SAT Writing Section Improving Sentences Practice Round Two

14 May 2015

Test your readiness for the SAT with these questions modeled after the “improving sentences” portion of the SAT Writing section. Choose the phrasing that best completes the underlined part of each sentence. Choice A replicates the original phrasing, while the other choices offer alternative phrasings. Just like on the real SAT, look for choices that are grammatically correct, clear, and precise. Answers and explanations are found at the end of the quiz. If you haven’t done so already, check out our earlier improving sentence quiz for additional practice.

1. Students should take an SAT practice test to assess if he or she is ready to take the real exam.
(A) Students should take an SAT practice test
(B) A should student take an SAT practice test
(C) A student should take an SAT practice test, which is a recreation of an exam administered by the college board,
(D) A practice SAT exam is what a student should take
(E) An SAT practice exam is taken by a student

2. Since her sister is young and having no experience fighting, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the Hunger Games tournament.
(A) Since her sister is young and having no experience fighting
(B) Her is sister young and lacks fighting experience
(C) Her sister being young and she has no fighting experience
(D) Because her sister is young and does not know how to fight
(E) Motivated by her sister being young and having no fighting experience

3. The prices of either of the colleges seem to be well worth it.
(A) The prices of either of the colleges seem to be well worth it.
(B) The price of either of the colleges seems to be well worth it.
(C) Either of the colleges seems to be well worth its price.
(D) Either of the colleges seems to be well worth their prices.
(E) Either of the colleges seem to be well worth the price.

4. Increasingly aware of the impact of sexist comments on workplace productivity, and fearing of the possibility of lawsuits, the company’s HR department decided to institute mandatory sensitive training
(A) productivity, and fearing of the possibility of lawsuits
(B) productivity, and while fearing the possibility of lawsuits
(C) productivity and because of being fearful about lawsuits
(D) productivity, the fear of the possibility of lawsuits
(E) productivity and fearful of the possibility of lawsuits

5. Steve Jobs, who founded the Apple computer company, and earned a reputation for mercurial behavior among his cofounders and employees.
(A) and earned a reputation for mercurial behavior
(B) would become known for having a mercurial reputation
(C) earned a reputation for directing mercurial behavior toward
(D) earned a reputation for mercurial behavior
(E) and would earn a reputation for mercurial behavior

6. By failing to study regularly for the SAT is why the student received a lower score than he needed to attend the University of Georgia.
(A) By failing to study regularly for the SAT is why
(B) Because he failed to study regularly for the SAT,
(C) Due to his failure at studying regularly for the SAT,
(D) He failed to study regularly for the SAT is the reason that
(E) His failure to study regularly for the SAT resulted in that

7. Seeking popularity and desiring a sense of camaraderie, many college students join fraternities or sororities.
(A) Seeking popularity and desiring sense of camaraderie,
(B) Seeking popularity and to have a sense of camaraderie;
(C) Popularity and a sense of camaraderie are sought by
(D) To seek popularity and a sense of camaraderie is why
(E) While seeking both popularity and a sense of camaraderie, then

8. Understanding the exam, practicing regularly, and to get enough sleep the night before are key steps toward achieving a high score on the SAT.
(A) Understanding the exam, practicing regularly, and to get enough sleep
(B) To understand the exam, practice regularly, and get enough sleep
(C) Understanding the exam, practicing regularly, and getting enough sleep
(D) Understand the exam, practice regularly, and get enough sleep the night before
(E) The best way to succeed is to understand the exam, practice regularly, and get enough sleep

9. The students proposed that the achievements of outstanding teachers being recognized annually with an award named after the recently retired Mrs. McCarthy.
(A) being recognized annually
(B) have an annual recognition
(C) be recognized annually every year
(D) be recognized annually
(E) being that every year many teachers deserve recognition

10. Having not read the directions, Jane failed to notice that she had put the base of the dresser on backwards and did not see it until she was almost done assembling it.
(A) Having not read the directions, Jane failed to notice that she had put the base of the dresser on backwards and did not see it until she was almost done assembling it.
(B) Having not read the directions, Jane failed to that she had put the base of the dresser on backwards, and she did not see that she had put the base on backwards until she was almost done assembling the dresser.
(C) Since she did not read the directions, Jane failed to realize that she had attached the base backwards until she was almost finished assembling the dresser.
(D) Jane having not read the directions, the base was attached backwards and was not noticed until the dresser was almost assembled.
(E) Because she did not read the directions, Jane failed to realize that she had attached the base backwards until she was almost finished assembling the dresser.

