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SECTION 6
Time — 25 minutes
35 Questions
Turn to Section 6 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.
Directions: For each question in this section, select the best answer from among the choices given and fill in the
corresponding circle on the answer sheet.
The following sentences test correctness and effectiveness
of expression. Part of each sentence or the entire sentence
is underlined; beneath each sentence are five ways of
phrasing the underlined material. Choice A repeats the
original phrasing; the other four choices are different. If
you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence
than any of the alternatives, select choice A; if not, select
one of the other choices.
In making your selection, follow the requirements of
standard written English; that is, pay attention to grammar,
choice of words, sentence construction, and punctuation.
Your selection should result in the most effective
sentence—clear and precise, without awkwardness or
ambiguity.
EXAMPLE:
Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book
and she was sixty-five years old then.
(A) and she was sixty-five years old then
(B) when she was sixty-five
(C) at age sixty-five years old
(D) upon the reaching of sixty-five years
(E) at the time when she was sixty-five
3. The requirements for becoming an astronaut is
knowledge of physics and physical fitness rather
than simple bravery and a sense of adventure.
(A) The requirements for becoming an astronaut is
(B) An astronaut, it requires
(C) The job of an astronaut requires
(D) In becoming an astronaut is required
(E) As for becoming an astronaut
4.
CA:XD132)
1.
2. Gabriel Garda Marquez's novel One Hundred
Years of Solitude had the same influence as James
Joyce's Ulysses also did: Both books changed the
way we approach literature.
(A) as James Joyce's Ulysses also did
(B) as that which James Joyce's Ulysses also did
(C) as James Joyce's Ulysses did
(D) like that which James Joyce's Ulysses did
(E) like that of James Joyce's Ulysses did
Americans vote for an electoral college, not a
president, since such is the case, a candidate can
win the popular vote but still lose the election.
(A) since such is the case, a candidate can win the
popular vote but still lose the election
(B) and a candidate can win the popular vote but
still lose the election because of that
(C) a candidate can win the popular vote but still
lose the election as a result
(D) a candidate can win the popular vote but still
lose the election for this reason
(E) so a candidate can win the popular vote but
still lose the election
•
The survivor of poverty and child abuse, her show
deals with Oprah's recovery as well as the spiritual
growth of her viewers.
(A) her show deals with Oprah's recovery as well
as the spiritual growth of her viewers
(B) Oprah's recovery and the spiritual growth of
her viewers is the subject of her show
(C) the subject of her show is Oprah's recovery as
well as the spiritual growth of her viewers
(D) Oprah deals with her recovery as well as the
spiritual growth of her viewers on her show
(E) Oprah, whose show deals with her recovery as
well as the spiritual growth of her viewers,
discusses this on her show
>
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58 • 11 PRACTICE TESTS FOR THE NEW SAT & PSAT
(4-Af-spors
SECTION. 6
„,.:.„...,
E (A), (B), and (D) all have awkward
constructions. (C) is a run-on sentence.
,,..,:,.„.
8.
B
(A), (C), and (E) make the error of using a
singular verb is to refer to lands, weather,
illness, and injury. (D) never identifies the
subject of the sentence, pioneers, and because
is better construction than as a result of having
to.
9.
D
(A) and (B) are constructed so that the
audiences, rather than the opera, are set in the
sixteenth century. (C) employs the passive
voice, which is not as strong as the active voice
of (D). (E) sets Philip Glass in the sixteenth
century.
2. C (A) uses the word also, which is redundant
after as. (B) adds the unnecessary words that
which, as well as the redundant also. (D) and
(E) use the wrong comparison word like.
3. C The subject in (A), the requirements, needs a
plural verb. (B) and (D) are awkward. (E) lacks
a subject, making it a sentence fragment.
4. D
(A), (B), and (C) do not put the subject of the
modifier, The survivor of poverty and child
abuse, right after the comma where it belongs.
(E) is awkward.
5.
(A) and (C) say that Retton's abilities were
winning the events, not Mary Lou Retton
herself. (D) and (E) are sentence fragments.
B
6. D
(D) correctly makes the beginning into a
clause, so the sentence is no longer a run-on.
(A), (B), and (C) are run-on sentences. (E)
changes the meaning of the sentence.
7. A (B), (C), and (E) have a parallelism problem.
The freeways of Los Angeles should be
compared to the freeways of other cities, not
the cities themselves. (D) incorrectly uses the
phrase crowding with cars.
10. A
(B), (C), and (E) are run-on sentences. (D)
corrects the run-on problem but is awkwardly
wordy and uses the —ing form of is.
11. D
(A), (B), (C), and (E) are in the passive voice.
(D) is the only choice that is not passive.
12. C If you remove the clause between the
commas (which...years) you are left with The
vegetarian movement in this country was begun
at a farm.... The verb was begun is passive
and awkward. The movement began once and
the action is completed so we should use the
simple past tense began.
13. D
The subject Luna and Gabriel is plural. A
Michigan State graduate needs to agree with
this subject in number but is singular as
written. It should be Michigan. State graduates.
PRACTICE TEST 1: ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS ♦ 95