What types of improving sentence/sentence error questions are these?

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>I want to know what these questions are testing so I can read their corresponding parts in silverturtle's guide and not waste my time reading the stuff I already know about. Here they are:</p>

<p>[With billions of tons] yet to be mined, some argue that coal conservation measures are unnecessary.</p>

<p>---Answer was "because billions of tons of coal are" - I chose "With billions of tons" (lol, I just realized my answer was wrong at least because it's ambiguous... it IS ambiguous, right?)</p>

<p>The historian argued that [we ought] to learn [more about] the process by which individuals like Sam Houston [were identified by] others [as leaders].</p>

<p>---Answer was E (no error) - I chose C.</p>

<p>[Quick to] [take advantage] of Melanie Johnson's [preoccupation in] the history of the Johnson family, the genealogist proposed investigating [that] history - for a large fee.</p>

<p>---Answer was C - I chose D.</p>

<p>[Contrasting with] [most other] fifteenth-century rulers, Portuguese kings [could count on] the support of the aristocracy [in any] overseas ventures.</p>

<p>---Answer was A - I chose B.</p>

2

<ol>
<li>Yes, the “underlined” portion is ambiguous.</li>
<li>…were identified [by others] as leaders –> …were identified as leaders.
Where do you see an error on the phrases above? </li>
<li>“preoccupation in” is unidiomatic. Use “preoccupation with” instead.</li>
<li>A just sounds awkward. (I know that I am contradicting myself, but I haev wired ) I would put “Unlike” instead of “Contrasting with”.</li>
</ol>

<p>I don’t know the types to which the questions belong, except for 3. 3. is about idiomatic usage and I believe that topic is covered in Silverturtle’s Guide.</p>

3

<p>For 2, I thought it should be [are identified by] instead of [were identified by].</p>

4

<p>sorry, typo.</p>

<ul>
<li>“I have hard-wired perception”</li>
</ul>