SHSAT185REVISING-keys
SHSAT185REVISING-keys
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ARGOPREP
L B Answer B is the best choice because the tittes of long works, such as novels or albums, should be
italicized or underlined. Answer A is incorrect because quotation marks are used to identify the
titles of shorter works, such as a short story or song. Answer C is incorrect because parentheses
are never used to format a titte. Answer D is aLso incorrect because commas are not used to
format tittes.
2 C Answer C is the best choice because it maintains att the originaL ideas of the sentence (that
physics is compLex and that compLexity comes from integrating both math and science) whiLe
atso cutting down on unnecessary groups of words tike "fietd of study" and unnecessary jargon
Like "advanced computationaL methodology." Answer A is incorrect because it does not access
the concept of complexity, which is key to the original sentence. Answer B is incorrect because it
contains at[ the wordiness of the originaI sentence but simpLy rearranges the order of the words.
Answer D is also incorrect because it maintains the unnecessary phrase "field of study.'
3 A Answer A is the best choice because it makes correct use of the object pronoun "whom" and atso
ensures the sentence does not end in a preposition. Answer B is incorrect because it incorrectty
uses the subject pronoun "who." Answer C is incorrect because, white it correctly uses whom, it
a[ows the sentence to end in the preposition "to," maintaining the originaI error.Answer D is aLso
incorrect because it uses the subject pronoun'who" and ends in a preposition as wel[.
4. D Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence is having action done to them rather than
performing the sentence's action. Answer D ls the best choice because it creates the active voice
construction'The scientific researchers reteased." Answer A is incorrect because it maintains the
passive voice construction "the hea Lthy bear cub was reLeased" and also reorganizes the sentence
to create a confusing dangLing modifier.Answer B is atso incorrect because,whi[e it changes the
subject ofthe sentence, it stil,[ maintains passive voice by saying "The scientific researchers were
so moved." Answer C is incorrect because it maintains the passive voice construction and simply
switches the order of two phrases tater in the sentence.
5 B Answer B is the best choice because shorter words, such as prepositions and articles, are genera[Ly
not capitaLized in titles. Answer A is incorrect because "Mother" is not a specific name in the
sentence, but rather a role or title. Answer C is incorrect because "the" is typicatly not capitatized
in titles (unless it is the first word). Answer D is atso incorrect because there is no reason to
capitalize "by," since it's not the first word in the sentence.
5 C Answer C is the best answer because it is the onty choice that completely etiminates the use of
"to be" verbs. Answer A is incorrect because it sti[[ contains the progressive form of "to be," being.
Answer B is also correct because it stiL[ contains the"to be"verb "was."Answer D is also incorrect
because it contains the infinitive form "to be."
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ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
7. A Answer A is the best choice because it correctly uses two commas to separate out the nonessentiat
phrase "who was atso known as Dr.J."Answer B is incorrect because it does not include a comma
after"Erving"to indicate the beginning ofthe nonessentiaI phrase.Answer C is incorrect because
it adds an unnecessary comma at the end of the sentence. Answer D is aLso incorrect because
neither comma it adds is placed correctly.
8 C Answer C is the best choice because the sentence incorrectly uses the contraction "it is" rather
than the possessive "its." Answer A is incorrect because the sentence strongly suggests there is
on[y one team (the fact that there is onty one coach mentioned supports that conctusion). Moving
the apostrophe after the -s wou[d suggest that there are muttiple teams whose dummies are out
in the rain. Answer B is simitarLy incorrect because there is onty one Coach Steve, meaning the
apostrophe is correctty pLaced before the -s in the originaL sentence. Answer D is also incorrect
because "didn't" is the correct contraction for "did not."
9 D Answer D is the best choice because it joins the two cLosety reLated ideas using a semicolon.
Answer A is incorrect because it mistaken[y uses a coton to connect two sentences, which is
actuaLty the iob of a semicoton. Answer B is incorrect because it maintains the origina[, comma-
spLiced form of the sentence and changes the correctty placed comma at the end to a semicolon
for no reason. Answer C is not the best answer because, by puttinq the second main idea in
parentheses, the author has communicated to the reader that it is significantty less important
than the first part of the sentence rather than giving them equal weight.
10. c A dangting modifier occurs when the object of a descriptive phrase (usualty earty in the sentence)
is potentialty uncLear or confusing to the reader.Answer C is correct because it is the only choice
that e[iminates the dangLing modifier "Even though onty 34 have been authenticated" from the
beginning ofthe sentence without creating an additionat dangting modifier.AnswerA is incorrect
because it maintains the originat dang[ing modlfier, making it seem Like 34 "achievements" have
been authenticated.Answer B is incorrect because it creates a new dangIing modifier,"Considered
some of the greatest achievements in the history of the Netherlands." Answer D is also incorrect
because it sti[[ includes the original dangting modifier that makes it unclear what 34 things it is
tatking about.
7L. A Answer A is the best choice because it places quotation marks and commas correctty to format
the quotation. Answer B is incorrect because it places the finaI comma outside of the finaL
quotation mark, which is incorrect. Answer C is incorrect because it omits the necessary comma
after "advised" to introduce the second half of the quotation. Answer D is incorrect because it's
missing the comma after advised and aLso incorrectly places the finaI period outside of the
quotation marks.
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12. B Answer B is the correct answer because at[ the other commas in the sentence have a ctear,
necessary function. Answer A cannot be the answer because the comma after "mission" separates
the main body of the sentence from its introduction. Answer C cannot be correct because the
comma after "[ater" is necessary to separate the main body of the sentence from the modifying
phrase that folLows it. Answer D cannot be correct either because, when formatting dates, a
comma is generaLly ptaced between the day and year
L3. D Answer D is correct because is uses quotation marks for the name of the shorter work (the
episode) and itatics for the name of the larger work or cotlection (the series). Answer A is
incorrect because it itaLicizes both, whlch is not appropriate for the titte of the episode. Answer B
is incorrect because it puts both in quotation marks, which is not appropriate for the titLe of the
series. Answer C is incorrect because it reverses which title shoutd be italicized and which should
be put in quotation marks.
74. C Answer C is correct because the cardinaI directions are on[y capitaLized when they are part
of the proper name of a region or ptace (East Lansing, Michigan, for exampte). Answer A is
incorrect because "Snake" is part of the name'Snake Pond," and therefore a proper noun. Answer
B is simitarty incorrect because 'Pond" is part of the name "Snake Pond," and therefore must be
capitatized. Answer D is incorrect as wetl because "Road" is part of the futl name "Rocky Pond
Road," and therefore must be capitalized as a proper noun.
15. B Passive voice occurs when the subiect of the sentence is havinq action done to them rather than
being the actor of the main verb. "The buzzing hummingbird was attracted..." is an example of
passive voice because an outside force is acting on the subject ofthe sentence (the hummingbird)
rather than the hummingbird performing action of its own. Answer B is correct because it
reconstructs the sentence to make the daytity the subject of the active voice construction "The
dayli[y attracted the buzzing hummingbird." Answer A is incorrect because it maintains the
orig inaI passive voice construction and simpty flips the order of the ideas that fotlow. Answer C is
incorrect because it creates a new passive voice construction "The daytiLywas poL[inated." Answer
D is a Lso incorrect because it simply repLaces the words "attracted by" to 'drawn to," wh ich is stitl
an exampLe of passive voice.
16. C Answer C is the correct choice because "team" is a coltective noun and, as such, takes the singu[ar
pronoun "its." Answer A is incorrect because "soccer" is not a proper noun and therefore does not
need to be capita lized. Answer B is incorrect because the word'because" is not preceded with a
comma when it connects ideas Like and, or, and but are. Answer D is atso incorrect because "locker
room" ls two words.
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ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
17. B Answer B is the best choice because the unidentified ma[e is the subiect of the sentence, so the
subject pronoun "he" shouLd be used rather than the object pronoun "him." Answer A is incorrect
because it does not correct the he/him issue and also promotes confusing wording at the
beg inning of the sentence. Answer C is incorrect because "us" is the correct object pronoun form;
whereas "we" would be a subject pronoun. Answer D is atso incorrect because the sentence says
'...who gave us," establishing that the object of the verb is pturaL. "Our" must be used to ma intain
consistency in number.
18. C Answer C is correct because the sentence requires one comma after "Gary", to separate the city
from the state; one comma after "Chicago"to separate the city from the state; and one comma after
"llLinois" to separate the main body of the sentence from the nonessentiaI modifier "depending
on traffic."Answers A, B, and D are aL[ incorrect because the sentence requires three commas for
proper formatting.
19. B Answer B is correct because "Gotden Gate Park" is the fu L[ name of the park in question, meaning a LL
three words shou[d be capitalized. Answer A is incorrect because the comma after "Sa n Francisco"
functions to separate the main body of the sentence from an introduction. Answer C is incorrect
because'heard" is the past tense of the verb "hear," whereas 'herd" is the correct collective term
for a group of targe animals. Answer D is also incorrect because "bison" is a common noun and
does not need to be capitatized.
20. D Answer D is the best choice because, in an indirect quotation, a summary or explanation in the
author's own words is used rather than the originaL speaker/writer's exact words (which woutd
be a direct quotation). On[y Answer D finds another way to word the idea that "Fortune favors
the bo[d." Answer A is incorrect because it stiL[ uses Pliny's exact words but simply removes the
quotation marks, which is incorrect. Answers B and C are both incorrect because they stilL use
quotation marks and P[iny s orig inaL words, which are both traits of direct quotation.
27. A Answer A is the best choice because it maintains aLt of the originat sentence's main ideas whiLe
reducing unnecessary words [ike "was" and "and" to tighten the sentence. Answer B is not the
best revision because it introduces a Large number of commas that might make the sentence
more confusing for the reader. Answer C is not the best revision because it begins with "For a
brief period of time, the most feared criminaI in the Western Hemisphere..." causing the sentence
to drag before finatly reaching the subject "Edward Teach." Answer D is also incorrect because it
contains unnecessary sma[[ words like "but he was better known as."
