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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
840
Practice Test Nine Answers and Explanations
5. c
Difficulty: Low
As written, this is a sentence fragment. Choice (C) corrects
this and does not introduce any additional errors. In (B)
and (E), yet is redundant with despite. Choice (D) also
uses a redundant conjunction (but) and fails to correct the
fragment.
6. D
Difficulty: Medium
A correctly structured sentence will clearly show what a
modifying word or phrase describes. When the meaning
is unclear, the sentence needs to be revised. As written,
it is the dog, not us, that was walking home. Choice (D)
correctly places the pronoun we after the modifying phrase.
Choice (E) corrects the modification error but is awkward.
7. B
Difficulty: Medium
There are two main problems. The adjective continuous
incorrectly modifies the verb practice; it should be the
adverb continuously. Second, the phrase for learning is
idiomatically incorrect. Only (B) addresses both problems.
Choice (C) changes the meaning because the adverb
continuously modifies to learn instead of practiced. Choice
(D) retains the idiomatic error, and (E) does not use the
adverb.
8. E
Difficulty: Low
The sentence as it stands is unnecessarily wordy. Choice
(B) perpetuates this error. Choice (C) creates a fragment.
Choice (D) is an incorrect prepositional phrase. Only (E)
fixes the error without introducing a new one.
9. B
Difficulty: High
This is a run-on sentence: two independent clauses
connected with a comma splice. You can turn the second
clause into a descriptive phrase by removing it was. Choice
(B) makes that change. Choice (C) incorrectly adds the
contrasting transition word though and (D) the causal
word thus. Choice (E) incorrectly uses and, which creates a
sentence that is grammatically correct but illogical.
10. c
Difficulty: Medium
Make sure that items being compared are presented in the
same form. Here, entertaining is a participle (verb form
used as an adjective), but informs is a verb. To correctly
complete the parallel construction, you need another
adjective. Both (B) and (C) correctly replace informs with
informative, but (B) uses an incorrect verb form. Choice
(D) simply rewords the selection, and choice (E) incorrectly
replaces the verb with a noun (information).
11. D
Difficulty: High
Don't just focus on the few words that are underlined. The
entire sentence is a run-on with a comma splice. To make
the second clause dependent, (D) uses whom to create
a clause that correctly modifies marathon runners. The
objective case is correct because whom is the object of the
preposition. Choice (B) is still a run-on and only substitutes
are needing for the simple present used in the original
sentence. Choice (C) incorrectly uses which to refer to
people instead of whom. Choice (E) is also still a run-on.
12. E
Difficulty: Medium
This sentence is long and rambling, a sentence type that
the SAT frowns upon. Look for the relationship among the
several ideas. What is subordinate? What is modifying or
causal? The main action is that Renee Fleming will perform
in the most important concert of her career. Everything
else describes Fleming. Choice (E) puts all the information
in the proper place. Choice (B) clarifies that the first two
ideas are descriptions of Fleming, but it does not make these
descriptions subordinate to her important concert. Choice
(C) awkwardly uses the participial phrase being admired
especially. Choice (D) uses the relative pronoun which to
refer to a person.