Question ID 37e5c794

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 37e5c794
Despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce, ______ they are made from nonrenewable petroleum, and most do not
biodegrade in landfills.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. there are two problems associated with commercial plastics:

B. two problems are associated with commercial plastics:

C. commercial plastics’ two associated problems are that

D. commercial plastics have two associated problems:

ID: 37e5c794 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the
modifying phrase “despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce” appears immediately before the noun it modifies,
“commercial plastics,” clearly establishing that the commercial plastics—and not another noun in the sentence—are being
described as cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there” immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “there” is cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice B is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “two problems” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice C is incorrect
because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “commercial plastics’ two associated problems”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3580533b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 3580533b
In recent years, economists around the world have created new tools that quantify the overall well-being of a country’s
citizens. Economists in India, for example, use an Ease of Living Index. This tool ______ economic potential, sustainability,
and citizens’ quality of life.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. measures

B. had measured

C. would have measured

D. will have been measuring

ID: 3580533b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The previous sentence tells us how economists in India "use" a certain tool, while this sentence
describes general facts about that tool. To express general facts (and also to match the simple present tense of "use"), we
should use the simple present tense form "measures."

Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses the past perfect tense, but the previous sentence tells us that the tool is currently
used to measure things, so the past tense doesn’t make sense for this verb. Choice C is incorrect. This choice uses the
future perfect conditional tense, but the previous sentence tells us that the tool is currently used to measure things, so the
future tense doesn’t make sense for this verb. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses the future perfect continuous tense,
but the previous sentence tells us that the tool is currently used to measure things, so the future tense doesn’t make sense
for this verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 333b2b65
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 333b2b65
While one requires oxygen and one does ______ and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular respiration—that is, they
are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. not aerobic

B. not. Aerobic

C. not, aerobic

D. not; aerobic

ID: 333b2b65 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause “While...not” and the independent
clause that follows.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. “While...not” is a dependent clause, which must be
separated from the independent clause that follows with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. “While one requires oxygen and one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t stand
alone as a complete sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “While one requires oxygen and
one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t be linked to the clause that follows with a semicolon.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f0864217
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: f0864217
Rabinal Achí is a precolonial Maya dance drama performed annually in Rabinal, a town in the Guatemalan highlands. Based
on events that occurred when Rabinal was a city-state ruled by a king, ______ had once been an ally of the king but was later
captured while leading an invading force against him.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Rabinal Achí tells the story of K’iche’ Achí, a military leader who

B. K’iche’ Achí, the military leader in the story of Rabinal Achí,

C. the military leader whose story is told in Rabinal Achí, K’iche’ Achí,

D. there was a military leader, K’iche’ Achí, who in Rabinal Achí

ID: f0864217 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers
need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they
describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text
in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the
drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word
after the comma. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of
Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be
next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6e193b19
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 6e193b19
Professional American football player Fred Cox invented one of the world’s most popular toys. In the 1970s, he came up with
the idea for the Nerf football, which ______ of the harder and heavier regulation football.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. were a smaller, foam version

B. are smaller, foam versions

C. were smaller, foam versions

D. is a smaller, foam version

ID: 6e193b19 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement and agreement between nouns. The
singular verb “is” and the singular noun “version” both agree in number with the relative pronoun “which.” In this context,
“which” functions as a singular subject because it refers to the singular noun “the Nerf football.”

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “were” doesn’t agree in number with the singular noun phrase “the Nerf
football” that it’s modifying. Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are” and the plural noun “versions” don’t agree in
number with the singular noun phrase “the Nerf football” that they’re modifying. Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb
“were” and the plural noun “versions” don’t agree in number with the singular noun phrase “the Nerf football” that they’re
modifying.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ac5536c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: ac5536c1
Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902), but
she also dedicated herself to mycology, the study of ______ more than 350 paintings of the fungal species she observed in
nature and submitting her research on spore germination to the Linnean Society of London.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. fungi; producing

B. fungi. Producing

C. fungi producing

D. fungi, producing

ID: ac5536c1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between two supplementary phrases following
the coordinate clause (“but she…mycology”). This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the
supplementary noun phrase (“the study of fungi”) that defines the term “mycology” and the supplementary participial phrase
(“producing...London”) that provides additional information about the extent to which Potter dedicated herself to mycology.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join two supplementary phrases following a
coordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with
“producing.” Choice C is incorrect. The lack of punctuation results in a sentence that illogically suggests that the study of
fungi is producing more than 350 paintings.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ea0aa676
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: ea0aa676
In the 1970s, Janaki Ammal, a prominent botanist, emerged as a powerful voice in India’s environmental conservation
movement. Her exhaustive chromosomal survey of plants in Silent Valley, a pristine tropical forest in Kerala, India, that is
home to nearly 1,000 species of native flora (many of which are endangered), ______ instrumental in the government’s
decision to preserve the forest.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. are

B. were

C. have been

D. was

ID: ea0aa676 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "survey" is singular, and so is the verb "was."

Choice A is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "are" is plural. Choice B is incorrect. The subject "survey" is
singular, but the verb "were" is plural. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "have been" is plural.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fba5d8d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fba5d8d1
In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants who
experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music, there was
one personality trait that they scored particularly ______ openness to experience.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. high. On

B. high on;

C. high on

D. high on:

ID: fba5d8d1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the
supplementary phrase ("openness to experience") and to introduce the information that identifies which personality trait
participants scored especially high on.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "on" and separates a
necessary preposition from the clause beginning with "there." Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this
way to join the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience"). A semicolon is
conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains
or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to
experience").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dc645172
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: dc645172
The artistic talents of Barbara Chase-Riboud, most known for her 1979 historical novel Sally Hemings and the conversation it
inspired, ______ limited to the realm of prose: she first excelled in sculpture, where her affinity for bronze—a material she
described as “timeless” due to its use across eras and cultures—became part of her artistic identity.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. hasn’t been

B. wasn’t

C. isn’t

D. aren’t

ID: dc645172 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "talents" is plural, and so is the verb "aren’t": "the artistic talents…aren’t limited."

Choice A is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "hasn’t been" is singular. Choice B is incorrect. The subject
"talents" is plural, but the verb "wasn’t" is singular. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "isn’t" is
singular.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6fece68e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6fece68e
Emperor Ashoka ruled the Maurya Empire in South Asia from roughly 270 to 232 BCE. He is known for enforcing a moral
code called the Law of Piety, which established the sanctity of animal ______ the just treatment of the elderly, and the
abolition of the slave trade.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. life

B. life;

C. life:

D. life,

ID: 6fece68e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. We must use a
comma to separate the first two items in the list, just as a comma is used to separate "the just treatment of the elderly" and
"the abolition of the slave trade."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list
of three things. To appropriately format the list, we need punctuation to separate each item. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While
semicolons are sometimes used to separate list items, this list uses commas to separate the other list items, and lists must
use the same punctuation throughout. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the
sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While colons can be used to introduce lists, they can’t be used
to separate items within a list.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6ea8c23f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6ea8c23f
In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean mixing rates from
the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how current-driven mixing varies across
______ and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in the ocean.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. regions,

B. regions:

C. regions;

D. regions

ID: 6ea8c23f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two
elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was
able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no
punctuation is needed between them.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice
B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aab74a3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: aab74a3b
Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm
______ dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force
required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. silk, by

B. silk by

C. silk and by

D. silk. By

ID: aab74a3b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be
grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by
dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t
enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and
"by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both
independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1724dac2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 1724dac2
A subseasonal weather forecast attempts to predict weather conditions three to four weeks in ______ its predictions are
therefore more short-term than those of the seasonal forecast, which attempts to predict the weather more than a month in
advance.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. advance,

B. advance

C. advance;

D. advance and

ID: 1724dac2 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both
independent clauses, so using a semicolon to separate them is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its
predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so a comma is not enough to separate them. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are
both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with specific punctuation (a period, a semi-colon, a colon, a dash, or
a comma + a coordinating conjunction). Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A
subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so the word “and” by itself is
not enough to separate them. There would need to be a comma before “and” for this choice to work.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a9e5b788
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a9e5b788
In discussing Mary Shelley’s 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader’s attention
to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley’s ______ as the recipient of
the letters that frame the book’s narrative, she’s the “occasion” of it.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. novel