22. D Answer D is correct because "Bo Diddtey is often recognized..." is an examp[e of passive voice.
Passive voice occurs when the subject ofthe sentence is having action performed on it rather than
being the actor ofthe verb.AnswerA is incorrect because"Bo DiddLey is recognized" is formatted
with proper subject-verb agreement. Answer B is incorrect because there are no spe[[ing errors in
the sentence.Answer C is also incorrect because there are no punctuation errors in the sentence.
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23. C Answer C is the best choice because "superstorm" is a unique term that the sentence suggests
meteoro[oqists created simply to refer to Hurricane Sandy. Since it is a new unusual term, putting
"superstorm" in quotation marks signposts it for the reader as a unique word. The verb "dubbed"
shouLd also serve as a hint to the reader. Answers A and B are both incorrect because those
commas are necessary to separate the nonessential modifier "which occurred in 2012." Answer
D is incorrect because "it's" is a contraction of "it is," which would not be appropriate in this
sentence.
24. A Answer A is the best choice because it correctly puts the title of the poem in quotation marks
and italicizes the name of the col.lection (magazine). Answer B is incorrect because "Esquirei as
title of a magazine, should be itaticized and "Let America Be America Again," as a poem, should
be in quotation marks.Answer C is incorrect because the title ofthe poem is incorrectly itaLlcized,
and the title of Esquire is incorrectly extended to 'Esquire Magozine." Answer D is also incorrect
because it puts the title of the magazine in quotation marks, when it should be itaticized.
25. B Answer B is correct because it places a comma to separate the main body ofthe sentence from its
introduction as wetl as a comma to separate the nonessentiaL clause at the end of the sentence.
Answer A is incorrect because it faiLs to identify the entirety of the introduction, sptitting it
instead into two comma spticed introductions. Answer C is incorrect because it faiLs to identify
the introduction at aIt.Answer D is incorrect because,white it features the wvo necessary commas,
it also adds an incorrect comma between "heavily" and "armored."
26 D Answer D is correct because it capitatizes the fu[[ name "Great Pyramid of Gizaithe name Egypt,
and the name Khufu. Answer A is incorrect because it fails to capitalize "Great Pyramidi which is
part of the pyram id s fuLt name. Answer B is incorrect because it incorrectly capitalizes "pharaoh,"
which is used as a common noun in this sentence and not as part of anybody's fu[[ name or title.
Answer C is atso incorrect because it faits to capitalize'great" in "Great Pyramid of Giza."
27. C Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action performed on it rather
than serving as the actor of the main verb. The phrase "The Largemouth bass was attracted" is
an exampLe of passive voice because it is not the subject ("bass") who's doing the attracting.
Answer C is correct because it reorganizes the sentence and introduces the subject "fisherman"
to create an active voice construction. Answer A is incorrect because it maintains the original
example of passive voice. Answer B reorganizes the sentence in an attempt to correct this error
but simpty creates a new passive voice construction, "The floating lure was used." Answer D is
atso incorrect because it too creates a new passive voice construction, "The itlusion of a tasty
bug... was created."
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AR60PREPCOM/SHSAT
SINGLE SENTENCE
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
28. B Answer B is correct because "Encapsutating poputar opinion in an entertaining, satiricaI manner"
is a dang[ing modifier. DangLing modifiers occur when a sentence begins with a descriptive
phrase whose subject is unclear or confusing to the readerAs the sentence is written, it appears
the sentence is attributing that description to "many peopte." Answer A is incorrect because both
commas in the sentence are used correctly. Answer C is incorrect because "many people would
say" is an exampte of correct subject-verb agreement.Answer D is incorrect because "many peopte
would say" and "potiticaI cartoons are" are both active voice constructions.
29. A Answer A is the best choice because it maintains at[ the main ideas of the originaI sentence
white etiminating unnecessary short words and phrases such as "which is" and "each of which."
Answer B is incorrect because, while it rearranges the sentence, it doesn't actuatly change any
of the phrasing, maintaining the same wordlness as the original. Answer C is incorrect because,
while concise, it omits the main point that the way to make variation of macaroni and cheese is
by chanq inq the cheeses and noodles. Answer D is atso incorrect because, wh ite concise, it omits
the main point that macaroni and cheese is the authoas favorite food.
50. B Answer B is the best choice because it corrects the use of subject and object pronouns, using
the object pronoun "whom" to indicate the recipient of a g ift. Answers A and C are both incorrect
because they ma intain the use of the subject pronoun "who," which is wrong. Answer D is incorrect
because it unnecessarily turns the correctly used coton into an incorrectty used comma.
3L. B Answer B is correct because the sentence requires one comma after "penniless" to separate the
introduction ("White many ce[ebrities...") from the main body of the sentence ("Edgar Atlen Poe
titeratly died...") and a second comma after "street" to separate the main body of the sentence
from the nonessentiat modifier at the end of the sentence ('...earning him one of history's most
ignominious deaths"). Answers A, C, and D are al[ incorrect because they insert either too few or
too many commas.
32. D Answer D is correct because it formats the encyclopedia entry as a short work in quotation marks
white italicizing the titLe of the encyclopedia, as is appropriate for a [arge work or collection.
Answer A is incorrect because it fai[s to itaticize the titte of the encycLopedia. Answer B is
aLso incorrect because it puts the titte of the encycLopedia in quotation marks, which is not
appropriate because it is a Large work/coltection. Answer C is incorrect because, white it formats
the titte of the encyctopedia correctly, it faits to identify'Boer War" as an articte titte by putting
it in quotation marks.
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ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
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33. C Answer C is the best choice because a semicolon appropriately connects the two cLosely re[ated
sentences to make them into one. As written, the sentence is incorrectty comma spliced. Answer
A is incorrect because it is necessary to separate an introduction from the main body of the
sentence. Answer B is incorrect because the idiom, atthough in quotation marks, is integrated
smoothly and seamlessly into the sentence, so it does not need to be preceded by a comma like
when transitions [ike "it says" or "she writes" are used. Answer D is a[so incorrect because the
comma is necessary to separate the introduction from the main body of the sentence.
34. C Answer C is the best choice because the sentence identifies not just Sydney but also "the other
nurses." Since atl these peop[e are entering the room, the p[uraL pronoun "they" is required.Answer A
is incorrect because the sentence is on[y discussing one patient, which is reinforced by the singuLar
"the room" at the end of the sentence. Answer B is also incorrect because the sentence contains
two other past tense verbs ("dropped" and "flooded"), so "began" should stay to maintain verb tense
consistency. Answer D is also incorrect because "through" impties that the nurses entered the room
and then exited the other side, rather than entering the room and staying to hetp.
35. D The "to be" verbs (is, am, are, was, were, witL be, etc.) are generatly discouraged from use in forma I
or academic writing because they are weak and promote wordiness. Answer D is the best choice
because it etiminates the "to be" verbs in both sldes of sentence. Answer A is incorrect because it
maintains both uses of"is," even thouqh it tries to restructure the sentence.Answer B is incorrect
because the second half of the sentence stiL[ contains "is," even though it was etiminated from
the first haLf. Similarty, Answer C is incorrect because it atso eliminates one use of "is," while
maintaining the other.
36. C Answer C is the best choice because it correctly identifies the Line breaks in the poem using
stashes. The reader ca n easiLy use the sentence's capita Lization as an indicator of where the Lines
should each begin. Answer A is incorrect because it makes the first Letter of each Line lowercase,
which goes against the conventions of poetry Answer B is incorrect because it incorrectly breaks
the [ines as they wou [d appear in an actua I poem. Answer D is a lso incorrect because it elim inates
the comma from the end of Line 1 of the quotation, making the formatting even more confusing
for the reader.
37. A Answer A is the best choice because a colon can be used to introduce a list in a sentence,
white that is not an acceptab[e use of a dash. Answer B is incorrect because biL" and 'which
is in the same ais[e as paint thinner" are reLated ideas, so they shoutd be grouped together
rather than sptit apart. On the other hand, Answer C is incorrect because "since we lost so many
yesterday" is r€Lated to "machine screws," which precedes it, not "dustpan," which fottows it. As
such, the semicolon shou[d stay to group cLusters of related information toqether. Answer D is
aLso incorrect because "dustpan" and "sweeping" are cLearly related ideas that shouLd be grouped
together within the same list item.
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ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
38. C Answer C is correct because "South Asia" is the proper name of a geographical region and, as
such, should be capitatized. Answer A is incorrect because "Everest" is the specific name of the
mountain, and therefore needs to be capitaLized. Answer B is incorrect because the sentence is
using the term "Earth"to refer to our planet, not simply the ground, so it is a proper noun.Answer
D is incorrect because Asia is the name of a continent and, as such, must be capita[ized.
39. D Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action performed on it rather
than being the actor of the verb. Answer D is correct because it eliminates both "Napoleon was
defeated" and "who was favored," both of which are passive voice constructions. Answer A is
incorrect because it faits to identify that saying Wetlington "was favored" is another example of
passive voice.Answer B is incorrect because it maintains the originaL opening exampte of passive
voice,"Napoleon was defeated." Answer C is simiLarLy incorrect because it maintains the original
sentence's erroneous opening.
40. c Answer C is the best choice because it correctly uses a coton to introduce a list and then places
commas between each list item.Answer A is incorrect because it erroneously uses a semicolon in
place of a colon to introduce the [ist. Answer B is incorrect because it erroneously uses a comma
in the ptace of a coton to introduce the [ist. Answer D is also incorrect because it fails to include
a punctuation mark to introduce the List at at[.
