Question ID 96c720af

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 96c720af
Atoms in a synchrotron, a type of circular particle accelerator, travel faster and faster until they ______ a desired energy level,
at which point they are diverted to collide with a target, smashing the atoms.

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

A. will reach

B. reach

C. had reached

D. are reaching

ID: 96c720af Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the present tense verb “reach” is consistent with the present tense verbs “travel” and “are diverted” used to describe how
atoms move through the synchrotron.

Choice A is incorrect because the future tense verb “will reach” is inconsistent with the present tense verbs used to describe
how atoms move through the synchrotron. Though the atoms’ movement is a recurring action and “will reach” can also be
used to indicate a habitual or recurring action, it creates a logical inconsistency in this sentence when paired with the
present tense verbs “travel” and “are diverted.” Choice C is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb “had reached” is
inconsistent with the present tense verbs used to describe how atoms move through the synchrotron. Choice D is incorrect
because the present progressive tense verb “are reaching” is inconsistent with the present tense verbs used to describe how
atoms move through the synchrotron. While both verbs occur in the present, the present progressive tense suggests that the
action is currently in progress. This creates a logical inconsistency when paired with the present tense verbs “travel” and “are
diverted,” which offer a general description of the tendencies of the atoms’ movement, rather than a description of an action
that is currently in progress.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d47bb0a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: d47bb0a4
Objects ranging from the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle to the Yamaha VMAX motorcycle to the Komachi bullet train ______
designed by twentieth-century industrial designer Kenji Ekuan.

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

A. was

B. is

C. has been

D. were

ID: d47bb0a4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "were" agrees in number
with the plural subject "objects."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "was" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects." Choice B is
incorrect because the singular verb "is" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects." Choice C is incorrect
because the singular verb "has been" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 15d6d837
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 15d6d837
Literary agents estimate that more than half of all nonfiction books credited to a celebrity or other public figure are in fact
written by ghostwriters, professional authors who are paid to write other ______ but whose names never appear on book
covers.

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

A. people’s stories

B. peoples story’s

C. peoples stories

D. people’s story’s

ID: 15d6d837 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural possessive
noun “people’s” and the plural noun “stories” correctly indicate that there are multiple stories from multiple people.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “people’s” and the plural noun “stories,” not the
plural noun “peoples” and the singular possessive noun “story’s.” Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the
plural possessive noun “people’s,” not the plural noun “peoples.” Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural
noun “stories,” not the singular possessive noun “story’s.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 7c48a6dd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 56770dda
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 56770dda
In his 1963 exhibition Exposition of Music—Electronic Television, Korean American artist Nam June Paik showed how
television images could be manipulated to express an artist’s perspective. Today, Paik ______ considered the first video artist.

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

A. will be

B. had been

C. was

D. is

ID: 56770dda Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present
tense verb “is,” used in conjunction with the word “today,” correctly indicates that Paik is currently considered the first video
artist.

Choice A is incorrect because the future-indicating verb “will be” doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently considered the first
video artist. Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb “had been” doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently
considered the first video artist. Choice C is incorrect because the past tense verb “was” doesn’t indicate that Paik is
currently considered the first video artist.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1ee7b429
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 1ee7b429
Bonnie Buratti of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ______ data about Saturn’s rings collected by the Cassini spacecraft when
she made an interesting discovery: the tiny moons embedded between and within Saturn’s rings are shaped by the buildup of
ring material on the moons’ surfaces.

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

A. studies

B. has been studying

C. will study

D. was studying

ID: 1ee7b429 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 progressive tense verb “was studying” is consistent with the other past tense verbs (e.g., “made” and “collected”)
used to describe Buratti’s discovery. Further, the past progressive tense correctly indicates that an ongoing action in the past
was occurring (she was studying) at the same time that another event occurred in the past (she made an interesting
discovery).

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “studies” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe
Buratti’s discovery. Choice B is incorrect because the present perfect progressive tense verb “has been studying” isn’t
consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe Buratti’s discovery. Choice C is incorrect because the future tense verb
“will study” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe Buratti’s discovery.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7f1df833
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 7f1df833
In 1966, Emmett Ashford became the first African American to umpire a Major League Baseball game. His energetic
gestures announcing when a player had struck out and his habit of barreling after a hit ball to see if it would land out of
______ transform the traditionally solemn umpire role into a dynamic one.

