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Ms Ánh Dạy SAT 1600

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www.msanhdaysat.com

www.sattest.online

TỪ THỨ 2 ĐẾN CHỦ NHẬT

từ 10:00 sáng đến 8:00 tối
 ID: e38b3e4f
The radiation that ______ during the decay of radioactive atomic nuclei is known as gamma radiation.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. occurs
B. have occurred
C. occur
D. are occurring

ID: e38b3e4f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "occurs"
agrees in number with the singular subject "radiation."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "have occurred" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject
"radiation." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "occur" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "radiation." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "are occurring" doesn’t agree in number with
the singular subject "radiation."

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: 6f08641e
On April 5, 1977, Kitty Cone and 150 other disability rights activists entered a San Francisco federal building. After
pleading for years—to no effect—for the passage of key antidiscrimination legislation, ______ until their demands
were addressed. Finally, on April 28, the legislation was signed.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. pressure on lawmakers increased when the activists staged a sit-in protest
B. a sit-in protest staged by the activists increased pressure on lawmakers
C. lawmakers came under increased pressure when the activists staged a sit-in protest
D. the activists increased pressure on lawmakers by staging a sit-in protest

ID: 6f08641e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the
noun phrase “the activists” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase
“after...legislation.” In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the activists—and not another noun in the
sentence—were pleading for the passage of antidiscrimination legislation.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “pressure on
lawmakers” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “pressure” was pleading for the
passage of antidiscrimination legislation. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The
placement of the noun phrase “a sit-in protest” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that
the “protest” was pleading for the passage of antidiscrimination legislation. Choice C is incorrect because it
results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “lawmakers” immediately after the modifying
phrase suggests that “lawmakers” were pleading for the passage of antidiscrimination legislation. While it’s
possible for lawmakers to plead for the passage of legislation, the context strongly suggests that it’s the activists
who pleaded for years for the passage of antidiscrimination legislation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 ID: 7b419faf
In 1903, environmentalist John Muir guided President Theodore Roosevelt on a scenic, sprawling trip through
California’s Yosemite Valley. Upon returning from the three-day excursion, Roosevelt ______ to conserve the
nation’s wilderness areas, a vow he upheld for his remaining six years in office.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. is vowing
B. vowed
C. will vow
D. vows

ID: 7b419faf 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 past tense verb “vowed” is consistent with the other past tense verbs (“guided” and “upheld”)
used to narrate the events surrounding President Roosevelt’s decision to conserve the nation’s wilderness areas.

Choice A is incorrect because the present progressive tense verb “is vowing” isn’t consistent with the past tense
verbs used to narrate the events surrounding President Roosevelt’s decision to conserve the nation’s wilderness
areas. Choice C is incorrect because the future tense verb “will vow” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs
used to narrate the events surrounding President Roosevelt’s decision to conserve the nation’s wilderness areas.
Choice D is incorrect because the simple present tense verb “vows” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs
used to narrate the events surrounding President Roosevelt’s decision to conserve the nation’s wilderness areas.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 29c9be28
To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killifish eggs ______ a dormant state known as
diapause. In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the life span of an
adult killifish.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. enter
B. to enter
C. having entered
D. entering

ID: 29c9be28 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A
main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “embryos”), and this choice
supplies the clause with the finite present tense verb “enter” to indicate how the embryos achieve diapause.

Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to enter” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite
verb. Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having entered” doesn’t supply the main clause with
a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “entering” doesn’t supply the main clause
with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 983d33fa
In 1637, the price of tulips skyrocketed in Amsterdam, with single bulbs of rare varieties selling for up to the
equivalent of $200,000 in today’s US dollars. Some historians ______ that this “tulip mania” was the first historical
instance of an asset bubble, which occurs when investors drive prices to highs not supported by actual demand.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. claiming
B. claim
C. having claimed
D. to claim

ID: 983d33fa Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a
sentence. A main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “some
historians”), and this choice supplies the finite present tense verb “claim” to indicate what some historians do.