B. novel,

C. novel; rather,

D. novel, rather,

ID: a9e5b788 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a semicolon to join a main clause (“Saville...novel”) and a second main clause (“she’s...it”) preceded by
supplementary elements (“rather...narrative”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be
used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, the comma after “novel” can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d2b81427
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: d2b81427
In assessing the films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, ______ have missed his equally deep engagement with Japanese
artistic traditions such as Noh theater.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. many critics have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources but

B. Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources has been the focus of many critics, who

C. there are many critics who have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources, but they

D. the focus of many critics has been on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources; they

ID: d2b81427 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“many critics” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “in assessing…Kurosawa.” In
doing so, this choice clearly establishes that it is the critics—and not another noun in the sentence—who assess Kurosawa’s
films.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “Kurosawa’s…sources”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that his use of Western literary sources is what assesses
Kurosawa’s films. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “there” is what assesses Kurosawa’s films. Choice D is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the focus…critics” immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the critics’ focus is what assesses Kurosawa’s films.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a1e0c981
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a1e0c981
In her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, author Maxine Hong Kingston examines themes
______ childhood, womanhood, and Chinese American identity by intertwining autobiography and mythology.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. of:

B. of

C. of—

D. of,

ID: a1e0c981 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. “Themes of childhood” is one noun phrase, with “themes of” implicitly carrying over to the other
items on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of] womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”).

Choice A is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an
independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a colon. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the
dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a single dash. Choice D is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the
introduction of a list. “Themes of” implicitly carries over to each item on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of]
womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”), so we don’t want to use a comma to separate it.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b74f676f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: b74f676f
Classical composer Florence Price’s 1927 move to Chicago marked a turning point in her career. It was there that Price
premiered her First Symphony—a piece that was praised for blending traditional Romantic motifs with aspects of Black folk
music—and ______ supportive relationships with other Black artists.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. developing

B. developed

C. to develop

D. having developed

ID: b74f676f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb "premiered," and "Price" is the subject of
both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a verb form error. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb
"premiered," and "Price" is the subject of both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."
Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a verb form error. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb
"premiered," and "Price" is the subject of both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."
Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a verb form error. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb
"premiered," and "Price" is the subject of both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 69f031ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 69f031ab
While exploring Nevada’s Gypsum Cave in 1930, Seneca and Abenaki archaeologist Bertha Parker made her most famous
discovery: the skull of a now-extinct ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis) alongside human-made tools. Parker’s crucial
finding was the first ______ humans in North America as far back as 10,000 years ago.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. places

B. placed

C. place

D. to place

ID: 69f031ab Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The object for the verb "was" is "first," and "to place" is acting as a modifier for "first." What was
the finding? It was "the first." The first to do what? The first "to place humans in North America" 10,000 years ago. When a
verb serves as a modifier within a noun phrase, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not conjugated to a specific subject). The infinitive
form "to place" is the only nonfinite option among the choices that makes sense in context.

Choice A is incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "first," and "places" is acting as a modifier for "first." What was the thing
that Parker’s finding did? What was it the first to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as
a modifier, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not conjugated to a specific subject), but "places" is a finite form of the verb. Choice B is
incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "first," and "placed" is acting to modify "first." What was it that Parker’s finding was
the first to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as a modifier, it must be nonfinite (i.e.,
not conjugated to a specific subject), but "placed" is a finite form. "Placed" can also be a past participle, but that wouldn’t
make sense here because the meaning of "the first placed humans" would be unclear. Choice C is incorrect. The object for
the verb "was" is "first," and "place" is modifying "first." What was the thing that Parker’s finding did? What was it the first to
do? Place humans in North America. When a verb acts as a modifier, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not conjugated to a specific
subject), but "place" is a finite form of the verb. Additionally, "place" can’t serve as a noun here, because it results in an
illogical sentence (the "finding" wasn’t "the first place").

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID aab78b25
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: aab78b25
Psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial sweetener ______ After
conducting consumer taste tests, he found that no such ideal existed: participants expressed a wide range of preferences
for different blends of sweetener, carbonization, and flavoring.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. do most people prefer in a diet drink?

B. do most people prefer in a diet drink.

C. most people prefer in a diet drink?

D. most people prefer in a diet drink.

ID: aab78b25 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. This sentence is a statement: “Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how
much artificial sweetener most people prefer in a diet drink.” So a period is the most appropriate punctuation mark.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect.
This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. We already have the verbs
“was hired…to determine” in this sentence. The verb “do” is not needed and results in a confusing, ungrammatical
sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
English. This sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 145d5ca7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 145d5ca7
Gathering accurate data on water flow in the United States is challenging because of the country’s millions of miles of ______
the volume and speed of water at any given location can vary drastically over time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. waterways and the fact that,

B. waterways, and the fact that,

C. waterways, and, the fact that

D. waterways and the fact that

ID: 145d5ca7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation within two coordinated noun phrases. When, as in
this case, a noun phrase (“the country’s millions of miles of waterways”) is coordinated with another noun phrase (“the fact”)
followed by an integrated relative clause (“that the volume...time”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice C
is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID be34a3df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: be34a3df
In 2008, two years after the death of science fiction writer Octavia Butler, the Huntington Library in ______ received a
collection of more than 8,000 items, including Butler’s private notes, research materials, manuscripts, photos, and drawings.
Today, the Octavia E. Butler Collection is one of the most researched archives at the library.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. California,

B. California:

C. California—

D. California

ID: be34a3df Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in
California”) from its verb (“received”).

Choice A is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”)
from its verb (“received”). Choice B is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington
Library in California”) from its verb (“received”). Choice C is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the
sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”).

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3bceeb93
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 3bceeb93
When they were first discovered in Australia in 1798, duck-billed, beaver-tailed platypuses so defied categorization that one
scientist assigned them the name Ornithorhynchus paradoxus: “paradoxical bird-snout.” The animal, which lays eggs but
also nurses ______ young with milk, has since been classified as belonging to the monotremes group.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. they’re

B. their

C. its

D. it’s

ID: 3bceeb93 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The singular possessive pronoun "its" agrees with the singular antecedent "the animal" and
indicates that the "young" belong to it.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "They’re" is a contraction of "they are," a
plural pronoun and verb, but the antecedent "the animal" is singular. Also, we don’t need the extra verb "are" — we already
have a main verb in this clause, so adding "are" would be confusing and ungrammatical. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "Their" is a plural pronoun, but the subject of the sentence is "the animal," a
singular noun. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a confusing and ungrammatical sentence. "It’s" is a contraction for
"it is." We already have the verb "nurses" in this clause, so we shouldn’t add the verb "is."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dab8b8ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: dab8b8ee
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms such as
fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

B. an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a recent study.

C. these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.

D. a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

ID: dab8b8ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts."
Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other, so "biocrusts" or some variant
meaning "biocrusts" (in this case, "these crusts") must begin the missing clause.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in
arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study’s estimate." Choice B is incorrect. Modifiers and their
subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is
"biocrusts," not "an estimated 60 percent reduction." Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each
other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8f6d6ae6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 8f6d6ae6
Archaeologists have estimated that the pre-Columbian Native American city of Cahokia, located across the Mississippi River
from modern-day St. Louis, Missouri, had as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the year 1150 ______ it one of the largest cities in
North America at the time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. CE making

B. CE. Making

C. CE, making

D. CE; making

ID: 8f6d6ae6 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The phrase “making…at the time” provides additional information about Cahokia that’s not
required for the sentence to make sense or function grammatically. As a nonessential supplement, this phrase should be
separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. The nonessential descriptive aside “making…at the time”
needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence
fragment. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Thus, it can’t be separated
from the rest of the sentence with a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Making…at the
time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as an independent clause. Since a semicolon can only link two
independent clauses, using one here creates an error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 26c8c88c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 26c8c88c
About 70,000 meteorites have been found on Earth. Although most meteorites are fragments of ______ hundred have been
identified as being from the Moon or Mars.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. asteroids. Several

