Question ID 3580533b 1.

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 3580533b
In recent years, economists around the world have created new tools that quantify the overall well-being of a
country’s citizens. Economists in India, for example, use an Ease of Living Index. This tool ______ economic
potential, sustainability, and citizens’ quality of life.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. measures
B. had measured
C. would have measured
D. will have been measuring

ID: 3580533b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b7363ba2 1.2

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: b7363ba2
Mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz used the metaphor of the “butterfly effect” to explain how
seemingly minor events can have major impacts on future weather. According to Lorenz’s metaphor, the wind
from a butterfly flapping ______ in Brazil might eventually grow into a storm elsewhere across the globe.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. its wings
B. its wings’
C. it’s wing’s
D. it’s wings’

ID: b7363ba2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of possessive determiners and plural
nouns. The singular possessive determiner "its" and the plural noun "wings" correctly indicate that the
butterfly has multiple wings.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "wings," not the plural possessive noun
"wings’." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive determiner "its" and the
plural noun "wings," not the contraction "it’s" and the singular possessive noun "wing’s." Choice D is incorrect
because the context requires the singular possessive determiner "its" and the plural noun "wings," not the
contraction "it’s" and the plural possessive noun "wings’."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID dbd78791 1.3

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dbd78791
Led by Syrian American astronomer Shadia Habbal, the Solar Wind Sherpas are an intrepid team of scientists who
travel the globe to study solar winds, the streams of particles emanating from the Sun that are only visible from
certain locations during a total solar eclipse. When such an eclipse is imminent, the Sherpas pack up their
telescopes and ______ ready.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. get
B. had gotten
C. got
D. were getting

ID: dbd78791 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A 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 “get” is consistent with the other present tense verbs (“are,” “travel,” and
“pack”) used to describe the Sherpas and their activities.

Choice B is incorrect. The past perfect verb “had gotten” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs
used to describe the Sherpas and their activities. Choice C is incorrect. The past tense verb “got” isn’t
consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the Sherpas and their activities. Choice D is
incorrect. The past progressive verb “were getting” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to
describe the Sherpas and their activities.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 77bf77cd 1.4

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 77bf77cd
Farouk El-Baz, a geologist and space scientist, ______ part of the team that selected the lunar landing sites for
the Apollo program during the 1960s and 1970s.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. are
B. was
C. have been
D. were

ID: 77bf77cd Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was"
agrees in number with the singular subject "Farouk El-Baz."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Farouk
El-Baz." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "Farouk El-Baz." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "were" doesn’t agree in number with the
singular subject "Farouk El-Baz."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 57998dd3 1.5

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 57998dd3
Obsidian is a kind of volcanic glass formed when lava cools so quickly that the atoms inside it cannot arrange
themselves in a crystalline structure. You ______ more about obsidian’s structure, which is classified as
amorphous, in a later chapter.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. had learned
B. had been learning
C. will learn
D. have learned

ID: 57998dd3 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In
this choice, the future tense verb “will learn,” used in conjunction with the phrase “in a later chapter,” correctly
indicates that “you” (the reader) are going to learn about obsidian’s structure at some point in the future.

Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had learned” doesn’t indicate that the subject is going to
learn about obsidian’s structure in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect progressive verb
“had been learning” doesn’t indicate that the subject is going to learn about obsidian’s structure in the future.
Choice D is incorrect because the present perfect verb “have learned” doesn’t indicate that the subject is going
to learn about obsidian’s structure in the future.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID db4e3819 1.6

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: db4e3819
Midway through her 1968 jazz album A Monastic Trio, Alice Coltrane switches instruments, swapping the piano for
the harp. With the same fluid style that Coltrane was famous for on piano, she ______ her fingers across the harp
strings and creates a radiant sound.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. sweep
B. are sweeping
C. were sweeping
D. sweeps

ID: db4e3819 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb
"sweeps" agrees in number with the singular subject "she," which refers to Alice Coltrane.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "sweep" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "she."
Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "are sweeping" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject
"she." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "were sweeping" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "she."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d47bb0a4 1.7

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 69f031ab 1.8

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 69f031ab
While exploring Nevada’s Gypsum Cave in 1930, Seneca and Abenaki archaeologist Bertha Parker made her most
famous discovery: the skull of a now-extinct ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis) alongside human-made
tools. Parker’s crucial finding was the first ______ humans in North America as far back as 10,000 years ago.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. places
B. placed
C. place
D. to place

ID: 69f031ab Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f4fd123c 1.9

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: f4fd123c
The African Games Co-production Market, one of over 180 annual international conferences supporting video
game development, ______ the growth of the African gaming industry by helping start-up studios in Africa find
partners.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. promote
B. are promoting
C. promotes
D. have promoted

