Sample PSAT Questions---Writing Skills 1--Identify

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The multiple-choice questions on writing skills measure your ability to express ideas effectively in standard-written English, to recognize faults in usage and structure, and to use language with sensitivity to meaning.

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questions test your knowledge of grammar, usage, word choice, and idiom. You are required to find errors in sentences or indicate that there is no error.

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Here are some general hints for Identifying Sentence Errors.

Read the entire sentence carefully but quickly.


Look at choices (A) through (D) to see whether anything needs to be changed to make the sentence correct.


Don't waste time searching for errors. Mark (E) No error, on your answer sheet if you believe the sentence is correct as written.


Move quickly through questions about Identifying Sentence Errors. The other kinds of questions (Improving Sentences and Improving Paragraphs) will probably take more time.


Mark questions that seem hard for you and return to them later.

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The following sentences test your knowledge of grammar, usage, word choice, and idiom. Some sentences are correct. No sentence contains more than one error. You will find that the error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. Elements of the sentence that are not underlined will not be changed. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.
If there is an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If there is no error, select E.

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question 1 of 13

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(from the October 1996 test)

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Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The problem with this sentence lies in (A): the expression, "claim having seen," is not idiomatic in standard written English. The expression should be "claim to have seen." The other choices are all correct. The word "but" (B) provides a link between the two major parts of the sentence and contrasts the ideas they present. The expression, "such a creature," (C) and the adverb "actually" (D) are also acceptable although other expressions and adverbs could be substituted. The correct sentence reads: Many travelers claim to have seen the Abominable Snowman, but no one has proved that such a creature actually exists.

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question 2 of 13

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(from the October 14, 1997 test)

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Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The error in this sentence is (B): "cautious," which modifies the verb phrase "are driven," is an adjective. It should be changed to the adverb "cautiously." The correct sentence reads: No matter how cautiously snowmobiles are driven, they are capable of damaging the land over which they travel.

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question 3 of 13

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(from the October 14, 1997 test)

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Correct Answer: D
Explanation: The error in this sentence is (D): the pronoun "you" is not consistent with the pronoun "one" in the introductory clause. The pronoun "you" should be changed to "one." The correct sentence reads: If one is interested in learning even more about Zora Neale Hurston, one should read Robert Hemenway's biography.

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question 4 of 13

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(from the October 18, 1997 test)

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Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The error in this sentence is (A): the phrase "protest on" is not idiomatic in standard written English. The verb "protest" takes the preposition "against." The correct sentence reads: Originally a protest against conventional painting, the Pre-Raphaelite movement exerted great influence on the art of its time.

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question 5 of 13

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(from the October 18, 1997 test)

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Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The error in this sentence is (C): the verb "were" (which is plural) does not agree in number with the noun "quality" (which is singular). The correct sentence reads: The board reviewing the courses offered by the college found that the quality of academic programs was generally good but somewhat uneven.

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question 6 of 13

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(from the October 17, 1998 test)