B. asteroids, several

C. asteroids; several

D. asteroids: several

ID: 26c8c88c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses a comma to correctly separate the dependent clause "although…asteroids"
from the independent clause "several hundred have been…Mars."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause. It can’t stand
on its own as a sentence, which means it can’t end in a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation
error. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause and can’t be joined to the independent clause "several hundred have been…
Mars" with a semicolon. A semicolon can only join two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a
punctuation error. A colon can only come after an independent clause, but "although…asteroids" is a dependent clause.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f4fd123c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: f4fd123c
The African Games Co-production Market, one of over 180 annual international conferences supporting video game
development, ______ the growth of the African gaming industry by helping start-up studios in Africa find partners.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. promote

B. are promoting

C. promotes

D. have promoted

ID: f4fd123c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the sentence is “The African Games Co-production Market.” That’s one market,
so it’s a singular noun, which means it needs a singular verb. “Promotes” is the only singular verb among the choices.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production
Market” is singular, but the verb “promote” is plural. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error.
The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is singular, but the verb “are promoting” is plural. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is
singular, but the verb “have promoted” is plural.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 59209b6d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 59209b6d
Based on genetic evidence, archaeologists have generally agreed that reindeer domestication began in the eleventh century
CE. However, since uncovering fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia, ______ may have
begun much earlier.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. researcher Robert Losey has argued that domestication

B. researcher Robert Losey’s argument is that domestication

C. domestication, researcher Robert Losey has argued,

D. the argument researcher Robert Losey has made is that domestication

ID: 59209b6d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“researcher Robert Losey” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “since…Siberia.”
In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that researcher Robert Losey—and not another noun in the sentence—is who
uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “researcher Robert Losey’s
argument” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a
2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier.
The placement of the noun “domestication” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “domestication”
is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia. Choice D is incorrect because
it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the argument” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in
northern Siberia.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 870ae7ec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 870ae7ec
Detroit natives Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey have combined their two passions, Detroit and beekeeping, to improve the
health of their city’s flowers and other vegetation. In 2017, the couple converted a vacant lot in the city into an ______ in the
years that followed they acquired nine additional lots and established more than 35 hives.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. apiary,

B. apiary, and

C. apiary and

D. apiary

ID: 870ae7ec Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are
both independent clauses. This choice uses a comma plus a coordinating conjunction to link them together, which is one of
the correct ways to link two independent clauses.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as
complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. A comma by itself is not enough punctuation to link
two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence
could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. Independent clauses can only
be linked in a few ways, including with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. This choice uses the coordinating
conjunction “and,” but it is missing the comma beforehand. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence
error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent
clauses. Independent clauses need to have certain kinds of punctuation marks between them. This choice doesn’t use any
punctuation between the two clauses.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0fe5ce68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 0fe5ce68
Ten of William Shakespeare’s plays are classified as histories. Although each one of these plays, which include Henry V and
Richard III, ______ on a single historical figure (specifically, an English king), some, such as Henry VI Part One and Henry VI
Part Two, feature different episodes from the same monarch’s life.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. focuses

B. focus

C. are focused

D. were focused

ID: 0fe5ce68 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "focuses" agrees in
number with the singular subject "each one of these plays," which refers to each play individually.

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "focus" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "each one of these
plays." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "are focused" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "each
one of these plays." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "were focused" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "each one of these plays."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 790fc366
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 790fc366
Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important data
on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with African farmers, enabling them
to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. information, though;

B. information, though,

C. information; though

D. information though,

ID: 790fc366 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…
though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically
belongs.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent
clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition
word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon
can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the second
clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma
and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 62120607
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 62120607
From afar, African American fiber artist Bisa Butler’s portraits look like paintings, their depictions of human faces, bodies,
and clothing so intricate that it seems only a fine brush could have rendered them. When viewed up close, however, the
portraits reveal themselves to be ______ stitching barely visible among the thousands of pieces of printed, microcut fabric.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. quilts, and the

B. quilts, the

C. quilts; the

D. quilts. The

ID: 62120607 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“the portraits...quilts”) and the
supplementary noun phrase (“the stitching...fabric”) that provides a further description of how the portraits can be identified
as quilts.

Choice A is incorrect. A comma and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a
supplementary noun phrase. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a
supplementary noun phrase. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment
beginning with “the stitching.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2bb7416a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2bb7416a
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct.
Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis
taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: 2bb7416a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 89ab0d46
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 89ab0d46
After the printing press was introduced in 1440, handwritten manuscripts from Europe’s medieval period were often
destroyed and the paper used for other purposes. In one instance, pages ______ a collection of Norse tales dating to 1270
were discovered lining a bishop’s miter (hat).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. from:

B. from,

C. from

D. from—

ID: 89ab0d46 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The word “from” introduces a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun “pages” and provides
essential information about their origin. No additional punctuation is needed after “from” in this context.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of
the prepositional phrase with a colon. Also, a colon can only follow an independent clause, but what comes before the blank
could not stand on its own as a complete sentence. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error,
illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional phrase with a comma. Choice D is incorrect.
This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional
phrase with a dash.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b0a525be
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: b0a525be
Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On consists of five human figures made of clay
and plant fiber and arranged in descending size; each figure holds the smaller one in front of it. The arrangement of the
figures, according to ______ represents her idea that “we all come from the Earth, generation after generation.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Swentzell

B. Swentzell,

C. Swentzell:

D. Swentzell—

ID: b0a525be Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it
needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: two commas, two dashes, or a pair of
parentheses. We already have a comma before “according,” so we must add a comma after “Swentzell.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts
the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: one
before and one after the phrase. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The arrangement of the
figures, according to Swentzell” is not an independent clause, so it can’t come before a colon. Choice D is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence,
so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma at the
beginning, so we have to use another comma here to match. We can’t just switch to a dash! .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID eef91a50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: eef91a50
Nine months before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to comply with the segregated seating policy on a Montgomery,
Alabama, bus, a fifteen-year-old Montgomery girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same ______ to some
historians, Colvin’s arrest led to Parks’s action and eventually to the desegregation of Montgomery’s bus system.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. offense. According

B. offense, according

C. offense according

D. offense and according

ID: eef91a50 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses. Separating
them with a period and turning them into their own sentences is the only grammatically correct choice among the provided
options.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error, which is a punctuation error that occurs when two
independent clauses are joined by only a comma. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent
clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by
a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are
joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses, so they need
to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without
punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are independent clauses, so we would need to put a
comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” to join them properly.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 01a32c84
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 01a32c84
The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin’s VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users
with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all calculations that were
dependent on these ______ to VisiCalc’s release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by
hand, a process that could take days.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. adjustments prior

B. adjustments, prior

C. adjustments. Prior

D. adjustments and prior

ID: 01a32c84 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“The...adjustments”) and the second sentence
(“Prior...days”). Because the adverbial phrase beginning with “prior” indicates when changing a spreadsheet required redoing
the sheet by hand, that phrase belongs with the second sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. Two sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in
this way to join the sentences.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 684b8bd2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 684b8bd2
Far from being modern inventions, ______ more than 5,000 years ago.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia used drinking straws

B. drinking straws were used by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia

C. the use of drinking straws by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia happened

D. ancient Mesopotamia was home to Sumerians who used drinking straws

ID: 684b8bd2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier “far from being modern
inventions” must be describing “drinking straws,” because those are the only possible inventions in this sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier “far from being modern
inventions” can’t be describing “Sumerians,” because they are a group of people, not an invention. Choice C is incorrect.
Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier “far from being modern inventions” can’t be describing
“the use of drinking straws,” because it is not “the use” of drinking straws that is an invention—it is the drinking straws
themselves. Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier “far from being
modern inventions” can’t be describing “Ancient Mesopotamia,” because that is a place, not an invention.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 67667d72
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 67667d72
Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between 1440 and 1450 CE.
However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass spectrometry to uncover evidence that it
was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were likely inhabiting the area.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. earlier. In

