Writing MC Help Needed - Score getting worse

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1

<p>Okay, the first practice test I took from the Blue Book gave me a perfect writing MC, but then my score started steadily dropping. I need help understanding why I got a few wrong, and I have a feeling that it's because I'm being too critical sometimes.</p>

<p>They are Blue Book Pages 724-725</p>

<p>Here are my problems:</p>

<p>In the [early days]A of the steam locomotive [compassionate]B engineers would sometimes [have thrown] coal overboard [in poor]D neighborhoods. No error E.</p>

<p>Correct Answer: C
My Answer: D</p>

<p>I thought it should be "into" poor neighborhoods and not "in." What is wrong with C?</p>

<p>[Writing about]A people [whose circumstances]B [were deplorable]C, Dickens used the novel [to protest]D social conditions in Victorian England. No error E.</p>

<p>Correct Answer: E
My Answer: A</p>

<p>Doesn't A as a present participle not apply since it is talking about the past?</p>

<p>The survey [showed that]A most shoppers who drive prefer the mall [more than]B downtown shoppers [simply because]C finding parking is [less difficult]D at the mall. No error.</p>

<p>Correct Answer: B
My Answer: E</p>

<p>I think I found the reason. I beleive it is a false comparison since it should be "more than shoppers who prefer downtown stores." Is this reasoning correct and how can I avoid overlooking this mistake in the future?</p>

<p>Professor Chen repeated [her point that]A the hero, if [given]B the chance [to relive]C that moment, would choose to [do it]D. No error. E</p>

<p>Correct Answer: D
My Answer: E</p>

<p>Is this because "do" does not match up with "relive?"</p>

<p>Watkins believes that the decline [of]A the essay [in]B the United States today is [largely due]C to the decreasing number of [inquiring readers]D Nor error D.</p>

<p>Correct Answer: D
My Answer: E</p>

<p>I thought this was a diction error since "inquiring" should be "inquisitive." Why wrong?</p>

<p>This is one I did not get wrong, but just want to clarify something:</p>

<p>[Today]A a medical doctor must often [make a choice]B between [engaging in]C private practice [or]D engaging in research. No error E</p>

<p>The answer is D. Is this because it must be "and?' Why?</p>

<p>Here is an excerpt of two answer choices, and I got it wrong:</p>

<p>Question: Many changed occurred while she was president of the///college, and they increased its education quality as well as effectiveness.</p>

<p>college; these changes increased its educational quality and effectiveness
college; these changes increased both the educational quality and effectiveness of the college.</p>

<p>I put down the first choice but it is the second. Why is the "both...and" statement necessary?</p>

<p>Also, can someone explain when "if" can be used with "would" and when it can't?</p>

2

<p>The 1st one should be "throw" instead of "have thrown"</p>

<p>I'm not sure about the participle thing</p>

<p>For the 3rd one, it's supposed to be "prefer the mall to"</p>

<p>The 4th one, it's supposed to be "do so" </p>

<p>For the 5th one, I guess it just works</p>

<p>For the sentence one, the 2nd one sounds more stylistically correct.</p>

<p>I think would can come before if but not vice-versa...(or maybe the other way around, not sure)</p>

<p>It must be "and" because "between" must always be paired with "and"</p>

3

<p>all the participles that describe an active action, such as Dickens writes the novel, will be -ing form. on the other hand, all those that describe a passive action should use -ed or past perfect form. for exaple, "Written in 1850, David Copperfield was an exemplary Dickens' novel that served to protest the social problems in Victorian England"
here the subject, David Copperfield, is accompanied by the participle written because it was written by Dickens.</p>

4

<ol>
<li>The error is at C, because it should be "throw" coal overboard in poor neighborhoods.</li>
</ol>

<p>Consider the structure of the sentence: "In the early days".. and then it describes an action "throw" that the engineers did in the early days. If it were "have thrown" that the engineers did it BEFORE the early days; that it's a past action. The tenses don't match.</p>

<p>In vs into is an issue. "Would sometimes throw coal overboard" is an action which can take place "in poor neighborhoods" - poor neighborhoods is a location. C is the glaring error.</p>