4r. B Answer B is the best choice because it parentheticalLy formats the years of somebody's birth
and death (as is customary in historical texts) whi[e maintaining a[L the other main ideas of the
sentence. Answer A is incorrect because it Leaves in the wordy':..who Lived from..."and aLso faiLs
to include the significance of Common Sense. Answer C is incorrect because, while it saves words
using parentheses, it aLso faiLs to mention the name of the pamphlet Common Sense,wnich is
a main idea in the sentence. Answer D is simitarty incorrect because it fails to mention the title
Common Sense whiLe also maintain the wordy "...who tived from..." phrasing.
42. B Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence or phrase is having action done to it
rather than performing the action of the verb. Answer B is the best choice because "babies are
detivered" is a passive voice construction. The sentence should be corrected to read "...the belief
that storks deliver babies."Answer A is incorrect because there are no capitalization errors in the
sentence. Answer C is incorrect because the date 1941 indicates that the use of the past tense
verb "popularized" is appropriate. Answer D is incorrect because there are no modifying phrases
or ctauses in the sentence at aL[, meaning there can be no dangling modifier.
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43. D Answer D is the best choice because "which" is used to refer to objects, not people. The correct
form woutd be: "...many of whom are rather arrogant."Answer A is incorrect because scientists can
be counted, so its appropriate to use "many" rather than "much," which is used for unquantifiable
qualities or things. Answer B is incorrect because it changes the meaning of the sentence in the
way that the author might not intend, suggesting that the maiority of britLiant scientists are
arrogant. Answer C is also incorrect because, white it correctly identifies that "which" must be
reptaced, it inserts the incorrect subject pronoun "who" rather than the object pronoun "whom."
44. C Answer C is the best choice because it correctty uses commas to separate the nonessentiaI modifier
"tocated in Oak Ridge, Tennessee," separate the name of the city from the name of the state, and
to from a compound sentence, adding "but now it is rated third." Answer A is incorrect because
it faits to separate the name of the city from the name of the state, as is customary. Answer B
;s incorrect because it faits to mark the beginning of the nonessentiaI modifier "located in Oak
Ridge, Tennessee" with a comma. Answer D is atso incorrect because it includes an unnecessary
comma after "launched," treating "in 201]" as another none-essentiaI modifier.
45. A A dangting modifer occurs when a sentence begins with a modifying phrase or clause whose
subject is unclear or confusing to the reader."Leaving drab smalL town life for a magical world of
adventure" is a dang Ling participte because it's uncLear to the reader for much of the sentence who
it is who teft'drab sma[[ town tife." If anything, the sentence makes it seem like it may have been
Baum himselt Answer A is correct because it reorganizes the sentence to provide a ctear subject,
making aLL the modifiers that foLlow cLear. Answer B is incorrect because it simply reptaces the
existing dang[ing modifier with a new one.Answer C reorganizes the sentence to some degree but
sti[L leaves the originaL dang[ing modifier at the beginning of the sentence. Answer D is incorrect
because it creates a new dangling modifier, "Serving as L. Frank Baums protagonist..."
46 D Answer D is the best choice because it inserts commas as needed to transition in and out of
quoted material. Answer A is incorrect because it requires a comma after "dead" to transition the
reader back out of the quotation. Answer B is incorrect because it Lacks a comma after "said" to
introduce the quotation. Answer C is incorrect because it unnecessari[y inserts a coton, which
makes the formatting of the second part of the quotation completeLy inconsistent with the
formatting of the first half.
47. C Answer C is correct because the phrase "sits with" requires an object pronoun (him) rather than
a subject pronoun (he). Answer A is incorrect because the introduction is discussing the potiticat
differences between Bush and the Obamas, not just differences on Bush's side, so the plurat
possessive pronoun "their" is necessary. Answer B is incorrect because, if the sentence is read out
Loud (or carefutly to onese[0, "ln spite of his and her politicaI differences" is far less ctear and
smooth for the reader than simpLy using "their." Answer D is also incorrect because "hef is the
correct ob.iect pronoun, whereas'she" does not agree with the phrase "sits with."
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48 B Answer B is the correct choice because it itaticizes the title of the long form work (Porodise Lost)
and puts the title of the short work in quotation marks ("On His Twenty-Third Birthday"). Answer A
is incorrect because it puts the title of the long work in quotation marks and underlines the short
work, which is used interchangeabty with italics. Answer C is incorrect because it hedges, both
itaticizing P1rodise Lost and putting it in quotation marks. Answer D is also incorrect because it
reverses the two formats, putting the Long work in quotation marks and the short work in itatics.
49. B Answer B is the correct choice because the words "tournamenti "their buses," and "finaI game" at[
strongty impty that there are multiple teams involved in this event. Answer B inserts the correct
plural possessive pronoun.Answer A is incorrect because reading the sentence out loud (or even
quietly to oneseLf) quickty revea[s that 'After ours tournament" does not make any sense. Answer
C is incorrect because reading the sentence out loud (or even quietly to onesetf) quickty reveaLs
that "...even though it wasn't our" does not make any sense. Answer D is incorrect because "their"
is the proper possessive form, whereas "there" indicates a place.
50. D The "to be" verbs (is, am, are, was, were, wil[ be, etc.) are often discouraged from use in format
writing because they are weak and promote wordiness. Answer D is the best choice because it
reorganizes the sentence to avoid the use of any "to be" verbs. Answer A is incorrect because it
sti[[ opens with '..Jacques Cousteau was..." Answer B is incorrect because the second half of the
sentence sti[[ contains the phrase "...was a key figure." Answer C is incorrect because the final
phrase of the sentence says "...and he was also the inventor..."
51. B Answer B is correct because the term "haLf-brother" is hyphenated to show that the words are
conceptually tied together. Answer A is incorrect because the sentence strongty suggests the
speaker has one father and one mother, so the singutar possessive "mother's" is correct. Answer
C is incorrect because numbers one through nine shoutd be written out Longhand, not depicted
using numera Ls. Answer D is a lso correct because "Jr." is an appropriate suffix that is correct in any
context, even LegaI documents.
52. A Answer A is correct because the noun "princip[e" is incorrectly used in place of its homophone, the
adjective "principat." Answer B is incorrect because "we bought" and "power was out" both agree
in terms of number. Answer C is incorrect because "...we bought..." and "power was out" are both
active voice constructions. Answer D is incorrect because the only two commas in the sentence
are used correctly to separate the nonessentiaI modifier "[ast winter."
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ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
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1.C Answer C is correct because "Wandering the dry depressing desert [andscape" is a dangting modifier
A dangting modifier occurs when a sentence begins with a descriptive modifier whose object is
unclear or confusing to the reader. As the reader moves through the sentence, it is unctear who is
"wandering..." untiI much later in the sentence. Answer A is incorrect because "Oases are" and bases
provide" both agree. Answer B is incorrect because'Oases are" and bases provide" are both active
voice constructions. Answer D is incorrect because aL[the commas in the sentence are used correctty.
2 A Answer A is the best choice because every other sentence discusses Norton's exploits in San
Francisco, whereas Sentence 3 tatks about his previous life in other areas. Atthough it is a
meaningfuI fact that wouLd be necessary in a more extended biography, Sentence 3 does not
aLign with the theme of the paragraph and shoutd be removed. Answers B, C, and D are all
incorrect because they al[ focus on events that occurred after Norton came to the United States,
specifi ca[[y San Francisco.
3 B Answer B is the correct answer because it inserts the missinq comma to separate the introduction
from the body of the sentence. Answer A is incorrect because it eliminates the correctly used
colon and replaces it with a comma, white faiLing to insert the necessary comma after "implies."
Answer C is incorrect because it does not insert the needed comma and puts an unnecessary
one after "motte." Answer D is also incorrect because, whi[e it places the necessary comma in the
appropriate p[ace, it also inctudes an unnecessary one after "motte."
4. B Answer B is correct because, throughout the rest of the paragraph, there is a brief description of
each Batman's personaLity.The phrase "aLso contained humorous antics" in Sentence 3 atso serves
as an indicator that there's a missing detai[ about West's portrayaL being humorous. Answers A
and D a re both incorrect because, wh i[e they provide detai[s about the movie, they do not discuss
the personality of West's portrayal of the character. Answer C is atso incorrect, even though it's a
statement of fact, because it does not provide any detaits about the personatity of the character
and simpty mentions an obvious fact that the reader could easity infer using other details from
the paragraph.
5.C Answer C iscorrect because Sentence 5 contains the future tense verb 'wiLt have to guess," which
is inconsistent with the present tense verbs used throughout the rest of the paragraph. The
sentence shou [d be revised to say someth ing tike,'l..wh ite another guesses who they are or what
they're doing."Answers A, B, and D are atl incorrect because the other sentences in the paragraph
are at[ consistently written in the present tense-
6 B Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action done to it rather than
being the actor of the verb. Answer B is correct because "6uitars are made" is an exampte of
passive voice because the subject ("guitars") is not performing the verb (making something).
Answer A is incorrect because "The guitar is one of..." is an active voice construction. Answer C is
incorrect because "Luthiers... make guitars" is an active voice construction. Answer D is incorrect
because Sentence 4 is written in the active voice as wel[.
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A
ARGOPREP SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
7. C Sentence 4 is incorrect because the cotlective singutar noun "pack" requires a singular pronoun
"its" rather than the plurat"their" in order to agree in number. Answer C corrects this error and
is therefore correct. Answers A and B do not correct the number agreement but rather make
unnecessary changes to othet correct pronouns in the sentence. Answer D is incorrect because,
whiLe it makes the essentiaL change, it also unnecessarily changes the possessive "its" to the
contraction "it's" (it is) tater in the sentence.
d A Answer A is the best choice because it creates two distinct, focused sentences: one about Dy[an's
fame as a songwriter, and one about his chameteon-tike style. Answer B is incorrect because it
creates an overly-long second sentence by fai[ing to connect his songwriting accomplishments
to his ptace in the Rock and RotL HatL of Fame.Answer C is incorrect because it leaves the phrase
"...and a reputation" dangling in a way that would be confusing for the reader. The reader would
probably wonder what kind of reputation the author was referring to. Answer D is also incorrect
because it creates an overly long first sentence and fai[s to connect the idea of being "chameteon-
Like" to the fact that each of his albums has a different personality.
