PSAT Writing Questions

<p>These are the questions on the writing question of the PSAT Form W which I need explanations for.</p>

<ol>
<li>[When] L'Enfant suggested [to build] the United States Capitol [at the center of] Washington, D. C., he also [offered] to design a landscaped mall nearby.</li>
</ol>

<p>Could anyone please give me a grammatical explanation of why "to build" should be "building"?</p>

<ol>
<li>Fran [would be happy] to assist Brad, he he [simply] requested help [early enough to give] her time [to complete] her own assignments.</li>
</ol>

<p>Should "would be happy" be "would of been happy"? Can someone also give me a grammatical explanation of why this is the case?</p>

<ol>
<li>Scientists [have recently discovered] that not all genes adhere to predictable Mendelian patterns of inheritance; [it has] forced them [to reexamine] some [formerly unassailable] assumptions.</li>
</ol>

<p>Because "it has" is ambiguous, should it be "this has" instead?</p>

<ol>
<li>Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" [being comprised of] four sections, each of which [depicts] the title character beginning a new voyage as if [he had learned] nothing [from his previous experiences].</li>
</ol>

<p>Should "being comprised of" be "comprises of"?</p>

<ol>
<li>If residents [were to separate recyclable materials apart from the daily trash], the cost of refuse disposal would be greatly reduced.</li>
</ol>

<p>a) default
b) separate recyclable materials from the daily trash
c) were to separate recyclable materials from the daily trash
d) separate recyclable materials and the daily trash
e) will separate recyclable materials apart from the daily trash</p>

<p>Completely lost on this one. Could someone please give me a grammatical explanation to why the correct answer is C, and why the other answers are wrong?</p>

<ol>
<li>The attorney argued that "sampling" [or by otherwise adapting] her client's music for commercial purposes was a violation of copyright law.</li>
</ol>

<p>a) default
b) or if otherwise adapted
c) or to otherwise adapt
d) or otherwise adapted
e) or otherwise adapting</p>

<p>Could anyone give me a grammatical explanation of why the answer is E instead of A?</p>

<ol>
<li>Excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays [are shown to have] many unhealthy consequences, such as premature aging.</li>
</ol>

<p>a) default
b) show that they have
c) has been shown that it has
d) has been shown to have
e) have been shown as having</p>

<p>Could anyone give me a grammatical explanation of why the answer is D instead of C?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>“suggested” takes an infinitive complement; you just have to know that or be able to tell by using your ear. My guide has lists of words and what complements they take. “suggested” is there.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>No. “would of” is a common error that results from imprecise pronounciation of the contraction “would’ve”; the correct phrase is “would have.” “would be happy” is the future tense, whereas “had he” is the past tense. We need to say “would have been happy.”</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>No. “this has” is no less ambiguous than “it has.” “this discovery” is clearer.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>No. “comprise” means include, so we can’t say “comprises of” because “includes of” is illogical. We would say “comprises.”</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>(A) is wrong because “apart from” is redundant; we need only “from.” (E) is wrong for the same reason (and because its tense is wrong). (B) and (D) are wrong because you need to use the subjunctive in order to agree with the “would” of the independent clause. (D) is also wrong because you are separating one thing from the other.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>“by” does not work syntactically. “by” introduces a prepositional phrase. Read the sentence aloud and you’ll see that it doesn’t work.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Read the sentence with choice (C) and with the pronoun replaced with its antecedent:</p>

<p>Excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays has been shown that excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays has many unhealthy consequences, such as premature aging.</p>

<p>One does not say, “X has been shown that X has.” One says, “X has been shown to have” or “It has been shown that X has.”</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Wait, I’m confused. Don’t you mean “suggested” takes a gerund complement? Because if it took an infinitive complement, the original sentence would be correct.</p>

<p>^ That’s what I meant. :)</p>

<p>Here’s that section from the guide:</p>

<p>Incorrectly using a gerund or infinitive as a complement: When an infinitive or gerund is the object of a verb, we call it that verb’s complement. Some verbs must take infinitive complements; others must take gerund complements; and some can take either. Some nouns also take infinitive or gerund complements. Follow these guidelines for deciding whether to use an infinitive or gerund.</p>

<p>Abstract nouns usually take infinitive complements. Some common abstract nouns are tendency, motivation, and desire. So, one would say that someone has a tendency to, for example, exaggerate things.</p>

<p>The object of a preposition is often a gerund. One says that they need help with getting elected. </p>

<p>(The following lists are adapted from [here](<a href=“http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm]here[/url]”>http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm)</a>.)</p>

<p>The following verbs take infinitive complements:</p>

<p>agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend
consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
forget
get
happen
have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
mean
neglect
offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say
shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish</p>

<p>The following verbs can take an object and an infinitive, as in I will advise him to stop, where him is the object:</p>

<p>advise
allow
ask
beg
bring
build
buy
challenge
choose
command
dare
direct
encourage
expect
forbid
force
have
hire
instruct
invite
lead
leave
let
like
love
motivate
order
pay
permit
persuade
prepare
promise
remind
require
send
teach
tell
urge
want
warn</p>

<p>The following verbs take gerund complements:</p>

<p>admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can’t help
complete
consider
delay
deny
detest
dislike
enjoy
escape
excuse
finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss
permit
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent
resist
resume
risk
spend (time)
suggest
tolerate
waste (time)</p>

<p>The following verbs can take a preposition and a gerund, as in We talked about stopping:</p>

<p>admit to
approve of
argue about
believe in
care about
complain about
concentrate on
confess to
depend on
disapprove of
discourage from
dream about
feel like
forget about
insist on
object to
plan on
prevent (someone) from
refrain from
succeed in
talk about
think about
worry about</p>

<p>silver turtle, where did you acquire so much knowledge. you are a SAT pundit</p>

<p>^ Moderate interest in grammar satisfied through occasional Internet research, primarily. My [url=&lt;a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/955109-silverturtles-guide-sat-admissions-success.html?highlight=silverturtle]guide[/url”&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/955109-silverturtles-guide-sat-admissions-success.html?highlight=silverturtle]guide[/url</a>] covers a lot of topics, and I’m currently working on editing the English chapter of the upcoming SAT/ACT book version of the guide, if you are interested to know.</p>

<p>Reading through [url=&lt;a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/782128-post-writing-questions-here.html]this[/url”&gt;Post Writing Questions Here - SAT Preparation - College Confidential Forums]this[/url</a>] thread of SAT questions may help for grammar too, because of its applied nature.</p>

<p>Where can I find this guide?</p>