Identifying Other Errors or No Error - PSAT Writing
Card 0 of 424
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, 1 he was a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, 1 he was a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Whenever you are asked to join two thoughts with a comma, you should make sure that the sentence that is created is both not a run-on and a complete sentence. In this case, your hint should be the second comma after "Catalonia" later in the sentence. The portion directly after the first comma is meant to be a piece of additional information bracketed within commas. It therefore shouldn't have a verb, since having a verb would create a run-on sentence. That should allow you to eliminate all choices except for "DELETE the underlined portion."
Whenever you are asked to join two thoughts with a comma, you should make sure that the sentence that is created is both not a run-on and a complete sentence. In this case, your hint should be the second comma after "Catalonia" later in the sentence. The portion directly after the first comma is meant to be a piece of additional information bracketed within commas. It therefore shouldn't have a verb, since having a verb would create a run-on sentence. That should allow you to eliminate all choices except for "DELETE the underlined portion."
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was 1 ambitious, and featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was 1 ambitious, and featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
This sentence presents you with two major decision points: between the comma and semicolon and between "and featuring" and "featuring". Check the difference between the comma and semicolon first. Remember that a comma cannot be used to link two complete sentences without a conjunction and that a semicolon can only be used to link two complete sentences. "ambitious; featuring" can be eliminated since what follows the semicolon is not a complete sentence, and "ambitious, it featured" can be eliminated because there is a complete sentence on either side of the comma without a conjunction. Since the sentence is not a list and what follows after the comma isn't a complete sentence, "and featuring" does not make sense. "ambitious, featuring" turns the second part of the sentence into an appositive, allowing you to use the comma.
This sentence presents you with two major decision points: between the comma and semicolon and between "and featuring" and "featuring". Check the difference between the comma and semicolon first. Remember that a comma cannot be used to link two complete sentences without a conjunction and that a semicolon can only be used to link two complete sentences. "ambitious; featuring" can be eliminated since what follows the semicolon is not a complete sentence, and "ambitious, it featured" can be eliminated because there is a complete sentence on either side of the comma without a conjunction. Since the sentence is not a list and what follows after the comma isn't a complete sentence, "and featuring" does not make sense. "ambitious, featuring" turns the second part of the sentence into an appositive, allowing you to use the comma.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The United States has been a country of immigrants since its foundation. This is still true today. The United States allows more people to immigrate to it then any other country. This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages. As most public schools in the United States provide a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not they should teach their children their heritage language.
There are many myths surrounding the idea of bilingual education that prevent its widespread implementation in public schools. However, bilingual education has actually been shown to produce higher achievements in both languages. As well as enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills. Because some public school systems have successfully implemented bilingual education, there are still enormous difficulties in terms of resources and support from the U.S. Board of Education.
Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
The United States has been a country of immigrants since its foundation. This is still true today. The United States allows more people to immigrate to it then any other country. This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages. As most public schools in the United States provide a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not they should teach their children their heritage language.
There are many myths surrounding the idea of bilingual education that prevent its widespread implementation in public schools. However, bilingual education has actually been shown to produce higher achievements in both languages. As well as enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills. Because some public school systems have successfully implemented bilingual education, there are still enormous difficulties in terms of resources and support from the U.S. Board of Education.
Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
The sentence which contains an error is "This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages." The verb used should be "has" rather than "have" because the subject of the sentence is the singular "stream."
The sentence which contains an error is "This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages." The verb used should be "has" rather than "have" because the subject of the sentence is the singular "stream."
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I would rather run an entire marathon than spend one more day sitting at that table nibbling crumpets. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I would rather run an entire marathon than spend one more day sitting at that table nibbling crumpets. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Entire” is an adjective that modifies a noun, “than spend one more day” is a logical comparison, “that” is a demonstrative pronoun used correctly, and “nibbling” is a present progressive verb that describes a concurrent action.
This sentence is correct as written. “Entire” is an adjective that modifies a noun, “than spend one more day” is a logical comparison, “that” is a demonstrative pronoun used correctly, and “nibbling” is a present progressive verb that describes a concurrent action.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I found it bothersome that the saleswoman said the cheetah-print ottoman did not come in purple, especially since we special ordered one to match our living room’s color palette. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I found it bothersome that the saleswoman said the cheetah-print ottoman did not come in purple, especially since we special ordered one to match our living room’s color palette. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Bothersome” is an adjective that describes a pronoun, “said” is a verb in the correct tense, “especially” is an adverb that is used appropriately, and “one” is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
This sentence is correct as written. “Bothersome” is an adjective that describes a pronoun, “said” is a verb in the correct tense, “especially” is an adverb that is used appropriately, and “one” is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Stooping down to tie her shoe, Margaret saw a tiny note scribbled onto the wall only a few inches above the floor. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Stooping down to tie her shoe, Margaret saw a tiny note scribbled onto the wall only a few inches above the floor. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Stooping down” uses a conventional combination of verb and preposition, “saw” is in the correct tense, “scribbled” is also in the correct tense, and “above the floor” is an appropriate prepositional phrase.