9 D Answer D is correct because as the reader moves through Sentence 4, it is unclear what exactty
was "Thrilting audiences..." They might reasonably assume it's the movies in some way, but the
specific fact that the sentence is discussing the plots of fitm noir movies is unclear until late in
the sentence. Answers A, B, and C are aL[ incorrect because they all make proper use of modifiers
and have ctear subjects.
10. a Answer A is the correct choice because a comma is required after "arrives- to separate the
introduction from the main body of the sentence. Answer B is incorrect because the entire [ead-
up to getting married is presented as one unified "process'made up of many different elements
throughout the paragraph. Answer C is incorrect because "as they are excited to be married"
cannot stand on its own. Answer D is incorrect because "excited" means to feel excitement, whiLe
"exciting" means to cause excitement. Since couples are feeling exc ite ment, "excited" is correct.
7t. c AdangLing modifier occurs when a sentence begins with a descriptive or modifying phrase whose
subject is unknown or confusing to the reader. As the reader moves through Sentence 4, it is very
unclear who or what saw "how much money was being pumped into" VersaitLes, making it a
dangling modifier.Answer C is the best choice because it reorganizes the sentence to begin with
a clear subject.Answer A is incorrect because it maintains the originat dang[ing modifier.Answer
B is incorrect because, while it reorganizes the sentence, it creates the new dangting modifier
"Beginning to resent Versaittes." Answer D is incorrect because, white it attempts to reorganize
the sentence, it simpty maintains the same dangting modifier and simply changes the order of
words that fo[Low-
92
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
t2. c Answer C is the best choice because it uses semicolons to break the long list with comma'd
mofiers into LogicaL chunks. Answer A is incorrect because it uses multiple dashes throughout
the sentence to introduce information, which makes the sentence seem very abrupt and jumpy.
Answer B is incorrect because, whiLe it attempts to use semicolons to ctarify the [ist, it actually
reverses where semicolons and commas belong, creating more confusion. Answer D is incorrect
because it uses coLons to introduce each [ist item, which is not a correct way to use colons or
format Lists.
!3. D Answer D is the best choice because it provides a definition for the term barter, a key term
that is introduced in Sentence 3. ln order for the paragraph to be meaningfut, the reader must
understand, at Least to some degree,what the system money replaced was [ike.Answers A, B, and
c are atl interesting detaits that coutd be part of a Longer passage on this topic, but Answer D is
the best answer because it fiL[s in the qaps of Sentence 3 and clarifies the meaning of the entire
paragraph.
L4. B Answer B is correct because "Langsdorf is clearly a specific name for a certain kind of tie and,
as such, shoutd be capitatized. Answer A is incorrect because "tailor created" and "method...Lent"
both agree. Answer C is incorrect because both "taiLor created" and "method... [ent" are active
voice constructions. Answer D is incorrect because the sentence's onty comma, which separates
the main body of the sentence from its introduction, is placed correctLy.
15. D Answer D is the best choice because Sentence 5 provides an optimistic view of how some chitdren
can thrive without childcare, whereas the rest of the paragraph focuses on how childcare is
essential. Answers A, B, and C are incorrect because aI ofthose sentences stress the importance
of chitdcare, unlike Sentence 5, which trivializes or reduces it.
L6. A Answer A is the best choice to follow Sentence 3 because Sentence 3 describes how "some
wifflebatL ptayers" pLay the game, whi[e Answer A fitts in some detai[s about how some other
enthusiasts pLay. Answers B and C are both incorrect because, white they are true facts about
wimebalt, they do not match the focus or styte of the paragraph. Answer D etaborates on ideas
Laid out in Sentence 3, but it is not as good an answer as Answer A because it doesn't broaden
the readerl understanding of how different peopte ptay wiffebaLl, but rather digs deep on one
method that may not be appticable to everybody.
L7. C Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence is having action done to it rather than serving
as the actor of the verb. Answer C is correct because the phrase "So much needLess anxiety is
created" is an example of passive voice. This sentence should be revised to say something like
"This creates so much needless anxiety..." Answer A is incorrect because "One... is the fact" is an
active voice construction. Answer B is incorrect because "Students must know" ls an active voice
construction. Answer D is incorrect because "Many teachers try" is an active voice construction.
93
a
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREPCOM,/SHSAT
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
18. B Answer B is the best choice because the pturaI pronoun "they" is inconsistent with the clear
description of "a [singuLar] student" at the beginning of the sentence. Since the gender of the
student is uncteat the option'him or her" accounts for either singular possibility. Answer A is
incorrect because either the progressive or simple present tense works in the sentence. Answer
C is incorrect because that comma is necessary to separate the main body of the sentence "...it
provides a richer learning experience..." from its introduction "lf a student is fotlowing..." Answer
D is atso incorrect because the comparative adjective "richer" is used to compare student-centered
learning to the traditional approach outtined in Sentences 1 and 2.
19. c Answer C iscorrect because the future tense verb tars witL get stuck" in Sentence 3 is inconsistent
with the rest of the paragraph, which is written squarety in the present tense. Answers A, B, and D
are a[[ incorrect because each ofthose sentences contains onLy present tense verbs ("are,""begin,"
"saturate," "becomes," etc.).
20. B Answer B is the best choice because it combines the two ideas (that Rodin was the greatest
scutptor since Donatello and that he captured emotion effectivety) white reducing overaL[
wordiness and promoting flow. Answer A is not the best choice because it simply combines
the two sentences with a semicolon, doing tittle to eliminate unnecessary words. Answer C is
incorrect because it combines the two existing sentence with a comma and the conjunction 'and,"
connecting the two in the simptest grammatically correct way possible.Answer C is not the best
answer because it does nothing to [imit the wordiness ofthe sentence.Answer D is also incorrect
because, whi[e it combines the two sentences in a grammatica[[y acceptabLe way, it contains
repetitive and unnecessary wording, such as,"the Parisian artist was able to capture."
2L. D Answer D is the correct answer because short stories shoutd be formatted in quotation marks, not
ita[ics, which are reserved for titles of long works.Answer A is incorrect because the exclamation
point is actua[[y part of the titte and, therefore, cannot be removed. Answer B is incorrect because
the period immediateLy after the CiviL War is officia[Ly known as "Reconstruction," so it is a proper
noun. Answer C is incorrect because the phrasing of the sentence establishes a singutar number
by saying "...of atmost every single person in the South."
22. A Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence is having action performed on them rather
than being the actor of the verb. Answer A is correct because "Ra iLroad
was bu i[t" is an example of
passive voice.Answer B is incorrect because a[Lthe proper nouns in the sentence are appropriateLy
capitatized. Answer C is incorrect because "Railroad was buiLt" agrees in terms of number. Answer
D cannot be correct because there are no extended modifiers anywhere in the sentence.
94
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
A
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREP,COM/SHSAT
23. D Answer D is the correct answer because it uses two commas to separate the nonessential
modifier "we[ known for his abitity to organize itlegaL gambting parties" from the main body of
the sentence as well as one final comma to create a compound sentence at the end. Answer A is
incorrect because, white it identifies the nonessentiaI modifier, it does not place the comma that
forms the compound sentence.Answer B is incorrect because it forgets to close the nonessentiat
modifier with a comma after "parties" and aLso incLudes an unnecessary comma after "girlfriend."
Answer C is also incorrect because it includes an unnecessary comma after "girtfriend" as we[[.
24. C Answer C is correct because the entire paragraph is about how curling "looks unlike any other
athletic competition," as laid out in Sentence 1. Sentence 5 discusses the popuLarity of curting
and appears to pass a negative judgment on the sport, making that sentence out of [ine with the
overa[[ tone of the paragraph. Answers A, B, and D are a[[ incorrect because those sentences aL[
focus on the appearance and process of curting.
25. C Answer is correct because the phrase "each member" earlier in the sentences implies that each
C
member of the band is being treated as an individual, necessitating the singular pronoun "his."
Answer A is incorrect because the comma after "now" is necessary to separate the main body of
the sentence from its introduction. The comma after "up" is necessary to connect the compound
sentence. Answer D is incorrect because "songwriter" is a compound word, not hyphenated.
26. C Answer C is correct because "fast foods is" does not agree in number. The sentence should be
corrected to read either "fast food is" or "fast foods are..." Answer A is incorrect because "people
betieve" and "[fast food] reprograms..." are both active voice constructions. Answer B is incorrect
because the sentence does not contain any pronouns, so it cannot have a pronoun use erro[
Answer D is also incorrect because the sentence's commas are correctty used to identify the
nonessentiaI modifier "[ike drugs or alcoho[."
27. C Answer C is the best choice because it connects to the sentences that came before it and wraps
up the paragraph by revisiting its original main idea. Answer C foltows Sentence 4 we[L because
itbuitds on the idea that cattle dogs form cLose bonds. lt also serves as a strong conctusion
because it points back to Sentence 1, which esta bLished that cattle dogs are increasingLy popu Lar.
Answer A is not the best choice for a concLusion because the reader would probably expect at
least one more sentence describing some of the tricks the dogs can be trained to do.
28. D Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence is having action done to it rather than
serving as the actor of the verb. "Dumplings are made" in Sentence 2 is passive voice because
the subject ("dumptings") is not making anything.Answer D is correct because it inserts the word
"Peop[e" to create an active construction with a ctear subject. Answer A is incorrect because it
maintains the original example of passive voice. Answer B is incorrect because "food items are
enctosed" is stiL[ an exampte of passive voice. Answer C is also incorrect because it creates the
new passive voice construction "Dough is fitted."
