CB 2026 User Manual

Question ID: 37e5c794

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

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:

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 ID: 3580533b

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

In recent years, economists around the world have created new tools that quantify the overall well-being of a country’s citizens. Economists in

India, for example, use an Ease of Living Index. This tool ______ economic potential, sustainability, and citizens’ quality of life.

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

Answer

A. measures

B. had measured

C. would have measured

D. will have been measuring

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The previous sentence tells us how economists in India "use" a certain tool, while this sentence describes general

facts about that tool. To express general facts (and also to match the simple present tense of "use"), we should use the simple present tense

form "measures."

Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses the past perfect tense, but the previous sentence tells us that the tool is currently used to measure things,

so the past tense doesn’t make sense for this verb. Choice C is incorrect. This choice uses the future perfect conditional tense, but the previous

sentence tells us that the tool is currently used to measure things, so the future tense doesn’t make sense for this verb. Choice D is incorrect.

This choice uses the future perfect continuous tense, but the previous sentence tells us that the tool is currently used to measure things, so the

future tense doesn’t make sense for this verb.

Question ID: 4c335aea

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

In a recent analysis of lyrical trends in 350,000 songs, researchers cite increases in certain measures, such as the ratio of choruses to verses, as

evidence music lyrics are becoming more repetitive. For instance, from 1970 to 2020, ______ chorus-to-verse ratios trended similarly, with each

genre’s data indicating that relative to the number of unique verses, the number of repeated choruses in songs increased.



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

Answer

A. rocks and raps

B. rock’s and rap’s

C. rocks and rap’s

D. rock and rap’s

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive nouns. The singular possessive nouns "rock’s" and "rap’s"

correctly indicate that the chorus-to-verse ratios belong to the genres of rock and rap.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive nouns "rock’s" and "rap’s," not the plural nouns "rocks" and "raps."

Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "rock’s," not the plural noun "rocks." Choice D is incorrect

because the context requires the singular possessive noun "rock’s," not the singular noun "rock." This choice incorrectly suggests that there was

a single chorus-to-verse ratio for rock and rap together, whereas the ratio was calculated for each genre individually.

Question ID: 8b017d4e

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

Supported by biochemical analyses of over 2,000 skeletons from the Middle Ages, ______

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

Answer

A. vegetables and grains were, a 2022 study found, the primary components of early medieval rulers’ diets.

B. early medieval rulers’ diets were found, in a 2022 study, to have primarily consisted of vegetables and grains.

C. the primary components of early medieval rulers’ diets were vegetables and grains, according to a 2022 study.

D. findings from a 2022 study suggested that vegetables and grains were the primary components of early medieval rulers’ diets.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase "findings from a

2022 study" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "supported...Ages." In doing so, this choice clearly

establishes that the findings—and not another noun in the sentence—are supported by the biochemical analyses.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "vegetables and grains" immediately after the modifying phrase

illogically suggests that vegetables and grains are supported by biochemical analyses. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling

modifier. The placement of "early medieval rulers’ diets" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the rulers’ diets are

supported by biochemical analyses. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "the primary components"

immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the primary components are supported by biochemical analyses.

Question ID: f0864217

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

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 Ach

í

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 ID: 6e193b19

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

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?

Answer

A. were a smaller, foam version

B. are smaller, foam versions

C. were smaller, foam versions

D. is a smaller, foam version

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 ID: fced396a

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), a commonly used measure of competition between companies in a particular market, ranges from a

score of zero to 10,000 points. Compared with that of a highly concentrated market—that is, a market controlled by very few companies—______

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

Answer

A. a market that is less concentrated will have a much lower HHI score.

B. the HHI score of a less concentrated market will be much lower.

C. when a market is less concentrated, its HHI score will be much lower.

D. a less concentrated market will have an HHI score that is much lower.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase "the HHI...market"

the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "compared...market." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes

that the HHI score of a less concentrated market—and not another noun in the sentence—is being compared with the HHI score of a highly

concentrated market.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "a market that is less concentrated" immediately after the

modifying phrase illogically suggests that a market is being compared with an HHI score. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a confusing,

illogical sentence. The placement of the modifier "when a market is less concentrated" after "a highly concentrated market" is contradictory.