Answers and Explanations

1. Correct answer: (B). The singular “a student” agrees with the singular “he or she.” Choice (A) contains the plural “students.” Choice (C) is excessively wordy, containing a great deal of unnecessary information. Choice (D) is likewise a wordier way of saying the same thing as (B). Choice (E) uses passive voice.

2. Correct answer: (D). Choice (A) is incorrect because you can’t begin a cause-effect sentence with “since.” The “ing” verb “having” also breaks the parallelism of the clause.
Choice (B) is an independent clause, creating a comma splice. Choice (C) mixes verb forms like choice (A) does. Choice (E) is a longer way of saying the same thing as choice (D).

3. Correct answer: (C). If we remove “of either of the colleges” from choice (A), we’re left with “the prices seem to be well worth it.” This doesn’t make any sense. It’s not the prices themselves that are worth it. It’s the colleges that are worth the price. In addition, the plural “prices” does not agree with the singular “it.” Choice (B) removes the agreement error of (A) but still doesn’t make sense when you remove “of either of the colleges.” Choice (D) is incorrect because “either” should be paired the singular “its.” Similar to choice (D), E uses the plural “seem.” (C) is the only choice that does not commit any of the errors that the other ones do.

4. Correct answer: (E). Choice (A) is incorrect because you say “fearful of the possibility of lawsuits,” not “fearing of the possibility of lawsuits.” Choice (E) fixes this error without introducing any new ones. The “while” in (B) and “because of being” in (C) are unnecessary additions. (D) lacks a conjunction connecting it with the rest of the sentence.

5. Correct answer: (D). Choice (A) is incorrect because you can’t connect a dependent and independent clause with both a comma and a conjunction. Choices (B) and (E) are future tense, while the rest of the sentence is in past tense. The “toward” in choice (C) doesn’t connect with “among.” The wording also subtly changes the meaning of the sentence.

6. Correct answer: (B). “By failing…is why” is not an acceptable way to set up a cause-effect relationship, making (A) incorrect. Choice (C) is incorrect because “due to” is always incorrect at the beginning of a sentence. In choice (D), “He failed to resolve…is the reason…” should be “His failure to resolve…is the reason that…” The word “that” in choice (E) should be omitted. In addition, the word “received” would need to be changed to “receiving.” Only choice (B) expresses the cause-effect relationship correctly.

7. Correct answer: (A). Choice (B) is not parallel and tries to join an independent and dependent clause with a semicolon. (C) uses passive voice. The phrase “to seek…why” in (D) is grammatically correct but awkward-sounding. The “while” in (E) is incorrect because this is not an if-then type sentence.

8. Correct answer: C. Choice (A) contains a parallelism error (“to get enough sleep.”) The “to” in (B) and the imperatives in (D) do not connect logically with the rest of the sentence. (E) is wordy and redundant. (C) fixes the parallelism error of (A) without introducing any new errors in the process.

9. Correct answer: (D). The “being” in choice (A) should be changed to “be”. Choice (C) and (D) both fix this error, but (C) is redundant. (B) does not connect grammatically with the word “with.” (E) is wordy and contains the same error as (A).

10. Correct answer: (E). It’s unclear what the “it” in choice (A) refers to. (B) is redundant and way too long. (C) is almost correct but begins with “since.” (D) contains multiple instances of passive voice. (E) makes the cause-effect relationship clear and contains no ambiguous pronouns.

Tags: SAT, SAT writing