Correcting Other Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors
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PSAT Writing › Correcting Other Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
The dog that was hungry and looked ragged begged at the butcher’s shop for scraps.
The hungry, ragged-looking dog
The hungry dog that looked ragged
The ragged-looking dog that was hungry
Hungry and looking ragged, the dog
The dog that was hungry and looked ragged
Explanation
The original sentence can be simplified by making those modifying phrases adjectives: “hungry” and “ragged-looking.” The most concise way to rewrite this sentence is to make these both adjectives that come before the noun.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Scientists have determined that the risk factors for cardiovascular disease include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress.
include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
includes family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
tends to include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
include family history, poor diet, and having an excessive amount of stress.
include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress.
Explanation
The answer choice "include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" is correct because it contains appropriate parallelism—in this case, a list of three noun phrases.
The original text "include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress" and the answer choice "include family history, poor diet, and having an excessive amount of stress" contain faulty parallelism—the last item in the list includes the verb "having" whereas the first two items in the list do not employ verbs. These answers are therefore incorrect.
Answer choices "includes family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" and "tends to include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" are incorrect because they both use singular predicates for the plural subject, "risk factors for cardiovascular disease."
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
People spend a lifetime trying to finding happiness of life.
to find happiness.
to finding happiness of life.
to find happiness of life.
to finding happiness in life.
finding happiness of life
Explanation
The underlined phrase is extremely awkwardly worded, and can be cleaned up quite easily. "To find happiness" is the cleanest expression of the sentiment of the phrase's meaning.
Religious texts often appear quite difficult to understand, being contradictions of themselves.
contradicting themselves.
being contradictions of themselves.
being contradictions of them.
contradicting them.
being contradicting them.
Explanation
The underlined phrase in the sentence is awkwardly worded, which makes the sentence itself difficult to understand. The "religious texts" contain contradictions, a meaning not conveyed properly by the sentence. "Contradicting themselves" is the clearest, most appropriate choice among the answers.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
The dog that was hungry and looked ragged begged at the butcher’s shop for scraps.
The hungry, ragged-looking dog
The hungry dog that looked ragged
The ragged-looking dog that was hungry
Hungry and looking ragged, the dog
The dog that was hungry and looked ragged
Explanation
The original sentence can be simplified by making those modifying phrases adjectives: “hungry” and “ragged-looking.” The most concise way to rewrite this sentence is to make these both adjectives that come before the noun.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Scientists have determined that the risk factors for cardiovascular disease include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress.
include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
includes family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
tends to include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress.
include family history, poor diet, and having an excessive amount of stress.
include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress.
Explanation
The answer choice "include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" is correct because it contains appropriate parallelism—in this case, a list of three noun phrases.
The original text "include family history, poor diet, and having an excess of stress" and the answer choice "include family history, poor diet, and having an excessive amount of stress" contain faulty parallelism—the last item in the list includes the verb "having" whereas the first two items in the list do not employ verbs. These answers are therefore incorrect.
Answer choices "includes family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" and "tends to include family history, poor diet, and excessive stress" are incorrect because they both use singular predicates for the plural subject, "risk factors for cardiovascular disease."
Religious texts often appear quite difficult to understand, being contradictions of themselves.
contradicting themselves.
being contradictions of themselves.
being contradictions of them.
contradicting them.
being contradicting them.
Explanation
The underlined phrase in the sentence is awkwardly worded, which makes the sentence itself difficult to understand. The "religious texts" contain contradictions, a meaning not conveyed properly by the sentence. "Contradicting themselves" is the clearest, most appropriate choice among the answers.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
People spend a lifetime trying to finding happiness of life.
to find happiness.
to finding happiness of life.
to find happiness of life.
to finding happiness in life.
finding happiness of life
Explanation
The underlined phrase is extremely awkwardly worded, and can be cleaned up quite easily. "To find happiness" is the cleanest expression of the sentiment of the phrase's meaning.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
The detective was an expert in these kinds of cases, always called on when the force needed expert advice.
and was called on when the force needed expert advice.
always called on when the force needed expert advice.
always call on when the force needed expert advice.
always calling on when the force needed expert advice.
always called on when the force needs expert advice.
Explanation
The underlined portion of the phrase is a dependent clause that is confusing because of the way it is worded. The phrase needs to be better linked to the main portion of the sentence. The answer choice which best does this is "and was called on when the force needed expert advice."
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
That which was the point which was most contentious was strenuously avoided during the debates.
The most contentious point
That which was the point which was most contentious
The point that was most contentious
That which was most contentious
That was the point which was most contentious
Explanation
The underlined portion of the sentence is confusing, awkward, and overly wordy, meaning it can be simplified. In being simplified, though, the sentence needs to remain grammatically correct and retain its intended meaning. "The most contentious point" is the answer choice that does the best job of simplifying the sentence while retaining its intended meaning.