Furthermore, it’s ambiguous what "its" is referring to in "its HHI score," resulting in an illogical comparison. Choice D is incorrect because it

results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "a less concentrated market" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that a

market is being compared with an HHI score.

Question ID: 819c443d

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

In January 1776, Thomas Paine published

Common Sense

, an appeal for freedom from the British monarchy that famously helped ignite the

desire for independence among the American colonists. After the colonies achieved their independence, Paine moved to Paris, where the

provocative ______ would contribute to another revolution—the French Revolution.

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

Answer

A. authors political writings

B. author’s political writings

C. author’s political writing’s

D. authors’ political writings

’

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun "author’s"

correctly indicates that the political writings are those of Thomas Paine, and the plural noun "writings" correctly indicates that multiple works by

Paine are being discussed.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "author’s," not the plural noun "authors." Choice C is incorrect

because the context requires the plural noun "writings," not the singular possessive noun "writing’s." Choice D is incorrect because the context

requires the singular possessive noun "author’s" and the plural noun "writings," not the plural possessive nouns "authors’" and "writings’."

Question ID: f10b7ce4

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

In the list “Adorable Things” from Sei Shōnagon’sPillow Book

, the author delights in baby sparrows, a face drawn on a melon, and a young

courtier in ceremonial garb. So shrewd an observer is Shōnagon, a lady-in-waiting to Empress Teishi, that her book’s musings on tenth-century

Japanese courtly life ______ readers a thousand years later.

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

Answer

A. fascinate

B. has fascinated

C. fascinates

D. is fascinating

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "fascinate" agrees in number with the plural

subject "musings."

Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "has fascinated" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "musings." Choice C is incorrect

because the singular verb "fascinates" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "musings." Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb

"is fascinating" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "musings."

Question ID: ea0aa676

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

A. are

B. were

C. have been

D. was

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 ID: dc645172

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

A. hasn’t been

B. wasn’t

C. isn’t

D. aren’t

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 ID: d2b81427

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

In assessing the films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, ______ have missed his equally deep engagement with Japanese artistic traditions

such as Noh theater.

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

Answer

A. many critics have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources but



B. Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources has been the focus of many critics, who

C. there are many critics who have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources, but they

D. the focus of many critics has been on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources; they

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase “many critics” the

subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “in assessing…Kurosawa.” In doing so, this choice clearly

establishes that it is the critics—and not another noun in the sentence—who assess Kurosawa’s films.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “Kurosawa’s…sources” immediately after the

modifying phrase illogically suggests that his use of Western literary sources is what assesses Kurosawa’s films. Choice C is incorrect because it

results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “there

”

is what assesses Kurosawa’s films. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the focus

…

critics” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the critics’ focus is what assesses Kurosawa’s films.

Question ID: b74f676f

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

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?

Answer

A. developing

B. developed

C. to develop

D. having developed

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 ID: 69f031ab

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

While exploring Nevada’s Gypsum Cave in 1930, Seneca and Abenaki archaeologist Bertha Parker made her most famous discovery: the skull of

a now-extinct ground sloth (

Nothrotheriops shastensis

) alongside human-made tools. Parker’s crucial finding was the first ______ humans in

North America as far back as 10,000 years ago.

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

Answer

A. places

B. placed

C. place

D. to place

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The object for the verb "was" is "first," and "to place" is acting as a modifier for "first." What was the finding? It was

"the first." The first to do what? The first "to place humans in North America" 10,000 years ago. When a verb serves as a modifier within a noun

phrase, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not conjugated to a specific subject). The infinitive form "to place" is the only nonfinite option among the

choices that makes sense in context.

Choice A is incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "first," and "places" is acting as a modifier for "first." What was the thing that Parker’s finding

did? What was it the first to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as a modifier, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not

conjugated to a specific subject), but "places" is a finite form of the verb. Choice B is incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "first," and

"placed" is acting to modify "first." What was it that Parker’s finding was the first to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When

a verb acts as a modifier, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not conjugated to a specific subject), but "placed" is a finite form. "Placed" can also be a past

participle, but that wouldn’t make sense here because the meaning of "the first placed humans" would be unclear. Choice C is incorrect. The

object for the verb "was" is "first," and "place" is modifying "first." What was the thing that Parker’s finding did? What was it the first to do? Place

humans in North America. When a verb acts as a modifier, it must be nonfinite (i.e., not conjugated to a specific subject), but "place" is a finite

form of the verb. Additionally, "place" can’t serve as a noun here, because it results in an illogical sentence (the "finding" wasn’t "the first place").