95
fl
ARGOPREP
AR6OPR€PCOM/SI{SAT
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANAIIONS
29. C A dangting modifier occurs when a sentence begins with a modifyinq phrase or clause whose
subject is unclear or confusing to the reader. Answer C is correct because, as the reader moves
through Sentence 3, it is unclear who or what was "developed as a military cipher." The reader
might incorrectty assume this modifier describes the "letters and words" from Sentence 2 or
"Louis Brai[[e" from later in Sentence 3. Answers A, B, and D are aI incorrect because the other
sentences in the paragraph have clear subjects and use modifiers correctly.
30. A Answer A is the best answer because it corrects an error in pronoun use. The p[uraI pronoun
"theif does not agree with the singuLar noun "Empire," so it must be changed to "its."Answer B is
incorrect because it maintains the pronoun agreement error and unnecessary reformats "Wortd
War l" as "Wortd War One." Answer C is incorrect because it maintains the pronoun agreement
error and adds an unnecessary comma after "Lives on." Answer D is incorrect because it maintains
the same pronoun agreement error, even though it alters other aspects of the sentence s wording.
37. D Answer D the best choice because "On the other hand" correctLy communicates that the content of
is
Sentence 4 is significantty different than the content of Sentence 3, even representing an opposite.
Answer A is incorrect because it impties that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the
tlvo sentences. Answer B is incorrect because "Furthermore" implies that the content of Sentence
4 would reinforce the content of Sentence 3, which is not true. Answer C is atso incorrect because
"Essentia[y" suggests Sentence 4 wi[[ serve to distitt or exptain ideas from Sentence 3, which it
does not.
32. B Answer B is the best choice because it joins the two sentences smoothly and removes repetitive
wording to create a singte, focused sentence. Answer A is not the best choice because it simply
combines the two sentences using a comma and "and," doing littLe to smoothen flow or reduce
word iness. Answer C is incorrect because it uses commas to create a Lengthy sentence whose flow
might be difficult for the reader to fo[[ow Answer D is aLso incorrect because it uses a colon to
connect the two related sentences, which is not correct usage.
33. D Answer D is correct because Sentence 3 contains both the past tense verb tame" and the present
tense construction "which means he provides..." This could create confusion for the reader, who
may not be sure when the events of the sentence take ptace. Answer A is incorrect because "The
jester generatly came" is an active voice construction. Answer B is incorrect because there are no
dangting modifiers in the sentence, and the subject of each part of the sentence is completely
clear. Answer C is also incorrect because al[ commas in the sentence are used correctly.
34. B Answer B is the best choice because the paragraph focuses on vinyl records, not the technologies
that preceded them. Mentioning Edison does little to enhance the paragraph's main ideas, and,
as such, Sentence 3 shou[d be removed. Answers A, C, and D are a[[ incorrect because those
sentences focus on either how records work or how they are distinct from digitaI music. Since the
96
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
fl
ARGOPREP
AR6OPREP,COM/SHSAY
sentences are ctosely retated, they att betong grouped together in a paragraph.
55. D Answer D is the best avai[ab[e choice because it provides a togicaI bridge between Sentence
3 and Sentence 4. lf not for the insertion of Answer D, the reader might not understand that
inspections actuaLly take place and assume that food producers simpty have to create a HACCP
ptan with minimaI accountabi[ity. Answer A is incorrect because, white it is a true statement, it
does not filt in the sentence's togic gap and does little to support Sentence 3 directly. Answer
B is incorrect because, whi[e a true statement, it doesn't connect the ideas from Sentence 3 to
Sentence 4. Answer C is aLso incorrect because it is a completeLy redundant statement that simpLy
repeats information from Sentence 1.
36. D Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence is having action performed on it rather
than serving as the actor of the verb. Answer D is correct because "Rugby can be pLayed...' is a
passive voice construction. Answer A is incorrect because "Rugby continues" is an active voice
construction. Answer B is incorrect because "teams try" is an active voice construction. Answer C
is incorrect because "Rugby players cannot pass" is an active voice construction.
37. C Answer C is the best choice because it inserts the only necessary comma: the one after "a lcoho[ic."
Answer A is incorrect because it pLaces a comma after "chaotic," which is incorrect because lt
d ivides the sentence into two g rou pings, neither of which can stand on its own as a grammaticatty
correct sentence. Answer D is a Lso incorrect because, while it inserts the necessary comma, it also
includes an improperty pLaced one after "crue[."
38. B Answer B is the best choice because it creates two focused sentences: one about the beginnings
ofurban sprawlafterWWll,and a second about howthattrend has recently been reversed.Answer
A is incorrect because it fails to connect safety and personal space as motivations for peopLe to
move out of cities and towards suburbs. Answer C is not the best choice because it creates an
overty short first sentence and a [ong, rambting second sentence that combines severaI ideas that
are only tangentiaLty retated. Answer D is not the best choice because it creates an overly long
first sentence and fails to make a clear connection between the idea that the trend has recently
changed and the migration habits of young peopte.
39. C A dangting modifier occurs when a sentence begins with a modifier whose sub,ect is unknown or
unctear to the reader. Answer C is correct because as the reader moves through the sentence, it's
unctear who is "Travetling through green pipes and stomping turtles." Answers A, B, and D are a L[
incorrect because each of those sentences has a ctear subject and makes proper use of modifiers.
40. D Answer D is correct because it uses the past tense verb "came," white att the other sentences are
written squarely in the present tense. Sentence 4 should be revised to say'These associations
probabty come from the distant past..." which is grammatical[y correct and makes the sentence
more consistent with the rest of the paragraph. Answers A, B, and C are at[ incorrect because they
97
A
ARGOPREP
ARGOPREPCOM/SHSAI
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
4L. A Sentence 4 is incorrect because it begins "Each homeowneri which implies people are being
treated as singuLar individua[s, fotlowed by the pturaI pronoun "they."Answer A is the best choice
because lt changes the subject "Each homeowner" to'Homeowners," which brlngs the use of the
plural pronoun "they" into alignment. Answer B is incorrect because, while it tries to address the
error by using "he or she"at the beginning ofthe sentence, it is stittfitled with other incorrect uses
of"they."Answer C is incorrect because it creates a plurat subject ("Homeowners") but then gives
it a singu[ar pronoun ("he or she"). Answer D is incorrect because, [ike Answer B, it inconsistentLy
uses both singuLar and p[uraL pronouns throughout the sentence.
42. C Answer C is correct because the events of the paragraph take p[ace square[y in the historicaI
past and therefore require past tense verbs.Answers A and B are both incorrect because the two
commas are necessaryto indicate the nonessentiaI modifierbn the other hand."Answer D is also
incorrect because the adverb bccasionaL[y" is needed to modify the verb "changes" rather than
the adjective form bccasiona[."
43. B Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action performed on it rather
than serving as the actor ofthe verb."Card tricks... are considered" is an example of passive voice
because the subject ("tricks") is not the one considering anything. Answer B correctty reorganizes
the sentence to make "mag icians'the subject of the active voice construction "magicians consider
card tricks..." Answers A and C are both incorrect because they maintains the original example of
passive voice.Answer D is incorrect because, whi[e it creates an active voice construction early in
the sentence, it creates the passive "the illusion is performed" later in the sentence.
44 D Answer D is the correct choice because Sentences 1-4 all focus on [etter writing, its place in
the curricu[um, and the benefits it offers. Sentence 5, on the other hand, serves to diminish
the tegitimacy and authenticity of formaL letters in the curriculum. Answers A, B, and C are aL[
incorrect because those sentences work together to buiLd a general understanding of the topic.
45. A Answer A is the best choice because it provides a concrete example to support the ideas laid out
in Sentence 4.This example serves to hetp the reader understand a situation in which a company
wou[d protect one of its trademarks. Answers B, C, and D could atL fit into a longer passage on
the topic of trademarks, but given the wording of the question, onty Answer A provides direct,
concrete support to Sentence 4.
46. B Answer B is the best choice because Sentence 5 wouLd fouow Sentence 1 perfectly to transition
from the introduction of the flag to the exptanation of its visual significance. Sentence 2 wouLd
benefit from the switch as wel[,as it can serve as a strong conclusion at the end ofthe paragraph.
Answer A is incorrect because if the paragraph began "The design of the flagi readers wouLd be
unlikety to know which flag was being discussed. Answer C is incorrect because the information
of Sentence 4 woutd be very hard to understand without having first read Sentence 3.Answer D
98
SHORT PARAGRAPH
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREPCOM/SH3AI
is incorrect because Sentences 3 and 4 are very c[osety retated, and breaking them up woutd be
[ikely cause confusion for the reader
47. C The "to be" verbs (is, am, are, was, were, witt be, etc-) are d iscouraged from formaI or professionaI
writing because they are weak and promote wordiness. Answer C is the best choice because it
reorganizes and revises the sentence to eliminate the need for the "to be" verb 'is." Answer A is
incorrect because, whiLe it reorders the sentence, it maintains the use of "is." SimiLarty, Answer B
begins "Gambling is..." making it incorrect. Answer D is incorrect because, even though it reorders
the sentence to elim inate the use of "is," it sti[[ ends in "may be," which is a "to be" verb as wett.
48. D Answer D is the best choice because it adds two commas to identify the nonessential modifier
"which generatly Last three or four years," which are the only necessary punctuation changes to
the sentence. Answer A is incorrect because it adds an unnecessary comma after "deveLopment."
and inserts an unnecessary colon. Answer C is incorrect because it puts cycle in quotation marks
for no reason, probabty based on the formatting of "professional development" in Sentence 2.
