PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
Writing&Grammar
May 9, 2003
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Sample Only
CORRECT USE OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS................................................................... 2
DIRECT OBJECT AND INDIRECT OBJECTS............................................................................ 6
FINDING GRAMMATICAL ERRORS ......................................................................................... 8
POSITIVE FACTORS AND NEGATIVE FACTORS OF YOUR ESSAY .................................12
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
Correct Use Of Adjectives And Adverbs
Good is normally the adjective form, and well the adverb form, but when
applied to health, well is an adjective.
adjective
She looks good in that dress!
adjective
She looks well now that she has recovered.
adverb
The machine runs well.
A verb that indicates state of being, not action, is followed by a predicate
adjective describing the subject rather than by an adverb, which would describe
the action in the verb. Whether the verb indicates action or state of being in a
particular sentence depends upon the meaning of the sentence since most of
these verbs can be used in both senses.
adverb
This plant grew quickly. (Quickly tells how the plant grew.)
predicate adjective The room grew quiet. (Quiet describes the room.)
Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives
When two persons or things are being compared, use the comparative.
wrong
He is the brightest of the two brothers.
correct
He is the brighter of the two brothers.
When three persons or things are being compared, use the superlative.
wrong
Of the three, he is the slower.
correct
Of the three, he is the slowest.
Never combine both methods of forming either the comparative or the
superlative in a given instance.
wrong
She is the most quietest girl in the class.
correct
She is the quietest (or the most quiet) girl in the class.
Use the word other or else when a person, place, or thing is compared with the
entire group to which it belongs.
wrong
He is more capable than any boy in his group. (He cannot be more
capable than himself; yet he is part of the group!)
correct
He is more capable than any other boy in his group.
Some adverbs have the same form as their corresponding adjectives. Some of
these are: ill, slow, fast, deep, and fast.
wrong
Go slow. Drive slow.
correct
Take a slow train. Go slowly. Drive slowly.
Questions [1-25]
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
Examine each of the following sentences carefully. Indicate “Correct” if it
contains no error, or underline the error and use the blank space provided for
correction.
1. That suit sure fits him well!
2. You will have to do more better than that if you expect to remain on the first
team.
3. Do not put them there!
4. This is the kind of a sentence that I enjoy reading.
5. Go slow as you approach the curves, and you will do good.
6. This here is as far as I can go now.
7. He doesn’t look so good tonight.
8. Go quick, and get Mr. Hammond here as soon as you can.
9. I always enjoy reading those kind of books.
10. May I have one of those over there?
11. He is the best player on his team, without any doubt.
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
12. These kinds of records must be handled with additional care.
13. She is more capable than any girl in her clique.
14. She took an onion so that she could have a good cry.
15. It was the most noisy party that I have ever attended, but I enjoyed it.
16. We found that there boat at the end of the lake.
17. Is this the sort of remark that you should make?
18. The machine now runs very quiet.
19. The flowers smelled so sweet that I could not leave the garden.
20. You did good when you really tried.
21. He showed me a real good copy of the picture.
22. She is most funniest when her audience applauds at the right moments.
23. Give him one of those there reports when he comes in.
24. She is brighter than any of her friends.
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
25. How could you have put that bottle over there?
Questions [26-30]
Some of the sentences in each of the following groups contain no errors. Circle
out the letters of the correct sentences only.
26. (A) The record player operates good now that he has fixed it.
(B) He sure looks well now that he has recovered from his illness.
(C) Look sharp and breathe deep if you want to survive the crisis.
(D) Be quiet when you enter that corridor.
(E) Walk quiet when you go through that corridor.
27. (A) The torch of freedom burns bright through out the world.
(B) He drives so careful that I have full confidence in his ability.
(C) The torch of freedom burns brightly throughout the world.
(D) He drives so recklessly that I fear for his life.
(E) They played well during the rehearsal.
28. (A) Please be prompt for tonight’s rehearsal.
(B) Arrive prompt, and you will leave on time.
(C) Go direct to my office when you arrive.
(D) Go directly to my office when you arrive.
(E) That new suit looks good on him.
29. (A) Them words express my feelings exactly.
