SAT Writing Qs!!!!!! SOS!!!!!

Test Preparation
1

<p>Here are the questions from CB's online course. </p>

<ol>
<li>The Pony Express was an ingenious system for carrying (mail; it was in existence only briefly, however,) before the telegraph system made it obsolete.
A. The same
B. mail, for it was in existence only briefly, however,
C. mail, having existed only briefly
E. mail, but was existing only briefly</li>
</ol>

<p>I chose E, since I thought it was concise and to the point while A was too redundant.
Also, I thought it was quite ok to exclude A from the latter sentence, since the subjects of the two sentences were the same.
Can anyone help me to figure out why E is wrong? </p>

<ol>
<li><p>I have gone (to) (only one) football game (after) I (graduated) from high school.(No error)
I chose "No error", but the answer is "graduated", so why is C(after) incorrect?</p></li>
<li><p>When the village elders (present) recommendations, (there is) (hardly ever) any opposition (against ) their proposals. (No error)
I chose "no error", and I've totally no idea why D(against) is false.</p></li>
<li><p>Although fascinated by chance and coincidence, (Paul Auster's novels are written) with careful attention to style and balance.
A. The same
B. Paul Auster's novels were written
C. Paul Auster writes his novels
D. Paul Auster is a writer
E. Paul Auster had wrote
I picked A, since I thought "fascinated by chance and coincidence " should describe novel rather than Paul Auster himself. So....please help me to figure it out....</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Great thanks!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

2

<ol>
<li>The Pony Express was an ingenious system for carrying (mail; it was in existence only briefly, however,) before the telegraph system made it obsolete.</li>
</ol>

<p>E violated a tense shift, given that it should be in the past tense, in respect of this sentence giving generalized state of affairs, so be in past tense, not in the progressive tense whatsoever.</p>

<ol>
<li>I have gone (to) (only one) football game (after) I (graduated) from high school.(No error)
I chose “No error”, but the answer is “graduated”, so why is C(after) incorrect?</li>
</ol>

<p>I guess, the wrong part of this sentence is not about “graduated” but “after” that should be changed to “since”, this question is an idiomatic expression one.</p>

<ol>
<li>When the village elders (present) recommendations, (there is) (hardly ever) any opposition (against ) their proposals. (No error)
I chose “no error”, and I’ve totally no idea why D(against) is false.</li>
</ol>

<p>Opposition to is an idiom.</p>

<ol>
<li>Although fascinated by chance and coincidence, (Paul Auster’s novels are written) with careful attention to style and balance.
A. The same
B. Paul Auster’s novels were written
C. Paul Auster writes his novels
D. Paul Auster is a writer
E. Paul Auster had wrote</li>
</ol>

<p>C is the answer. this is the dangling modification error. Although fascinated — should make sense to modify the following sentence’s subject, here the writer, not his novel should be the subject of the following clause.</p>

<p>I picked A, since I thought "fascinated by chance and coincidence " should describe novel rather than Paul Auster himself. So…please help me to figure it out…</p>