Free SAT Writing Questions - Improving Sentences Practice Questions

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SAT Writing Practice Questions

1Your answer (C) Correct!

Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in the
paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner.
(A) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans, which are realistically depicted in the
paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner.
(B) Scenes from the everyday lives of African Americans being realistically depicted in the
paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner.
(C) The paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives of
African Americans. Your Answer
(D) Henry Ossawa Tanner, in his realistic paintings, depicting scenes from the everyday lives of
African Americans.
(E) Henry Ossawa Tanner, whose paintings realistically depict scenes from the everyday lives of
African Americans.
Explanation
Difficulty: Medium
For a sentence to be grammatically complete, it must include both a subject and a main verb.
When a sentence lacks either a subject or a main verb, the result is a sentence fragment. In this
example all options but (C) are sentence fragments.
In (A), the phrase "Scenes ... Americans " is modified by the dependent clause "which ...
Tanner," but there is no main verb.
In (B), the phrase "Scenes ... Tanner" contains no main verb.
In (D), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by "depicting" but is not combined
with a main verb.
And in (E), the noun "Henry Ossawa Tanner" is modified by the dependent clause "whose
... Americans" but not combined with a main verb.
(C) is correct. It is the only choice in which a subject ("The paintings of Henry Ossawa
Tanner") is combined with a verb ("depict") to express a complete thought.

2Your answer (E) Correct!

Looking up from the base of the mountain, the trail seemed more treacherous than it really was.
(A) Looking up
(B) While looking up
(C) By looking up
(D) Viewing

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(E) Viewed Your Answer

Explanation
Difficulty: Hard
When a modifying phrase begins a sentence, it must logically modify the sentence's subject;
otherwise, it is a dangling modifier. In this example, every option except (E) is a dangling
modifier.
In (A), the phrase "Looking up from the base of the mountain" does not logically modify
the subject "the trail." A person might stand at the base of a mountain and look up at a
trail, but it is illogical to suggest that a trail looks up from the base of a mountain.
(B), (C), and (D) are simply variations of the error found in (A). Each results in a sentence
that illogically suggests that a trail was looking up from the base of a mountain.
(E) is correct. Although a trail cannot itself look up from the base of a mountain, a trail can
be viewed by someone looking up from the base of a mountain, so the phrase "Viewed
from the base of the mountain" logically modifies the subject "the trail."
3Your answer (B) Correct!
One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced physicians make is misreading
symptoms, another that occurs about as frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment.
(A) symptoms, another that occurs
(B) symptoms; another one that occurs Your Answer
(C) symptoms, the other, and it occurs
(D) symptoms; another one which is occurring
(E) symptoms and also occurring
Explanation
Difficulty: Hard
This sentence illustrates a comma splice, the incorrect use of a comma to connect two complete
sentences. Choice (B) correctly uses a semicolon to coordinate two independent clauses and
form a compound sentence (while at the same time keeping verb tenses parallel). The correct
sentence reads: One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced
physicians make is misreading symptoms; another one that occurs about as
frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment.
4Your answer (D) Correct!
Underestimating its value, breakfast is a meal many people skip.
(A) Underestimating its value, breakfast is a meal many people skip.
(B) Breakfast is skipped by many people because of their underestimating its value.
(C) Many people, underestimating the value of breakfast, and skipping it.
(D) Many people skip breakfast because they underestimate its value. Your Answer
(E) A meal skipped by many people underestimating its value is breakfast.
Explanation
Difficulty: Medium

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The problem with this sentence is that the opening phrase "underestimating its value" modifies
"breakfast," not "people." The order of the words in the sentence in choice (D) does not have this
problem of a misplaced modifying phrase. Choice (D) also clarifies the causal relationship
between the two clauses in the sentence. None of the other choices convey the information
presented in the sentence as effectively and directly as choice (D).
5Your answer (D) Correct!
Certain shipwrecks have a particular fascination for those people which have a belief in finding
the treasure in them.
(A) which have a belief in finding the treasure in them
(B) that belief there is treasure to be found in them
(C) who believe they hold treasure and that they can find it
(D) who believe that there is treasure to be found in them Your Answer
(E) who believe about treasure to be found in them
Explanation
Difficulty: Hard
This sentence is awkward as written, and the pronoun "which" is the wrong relative pronoun to
refer to "people" (the antecedent of the pronoun in this sentence). Choice (D) uses the correct
pronoun "who" and more effectively than the other choices states the characteristics of people
who are fascinated by shipwrecks. The correct sentence reads: Certain shipwrecks have a
particular fascination for those people who believe that there is treasure to be
found in them.
6Your answer (D) Correct!
The revolt against Victorianism was perhaps even more marked in poetry than either fiction or
drama.
(A) either fiction or drama
(B) either fiction or in drama
(C) either in fiction or drama
(D) in either fiction or drama Your Answer
(E) in either fiction or in drama
Explanation
Difficulty: Easy
Correcting the error in this sentence requires close attention to the need for parallelism. The
structure of the underlined portion should match the structure of the phrase "in poetry" that
appears earlier in the sentence. Neither choice (A) nor choice (B) includes the preposition "in."
Among the remaining choices, only choice (D) has the preposition "in" appropriately located in
the phrase. The correct sentence reads: The revolt against Victorianism was perhaps
even more marked in poetry than in either fiction or drama.
7Your answer (D) Correct!
Many of the instruments used in early operations of the United States Army Signal Corps were
adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph.

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(A) Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the
heliograph
(B) Corps, there were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly the
heliograph
(C) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, was an adaptation of equipment used by the Plains
Indians
(D) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains
Indians Your Answer
(E) Corps being adaptations, the heliograph in particular, of those used by Plains Indians
Explanation
Difficulty: Medium
Correcting the error in this sentence requires moving the information about the heliograph
closer to "instruments," which is the material it relates to. Only choice (D) accomplishes this
without introducing an error in subject-verb agreement, as in (C), or producing a sentence
fragment, as in (E). The correct sentence reads: Many of the instruments used in early
operations of the United States Army Signal Corps, and in particular the
heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians.
8Your answer (D) Correct!
The problem of antibiotic resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries because the
sale and use of antibiotics are not tightly controlled.
(A) resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries because
(B) resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries and
(C) resistance, frequently compounded in certain countries when
(D) resistance is frequently compounded in certain countries where Your Answer
(E) resistance is frequently compounded in certain countries and
Explanation
Difficulty: Medium
This sentence is a fragment as written; there is no verb in the main clause. Of the choices
offered, only (C) and (D) correct this problem. (D) is the best choice because the adverb "where"
connects the second part of the sentence in a way that clarifies the relationship between the two
parts of the sentence. The correct sentence reads: The problem of antibiotic resistance is
frequently compounded in certain countries where the sale and use of antibiotics
are not tightly controlled.

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