Here are
some examples of Identify Error,
Improve Sentence, and Improve Paragraph
questions. You will see these kinds
of questions on both the PSAT and
SAT. Try them for practice.
| Questions
1-3 test your knowledge of
grammar, usage, and word choice.
If there is an error in the
sentence, it is underlined
and assigned a letter. Some
sentences contain no error.
If there is an error, select
the one underlined part that
must be changed to make the
sentence correct. |
1.
Excessive use of insecticide
could affect the lake's larger
ecology because certain
|
| animals |
that
feed |
on insects
will |
decline
and perish |
at |
as
great |
a rate
as |
the
insects themselves. |
| |
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
| 2. The
young sheep |
look |
alike,
but you will find that |
each |
has |
its |
own unique |
personality. |
| |
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
| 3. The
Russian painter Natalia Goncharova
was |
a colleague of |
Mikhail Larianov, |
| |
A |
|
| who |
she |
met |
after |
completing her studies |
in Moscow. |
| B |
|
C |
|
D |
|
| Questions
4-6 test correctness and effectiveness
of expression. In each sentence,
part of the sentence is underlined.
Beneath each sentence will
be five ways of phrasing the
underlined portion. Choice
A repeats the original; the
other four are different. Choose
the answers that best express
the meaning of the original
sentence in the most clear
and precise manner. |
4. Bordered
by Jordan and Israel, the name
of the Dead Sea is because of its
salt concentration, which is so great
that the water can sustain no life.
(A) name of the Dead
Sea is because of
(B) names of the Dead
Sea are because of
(C) name of the Dead
Sea refers to
(D) Dead Sea's name is
a reference to
(E) Dead Sea is so named
because of
5. The
people of the town wrote a letter
expressing their displeasure with
the unethical store owner, demanded
a change in his manner of conducting
business, and were handing out
fliers in the lobby of his office
building.
(A) and were handing out fliers
in the lobby of his office building
(B) and had handed out fliers
in his office building's lobby
(C) handing out fliers in
the building of his lobby and office
(D) and handed out fliers
in the lobby of his office building
(E) and would hand out fliers
in the lobby at his office building
6. Prehistory,
that is the history of the human
race before the existence of
writing, encompasses over 2 million years, and
is mainly informed by the field
of archaeology.
(A) Prehistory, that is the
history of the human race
(B) Prehistory, the history
of the human race
(C) Prehistory that is the
human race's history
(D) Prehistory is the history
of the human race
(E) Prehistory, being the
history of the human race
| Question
7 is an example of a typical
question you may see on the
Improving Paragraphs portion
of the writing skills. |
(1) Conservation and ecology
are becoming important topics at
our school. (2) Some of us wondered
how we could make a difference.
(3) Students used to just throw
everything out in one big garbage
pail. (4) Sure, it was easy. (5)
It wasn't good for the environment.
(6) I volunteered to head
up the conservation team. (7) My
friends and I decided to map out
our strategies. (8) Making sure
that people would use recycling
bins was a thing to do. (9) We
decided to run a poster contest.
(10) The purpose was to raise awareness. ?/SPAN>
7. In context,
which of the following is the best
version of sentence 8 (reproduced
below)?
Making sure that people would
use the recycling bins was a thing
to do.
(A) A
thing to do was to make sure that
people would use the recycling bins
correctly
(B) Making
sure that people would use them correctly
was one thing to do.
(C) To
make sure that people would use the
recycling bins correctly, it had
to be done.
(D) First,
we had to make sure that people would
use the recycling bins correctly.
(E) Another
thing to do correctly was making
sure that people would use the recycling
bins.
8. Which of the following is
the most effective combination of
sentences 4 and 5?
(A) It
sure was easy, and it wasn't good
for the environment.
(B) It
was easy, but it wasn't good for
the environment.
(C) It
was easily not good for the environment.
(D) I
was sure that it was easy, not good
for the environment.
(E) It
was easy; therefore, it wasn't good
for the environment.
Essay Writing
| Directions: Consider
carefully the following excerpt
and the assignment below it.
Then plan and write an essay
that explains your ideas as
persuasively as possible. Keep
in mind that the support you
provide--both reasons and examples--will
help make your view convincing
to the reader. |
Intellectuals
in America and abroad have debated over
the concept of success in American
culture. Success can be defined quite
differently by different people,
but few people argue that being successful
is not considered valuable. However,
some people also advocate the view
that something considered unsuccessful
can also have some value.
| Assignment: What
is your view of the claim that
something unsuccessful can
still have some value? In an
essay, support your position
by discussing an example (or
examples) from literature,
the arts, science and technology,
current events, or your own
experience or observation. |