49. D Answer D is the correct answer because "The real probLem arise" does not agree in number. The
sentence shoutd be revised to read,"The real probLem arises..." Answer A is incorrect because
"problem arises" is an active voice construction. Answer B is incorrect because the comma does
not require any commas and is correct in its originaI form. Answer C is also incorrect because no
words in the sentence other than the first one need to be capitatized.
s0. c Answer C is the correct answer because it corrects "there" (a ptace) to "their" (the possessive form of
"they").Answer A is incorrect because it maintains the originaI error and incorrectly changes "who's"
(who islwho has) to "whose" (the possessive form of'who). Answer B is incorrect because, whi[e
it corrects the originaL homophone issue, it introduces another by changing "who's" to 'whose."
Answer D is atso incorrect because it changes "theif to "they're," the contraction of "they are."
99
A
ARGOPREP
AR60PREPCOM/SHSAT
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
& EXPLANATIONS
ANSWERS
Alice in Wondertand
1.8 Answer B is the correct choice because "written by Lewis Carrolt" functions as a nonessentiaL
modifier, meaning it shoutd be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma on each side.
Answer A is lncorrect because ALice in WonderLond is, in fact, a novel (as indicated in Sentence 2),
so it should be formatted in itatics rather than quotation marks (which are for short works).
Answer C is incorrect because "written by Lewis Carrott" requires commas on either side of it,
since it's a nonessential modifier. Answer D is also incorrect because it improperly separates "in
1855" from the verb it's elaborating on,"was published."
2 D Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action done to it rather than
being the actor of the main verb."Readers have been captivated" is an example of passive voice
because the subject ("readers") is not performing the verb itsetf (taptivating"). Answer D is the
best choice because it creates the active voice construction "Carroll's unconventional novel has
captivated," in which the subject ("novet") clearty performs the action ("has captivated"). Answers
A and B are both incorrect because they maintain the original "Readers have been captivated..."
passive voice construction. Answer C is atso incorrect because it creates a new passive voice
co nstru ction, "The whimsy and ridicuLousness... are enjoyed."
3 B Answer B is the best choice because it removes the incorrectLy used semicolon and repLaces it
with an appropriate punctuation mark. The semicoton cannot be used in Sentence 4 because
the content on either side of a semicolon shoutd be able to stand on its own as a sentence.
Since'a genre that blends traditional storytelting with content that intentionaLty faits to make
sense" cannot stand alone as a sentence, it cannot be preceded by a semicolon. A comma is
the correct choice because it correctly separates an idea ('literary nonsense") from a modifying
clause ("a genre that b[ends..."). Answers A and D are both incorrect because they do not address
the incorrect use of the semicolon. Answer C is incorrect because it uses a coton to introduce a
modifying clause, which is not correct usage.
4 A Answer A is the best choice because it provides a concrete exampte of how /Alire in Wonderlond
juxtaposes fun and sad moments, which is the topic of Sentence 5. Answer A wou[d heLp the
reader get the best sense of what the author means in Sentence 5. Answers B is not the best
answer because it slmpLy reLies on the idea that the book is popuLar in a unique way, as was
suggested in Paragraph 1, rather than providing any actua[ support for Sentence 5. Answer C
is incorrect because it essentia[[y just repeats the idea of Sentence 6 without elaborating or
expanding on it in any reaI way. Answer D is also incorrect because it introduces the sequel,
which is not mentioned anywhere e[se in the passage, rather than elaborating on the content of
Sentence 5.
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PASSAGE QUESTtONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREP,COM/SHSAI
5 C Answer C is correct because the entirety of the passage's ptot summary is written in the present
tense. The verbs "tried" and "encountered" from Sentence 7 are in the past tense, making them
inconsistent with the rest of Paragraph 2. Answer A is incorrect because the sentence correctly
uses commas to identify an introduction clause (as she tried to find the rabbit and, ultimatety,
her way home") and a nonessential modifier ("uLtimatety"). Answer B is incorrect because "she
tried" and A[ice...encountered" are both active voice constructions. Answer D is incorrect because
only the first letter of the sentence and the A in the name ?[ice" are capitatized, which is correct.
6 D Answer D is the best choice because it groups information together in a [ogica[, thematic way.
AIL the information about the Queen of Hearts is grouped into the first sentence, and a[L the
information about the nature of the croquet game is grouped into the second sentence. Answer
A is not a good choice because it creates a [ong, wandering second sentence that could easily
confuse readers. Answer B is also incorrect because it creates a [ong, wandering first sentence
that could easity confuse readers. Answer C is incorrect because it separates out the flamingos
from the rest of the explanation in an illogical manner.
7. C Answer C is the best choice because'Knave of Hearts" is the character's fu[[ name and,therefore,
shou Ld be capita lized."Queen of Hearts" in Sentence 9 shoutd be a major hint to the reader of this
formatting. Answer A is incorrect because "Wonderland" is the specific name of a pLace (a proper
noun) and must be capitalized. Answer B is incorrect because "Knave of Hearts" is the character's
name, so "Knave" must be capitaLized. Answer D is aLso incorrect because "Queen of Hearts" has
been previousty estabLished as the character's on [y name, so, when discussing her,"Queen" should
be capita tized.
8 A Answer A is the best choice because it wraps up the discussion of the novets pLot and ties it
back to the main theme of the whote passage (that Alice in Wonderland is both charming and
stra nge). Answer B is not the best answer because, while it describes something that happens in
the book, it does little to wrap up the passage as a discussion ofthe novel.Answer C is incorrect
because it uses the informal, second person "you," which is inconsistent with the tone of the rest
of the passage. Answer D is not the best answer either because it doesn't make the strong, ctear
connection to the idea of the novet's unique charisma that Answer A does.
101
a
ARGOPREP
AR60PREPCOM/5H5AT
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
Agatha Christie
\ D Answer D is the best choice because parentheses are common[y used to format the years of a
person's birth and death in nonfiction texts. Answer A is incorrect because it pLaces the years
between commas instead of parentheses,which is incorrect. Answer B is incorrect because,while
it correctty uses parentheses, it does not e[iminate the unnecessary words "born in" and "died in."
Answer C is also incorrect because, white it correctLy formats the years of Christies death and
birth, it cuts off too much information by etiminating the exptanation that critics view Christie as
the most important mystery writer of a particular century
2 A Answer A is the best choice because it inserts commas as needed to separate the two modifiers
"the Betgian refugee detective Hercule Poirot" and "Captain Hastings." Answer B is incorrect
because it fai[s to place the necessary comma after "character"to begin the nonessentiaL modifier
Answer C is also incorrect because it faits to inctude the comma after tharactef as we[[ as the
one after "friend" that introduces "Capta in Hastings." Answer D is incorrect as wet[ because, white
it correctty punctuates the first modif,e( it faiLs to recognize "Captain Hastings" as a modifier that
should be separated with a comma.
5.C Answer C is the best choice because at[ the other sentences focus squarety on Christie and
her success. Answer C presents information that seems to diminish Christies accompLishments,
which is not in Line with the tone of the passage, and also mentions Shertock Holmes, who is
not relevant to the passage as a whole. Answers A, B, and D are atl incorrect because they are alt
closely retated to Christie and her success as a writer
4.C Answer C is the best choice because it correctly ptaces "tiftte grey cetls" in quotation marks, as
is suggested by the wording "Poirot consistently referred to." Answer A is incorrect because the
entirety of the paragraph is written consistentLy using past tense verbs, so ptacing a present
tense verb in Sentence 8 couLd be confusing for the reader. Answer B is incorrect because it
would create a comma-spticed sentence. Answer D is atso incorrect because it makes "littte qrey
cells" a proper noun rather than punctuating to show that they are Poirot's own words.
5 D Answer D is the best choice because the content of Sentence 9 (the idea that Christie found
Poirot arrogant) is contrary or opposite to the content of Sentence 8 (the idea that readers
loved Poirot), making "However" the best possibte transition word. Answers A and C are incorrect
because "Consequently" and "Therefore" wou[d imply that the fans love of Poirot somehow caused
Christie s dislike, which is not the case. Answer B is a Lso incorrect because "Su bsequentty" impties
that the events of the sentence happened in a set chronotogica[ order, whereas the fact is that
they were happening at the same time.
702
PASSAGE QUEST|ONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANAIIONS
a
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREP.<OM/SHSAT
6 A Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence is having action done to them rather than
being the actor of the main verb. Sentence 14 contains the passive voice construction "Christie
was accompanied by her second husband." Answer B is incorrect because there are no spetling
errors in the sentence.Answer C is incorrect because atI commas are used correct[y in the sentence.
Answer D is incorrect because only the first letter of the sentence, names, and the proper noun
"Egyptotogist" are capitaIized.
7. c Answer C is the best choice because it provides a transition from the ideas of Christie's eventful
life to the conctusion, in which the author discusses both her literature and her Life. Answers A,
B, and D are al[ true statements that could fit somewhere in a [onger version of this passage, but
none of them provide the smooth transition toward the conclusion that Answer C does.
8.8 The "to be" verbs (is, am, are, was, were, wi[[ be, etc.) are genera[[y discouraged from formaI
writing, especiatly in key sentences such as a conclusion. Answer B is the best choice because
it is the only answer that etiminates atL "to be" verbs from the sentence. Answer A ls incorrect
because it simply hides the "to be" verb "is" within 'Agatha Christies," which is short for agatha
Christie is..." Answer C is incorrect because it malntains the "to be" verb "is notable..." Answer D is
also incorrect because it contains both "is" and "are."
101
fl
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREP.COM/SH9AT
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
& EXPLANATIONS
ANSWERS
1 C Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action performed on it rather
than taking the role as actor of the main verb. The phrase "The Homeric epics... are considered"
is an example of passive voice because the subject of the sentence (the epics) is not the one
performing the verb (considering). Answer C is correct because it reorders the sentence to make
'scho[ars" the new subject of the active voice construction "Schotars consider..." Answers A, B, and
D are at[ incorrect because they fail to eliminate the passive voice wording "are considered."
