<p>Here's the question.</p>
<p>Careful analysis of pictures of the Moon reveal that parts of the Moon's surface are markedly similar to parts of the Earth's.</p>
<p>A) reveal
B) are
C) markedly
D) earth's
E) no error</p>
<p>A is correct because the single subject analysis requires "reveals." Isn't D also wrong because parts of the Moon's surface are being compared to "parts of the Earth's..?" I thought the SAT would consider this as a comparison error, but I guess the implication is enough?</p>
<p>Another question:</p>
<p>The famous filmmaker had a tendency of changing his recollections, perhaps out of boredom at having to tell the interviewers the same story over and over.</p>
<p>A) had a tendency
B) of changing
C) out of boredom
D) at having
E) no error</p>
<p>B is the correct answer, but I'm not sure why. Also, isn't "out of boredom" colloquial? I was pretty sure the correct usage would be "due to" or "because of"</p>
<p>Question one: </p>
<p>I don’t see any inconsistency in comparison. In both cases, parts of a surface are being compared.</p>
<p>The apostrophe “s” indicates ownership, and is being compared to the Moon’s surface. D is correct. A is incorrect because items in a prepositional phrase CAN NEVER be the subject of the sentence. Therefore, analysis is the subject and must match with the singular form of the verb “to reveal” which is “reveals.”</p>
<p>For the second question, B is incorrect because the idiom is a tendency “to change,” not “of changing.”</p>
<p>Hope that clears it up a bit.</p>
<p>1) what implication? it’s not a comparison error:
parts of the Moon’s surface and parts of the Earth’s surface
2) “out of boredom” is proper grammar because “out” means “as to be deprived” (i.e. of money) and “of” means “from”</p>
<p>B is the answer because it should be “tendency to change.” You only say “tendency of” when you’re attaching an object that has that tendency. For example, the “tendency of my day.” The day has a tendency to do something. So you would say that there is a “tendency of my day to end badly” if you are having a rough week.</p>
<p>This is not an idiom issue.</p>
<p>Question two:</p>
<p>“tendency of changing” is unidiomatic; it should read “tendency to change.”</p>
<p>Merriam Webster gives no indication that “out of” is colloquial: [out</a> of - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary](<a href=“http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out%20of]out”>Out of Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster)</p>