Choice A is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “claiming” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite
verb. Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having claimed” doesn’t supply the main clause with
a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to claim” doesn’t supply the main clause
with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 6e193b19
Professional American football player Fred Cox invented one of the world’s most popular toys. In the 1970s, he came
up with the idea for the Nerf football, which ______ of the harder and heavier regulation football.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. were a smaller, foam version
B. are smaller, foam versions
C. were smaller, foam versions
D. is a smaller, foam version

ID: 6e193b19 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: 52b61716
Formed in 1967 to foster political and economic stability within the Asia-Pacific region, the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations was originally made up of five members: Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and
Indonesia. By the end of the 1990s, the organization ______ its initial membership.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. has doubled
B. had doubled
C. doubles
D. will double

ID: 52b61716 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 doubled” properly indicates that the doubling of the organization’s initial membership
occurred during a specific period before the present (between the organization’s founding in 1967 and the end of
the 1990s).

Choice A is incorrect because the present perfect verb “has doubled” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s
doubling of its initial membership occurred during a specific period in the past. Choice C is incorrect because
the present tense verb “doubles” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its initial membership
occurred during a specific period in the past. Choice D is incorrect because the future tense verb “will double”
doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its initial membership occurred during a specific period in
the past.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 ID: 166efaa2
Public-awareness campaigns about the need to reduce single-use plastics can be successful, says researcher Kim
Borg of Monash University in Australia, when these campaigns give consumers a choice: for example, Japan
achieved a 40 percent reduction in plastic-bag use after cashiers were instructed to ask customers whether ______
wanted a bag.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. they
B. one
C. you
D. it

ID: 166efaa2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun–antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun
“they” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”

Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “one” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent
“customers.” Choice C is incorrect because the second person pronoun “you” isn’t conventional as a substitute for
“customers.” It suggests that the audience (“you”) is the customer. Choice D is incorrect because the singular
pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 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

 ID: e3b72630
In the historical novel The Surrender Tree, Cuban American author Margarita Engle uses poetry rather than prose
______ the true story of Cuban folk hero Rosa La Bayamesa.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. tells
B. told
C. is telling
D. to tell

ID: e3b72630 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D 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 tell” is correctly used to form a nonfinite (infinitive) clause that explains
the reason Engle uses poetry in her novel.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite present tense verb “tells” can’t be used in this way to explain the reason
that Engle uses poetry in her novel. Choice B is incorrect because the finite past tense verb “told” can’t be used in
this way to explain the reason that Engle uses poetry in her novel. Choice C is incorrect because the finite
present progressive tense verb “is telling” can’t be used in this way to explain the reason that Engle uses poetry
in her novel.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: b74f676f
Classical composer Florence Price’s 1927 move to Chicago marked a turning point in her career. It was there that
Price premiered her First Symphony—a piece that was praised for blending traditional Romantic motifs with aspects
of Black folk music—and ______ supportive relationships with other Black artists.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. developing
B. developed
C. to develop
D. having developed

ID: b74f676f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: 3a35ddd1
Like other amphibians, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is unable to generate its own heat, so during periods of
subfreezing temperatures, it ______ by producing large amounts of glucose, a sugar that helps prevent damaging
ice from forming inside its cells.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. had survived
B. survived
C. would survive
D. survives

ID: 3a35ddd1 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 “survives” correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures
by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly
survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose. Choice B is incorrect because the
past tense verb “survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by
producing large amounts of glucose. Choice C is incorrect because the conditional verb “would survive” doesn’t
indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: 843f92af
The sun never sets during the Arctic summer in the Far North. In response, reindeer in this region must change their
sleep habits. Instead of resting when it gets dark, they rest when they need ______ their food.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. digest
B. will digest
C. to digest
D. digesting

ID: 843f92af Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms within a sentence.
Working together with the finite verb "need," the nonfinite to-infinitive verb "to digest" is correctly used to form a
subordinate clause that describes what the reindeer need.

Choice A is incorrect because the verb "digest" (in either its finite or nonfinite form) can’t be used in this way
with the finite verb "need." Choice B is incorrect because the finite verb "will digest" can’t be used in this way
with the finite verb "need." Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite participle "digesting" can’t be used in this
way with the finite verb "need."