<ol>
<li>This is a tricky one, because the sentence is definitely awkward, and you would rarely if ever find a sentence written somewhere like that. However, awkward does not mean wrong. Consider if it were written like this:</li>
</ol>

<p>"Often writing about people whose circumstances were deplorable, Dickens used the novel to protest social conditions in Victorian England."
You would clearly see there is no error there, because "often" is a connecting word we use often in that type of phrase and helps put the times into perspective. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>This is an improper idiom. You can't see "I prefer this more than that." It should be "I prefer this TO that." You can't prefer something in varying amounts; you either prefer it versus something else or you don't prefer it. People will casually say "I prefer chicken more than meat", but it should really be "I prefer chicken TO meat" or "I prefer chicken OVER meat."</p></li>
<li><p>You can't use "it" to refer to the action of "reliving the moment", it should be "would choose to do so." "It" is ambiguous: what is "it"? The moment, or "reliving the moment"? It has to be "do so" to refer clearly to the action. </p></li>
<li><p>There's nothing wrong with the sentence. "Inquiring readers" refers to a type of reader; one that inquires. It does not have to be "inquisitive." </p></li>
<li><p>Yes, it should be and. Why? That's the idiom. There is no reason. It just is that way because it is that way.</p></li>
</ol>

5

<p>
[quote]
Question: Many changed occurred while she was president of the///college, and they increased its education quality as well as effectiveness.</p>

<p>college; these changes increased its educational quality and effectiveness
college; these changes increased both the educational quality and effectiveness of the college.

[/quote]
It is the second one because 'its' doesn't necessarily have to refer to the college.</p>

6

<p>Just finished another practice test and got three wrong, but some I got right were educated guesses. Here's the ones I got wrong:</p>

<p>(Pg. 781 11.)</p>

<p>In the wild, pygmy chimpanzees are found only in an inaccessible region south of the Zaire River, [since such is the case, very few are in captivity.]</p>

<p>B and very few are in captivity because of that
E and so no more than a few are in captivity</p>

<p>Correct Answer: B
My Answer: E</p>

<p>Why?</p>

<p>Pg. 784 #29</p>

<p>[As]A archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas a Becket assumed [an independence]B that was intolerable [to]C the king, who [had long been]D his friend. No error E.</p>

<p>Correct Answer: E
My Answer: A</p>

<p>I thought as was used incorrectly. Can someone run by when "as" is used correctly and when it isn't?</p>

<p>Pg. 813 6.</p>

<p>Beginning photographer may choose from among several camera types, {there is one which is] best for their particular interests.</p>

<p>B of which there is one
C one of which is</p>

<p>Correct Answer: C
My Answer: B</p>

<p>Why?</p>

<p>I'll post a few more that gave me trouble but that I got later if I need to.</p>

7

<p>A few more: </p>

<p>Pg. 785 # 32.</p>

<p>This one bugged me for awhile. The correct answer is D, but it starts off the sentence with "and." I thought that can't be done. I chose it since nevertheless didn't make since, B and C created tense problems, and A was just stupid. D does put this in context, but why is "and" allowed at the beginning? </p>

<p>Also, the adverb "hardly" used in, "Once can hardly determine which contributes..." is correct, right? </p>

<p>I think that's all...</p>

8

<p>omg thank you so much waffle, and everyone who responded. I know its 7 years later, your SAT days must be long gone. but omg I took these tests last week and I had the EXACT same questions you posted.
The answers/explanations have helped so much, yet I do think there are some poorly made questions.
Such as the “shoppers prefer the mall more than downtown shoppers”
it is definitely prefer to; HOWEVER the downtown shoppers part is wrong. But, thats not underlined so… Like I always say, sometimes you just ahve to pick the LEAST wrong answer
://</p>

9

<p>OMG the “both…and…college” one. i had the SAME indecisiveness between those two answer choices. and my parents and I actually argued about it for days. The stress SAT causes…sigh. It’s just good to know there’s other people who feel the same way</p>

10

<p>I think you’re overthinking a lot of these</p>