B. earlier, in

C. earlier, which in

D. earlier in

ID: 67667d72 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary
phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between
sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence
that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information (“However...earlier”)
rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences
(“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ea8f4658
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: ea8f4658
When particles are suspended in liquid (like pollen in a water glass), they will zigzag randomly through the liquid and collide
with one another in perpetuity. This type of random, continuous ______ is known as Brownian motion, can be observed
throughout the natural world.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. movement: which

B. movement, which

C. movement which

D. movement. Which

ID: ea8f4658 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice correctly uses commas to set off the nonessential relative clause "which is known
as Brownian motion" that provides extra information about the "random, continuous movement" that isn’t necessary for the
function of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" is a
nonessential supplement. Nonessential supplements need to be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a pair of
commas, dashes, or parentheses, so we can’t use a colon here. Also, notice that colons can only come after an independent
clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which
is known as Brownian motion" is a nonessential supplement, so it should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a
pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma after "motion," so we need to add a comma before "which."
This choice is missing that comma. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "This type of random,
continuous movement" is not an independent clause and can’t stand alone as a full sentence, so we can’t put a period here.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b6560e5a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: b6560e5a
Materials scientist Marie-Agathe Charpagne and her colleagues believed they could improve on the multicomponent alloy
NiCoCr, an equal-proportions mixture of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and chromium (Cr), by replacing chromium with ruthenium
______ the alloy that resulted, NiCoRu, turned out to be an unsuitable replacement for NiCoCr.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. (Ru)

B. (Ru) but

C. (Ru),

D. (Ru), but

ID: b6560e5a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses. This choice correctly uses a
comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“Materials…Ru”) and the second main clause
(“the alloy…NiCoCr”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to
use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a
conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5b8f9cf2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 5b8f9cf2
In the canon of North African literature, Moroccan author Driss Chraïbi’s 1954 novel The Simple Past (Le Passé simple)
looms large. A coming-of-age story, a social meditation, and a sober gaze into the dark maw of French colonialism, ______
interrogates systemic power with memorable intensity.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Morocco gained its independence two years before the publication of Chraïbi’s debut novel, which

B. Chraïbi’s debut novel, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,

C. Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,

D. published two years before Morocco gained its independence, Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that

ID: 5b8f9cf2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other. The
subject of the modifier "a coming-of-age story…colonialism" is Chraïbi’s novel The Simple Past, so the subject "Chraïbi’s
debut novel" fits perfectly after this introductory modifying phrase.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-of-age
story…colonialism" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, not Morocco. However, this choice places Morocco directly next to that
modifier. Choice C is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-
of-age story…colonialism" all describes Chraïbi’s novel, not Chraïbi himself. However, this choice places Chraïbi directly next
to that modifier. Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier "a coming-of-
age story…" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, so that needs to be the subject immediately after the modifier. This choice adds
another modifier that describes Chraïbi’s novel, but then puts "Chraïbi" himself—not the novel—right after that modifier, which
doesn’t make sense. Chraïbi wasn’t "published two years before" Moroccan independence; his novel The Simple Past was.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c21df211
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: c21df211
In 1959, the film industry debuted Smell-O-Vision. Theaters were fitted with specialized vents that emitted odors at specific
points in a ______ as the scent of roses when roses appeared in a scene. Smell-O-Vision failed to impress, however, with one
reviewer declaring it “briefly weird and not very interesting.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. movie such

B. movie; such

C. movie. Such

D. movie, such

ID: c21df211 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The comma appropriately separates the nonessential descriptive aside "such as…scene" from
the independent clause "Theaters were…movie." Since the descriptive example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to
function, it needs to be set off with punctuation.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. Since the example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence
to function, the descriptive aside "such as…scene" needs to be separated from the preceding independent clause with some
sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. A semicolon can only be used to separate
two independent clauses, but "such…scene" is not an independent clause and couldn’t stand on its own as a sentence.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. The descriptive aside "Such…scene" is not an independent
clause and can’t stand on its own as a sentence.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 403d7bb5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 403d7bb5
According to Naomi Nakayama of the University of Edinburgh, the reason seeds from a dying dandelion appear to float in the
air while ______ is that their porous plumes enhance drag, allowing the seeds to stay airborne long enough for the wind to
disperse them throughout the surrounding area.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. falling,

B. falling:

C. falling;

D. falling

ID: 403d7bb5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t
need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the rest of the sentence: “The reason seeds appear
to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We
can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes
enhance drag.” . Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation
after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their
plumes enhance drag.” . Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of
Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any
punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling
is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID de3dd17d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: de3dd17d
Planetary scientist Briony Horgan and her colleagues have determined that as much as 25 percent of the sand on Mars is
composed of impact spherules. These spherical bits of glass form when asteroids collide with the planet, ejecting bits of
molten rock into the atmosphere that, after cooling and solidifying into glass, ______ back onto Mars’s surface.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. to rain

B. raining

C. having rained

D. rain

ID: de3dd17d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. "That…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface" is a relative clause that describes the "bits of molten
rock." Forming the clause requires a conjugated, finite verb, and this is the only choice that provides that.

Choice A is incorrect. "To rain" is an infinitive and can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated verb is needed here
to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the "bits of molten rock."
Choice B is incorrect. "Raining" is a present participle and, on its own, can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated
verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the
"bits of molten rock." Choice C is incorrect. "Having rained" is a perfect participle and can’t serve as the main verb of a
clause. A conjugated verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface,"
which describes the "bits of molten rock."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6b49f5f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6b49f5f1
In 1727, dramatist Lewis Theobald presented a new play, Double Falsehood, at a London theater. Theobald claimed that his
drama was based on a little-known play by William Shakespeare, Cardenio. Many, including poet Alexander Pope, were ______
historians have determined that Shakespeare’s company did perform a play called Cardenio in 1613.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. skeptical but

B. skeptical, but

C. skeptical,

D. skeptical

ID: 6b49f5f1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. There are two independent clauses in the sentence, each with a subject and a verb:
"many...were skeptical" and "historians have determined…." These clauses can be grammatically joined by a comma and the
coordinating conjunction "but."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined
without punctuation. Two independent clauses can’t be joined by just the coordinating conjunction "but." A comma would
also be required. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error called a comma splice. This sentence
contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"). A comma alone can’t join
two independent clauses. That requires a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results
in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. This sentence contains
two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"), which need to be either joined by a
semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 59094d87
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 59094d87
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing the culture and
history of the Mohegan ______ today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -operated museum in the
country.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Tribe, and

B. Tribe

C. Tribe and

D. Tribe,

ID: 59094d87 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent
clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”).

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after
“Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent, so they
can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a
grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with
just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b260c65a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: b260c65a
Earth is not a perfect sphere. Due to the ______ gravitational pull, Earth bulges out on the sides closest to and farthest from
the Moon. This distorting pull is known as a tidal force, and it is responsible for the changes in water levels that are called
high and low tides.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Moon’s

B. Moons

C. Moons’

D. Moon

ID: b260c65a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun
"Moon’s" correctly indicates that there is only one Moon, and it has a gravitational pull.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the plural noun "Moons."
Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the plural possessive noun
"Moons’." Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the singular noun
"Moon."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c52652c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: c52652c9
The human brain is primed to recognize faces—so much so that, due to a perceptual tendency called pareidolia, ______ will
even find faces in clouds, wooden doors, pieces of fruit, and other faceless inanimate objects. Researcher Susan Magsamen
has focused her work on better understanding this everyday phenomenon.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. she

B. they

C. it

D. those

ID: c52652c9 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. "It" is a singular pronoun used to stand in for objects. Since the antecedent in this case is the
singular noun phrase "the human brain," "it" is a perfect pronoun to use here.