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 430d929a
British scientists James Watson and Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize in part for their 1953 paper announcing the
double helix structure of DNA, but it is misleading to say that Watson and Crick discovered the double helix. ______
findings were based on a famous X-ray image of DNA fibers, “Photo 51,” developed by X-ray crystallographer
Rosalind Franklin and her graduate student Raymond Gosling.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. They’re
B. It’s
C. Their
D. Its

ID: 430d929a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive determiners. The plural
possessive determiner “their” agrees in number with the plural conjoined noun phrase “Watson and Crick” and
thus indicates that the findings were those of Watson and Crick.

Choice A is incorrect because “they’re” is the contraction for “they are,” not a possessive determiner. Choice B is
incorrect because “it’s” is the contraction for “it is” or “it has,” not a possessive determiner. Choice D is incorrect
because the singular possessive determiner “its” doesn’t agree in number with the plural conjoined noun phrase
“Watson and Crick.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 1f8cd95f
In the 1950s, a man named Joseph McVicker was struggling to keep his business afloat when his sister-in-law Kay
Zufall advised him to repurpose the company’s product, a nontoxic, clay-like substance for removing soot from
wallpaper, as a modeling putty for kids. In addition, Zufall ______ selling the product under a child-friendly name:
Play-Doh.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. suggested
B. suggests
C. had suggested
D. was suggesting

ID: 1f8cd95f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the
simple past tense verb “suggested” properly indicates that Zufall offered her suggestion for the product’s name in
the past. This verb tense is consistent with the previous sentence’s use of a simple past tense verb (“advised”) to
describe Zufall’s advice to McVicker in the 1950s.

Choice B is incorrect because the present tense verb “suggests” doesn’t indicate that Zufall offered her
suggestion in the past. Choice C is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had suggested” isn’t consistent with
the previous sentence’s use of the simple past tense verb “advised” to describe Zufall’s advice to McVicker.
Choice D is incorrect because the past progressive verb “was suggesting” isn’t consistent with the previous
sentence’s use of the simple past tense verb “advised” to describe Zufall’s advice to McVicker.

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 ID: dab8b8ee
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms
such as fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion, ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.
B. an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a
recent study.
C. these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.
D. a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

ID: dab8b8ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

 ID: 4bed4658
In order to prevent nonnative fish species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, marine
biologist Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in Egypt’s Great Bitter
Lakes. The lock would increase the salinity of the lakes and ______ a natural barrier of water most marine creatures
would be unable to cross.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. creates
B. create
C. creating
D. created

ID: 4bed4658 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of non-finite (untensed) verb forms in a
sentence. The modal “would,” which indicates the future from a perspective in the past, should be accompanied
by a non-finite plain form verb. In this choice, the non-finite plain form verb “create” is used correctly in
conjunction with the non-finite plain form verb “increase” to describe what the lock would do.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite present tense verb “creates” can’t be used in this way with the modal
“would” to describe what the lock would do. Choice C is incorrect because the present participle “creating” can’t
be used in this way with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do. Choice D is incorrect because the
finite past tense verb “created” can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would
do.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 ID: 2ee50d41
The classic children’s board game Chutes and Ladders is a version of an ancient Nepalese game, Paramapada
Sopanapata. In both games, players encounter “good” or “bad” spaces while traveling along a path; landing on one
of the good spaces ______ a player to skip ahead and arrive closer to the end goal.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. allows
B. are allowing
C. have allowed
D. allow

ID: 2ee50d41 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject–verb agreement. The singular verb “allows”
agrees in number with the singular subject “landing.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are allowing” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject
“landing.” Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “have allowed” doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject “landing.” Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “allow” doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject “landing.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: 59209b6d
Based on genetic evidence, archaeologists have generally agreed that reindeer domestication began in the eleventh
century CE. However, since uncovering fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia,
______ may have begun much earlier.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. researcher Robert Losey has argued that domestication
B. researcher Robert Losey’s argument is that domestication
C. domestication, researcher Robert Losey has argued,
D. the argument researcher Robert Losey has made is that domestication

ID: 59209b6d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: 856b495d
In the early twentieth century, Joseph Kekuku and other Hawaiian ______ in the mainland United States to the bright
and lilting sound of the kīkā kila, or Hawaiian steel guitar. The instrument soon became a fixture in American blues
and country music.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. musicians introduced audiences
B. musicians’ introduced audiences’
C. musician’s introduced audience’s
D. musicians’ introduced audiences

ID: 856b495d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural nouns. The plural nouns
"musicians" and "audiences" correctly indicate that there were multiple musicians introducing the music to
multiple audiences.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns "musicians" and "audiences," not the plural
possessive nouns "musicians’" and "audiences’." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural
nouns "musicians" and "audiences," not the singular possessive nouns "musician’s" and "audience’s." Choice D is
incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "musicians," not the plural possessive noun "musicians’."