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

A. bounds helped

B. bounds, helping

C. bounds that helped

D. bounds to help

ID: 7f1df833 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite verb use in a main clause. A main clause requires a finite
verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, Ashford’s “gestures” and “habit”), and this choice supplies the finite
past tense verb “helped” to indicate what Ashford’s gestures and habit helped accomplish.

Choice B is incorrect because the non-finite participle “helping” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C is
incorrect because the relative clause “that helped” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect
because the non-finite to-infinitive “to help” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID dd428136
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dd428136
Cheng Dang and her colleagues at the University of Washington recently ran simulations to determine the extent to which
individual snow ______ affect the amount of light reflecting off a snowy surface.

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

A. grain’s physical properties’

B. grains’ physical properties

C. grains’ physical property’s

D. grains physical properties

ID: dd428136 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural possessive
noun “grains’” and the plural noun “properties” correctly indicate that the simulations involved multiple snow grains and that
those snow grains had several properties.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “grains’” and the plural noun “properties,” not
the singular possessive noun “grain’s” and the plural possessive noun “properties’.” Choice C is incorrect because the context
requires the plural noun “properties,” not the singular possessive noun “property’s.” Choice D is incorrect because the context
requires the plural possessive noun “grains’,” not the plural noun “grains.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8d53e7a0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 d2cf0e11
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 db2e480a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 d073983d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: d073983d
Known for her massive photorealistic paintings of African American figures floating or swimming in pools, Calida Garcia
______ was the logical choice to design the book cover for Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer, a novel about an African
American man who can travel great distances through water.

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

A. Rawles—

B. Rawles:

C. Rawles,

D. Rawles

ID: d073983d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case,
a subject (“Calida Garcia Rawles”) is immediately followed by a verb (“was”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 67614549
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 e44db0a0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 cd2443c0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: cd2443c0
A pioneer in the field of taphonomy (the study of how organic remains become fossils), ______ may be just as prevalent in the
fossil record as those of thick-shelled organisms.

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

A. fossils of thin-shelled organisms, Anna Behrensmeyer demonstrated in a 2005 analysis,

B. Anna Behrensmeyer demonstrated in a 2005 analysis that fossils of thin-shelled organisms

C. it was demonstrated in a 2005 analysis by Anna Behrensmeyer that fossils of thin-shelled organisms

D. a 2005 analysis—by Anna Behrensmeyer—demonstrated that fossils of thin-shelled organisms

ID: cd2443c0 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“Anna Behrensmeyer” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “a pioneer…fossils.”
In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that Anna Behrensmeyer—and not another noun in the sentence—is a pioneer in
the field of taphonomy.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “fossils of thin-shelled
organisms” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “fossils” are a pioneer in the field of
taphonomy. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the pronoun “it” immediately
after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “it” is a pioneer in the field of taphonomy. Choice D is incorrect because it
results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “a 2005 analysis” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically suggests that “a 2005 analysis” is a pioneer in the field of taphonomy.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID dd6a0326
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dd6a0326
African American Percy Julian was a scientist and entrepreneur whose work helped people around the world to see. Named
in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years, ______ led to the first mass-produced
treatment for glaucoma.

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

A. Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine in 1935; it

B. in 1935 Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine, which

C. Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine

D. the alkaloid physostigmine was synthesized by Julian in 1935 and

ID: dd6a0326 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“Julian’s 1935 synthesis” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “named…years.” In
doing so, this choice clearly establishes that Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine—and not another noun in
the sentence—was named in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “Julian” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that Julian himself was named as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in
the past hundred years. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the prepositional
phrase “in 1935” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “in 1935” was named as
one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a
dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the alkaloid physostigmine” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically and confusingly suggests that the alkaloid physostigmine itself (not the synthesis of it) was named as one of the
greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 37e5c794
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 f0864217
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 c91ef0f0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: c91ef0f0
During the American Civil War, Thomas Morris Chester braved the front lines as a war correspondent for the Philadelphia
Press. Amplifying the voices and experiences of Black soldiers ______ of particular importance to Chester, who later became
an activist and lawyer during the postwar Reconstruction period.

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

A. were

B. have been

C. are

D. was

ID: c91ef0f0 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was" agrees in
number with the singular subject "amplifying." Gerunds such as "amplifying" are always singular.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "were" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "amplifying." Choice B
is incorrect because the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "amplifying." Choice C is
incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "amplifying."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 512f0ac9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 512f0ac9
Working from an earlier discovery of Charpentier’s, chemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna—winners of the
2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry—re-created and then reprogrammed the so-called “genetic scissors” of a species of DNA-
cleaving bacteria ______ a tool that is revolutionizing the field of gene technology.