ID: f4fd123c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b260c65a 1.10

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: b260c65a
Earth is not a perfect sphere. Due to the ______ gravitational pull, Earth bulges out on the sides closest to and
farthest from the Moon. This distorting pull is known as a tidal force, and it is responsible for the changes in water
levels that are called high and low tides.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Moon’s
B. Moons
C. Moons’
D. Moon

ID: b260c65a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 7c48a6dd 1.11

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 fff4c7f4 1.12

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: fff4c7f4
American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems on scraps of paper, but she also took steps to collect
these works. From 1858 to around 1864, for example, she copied more than 800 of ______ into forty homemade
booklets (known as fascicles).
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. them
B. this
C. that
D. it

ID: fff4c7f4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e2759b92 1.13

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: e2759b92
Occupying a significant part of modern-day Nigeria, the Kingdom of Benin was one of the major powers in West
Africa between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries. It ______ ruled by Oba Ewuare I from 1440 to 1473.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. is
B. will be
C. has been
D. was

ID: e2759b92 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 175df826 1.14

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 175df826
In the 2011 documentary The Barber of Birmingham, civil rights activist James Armstrong recounts how his
barbershop in Birmingham, Alabama, ______ as a political hub for members of the Black community during the
1950s.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. serving
B. having served
C. served
D. to serve

ID: 175df826 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. Relative
clauses, such as the one beginning with "how," require a finite (tensed) verb, a verb that can function as the
main verb of a clause. This choice correctly supplies the clause with the finite past tense verb "served."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle "serving"
doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical
sentence. The nonfinite participle "having served" doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice D is
incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive "to serve" doesn’t supply
the clause with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 31362d2d 1.15

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 31362d2d
If simple sugars such as ribose and glycolaldehyde ______ Earth from elsewhere and survived impact—a
possibility astrophysicist Nicolle Zellner outlined in a 2020 study—the sugars could have reacted with other
molecules that were already present on the planet to form the nucleotides that are the structural components of
RNA and DNA.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. reach
B. had reached
C. will reach
D. are reaching

ID: 31362d2d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1d971f75 1.16

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 1d971f75
Photographer Ansel Adams’s landscape portraits are iconic pieces of American art. However, many of the ______
of landscapes were intended not as art but as marketing; a concessions company at Yosemite National Park had
hired Adams to take pictures of the park for restaurant menus and brochures.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. photographer’s early photo’s
B. photographers early photo’s
C. photographer’s early photos
D. photographers early photos

ID: 1d971f75 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f40ca576 1.17

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: f40ca576
Each year in the fall, when the weather starts to cool in the northern hemisphere, millions of North American
monarch butterflies journey south. Searching for food and warmer habitats, they ______ thousands of miles—from
as far north as Canada all the way down to Mexico—on this annual migration.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. flew
B. were flying
C. had flown
D. fly

ID: f40ca576 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 “fly” is consistent with the other present tense verb ( “journey”) used to describe the
butterflies’ yearly migration. Together, these simple present tense verbs correctly indicate that the migration
is a current, yearly occurrence.

Choice A is incorrect. The simple past tense verb “flew” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verb used
to describe the butterflies’ yearly migration. Choice B is incorrect. The past progressive tense verb “were
flying” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verb used to describe the butterflies’ yearly migration.
Choice C is incorrect. The past perfect tense verb “had flown” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verb
used to describe the butterflies’ yearly migration.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4c9a2aee 1.18

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 4c9a2aee
Wanda Diaz-Merced is an astrophysicist who lost her sight when she was young. Diaz-Merced’s condition inspired
her to develop software that can translate scientific data into sound. Sound-based tools ______ scientists to
detect subtle patterns in data. Such patterns may not be evident in traditional graphs.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. has enabled
B. enable
C. is enabling
D. enables

ID: 4c9a2aee Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 42cc9236 1.19

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 42cc9236
If you try on one of artist Nick Cave’s signature Soundsuits, you can expect to swish, rustle, or clang every time
you move. Cave makes his suits out of found objects, everything from ceramic birds to broken record players. He
carefully considers the sound an object makes before using ______ in a suit.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. this
B. that
C. these
D. it

ID: 42cc9236 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested here is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular
pronoun "it" agrees in number with the singular antecedent "object."

