Question ID be34a3df

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. California,

B. California:

C. California—

D. California

ID: be34a3df Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1684b237
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 1684b237
One of the few African American global explorers during the turn of the 20th century, ______

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

A. Matthew Henson made several treks across Greenland between 1891 and 1909.

B. 1891 and 1909 were the years between which Matthew Henson made several treks across Greenland.

C. Greenland was where Matthew Henson made several treks between 1891 and 1909.

D. several treks across Greenland were made by Matthew Henson between 1891 and 1909.

ID: 1684b237 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the proper
noun "Matthew Henson" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "one…century."
In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that Matthew Henson—and not another noun in the sentence—is being
described as one of the few African American global explorers during the turn of the 20th century.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "1891 and 1909"
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that those years were one of the few African American global
explorers during the turn of the 20th century. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The
placement of the proper noun "Greenland" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that Greenland
was one of the few African American global explorers during the turn of the 20th century. Choice D is incorrect because it
results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "several treks across Greenland" immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that the treks were one of the few African American global explorers during the turn
of the 20th century.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 430d929a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

Question ID 843f92af
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

Question ID 145d5ca7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. waterways and the fact that,

B. waterways, and the fact that,

C. waterways, and, the fact that

D. waterways and the fact that

ID: 145d5ca7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8b002b08
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 8b002b08
Many Samoans enjoy a sport called kilikiti. This bat-and-ball game was derived from ______ kilikiti differs from cricket in a
few key ways.

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

A. cricket but:

B. cricket but,

C. cricket, but

D. cricket, but,

ID: 8b002b08 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This
choice correctly uses a comma before the coordinating conjunction "but" to join the first main clause ("This bat-and-ball
game was derived from cricket") and the second main clause ("kilikiti differs from cricket in a few key ways").

Choice A is incorrect. When coordinating two main clauses such as these, it’s not conventional to use a colon in this way
after the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect. When coordinating two main clauses such as these, it’s not
conventional to use a comma in this way after the coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. When coordinating
two main clauses such as these, it’s not conventional to use a comma in this way after the coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID aab78b25
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. do most people prefer in a diet drink?

B. do most people prefer in a diet drink.

C. most people prefer in a diet drink?

D. most people prefer in a diet drink.

ID: aab78b25 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 486f03da
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 486f03da
The short story “Rogue Enchantments” by Isabel Ibañez appears in Reclaim the ______ anthology of fantasy and science
fiction written by authors of Latin American descent.

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

A. Stars. An

B. Stars, while an

C. Stars an

D. Stars, an

ID: 486f03da Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause ("The short...Stars") and the supplementary
element ("an anthology...descent") that provides additional information about what Reclaim the Stars is.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "an anthology."
Choice B is incorrect. Joining the main clause and the following supplementary element with the conjunction "while"
results in a confusing and ungrammatical sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between
the main clause and the supplementary element with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 083a35dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. 1680

B. 1680 and

C. 1680,

D. 1680, and

ID: 083a35dc Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 69f031ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

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

A. places

B. placed

C. place

D. to place

ID: 69f031ab Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 3a35ddd1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

Question ID b74f676f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

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

A. developing

B. developed

C. to develop

D. having developed

ID: b74f676f Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e76e74e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: e76e74e8
Over twenty years ago, in a landmark experiment in the psychology of choice, professor Sheena Iyengar set up a jam-
tasting booth at a grocery store. The number of jams available for tasting ______ some shoppers had twenty-four
different options, others only six. Interestingly, the shoppers with fewer jams to choose from purchased more jam.

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

A. varied:

B. varied,

C. varied, while

D. varied while

ID: e76e74e8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon
is used in a conventional way to introduce the following description of how the number of jams available varied.

Choice B is incorrect because it creates a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses
(“the number…varied” and “some…six”). Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence.
Using the conjunction “while” to join the main clause (“the number…varied”) with the following clause’s description of the
number of jams available suggests that the variation in the number of jams is in contrast to some shoppers having
twenty-four options. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using “while” in this
way suggests that the number of jams available varied during the time in which some shoppers had twenty-four options
and others had six. The sentence makes clear, however, that what follows “varied” is a description of the variation, not a
separate, simultaneous occurrence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b35cefb7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: b35cefb7
The fine, powdery substance that covers the Moon’s surface is called regolith. Because regolith is both readily available
and high in oxygen ______ scientists have wondered whether it could be used as a potential source of oxygen for future
lunar settlements.

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

A. content and

B. content,

C. content

D. content, and

ID: b35cefb7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“Because...content”)
and the main clause (“scientists...settlements”).

Choice A is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the clause that follows
(“scientists...settlements”) with the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main clause.
Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause and the main clause with
appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the clause that
follows (“scientists...settlements”) with a comma and the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that
lacks a main clause.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a1e0c981
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. of:

B. of

C. of—

D. of,

ID: a1e0c981 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 56315bd0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 56315bd0
Solarpunk is an art movement that imagines renewable energy–powered technology infused complementarily into
nature. In Paolo Bacigalupi’s solarpunk short story “Efficiency,” an artificial intelligence that absorbs sustainable energies,
redistributing them through intricate networks of weights and generators, ______ Chicago’s energy grid.

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

A. have been powering

B. power

C. powers

D. are powering

ID: 56315bd0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "powers" agrees in
number with the singular subject "an artificial intelligence."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "have been powering" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "an
artificial intelligence." Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "power" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "an artificial intelligence." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "are powering" doesn’t agree in number
with the singular subject "an artificial intelligence."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d2b81427
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

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

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

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

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

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

ID: d2b81427 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e3b72630
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

Question ID d47bb0a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

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

A. was

B. is

C. has been

D. were

ID: d47bb0a4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a3e87535
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a3e87535
Julia Alvarez’s 1994 novel In the Time of the Butterflies, a fictionalized account of the lives of the Mirabal ______ can
serve as a starting point for those wanting to explore how the rule of dictator Rafael Trujillo has been represented in
Dominican American literature.

