SAT Writing Test - 1

Instructions: Read the entire sentence carefully but quickly, paying attention to underlined choices (A) through (E). Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

1. James Dillinger was educated in New Zealand, when he emigrated to England, and ultimately became a newspaper reporter.
A) when he emigrated to England,
B) emigrated to England,
C) while he emigrated to England,
D) emigrating to England,
E) from whence he emigrated to England,

2. At one time, most of Kuwait's oil rigs were burning the idle refineries were closed.
A) burning the idle
B) burning but the idle
C) burning, idle, the
D) burning; the idle
E) burning, idle

3. The parachutist compared his feelings to winning a lottery, scoring a goal, or beating the odds at a casino.
A) to winning a lottery, scoring a goal, or beating
B) to when one wins a lottery, scores a goal, or beats
C) to winning a lottery, to scoring a goal, or beating
D) to winning a lottery, to scoring a touchdown, or to beating
E) to a win in a lottery, scoring a goal, or beating

4. The entrepreneur plans to disassemble and relocate a fifteenth-century French church to Nevada which will give it the oldest church in the western hemisphere.
A) which will give it
B) and this will give it
C) to give the state
D) and this will give the state
E) which will give the state

5. Illiteracy costs more than six billion dollars due to lost jobs annually, affecting one-fifth of American adults.
A) Illiteracy costs more than six billion dollars due to lost jobs annually, affecting one-fifth of American adults.
B) Annually, illiteracy costs more than six billion dollars due to lost jobs, affecting one-fifth of American adults.
C) Affecting one-fifth of American adults, illiteracy costs more than six billion dollars due to lost jobs annually.
D) Annually affecting one-fifth of American adults, illiteracy costs more than six billion dollars due to lost jobs.
E) Costing more than six billion dollars due to lost jobs, illiteracy affects more than one-fifth of American adults annually.

Instructions: The underlined and lettered sections of each sentence below may contain an error in grammar, usage, word choice (diction), or expression (idiom). Read each sentence carefully, and identify the item that contains the error. Indicate your choice by selecting in the corresponding choice. Only the underlined parts contain errors. Assume that the rest of each sentence is correct. No sentence contains more than one error. Some sentences may contain no error, in which case the correct answer will be (E) (No error).

6.A respected organization of education professionals has met (A) with representatives of the government (B) to express (C) their (D) position regarding the new policy.
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) No error.

Instructions: The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten. Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) The phrase "a cappella" is Italian for "without accompaniment." (2) The term normally refers to a type of singing without instrumental backup. (3) This kind of singing can be performed as a group or individually. (4) A cappella groups are becoming more and more popular in America, being more common at universities especially. (5) If you go to college, you can probably find a singing group there.

(6) This singing style, which has its beginnings in African and Slavic traditional music, requires the singers to create their own four-part harmonies. (7) A cappella groups often write arrangements of popular jazz and folk songs, modifying the piece as needed. (8) These groups usually memorize their songs, often dancing during performances.

7.Which of the following is the best revision of sentence 4, reproduced below?
A cappella groups are becoming more and more popular in America, being more common at universities especially.

A) (as it is now)
B) Especially in America at universities, a cappella singing groups are becoming more and more popular.
C) At universities, a cappella singing groups are becoming more and more popular in America.
D) A cappella groups are becoming increasingly popular in America, especially at universities.
E) Becoming more and more popular in America, especially at universities, are a cappella singing groups.

8. The purpose of the second paragraph is
A) to provide comic relief
B) to persuade the reader
C) to inform the reader with extra details
D) to offer a personal anecdote
E) to provide a summary of the topic

9. How should the underlined portion of sentence 6 be revised?
This singing style, which has its beginnings in African and Slavic traditional music, requires the singers to create their own four-part harmonies.
A) (as it is now)
B) and having its beginnings in African and Slavic traditional music
C) has its beginnings in African and Slavic traditional music
D) beginning with African and Slavic traditional music
E) of which African and Slavic traditional music has its beginnings

10. Omitting which of the following sentences would best improve the unity of the first paragraph?
A) sentence 1
B) sentence 2
C) sentence 3
D) sentence 4
E) sentence 5