SAT QUOTD--Doesn't make sense!

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>(Rita Dove, African American writer and teacher, as) poet laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995.</p>

<p>A.Rita Dove, African American writer and teacher, as
B.Rita Dove was an African American writer and teacher as
C.African American writer and teacher Rita Dove was
D.African American writer and teacher, Rita Dove was
E.An African American writer and teacher, it was Rita Dove</p>

<p>How is the answer C? The CB explanation states that C avoids fragmentation by providing a main verb, was. However, D does the same. In fact the only difference between C and D is the comma, which does alot because in D, the usage of the comma creates a participial clause that modifies Rita Dove; that's more grammatically proper than that of C.</p>

2

<p>Oh lol you already made a thread about it…</p>

3

<p>I put D as well, but looking back I think for the sentence with the comma to be considered grammatically correct, it would need to start with “An”.</p>

4

<p>I don’t that that “African American writer and teacher” can be set of from the rest of the sentence because it doesn’t have a verbal or a verb nor is it an interjection…</p>

<p>I’m not really sure of the technical terms, but I’m pretty sure that that’s why C’s right.</p>

5

<p>^“African American writer and teacher” is acting as the modifying clause, which modifies Rita Dove.</p>

6

<p><em>waits for Silverturtle</em></p>

7

<p>You would only use a comma if the sentence was “The African American writer,” whihc then would have required a comma before and after Rita Dove to set off the appositive. “African American writer” acts as sort of a lead in adjective…putting a comma just sets it off as a separate clause, but it is dependent. Choice C makes for a much smoother sentence.</p>

8

<p>So for D to be correct there would have to be a comma after Rita Davis as well?</p>

9

<p>Just because the phrase describes the subject does not mean it is modifying it in one particular way. “African American writer and teacher” is an adjective because it comes before the noun. If it comes after, it needs an article (“an”) and can then be preceded by a comma.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>This is incorrect. It is not a clause at all. The extra punctuation in “The African American writer, Rita Dove, was…” but not in “The African American Rita Dove was…” is no good.</p>

10

<p>

</p>

<p>Choice (C) employs restrictive apposition; choice (D) may either be attempting to employ a participial phrase or non-restrictive apposition. </p>

<p>Let’s define some of these terms:</p>

<p>Appositive phrases occur when two or more nouns are adjacent to each other; the preceding noun typically modifies the succeeding noun. Non-restrictive appositives are ones in which the second of the two nouns comprehensively modifies the preceding noun, as in:</p>

<p>“My best friend, Bob, went to the store.” The commas around “Bob” are necessary because one is not restricting “best friend”; there is only one best friend.</p>

<p>“I love my wife, Susy.” The commas are necessary to indicate non-restriction; “I” only has one wife.</p>

<p>Restrictive appositives are not offset with commas, as in:</p>

<p>“My friend Bob went to the store.” Presumable, the speaker has more than one friend; thus, “Bob” is restrictive, and commas are not needed.</p>

<p>“American poet Susy is happy.” There is more than one American poet; thus, “Susy” does not comprehensively modify “American poet.”</p>

<p>Choice (C) is correct in its omission of commas: there is more than one African American writer and teacher.</p>

<p>Choice (D) is incorrect as a restrictive appositive for the same reason; commas are used only when there is no restriction. Moreover, the commas would have to surround the modifying noun; there is only one at the beginning of the phrase.</p>

<p>Choice (D) is incorrect as a participial phrase. Participial phrases are adjectivial phrases that modify nouns, as in:</p>

<p>“Being tired and hungry, Bob went home.”</p>

<p>“Feeling bored, Bob is not a fun guy.”</p>

<p>“Being” and “Feeling” are adjectives here; they are verbs being used as participles. Choice (D) does not have a participle.</p>

11

<p>If there was (An) in front of Rita Dove, for choice D, would it be correct?</p>

<p>An African writer and teacher, Rita Dove…</p>

12

<p>Ahh…I understand.</p>

13

<p>Chose C, took about 10 seconds to think, all the other choices didn’t “sound right”. Writing is my worst section :/.</p>