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

A. to forge

B. forging

C. forged

D. and forging

ID: 512f0ac9 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. The
nonfinite to-infinitive “to forge” is correctly used to form a nonfinite (infinitive) clause that explains why the chemists re-
created and reprogrammed the DNA-cleaving bacteria.

Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma separating the main clause (“chemists...bacteria”) from the participle “forging,” this
choice illogically suggests that the bacteria are forging a tool, which doesn’t make sense. Choice C is incorrect. Without a
coordinating conjunction such as “and” placed before it, the finite past tense verb “forged” can’t be used in this way to
describe the chemists’ actions. Choice D is incorrect. If read as a finite verb, the present progressive verb “forging” isn’t
consistent with the past tense verbs used in this sentence to describe the actions of the chemists. If read as a nonfinite verb,
the participle “forging” can’t be used in this way because there is no following main clause for it to modify.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d2b81427
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 3bceeb93
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 5b8f9cf2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 de3dd17d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 2dd1b8bf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 2dd1b8bf
Compared to that of alumina glass, ______ silica glass atoms are so far apart that they are unable to re-form bonds after
being separated.

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

A. silica glass is at a significant disadvantage due to its more dispersed atomic arrangement:

B. silica glass has a more dispersed atomic arrangement, resulting in a significant disadvantage:

C. a significant disadvantage of silica glass is that its atomic arrangement is more dispersed:

D. silica glass’s atomic arrangement is more dispersed, resulting in a significant disadvantage:

ID: 2dd1b8bf Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes “silica glass’s
atomic arrangement” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “compared to that of
alumina glass.” In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that silica glass’s atomic arrangement—and not another noun in
the sentence—is being compared to the atomic arrangement (“that”) of alumina glass.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “silica glass” immediately
after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that silica glass itself (rather than its atomic arrangement) is being compared
to alumina glass’s atomic arrangement. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the
noun phrase “silica glass” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that silica glass itself (rather than its
atomic arrangement) is being compared to alumina glass’s atomic arrangement. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a
dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “a significant disadvantage” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically suggests that “a significant disadvantage” is being compared to alumina glass’s atomic arrangement.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d46ac7e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 329255db
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 329255db
Bengali author Toru Dutt’s A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields (1876), a volume of English translations of French poems, ______
scholars’ understanding of the transnational and multilingual contexts in which Dutt lived and worked.

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

A. has enhanced

B. are enhancing

C. have enhanced

D. enhance

ID: 329255db Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “has enhanced”
agrees in number with the singular subject “A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields,” which is the title of a book of poems.

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are enhancing” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “A Sheaf
Gleaned in French Fields.” Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “have enhanced” doesn’t agree in number with the
singular subject “A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields.” Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “enhance” doesn’t agree in
number with the singular subject “A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 50801257
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 8a9d2f4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 8a9d2f4e
Researchers studying the “terra-cotta army,” the thousands of life-size statues of warriors found interred near the tomb of
Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China, were shocked to realize that the shape of each statue’s ears, like the shape of each
person’s ears, ______ unique.

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

A. are

B. is

C. were

D. have been

ID: 8a9d2f4e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject–verb agreement. because the singular verb “is” agrees
in number with the singular subject “the shape.”

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “are” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “the shape.” Choice C is
incorrect because the plural verb “were” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “the shape.” Choice D is incorrect
because the plural verb “have been” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “the shape.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dfbf5d33
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 3daf126e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 3daf126e
A model created by biologist Luis Valente predicts that the rate of speciation—the rate at which new species form—on an
isolated island located approximately 5,000 kilometers from the nearest mainland ______ triple the rate of speciation on an
island only 500 kilometers from the mainland.

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

A. being

B. to be

C. to have been

D. will be

ID: 3daf126e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. Relative
clauses, such as the one beginning with “that,” require a finite verb, a verb that can function as the main verb of a clause. This
choice correctly supplies the clause with the finite future tense verb “will be.”

Choice A is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “being” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice B is
incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to be” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice C is incorrect because
the nonfinite to-infinitive “to have been” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb.

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 8a3998f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 8a3998f1
After the United Kingdom began rolling out taxes equivalent to a few cents on single-use plastic grocery bags in 2011,
plastic-bag consumption decreased by up to ninety ______ taxes are subject to what economists call the “rebound effect”: as
the change became normalized, plastic-bag use started to creep back up.