This sentence is correct as written. “Stooping down” uses a conventional combination of verb and preposition, “saw” is in the correct tense, “scribbled” is also in the correct tense, and “above the floor” is an appropriate prepositional phrase.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Despite her insistence that Halloween was her favorite holiday, Melanie could never remember whether it was the 30th or 31st. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Despite her insistence that Halloween was her favorite holiday, Melanie could never remember whether it was the 30th or 31st. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Her” is a pronoun that agrees with “Melanie,” “was” is a verb in the correct tense, “could never remember” is an appropriate combination of verb and adverb, and “it” is a pronoun that agrees with “Halloween.”
This sentence is correct as written. “Her” is a pronoun that agrees with “Melanie,” “was” is a verb in the correct tense, “could never remember” is an appropriate combination of verb and adverb, and “it” is a pronoun that agrees with “Halloween.”
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Upon the discovery that she couldn’t completely open her right eye, Joanna decided it was finally time to visit a doctor. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Upon the discovery that she couldn’t completely open her right eye, Joanna decided it was finally time to visit a doctor. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Upon the discovery” is an appropriate idiomatic use of a preposition, “completely” is an adverb that modifies a verb, the comma between “eye” and “Joanna” is grammatical, and “was” is a verb in the correct tense.
This sentence is correct as written. “Upon the discovery” is an appropriate idiomatic use of a preposition, “completely” is an adverb that modifies a verb, the comma between “eye” and “Joanna” is grammatical, and “was” is a verb in the correct tense.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Henry was a fiercely stubborn child; he would carry out incredibly successful hunger strikes if he was not served macaroni and cheese for dinner. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Henry was a fiercely stubborn child; he would carry out incredibly successful hunger strikes if he was not served macaroni and cheese for dinner. No error
This sentence is correct as written. The semi-colon between “child” and “he” is grammatical, “incredibly successful” uses adverbs and adjectives to modify the appropriate words, “was” is in the correct tense, and “for dinner” is an acceptable prepositional phrase.
This sentence is correct as written. The semi-colon between “child” and “he” is grammatical, “incredibly successful” uses adverbs and adjectives to modify the appropriate words, “was” is in the correct tense, and “for dinner” is an acceptable prepositional phrase.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Seeking radical change in the way his second grade classroom was run, Joey tried to mobilize the students and motivate them to form a student union. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Seeking radical change in the way his second grade classroom was run, Joey tried to mobilize the students and motivate them to form a student union. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Seeking” is a gerund verb that starts a correct modifying phrase, “in the way” is a conventional prepositional phrase, “was run” is an appropriate use of the passive voice, and “them” is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent “the students.”
This sentence is correct as written. “Seeking” is a gerund verb that starts a correct modifying phrase, “in the way” is a conventional prepositional phrase, “was run” is an appropriate use of the passive voice, and “them” is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent “the students.”
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Margaret was full of nagging doubts; she couldn’t remember if Wednesday or Thursday was the last time she had seen her pet tarantula. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Margaret was full of nagging doubts; she couldn’t remember if Wednesday or Thursday was the last time she had seen her pet tarantula. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Full of” is a conventional combination of adjective and preposition, the semi-colon between “doubts” and “she” is grammatical, “Wednesday or Thursday” is coordinated correctly, and “had seen” is in the correct tense.
This sentence is correct as written. “Full of” is a conventional combination of adjective and preposition, the semi-colon between “doubts” and “she” is grammatical, “Wednesday or Thursday” is coordinated correctly, and “had seen” is in the correct tense.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
She found the cheerful, busy atmosphere of the café to be energizing, but her favorite place to spend time remained the reading room of the library. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
She found the cheerful, busy atmosphere of the café to be energizing, but her favorite place to spend time remained the reading room of the library. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Cheerful, busy” is a correct combination of adjectives modifying a noun, “to be” is a conventional way to follow the very “found,” “but” is a logical conjunction, and “remained” is a verb in the correct tense.
