Question ID 89fbc3eb

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 89fbc3eb
The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the infrastructure
of overburdened national ______ it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads, utilities, employee housing, and
visitor facilities while also establishing educational programming for the public.

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

A. parks and

B. parks

C. parks;

D. parks,

ID: 89fbc3eb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This
choice uses a semicolon to correctly join the first main clause (“The Mission…parks”) and the second main clause that
begins with “it.”

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 960dec02
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 960dec02
A recent study tracked the number of bee species present in twenty-seven New York apple orchards over a ten-year
period. ______ found that when wild growth near an orchard was cleared, the number of different bee species visiting the
orchard decreased.

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

A. Entomologist Heather Grab:

B. Entomologist, Heather Grab,

C. Entomologist Heather Grab

D. Entomologist Heather Grab,

ID: 960dec02 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a name and title and between a
subject and a verb. No punctuation is needed between the proper noun “Heather Grab” and “entomologist,” the title that
describes Grab. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the sentence’s subject (“Entomologist Heather Grab”)
and the main verb (“found”) that indicates what Grab did.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because
no punctuation is needed. Setting the entomologist’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed
between the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 37e5c794
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 37e5c794
Despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce, ______ they are made from nonrenewable petroleum, and most do
not biodegrade in landfills.

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

A. there are two problems associated with commercial plastics:

B. two problems are associated with commercial plastics:

C. commercial plastics’ two associated problems are that

D. commercial plastics have two associated problems:

ID: 37e5c794 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the
modifying phrase “despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce” appears immediately before the noun it modifies,
“commercial plastics,” clearly establishing that the commercial plastics—and not another noun in the sentence—are being
described as cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there” immediately
after the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “there” is cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “two problems” immediately
after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “commercial plastics’ two
associated problems” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap,
versatile, and easy to produce.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6f08641e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 6f08641e
On April 5, 1977, Kitty Cone and 150 other disability rights activists entered a San Francisco federal building. After
pleading for years—to no effect—for the passage of key antidiscrimination legislation, ______ until their demands were
addressed. Finally, on April 28, the legislation was signed.

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

A. pressure on lawmakers increased when the activists staged a sit-in protest

B. a sit-in protest staged by the activists increased pressure on lawmakers

C. lawmakers came under increased pressure when the activists staged a sit-in protest

D. the activists increased pressure on lawmakers by staging a sit-in protest

ID: 6f08641e Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 2c49940e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 2c49940e
French philosopher René Descartes doubted whether he could prove his own existence. Eventually, he found proof in his
famous phrase “I think, therefore I am.” The ______ complexity: only those who exist would be able to ponder their
existence.

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

A. phrases’ simplicity masks its

B. phrases simplicity masks their

C. phrase’s simplicity masks their

D. phrase’s simplicity masks its

ID: 2c49940e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of possessive nouns and the use of possessive
determiners. The singular possessive noun "phrase’s" correctly indicates that there is only one simple phrase. The
singular possessive determiner "its" agrees in number with the singular possessive noun "phrase’s," reinforcing the idea
that there is only one simple yet complex phrase.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "phrase’s," not the plural possessive
noun "phrases’." Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "phrase’s" and the
corresponding singular possessive determiner "its," not the plural noun "phrases" and the corresponding plural
possessive determiner "their." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive determiner "its,"
not the plural possessive determiner "their."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7f226b4b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 7f226b4b
In a 2023 study, researchers documented a fascinating behavior in the aquatic plant Elodea densa. When exposed to low
levels of light, the plant’s ______ the cellular organs that generate energy from light—reshuffled to form a tightly packed,
glass-like surface ideal for collecting more light.

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

A. chloroplasts

B. chloroplasts;

C. chloroplasts,

D. chloroplasts—

ID: 7f226b4b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a
sentence. The dash after "chloroplasts" pairs with the dash after "from light" to separate the supplementary element "the
cellular organs that generate energy from light" from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to
define the term "chloroplasts," and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the
grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest
of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a
dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 74ce2f05
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 74ce2f05
A study led by scientist Rebecca Kirby at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that black bears that eat human
food before hibernation have increased levels of a rare carbon isotope, ______ due to the higher 13C levels in corn and
cane sugar. Bears with these elevated levels were also found to have much shorter hibernation periods on average.

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

A. carbon-13, (13C)

B. carbon-13 (13C)

C. carbon-13, (13C),

D. carbon-13 (13C),

ID: 74ce2f05 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a
sentence. The comma after “(13C)” pairs with the comma after “isotope” to separate the supplementary element
“carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element defines the “rare carbon isotope,” and the
pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the
sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13
(13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the
supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use
appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. The
comma after “carbon-13” isn’t necessary because the parentheses around “13C” already separate this element from the
rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a2816c7f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: a2816c7f
American abstract artist Richard ______ his installations to make passersby keenly aware of how one’s movements are
affected by the physical features of one’s environment, assembles large-scale steel plates into sculptures that dominate
the outdoor spaces they occupy.

