Writing Section - Correctly Formed Sentences

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>Hello all
I am studying the PSAT questions that I did not answer correctly. I lost a lot of points on "Correctly Formed Sentences" category of the writing section, and the grammar relating to it is unclear to me. Would anyone recommend any online/offline resources that cover these materials? Thank you. </p>

<p>Following are the original PSAT questions. I read the explanation but I still have no idea how these sentences are grammatically correct. </p>

<p>Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was deeply involved in British politics, HAVING RUN unsuccessfully for Parliament twice.</p>

<p>(A) having run
(B) with him running
(C) who ran
(D) he ran
(E) where he ran</p>

<p>Located 11,800 feet above sea level, the city of La Paz would not be habitable WERE ITS AIR NOT WARMED by the waters of Lake Titicaca.</p>

<p>(A) were its air not
(B) unless its air is
(C) if their air was not
(D) except that its air is
(E) but for their air being</p>

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<ol>
<li><p>There’s nothing wrong with the participial phrase : it’s not misplaced - it modifies Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - nothing’s wrong with the meaning conveyed : for ex : having taken the Psat twice, X is greatly acquainted with the Psat questions. </p></li>
<li><p>2nd conditional : if + past simple … would + infinitive, and " " Were its air not warmed " = " if its air weren’t warmed "</p></li>
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<ol>
<li>@Hypocrit has it, but you can also eliminate all the other answers. (B) is a present participle and has a pronoun error (-ing words require genitive (possessive) pronouns). © is a modifier error (British politics can’t be modified by “who”). (D) forms a comma splice–two independent clauses separated by a comma with no FANBOYS. And (E) is a pronoun error–British politics isn’t a place, so you cannot call it “where.”</li>
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