Question ID: 003f22c8

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Every last second of space shuttle mission STS-79, which lasted ten days and three hours, ______ carefully monitored by a team of experts.

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

Answer

A. have been

B. are

C. was

D. were

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was" agrees in number with the singular

subject "every last second."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "every last second." Choice B is

incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "every last second." Choice D is incorrect because the

plural verb "were" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "every last second."

Question ID: 3bceeb93

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

A. they’re

B. their

C. its

D. it’s

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 ID: dab8b8ee

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

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



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

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 ID: f4fd123c

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

The African Games Co-production Market, one of over 180 annual international conferences supporting video game development, ______ the

growth of the African gaming industry by helping start-up studios in Africa find partners.

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

Answer

A. promote

B. are promoting

C. promotes

D. have promoted

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the sentence is “The African Games Co-production Market.” That’s one market, so it’s a singular noun,

which means it needs a singular verb. “Promotes” is the only singular verb among the choices.



Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is singular, but

the verb “promote” is plural. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-

production Market” is singular, but the verb “are promoting” is plural. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error.

The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is singular, but the verb “have promoted” is plural.

Question ID: 97df6650

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

The village of Panduyacu in Ecuador ______ one of the rare places in the world located almost directly on the equator.

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

Answer

A. are being

B. have been

C. is

D. are

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

subject "village."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are being" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "village." Choice B is incorrect because

the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "village." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t

agree in number with the singular subject "village."

Question ID: 59209b6d

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Based on genetic evidence, archaeologists have generally agreed that reindeer domestication began in the eleventh century CE. However, since

uncovering fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia, ______ may have begun much earlier.

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

Answer

A. researcher Robert Losey has argued that domestication



B. researcher Robert Losey’s argument is that domestication

C. domestication, researcher Robert Losey has argued,

D. the argument researcher Robert Losey has made is that domestication

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase “researcher Robert

Losey” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “since…Siberia.” In doing so, this choice clearly

establishes that researcher Robert Losey—and not another noun in the sentence—is who uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer

training harness in northern Siberia.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “researcher Robert Losey’s argument

”

immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training

harness in northern Siberia. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “domestication

”

immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “domestication” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer

training harness in northern Siberia. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the

argument” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old

reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.

Question ID: 2784cbaf

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

To fully describe the motion of an object requires knowing each of five ______ movement: displacement, time, initial velocity, final velocity, and

acceleration. These are called kinematic variables.



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

Answer

A. variable’s that characterize objects

’

B. variables that characterize objects

’

C. variables that characterize object’s

D. variables that characterize objects

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural noun "variables" correctly

indicates that there are multiple variables, and the plural possessive noun "objects’" correctly indicates that the movement of objects in general is

being discussed.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "variables," not the singular possessive noun "variable’s." Choice C is incorrect

because the context requires the plural possessive noun "objects’," not the singular possessive noun "object’s." Choice D is incorrect because the

context requires the plural possessive noun "objects’," not the plural noun "objects."

Question ID: 863065c7

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

Legal scholars James Melton and Tom Ginsburg’s analysis of de jure judicial independence and its growth over decades ______ six constitutional

features that enhance such independence, including judicial tenure and selection procedure. Albania’s constitution contains five of these

features.

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

Answer

A. are identifying

B. identify

C. have identified

D. identifies

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "identifies" agrees in number with the

singular subject "analysis."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are identifying" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "analysis." Choice B is incorrect

because the plural verb "identify" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "analysis." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "have

identified" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "analysis."

Question ID: 872a002e

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

The present-day city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, was for years the capital of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, one of many nominally

autonomous republics within the Soviet Union. Like ______ peer autonomous Soviet socialist republics, the Tajik Republic was established along

ethnolinguistic lines: most of the republic’s residents spoke Persian.

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

Answer

A. their

B. they’re

C. its

D. it’s

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive determiners. The singular possessive determiner "its" agrees

in number with the singular subject "the Tajik Republic" and thus indicates that the other republics were its peers.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural possessive determiner "their" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "the Tajik Republic."