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

A. Serra is intending

B. Serra, intends

C. Serra, intending

D. Serra intends

ID: a2816c7f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. This choice pairs
the comma after "Serra" with the comma after "environment" and uses the nonfinite present participle "intending" to
correctly form a supplementary phrase describing the reaction Serra intends his sculptures to provoke. This
supplementary phrase appears between the noun phrase that it modifies ("American abstract artist Richard Serra") and
the finite present tense verb ("assembles"), which functions as the sentence’s main verb and describes what Serra does.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present continuous tense verb "is
intending" can’t be used in this way in conjunction with the finite present tense verb "assembles," which already functions
as the main verb in the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite
present tense verb "intends" can’t be used in this way to supplement the noun phrase "American abstract artist Richard
Serra." Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present tense verb "intends" can’t
be used in this way in conjunction with the finite present tense verb "assembles," which already functions as the main
verb in the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID eb95235b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: eb95235b
The Limón technique, developed by Mexican-born dancer and choreographer Jose Limón, is known for its emphasis on
breath control and its interplay of weight and ______ dancers may explore, for example, the moment of mid-air
suspension at the top of a jump.

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

A. weightlessness

B. weightlessness which

C. weightlessness,

D. weightlessness;

ID: eb95235b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice uses a
semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause ("The Limón…weightlessness") and the second main clause
("dancers…jump").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or
a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect. The relative pronoun "which" can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.
Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in
this way to join two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID adf210e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: adf210e7
The haiku-like poems of Tomas Tranströmer, which present nature- and dream-influenced images in crisp, spare
language, have earned the Swedish poet praise from leading contemporary ______ them Nigerian American essayist and
novelist Teju Cole, who has written that Tranströmer’s works “contain a luminous simplicity.”

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

A. writers. Among

B. writers among

C. writers; among

D. writers, among

ID: adf210e7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a
supplementary phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“The haiku-
like…writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”) that specifies a contemporary writer who has praised
Tomas Tranströmer’s haiku-like poems.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “among.” Choice
B is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary phrase with
appropriate punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause
(“The haiku-like…writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1ee7b429
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 1ee7b429
Bonnie Buratti of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ______ data about Saturn’s rings collected by the Cassini spacecraft
when she made an interesting discovery: the tiny moons embedded between and within Saturn’s rings are shaped by the
buildup of ring material on the moons’ surfaces.

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

A. studies

B. has been studying

C. will study

D. was studying

ID: 1ee7b429 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this
choice, the past progressive tense verb “was studying” is consistent with the other past tense verbs (e.g., “made” and
“collected”) used to describe Buratti’s discovery. Further, the past progressive tense correctly indicates that an ongoing
action in the past was occurring (she was studying) at the same time that another event occurred in the past (she made
an interesting discovery).

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “studies” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe
Buratti’s discovery. Choice B is incorrect because the present perfect progressive tense verb “has been studying” isn’t
consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe Buratti’s discovery. Choice C is incorrect because the future tense
verb “will study” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe Buratti’s discovery.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 13fcf575
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 13fcf575
Roughly 300 nights a year, when the cold air descending from the Andes Mountains meets the warm air rising from
Venezuela’s coastal Lake Maracaibo, the result is a spectacular lightning storm, its strikes so bright, so localized, and so
______ that it has become known as “Maracaibo’s Lighthouse.”

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

A. dependable:

B. dependable;

C. dependable

D. dependable,

ID: 13fcf575 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of an integrated relative clause. No
punctuation is needed before the relative clause beginning with "that" because the content of the relative clause
("that...Lighthouse") is integral to the meaning of the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so bright, so localized, and so
dependable") that it modifies.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so
bright...dependable") and the integrated relative clause that modifies it. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is
needed between the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so bright...dependable") and the integrated relative clause that
modifies it. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so
bright...dependable") and the integrated relative clause that modifies it.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 940ff6f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 940ff6f7
Jamaican British artist Willard Wigan is known for his remarkable ______ so small that they are best viewed through a
microscope, Wigan’s sculptures are made from tiny natural materials, such as spiderweb strands.

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

A. microsculptures creations

B. microsculptures, creations

C. microsculptures. Creations

D. microsculptures and creations

ID: 940ff6f7 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence ("Jamaican…microsculptures") and another ("Creations…
strands"). The noun phrase beginning with "creations" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Wigan’s sculptures."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences ("Jamaican…microsculptures" and
"Creations…strands") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a
comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect.
Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction "and" can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aaa1907f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: aaa1907f
To serve local families during the Great Depression, innovative New York City librarian Pura Belpré offered storytelling in
both English and Spanish, an uncommon ______ celebrated el Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, an important community
holiday; and put on puppet shows dramatizing Puerto Rican folktales.