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

A. percent, such

B. percent and such

C. percent. Such

D. percent such

ID: 8a3998f1 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
after “percent” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“After…percent”) and another (“Such…up”).

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 D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“After…percent” and “Such…up”)
are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 4565a53c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 4565a53c
Lucía Michel of the University of Chile observed that alkaline soils contain an insoluble form of iron that blueberry plants
cannot absorb, thus inhibiting blueberry growth. If these plants were grown in alkaline soil alongside grasses that aid in iron
solubilization, ______ Michel was determined to find out.

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

A. could the blueberries thrive.

B. the blueberries could thrive.

C. the blueberries could thrive?

D. could the blueberries thrive?

ID: 4565a53c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a
question mark to punctuate the interrogative clause “could the blueberries thrive,” which asks a direct question at the end of
the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative clause, such as “could the
blueberries thrive,” at the end of a sentence. Choice B is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative clause. The
declarative clause “the blueberries could thrive” incorrectly indicates that it was known that the blueberries could thrive in
alkaline soil, whereas Michel had yet to find this out. Choice C is incorrect because a question mark can’t be used in this way
to punctuate a declarative clause, such as “the blueberries could thrive,” at the end of a sentence.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9902d2de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 9902d2de
The Alvarez theory, developed in 1980 by physicist Luis Walter Alvarez and his geologist son Walter Alvarez, maintained that
the secondary effects of an asteroid impact caused many dinosaurs and other animals to die ______ it left unexplored the
question of whether unrelated volcanic activity might have also contributed to the mass extinctions.

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

A. out but

B. out, but

C. out

D. out,

ID: 9902d2de Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“the Alvarez…out”) and the
second main clause (“it left…extinctions”).

Choice A 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 run-on sentence. The two main clauses are
fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D 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: Easy

Question ID 7f48b098
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 7f48b098
Photosynthesis, the mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into ______ is fueled in part by
an enzyme called Photosystem II that harvests energy-giving electrons from water molecules.

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

A. nutrients

B. nutrients and

C. nutrients,

D. nutrients—

ID: 7f48b098 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 “nutrients” pairs with the comma after “photosynthesis” to separate the supplementary element “the
mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into nutrients” from the rest of the sentence. This
supplementary element functions to define the term “photosynthesis,” 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 it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of
the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a conjunction can’t be paired with a comma in this way to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma in
this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 083a35dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 083a35dc
Po’Pay was a Tewa leader from Ohkay Owingeh, a pueblo located about twenty-five miles north of present-day Santa Fe, New
Mexico. He was instrumental in organizing the Pueblo Revolt of ______ as a result of his leadership, the Spanish colonizers
were expelled from the region for a time.

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

A. 1680

B. 1680 and

C. 1680,

D. 1680, and

ID: 083a35dc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “and” to join the first main clause (“He…1680”) and the second
main clause (“as…time”).

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 2b512e65
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2b512e65
Eli Eisenberg, a genetics expert at Tel Aviv University in Israel, recently discovered that ______ have a special genetic ability
called RNA editing that confers evolutionary advantages.

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

A. cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish

B. cephalopods—ocean dwellers—that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,

C. cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include: the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,

D. cephalopods—ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish—

ID: 2b512e65 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
In this choice, the dash after “cephalopods” pairs with the dash after “cuttlefish” to clearly separate the supplementary
element “ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish” from the rest of the sentence. This
supplementary element functions to explain what cephalopds are, and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could
be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains
what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to
separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are
from the rest of the sentence.

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 4ba99a6f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 4ba99a6f
Seneca sculptor Marie Watt’s blanket art comes in a range of shapes and sizes. In 2004, Watt sewed strips of blankets
together to craft a 10-by-13-inch ______ in 2014, she arranged folded blankets into two large stacks and then cast them in
bronze, creating two curving 18-foot-tall blue-bronze pillars.

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

A. sampler later,

B. sampler;

C. sampler,

D. sampler, later,

ID: 4ba99a6f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause (“In 2004…sampler”) and the second main clause (“in
2014…pillars”).

Choice A 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. The word “later” is an adverb and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is
preceded by a 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. Choice D 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. The word “later” is an adverb
and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is preceded by a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 267a13e2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 267a13e2
In 2010, archaeologist Noel Hidalgo Tan was visiting the twelfth-century temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia when he noticed
markings of red paint on the temple ______ the help of digital imaging techniques, he discovered the markings to be part of
an elaborate mural containing over 200 paintings.

