SAT Writing : Identifying Phrase, Clause, and Sentence Errors

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Identifying Other Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

The final three challenges in the obstacle course were to catch a rabbit, build it an enclosure, and leaping over the structureNo error

Possible Answers:

it

leaping over the structure

final three challenges

No error

were

Correct answer:

leaping over the structure

Explanation:

The elements in the list should have a parallel grammatical structure. Since the first two use infinitive verbs ("to catch . . . build"), the third should too. The corrected sentence reads, "The final three challenges in the obstacle course were to catch a rabbit, build it an enclosure, and leap over the structure."

Example Question #102 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

The evening's entertainment consisted of a jazz quartet, a juggler, and playing musical chairsNo error

Possible Answers:

playing musical chairs

jazz

evening's entertainment

consisted of

No error

Correct answer:

playing musical chairs

Explanation:

The three elements in the list should be formatted in the same way. Since the first two are just nouns without verbals, the third should be too. The corrected sentence reads, "The evening's entertainment consisted of a jazz quartet, a juggler, and a game of musical chairs."

Example Question #103 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

As an avid chef, Michelle is skilled at dicing tomatoes, baking a variety of pastries, and how to spice many different cuts of meat. No error

Possible Answers:

As an avid chef, 

baking a variety

how to spice

skilled at

No error

Correct answer:

how to spice

Explanation:

When phrases are enumerated in a list, it is important that the list use parallel structure—that is, it is important that all of the items in the list are presented in the same grammatical form. Here, two of the phrases use gerunds: "dicing" and "baking." We can't change those because they are not underlined, so the phrase "how to spice" should instead be changed to the gerund "spicing."

Example Question #101 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Constructing a complex model is not always easy; it requires dexterity, precision, and most of all being patient. No error

Possible Answers:

being patient

easy; it

precision, and

Constructing

No error

Correct answer:

being patient

Explanation:

This sentence contains an error in parallel structure because it does not phrase all of the items in its list consistently. The first two items in the list are nouns ("dexterity" and "precision"), but the third item in the list is a gerund phrase ("being patient"). You could correct this error by replacing "being patient" with "patience."

Example Question #102 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Before Alice left the house, she made sure that she had washed the dishes, taken out the trash, and the door was locked. No error

Possible Answers:

that

Before Alice left

No error

taken out

the door was locked

Correct answer:

the door was locked

Explanation:

This sentence lacks parallel structure; the elements in its list should be formatted in the same way. Here, the third element in the sentence's list, "the door was locked," uses passive voice, describing what was done to the door, not what Alice did. On the other hand, the first two items in the list ("had washed the dishes" and "taken out the trash") each use active voice, describing what Alice did to the dishes and the trash. Changing "the door was locked" from passive to active voice corrects the sentence's error. The corrected sentence reads, "Before Alice left the house, she made sure that she had washed the dishes, taken out the trash, and locked the door."

Example Question #103 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

It is a more difficult task to learn to type than mastering a simple word processing program. No error

Possible Answers:

is

learn

more difficult

No error

mastering

Correct answer:

mastering

Explanation:

A sentence should be consistent in its use of verb tense, comparisons, and tone. In the sentence above, "to learn," an infinitive, is being compared to "mastering," a present progressive verb. Things being compared should take on the same grammatical form; that means that "mastering" should be changed to "to master" in order for proper parallel construction to be used. The sentence should read, "It is more difficult to learn to type than it is to master a simple word processing program." "To type" is being compared to "to master"; both are in the infinitive form in this revised case.

Example Question #102 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

In his training course, Marvin learned how to address customer concerns, fill out budget requests, and setting up a company account. No error

Possible Answers:

customer

No error

course, Marvin

In

and setting up

Correct answer:

and setting up

Explanation:

This sentence has a problem with parallelism. The items in its list aren't all formatted in the same way: the first two things that we're told Marvin learns to do in his training course are "address customer concerns" and "fill out budget requests," each of these phrases beginning with an infinitive verb. The third thing that Marvin learns to do is "setting up a company account"; in contrast to the previous two infinitive phrases, "setting up a company account" is unnecessarily conjugated to be in the present progressive tense. Since changing the first two items to be in the present progressive tense (as well as the rest of the sentence to make this work grammatically) isn't an option, the answer "and setting up" contains the sentence's error. You could correct the sentence by changing "and setting up" to "and set up," making the corrected sentence, "In his training course, Marvin learned how to address customer concerns, fill out budget requests, and set up a company account."

Example Question #104 : Identifying Phrase, Clause, And Sentence Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Although it was easy for Mary to identify the problem, she found it more difficult to communicate with the technical crew and solving itNo error

Possible Answers:

more difficult

No error

Although

solving it

found

Correct answer:

solving it

Explanation:

This sentence has a problem with parallelism. The verbs “communicate” and “solving” should be formatted in the same way, since they are the two things it was "more difficult" for Mary to do. Since only "solving it," and not "communicate," is underlined, "solving it" contains the sentence's error and is the correct answer. The corrected sentence reads, "Although it was easy for Mary to identify the problem, she found it more difficult to communicate with the technical crew and solve it."

Example Question #31 : Identifying Parallel Structure Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Lisa insisted that her favorite activities included camping, reading, drinking tea, and hikesNo error

Possible Answers:

No error

insisted that

and hikes

included

favorite

Correct answer:

and hikes

Explanation:

This sentence does not have parallel structure between the items in the list. The first three are gerund verbs, but the fourth is a noun. The corrected sentence reads: Lisa insisted that her favorite activities included camping, reading, drinking tea, and hiking.

Example Question #32 : Identifying Parallel Structure Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Until he started his first food service job, Hank had never mopped a floor, scrubbed a wall, or wash dishesNo error

Possible Answers:

wash dishes

No error

had never mopped

or

Until

Correct answer:

wash dishes

Explanation:

This sentence has a problem with parallel structure. All of the items in the list should be in the same verb tense, but the third item here is in a different tense. The corrected sentence reads: Until he started his first food service job, Hank had never mopped a floor, scrubbed a wall, or washed dishes.

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