Choice B is incorrect because "they’re" is the contraction for "they are," not a possessive determiner. Choice D is incorrect because "it’s" is the

contraction for "it is" or "it has," not a possessive determiner.

Question ID: 0fe5ce68

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

A. focuses

B. focus

C. are focused

D. were focused

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 ID: 684b8bd2

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

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?

Answer

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

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 ID: 5b8f9cf2

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

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

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 introductor y

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 ID: de3dd17d

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

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?

Answer

A. to rain

B. raining

C. having rained

D. rain

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 ID: b260c65a

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Earth is not a perfect sphere. Due to the ______ gravitational pull, Earth bulges out on the sides closest to and farthest from the Moon. This

distorting pull is known as a tidal force, and it is responsible for the changes in water levels that are called high and low tides.

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

Answer

A. Moon’s

B. Moons

C. Moons

’

D. Moon

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun "Moon’s" correctly

indicates that there is only one Moon, and it has a gravitational pull.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the plural noun "Moons." Choice C is incorrect

because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the plural possessive noun "Moons’." Choice D is incorrect because the

context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the singular noun "Moon."

Question ID: c52652c9

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

The human brain is primed to recognize faces—so much so that, due to a perceptual tendency called pareidolia, ______ will even find faces in

clouds, wooden doors, pieces of fruit, and other faceless inanimate objects. Researcher Susan Magsamen has focused her work on better

understanding this everyday phenomenon.

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

Answer

A. she

B. they

C. it

D. those

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. "It" is a singular pronoun used to stand in for objects. Since the antecedent in this case is the singular noun phrase

"the human brain," "it" is a perfect pronoun to use here.

Choice A is incorrect. Although "she" is a singular pronoun, it is reserved for people and animals, not objects like "the human brain." Choice B is

incorrect. "They" is a plural pronoun, but we need a singular pronoun to represent the antecedent "the human brain." Choice D is incorrect. "Those"

is a plural pronoun, but we need a singular pronoun to represent the antecedent "the human brain."

Question ID: 36944347

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Official measurements of the Mississippi River’s length vary: according to the US Geologic Survey, the river is 2,300 miles long, whereas the

Environmental Protection Agency records its length as 2,320 miles. This disparity can be explained in part by the fact that rivers such as the

Mississippi expand and contract as ______ sediment.

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

Answer

A. they accumulate

B. one accumulates

C. it accumulates

D. we accumulate

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The noun that goes with "expand and contract" is "rivers," a plural noun. "They" is a third-person plural pronoun, so it

can correctly stand in for "rivers."

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "One" is a singular pronoun, but the noun that goes with

"expand and contract" is "rivers," a plural noun. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "It" is a singular

pronoun, but the noun that goes with "expand and contract" is "rivers," a plural noun. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-

antecedent agreement error. The noun that goes with "expand and contract" is the plural noun "rivers." Rivers are not people, so "we" can’t be

used to stand in for it.

Question ID: 7c48a6dd

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

In the late 1960s, inspired in part by the sight of laundry hanging on a clothesline, African American abstract painter Sam Gilliam began to create

his iconic “Drape” paintings. He applied bold, saturated hues to large canvases and ______ them from ceilings or walls, causing the drooping

fabric to cascade in dramatic loops and curves.

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

Answer

A. to have suspended

B. suspending

C. to suspend

D. suspended

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The past tense of "suspended" matches the past tense of "applied," which has the same subject ("he") and takes

place in the same context: "He applied…and [he] suspended."

Choice A is incorrect. The perfect infinitive "to have suspended" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve as a verb on its own.

These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses. Choice B is incorrect. The present

participle "suspending" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve as a verb on its own. These are both verbs with the same

subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses. Choice C is incorrect. The infinitive "to suspend" doesn’t match the past tense

of "applied," and it can’t serve as a verb on its own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to

shift tenses.

Question ID: 8d53e7a0

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel

The Poet X

, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, is composed of

______ protagonist, fifteen-year-old Xiomara Batista.

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

Answer

A. poems putatively written by the novel’s

B. poem’s putatively written by the novel’s



C. poem’s putatively written by the novels

’

D. poems putatively written by the novels

’

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Nothing belongs to the “poems” in the sentence, so it should not be possessive—just a simple plural noun. The

protagonist does belong to the novel—it’s the protagonist of the novel—so “novel” needs to be a singular possessive noun.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the

singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more than one poem, and nothing

belongs to the poems.Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This

choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more than one poem, and

nothing belongs to the poems. This choice also uses the plural possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel.Choice D

is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the plural possessive

“

novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel, so it should be the singular possessive “novel’s.”