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

A. walls, with

B. walls with

C. walls so with

D. walls. With

ID: 267a13e2 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 “walls” is used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“In...walls”) and the second sentence (“With…
techniques”), which starts with a supplementary phrase.

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 because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“In...walls” and
“with...paintings”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it,
the conjunction “so” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

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 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 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 89fbc3eb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 89fbc3eb
The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the infrastructure of
overburdened national ______ it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads, utilities, employee housing, and visitor
facilities while also establishing educational programming for the public.

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

A. parks and

B. parks

C. parks;

D. parks,

ID: 89fbc3eb 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
uses a semicolon to correctly join the first main clause (“The Mission…parks”) and the second main clause that begins with
“it.”

Choice A is incorrect. When coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before
the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused
without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D 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 aaa1907f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: aaa1907f
To serve local families during the Great Depression, innovative New York City librarian Pura Belpré offered storytelling in both
English and Spanish, an uncommon ______ celebrated el Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, an important community holiday; and
put on puppet shows dramatizing Puerto Rican folktales.

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

A. practice, at the time

B. practice at the time;

C. practice, at the time,

D. practice at the time,

ID: aaa1907f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of elements 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 "time" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("offered…time") and the second ("celebrated…
holiday") in the series of activities that librarian Pura Belpré offered. Moreover, the semicolon after "time" matches the
semicolon used later to separate the second item ("celebrated...holiday") and the third ("and...folktales") in the series.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the first item and the second item in the
complex series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun "practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time"
because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice C
is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second
("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun
"practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time" because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the
phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice D is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the
semicolon used later to separate the second ("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 886dc9f9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 886dc9f9
On July 23, 1854, a clipper ship called the Flying Cloud entered San Francisco ______ left New York Harbor under the
guidance of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy and his wife, navigator Eleanor Creesy, a mere 89 days and 8 hours earlier, the
celebrated ship set a record that would stand for 135 years.

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

A. Bay and having

B. Bay. Having

C. Bay, having

D. Bay having

ID: 886dc9f9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “Bay” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“On…Bay”) and another sentence that begins with
a supplementary phrase (“Having…years”). Here, the supplementary phrase beginning with “having” modifies the subject of
the second sentence, “the celebrated ship.”

Choice A 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 comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice
D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“On…Bay” and “having…years”) are fused without
punctuation and/or a conjunction.

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 73a6603c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 73a6603c
On sunny days, dark rooftops absorb solar energy and convert it to unwanted heat, raising the surrounding air ______ a light-
colored covering to an existing dark roof, either by attaching prefabricated reflective sheets or spraying on a paint-like
coating, helps combat this effect.

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

A. temperature; by adding

B. temperature, adding

C. temperature. Adding

D. temperature by adding

ID: 73a6603c 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 (“On…temperature”) and the second sentence (“Adding…
effect”). The gerund phrase beginning with “adding” is the subject of the second sentence, and the verb phrase “helps
combat this effect” describes what adding a light-colored covering can do.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the sentence “On...temperature” and the
supplementary phrases that follow. Doing so leaves the verb phrase “helps combat” without a subject and thus results in a
grammatically unconventional 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 D is incorrect. This choice results in a confusing and illogical
sentence that suggests that adding a light-colored covering to an existing dark roof raises the temperature of the
surrounding air. Furthermore, it creates ambiguity by leaving the verb phrase “helps combat” without a subject (so it isn’t
clear what helps combat the effect).

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 0fa289a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 0fa289a7
In 1955, Indian Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray released his first movie, Pather ______ quiet black-and-white drama about a
family in rural India, Ray’s film was quite different from the loud, colorful action-romance movies that were popular at the
time.

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

A. Panchali a

B. Panchali, which was a

C. Panchali, a

D. Panchali. A

ID: 0fa289a7 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 is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…Panchali") and another ("A quiet…time"). The phrase
beginning with "a quiet" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Ray’s film."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The 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 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.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ba8ebf49
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: ba8ebf49
The poem Beowulf begins with the word “hwæt,” which is an Old English ______ as “hark!” or “listen!” in some versions, the
word was playfully rendered as “bro!” by Maria Dahvana Headley in her 2020 translation of the poem.