Choice A is incorrect. Although "she" is a singular pronoun, it is reserved for people and animals, not objects like "the human
brain." Choice B is incorrect. "They" is a plural pronoun, but we need a singular pronoun to represent the antecedent "the
human brain." Choice D is incorrect. "Those" is a plural pronoun, but we need a singular pronoun to represent the antecedent
"the human brain."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 36944347
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 36944347
Official measurements of the Mississippi River’s length vary: according to the US Geologic Survey, the river is 2,300 miles
long, whereas the Environmental Protection Agency records its length as 2,320 miles. This disparity can be explained in part
by the fact that rivers such as the Mississippi expand and contract as ______ sediment.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. they accumulate

B. one accumulates

C. it accumulates

D. we accumulate

ID: 36944347 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The noun that goes with "expand and contract" is "rivers," a plural noun. "They" is a third-person
plural pronoun, so it can correctly stand in for "rivers."

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "One" is a singular pronoun, but the noun
that goes with "expand and contract" is "rivers," a plural noun. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-
antecedent agreement error. "It" is a singular pronoun, but the noun that goes with "expand and contract" is "rivers," a plural
noun. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. The noun that goes with "expand
and contract" is the plural noun "rivers." Rivers are not people, so "we" can’t be used to stand in for it.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7c48a6dd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 7c48a6dd
In the late 1960s, inspired in part by the sight of laundry hanging on a clothesline, African American abstract painter Sam
Gilliam began to create his iconic “Drape” paintings. He applied bold, saturated hues to large canvases and ______ them from
ceilings or walls, causing the drooping fabric to cascade in dramatic loops and curves.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. to have suspended

B. suspending

C. to suspend

D. suspended

ID: 7c48a6dd Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The past tense of "suspended" matches the past tense of "applied," which has the same subject
("he") and takes place in the same context: "He applied…and [he] suspended."

Choice A is incorrect. The perfect infinitive "to have suspended" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve
as a verb on its own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses.
Choice B is incorrect. The present participle "suspending" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve as a
verb on its own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses.
Choice C is incorrect. The infinitive "to suspend" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve as a verb on its
own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5cc85f01
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 5cc85f01
A conceptual artist and designer embraced by both the art world and the fashion ______ Mary Ping was chosen to curate the
exhibition Front Row: Chinese American Designers for the Museum of Chinese in America.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. world

B. world:

C. world;

D. world,

ID: 5cc85f01 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…
world”), which describes Mary Ping, and the main clause (“Mary…America”).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”)
and the main clause (“Mary…America”) with appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in
this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and the main clause (“Mary…America”). In this
context, the colon incorrectly suggests that the information in the supplementary phrase is an explanation or amplification of
the information in the main clause (Mary Ping being chosen to curate the exhibition), which isn’t the case. Choice C is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and
the main clause (“Mary…America”). Semicolons are conventionally used to separate two main clauses or to separate items in
a complex series.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8d53e7a0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 8d53e7a0
Slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel The Poet X, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s
Literature, is composed of ______ protagonist, fifteen-year-old Xiomara Batista.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. poems putatively written by the novel’s

B. poem’s putatively written by the novel’s

C. poem’s putatively written by the novels’

D. poems putatively written by the novels’

ID: 8d53e7a0 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Nothing belongs to the “poems” in the sentence, so it should not be possessive—just a simple
plural noun. The protagonist does belong to the novel—it’s the protagonist of the novel—so “novel” needs to be a singular
possessive noun.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more
than one poem, and nothing belongs to the poems. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that
conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates
that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more than one poem, and nothing belongs to the poems. This choice
also uses the plural possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel. Choice D is incorrect. This
doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the plural
possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel, so it should be the singular possessive “novel’s.” .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7b950fc2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 7b950fc2
In 2000, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, herself an owner of a successful consulting firm, sought to increase Latina
representation in corporate ______ founded Las Comadres para las Americas, an international community that for over two
decades has served as a resource and information network for Latina business professionals.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. settings she

B. settings, she

C. settings and she

D. settings. She

ID: 7b950fc2 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. It appropriately uses a period to mark the end of one independent clause ("In 2000…settings")
and the start of another ("She founded…professionals").

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…settings")
and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent clauses, so they need to be separated by punctuation.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with just a
comma. Linking two independent clauses with a comma also requires the use of a coordinating conjunction (like for, and,
nor, but, or, yet, or so). Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, an error caused when two independent
clauses are joined without punctuation or appropriate conjunctions. Since both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…
settings") and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent, a comma would be required in addition to
the coordinating conjunction "and."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fff4c7f4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: fff4c7f4
American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems on scraps of paper, but she also took steps to collect these works.
From 1858 to around 1864, for example, she copied more than 800 of ______ into forty homemade booklets (known as
fascicles).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. them

B. this

C. that

D. it

ID: fff4c7f4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The pronoun "them" agrees with the plural antecedents "poems" and "works."

Choice B is incorrect. "This" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice C is incorrect.
"That" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice D is incorrect. "It" is a singular
pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 40c3589d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 40c3589d
Luci Tapahonso is the inaugural poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. Her book Sáanii Dahataal/The Women Are Singing—a
combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and ______ serves as a testament to her versatility as a writer.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. prose;

B. prose

C. prose,

D. prose—

ID: 40c3589d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it
needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the
beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A
combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of
the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we
need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that
conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential
supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already
have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice C
is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of
fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence
with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a
dash at the end of the supplement to match.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b15724fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: b15724fc
American writer Edwidge Danticat, who emigrated from Haiti in 1981, has won acclaim for her powerful short stories, novels,
and ______ her lyrical yet unflinching depictions of her native country’s turbulent history, writer Robert Antoni has compared
Danticat to Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. essays, praising

B. essays and praising

C. essays praising

D. essays. Praising

ID: b15724fc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “essays” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“American…essays”) and another (“praising…
Morrison”). The participial phrase beginning with “Praising” modifies the subject of the second sentence, “writer Robert
Antoni.”

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to
join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“American…essays” and
“Praising…Morrison”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e2759b92
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: e2759b92
Occupying a significant part of modern-day Nigeria, the Kingdom of Benin was one of the major powers in West Africa
between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries. It ______ ruled by Oba Ewuare I from 1440 to 1473.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. is

B. will be

C. has been

D. was

ID: e2759b92 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the past tense verb “was ruled” correctly indicates that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of Benin in the distant past (from
1440 to 1473). This past tense verb choice is consistent with the other past tense verb (“was”) used to describe the Kingdom
of Benin.

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “is ruled” doesn’t indicate that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of Benin
in the distant past. Choice B is incorrect because the future tense verb “will be ruled” doesn’t indicate that Oba Ewuare I ruled
the Kingdom of Benin in the distant past. Choice C is incorrect because the present perfect tense verb “has been ruled”
doesn’t indicate that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of Benin in the distant past.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 594b4a94
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 594b4a94
The field of geological oceanography owes much to American ______ Marie Tharp, a pioneering oceanographic cartographer
whose detailed topographical maps of the ocean floor and its multiple rift valleys helped garner acceptance for the theories
of plate tectonics and continental drift.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. geologist,

B. geologist

C. geologist;

D. geologist:

ID: 594b4a94 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. “Marie tharp” is essential information that completes the first clause — the first clause doesn’t
function without it. So we don’t want to separate it with punctuation.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to
American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s
essential information and should not be separated by a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation
error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking
about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a
semicolon. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much
to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means
it’s essential information and should not be separated by a colon.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c8540a5b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: c8540a5b
Swedish scientists Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann developed a method for measuring the concentration of different
proteins in a biological sample. Their ______ ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), is used to detect and measure
proteins that indicate the presence of certain diseases.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. method (called

B. method—called

C. method, called

D. method called

ID: c8540a5b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The comma after “method” pairs with the comma after the closing parenthesis to separate the supplementary element
“called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions
to identify the name of Engvall and Perlmann’s method, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be
removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because an opening parenthesis can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element
from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fdb16e20
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fdb16e20
Quantum particles of light—photons—provide an unhackable means of transmitting encryption keys over networks, as
attempts to observe particles in quantum states will invariably alter the particles ______ dismantle any information they
transmit.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. and in the process,

B. and, in the process,

C. and in the process—

D. and, in the process

ID: fdb16e20 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses paired punctuation in the form of two commas to set off the nonessential
phrase "in the process."

