Writing Question

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Most major air pollutants cannot be seen, although large amounts (of them) (concentrated in) cities (are visible) (as) smog.
Answer: No Error</p>

<p>It (was reported) that the identities (of them) to be called (as) witnesses would be released on Tuesday (by) the district attorney.
Answer: "of them"</p>

<p>Apparently, I seem to have a confusion about the demonstrative pronoun "those", and when it should be used. So, in the examples above, I thought there was no error because "Them" is not the subject, so it doesn't have to become "those". But then I came across this other sentence. In the second sentence "them" is not the subject; "identities" is. But the answer says it should be "of those". So, where am I wrong? What's the explanation for the contradiction I see?</p>

2

<p>Here’s something else that’s confusing me:</p>

<p>“Wildly unscientific medical remedies, such as bleeding people with leeches, were practiced for (centuries, and they showed) no sign of doing the patients any good.”
Answer: Should be “centuries though they showed” because it offers a better transition. </p>

<p>But I hesitated to choose that option because “though” was not preceded by a comma, as a normal conjunction. X, although Y. X, and Y. Is the answer: “centuries though they showed” correct as it is? Why?</p>

3

<p>Post 1:

  1. Both “of those” and “of them” are fine, since we know what “them” is (air pollutants)
  2. We don’t know what “them” refers to. Therefore it should be “those”. The full version is “of those who were to be called”
    Post 2:
    SAT doesn’t put much emphasis on comma. Although a run-on S+V, S+V is a very common mistake, whether there should be a comma before “though” or “and” or “because” is not that important.</p>
4

<p>Post 1:
I still don’t see how “those” will actually clarify what is being referred to. If you could give me an example, it’d be great.
I’m beginning to think that in Sentence 2, the subject is actually “them”, not “identities”, since how can identities be called as witnesses? Although “them” seems to be serving as the object of a preposition, I believe that it is still the subject of “to be called as witness” (whatever that type of phrase is called in grammar language).
E.g. The condition of them in the hospital is dire. --I think here it should be “of them”, as it is, since the subject is “condition”.
The rise of them to govern the country is a sign of democracy. --Similar to Sentence 2. “them” seems to be the subject of this phrase: “to govern the country”. So, I believe it should be “those”.
Ofcourse, correct me if I’m wrong.</p>

<p>Post 2:
I believe you’re right, but they can’t put something ungrammatical, no matter how much they don’t emphasize it. I believe the only explanation for that inconsistency is the fact that the question is from Barron’s. I checked online, and it says that only for short clauses is the omission of a comma allowed.</p>