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

A. exclamation, translated

B. exclamation and translated

C. exclamation translated

D. exclamation. Translated

ID: ba8ebf49 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 is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("The poem…exclamation") and another sentence that begins
with a supplementary element ("Translated…poem"). The supplementary element "translated as ‘hark!’ or ‘listen!’ in some
versions" modifies the subject of the second sentence, "the word" (referring to hwæt).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice after "exclamation." 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 comma splice after "versions." A comma can’t be
used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1b97cce9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 1b97cce9
Hegra is an archaeological site in present-day Saudi Arabia and was the second largest city of the Nabataean Kingdom
(fourth century BCE to first century CE). Archaeologist Laila Nehmé recently traveled to Hegra to study its ancient ______ into
the rocky outcrops of a vast desert, these burial chambers seem to blend seamlessly with nature.

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

A. tombs. Built

B. tombs, built

C. tombs and built

D. tombs built

ID: 1b97cce9 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
after “tombs” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Archaeologist...tombs”) and another
(“Built...nature”).

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. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the
two sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“Archaeologist...tombs” and
“Built...nature”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2fd05c15
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2fd05c15
In crafting her fantasy fiction, Nigerian-born British author Helen Oyeyemi has drawn inspiration from the classic nineteenth-
century fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Her 2014 novel Boy, Snow, Bird, for instance, is a complex retelling of the story of
Snow White, while her 2019 novel ______ offers a delicious twist on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.

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

A. ­Gingerbread—

B. ­Gingerbread,

C. Gingerbread

D. ­Gingerbread:

ID: 2fd05c15 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case,
a subject (“her 2019 novel Gingerbread”) is immediately followed by a verb (“offers”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID be37d4ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: be37d4ae
During the English neoclassical period (1660–1789), many writers imitated the epic poetry and satires of ancient Greece and
Rome. They were not the first in England to adopt the literary modes of classical ______ some of the most prominent figures
of the earlier Renaissance period were also influenced by ancient Greek and Roman literature.

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

A. antiquity, however

B. antiquity, however,

C. antiquity, however;

D. antiquity; however,

ID: be37d4ae Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary phrase following a clause.
This choice uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb phrase “however” from the independent clause it modifies
(“They …antiquity”) and uses a semicolon to join the first independent clause (“They …antiquity”) and the second independent
clause (“some…literature”). Further, placing the semicolon after “however” indicates that the information in the clause that
this part of (that neoclassical writers were not the first to adopt classical literary modes) is contrary to what might be
assumed from the information in the previous sentence (that the neoclassical writers were unique in imitating classical epic
poetry and satires).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary after “however” between the two independent clauses with
appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because the comma after “however” can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between the two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “antiquity”
illogically indicates that the information in the clause that this part of (that prominent Renaissance figures were also
influenced by classical literature) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (that neoclassical writers were not the
first to adopt classical literary modes).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0a114526
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 0a114526
In 1937, Chinese American screen actor Anna May Wong, who had portrayed numerous villains and secondary characters
but never a heroine, finally got a starring role in Paramount Pictures’ Daughter of Shanghai, a film that ______ “expanded the
range of possibilities for Asian images on screen.”

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

A. critic, Stina Chyn, claims

B. critic, Stina Chyn, claims,

C. critic Stina Chyn claims

D. critic Stina Chyn, claims,

ID: 0a114526 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The conventions being tested are punctuation use between titles and proper nouns and
between verbs and integrated quotations. No punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun “Stina Chyn” from the title that
describes Chyn, “critic.” Because “Stina Chyn” is essential information identifying the “critic,” no punctuation is necessary.
Further, no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and the following quotation because the quotation is integrated
into the structure of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’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 before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s
name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the
case. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between “claims” and the integrated quotation. Choice D is incorrect because
no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and its subject, “critic Stina Chyn.” Additionally, no punctuation is
needed between the verb “claims” and the integrated quotation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 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

Question ID adf210e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: adf210e7
The haiku-like poems of Tomas Tranströmer, which present nature- and dream-influenced images in crisp, spare language,
have earned the Swedish poet praise from leading contemporary ______ them Nigerian American essayist and novelist Teju
Cole, who has written that Tranströmer’s works “contain a luminous simplicity.”

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

A. writers. Among

B. writers among

C. writers; among

D. writers, among

ID: adf210e7 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. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“The haiku-like…writers”) and
the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”) that specifies a contemporary writer who has praised Tomas Tranströmer’s
haiku-like poems.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “among.” Choice B
is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary phrase with appropriate
punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“The haiku-like…
writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”).