(B) Them words express my exact feelings.
(C) That there was a foul ball.
(D) That was a foul ball.
(E) That there sure was a foul ball.
30. (A) Helen is more capable than anyone in her family.
(B) Helen is the most capable one in her family.
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
(C) Jonathans are the most tastiest of all apples.
(D) Jonathans are more tasty than any apples.
(E) It was a argument that I just could not answer.
Direct object and indirect objects
Questions [31-60]
Identify two kind of objects  DO (direct object) and IO (indirect object)  in
each of the following sentences.
31. Last spring Steve told us his plans for the Olympics.
32. He wants a place on the swim team.
33. This goal demands hours of hard practice.
34. We all gave Steve encouragement and support.
35. Steve showed us the practice pool in the college gym.
36. Every day Steve swims a hundred laps in the pool.
37. His coach teaches him the fine points of swimming.
38. Such intensive training has cost Steve a social life.
39. A rigorous schedule leaves an athlete little time to spend with friends.
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
40. Nevertheless, Steve wants that gold medal.
41. The teacher read the assignment.
42. The teacher read us the assignment.
43. The teacher read the assignment to us.
44. The chef showed the diners the new kitchen.
45. Jeff served me fresh vegetables.
46. Jeff served fresh vegetables to me.
47. We bought my family several souvenirs.
48. We bought several souvenirs for my family.
49. They turned right.
50. You have the right to remain silent.
51. I borrowed my parent’s camera recently.
52. First I loaded the film into the camera.
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1
PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
53. Then I set the opening of the shutter.
54. I focused the camera on a distant object.
55. I could read the shutter speed in the viewfinder.
56. A flashing red light means an incorrect setting.
57. Slowly and carefully I pressed the button.
58. I then moved the film forward for the next shot.
59. By the end of the day, I had snapped thirty-six pictures.
60. Unfortunately, the film processor lost my roll of film.
Finding Grammatical Errors
There is a grammatical error in each of the following. Find it out.
61.
of
If protect
(D)
62.
, a solar
(A)
(B)
cell lasts
(C)
for a long time and is a good source
energy.
A jellyfish, which isn’t
bones
(A)
really a
(B)
fish, it
(C)
has no brain, no
, and no face.
(D)
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
63.
As
(A)
the Asian economic miracle spread
wage increases everywhere is
64.
(C)
Issue
(B)
1
throughout the Pacific,
affecting millions
(D)
of consumers.
The distinct geology of Cape Cod began to be formed
(A)
about
20,000 years ago when the Wisconsin Glacier, up to two miles thick,
pushed its
way south
(B)
(C)
from Canada, stop
, and then slowly
(D)
receded.
65.
To help
as much as
66.
(C)
During
relatively
68.
(C)
policymakers and another , the U.S. government spends
(B)
$1.4 billion a year in collecting
Heartburn can best be
reflux due
67.
(A)
(A)
(C)
to a weak
(A)
(D)
(D)
statistics.
understood as a symptom causing by
(B)
acid
lower esophageal sphincter.
the two centuries between
little is learned
(B)
(D)
Herschel and Voyager,
about the planet Uranus.
Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador, second
western hemisphere, is only
(C)
(A)
highest mountain in
a little shorter than a mountain
Peru.
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(D)
(B)
in
the
PSAT Grammar & Writing
69.
Lack
(A)
the
70.
(D)
of animal protein in
the human diet is a serious
Luther Burbank earned the funds
(D)
(C)
cause of
A partnership is an association
(D)
Because their
Felicia
(C)
(A)
to go west
(B)
by sale
(C)
his new
growing potatoes.
agree to be co-owners of any
72.
1
malnutrition.
ideas about
71.
(B)
Issue
(A)
(A)
of two or
(B)
more persons who
(C)
business for profit.
afraid of air travel, my mother
(B)
and my Aunt
have decided to take the train from Chicago
(D)
to New
Orleans.
73.
The change
Earth
(A)
from day to
(B)
night results
(C)
the rotation of the
.
(D)
74.
The United Stores has
(A)
major industrial countries
a younger population as
(B)
most other
.
