SAT writing question

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<ol>
<li>The automated teller machine is an efficient device for handling financial (transactions; it is sure to be superseded in time, however,) when the growth of electronic banking will make it obsolete.
A) transactions; it is sure to be superseded in time, however,
B) transactions; however, surely being superseded in time</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>A is the answer, but B cannot be answer because it is comma splice?(is it because there is a sentence fragment in second sentence? )</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>Although critics say that many have portrayed Othello with more passion than (he, they can’t help but admire his acting.)
A) he, they can’t help but admire his acting
B) him, they can’t help but admire his acting</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>A is the answer, but I choose B. Can you please tell me what “he” refers to? And can you explain why B is wrong</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>Cable television is revolutionary in its capacity to provide services to users, (also offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service.)
A) also offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service
B) including offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>I got this right, B is the right answer, but can you explain why A is wrong and the error type?</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>The bridge between San Francisco and Marin Country, California, (is actually painted a reddish orange, while being) called the Golden Gate.
A) is actually painted a reddish orange, while being
B) although actually painted a reddish orange, is</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>B is the answer, can you please explain why A cannot be the answer and why B is better?</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>Whatever the surface appearances at the moment may be, modern men are fundamentally (less tolerant of despots then men of old.)
A) less tolerant of despots then men of old
B) less tolerant of despots than of older men
C) less tolerant of despots than were men of old</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>C is the answer, can you please explain why B cannot be the answer and why C is better?</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>The government (imposed sanctions on a renegade nation last month after they violated) the terms of a worldwide arms-control agreement.
A) imposed sanctions on a renegade nation last month after they violated
B) imposed sanctions on a renegade nation last month after that nation violation
C) imposed sanctions on a nation of renegades last month after they violated</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>B is the answer, can you please explain why C cannot be the answer and why B is better? Is it because the “they” is ambiguous pronoun?</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>Billy and his friends, who frequently stole lunch money from their smaller and weaker classmates, were known as “The Bullies” because (of their cruel tricks that lowered some) other students’ self-esteem.
A) of their cruel tricks that lowered some
B) their cruel tricks lowered some</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>B is the answer, can you please explain why A cannot be the answer and why B is better? Is it because A is wordy?</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>(As students, the dean of the university thinks that you) are responsible to keep abreast of all changes in university policy.
A) As students, the dean of the university thinks that you
B) The dean of the university thinks that, as students, you</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>B is the answer, can you please explain why A cannot be the answer and why B is better? What is the difference between A) and B)?</li>
</ul>

<ol>
<li>The number of awards given (this you) to biochemists (accentuate) the (significant gains) being (made in) the study of the chemistry of living organisms. (No error.)</li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>The answer is (accentuate)! Why this is wrong? Can you please tell me how to fix it?</li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you for reading this!!!!</p>

2

<p>Hello there! I’ll answer your questions based on MY information!</p>

<p>1- The word “being” seems to be incorrect most of the timein the SAT so try to avoid picking sentence with it. Keep in mind though that it is not ALWAYS incorrect.</p>

<p>2- The word “He” refers to someone who is not even identefied in the sentence, but the usage of “He” is correct because it refers to the subject of the sentence. If you used “Him”, you’d be refering to Othello himself, which makes the sentence meaningless.</p>

<p>3- The error here I think is a comma splice. Wouldn’t it sound reasonable if the sentence was writting this way: " Including offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service, cable television is revolutionary in its capacity to provide services to users. "
Well I think it would, so putting the sentence starting with a verb that ends with -ING in the end rather than in the beginning doesn’t form an error.</p>

<p>4- In this question, you need to make a contrast effect (or whatever that’s called). You need to address the fact that although the bridge is painted orange, it is called the Golden Gate. This is addressed by the choice B. Also, the choice A uses the word being, which, as I mentioned above, often wrong.</p>

<p>5- When making a comparison in the SAT, you have to make sure that you identify what is exactly compared to what. Choice B forms a “Faulty Comparison”; you’re comparing the ability of modern men to be tolerant of desposts to “of older men”, which if you think of it, makes no sense.</p>

<p>6- Yes, you’ve just answered your own question. Always try to make sure you know who or what the pronouns are refering to.</p>

<p>7-Again I think you answered your own question.</p>

<p>8- I wont lie :smiley: . I’m not really sure, but I’ll give you my thoughts on this one. In choice A putting “As students” at the start of the sentence makes the word “you” seems like it is refering to a singular person not the whole group of students. While choice B addresses that issue. I’m not sure of this though.</p>

<p>9- Just add the letter S to the verb! this is a subject-verb agreement error. If you need more infromation on this one, just let me know. </p>

<p>By the way, I answered all of this based on my information. I wont say that what I wrote is necessarily 100% correct. Also, if you need anymore help, just let me know.</p>

3

<p>I totally agree with HelloKittyx, but the answer B of question 6 seems verb-missing (at the second clause). Could “that nation violated” be more accurate??? Maybe it is wrongly written???</p>

4

<p>There’s a typo or two in your transcription of some of the writing questions. Certainly choice (6B) is one of those typos.</p>

<p>That said, I didn’t go through all of your questions with the care that I often do. That’s because I found the examples that I did go through to be awkward tricks and very poor English. Even the “right” answers didn’t deserve to be studied. I recommend that you discard the book from where these came, and work with recent tests that are more in the spirit of the College Board SAT.</p>

5

<ol>
<li>(As students, the dean of the university thinks that you) are responsible to keep abreast of all changes in university policy.
A) As students, the dean of the university thinks that you
B) The dean of the university thinks that, as students, you</li>
</ol>

<p>Perhaps A is incorrect because the “as students” at the beginning of the sentence creates the effect that the dean of the university is a part of the “as students”, a misplaced modifier error.</p>

6

<ol>
<li>Cable television is revolutionary in its capacity to provide services to users, (also offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service.)
A) also offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service
B) including offering Internet access that replaces slow, unreliable dial-up service</li>
</ol>

<p>I think the error here is that “also” makes “Internet access” seem like an addition to the broad category of services, when it is really included in the services offered by cable television. ** fixes this error by “including” “Internet access” as a part of the services offered to users.</p>

7

<p>Thank you for help!! but i still don’t get the number 8 questions, can you explain more precisely?
So if number 8 is dangling modifier, in B) “The dean of the university thinks that, as students, you” as students modify “you”?? isn’t dean and you all singular form?? I don’t know,</p>

8

<p>I asked my English teacher this question, and he said that as students doesn’t agree with you, because you is singular and as students is plural. But he also said he that he has found grammar sat practice questions to be wrong at times; and that in that case you would have to go with the answer that makes the most sense. I assumed that he meant practice grammar questions from a source other than collegeboard, because I don’t think college board would make mistakes on tests. What were the other answer choices?</p>