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 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 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 84658166
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 84658166
In 1943, in the midst of World War II, mathematics professor Grace Hopper was recruited by the US military to help the war
effort by solving complex equations. Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just ______ as a pioneering
computer programmer, Hopper would help usher in the digital age.

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

A. equations, though:

B. equations, though,

C. equations. Though,

D. equations though

ID: 84658166 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation to mark boundaries between
supplements and clauses. The comma after “equations” is used to separate the independent clause (“Hopper’s…equation”)
from the supplementary adverb phrase “though.” The colon after “though” is used to mark the boundary between the clause
ending with “though” and the following clause (“as…age”). A colon used in this way introduces information that illustrates or
explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon after “though” introduces the following explanation of
how Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations: she would become a pioneering computer
programmer.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two independent
clauses (“Hopper’s…though” and “as…age”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical sequence of
sentences. Placing the period after “equations” and beginning the next sentence with “Though” illogically suggests that the
following information (that Hopper would help usher in the digital age) is contrary to the information in the previous
sentence (Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations). Instead, the information that follows
supports the information from the previous sentence by explaining how her work and influence extended beyond solely
solving equations. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses (“Hopper’s…
though” and “as…age”) are fused without punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1ee4485c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 1ee4485c
Journalists have dubbed Gil Scott-Heron the “godfather of rap,” a title that has appeared in hundreds of articles about him
since the 1990s. Scott-Heron himself resisted the godfather ______ feeling that it didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the
broader African American blues music tradition as well as “bluesologist,” the moniker he preferred.

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

A. nickname, however

B. nickname, however;

C. nickname, however,

D. nickname; however,

ID: 1ee4485c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and two supplementary
elements. In this choice, the commas after “nickname” and “however” are correctly used to separate the supplementary
adverb “however” from the main clause (“Scott-Heron…nickname”) on one side and the supplementary participial phrase
(“feeling…bluesologist”) on the other.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary adverb “however” and the
supplementary phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”). Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join
the supplementary adverb “however” and the supplementary phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”). Choice D is incorrect because a
semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“Scott-Heron…nickname”) and the supplementary word and
phrase (“however” and “feeling…bluesologist”). Moreover, placing the semicolon after “nickname” illogically signals that the
following information (Scott-Heron’s feeling that the nickname didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the blues tradition) is
contrary to the information in the previous clause (Scott-Heron’s resistance to the nickname).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f868d438
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: f868d438
In 2018, the innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek ______ were featured in City Dreams, a solo
exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

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

A. Kingelez;

B. Kingelez,

C. Kingelez

D. Kingelez:

ID: f868d438 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. No punctuation is
needed when the subject of a sentence is immediately followed by a main verb. In this case, the sentence’s subject (“the
innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek Kingelez”) is followed by the main verb “were featured,” and
no punctuation should come between them.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2c4cd76d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2c4cd76d
Researchers studying magnetosensation have determined why some soil-dwelling roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere
move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field when searching for ______ in the Northern Hemisphere, the magnetic
field points down, into the ground, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it points up, toward the surface and away from worms’
food sources.

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

A. food:

B. food,

C. food while

D. food

ID: 2c4cd76d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is colon use within a sentence. A colon used in this way introduces
information that illustrates or explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon introduces the following
explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two long independent
clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence.
The two clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation. Furthermore, the conjunction “while”
fails to indicate that what follows is an explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the
opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two clauses
(“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ea0aa676
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and 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 83898524
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 83898524
In addition to advocating for South America’s independence in two political treatises, the Cartagena Manifesto and the Letter
from Jamaica, Simón Bolívar personally led armies against the Spanish, liberating three South American territories—New
Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama), Venezuela, and Quito (present-day ______ from colonial rule.

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

A. Ecuador,)

B. Ecuador)

C. Ecuador),

D. Ecuador)—

ID: 83898524 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The dash after “Ecuador” and the closing parenthesis pairs with the dash after “territories” to separate the supplementary
element (“New…Ecuador”) from the rest of the sentence. The supplementary element specifies the three South American
territories that Simón Bolívar liberated, and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting
the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of
the sentence. Furthermore, punctuation isn’t needed between “Ecuador” and the closing parenthesis. Choice B is incorrect
because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice
C is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the
sentence.

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,

Conventions and 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