(D)
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(C)
PSAT Grammar & Writing
75.
All tribe
groups
76.
(C)
(A)
77.
of the
Fireflies product
(C)
(D)
(A)
(B)
television shows transcends
(B)
mere
the social issues of our times.
(B)
working with the health
light through a complex
(D)
(B)
chemical reaction that
abdominal cells.
, lizards, coyotes. squirrels, and jack rabbits
(A)
The staff at the university
(C)
(D)
spent her life
to exist quite happily
helping to locate
into small
families of workers.
place within their
Species like snakes
seems
(A)
high ratings to reflect
(A)
takes
80.
(C)
(B)
1
clans.
Akuce Ganuktibm, she
(C)
79.
(D)
Every decade, a few popular
and welfare
78.
of North American Indians was divided
called
cleverness and
Issue
(C)
(A)
in the
(D)
desert.
library deserve
(B)
the many sources needed
(D)
recognition for
for the successful
completion of my doctoral dissertation.
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
Positive Factors and Negative Factors of Your Essay
The positive factors of the content of your essay include:
adequate development of ideas
logical presentation
appropriate examples and supporting details
The positive factors of the writing technique include:
logical organization
proper choice of words
correct sentence structure
correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
Negative factors of the content of your essays include:
vagueness
inconsistency
undeveloped ideas
inadequate development of basic argument
Negative factors of your writing technique include:
inexactness
ineffective expression
failure to use Standard American English
lack of variety in sentence structure
inept choice of words
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1
PSAT Grammar & Writing
Issue
1
Super Solver
23. those there ä those
24. Correct
Correct Use Of Adjectives And Adverbs
1. sure ä surely
25. Correct
2. more better ä (much) better
26. B,C, D
3. Correct
27. A,C, D
4. a sentence ä sentences
28. A, D, E
5. slowly äslowly
29. D
6. This here ä This or Here
30. B
7. good ä well
Direct object and indirect objects
8. quick ä quickly
31. I.O. = us; D.O. = plans
9. those äthat
32. D.O. = place
10. Correct
33. D.O. = hours
11. Correct
12. Correct
34. I.O. = Steve; D.O. =
encouragement and support
13. any girl ä any other girl
35. I.O. = us; D.O. = practice
14. good ä better
36. D.O. = laps
15. noisy ä noisiest
37. I.O. = him; D.O. = points
16. there boat ä boat
17. Correct
38. I.O. = Steve; D.O. = a social
life
18. quiet ä quietly
39. I.O. = athlete; D.O. = time
19. Correct
40. D.O. = medal
20. good ä well
41. D.O. = assignment
21. real ä really
42. I.O. = us; D.O. = assignment
22. most funniest ä funniest
43. D.O. = assignment (Note:
there is no indirect object.)
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PSAT Grammar & Writing
44. I.O. = diners; D.O. = kitchen
Issue
1
65. B
66. B
causing by → caused by
67. D
68. A
69. D
70. C
sale → selling
71. D
72. A
their → they’re
73. C
results → results in
74. B
as → than
75. A
76. B
transcends → transcend
(subject-verb agreement)
77. A
, she → should omitted
(Akuce Ganuktibm spent her
life…)
78. A
product → produce
79. B
seems → seem
80. B
deserve → deserves
45. I.O. = me; D.O. = vegetables
46. D.O. = vegetables (Note:
there is no indirect object.)
47. I.O. = family; D.O. =
souvenirs
48. D.O. = souvenirs (Note: my
family is not indirect object,
instead, “for my family” is a
prepositional phrase.)
49. There is no object since
“right” is an adverb.
50. D.O. = right
51. D.O. = camera
52. D.O. = film
53. D.O. = opening (Note: “of
the shutter” is a prepositional
phrase, not an object.)
54. D.O. = camera
55. D.O. = speed
Positive Factors and Negative Factors
of Your Essay
56. D.O. = setting
57. D.O. = button
58. D.O. = film
59. D.O. = pictures
60. D.O. = roll
Finding Grammatical Errors
61. A
protect → protected
62. C
it → redundant subject
63. C
is → are (subject =
increases)
64. D
stop → stopped
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