Choice A is incorrect. The singular pronoun "this" is used to refer to a specific thing, but here there is no
specific object being referred to. Instead, the sentence is referring back to a hypothetical object that Cave
might use in a Soundsuit. Choice B is incorrect. The singular pronoun "that" is used to refer to a specific thing,
but here there is no specific object being referred to. Instead, the sentence is referring back to a hypothetical
object that Cave might use in a Soundsuit. Choice C is incorrect because the plural pronoun "these" doesn’t
agree in number with the singular antecedent "object."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 81ac953e 1.20

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 81ac953e
In 1899, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius developed an equation to answer a long-standing question: why do
chemical reactions speed up at higher temperatures? The Arrhenius equation, named for its creator, ______ an
important concept in modern chemistry.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. have remained
B. remain
C. remains
D. are remaining

ID: 81ac953e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ec08463d 1.21

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: ec08463d
Botanists recognize over fifty different species of sunflower. One species, the silverleaf sunflower, ______ both an
early-flowering ecotype that tends to grow in coastal areas and a late-flowering ecotype that grows inland.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. having included
B. including
C. to include
D. includes

ID: ec08463d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4a90a978 1.22

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 4a90a978
In 1990, California native and researcher Ellen Ochoa left her position as chief of the Intelligent Systems
Technology Branch at a NASA research center ______ the space agency’s astronaut training program.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. to join
B. is joining
C. joined
D. joins

ID: 4a90a978 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 59e41600 1.23

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 59e41600
Why are Rome’s famous concrete structures, such as the Colosseum, still standing after 2,000-plus years, when
modern concrete may not even last for fifty? Scientists ______ that the secret to Roman concrete’s durability was
its unique blend of ingredients, which included volcanic ash and seawater.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. explain
B. having explained
C. explaining
D. to explain

ID: 59e41600 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The main
clause of a sentence requires a finite (tensed) verb, and this choice supplies the finite present tense verb
“explain” to indicate what the scientists do.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle “having
explained” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an
ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle “explaining” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite
verb. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive “to
explain” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 588887b9 1.24

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 588887b9
In 1881, French chemist Camille Faure redesigned the rechargeable lead-acid battery. Faure’s design greatly
increased the amount of electricity that the original battery, which the French physicist Gaston Planté ______
fifteen years earlier, could hold.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. is inventing
B. will invent
C. invents
D. had invented

ID: 588887b9 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 96e5da01 1.25

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 96e5da01
The alga species Chlorella vulgaris is very efficient at making oxygen. For this reason, scientists are currently
exploring ways to use this species in space. C. vulgaris might be used, for example, to build future biological air
exchange systems that ______ oxygen for astronauts.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. are producing
B. produced
C. produce
D. have produced

ID: 96e5da01 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. Simple present
tense verbs can be used to describe actions that tend to occur, including in a hypothetical or future scenario.
In this case, the simple present tense verb “produce” indicates what the air exchange systems might be able to
do in the future (produce oxygen for astronauts).

Choice A is incorrect. The present progressive tense verb “are producing” suggests that the oxygen is currently
being produced, not that it might be produced in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb
“produced” suggests that the oxygen was produced in the past, not that it might be produced in the future.
Choice D is incorrect because the present perfect tense verb “have produced” suggests that the oxygen has
been produced from a point in the past up to the present, not that it might be produced in the future.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 12bd5b75 1.26

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 12bd5b75
With its towering, six-spired exterior of granitelike quartz monzonite, the Salt Lake Temple is one of the most
instantly recognizable structures in the state of Utah. However, many people do not know that ______ built over
the course of forty years, with construction beginning in 1853 and ending in 1893.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. it was
B. one was
C. they were
D. both were

ID: 12bd5b75 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular
pronoun "it" agrees in number with the singular antecedent "the Salt Lake Temple."

Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun "one" is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence
leaves unclear whether there is only one Salt Lake temple or multiple. Choice C is incorrect because the plural
pronoun "they" doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent "the Salt Lake Temple." Choice D is
incorrect because the plural pronoun "both" doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent "the Salt
Lake Temple."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID bd11fe93 1.27

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: bd11fe93
Dr. Rocío Paola Caballero-Gill is a paleoceanographer. This means that Dr. Caballero-Gill doesn’t just study
oceans as they are today. She uses chemistry and fossil evidence ______ oceans as they were in the past.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. has studied
B. to study
C. studied
D. studies

ID: bd11fe93 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The
nonfinite to-infinitive verb “to study” is correctly used to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr.
Caballero-Gill uses chemistry and fossil evidence for (to study oceans as they were in the past).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite verb “has studied” can’t be
used in this way to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr. Caballero-Gill uses the evidence for.
Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite verb “studied” can’t be used
in this way to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr. Caballero-Gill uses the evidence for. Choice D
is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite verb “studies” can’t be used in this way
to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr. Caballero-Gill uses the evidence for.

Question Difficulty: Easy