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 0fe5ce68
Ten of William Shakespeare’s plays are classified as histories. Although each one of these plays, which include
Henry V and Richard III, ______ on a single historical figure (specifically, an English king), some, such as Henry VI
Part One and Henry VI Part Two, feature different episodes from the same monarch’s life.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. focuses
B. focus
C. are focused
D. were focused

ID: 0fe5ce68 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

 ID: 97b62fab
Smaller than poppy seeds, tardigrades are tiny, but they are tough. These minuscule animals can survive for thirty
years without food or water, and ______ can withstand extreme temperatures as low as minus 328 degrees and as
high as 304 degrees Fahrenheit.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. that
B. it
C. they
D. he

ID: 97b62fab Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun
"they" agrees in number with the plural antecedent "animals," which refers to tardigrades.

Choice A is incorrect because the singular pronoun "that" doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent
"animals." Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun "it" doesn’t agree in number with the plural
antecedent "animals." Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun "he" doesn’t agree in number with the
plural antecedent "animals."

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: 35360da9
The US Geological Survey wants to map every human-made structure in the United States, and it is asking
volunteers to help. Cassie Tammy Wang and Ashish D’Souza are just two of the many volunteer map editors who
______ to the project since it began in 2012.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. contribute
B. will contribute
C. have contributed
D. will be contributing

ID: 35360da9 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 present perfect tense verb “have contributed,” used in conjunction with the phrase “since it
began in 2012,” correctly indicates that map editors have contributed in the past and continue to do so in the
present.

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “contribute” is inconsistent with the phrase “since it began
in 2012,” which suggests that the contributions occurred in the past and continue into the present. Choice B is
incorrect because the future tense verb “will contribute” is inconsistent with the phrase “since it began in 2012,”
which suggests that the contributions occurred in the past and continue into the present. Choice D is incorrect
because the future tense verb “will be contributing” is inconsistent with the phrase “since it began in 2012,”
which suggests that the contributions occurred in the past and continue into the present.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 684b8bd2
Far from being modern inventions, ______ more than 5,000 years ago.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia used drinking straws
B. drinking straws were used by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia
C. the use of drinking straws by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia happened
D. ancient Mesopotamia was home to Sumerians who used drinking straws

ID: 684b8bd2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 ID: 775f3eb9
In his groundbreaking book Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America, Vivek Bald uses
newspaper articles, census records, ships’ logs, and memoirs to tell the ______ who made New York City their home
in the early twentieth century.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. story’s of the South Asian immigrants
B. story’s of the South Asian immigrants’
C. stories of the South Asian immigrants
D. stories’ of the South Asian immigrant’s

ID: 775f3eb9 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural
nouns “stories” and “immigrants” correctly indicate that the memoir tells multiple stories of multiple
immigrants.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “stories,” not the singular possessive noun
“story’s.” Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “stories” and “immigrants,” not the
singular possessive noun “story’s” and the plural possessive noun “immigrants’.” Choice D is incorrect because
the context requires the plural nouns “stories” and “immigrants,” not the plural possessive noun “stories’” and the
singular possessive noun “immigrant’s.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: b5b74c3f
When writing The Other Black Girl (2021), novelist Zakiya Dalila Harris drew on her own experiences working at a
publishing office. The award-winning book is Harris’s first novel, but her writing ______ honored before. At the age
of twelve, she entered a contest to have a story published in American Girl magazine—and won.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. were
B. have been
C. has been
D. are

ID: b5b74c3f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “has
been” agrees in number with the singular subject “writing.”