.

Question ID: 20a6a4ed

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Anthropologist Lívia Barbosa, of the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Brazil, ______ food and sociability in contemporary Brazil—specifically,

how foods such as cabidela (a rice and rabbit dish) and churrasco (a barbeque dish) function as central mechanisms in building social

relationships, values, and identities.

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

Answer

A. studies

B. are studying

C. have studied

D. study

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "studies" agrees in number with the

singular subject "anthropologist Lívia Barbosa."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "are studying" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "anthropologist Lívia Barbosa."

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "have studied" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "anthropologist Lívia Barbosa."

Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "study" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "anthropologist Lívia Barbosa."

Question ID: a03008de

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

The Proto-Nilotic language, common ancestor of fifty-five African languages with similar linguistic properties, ______ like all protolanguages,

hypothetical: there

s no direct evidence these ancestral languages actually existed.

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

Answer

A. is,

B. are,

C. have been,

D. were,

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "is" agrees in number with the singular

subject "the Proto-Nilotic language."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn

t agree in number with the singular subject "the Proto-Nilotic language." Choice C is

incorrect because the plural verb "have been" doesn

t agree in number with the singular subject "the Proto-Nilotic language." Choice D is incorrect

because the plural verb "were" doesn

t agree in number with the singular subject "the Proto-Nilotic language."

Question ID: fff4c7f4

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems on scraps of paper, but she also took steps to collect these works. From 1858 to

around 1864, for example, she copied more than 800 of ______ into for ty homemade booklets (known as fascicles).

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

Answer

A. them

B. this

C. that

D. it

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The pronoun "them" agrees with the plural antecedents "poems" and "works."

Choice B is incorrect. "This" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice C is incorrect. "That" is a singular

pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice D is incorrect. "It" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and

"works," are plural.

Question ID: e2759b92

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Occupying a significant part of modern-day Nigeria, the Kingdom of Benin was one of the major powers in West Africa between the thirteenth

and nineteenth centuries. It ______ ruled by Oba Ewuare I from 1440 to 1473.

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

Answer

A. is

B. will be

C. has been

D. was

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 tense verb

“

was ruled” correctly indicates that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of Benin in the distant past (from 1440 to 1473). This past tense verb choice

is consistent with the other past tense verb (“was”) used to describe the Kingdom of Benin.

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “is ruled” doesn’t indicate that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of Benin in the distant past.

Choice B is incorrect because the future tense verb “will be ruled” doesn’t indicate that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of Benin in the distant

past. Choice C is incorrect because the present perfect tense verb “has been ruled” doesn’t indicate that Oba Ewuare I ruled the Kingdom of

Benin in the distant past.

Question ID: 1448f43f

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Unsupervised machine learning is an approach that computer scientists like Nina Miolane use to engineer artificial intelligence technologies. It

involves training computer algorithms to organize unlabeled data sets. Multitask learning is another approach. ______ involves training computer

models to perform multiple tasks at the same time.

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

Answer

A. Those

B. They

C. It

D. Some

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun "it" agrees in number with the

singular antecedent "multitask learning" and clearly indicates what multitask learning involves.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural demonstrative pronoun "those" doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent "multitask

learning." Choice B is incorrect because the plural pronoun "they" doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent "multitask learning."

Choice D is incorrect because the indefinite pronoun "some" is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear what exactly

"involves training computer models."

Question ID: d46ac7e7

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

A second-generation Japanese American, Wataru Misaka ______ in World War II (1941-45) and won two amateur national basketball

championships at the University of Utah when he joined the New York Knicks for the 1947-48 season, becoming the first non-white basketball

player in the US’s top professional league.

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

Answer

A. already served

B. was already serving

C. already serves

D. had already served

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the New York Knicks in 1947. To show that a past occurrence took

place before another past occurrence, we need to use “had” + the past tense form of the verb. This is called the past perfect tense.