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

A. practice, at the time

B. practice at the time;

C. practice, at the time,

D. practice at the time,

ID: aaa1907f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of elements in a complex series. It’s
conventional to use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the
semicolon after "time" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("offered…time") and the second ("celebrated…
holiday") in the series of activities that librarian Pura Belpré offered. Moreover, the semicolon after "time" matches the
semicolon used later to separate the second item ("celebrated...holiday") and the third ("and...folktales") in the series.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the first item and the second item in the
complex series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun "practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the
time" because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the phrase "an uncommon practice at the time."
Choice C is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second
("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the
noun "practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time" because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full
meaning of the phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice D is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t
match the semicolon used later to separate the second ("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the
series.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7f48b098
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 7f48b098
Photosynthesis, the mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into ______ is fueled in part
by an enzyme called Photosystem II that harvests energy-giving electrons from water molecules.

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

A. nutrients

B. nutrients and

C. nutrients,

D. nutrients—

ID: 7f48b098 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a
sentence. The comma after “nutrients” pairs with the comma after “photosynthesis” to separate the supplementary
element “the mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into nutrients” from the rest of
the sentence. This supplementary element functions to define the term “photosynthesis,” and the pair of commas
indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9df6da04
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 9df6da04
Entomologists Yash Sondhi and Samuel Fabian have tried to explain why moths fly erratically around light sources at
night. Knowing that flying insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day, ______

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

the researchers theorize that moths, mistaking nighttime lights for the Sun, continually try to reorient their bodies
A. while flying near such lights.

the researchers’ theory is that moths mistake nighttime lights for the Sun, continually trying to reorient their bodies
B. while flying near such lights.

moths mistake nighttime lights for the Sun and continually try to reorient their bodies while flying near such lights, the
C. researchers theorize.

moths continually try to reorient their bodies while flying near nighttime lights, the researchers theorize, mistaking
D. such lights for the Sun.

ID: 9df6da04 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun
phrase "the researchers" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "knowing…
day." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the researchers—and not another noun in the sentence—know that
flying insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "the researchers’
theory" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the researchers’ theory knows that flying insects
keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier.
The placement of the noun "moths" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that moths know that
flying insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a
dangling modifier. The placement of the noun "moths" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that
moths know that flying insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0f39b19c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 0f39b19c
After a spate of illnesses as a child, Wilma Rudolph was told she might never walk again. Defying all odds, Rudolph didn’t
just walk, she ______ the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, she won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and clinched
first place for her team in the 4x100-meter relay, becoming the first US woman to win three gold medals in a single
Olympics.

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

A. ran—fast—during

B. ran—fast during

C. ran—fast, during

D. ran—fast. During

ID: 0f39b19c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the
period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Defying…fast”) and another sentence that begins
with a supplementary phrase (“During…Olympics”).

Choice A is incorrect. When a dash is present in a sentence (“ran—fast”), it’s not conventional to use another dash (“fast—
during”) to mark the boundary between sentences because it creates a potentially confusing sentence. In this context, a
period, semicolon, or colon would be clear and more conventional. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on
sentence. The sentences (“Defying…fast”) and (“during…Olympics”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.
Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between sentences.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ae439895
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: ae439895
In her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild first
explored at length her conception of a “sociology of emotions”—the idea that the various cultural and ideological
frameworks a person has internalized (class, gender, political affiliation, etc.) ______ each emotional reaction that person
has within a situation.

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

A. underlies

B. is underlying

C. underlie

D. has been underlying

ID: ae439895 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "underlie" agrees in
number with the plural subject "frameworks."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "underlies" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."
Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "is underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject
"frameworks." Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb "has been underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the
plural subject "frameworks."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f0864217
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: f0864217
Rabinal Achí is a precolonial Maya dance drama performed annually in Rabinal, a town in the Guatemalan highlands.
Based on events that occurred when Rabinal was a city-state ruled by a king, ______ had once been an ally of the king but
was later captured while leading an invading force against him.

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

A. Rabinal Achí tells the story of K’iche’ Achí, a military leader who

B. K’iche’ Achí, the military leader in the story of Rabinal Achí,

C. the military leader whose story is told in Rabinal Achí, K’iche’ Achí,

D. there was a military leader, K’iche’ Achí, who in Rabinal Achí

ID: f0864217 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers
need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects
they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete
the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is
describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to
be the first word after the comma. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the
conventions of Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.”
Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c91ef0f0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: c91ef0f0
During the American Civil War, Thomas Morris Chester braved the front lines as a war correspondent for the Philadelphia
Press. Amplifying the voices and experiences of Black soldiers ______ of particular importance to Chester, who later
became an activist and lawyer during the postwar Reconstruction period.

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

A. were

B. have been

C. are

D. was

ID: c91ef0f0 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was" agrees in
number with the singular subject "amplifying." Gerunds such as "amplifying" are always singular.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6e193b19
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 6e193b19
Professional American football player Fred Cox invented one of the world’s most popular toys. In the 1970s, he came up
with the idea for the Nerf football, which ______ of the harder and heavier regulation football.

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

A. were a smaller, foam version

B. are smaller, foam versions

C. were smaller, foam versions

D. is a smaller, foam version

ID: 6e193b19 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ac5536c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: ac5536c1
Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902),
but she also dedicated herself to mycology, the study of ______ more than 350 paintings of the fungal species she
observed in nature and submitting her research on spore germination to the Linnean Society of London.