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 50445680
In winter, the diets of Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, are influenced more by food availability
than by food preference. Although the monkeys prefer to eat vegetation and land-dwelling invertebrates, those food
sources may become unavailable because of extensive snow and ice cover, ______ the monkeys to hunt for marine
animals in any streams that have not frozen over.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. forces
B. to force
C. forcing
D. forced

ID: 50445680 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a
sentence. The nonfinite present participle “forcing” is correctly used to form a participial phrase that
supplements the main clause “those...cover,” describing the effects on monkeys of the lack of food sources.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite present tense verb “forces” can’t be used in this way to supplement the
main clause (“those...cover”). Choice B is incorrect. While the nonfinite to-infinitive “to force” could be used to
form a subordinate clause that supplements the main clause (“those...cover”), to-infinitives conventionally
express purpose, and nothing in the sentence suggests that the food sources become unavailable for the purpose
of forcing monkeys to hunt marine animals. Choice D is incorrect because the finite past tense verb “forced”
can’t be used in this way to supplement the main clause (“those...cover”).

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 ID: 0ff8477b
Food and the sensation of taste are central to Monique Truong’s novels. In The Book of Salt, for example, the exiled
character of Bình connects to his native Saigon through the food he prepares, while in Bitter in the Mouth, the
character of Linda ______ a form of synesthesia whereby the words she hears evoke tastes.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. experienced
B. had experienced
C. experiences
D. will be experiencing

ID: 0ff8477b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the
present tense verb “experiences” is consistent with the other present tense verbs (e.g., “connects” and “prepares”)
used to describe the events in Truong’s novels. Furthermore, it’s conventional to use the present tense when
discussing a literary work.

Choice A is incorrect because the past tense verb “experienced” isn’t consistent with the other present tense
verbs used to describe the events in Truong’s novels. Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb
“had experienced” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the events in Truong’s
novels. Choice D is incorrect because the future progressive tense verb “will be experiencing” isn’t consistent
with the other present tense verbs used to describe the events in Truong’s novels.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 ID: 9f737b2a
In Death Valley National Park’s Racetrack Playa, a flat, dry lakebed, are 162 rocks—some weighing less than a pound
but others almost 700 pounds—that move periodically from place to place, seemingly of their own volition.
Racetrack-like trails in the ______ mysterious migration.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. playas sediment mark the rock’s
B. playa’s sediment mark the rocks
C. playa’s sediment mark the rocks’
D. playas’ sediment mark the rocks’

ID: 9f737b2a 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 “playa’s” and the plural possessive noun “rocks’” correctly indicate that the sediment is that of
one playa (the Racetrack Playa) and that there are multiple rocks that have mysteriously migrated across the
sediment.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “playa’s” and the plural
possessive noun “rocks’,” not the plural noun “playas” and the singular possessive noun “rock’s.” Choice B is
incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “rocks’,” not the plural noun “rocks.” Choice D
is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “playa’s,” not the plural possessive noun
“playas’.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: c52652c9
The human brain is primed to recognize faces—so much so that, due to a perceptual tendency called pareidolia,
______ will even find faces in clouds, wooden doors, pieces of fruit, and other faceless inanimate objects.
Researcher Susan Magsamen has focused her work on better understanding this everyday phenomenon.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. she
B. they
C. it
D. those

ID: c52652c9 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: 188f7e3c
In 2016, engineer Vanessa Galvez oversaw the installation of 164 bioswales, vegetated channels designed to absorb
and divert stormwater, along the streets of Queens, New York. By reducing the runoff flowing into city sewers,
______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. the mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved by
bioswales.
B. the bioswales have mitigated both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways.
C. the bioswales’ mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been
achieved.
D. both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways have been mitigated by bioswales.

ID: 188f7e3c 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 “the bioswales” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase
“By reducing…sewers.” In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the bioswales—and not another noun in
the sentence—are reducing runoff flowing into city sewers.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the
mitigation…waterways” immediately after the modifying phrase results in unclear modification. The resulting
sentence makes it hard to determine what is responsible for “reducing the runoff”: the bioswales or some other
noun in the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun
phrase “the bioswales’ mitigation…waterways” immediately after the modifying phrase results in unclear
modification. The resulting sentence makes it hard to determine what is responsible for “reducing the runoff”:
the bioswales or some other noun in the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier.
The placement of the noun phrase “street flooding and the resulting pollution” immediately after the modifying
phrase illogically suggests that the “flooding and pollution” are reducing runoff flowing into city sewers.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 ID: 36944347
Official measurements of the Mississippi River’s length vary: according to the US Geologic Survey, the river is 2,300
miles long, whereas the Environmental Protection Agency records its length as 2,320 miles. This disparity can be
explained in part by the fact that rivers such as the Mississippi expand and contract as ______ sediment.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. they accumulate
B. one accumulates
C. it accumulates
D. we accumulate