Choice A is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation.
We need a comma after "and" to match the one after "process." Choice C is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a
nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation, so we would need a dash after "and" to match the one
following "process." Choice D is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with
paired punctuation. We would need a comma after "process" to match the one following "and."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d46ac7e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: d46ac7e7
A second-generation Japanese American, Wataru Misaka ______ in World War II (1941-45) and won two amateur national
basketball championships at the University of Utah when he joined the New York Knicks for the 1947-48 season, becoming
the first non-white basketball player in the US’s top professional league.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. already served

B. was already serving

C. already serves

D. had already served

ID: d46ac7e7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the New York Knicks in 1947. To show that a
past occurrence took place before another past occurrence, we need to use “had” + the past tense form of the verb. This is
called the past perfect tense.

Choice A is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the Knicks. Both events are in the past, but his service
in World War II happened earlier, so we need a verb that makes it clear that his service (and the two national championships)
had ended by the time he joined the Knicks. Choice B is incorrect. “Was already serving” forms the continuous past tense,
which we use when we’re showing a past action that was ongoing. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the
Knicks. Both events are in the past, but they’re not happening at the same time, so we shouldn’t use the continuous past
tense here. Choice C is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II in the past, so we shouldn’t use the present tense “serves.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b1e8b87f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: b1e8b87f
Winding through the ice atop Norway’s Jotunheim Mountains is the Lendbreen pass, an ancient route that was used by
hunters, farmers, traders, and travelers in the Middle Ages before eventually falling into disuse. Recently, archeologists have
______ knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts from the icy pass.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. unearthed:

B. unearthed,

C. unearthed—

D. unearthed

ID: b1e8b87f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the verb "unearthed" and its objects (i.e, what was
"unearthed"): "knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was
"unearthed") with a colon. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed"
from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error,
separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a dash.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 31362d2d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 31362d2d
If simple sugars such as ribose and glycolaldehyde ______ Earth from elsewhere and survived impact—a possibility
astrophysicist Nicolle Zellner outlined in a 2020 study—the sugars could have reacted with other molecules that were already
present on the planet to form the nucleotides that are the structural components of RNA and DNA.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. reach

B. had reached

C. will reach

D. are reaching

ID: 31362d2d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the past perfect
verb “had reached” is used correctly to describe a past action that was completed before another action in the past.
Specifically, in this hypothetical scenario about the origins of RNA and DNA on Earth, the simple sugars had to have reached
Earth before they could react with other molecules on the planet.

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “reach” doesn’t indicate that the simple sugars reached Earth before
reacting with other molecules on the planet. Choice C is incorrect because the future tense verb “will reach” doesn’t indicate
that the simple sugars reached Earth before reacting with other molecules on the planet. Choice D is incorrect because the
present progressive verb “are reaching” doesn’t indicate that the simple sugars reached Earth before reacting with other
molecules on the planet.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d2cf0e11
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: d2cf0e11
Inventor John Friedman created a prototype of the first flexible straw by inserting a screw into a paper straw and, using
dental floss, binding the straw tightly around the ______ When the floss and screw were removed, the resulting corrugations
in the paper allowed the straw to bend easily over the edge of a glass.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. screw’s thread’s.

B. screws’ threads.

C. screw’s threads.

D. screws threads’.

ID: d2cf0e11 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive
noun “screw’s” and the plural noun “threads” correctly indicate that there is only one screw and it has multiple threads.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “threads,” not the singular possessive noun “thread’s.”
Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “screw’s,” not the plural possessive noun
“screws’.” Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “screw’s” and the plural noun
“threads,” not the plural noun “screws” or the plural possessive noun “threads.’”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1d971f75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 1d971f75
Photographer Ansel Adams’s landscape portraits are iconic pieces of American art. However, many of the ______ of
landscapes were intended not as art but as marketing; a concessions company at Yosemite National Park had hired Adams
to take pictures of the park for restaurant menus and brochures.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. photographer’s early photo’s

B. photographers early photo’s

C. photographer’s early photos

D. photographers early photos

ID: 1d971f75 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. There’s only one photographer (Adams), and the photos are his, so the singular possessive
"photographer’s" is correct. There’s more than one photo, and nothing belongs to the photos, so the simple plural "photos" is
correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses the singular possessive "photo’s," which isn’t correct. There’s more than one photo,
and they don’t possess anything, so the noun should be the simple plural "photos." Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses
the simple plural "photographers" and the singular possessive "photo’s," which aren’t correct. There’s only one photographer
(Adams) and there’s more than one photo. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses the simple plural "photographers," which
isn’t correct. There’s only one photographer (Adams).

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c101fc44
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: c101fc44
How do scientists determine what foods were eaten by extinct hominins such as Neanderthals? In the past, researchers
were limited to studying the marks found on the fossilized teeth of skeletons, but in 2017 a team led by Laura Weyrich of the
Australian Centre for Ancient DNA tried something ______ the DNA found in Neanderthals’ fossilized dental plaque.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. new: sequencing

B. new; sequencing

C. new, sequencing:

D. new. Sequencing

ID: c101fc44 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “A team…tried something new” is an independent clause leading to an explanation of what the
new thing was. A colon can only be used at the end of an independent clause, and typically introduces further explanation
that expands upon the first clause, which makes a colon the perfect choice here.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a
sentence, and so it can’t be linked to the independent clause “a team…tried something new” with a semicolon. Only two
independent clauses can be connected in this way. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. If
“sequencing” is included in the first clause, it can no longer stand on its own as a complete idea. Since a colon can only
come at the end of an independent clause, using one in this way creates an error. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a sentence fragment. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0bcb4417
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 0bcb4417
Oglala Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier’s star quilt poems offer an unusually open-ended reading experience. With ______ eight
panels of text stitched together in the shape of a traditional eight-pointed Lakota star quilt, the poems present viewers with a
seemingly infinite number of ways to read them.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. their

B. it’s

C. they’re

D. its

ID: 0bcb4417 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive determiners. The plural possessive
determiner "their" agrees in number with the plural noun "the poems," thus indicating that the poems had eight panels of text
stitched together in the shape of a traditional eight-pointed Lakota star quilt.

Choice B is incorrect because "it’s" is the contraction for "it is" or "it has," not a possessive determiner. Choice C is incorrect
because "they’re" is the contraction for "they are," not a possessive determiner. Choice D is incorrect because the singular
possessive determiner "its" doesn’t agree in number with the plural noun "the poems."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID db2e480a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: db2e480a
By the time Hawaiian king Kamehameha III ______ the throne, the number of longhorn cattle, first introduced to the islands in
1793, had drastically increased, and so too had the need for paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) to manage the wild herds that then
roamed throughout the volcanic terrain.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. ascended

B. will ascend

C. ascends

D. is ascending

ID: db2e480a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. "Ascended" is in the simple past tense. Since Kamehameha became king in the past, this makes
the most sense.