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

A. fungi; producing

B. fungi. Producing

C. fungi producing

D. fungi, producing

ID: ac5536c1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between two supplementary phrases
following the coordinate clause (“but she…mycology”). This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary
between the supplementary noun phrase (“the study of fungi”) that defines the term “mycology” and the supplementary
participial phrase (“producing...London”) that provides additional information about the extent to which Potter dedicated
herself to mycology.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join two supplementary phrases following a
coordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning
with “producing.” Choice C is incorrect. The lack of punctuation results in a sentence that illogically suggests that the
study of fungi is producing more than 350 paintings.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9c3630b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 9c3630b9
Using natural debris, such as dried ______ such as plastic bags; and more traditional art supplies, such as tree glue,
Ghanaian artist Ed Franklin Gavua creates his striking Yiiiiikakaii African masks, which he hopes can help viewers rethink
how waste is used in their communities.

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

A. leaves, man-made trash:

B. leaves; man-made trash,

C. leaves, man-made trash,

D. leaves; man-made trash;

ID: 9c3630b9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of elements in a complex series. It’s
conventional to use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the
semicolon after "leaves" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("natural debris, such as dried leaves") and the
second item ("man-made trash, such as plastic bags") in the series of materials used by Gavua. Further, the comma after
"trash" correctly separates the noun phrase "man-made trash" from the supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags")
that describes it.

Choice A is incorrect because a comma after "leaves" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second
and third items in the series ("man-made...bags" and "and...glue"). Additionally, it’s not conventional to use a colon in this
way to separate a supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") from the noun phrase it modifies ("man-made trash").
Choice C is incorrect because a comma after "leaves" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second
and third items in the series ("man-made...bags" and "and...glue"). Choice D is incorrect because it’s not conventional to
use a semicolon in this way to separate a supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") from the noun phrase it
modifies ("man-made trash").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3a2d77d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 3a2d77d7
In the 1950s, novel audio technologies allowed the addition of another instrument to jazz and swing ______ relatively
quiet instrument, its full range of sound was finally audible alongside the blaring brass instruments of the time, allowing
flautists like Bennie Maupin and Bobbi Humphrey to perform with other jazz greats.

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

A. music, the flute, a

B. music. The flute, a

C. music; the flute, a

D. music: the flute. A

ID: 3a2d77d7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within and between sentences. In this
choice, the colon correctly introduces the name of the instrument (the flute) that novel audio technologies allowed to be
added to jazz and swing. In addition, the period is used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…flute")
and another ("A relatively…greats").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses
("In…quiet instrument" and "its…greats"). Choice B is incorrect. In standard English, it’s unconventional to form a sentence
in this way with two uncoordinated subjects ("the flute" and "its full range of sound"), and the lack of a clear main subject
results in an awkwardly constructed and confusing sentence. Choice C is incorrect. In standard English, it’s
unconventional to form an independent clause in this way with two uncoordinated subjects ("the flute" and "its full range
of sound"), and the lack of a clear main subject results in an awkwardly constructed and confusing clause.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 435809d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 435809d8
On March 23, 2021, a gust of wind wreaked havoc on global trade. Ever Given, an international shipping container vessel,
became lodged in Egypt’s Suez Canal, a major shipping route between Europe and Asia. The vessel took six days to
______ it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded.

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

A. dislodge in part due to its sheer size,

B. dislodge, in part due to its sheer size:

C. dislodge, in part due to its sheer size,

D. dislodge, in part, due to its sheer size

ID: 435809d8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between main clauses and a supplementary
element. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause ("The vessel took six days
to dislodge") and the supplementary element ("in part due to its sheer size") that provides additional information on why
the vessel was difficult to dislodge. Additionally, this choice correctly uses a colon to introduce another main clause that
describes the vessel’s size ("it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between two main clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded"). Additionally, it fails to mark the boundary between the
main clause ("The vessel took six days to dislodge") and the supplementary element ("in part due to its sheer size").
Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between two main clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded"). Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on
sentence. The two main clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded") are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ea0aa676
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: ea0aa676
In the 1970s, Janaki Ammal, a prominent botanist, emerged as a powerful voice in India’s environmental conservation
movement. Her exhaustive chromosomal survey of plants in Silent Valley, a pristine tropical forest in Kerala, India, that is
home to nearly 1,000 species of native flora (many of which are endangered), ______ instrumental in the government’s
decision to preserve the forest.

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

A. are

B. were

C. have been

D. was

ID: ea0aa676 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "survey" is singular, and so is the verb "was."

Choice A is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "are" is plural. Choice B is incorrect. The subject
"survey" is singular, but the verb "were" is plural. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "have
been" is plural.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fba5d8d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fba5d8d1
In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants
who experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music,
there was one personality trait that they scored particularly ______ openness to experience.