ID: 36944347 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: 898f182c
Richard Spikes was a prolific African American inventor known for his contributions to automotive engineering.
Between 1907 and 1946, he patented many inventions, ______ an automobile turn signal, a safety brake, and—most
famously—the first automatic gearshift.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. included
B. includes
C. including
D. will include

ID: 898f182c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms within a sentence.
The nonfinite present participle "including" is correctly used to form a participial phrase that supplements the
main clause "he patented many inventions," listing several of Spikes’s patented inventions.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite past tense verb "included" can’t be used in this way to supplement the
main clause "he patented many inventions." Choice B is incorrect because the finite present tense verb
"includes" can’t be used in this way to supplement the main clause "he patented many inventions." Choice D is
incorrect because the finite future tense verb "will include" can’t be used in this way to supplement the main
clause "he patented many inventions."

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 6e5bf3a8
Even though bats prefer very sweet nectar, the plants that attract them have evolved to produce nectar that is only
moderately sweet. A recent study ______ why: making sugar is energy-intensive, and it is more advantageous for
plants to make a large amount of low-sugar nectar than a small amount of high-sugar nectar.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. explains
B. explaining
C. having explained
D. to explain

ID: 6e5bf3a8 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. A main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “a recent study”),
and this choice supplies the finite present tense verb “explains” to indicate that the study explains why plants
that attract bats have evolved to produce moderately sweet nectar.

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 ID: 61160f0a
Author Madeline L’Engle, ______ to create a suspenseful tone that draws the reader in, begins her novel A Wrinkle in
Time with descriptions of “wraithlike shadows” and “the frenzied lashing of the wind.”
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. looked
B. looks
C. is looking
D. looking

ID: 61160f0a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The
nonfinite present participle verb “looking” is correctly used to form a subordinate clause that describes the
intent behind how L’Engle begins her novel.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite past tense verb “looked” can’t be used in this way to form a subordinate
clause. Choice B is incorrect because the finite present tense verb “looks” can’t be used in this way to form a
subordinate clause. Choice C is incorrect because the finite present progressive tense verb “is looking” can’t be
used in this way to form a subordinate clause.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 ID: 75f49353
The Progressive Era in the United States witnessed the rise of numerous Black women’s clubs, local organizations
that advocated for racial and gender equality. Among the clubs’ leaders ______ Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, founder
of the Women’s Era Club of Boston.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. was
B. were
C. are
D. have been

ID: 75f49353 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested here is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb
“was” agrees in number with the singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “were” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject
“Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.” Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “are” doesn’t agree in number with the
singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.” Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “have been” doesn’t
agree in number with the singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 ID: c5d39bc7
Scientists believe that, unlike most other species of barnacle, turtle barnacles (Chelonibia testudinari) can dissolve
the cement-like secretions they use to attach ______ to a sea turtle shell, enabling the barnacles to move short
distances across the shell’s surface.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. it
B. themselves
C. them
D. itself

ID: c5d39bc7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural reflexive
pronoun “themselves” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “turtle barnacles,” correctly indicating what
is attached to a sea turtle shell.

Choice A is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent
“turtle barnacles.” Choice C is incorrect because it results in an unclear and confusing sentence. In this context,
it’s unclear what the plural pronoun “them” refers to. Choice D is incorrect because the singular reflexive
pronoun “itself” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “turtle barnacles.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 ID: 988c78eb
Former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt and Indian activist and educator Hansa Mehta were
instrumental in drafting the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that ______ the
basic freedoms to which all people are entitled.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. have outlined
B. were outlining
C. outlines
D. outline

ID: 988c78eb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “outlines”
agrees in number with the singular subject “document.”

