<p>He was <em>somewhat</em> uncertain about <em>how to use</em> the new machine and <em>asked for</em> <em>more specific</em> instructions to be sent.</p>
<p>The answer is "asked for." But why?</p>
<p>Aerial photography is thought <em>to be</em> <em>the most efficient</em> technique <em>to gather</em> accurate <em>information about</em> the use of the land. </p>
<p>The correct answer is "to gather." Why?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance, I'm really trying to boost my writing score :)</p>
<p>On the second one, it should be "for gathering" instead. I don't know specifically why, but I know it's right, lol.</p>
<p>The first one I have no idea about... are you sure you copied it correctly, lol?</p>
<p>Yes, I copied it correctly. =/</p>
<p>I figured it was "for gathering" but I don't know why either..</p>
<p>He was <em>somewhat</em> uncertain about <em>how to use</em> the new machine and <em>asked for</em> <em>more specific</em> instructions to be sent.</p>
<p>its the beginning of a new clause after a complicated one, so you have to restate the subject so it's clear who you are talking about. Yet it's still pretty obscure but it's grammatically it's incorrect .</p>
<p>Aerial photography is thought <em>to be</em> <em>the most efficient</em> technique <em>to gather</em> accurate <em>information about</em> the use of the land.</p>
<p>first of all, i recognize this was a PSAT question.. When I was tutoring some people, I remember taking a look at this. Did you know this was one of the most missed questions in the 2001 PSAT?</p>
<p>this was the statistics for the problem.
(A) (104, 7%)
(B) (142, 10%)
(C) (204, 14%)
(D) (79, 5%)
(E) (700, 47%)
OMITTED (248, 17%) </p>
<p>now the question is what's wrong.</p>
<p>i disagree that it's for gathering but i would say it's in gathering.
omit is thought to be and read it</p>
<p>Photography is efficient in gathering information
Photography is efficient to gather information.</p>
<p>there is a grammatic explanation for it but instead, try to make the sentence shorter to find an error. From the above shortened version you could easily know it's in gathering (prepositional phrase)</p>
<p>But if you add a subject, aren't you creating an error?</p>
<p>He was <em>somewhat</em> uncertain about <em>how to use</em> the new machine and <em>asked for</em> <em>more specific</em> instructions to be sent.</p>
<p>Goes to:</p>
<p>He was somewhat uncertain about how to use the new machine and he asked for more specific instructions to be sent.</p>
<p>Is what you meant? Then you need a comma before the "and", right?</p>
<p>Plus it sounds stupid, lol.</p>
<p>well if there wasn't an "about how to use the new machine" it could work
he was somewhat uncertain and asked for... would be correct but since we added some junk, it seems like the machine asked for instructions. especially because there is an "and" after the machine..</p>
<p>Do you change it to "asked that"?</p>
<p>no it should be "he asked for"
the sentence makes it obscure and I can see why your confused. I will stay parallel to the form and try to show you why its wrong.</p>
<p>Kevin was somewhat uncertain about how to talk to Billy and asked for more information.</p>
<p>after and, Kevin should be added. Same thing.</p>
<p>But the comma!!</p>
<p>you don't need a comma if thats what ur asking :S</p>
<p>He was somewhat uncertain about how to use the new machine and he asked for more specific instructions to be sent......................................................^comma there</p>
<p>It's a sentence composed of two independent clauses combined with "and" so there's a comma!</p>
<p>nope a comma is unnecessary. i think you made a mistake and your saying the comma should be before 'and.' well it's usually omitted these days.</p>
<p>As a basic understanding, I don't think commas ever go before 'and'. But for some people it's also optional (i.e. when you write "a cat, mouse and dog" someone else might write "a cat, mouse, and dog") Or is one of those incorrect?</p>
<p>From what I understand, you can't say that about commas. When 'and' is used as a co-ordinating conjunction, a comma must always go before it - except in pre-defined circumstances, such as in the use of compound verbs as is demonstrated in this example.</p>
<p>I know that ideolect doesn't always fit in with that, and commas are often viewed as solely ideolectual (which, in some circumstances, they certainly are), but there are clearly defined grammatical rules governing the majority of usage.</p>
<p>Correct me if I'm wrong by all means...I'm looking at this with only a knowledge of British English - things could be very different...</p>
<p>thanks guys for clearing some things up. I'm still sort of confused about the whole comma situation. </p>
<p>He was <em>somewhat</em> uncertain about <em>how to use</em> the new machine and <em>asked for</em> <em>more specific</em> instructions to be sent.</p>
<p>Should there be a comma after and? Also, do you always have to restate the pronoun if the sentence is complicated? </p>
<p>parks: Does the method of shortening the sentence always work?</p>
<p>I have done at least 1000 writing questions and none of the identifying errors questions involved punctuation.</p>
<p>shortening is not much. It's just removing junks like prepositional phrases and adjectives. Try to isolate to subject and verb.</p>
<p>You don't need a comma before "and" if it's a list, but you generally put one unless you're writing an article--omitting it saves space. But this isn't a list... a comma always goes before "and" when it's combining two independent clauses.</p>
<p>My point is: You don't need a comma in the original sentence, because the second clause is dependent, but once you put the subject in again after "and," it changes into two independent clauses, so you are in fact creating an error in a sentence that is (seemingly) correct by inserting the subject again.</p>
<p>I don't know much about grammar, but I definitely know this, lol.</p>
<p>A comma should be placed between two independent clauses that are separated by any of the following words: but, or, nor, and, for, and yet. If two independent clauses are separated by the word so, in which the meaning of so is as a result, a comma should be used.</p>