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

A. high. On

B. high on;

C. high on

D. high on:

ID: fba5d8d1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a
supplementary phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause
("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience") and to introduce the information that identifies
which personality trait participants scored especially high on.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "on" and
separates a necessary preposition from the clause beginning with "there." Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon
can’t be used in this way to join the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience").
A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an
element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this
context. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the
supplementary phrase ("openness to experience").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dc645172
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dc645172
The artistic talents of Barbara Chase-Riboud, most known for her 1979 historical novel Sally Hemings and the
conversation it inspired, ______ limited to the realm of prose: she first excelled in sculpture, where her affinity for bronze—
a material she described as “timeless” due to its use across eras and cultures—became part of her artistic identity.

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

A. hasn’t been

B. wasn’t

C. isn’t

D. aren’t

ID: dc645172 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "talents" is plural, and so is the verb "aren’t": "the artistic talents…aren’t limited."

Choice A is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "hasn’t been" is singular. Choice B is incorrect. The
subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "wasn’t" is singular. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the
verb "isn’t" is singular.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a153ad6a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a153ad6a
While light is known as one of the fastest-moving substances, it slows down when passing through some types of
matter. One such type of matter is a form of cooled, condensed gas called a Bose-Einstein condensate ______ Dutch
physicist Lene Hau famously used a BEC to slow a beam of light to a complete halt.

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

A. (BEC),

B. (BEC) and

C. (BEC);

D. (BEC)

ID: a153ad6a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This
choice correctly uses a semicolon to join the first main clause ("One…(BEC)") and the second main clause ("Dutch…halt").

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9eb43963
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 9eb43963
Water in the North Atlantic Ocean is pushed eastward by powerful winds, but the rotation of Earth and interference from
nearby landmasses together cause ______ to swirl into a massive, churning whirlpool—also called the North Atlantic Gyre
—that spins clockwise.

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

A. these

B. those

C. them

D. it

ID: 9eb43963 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun "it"
agrees in number with the singular antecedent "water" and clearly indicates that the water swirls into a whirlpool.

Choice A is incorrect. The plural pronoun "these" neither agrees in number with the singular antecedent "water" nor
clearly indicates that the water—not another plural noun in the sentence, such as "landmasses" or "winds"—swirls into a
whirlpool. Choice B is incorrect. The plural pronoun "those" neither agrees in number with the singular antecedent "water"
nor clearly indicates that the water—not another plural noun in the sentence, such as "landmasses" or "winds"—swirls into
a whirlpool. Choice C is incorrect. The plural pronoun "them" neither agrees in number with the singular antecedent
"water" nor clearly indicates that the water—not another plural noun in the sentence, such as "landmasses" or "winds"—
swirls into a whirlpool.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID eeb14722
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

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

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

A. it’s two protagonists

B. its two protagonist’s

C. it’s two protagonist’s

D. its two protagonists

ID: eeb14722 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6e071432
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. described, from hair to grass to sculptures

B. described, from hair to grass to sculptures—

C. described—from hair to grass to sculptures,

D. described: from hair to grass to sculptures

ID: 6e071432 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 20ea68b7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

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

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

A. terms presidents

B. term’s presidents

C. term’s president’s

D. terms president’s

ID: 20ea68b7 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6ea8c23f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. regions,

B. regions:

C. regions;

D. regions

ID: 6ea8c23f Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aab74a3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. silk, by

B. silk by

C. silk and by

D. silk. By

ID: aab74a3b Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a9e5b788
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. novel

B. novel,

C. novel; rather,

D. novel, rather,

ID: a9e5b788 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a3e87535
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. sisters, and

B. sisters and

C. sisters,

D. sisters

ID: a3e87535 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 56315bd0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

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

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

A. have been powering

B. power

C. powers

D. are powering

ID: 56315bd0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b74f676f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

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

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

A. developing

B. developed

C. to develop

D. having developed

ID: b74f676f Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID be34a3df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

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

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

A. California,

B. California:

C. California—

D. California

ID: be34a3df Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3bceeb93
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 3bceeb93
When they were first discovered in Australia in 1798, duck-billed, beaver-tailed platypuses so defied categorization that
one scientist assigned them the name Ornithorhynchus paradoxus: “paradoxical bird-snout.” The animal, which lays eggs
but also nurses ______ young with milk, has since been classified as belonging to the monotremes group.

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

A. they’re

B. their

C. its

D. it’s

ID: 3bceeb93 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The singular possessive pronoun "its" agrees with the singular antecedent "the animal" and
indicates that the "young" belong to it.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "They’re" is a contraction of "they are," a
plural pronoun and verb, but the antecedent "the animal" is singular. Also, we don’t need the extra verb "are" — we already
have a main verb in this clause, so adding "are" would be confusing and ungrammatical. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "Their" is a plural pronoun, but the subject of the sentence is "the
animal," a singular noun. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a confusing and ungrammatical sentence. "It’s" is a
contraction for "it is." We already have the verb "nurses" in this clause, so we shouldn’t add the verb "is."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6fac7f45
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6fac7f45
Butterfly is a 1988 painting by the Japanese artist Ay-O. Like many of Ay-O’s paintings, Butterfly, which portrays a
swimmer performing the butterfly stroke, attempts to make use of the entire visual light ______ sporting rainbow-striped
goggles, the rainbow-hued swimmer splashes through a wavy rainbow of water.

