<p>Hi, since I had time to redo some writing problems, here are a few problems from the blue book I decided to give my shot of explanations. </p>
<p>(note: i may have not caught some other errors)</p>
<p>A tip to remember is: If you see one problem in improving sentences, the whole answer is wrong. There may be more problems in one answer, but don't go and overanalyze it in a real test.</p>
<p>In order:</p>
<p>pg 781 # 7</p>
<h1>10</h1>
<h1>11</h1>
<hr>
<p>781# 7. </p>
<p>A) A is the correct answer because him correctly modifies Frank Lloyd Wright.
B) It is not B because inspirations cannot be used with a "who". Who refers to persons, not things/ideas.
C) Two noticeable errors:
- Who is the "him" referring to? Obviously, we would know, but the text makes it unclear (note: the SAT is really good at doing this. Be careful of this)
- Architecture can be inspired? No, I don't think so. People can be inspired, not architecture. This is an issue of modifiers.
d) Who does the "him" refer to? Also, the first dependent clause modifies designs, which should modify FLW instead of his designs, because of him. Modifying issue
E) Same as c and d. </p>
<hr>
<p>781 #10</p>
<p>A) a is correct. first, the answer is in active voice "trees had shown", and we know that the trees
B) What does "but not showing any signs of disease then" refer to? What doesn't have disease? As I said in pg 781, #7, answer C the SAT is really good at this kind of stuff; We will assume to know what the disease refers to, but the sentence is, by definition, unclear.
C) Two independent clauses (sentences). Fortunately, we know trees is what the disease refers to, but unfortunately, the answer is in passive voice (no outward signs of disease had been shown). Instead, it would be better to say how A is phrased (trees had shown).
D) Same as B.
E) Same as b and d</p>
<hr>
<p>781 # 11</p>
<p>a) you need a semi-colon after river in order to work. two complete sentences must have a semi-colon in between if you want something like # 11 to work. the phrase after the comma is a complete sentence.
b) "Because of that" isn't necessary
c) same as a
d) same as a. also, "for this reason" isn't necessary. also
e) correct because e) is a dependent clause. </p>
<hr>
<p>My observation</p>
<p>It's an interesting pattern how they use "because" a lot on the SATs or "the fact", "the reason", or anything like that.</p>
<p>But what really strikes out to me is the way the SAT can really trick you by writing sentences that can misplace/place a pronoun/mismodify a phrase, word, etc. and our minds immediately know what that certain pronoun/phrase/etc. refers to, but we don't immediately detect the error.</p>