SAT Writing › Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
There are a couple options for our long weekend holiday: we can go to Hawaii for a quick trip or up to Portland.
No change
There are a couple options for our long weekend holiday, we can go to Hawaii for a quick trip or up to Portland.
There are many options for our long weekend holiday, we can go to Hawaii for a quick trip or up to Portland.
There are many options for our long weekend holiday; we can go to north or south.
There are many options for our long weekend holiday, we can stay here or go away.
This sentence is clear, direct, and well written as is. There is no need to shift the language. Most of the incorrect answers change the meaning of the original sentence, while "there are a couple options for our long weekend holiday, we can go to Hawaii for a quick trip or up to Portland" is a comma splice.
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.
No one was a better athlete in his school, but the boy still wanted to pursue anything other than sports.
No one was a better athlete in his school, but the boy still wanted to pursue anything other than sports.
No one was a better athlete in his school; but the boy still wanted to pursue anything other than sports.
No one was the better athlete in his school, but the boy still wanted to pursue anything other than sports.
No one was a better athlete in his school, but the boy still wanting to pursue anything other than sports.
No one was a better athlete on his school, but the boy still wanted to pursue anything other than sports.
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs no changes made to improve it. Additionally, all of the answer choices that do make a change create some grammatical issue in the sentence. The best answer choice is to leave the sentence as it is written.
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. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The older employees grew increasingly uncomfortably with the company's new hires, all of whom had advanced degrees and more training.
the company's new hires, all of whom had advanced degrees and more training.
the companies new hires, all of whom had advanced degrees and more training.
the company's new hires', all of whom had advanced degrees and more training.
the company's new hires all of whom had advanced degrees and more training.
the company's new hires, all of who had advanced degrees and more training.
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, with the possesive in "company's" correctly used, the dependent clause set apart from a comma, and the proper usage of "whom." The correct answer choice is to leave the sentence as it is written.
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 conflict lasted for some twenty years, nine of which saw heavy fighting.
nine of which saw heavy fighting.
nine of which see heavy fighting.
nine of them which saw heavy fighting.
nine of which saw heavy of the fighting.
the nine of which saw heavy fighting.
The sentence is correct as written; no changes need to be made to it. Additionally, all the answer choice that do change the sentence make it grammatically incorrect.
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.
He was only with the company for three months before moving on to a different job in the same industry.
He was only with the company for three months before moving on to a different job in the same industry.
He was with only the company, for three months, before moving on to a different job in the same industry.
He was only with the company for three months before moving on to a different job in the similar industry.
He was only with the company for three-months before moving on to a different job in the same industry.
He was only with the company for three months, before moving on to a different job, in the same industry.
The sentence is correct as written; no changes need to be made to it. All of the answer choices that change the sentence introduce errors, so the best answer choice is the one that keeps the sentence the same.
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. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The crew team was made up of a random assortment of people who would never have come together otherwise.
The crew team was made up of a random assortment of people who would never have come together otherwise.
The crew team was made up of random assortment of people who would never have come together otherwise.
The crew team was made up of the random assortment of people who would never have come together otherwise.
The crew team was made up of a random assortment of people who would ever have come together otherwise.
The crew team being made up of a random assortment of people who would never have come together otherwise.
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs nothing done to it to improve it. Additionally, all of the answer choices that do make a change make the sentence confusing or grammatically incorrect. The best answer choice is to leave the sentence as it is written.
Unlike all of his siblings, the young boy had an artistic bent that his parents looked down upon.
Unlike all of his siblings, the young boy had an artistic bent that his parents looked down upon.
Unlike all of his siblings, the young boy had an artistic bent and his parents looked down upon.
Unlike all of his siblings, the young boy had an artistic bent that his parents looking down upon.
Unlike all of his siblings the young boy had an artistic bent that his parents looked down upon.
Unlike all of his siblings, the young boy having an artistic bent that his parents looked down upon.
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs nothing done to improve it. Additionally, all of the other answer choices that do make a change also make the sentence grammatically incorrect. The correct answer choice is to leave the sentence as it is written.
Until the day he died, the man refused to ever see a doctor.
Until the day he died, the man
Until the day he died the man
Until the day he died was the man
Until dying the man
Until, the day he died, the man
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs nothing changed. Additionally, all the other answer choices are grammatically incorrect on one level or another.
Choose the best way to rephrase the underlined portion of the sentence. One of the answer choices repeats the original phrasing.
Since she arrived home from work, Rachel has been locked in her room, watching television and refusing to speak to anyone.
has been locked in her room, watching television and refusing
is locked in her room, watching television and refusing
has been locked in her room, watched television, and refused
is watching television locked in her room, refusing
locked in her room, is watching television and refusing
This sentence is phrased nicely. The other options confuse the verb tense or otherwise complicate the coordination of events.
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. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
In a dramatic defeat, the villain relinquished his last weapon and began the harrowing tale of how he started down the path of evil.
relinquished his last weapon and began the harrowing tale
relinquished his last weapon, and beginning the harrowing tale
relinquishing his last weapon, has begun the harrowing tale
relinquished his last weapon and is beginning the harrowing tale
relinquished his last weapon; began the harrowing tale
The original sentence is concise, has parallel structure, follows a logical sequence, and has consistent verb tenses.