2 D Answer D is correct because "etuded" is the past tense of "eludei which means to escape. The
sentence shouLd use "atluded," which means to make a reference (or attusion). Answer A is
incorrect because "tong form" is two words, not one. Answer B is incorrect because "grease" is an
oity or Lubricating substance, whiLe "Greece" is a country. Answer C is incorrect because, whiLe it
identifies the correct problem with the sentence, it inserts "it[uded," which is not a proper word.
3 A Answer A is the best choice because it provides the best transition from the idea of Homer's
authorship (in Sentence 3) to the ph rase 'Rega rd Less of their authorship..." (in Sentence 4). Based
on that phrase, the reader should be ab[e to infer that there is a missinq piece that somehow
compLicates or caLls Homer's authorship of the epic into question. Answer B is not the best
answer because, whiLe it tries to address the authorship issue at least to some degree, it does
not show the leveL of togic and thinking that Answer A does. Answers C and D are both incorrect
because,white they are interesting facts that could have a pLace in the passage, neither one does
anlthing to connect the ideas of Sentence I to the ideas of Sentence 4.
4 D Answer D is correct because it inserts the only necessary comma: the one after "/l/ad" to separate
the introduction from the main body of the sentence. Answer A is incorrect because it fai[s to
identify the introduction with a comma and also introduces an unnecessary comma before "and,"
as if Sentence 6 was a compound sentence. Answer B is wrong because it correctty separates the
introduction but incorrectly inserts a comma before "and." Answer C is also incorrect because it
uses two commas to treat "and whether patriotism is ever the real motivation" as a nonessential
modifier, which it is not.
5 B Answer B is correct because in the second paragraph, the plot summary of The lliod is lold
consistentty in the past tense. Sentences 7-11 consistentty use past tense verbs like "started,'
"kidnapped,"'iefused,"'convinced," and "threw." Sentence 9, however, uses the present tense verbs
"rounds" and "saiLs," making it inconsistent with the rest of the paragraph. Answer A is incorrect
because there are no spe[ing errors in the sentence. Answer C is incorrect because there are no
capitatization errors in the sentence.Answer D is also incorrect because there are no comma use
errors ln the sentence.
1-04
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREP.COM/SHSAI
6 D Answer D is the best choice because "which threw him into a violent rage" is a modifier at the end
of a sentence, so it shoutd be separated with a comma. Answer A is incorrect because according to
Homer"is an introduction that must be separated from the bodyofthe sentence bya comma.Answer
B is incorrect because it would make the sentence inconsistent with the verb tense of the preced ing
sentences. Answer C is incorrect because "devastating" is spe[[ed correctly in the sentence.
7 A The "to be" verbs (am, is, are, was, were, wi[[ be, etc.) are genera[Ly discouraged from use in formaI
writing. Answer A is the best choice because it etiminates atl uses of "was" and "were." Answer
B is incorrect because it stiLt contains the "to be" verb in "Odysseus was confronted..." Answer
C is incorrect because it stiL[ contains the "to be" verb "was" when describing how Circe "was
responsib[e for turning..." Answer D is also incorrect because, while it corrects the initia[ "to be"
verb usage at the beginning of the sentence, it leaves "who was named,""who were ca[ted," and
"who was responsible," a[[ of which contain "to be" verbs.
8 B Answer B is the best choice because it provides a conclusion for the entire passage as a whole,
not just fhe Odyssey.By connecting back to the term "Homeric epic" from the first paragraph, the
author reminds the reader of the context for the story rather than simpLy ending abrupt[y. Answer A
is not the best answer because it on[y discusse s The Odyssey,Glher than provid ing a conctusion for
the entirety of the passage. Answer C is not the best answer either because, white it adds several
important textual detai[s, it is not a good conclusion because it is more likety to create more new
questions for the reader than it is to provide closure. Answer D is also incorrect because it only
wraps up The Odyssey pottion of the passage and makes no connections to Paragraph 1 or 2.
105
a
ARGOPREP
AR6OPREP.COM/9HSAI
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
& EXPLANATIONS
ANSWERS
L D A dangting modifier occurs when a sentence opens with a describing phrase or clause whose
object is unknown or unclear to the reader. The beginning of Sentence 2 is a dangling modifier
because it is unclear to the reader who or what haited "from the other side of the world" when
that phrase appears in the text.Answer D is correct because it is the only choice that corrects the
sentence to clarify the use of modifiers. Answer A is incorrect because it reptaces the dangting
modifier with another dangling modifier,'From the tenth through the nineteenth centuries."
Answer B is incorrect because it maintains the originat dangtinq modifier but simply pushes
the comma further back in the sentence. Answer C is also incorrect because it creates the new
dangling modifier "PLaying a simiLar rote in Japanese society."
2 B Answer B is correct because "ln fact" smoothens the transition between Sentences 2 and 3 and
signats to the reader that the content of Sentence 3 is somewhat contrary to expectations,
reinforcing the tone established in Sentence 1. Answer A is incorrect because "Conversety"
implies that the content of Sentence 3 is directty contrary to the content of Sentence 2, which
is not the case. Answer C is not the best choice because "Furthermore" impties that Sentence 3
is a continuation of Sentence 2, whose main function is to strengthen the same point, which is
not the case. Answer D is atso incorrect because "Fundamentauy" implies the author is going to
explain the basic workings of something, which is not the function of the sentence either.
3 B Answer B is the best choice because it creates a grammatica[[y correct sentence using a semicolon.
Answer A is incorrect because feudat knights existed squarely in the past, making the past tense
verb "adhered" the correct choice. Answer C is incorrect because it lncorrectty groups "simiLarty"
with the details about medievaI knights, rather than correctly pLacing it on the other side of
the semicolon so it is grouped with the information about samurai. Answer D is also incorrect
because there is no phrasing such as "which was cat[ed" or "known as" that wou[d introduce
quotation marks. Furthermore, thivatry" is not ptaced in quotation marks, so it would create an
incorrect para[LeI structure to ptace "bushido" in them.
4. C Answer the correct answer because Sentence 9 is the onty sentence in the second paragraph
C is
that does not directly discuss knights and samurai in the past tense. Discussing the modern
miLitary in the present tense is jarring, and may cause confusion for the reader. Answers A, B, and
D are a[[ incorrect because aI those sentences are focused on the values and belief systems of
both European knights and iapanese samurai.
706
PASSAGE QUESTTONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANAIIONS
a
ARGOPREP
ARGOFREPCOM/SHSAI
5 D Answer D is correct because it inserts on[y the necessary commas to separate [ist items. Answer A
is incorrect because it turns "and bushido" into a nonessentiaI phrase, which is incorrect because
the verb "both stressed" shows that chivalry and bushido are equatly important subjects of the
sentence. Answer B is incorrect because it places an unnecessary comma before "and innocent,"
faiting to identify that'protection of the weak and innocent" is one unified idea. Answer C is
incorrect because it turns "and bushido" into a nonessentiaI phrase [ike Answer A and breaks up
"protection of the weak and innocent" like Answer B
6 A Answer A is the best choice because it creates a correct compound sentence (using a comma
and "but") white atso reducing repetitive or unnecessary words. Answer B is not the best choice
because it makes excessive use of commas to combine the two sentences and preserve a[[ their
phrasing, making them d iff cu[t for the reader to process visua[[y.Answer C correctly combines the
two sentences using a semicolon but is not the best answer because it faits to reduce wordiness.
Answer D is also incorrect because, white it significantty cuts down on the words in the sentence,
it comptetety leaves out any detaiLs about samurai.
7. c Answer C is correct because the subject of the sentence is "samurai tradition," whlch takes the
singu[ar possessive pronoun "its." Answer A is incorrect because that comma is necessary to
separate the ma in body of the sentence (the first ha Lf) from the modifier, which gives the speciflcs
about how and why it happened. Answer B is incorrect because "Emperor Meiji" is the emperorl
futl name/title, so it should be capitalized. Answer D is aLso incorrect because "modernist" and
"more modern" are not interchangeab[e words.
8 B Answer B is correct because the use of "patro[Led" and 'protected" cou[d be confusing to the
reader.A close reading of Sentences 15 and 15 reveals that the author has shifted to talking about
today's world, which shou[d be discussed in the present tense. Answer A is incorrect because the
sentence contains no errors in pu nctuation. Answer C is incorrect because the sentence contains
no errors in capitalization. Answer D is incorrect because the sentence is written squarety in the
active voice.
707
,t
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREP,COM/SHSAI
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
ANSWERS& EXPLANATIONS
Albert Einstein
7 B Passive voice occurs when the subject of the sentence is having action done to it rather than
serving as the actor of the verb. Answer B is the best choice because it adds the subject'many
"I4any consider Albert Einstein..." Answer A is
[peopte]" to create the active voice construction
incorrect because, whiLe it reorders the sentence, it maintains the passive voice construction
ALbert Einstein is considered." Answer C is also incorrect because it forms the new passive voice
construction bne of the greatest minds... is considered." Answer D is aLso incorrect because it
maintains the originaL error albert Einstein is considered."
2 D Answer D is the best choice because it ptaces a comma after "quipping" to transition into the
quotation, pLaces quotation marks around the quoted material, and ends with a period placed
inside the quotation marks,as is standard in American usage.AnswerA is incorrect because there
is no fnal quotation mark.Answer B is incorrect because there is no comma to provide transition
into the quotation. Answer C is incorrect because the period is placed outside of the quotation
mark, which is incorrect in American usage.
5 A The "to be" verbs (is, am, are, was, were, witt be, etc.) are generally discouraged from formaI
writing when possib[e because they are weak and promote wordiness. Answer A is the best
choice because it reorders the sentence and creates the nonessentiat modifier "born in Germany
in 1879"to avoid using "was."Answer B is incorrect because it maintains the origina["to be"verb
issue "Einstein was born..." Answer C is incorrect because, whi[e it e[iminates the 'to be" verb at
the beginning of the sentence, inserts another "was" after the nonessentiaL modifier. Answer D is
also incorrect because it contains both "was" and "were."