Choice B is incorrect. "Will ascend" is in the future tense, but we wouldn’t know about Kamehameha III’s ascent if it hadn’t
happened yet. The information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described
happened in the past. Choice C is incorrect. "Ascends" is in the simple present tense. However, the information in the
sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described happened in the past. Choice D is incorrect.
"Is ascending" is in the continuous present tense, which we use to show that something is ongoing, but this doesn’t make
sense here—the information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described happened
in the past.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4c9a2aee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 4c9a2aee
Wanda Diaz-Merced is an astrophysicist who lost her sight when she was young. Diaz-Merced’s condition inspired her to
develop software that can translate scientific data into sound. Sound-based tools ______ scientists to detect subtle patterns
in data. Such patterns may not be evident in traditional graphs.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. has enabled

B. enable

C. is enabling

D. enables

ID: 4c9a2aee Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "enable" agrees in
number with the plural subject "sound-based tools."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "has enabled" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "sound-based
tools." Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb "is enabling" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "sound-
based tools." Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb "enables" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject
"sound-based tools."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a30567fd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: a30567fd
Nuhād al-Ḥaddād, known as Fairuz, was one of the most beloved Lebanese singers of the twentieth century. Her broad
singing repertoire—which included traditional forms, such as the Arabic qasida and maqam, alongside modern pop and jazz
styles—lent Fairuz a timeless, cross-generational appeal, ______ her the moniker “the soul of Lebanon.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. earned

B. had earned

C. earning

D. earn

ID: a30567fd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The word "earning" is being used to introduce an additional modifying phrase, which describes
how Fairuz’s repertoire lent her cross-generational appeal. When a verb ends in -ing and doesn’t have a helper verb like "is"
before it, it can be used to modify a noun or verb. This is appropriate here.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from
the rest of the sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a finite form of the verb (like "earned") creates an
error. We need another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information. Choice B is
incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from the rest of
the sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a finite form of the verb (like "had earned") creates an error. We
need another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information. Choice D is incorrect.
The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from the rest of the
sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a finite form of the verb (like "earn") creates an error. We need
another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 603755a5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 603755a5
In 1959, marine biologist Dr. Albert Jones founded the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a scuba diving ______ that is the
oldest club for Black divers in the United States and that has helped thousands of diving enthusiasts become certified in the
field.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. club

B. club,

C. club—

D. club, and

ID: 603755a5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use punctuation to separate it from
“scuba diving club.” .

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not
use a comma (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates
a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a dash (or any kind of punctuation) to
separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence. It makes “that is…United
States” into an awkward independent clause, but it also makes “that has…field” into its own awkward independent clause
without the correct punctuation separating it.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 81ac953e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 81ac953e
In 1899, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius developed an equation to answer a long-standing question: why do chemical
reactions speed up at higher temperatures? The Arrhenius equation, named for its creator, ______ an important concept in
modern chemistry.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. have remained

B. remain

C. remains

D. are remaining

ID: 81ac953e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. This choice uses the singular verb "remains" to match the singular subject "equation."

Choice A is incorrect. The singular noun "equation" doesn’t match with the plural verb conjugation "have remained." Choice B
is incorrect. The singular noun "equation" doesn’t match with the plural verb conjugation "remain." Choice D is incorrect. The
singular noun "equation" doesn’t match with the plural verb conjugation "are remaining."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 50801257
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 50801257
In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical ______ the contributions of the
barrier-breaking 18th-century astronomer and author of “Dispute of the Procession of the Equinoxes,” naming a crater on
Venus after her.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Union would finally acknowledge

B. Union to finally acknowledge

C. Union, having finally acknowledged

D. Union, finally acknowledging

ID: 50801257 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. It’s the only choice that offers a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject
“International Astronomical Union” to make a complete sentence. This might seem like an odd use of “would,” but when
speaking from a point of view in the past, we can actually use “would” to express something that happened later. That’s the
case here: 200 years after Wang Zhenyi’s death, the IAU would finally acknowledge her contributions.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need
a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main
verb. “To acknowledge” can’t do that. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb
elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International
Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “Having acknowledged” can’t do that. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge”
that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. The “-ing” form can’t do that.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1f39ab8b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 1f39ab8b
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a leader of Umuofia (a fictional Nigerian clan) and takes pride in
his culture’s traditions. However, when the arrival of European missionaries brings changes to Umuofia, the novel asks a
central question: How ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected.

B. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected.

C. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected?

D. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected?

ID: 1f39ab8b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the
colon should be in the conventional form of a question: with the verb before the subject, and a question mark at the end.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice ends the sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that
the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be that question. Choice B is incorrect. This choice ends the
sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause
after the colon should be that question. In Standard English, questions place the verb before the subject and end with a
question mark. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t conform to the conventions of Standard English. In Standard
English, questions place the verb before the subject.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a14eef71
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: a14eef71
In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the coefficient of
friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless (and, as its name
suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.

B. two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.

C. reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

D. superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

ID: a14eef71 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier
placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the
missing clause.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly
frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,
so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier
placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement
requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly
frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,
so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6d4b2e1e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6d4b2e1e
The 1977 play And the Soul Shall Dance depicts two Japanese American farming families in Depression-era Southern
California. Critics have noted the way pioneering ______ compares the experiences of issei (Japanese nationals who
emigrated to America) and nisei (their American-born children).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi,

B. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi

C. playwright Wakako Yamauchi,

D. playwright Wakako Yamauchi

ID: 6d4b2e1e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" from the title that describes Yamauchi, "pioneering
playwright." Because "Wakako Yamauchi" is essential information identifying the "pioneering playwright," no punctuation is
necessary.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Setting the
playwright’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence,
which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the title "pioneering playwright" and
the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the proper noun
"Wakako Yamauchi" and the verb "compares."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b85c19ed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: b85c19ed
The violins handmade in the seventeenth century by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari have been celebrated as some of
the finest in the world. In close collaboration with musicians, Stradivari introduced changes to the shape of a traditional
violin, flattening some of the instrument’s curves and making ______ lighter overall.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. those

B. one

C. them

D. it

ID: b85c19ed Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun–antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun “it”
agrees in number with the singular antecedent “violin” and thus indicates that the traditional violin (and not its curves) was
made lighter.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “those” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “violin.”
Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “one” is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear
what Stradivari made lighter. Choice C is incorrect because the plural pronoun “them” doesn’t agree in number with the
singular antecedent “violin.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 109d5bbb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 109d5bbb
With some 16,000 in attendance, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and ______ or FESTAC ‘77, as the event
was more commonly known—became the largest pan-African event on record. FESTAC drew people from around the world
to Lagos, Nigeria, for a monthlong celebration of Black and African art, scholarship, and activism.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Culture:

B. Culture—

C. Culture,

D. Culture

ID: 109d5bbb Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text uses a dash to introduce a nonessential element that explains the acronym FESTAC.
The dash matches the dash that comes after “known,” ending the descriptive aside.

Choice A is incorrect. A colon can only come after an independent clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect.
While punctuation is required to set off “or FESTAC…known” from the rest of the sentence, nonessential elements must be
separated from the sentence with matching punctuation. Since a dash appears on the other side of the element, we can’t use
a comma here. Choice D is incorrect. The descriptive aside “or FESTAC…known” is a nonessential element that must be
separated with punctuation from the rest of the sentence. This choice fails to add the necessary punctuation before the
nonessential element.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c468db1c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: c468db1c
A group of ecologists led by Axel Mithöfer at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany examined the
defensive responses of two varieties of the sweet potato ______ TN57, which is known for its insect resistance, and TN66,
which is much more susceptible to pests.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. plant.

B. plant;

C. plant

D. plant:

ID: c468db1c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the
supplementary element (“TN57…pests”) and to introduce the following elaboration on the specific varieties of sweet potato
plants that were examined.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “TN57.” Choice B is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the supplementary
element (“TN57…pests”). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally
used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group...plant”) and the supplementary element
(“TN57...pests”) with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dfbf5d33
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: dfbf5d33
In 1453, English King Henry VI became unfit to rule after falling gravely ill. As a result, Parliament appointed Richard, Third
Duke of York, who had a strong claim to the English throne, to rule as Lord Protector. Upon recovering two years later, ______
forcing an angered Richard from the royal court and precipitating a series of battles later known as the Wars of the Roses.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Henry resumed his reign,

B. the reign of Henry resumed,

C. Henry’s reign resumed,

D. it was Henry who resumed his reign,

ID: dfbf5d33 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the
introductory phrase “upon recovering two years later” appears immediately before the noun it modifies (“Henry”), clearly
establishing that Henry recovered two years later.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the reign of Henry”
immediately after the introductory phrase illogically suggests that the reign of Henry recovered two years later. Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “Henry’s reign” immediately after the
introductory phrase illogically suggests that Henry’s reign recovered two years later. Choice D is incorrect because it results
in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “it” immediately after the introductory phrase illogically suggests
that “it” recovered two years later.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ec08463d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: ec08463d
Botanists recognize over fifty different species of sunflower. One species, the silverleaf sunflower, ______ both an early-
flowering ecotype that tends to grow in coastal areas and a late-flowering ecotype that grows inland.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. having included

B. including

C. to include

D. includes

ID: ec08463d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so
it needs to be conjugated. This choice gives us the singular present tense “includes,” which is the only conjugated form of
the verb among the choices.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “Having
included” is a participle form of the verb: it’s not conjugated and doesn’t function like a normal verb. Choice B is incorrect.
This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function as
the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “Including” is the gerund form of
the verb: it’s not conjugated and doesn’t function like a normal verb. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a
way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with
the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “To include” is the infinitive form of the verb: it’s not conjugated.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4a90a978
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 4a90a978
In 1990, California native and researcher Ellen Ochoa left her position as chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch
at a NASA research center ______ the space agency’s astronaut training program.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. to join

B. is joining

C. joined

D. joins

ID: 4a90a978 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms in a sentence. The nonfinite to-
infinitive verb "to join" is correctly used to form a subordinate clause that expresses why Ochoa left her position (to join the
training program).