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

A. sisters, and

B. sisters and

C. sisters,

D. sisters

ID: a3e87535 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a
sentence. The comma after "sisters" pairs with the comma after "Butterflies" to separate the supplementary element "a
fictionalized account of the lives of the Mirabal sisters" from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element
functions to describe the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be
removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because a comma and conjunction can’t be used in this way to separate the supplementary
element from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate
the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate
punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID cdbbbf94
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: cdbbbf94
As British scientist Peter Whibberley has observed, “the Earth is not a very good timekeeper.” Earth’s slightly irregular
rotation rate means that measurements of time must be periodically adjusted. Specifically, an extra “leap second” (the
86,401st second of the day) is ______ time based on the planet’s rotation lags a full nine-tenths of a second behind time
kept by precise atomic clocks.

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

A. added, whenever

B. added; whenever

C. added. Whenever

D. added whenever

ID: cdbbbf94 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a preposition. When, as in
this case, a verb (“is added”) is immediately followed by a preposition (“whenever”), no punctuation is needed.

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a9e5b788
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. novel

B. novel,

C. novel; rather,

D. novel, rather,

ID: a9e5b788 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 512f0ac9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

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

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

A. to forge

B. forging

C. forged

D. and forging

ID: 512f0ac9 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1724dac2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. advance,

B. advance

C. advance;

D. advance and

ID: 1724dac2 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID aab74a3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. silk, by

B. silk by

C. silk and by

D. silk. By

ID: aab74a3b Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6ea8c23f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. regions,

B. regions:

C. regions;

D. regions

ID: 6ea8c23f Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 20ea68b7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 20ea68b7
It can take time for proposed amendments to the US Constitution to become law. For example, the Twenty-Second
Amendment, which limits the number of ______ can serve, was first proposed in 1947 but wasn’t approved by the required
three-fourths majority of state legislatures until 1951.

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

A. terms presidents

B. term’s presidents

C. term’s president’s

D. terms president’s

ID: 20ea68b7 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural nouns. The plural nouns "terms" and
"presidents" correctly indicate that the amendment involves multiple terms and applies to presidents in general.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "terms," not the singular possessive noun "term’s."
Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns "terms" and "presidents," not the singular possessive
nouns "term’s" and "president’s." Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "presidents," not the
singular possessive noun "president’s."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID db4e3819
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: db4e3819
Midway through her 1968 jazz album A Monastic Trio, Alice Coltrane switches instruments, swapping the piano for the
harp. With the same fluid style that Coltrane was famous for on piano, she ______ her fingers across the harp strings and
creates a radiant sound.

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

A. sweep

B. are sweeping

C. were sweeping

D. sweeps

ID: db4e3819 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6e071432
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6e071432
In 1986, conceptual artist Sophie Calle asked twenty-three people, all of whom had been born without sight, to describe
“their image of beauty” in rich detail. Calle paired excerpts of these conversations with photographs—both of
interviewees and the items they ______ to powerful effect in her exhibition The Blind.

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

A. described, from hair to grass to sculptures

B. described, from hair to grass to sculptures—

C. described—from hair to grass to sculptures,

D. described: from hair to grass to sculptures

ID: 6e071432 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of supplementary elements within a
sentence. The comma after "described" separates the first supplementary element ("both of interviewees and the items
they described") from the second supplementary element ("from hair to grass to sculptures"). Furthermore, the dash after
"sculptures" pairs with the dash after "photographs" to separate these two supplementary elements from the rest of the
sentence. The pair of dashes, which operate at a higher organizing level than the comma, indicates that the elements
between the dashes function together—in this case, the second supplement ("from…sculptures") describes the range of
items mentioned in the first supplement—and could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the
sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. A dash is
needed after "sculptures" to separate the supplementary elements ("both…sculptures") from the rest of the sentence.
Choice C is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. The two
supplementary elements "both…described" and "from…sculptures" function together to describe the photographs, and
placing a dash between them would make this relationship less clear, suggesting that the supplement "both...described"
is a standalone element that could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence, which isn’t
the case. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. A
colon isn’t conventionally used in this way to separate a supplementary element ("from hair to grass to sculptures") from
the noun phrase it is modifying ("items they described"). Additionally, a dash is needed after "sculptures" to separate the
supplementary elements ("both…sculptures") from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID eeb14722
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: eeb14722
The soundtrack to Mira Nair’s 1991 film Mississippi Masala expressively captures the clashing of cultures that happens
when ______ (a young Indian woman from Uganda and a young African American man from Mississippi) meet. Featured
throughout the film are songs from Uganda’s Afrigo Band, the Indian composer L. Subramaniam, and the Mississippi
blues musician Sam Chatmon.

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

A. it’s two protagonists

B. its two protagonist’s

C. it’s two protagonist’s

D. its two protagonists

ID: eeb14722 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of possessive determiners and the use of plural
nouns. The singular possessive determiner "its"—which agrees in number with the singular noun phrase "Mira Nair’s 1991
film Mississippi Masala"—and the plural noun "protagonists" correctly indicate that Nair’s film has multiple protagonists.

Choice A is incorrect because "it’s" is the contraction for "it is," not a possessive determiner. Choice B is incorrect
because the context requires the plural noun "protagonists," not the singular possessive noun "protagonist’s." Choice C is
incorrect because the context requires the possessive determiner "its" and the plural noun "protagonists," not the
contraction "it’s" or the singular possessive noun "protagonist’s."

Question Difficulty: Medium