The answer is A, but I don’t see the difference between “is” and “having been”. Can anyone explain?”</p>

<p>Sorry, I meant the difference between “is” and “have been”. They seem interchangeable.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

Sorry, I meant the difference between “is” and “have been”. They seem interchangeable.

</p>

<p>“is” is singular, simple present tense.</p>

<p>“have been” is plural, present perfect tense.</p>

[cornetking222]

<p>Paul Ecke, flower grower and hybridizer, became known as “Mr. Poinsettia” after developing new varieties of the flower and (by pioneering) it as a living symbol of Christmas. No error </p>

<p>The answer to this question is by pioneering. The explanation is that it has an excess and unnecessary “by”. However, it is still grammatically correct. Why would this choice be wrong? Thanks silverturtle.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

Paul Ecke, flower grower and hybridizer, became known as “Mr. Poinsettia” after developing new varieties of the flower and (by pioneering) it as a living symbol of Christmas. No error </p>

<p>The answer to this question is by pioneering. The explanation is that it has an excess and unnecessary “by”. However, it is still grammatically correct. Why would this choice be wrong? Thanks silverturtle.

</p>

<p>It’s not grammatically correct because “by pioneering” is not parallel with “developing.” I’m not sure why the College Board’s explanation merely called it “unnecessary.”</p>

[suhstacy]

<p>1) Introducing new ideas and replacing old ones is always a highly controversial matter.</p>

<p>In this case, because it says “a highly controversial matter” it is “is” right??
But, if it doesn’t have that phrase, “Introducing new ideas and replacing old ones” should have “are” after it, right??</p>

<p>2) George Thornton Emmons was one of a handful of ethnographers who committed their life to studying the culture. </p>

<p>Isn’t “who” indicate “ethnographers”?? but then, why is “their” wrong?? is it indicating “a handful”??</p>

<p>3)In a world <that> the rate of technological and social change accelerates frighteningly, </that></p>

<p>So, instead of “that” does it have to be “in which”??</p>

<p>What is the difference between in which and where??</p>

<p>4) The villager found the visitors <equally fascinating=“” and=“” their=“” customs=“” mystifying.=“”></equally></p>

<p>Why does it have to be “as fascinating as their customs were mystifying”?</p>

<p>Thank you sooo much!!</p>

[HopefulEagle86]

<p>Introducing AND replacing are plural. Therefore, you need the ARE.</p>

<p>Exchange “their” for “his” since George Emmons is just one person they specified compared to other ethnographers.</p>

<p>“In which” can be correct; however, “that” only makes the sentence a fragment.</p>

<p>“Where” indicates location. </p>

<p>“Their customs mystifying” makes the parallelism with “fascinating” sound ambiguous. I can’t explain further, but I think the answer you bracketed is correct for its having an error.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

1. Introducing new ideas and replacing old ones is always a highly controversial matter.</p>

<p>In this case, because it says “a highly controversial matter” it is “is” right??
But, if it doesn’t have that phrase, “Introducing new ideas and replacing old ones” should have “are” after it, right??

</p>

<p>

Introducing AND replacing are plural. Therefore, you need the ARE.

</p>

<p>Well, you listened to my earlier comment, but in this case, the subject it singular. :)</p>

<p>It’s a singular compound subject, as indicated by the singular “matter.” If “matters” were plural, or if there were no indication otherwise, we would use the plural “are.”</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

2. George Thornton Emmons was one of a handful of ethnographers who committed their life to studying the culture. </p>

<p>Isn’t “who” indicate “ethnographers”?? but then, why is “their” wrong?? is it indicating “a handful”??

</p>

<p>

Exchange “their” for “his” since George Emmons is just one person they specified compared to other ethnographers.

</p>

<p>“who” is plural here. “their” is not wrong; the singular “life” is.</p>

[HopefulEagle86]

<p>So life -> lives then.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

4. The villager found the visitors <equally fascinating=“” and=“” their=“” customs=“” mystifying.=“”></equally></p>

<p>Why does it have to be “as fascinating as their customs were mystifying”?

</p>

<p>“equally” is not clear; “as…as” provides a less ambiguous comparison.</p>

[recycleera]

<p>Here’s one I’m confused with: </p>

<p>The cost of safely disposing of the toxic chemicals is approximately five times what the company paid to purchase it. No error. </p>

<p>The answer is “to purchase it” but isn’t “safely disposing” also incorrect? I think it should be “safe disposition”</p>

<p>And can someone correct the sentence? Thanks.</p>

[HopefulEagle86]

<p>^ It’s ambiguous without referring to what the “it” is. A dog, a money, a liquid?</p>

[crazybandit]

<p>

The answer is “to purchase it” but isn’t “safely disposing” also incorrect? I think it should be “safe disposition”

</p>

<p>“disposing of” is correct because the verb “dispose of” is correct.</p>

<p>“dispose” by itself has 4 definitions:

1. “to arrange” (“to dispose the troops”)
2. “to place” (“the groceries were disposed on the table”)
3. “to cause to incline” (“his constant hunger disposed him to eat whatever he could find”)
4. “to make fit or ready” (“your words dispose me for the task”)</p>

