SAT Writing : Identifying Sentence Errors
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Example Questions
Example Question #157 : Identifying Punctuation 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 all my years on the force, I’ve never seen such a thinly-veiled attempt at blackmail,” the police captain said. No error
thinly-veiled
force,
blackmail,"
No error
"In all my years
thinly-veiled
Because “thinly” is an adverb, not an adjective, it shouldn’t be hyphenated. Only compound adjectives that immediately precede nouns require hyphenation.
Example Question #158 : Identifying Punctuation Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I was wondering if, after the fair, we could stop by the farmers market? No error
if,
market?
fair,
No error
stop by
market?
In this sentence, the speaker is making a statement (“I am wondering”), not answering a question (“Am I wondering?”). Even though the sentence is expressing uncertainty, it is not an interrogative sentence and therefore should not end with a question mark. A period is the correct punctuation to use to end this sentence.
Example Question #211 : Identifying 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.
Bianca and the sister were at odds because although they were members of the same family, they felt differently about their parents' divorce. No error
their
the sister
No error
differently
because
the sister
The error in this sentence arises where we are told that Bianca and her sister disagree over their parents' divorce, but her sister is presented abstractly; the correct usage of "her sister" allows the individual mentioned to be presented in relation to Bianca. Without the "her," we cannot be certain what the relation is, although it is clearly indicated elsewhere in the sentence.
Example Question #1 : Identifying Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Since Molly won first place and Meg won second, she was honored at the awards ceremony after dinner. No error
at
won
after dinner
No error
she was
she was
This sentence has an ambiguous pronoun. To whom does "she" refer? You could fix this either by referring to both women with "they," if it is indeed the case that both were honored at the awards ceremony after dinner, or by replacing "she" with the name of the woman being specified.
Example Question #2 : Identifying Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Mr. Harris told Mr. Jarvins that at the latest staff meeting, the owner of the company expressed a strong interest in promoting him to a senior executive position. No error
him
No error
executive
expressed
interest in
him
This sentence contains an ambiguous pronoun. We don't know whether "him" refers to Mr. Harris or Mr. Jarvins, so "him" is the error in the sentence. If we wanted to fix the error, we would have to replace "him" with the unique name of the person—Mr. Harris or Mr. Jarvins—being considered for the promotion.
Example Question #1 : Identifying Word Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Jim and Tommy were late to work for the fourth time that week, since they had to pick her up at the airport and her flight was late. No error
since
were
No error
they
her
her
This is an ambiguous pronoun. We are not sure to whom "her" refers. The sentence should use her name.
Example Question #3 : Identifying Usage Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Many experts advocate changing how children learn to write, theorizing that they will have more success in the long run. No error
theorizing
to write
changing
they
No error
they
"They" is an ambiguous pronoun reference—it could refer to either "experts" or "children."
Example Question #212 : Identifying 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.
When Susanne and Patricia were called on stage as the finalists for the debate competition, she knew who was going to win. No error.
she
No error.
the finalists
When
were called
she
"She" contains this sentence's error. As Susanne and Patricia are both girls, the pronoun "she" is ambiguous. Also, the "she" could refer to another person—perhaps someone observing the competition in the audience. We don't know if the she refers to Susanne, Patricia, or someone else, and this makes the sentence's meaning unclear.
Example Question #2 : Identifying Pronoun Errors
Select the underlined word that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Jane and Annabel were so focused on the music the DJ was playing that she lost track of time. No error
No error
of time
was playing
she
were
she
While the subjects of the sentence are "Jane and Annabel," the sentence later uses the pronoun "she," which could refer to either of the women. We can correct this ambiguity by replacing "she" with "they."
Example Question #213 : Identifying 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.
We were confused when our Physics and Calculus teachers were not around during lunch, but then we heard that he was in a faculty meeting. No error
were confused
but then
he
No error
during
he
The writer uses the pronoun "he" in this sentence, which is ambiguous because there are two teachers. The writer should use the pronoun "they," which is plural and thus agrees with its plural antecedent "teachers."
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