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

A. spectrum

B. spectrum:

C. spectrum while

D. spectrum, while

ID: 6fac7f45 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon
correctly introduces the following description of how the painting makes use of the entire visual light spectrum by
depicting a rainbow-hued swimmer.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The main clauses ("Like…spectrum" and "sporting…water")
are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The
main clauses ("Like…spectrum" and "while…water") are fused without punctuation. Furthermore, the conjunction "while"
fails to indicate that what follows is a description of how the painting makes use of the entire visual light spectrum.
Choice D is incorrect because it results in a logically confusing sentence. The conjunction "while," which suggests that
what follows is occurring at the same time as or despite what came before, fails to indicate that what follows is a
description of how the painting makes use of the entire visual light spectrum.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dab8b8ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: dab8b8ee
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms such as
fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion, ______

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

A. a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a recent
B. study.

C. these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.

D. a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

ID: dab8b8ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8f6d6ae6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 8f6d6ae6
Archaeologists have estimated that the pre-Columbian Native American city of Cahokia, located across the Mississippi
River from modern-day St. Louis, Missouri, had as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the year 1150 ______ it one of the largest
cities in North America at the time.

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

A. CE making

B. CE. Making

C. CE, making

D. CE; making

ID: 8f6d6ae6 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The phrase “making…at the time” provides additional information about Cahokia that’s not
required for the sentence to make sense or function grammatically. As a nonessential supplement, this phrase should be
separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. The nonessential descriptive aside “making…at the time”
needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a
sentence fragment. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Thus, it can’t
be separated from the rest of the sentence with a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error.
“Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as an independent clause. Since a semicolon can
only link two independent clauses, using one here creates an error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e9aee0d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: e9aee0d8
On November 2, 1772, amid rising tensions with Great Britain, Boston colonists formed the Boston Committee of
Correspondence. By 1774, what had started as a local means of mobilizing support for the Patriot cause had grown into
something far more ______ network of such committees that, facilitating communication among the colonies, helped lay
the groundwork for the Continental Congress.

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

A. extensive: a

B. extensive; a

C. extensive, it was a

D. extensive. A

ID: e9aee0d8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon
is correctly used to introduce the following explanation of what the Patriot cause had grown into by 1774.

Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause ("what…extensive") and the
supplementary element ("a network…Congress"). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a
colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause,
making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. The
addition of the pronoun and verb "it was" forms the start of a new main clause in the sentence, and a comma can’t be
used in this way to mark the boundary between two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a
rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "a network."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a75d5984
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: a75d5984
Several advantages—the ability to react strongly with chip components, to avoid interference from other waves, and to be
confined within tiny circuits—______ acoustic waves as a promising alternative to electrical waves for transmitting data
on computer chips; as a result, researchers are invested in developing more acoustic wave–based chips.

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

A. have positioned

B. positioning

C. by positioning

D. having positioned

ID: a75d5984 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. A main clause
requires a finite (tensed) verb to perform the action of the subject. In this case, the subject is "several advantages," and
the present perfect tense verb "have positioned" supplies the finite verb to indicate what has made acoustic waves a
promising alternative to electrical waves.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle "positioning" doesn’t
supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The
prepositional phrase "by positioning" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect because it
results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle "having positioned" doesn’t supply the main clause with a
finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 870ae7ec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 870ae7ec
Detroit natives Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey have combined their two passions, Detroit and beekeeping, to improve
the health of their city’s flowers and other vegetation. In 2017, the couple converted a vacant lot in the city into an ______
in the years that followed they acquired nine additional lots and established more than 35 hives.

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

A. apiary,

B. apiary, and

C. apiary and

D. apiary

ID: 870ae7ec Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they
are both independent clauses. This choice uses a comma plus a coordinating conjunction to link them together, which is
one of the correct ways to link two independent clauses.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as
complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. A comma by itself is not enough punctuation to
link two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this
sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. Independent
clauses can only be linked in a few ways, including with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. This choice uses the
coordinating conjunction “and,” but it is missing the comma beforehand. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a
run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are
both independent clauses. Independent clauses need to have certain kinds of punctuation marks between them. This
choice doesn’t use any punctuation between the two clauses.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4f2ff5f2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 4f2ff5f2
Tortoises can be found in many works of literature. For example, in Tom Stoppard’s 1993 play Arcadia, there is a tortoise
that ______ by two names (Plautus and Lightning) and appears in both of the play’s parallel timelines. As a character, the
tortoise symbolizes the connection between the past and present.

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

A. goes

B. will have gone

C. went

D. had gone

ID: 4f2ff5f2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this
choice, the present tense verb "goes" is consistent with the other present tense verbs ("appears" and "symbolizes") used
to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play. Furthermore, it’s conventional to use the present tense when discussing a
literary work.

