<p>Here's an error identification one.</p>
<p>Our instructor repeatedly [insured] us that our harnesses, cables, [and other] climbing equipment [had been] checked many times and [would not fail.].</p>
<p>The correct answer is A can anyone explain why?</p>
<p>The word that means “make certain” is “ensure,” not “insure.”</p>
<p>assured would work too.</p>
<p>Oh, oops. I didn’t read carefully. With “us,” it should be “assured” and not “ensured.”</p>
<p>Either “our instructor assured us that…,” or “our instructor ensured that…”</p>
<p>Thanks, collegeman.</p>
<p>Sorry, Alex.</p>
<p>would it still be correct if you change “would not fail” to “will not fail”?</p>
<p>No. That would imply that you are still using your climbing equipment (logically, it is clear you are not).</p>
<p>Does the SAT actually test on this? I’ve read about the error in nonCB material, but I have never actually seen it on a practice test.</p>
<p>Errors that have to do with using the wrong word (in this case “insured” instead of “assured”) are called diction errors. On the SAT, diction errors are very rare, but they do appear sometimes. I would expect at most 1 question on it on any given test. Often (if not most of the time) there are none at all. Of course you shouldn’t “expect” it to the extent that you study for it. Diction errors are pretty straightforward.</p>