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “have outlined” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject
“document.” Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “were outlining” doesn’t agree in number with the
singular subject “document.” Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “outline” doesn’t agree in number with
the singular subject “document.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

 ID: 7a0d9031
In many of her landscape paintings from the 1970s and 1980s, Lebanese American artist Etel Adnan worked to
capture the essence of California’s fog-shrouded Mount Tamalpais region through abstraction, using splotches of
color to represent the area’s features. Interestingly, the triangle representing the mountain itself ______ among the
few defined figures in her paintings.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. are
B. have been
C. were
D. is

ID: 7a0d9031 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 ID: 3595a991
In 1930, Japanese American artist Chiura Obata depicted the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park in two
memorable woodcuts: Evening at Carl Inn and Lake Basin in the High Sierra. In 2019, ______ exhibited alongside 150
of Obata’s other works in a single-artist show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. it was
B. they were
C. this was
D. some were

ID: 3595a991 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun–antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun
“they” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts” and clearly identifies what was exhibited at the
Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Choice A is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent
“woodcuts.” Choice C is incorrect because the singular pronoun “this” doesn’t agree in number with the plural
antecedent “woodcuts.” Choice D is incorrect because the plural pronoun “some” is illogical in this context
(referring to “some” of two woodcuts).

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 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

 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

 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

 ID: 0bcb4417
Oglala Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier’s star quilt poems offer an unusually open-ended reading experience. With
______ eight panels of text stitched together in the shape of a traditional eight-pointed Lakota star quilt, the poems
present viewers with a seemingly infinite number of ways to read them.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. their
B. it’s
C. they’re
D. its

ID: 0bcb4417 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 ID: c8607bdf
“Praise Song for the Day,” Elizabeth Alexander’s 2009 inaugural poem, asserts that “We cross dirt roads and
highways…to see what’s on the other side.” Alexander’s use of “we” ______ Americans’ collective efforts and shared
desire to seek new opportunity.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. evokes
B. are evoking
C. have evoked
D. evoke

ID: c8607bdf Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "evokes"
agrees in number with the singular subject "Alexander’s use."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "are evoking" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject
"Alexander’s use." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "have evoked" doesn’t agree in number with the
singular subject "Alexander’s use." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "evoke" doesn’t agree in number
with the singular subject "Alexander’s use."

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 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

 ID: a30567fd
Nuhād al-Ḥaddād, known as Fairuz, was one of the most beloved Lebanese singers of the twentieth century. Her
broad singing repertoire—which included traditional forms, such as the Arabic qasida and maqam, alongside
modern pop and jazz styles—lent Fairuz a timeless, cross-generational appeal, ______ her the moniker “the soul of
Lebanon.”
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. earned
B. had earned
C. earning
D. earn

ID: a30567fd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 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

 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

 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

 ID: a14eef71
In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the
coefficient of friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless
(and, as its name suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.
B. two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.
C. reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.
D. superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

ID: a14eef71 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

 ID: b85c19ed
The violins handmade in the seventeeth century by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari have been celebrated as
some of the finest in the world. In close collaboration with musicians, Stradivari introduced changes to the shape of
a traditional violin, flattening some of the instrument’s curves and making ______ lighter overall.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. those
B. one
C. them
D. it

ID: b85c19ed Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

 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

 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

 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

 ID: 576b2c70
A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mary Golda Ross is renowned for her contributions to NASA’s Planetary Flight
Handbook, which ______ detailed mathematical guidance for missions to Mars and Venus.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. provided
B. having provided
C. to provide
D. providing

ID: 576b2c70 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite verbs in a relative clause. Relative
clauses, such as the one beginning with “which,” 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 past tense verb “provided.”

Choice B is incorrect because the non-finite participle “having provided” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite
verb. Choice C is incorrect because the non-finite to-infinitive “to provide” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite
verb. Choice D is incorrect because the non-finite participle “providing” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite
verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 ID: 975eda7c
For thousands of years, people in the Americas ______ the bottle gourd, a large bitter fruit with a thick rind, to make
bottles, other types of containers, and even musical instruments. Oddly, there is no evidence that any type of bottle
gourd is native to the Western Hemisphere; either the fruit or its seeds must have somehow been carried from Asia
or Africa.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. to use
B. have used
C. having used
D. using

ID: 975eda7c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A
main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “people in the Americas”), and
this choice supplies the finite past perfect tense verb “have used” to indicate what people in the Americas used
the gourd for.

Choice A is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to use” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite
verb. Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having used” doesn’t supply the main clause with a
finite verb. Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “using” doesn’t supply the main clause with a
finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 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