Choice B is incorrect because the future perfect tense verb "will have gone" isn’t consistent with the other present tense
verbs used to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play. Choice C is incorrect because the past tense verb "went" isn’t
consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play. Choice D is incorrect
because the past perfect tense verb "had gone" isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the
tortoise in Stoppard’s play.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0fe5ce68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 0fe5ce68
Ten of William Shakespeare’s plays are classified as histories. Although each one of these plays, which include Henry V
and Richard III, ______ on a single historical figure (specifically, an English king), some, such as Henry VI Part One and
Henry VI Part Two, feature different episodes from the same monarch’s life.

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

A. focuses

B. focus

C. are focused

D. were focused

ID: 0fe5ce68 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b369d54c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: b369d54c
Woven from recycled yarn and hand tufted using a carpet weaving technique passed down by the artist’s Turkish
grandmother, ______ so lush and tactilely inviting that you are tempted to reach out and touch them.

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

A. the topological tapestries of Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou are

B. the Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou creates topological tapestries that are

C. when she creates her topological tapestries, Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou makes them

D. Alexandra Kehayoglou is an Argentine textile artist whose topological tapestries are

ID: b369d54c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun
phrase "topological tapestries" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "woven…
grandmother." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the topological tapestries—and not another noun in the
sentence—are being described as woven from recycled yarn and hand tufted.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "Argentine textile artist
Alexandra Kehayoglou" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that Kehayoglou is woven from
recycled yarn and hand tufted. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the
pronoun "she" and the noun phrase "Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou" after the modifying phrase illogically
suggests that Kehayoglou is woven from recycled yarn and hand tufted. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a
dangling modifier. The placement of the noun "Alexandra Kehayoglou" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically
suggests that Kehayoglou is woven from recycled yarn and hand tufted.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 790fc366
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 790fc366
Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important
data on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with African farmers,
enabling them to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops.

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

A. information, though;

B. information, though,

C. information; though

D. information though,

ID: 790fc366 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…
though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically
belongs.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent
clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition
word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon
can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the
second clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma
instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2bb7416a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2bb7416a
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be
extinct. Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself,
an Elvis taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

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

A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: 2bb7416a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and
the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is
incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause
“it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period,
or a comma + a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause
“Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be
separated with at least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a
coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b0a525be
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: b0a525be
Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On consists of five human figures made of
clay and plant fiber and arranged in descending size; each figure holds the smaller one in front of it. The arrangement of
the figures, according to ______ represents her idea that “we all come from the Earth, generation after generation.”

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

A. Swentzell

B. Swentzell,

C. Swentzell:

D. Swentzell—

ID: b0a525be Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it
needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: two commas, two dashes, or a pair
of parentheses. We already have a comma before “according,” so we must add a comma after “Swentzell.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that
interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation
marks: one before and one after the phrase. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The
arrangement of the figures, according to Swentzell” is not an independent clause, so it can’t come before a colon. Choice
D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the
flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We
already have a comma at the beginning, so we have to use another comma here to match. We can’t just switch to a
dash! .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID eef91a50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: eef91a50
Nine months before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to comply with the segregated seating policy on a Montgomery,
Alabama, bus, a fifteen-year-old Montgomery girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same ______ to some
historians, Colvin’s arrest led to Parks’s action and eventually to the desegregation of Montgomery’s bus system.

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

A. offense. According

B. offense, according

C. offense according

D. offense and according

ID: eef91a50 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses.
Separating them with a period and turning them into their own sentences is the only grammatically correct choice among
the provided options.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error, which is a punctuation error that occurs when two
independent clauses are joined by only a comma. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both
independent clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction,
or separated by a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two
independent clauses are joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both
independent clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction,
or separated by a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two
independent clauses are joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are independent
clauses, so we would need to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” to join them properly.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ace95f84
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: ace95f84
By analyzing the level of radioactive decay within a fossil specimen, scientists can establish the age of that fossil with a
high degree of precision. When radioactive elements aren’t present, scientists turn to ______ analysis of Earth’s sediment
layers (strata)—to estimate how old a fossil is based on the age of the strata in which the fossil is found.

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

A. stratigraphy—the

B. stratigraphy (the

C. stratigraphy: the

D. stratigraphy, the

ID: ace95f84 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. The dash after
"stratigraphy" pairs with the dash after "(strata)" to separate the supplementary element "the analysis of Earth’s sediment
layers (strata)" from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to define the term "stratigraphy," and
the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the
sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because a parenthesis can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary
element from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to
separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a comma can’t be
paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6df020e6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6df020e6
A study showed that a solar park caused nearby land to cool, though the ecological impact of this temperature decrease
isn’t yet known. Before the park’s construction, the surface temperature 30 meters outside of the park boundary was
0.1°C cooler than that of a control ______ construction, the temperature 30 meters outside of the boundary was 1.7°C
cooler than that of the control area.

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

A. area after

B. area after,

C. area. After

D. area, after

ID: 6df020e6 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the
period is used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence ("Before...area") and another ("After...area"). The
phrase "After construction" modifies the next sentence to indicate that the temperature was cooler after construction.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence that fuses the two sentences ("Before...area" and
"after...area") without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence that
connects the two sentences ("Before...area" and "after...area") without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Additionally, no
punctuation is needed between "after" and "construction." Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A
comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between the two sentences ("Before...area" and "after...area").