<p>“dispose of” is a phrasal verb that means “to get rid of.”</p>

<p>Phrasal verbs are similar to idioms in that they are not always grammatically logical. A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition and tends to have a different meaning.</p>

<p>Literal phrasal verbs include:
“to walk across,” “to look outside,” “to look up”</p>

<p>Idiomatic phrasal verbs include:
“to get over” (to overcome), “to get over with” (to finish), “to show up” (to arrive/appear, or to expose), “to make up” (to fabricate)</p>

<p>They are basically idiomatic expressions that you have to be familiar with.</p>

<p>However, idioms and other phrases that don’t require reasoning (as the SAT is a reasoning test) are rare so I wouldn’t recommend memorizing an entire list of them.</p>

[recycleera]

<p>Ok. Thanks!</p>

<p>One more: </p>

<p>The famous filmmaker 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>I checked “no error” but the answer is “of changing” - I also had the feeling it was supposed to be “to change” but felt that it was error-less at is it. Is “of changing” an idiomatic error?</p>

[2015princeton]

<p>it’s not exactly a writing question, but a grammar prob i encountered in cr.
‘one requirement of timeless art is that it deepen and extend our awareness, not that it merely confirm what we already know.’
shouldn’t it be ‘deepens’ and ‘confirms’ ??
it doesn’t exactly sound ‘wrong,’ but i’m still not sure…</p>

[crazybandit]

<p>

Ok. Thanks!</p>

<p>One more:</p>

<p>The famous filmmaker 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>I checked “no error” but the answer is “of changing” - I also had the feeling it was supposed to be “to change” but felt that it was error-less at is it. Is “of changing” an idiomatic error?

</p>

<p>I posted a response to this question a few pages back:</p>

<p>

“tendency of…” is not an idiom. saying something is “idiomatically wrong” doesn’t really help you, does it? It is wrong because it simply doesn’t make sense.</p>

<p>“Tendency” means “direction” or “trend.” It indicates some pattern or movement. You have a movement toward something. The appropriate word is “to” because it has a more abstract meaning. Toward has more to do with physical movement.</p>

<p>Similar phrases:
“desire to change”
“power to change”
“plans to change”

</p>

<p>

  it's not exactly a writing question, but a grammar prob i encountered in cr.

‘one requirement of timeless art is that it deepen and extend our awareness, not that it merely confirm what we already know.’
shouldn’t it be ‘deepens’ and ‘confirms’ ??
it doesn’t exactly sound ‘wrong,’ but i’m still not sure…

</p>

<p>“It deepens” and “it extends” is in the present indicative tense. It indicates a simple act in the present.</p>

<p>“It deepen” and “it extend” is in the subjunctive tense. It indicates a possible act in the present (not really, since hypothetical situations don’t take place in the first place, but it is still the present tense). Clauses in the subjunctive tense are modals, which express possibility, necessity, wishes, etc. It signifies something hypothetical.</p>

<p>Modals: “He isn’t in school. He must be sick.” (He may or may not be sick. “must” is not taken literally)</p>

<p>Subjunctive forms:
“If I were to own…” (as opposed to the indicative “I was”)
“If he were alive…” (as opposed to the indicative “he was”)
“It is high time that we bought a new car” = “We should’ve bought…”
“Her insistence that he leave” (not “he leaves”)
“God bless you” (not “blesses you”)
“It is necessary that we not forget…” (same form as the indicative, but still subjunctive)
“Whether it be this or that,…”
“Whoever he be, he shall not go unpunished.”</p>

<p>“If I am made king, I will…” (a promise of the future; indicative)
“If I were king, I would…” (a conditional, hypothetical situation; subjunctive)</p>

<p>“Leave!”
“Tell him to leave!”
“Please, leave!”
“She insisted that he leave.”</p>

[renlandrew]

<p>In many large cities in the United States, the presence of a [culturally] diverse population [has led] to repeated calls [that] curricula taught [wholly or partly] in languages other than English. No error</p>

<p>i don’t have the answer key, but i suspect it’s D, coz the clause led by “that” sounds incomplete</p>

[crazybandit]

<p>

  In many large cities in the United States, the presence of a [culturally] diverse population [has led] to repeated calls [that] curricula taught [wholly or partly] in languages other than English. No error</p>

<p>i don’t have the answer key, but i suspect it’s D, coz the clause led by “that” sounds incomplete

</p>

<p>Seems like it should be “to” instead of “that.” There were calls made to curricula (plural of curriculum) [that are] taught in languages other than English.</p>

[renlandrew]

<p>In many large cities in the United States, the presence of a [culturally] diverse population [has led] to repeated calls [that] curricula taught [wholly or partly] in languages other than English. No error</p>

<p>would it be better to rewrite the sentence as such:</p>

<p>In many large cities in the United States, the presence of a [culturally] diverse population [has led] to repeated calls [that] curricula (that were) taught [BE wholly or partly] in languages other than English.</p>