4.C Answer C is the best choice because "Einstein did not enjoy school and especiatly disliked rote
memorization" is a compound predicate, meaning "dis[iked rote memorization" should not be
separated from the subject (Einstein) with a comma. Answer A is incorrect because a[though
he was bright and excelted in math and science" is at[ one idea, so it shou[d not be broken up
with a comma. Answer B is incorrect because the comma after "science" is necessary to separate
the introduction from the main body of the sentence. Answer D is incorrect because "rote" is not
being used in any sort of quotation or ironic sense, so it does not need to be in quotation marks.
5 D Answer D is the best choice because it provides an actuaI examp[e of how Einstein was beginning
to consider grandiose, important questions as he worked at the patent offce.Answer A provides
sotid generaI information, but does not directty support Sentence 8. Answer B is incorrect
because it contains an informaI evaluation of Einstein's briLtiance and adaptabitity rather than
actuaL[y supporting Sentence 8-Answer C is atso incorrect because the entire passage focuses on
Einstein s professional tife, not his romantic one.
108
PASSAGE QUESTTONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
AR6OPREPCOM/SHSAI
6 C Answer C is correct because Sentence 10 requires three commas: one after "professor," to
separate the introduction from the main body of the sentence; one after "world" to introduce the
nonessential modifier "especialty the United States;" and one after "States" to mark the end of
the nonessential modifier Answers A, B, and D are a[[ incorrect because they faiL to identify the
proper number of commas needed in the sentence.
7. B Answer B is the best cholce because'President Roosevelt" was Franklin Roosevelt's officiat title/
name during his time in office, and is therefore a proper noun. Answer A is incorrect because
"Jewish" is a proper adjective that describes a specific ethn iclcu ltu ra l,/retig ious group.Answer C is
lncorrect because nucLear weapons, whiLe important, are common nouns unless given a specific
name. Answer D is incorrect because, when speaking of Wortd War ll, "Axis" is a proper noun that
describes the aLliance between Germany, ltaty, and Japan.
109
A
ARGOPREP
ARGOPR€P,COM/SHiAI
PASSAGE QUESTTONS
& EXPLANATIONS
ANSWERS
1.C A dangting modifier occurs when a sentence begins with a modifier whose object is unclear or
confusing to the readet Answer C is the best choice because, as the reader moves through the
sentence, it is very unclear what is "hard to conceptua[ize" u ntiI the very end. Answer A is incorrect
because there are no spelling errors in the sentence. Answer B is incorrect because the subject
and verb in both "it can be" and "peopte...used" agree. Answer D is incorrect because the comma
and period in the sentence are both used correct[y.
2 D Answer D is the best choice because it correctty places a comma after "expanded" to separate
the sentence's introduction from its main body. No other commas are required in the sentence.
Answer A is incorrect because it faiLs to place the necessary comma and atso creates a comma-
spliced sentence. Answer B is incorrect because, in addition to the correct comma, it ptaces an
unnecessary comma at the same ptace as Answer A. Answer C is incorrect because, in addition to
the correct comma, it places an unnecessary comma as if creating a [ist.
3 A Answer A is the best choice because it provides a concrete example that supports the main idea
of Sentence 2 and also suggests the ideas of transport, trade, and exchange of ideas that are
fleshed out fuL[er in Sentence 3. Answer B is not the best choice because, whiLe it is probabty
true, it doesn't provide the reader with any concrete information and doesn't relate to Sentence
2 nearly as wetl as Answer A.Answer C is incorrect because it addresses the reader directly, which
is not done anywhere eLse in the passage and is very informal.Answer D is also incorrect because,
white true, it does not provide substantive support to either Sentence 2 or Sentence 3.
4.8 Answer B is the best choice because the content of this sentence happened in the historicaI
past, necessitating a past tense verb. Answer A ls incorrect because, in this sentence, "These" or
"Those" wou[d work interchangeabty, so neither coutd be incorrect. SimiLarly, Answer C cannot
be the correct answer because either 'standardized" or "standardizing" wouLd make the sentence
correct,so there is no need for a change.Answer D is incorrect because the sentence is discussing
"measurement" as a concept, not individuat measurements.
5 B Answer B is the best choice because it combines the two sentences smoothly, eliminating the
repetitive wording "the original metric system" from Sentence 9. Answer A is incorrect because
it uses "however" as a transition, implying that the content of the second half contradicts or is
contrary to the content of the second hatf of the sentence, which is not the case. Answer C is
incorrect because it simp[y combines the two sentences with a comma and the conjunction "and."
White this is not incorrect, it maintains the repetitive "the originat metric system" and is not as
smooth a transition as Answer A. Answer D is also incorrect because it improperty combines the
sentences with a comma and no conjunction.
110
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
AR60PREPCOMISHSA]
6. C Answer C is the best choice because the content of Sentence 10 (the idea that peopte were stow
to adopt the metric system) is atmost instantly negated by the content of Sentence 11 (which says
that aLmost haLf the world used the system Less than a century after it was officially introduced).
Answers A and B are both incorrect because Sentences 5 and 7 both lay out foundational detaiLs
that the rest of the paragraph is built upon. Answer D is incorrect because if it was removed, the
reader might be confused and not understand that the metric system actuatly grew in popuLarity
relativety qu ickty.
7. D Answer D is the best choice because it forms two focused sentences: one that focuses on the
U.S. government, and one that provides exampLes of non-metric units of measure in the United
States. Answer A is not the best choice because the second "sentence" is in fact a fragment.
Answers B and C are not the best choice because they create one very short, focused sentence
and one [ong, rambling sentence that touches on two very different points.
8.B Answer B is the correct answer because the adverb "tech notog ica tty" is required to modify the
adjective "advanced." Answer A is incorrect because the comma after "lronicatty" is required to
separate the introduction from the main body of the sentence. Answer C is incorrect because
"who can relate" requires the subject pronoun'who" rather than the object pronoun "whom."
Answer D is incorrect because bthers'" is the correct pluraL possessive.
171-
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ARGOPREP
ARCOPR€P.COM/SHSAI
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
ANSWERS& EXPLANATIONS
Essay Writing
1 D A dangLing modifier occurs when a sentence begins with a modifier whose subject is unclear or
confusing to the reader. Answer D is the correct answer because it is the onty choice that starts
the sentence with a ctear subject rather than a dangling modifier. Answer A is incorrect because
it maintains the originaL "l,laking an error" dangting modifier. Answer B rearranges the sentence,
but creates a new dangling modifier "Sifting down at the computer." Answer C is aLso incorrect
because it creates a new dang[ing modifier "Strugg[ing with essays."
2 B Answer B is correct because Sentence 2 elaborates on an idea that is presented at the end of
Sentence 3. As written, an idea is presented in Sentence 2, forgotten about at the beginning of
Sentence 3, and then brought up again at the end of Sentence 3. Reversing the two sentences
clarifies the flow of ideas. Answer A is incorrect because Sentence 2 ctearty follows ideas
presented in Sentence 3. Answer C is incorrect because it jarringty foLtows the positive statement
of Sentence 2 with a very negative, discouraging statement. Answer D is aLso incorrect because
Sentence 5 specificalty buitds and expands on ideas introduced in Sentence 4.
4 D Answer D is the correct answer because the quotation is smooth[y integrated into the flow of the
sentence so as naturatly to continue the authors thought. No comma is necessary because there is
no introduction ortransition (such as "Benjamin writesi or "Benjamin says") into the quotation; it
flows naturally in the sentence. No capitalization is needed because the word "writing" is not the
beginning of the quotation from Benjamin, but rather the line is clipped from the longer "Work
on a good piece of writing proceeds on three levels: a musical one, where it is composed; an
architectural one, where it is constructed; and finaLly, a textile one, where it is woven." Answers A, B,
and C are a[[ incorrect because they make unnecessary changes to the punctuation of the sentence.
5 B Answer B is correct because "Many writer think" combines a singutar subject ("writer) with a
plural verb ("think"). The sentence shoutd be corrected to read "Many writers think..." Answer A
is incorrect because the sentence is correctty written in the present tense. Answer C is incorrect
because the two commas in the sentence are both used correctty. Answer D is incorrect because
'writers think" is an active voice construction.
7L2
PASSAGE QUESTIONS
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
a
ARGOPREP
ARCOPREPCOM/SItSAT
6. C Answer C is the best choice because it includes a comma to separate the introduction from the
main body of the sentence (after "topic") and a second comma to separate the main body of the
sentence from the nonessentiaI modifier that follows it ("which means..."). Answer A is incorrect
because it misidentifies the end of the introduction. Answer B is incorrect because it misplaces
the comma that separates the nonessentiaI modifier that foltows the body of the sentence.
Answer D is atso incorrect because it faits to incLude the comma that separates the introduction.
7. A Answer A is the best choice because it connects the content of Paraqraph 2 (exptaininq the
quotation by Benjamin) to the finaL paragraph, which concludes by discussing the importance
of viewing writing as a process. Answer B is not the best choice because it does nothinq to
"transition" from Paragraph 2 but simply changes the subject abruptty. Answer C is incorrect
because it is an overty generaI statement that isn't necessari[y true, and it is inconsistent with
the rest of the passage, which makes no reference to history Answer D is also incorrect because,
whiLe it makes some effort to connect back to the content of Paraqraph 2, it is not as qood an
answer as Answer A, which is more focused and specific.
8 A Answer A is correct because "its" is the possessive form of it," while the sentence requires the
contraction "it B is incorrect because it treats the sentence as though it were a
is." Answer
compound sentence, which it is not; it is a standa rd sentence with a compound pred icate. Answer
C is incorrect because the p[ural verb "tead"woutd create a subject-verb agreement error with the
subject "it." Answer D is also incorrect because "higherquality" should be hyphenated to show
that'higher" is part of the adjective "higher-quatity," not an adjective describing "work" directty.
713