Choice B is incorrect because the finite verb "is joining" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the
training program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "is joining" with the previous finite verb, "left."
Choice C is incorrect because the finite verb "joined" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the
training program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "joined" with the previous finite verb, "left."
Choice D is incorrect because the finite verb "joins" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the training
program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "joins" with the previous finite verb, "left."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a427a52c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a427a52c
The Lion Light system, developed by Kenyan inventor Richard Turere, consists of LED lights installed around the perimeter of
livestock pastures. Powered with ______ the blinking LEDs keep lions away at night, thus protecting the livestock without
risking harm to the endangered lions.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. energy collected, by solar panels, during the day

B. energy collected by solar panels during the day

C. energy collected by solar panels during the day,

D. energy, collected by solar panels during the day,

ID: a427a52c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“powered…day”),
which describes how the LEDs are powered, and the main clause (“the blinking…night”).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with
appropriate punctuation. Furthermore, placing commas around the phrase “by solar panels” suggests that it could be
removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark
the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect.
Placing commas around the phrase “collected by solar panels during the day″ suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c04e9136
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: c04e9136
The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three pioneers in the field of click chemistry: two-time Nobel laureate
Barry Sharpless, who coined the term “click chemistry” in 1998; Carolyn Bertozzi, founder of the Bertozzi Group at ______ and
Morten Meldal, a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Stanford

B. Stanford,

C. Stanford:

D. Stanford;

ID: c04e9136 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. This choice correctly uses a semicolon to punctuate a complex list (which is made up of items
that have commas in them).

Choice A is incorrect. This is a complex list, indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." What comes
after the blank is a separate list item, so punctuation is needed after "Stanford." Choice B is incorrect. This is a complex list,
indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." The items in this list have internal punctuation in the form
of commas and must therefore be separated by semicolons to avoid confusion. Choice C is incorrect. This is a complex list,
indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." Colons aren’t used to separate items in a list.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 588887b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 588887b9
In 1881, French chemist Camille Faure redesigned the rechargeable lead-acid battery. Faure’s design greatly increased the
amount of electricity that the original battery, which the French physicist Gaston Planté ______ fifteen years earlier, could
hold.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. is inventing

B. will invent

C. invents

D. had invented

ID: 588887b9 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Faure redesigned the battery in 1881, and the original battery was invented “fifteen years
earlier.” Notice that this is the only choice in the past tense. To indicate that a past occurrence took place before another
past occurrence, we need to use “had” + the past tense form of the verb. This is called the “past perfect” tense.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a tense error. Planté invented the original battery in the past, so we shouldn’t use
the present tense “is inventing.” Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a tense error. Planté invented the original battery in
the past, so we shouldn’t use the future tense “will invent.” Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a tense error. Planté
invented the original battery in the past, so we shouldn’t use the present tense “invents.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fe41f258
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fe41f258
In ancient Greece, an Epicurean was a follower of Epicurus, a philosopher whose beliefs revolved around the pursuit of
pleasure. Epicurus defined pleasure as “the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the ______ that all life’s virtues
derived from this absence.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. soul,” positing

B. soul”: positing

C. soul”; positing

D. soul.” Positing

ID: fe41f258 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a participial phrase.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“Epicurus…‘soul’”) and the participial
phrase (“positing…absence”) that provides additional information about how Epicurus defined pleasure.

Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice C is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice D is incorrect
because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “positing.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e44db0a0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: e44db0a0
Because a cycle of lunar phases ______ 29.5 days to complete, it’s possible to observe two full moons in a single month, one
at the beginning and one at the end.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. are taking

B. have taken

C. take

D. takes

ID: e44db0a0 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "takes" agrees in
number with the singular subject "a cycle of lunar phases."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are taking" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "a cycle of lunar
phases." Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "have taken" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "a cycle
of lunar phases." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "take" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "a
cycle of lunar phases."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3ed5ebb4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 3ed5ebb4
In her analysis of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (1905), scholar Candace Waid observes that the novel depicts the
upper classes of New York society as “consumed by the appetite of a soulless ______ an apt assessment given that The
House of Mirth is set during the Gilded Age, a period marked by rapid industrialization, economic greed, and widening wealth
disparities.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. materialism”; and

B. materialism” and

C. materialism,”

D. materialism”

ID: 3ed5ebb4 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a supplementary noun
phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“scholar…materialism”) and the
supplementary noun phrase (“an apt assessment”) that describes Waid’s observation about how The House of Mirth depicts
the upper classes of New York society.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. Choice B is incorrect. Joining the main clause (“scholar…
materialism”) and the following noun phrase with the conjunction “and” results in a confusing and illogical sentence that
suggests that the novel depicts the upper classes of New York society as “an apt assessment,” which doesn’t make sense in
this context. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary
noun phrase with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 67614549
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 67614549
After winning the 1860 presidential election, Abraham Lincoln appointed Edward Bates, Salmon P. Chase, and William H.
Seward to his cabinet. Lincoln’s decision was surprising, since each of these men had run against him, but historians have
praised it, noting that Lincoln ______ his rivals’ diverse talents to strengthen his administration.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. has leveraged

B. is leveraging

C. will leverage

D. leveraged

ID: 67614549 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the verb is “Lincoln,” and the first sentence tells us that we’re talking about
something that Abraham Lincoln did in 1860. So the simple past tense “leveraged” fits the logic of the text.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Has leveraged” is the present perfect tense, which is used for an
action that began in the past and continues into the present. Lincoln started leveraging his rivals’ talents in 1860—it’s
definitely not still happening today. So the present perfect tense isn’t appropriate. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a
tense issue. “Is leveraging” is the present tense, but Lincoln leveraged his rivals’ talents in 1860, so the present tense isn’t
appropriate. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Will leverage” is the future tense, but Lincoln leveraged
his rivals’ talents in 1860, so the future tense isn’t appropriate.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 78b88c04
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 78b88c04
Joshua Hinson, director of the language revitalization program of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, helped produce the
world’s first Indigenous-language instructional app, Chickasaw ______ Chickasaw TV, in 2010; and a Rosetta Stone language
course in Chickasaw, in 2015.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Basic; in 2009, an online television network;

B. Basic; in 2009, an online television network,

C. Basic, in 2009; an online television network,

D. Basic, in 2009, an online television network,

ID: 78b88c04 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series. It’s conventional to
use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the semicolon after
“2009” is conventionally used to separate the first item (“the world’s…2009”) and the second item (“an online…2010”) in the
series of things that Hinson helped create. Further, the comma after “Basic” correctly pairs with the comma after “app,” and
the comma after “network” correctly pairs with the comma after “TV” to set off the supplemental elements (“Chickasaw
Basic” and “Chickasaw TV”) that provide the names of the app and the TV network, respectively. Altogether, the punctuation
in this choice results in a sentence that clearly indicates that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV
network in 2010, and a language course in 2015.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a
language app in 2009, an online TV network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to
punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV
network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice D is incorrect because the comma after “2009” doesn’t match the
semicolon used to separate the second and third items in the complex series.

Question Difficulty: Hard