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 684b8bd2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 684b8bd2
Far from being modern inventions, ______ more than 5,000 years ago.

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

A. Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia used drinking straws

B. drinking straws were used by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia

C. the use of drinking straws by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia happened

D. ancient Mesopotamia was home to Sumerians who used drinking straws

ID: 684b8bd2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 67667d72
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 67667d72
Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between 1440 and 1450
CE. However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass spectrometry to uncover evidence
that it was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were likely inhabiting the area.

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

A. earlier. In

B. earlier, in

C. earlier, which in

D. earlier in

ID: 67667d72 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the
period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The
supplementary phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to
mark the boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and
illogical sentence that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information
(“However...earlier”) rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on
sentence. The sentences (“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5b8f9cf2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: 5b8f9cf2
In the canon of North African literature, Moroccan author Driss Chraïbi’s 1954 novel The Simple Past (Le Passé simple)
looms large. A coming-of-age story, a social meditation, and a sober gaze into the dark maw of French colonialism,
______ interrogates systemic power with memorable intensity.

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

A. Morocco gained its independence two years before the publication of Chraïbi’s debut novel, which

B. Chraïbi’s debut novel, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,

C. Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,

D. published two years before Morocco gained its independence, Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that

ID: 5b8f9cf2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other. The
subject of the modifier "a coming-of-age story…colonialism" is Chraïbi’s novel The Simple Past, so the subject "Chraïbi’s
debut novel" fits perfectly after this introductory modifying phrase.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-of-age
story…colonialism" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, not Morocco. However, this choice places Morocco directly next to that
modifier. Choice C is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a
coming-of-age story…colonialism" all describes Chraïbi’s novel, not Chraïbi himself. However, this choice places Chraïbi
directly next to that modifier. Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier
"a coming-of-age story…" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, so that needs to be the subject immediately after the modifier. This
choice adds another modifier that describes Chraïbi’s novel, but then puts "Chraïbi" himself—not the novel—right after
that modifier, which doesn’t make sense. Chraïbi wasn’t "published two years before" Moroccan independence; his novel
The Simple Past was.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 403d7bb5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 403d7bb5
According to Naomi Nakayama of the University of Edinburgh, the reason seeds from a dying dandelion appear to float in
the air while ______ is that their porous plumes enhance drag, allowing the seeds to stay airborne long enough for the
wind to disperse them throughout the surrounding area.

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

A. falling,

B. falling:

C. falling;

D. falling

ID: 403d7bb5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we
don’t need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the rest of the sentence: “The reason
seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it.
We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their
plumes enhance drag.” . Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions
of Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need
any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while
falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” . Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms
to the conventions of Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement,
so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds
appear to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID de3dd17d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure,

Conventions and Sense

ID: de3dd17d
Planetary scientist Briony Horgan and her colleagues have determined that as much as 25 percent of the sand on Mars is
composed of impact spherules. These spherical bits of glass form when asteroids collide with the planet, ejecting bits of
molten rock into the atmosphere that, after cooling and solidifying into glass, ______ back onto Mars’s surface.

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

A. to rain

B. raining

C. having rained

D. rain

ID: de3dd17d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. "That…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface" is a relative clause that describes the "bits of molten
rock." Forming the clause requires a conjugated, finite verb, and this is the only choice that provides that.

Choice A is incorrect. "To rain" is an infinitive and can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated verb is needed
here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the "bits of
molten rock." Choice B is incorrect. "Raining" is a present participle and, on its own, can’t serve as the main verb of a
clause. A conjugated verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s
surface," which describes the "bits of molten rock." Choice C is incorrect. "Having rained" is a perfect participle and can’t
serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…
[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the "bits of molten rock."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6b49f5f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6b49f5f1
In 1727, dramatist Lewis Theobald presented a new play, Double Falsehood, at a London theater. Theobald claimed that
his drama was based on a little-known play by William Shakespeare, Cardenio. Many, including poet Alexander Pope, were
______ historians have determined that Shakespeare’s company did perform a play called Cardenio in 1613.

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

A. skeptical but

B. skeptical, but

C. skeptical,

D. skeptical

ID: 6b49f5f1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. There are two independent clauses in the sentence, each with a subject and a verb:
"many...were skeptical" and "historians have determined…." These clauses can be grammatically joined by a comma and
the coordinating conjunction "but."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined
without punctuation. Two independent clauses can’t be joined by just the coordinating conjunction "but." A comma would
also be required. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error called a comma splice. This sentence
contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"). A comma alone can’t join
two independent clauses. That requires a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. This sentence
contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"), which need to be either
joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 59094d87
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 59094d87
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing the culture and
history of the Mohegan ______ today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -operated museum in the
country.

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

A. Tribe, and

B. Tribe

C. Tribe and

D. Tribe,

ID: 59094d87 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent
clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”).

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after
“Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent,
so they can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
results in a grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they
can’t be linked with just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.

Question Difficulty: Hard