This sentence is correct as written. “Cheerful, busy” is a correct combination of adjectives modifying a noun, “to be” is a conventional way to follow the very “found,” “but” is a logical conjunction, and “remained” is a verb in the correct tense.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Thomas invited us over for a home-cooked meal at his place, but I doubt he could so much as scramble an egg. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Thomas invited us over for a home-cooked meal at his place, but I doubt he could so much as scramble an egg. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Invited us over for” is a conventional use of prepositions, “his” is a pronoun that agrees with “Thomas,” “but” is the appropriate conjunction, and “doubt” is a verb in the correct tense.
This sentence is correct as written. “Invited us over for” is a conventional use of prepositions, “his” is a pronoun that agrees with “Thomas,” “but” is the appropriate conjunction, and “doubt” is a verb in the correct tense.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Since he arrived in Minnesota two weeks ago, my uncle Ted has gone fishing at least ten times. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Since he arrived in Minnesota two weeks ago, my uncle Ted has gone fishing at least ten times. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Arrived in” is a conventional combination of verb and preposition, “two weeks ago” is a correctly formed adverbial phrase, “my” is a pronoun used correctly, and “has gone fishing” is in the appropriate tense.
This sentence is correct as written. “Arrived in” is a conventional combination of verb and preposition, “two weeks ago” is a correctly formed adverbial phrase, “my” is a pronoun used correctly, and “has gone fishing” is in the appropriate tense.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
She wrote all day and all night, and she only stopped when she had run out of words. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
She wrote all day and all night, and she only stopped when she had run out of words. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “All day and all night” are correctly coordinated adverbial phrases, “she” is a pronoun that agrees with the previous pronoun, “stopped” is a verb in the correct tense, and “had run out” is a correct combination of verb and preposition.
This sentence is correct as written. “All day and all night” are correctly coordinated adverbial phrases, “she” is a pronoun that agrees with the previous pronoun, “stopped” is a verb in the correct tense, and “had run out” is a correct combination of verb and preposition.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
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.
With excitement sparkling behind the tears in her eyes, Mary announced that her poodle, the pride and joy of her life, had just won the regional dog show.
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.
With excitement sparkling behind the tears in her eyes, Mary announced that her poodle, the pride and joy of her life, had just won the regional dog show.
This sentence is correct as written. “Behind” is the appropriate use of a preposition, the comma between “eyes” and “Mary” is grammatical, “announced” is a verb in the correct tense, and “had just won” is an appropriate combination of verb and adverb.
This sentence is correct as written. “Behind” is the appropriate use of a preposition, the comma between “eyes” and “Mary” is grammatical, “announced” is a verb in the correct tense, and “had just won” is an appropriate combination of verb and adverb.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Joey chose to eat ice cream for every meal for a week, and now he is complaining that he feels ill. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Joey chose to eat ice cream for every meal for a week, and now he is complaining that he feels ill. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “For every meal” is an appropriate prepositional phrase, the comma between “week” and “and” is grammatical, “he” is a pronoun that agrees with “Joey,” and “feels” is a verb in the correct tense.
This sentence is correct as written. “For every meal” is an appropriate prepositional phrase, the comma between “week” and “and” is grammatical, “he” is a pronoun that agrees with “Joey,” and “feels” is a verb in the correct tense.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Melissa and Tom dream of becoming owners of a gourmet ice cream shop when they grow up, and they are already creating their flavor list. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Melissa and Tom dream of becoming owners of a gourmet ice cream shop when they grow up, and they are already creating their flavor list. No error
This sentence is correct as written. “Dream of” is a conventional combination of verb and preposition, “owners” is a noun that agrees in number with the subject, “when they grow up” is an acceptable adverbial phrase, and “their” is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent “Melissa and Tom.”
This sentence is correct as written. “Dream of” is a conventional combination of verb and preposition, “owners” is a noun that agrees in number with the subject, “when they grow up” is an acceptable adverbial phrase, and “their” is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent “Melissa and Tom.”
Compare your answer with the correct one above
When I get home from school, I like to relax by playing my guitar, eating a snack, watching a television show, and taking a nap.
When I get home from school, I like to relax by playing my guitar, eating a snack, watching a television show, and taking a nap.
There is no error in the original sentence.
There is no error in the original sentence.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
"Don't speak to me like that ever again," Connie warned. "I'll tell on you next time." The boy, once so antogonistic, backed off immediately. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
"Don't speak to me like that ever again," Connie warned. "I'll tell on you next time." The boy, once so antogonistic, backed off immediately. No error
There are no errors in the sentence, all the subjects agree with their verbs, and the tenses line up. The commas are in their correct places as well.
There are no errors in the sentence, all the subjects agree with their verbs, and the tenses line up. The commas are in their correct places as well.
Compare your answer with the correct one above