12.Practice.Tests.for.the.SAT_2015-2016_1128p

1096
112 Practice Tests for the SAT
Practice Test Twelve Answers and Explanations
The pronoun his in (E) is ambiguous, and the sentence
uses incorrect grammatical structure.
7. A
Difficulty: Medium
Expect to see between five and eight sentences on the SAT
that do not have any errors.
This sentence is correct as written. Choice (B) is awkwardly
worded. Choice (C) uses grammatically incorrect structure.
Choices (D) and (E) fail to properly relate the ideas in the
two clauses.
8. B
Difficulty: High
Unnecessary use of the passive voice will make a sentence
overly wordy.
As written, this sentence uses the passive voice unnecessarily.
Choice (B) puts the sentence in the active voice
without introducing any additional errors. Choices (C)
and (D) are in the active voice, but (C) uses incorrect
grammatical structure and (D) creates a run-on sentence.
Choice (E) does not address the passive error and uses the
pronoun they without an antecedent.
9. D
Difficulty: High
Make sure items in a comparative structure can logically be
compared.
As written, the sentence is comparing Ray Charles's songs
to his contemporaries. Both (C) and (D) correct the
comparison error, but fuller of energy in (C) is idiomatically
incorrect. Choices (B) and (E) do not address the
comparison error.
10. B
Difficulty: Medium
One way to correct a run-on sentence is to make one of the
independent clauses subordinate.
As written, this is a run-on sentence because two independent
clauses cannot be joined simply by a comma. Choice (B)
corrects this by making the second clause subordinate and
using an appropriate conjunction and. Choice (C) is awkward
and needlessly wordy. Choice (D) uses a contrast transition
word that is inappropriate in this context. Choice (E) distorts
the meaning of the sentence.
11. B
Difficulty: High
Nouns like family, committee, and team, even though they
refer to multiple people, are considered grammatically
singular.
The plural pronoun their does not agree with the singular
antecedent family Choice (B) corrects this error without
introducing any new ones. Choice (C) creates a sentence
fragment because a gerund (-ing) verb cannot be used as
the main verb of a sentence. Choice (D) is awkward, and are
allowed choosing is idiomatically incorrect; allowed in this
context must be followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
Choice (E) changes the meaning of the original selection.
12. A
Difficulty: High
If you don't spot an error, don't be afraid to select (A).
This sentence is correct as written. The pronoun it and
the singular verb is are correct with the antecedent
discovering, which, in this context, is used as a noun and
is grammatically singular. That in (B) and (D) and those in
(C) and (E) do not have clear antecedents; additionally, (E)
incorrectly uses a plural verb form.
13. B
Difficulty: Medium
A verb must agree with its subject noun, which may not be
the noun closest to it in the sentence.
The subject of the sentence is singular (bias), so the plural
verb threaten is incorrect. Choices (B) and (C) both correct
this error; however, (C) changes the meaning of the original
selection. Choices (D) and (E) do not address the error.
14. A
Difficulty: Medium
Expect between five and eight sentences on the SAT to be
correct as written.
This sentence is correct as written. An appropriate transition
word (which) is used, and the sentence is complete
and concise. Choices (B) and (E) make the sentence
unnecessarily wordy; additionally, (B) fails to use parallel
structure in the items joined by the conjunction phrase both
... and. Choice (C) is a sentence fragment. Choice (D) is
incorrect grammatical structure.