Choice A is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the Knicks. Both events are in the past, but his service in World War II

happened earlier, so we need a verb that makes it clear that his service (and the two national championships) had ended by the time he joined

the Knicks. Choice B is incorrect. “Was already serving” forms the continuous past tense, which we use when we’re showing a past action that

was ongoing. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the Knicks. Both events are in the past, but they’re not happening at the same time,

so we shouldn’t use the continuous past tense here. Choice C is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II in the past, so we shouldn’t use the

present tense “serves.

”

Question ID: e31b0056

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Mary Madden of Ohio ______ a fierce advocate of women’s voting rights in the late 1800s. The dedication of Madden and her fellow activists was

rewarded in 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution guaranteed American women the right to vote.



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

Answer

A. are

B. was

C. have been

D. were

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was" agrees in number with the singular

subject "Mary Madden of Ohio."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Mary Madden of Ohio." Choice C is incorrect

because the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Mary Madden of Ohio." Choice D is incorrect because the

plural verb "were" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Mary Madden of Ohio."

Question ID: 31362d2d

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

If simple sugars such as ribose and glycolaldehyde ______ Earth from elsewhere and survived impact—a possibility astrophysicist Nicolle Zellner

outlined in a 2020 study—the sugars could have reacted with other molecules that were already present on the planet to form the nucleotides

that are the structural components of RNA and DNA.

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

Answer

A. reach

B. had reached

C. will reach

D. are reaching

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the past perfect verb “had reached

”

is used correctly to describe a past action that was completed before another action in the past. Specifically, in this hypothetical scenario about

the origins of RNA and DNA on Earth, the simple sugars had to have reached Earth before they could react with other molecules on the planet.

Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “reach” doesn’t indicate that the simple sugars reached Earth before reacting with other

molecules on the planet. Choice C is incorrect because the future tense verb “will reach” doesn’t indicate that the simple sugars reached Earth

before reacting with other molecules on the planet. Choice D is incorrect because the present progressive verb “are reaching” doesn’t indicate

that the simple sugars reached Earth before reacting with other molecules on the planet.

Question ID: d2cf0e11

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Inventor John Friedman created a prototype of the first flexible straw by inserting a screw into a paper straw and, using dental floss, binding the

straw tightly around the ______ When the floss and screw were removed, the resulting corrugations in the paper allowed the straw to bend easily

over the edge of a glass.

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

Answer

A. screw’s thread’s.

B. screws’ threads.

C. screw’s threads.

D. screws threads’.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun “screw’s” and

the plural noun “threads” correctly indicate that there is only one screw and it has multiple threads.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “threads,” not the singular possessive noun “thread’s.” Choice B is incorrect

because the context requires the singular possessive noun “screw’s,” not the plural possessive noun “screws’.” Choice D is incorrect because the

context requires the singular possessive noun “screw’s” and the plural noun “threads,” not the plural noun “screws” or the plural possessive noun

“

threads.

’”

Question ID: 1d971f75

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Photographer Ansel Adams’s landscape portraits are iconic pieces of American art. However, many of the ______ of landscapes were intended

not as art but as marketing; a concessions company at Yosemite National Park had hired Adams to take pictures of the park for restaurant

menus and brochures.

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

Answer

A. photographer’s early photo’s

B. photographers early photo’s

C. photographer’s early photos

D. photographers early photos

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. There’s only one photographer (Adams), and the photos are his, so the singular possessive "photographer’s" is

correct. There’s more than one photo, and nothing belongs to the photos, so the simple plural "photos" is correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses the singular possessive "photo’s," which isn’t correct. There’s more than one photo, and they don’t possess

anything, so the noun should be the simple plural "photos." Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses the simple plural "photographers" and the

singular possessive "photo’s," which aren’t correct. There’s only one photographer (Adams) and there’s more than one photo. Choice D is

incorrect. This choice uses the simple plural "photographers," which isn’t correct. There’s only one photographer (Adams).

Question ID: 2bca654a

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

Forming extensive networks via mycorrhizal association—that is, a symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi—______

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

Answer

A. it is the entanglement of pine trees’ roots and the fungus

Tricholoma matsutake’s fungal hyphae that makes nutrient transport possible.

B. the transport of nutrients is possible through the entanglement of pine trees’ roots and the fungus

Tricholoma matsutake’s fungal hyphae.

C. nutrients can be transported through the entanglement of pine trees’ roots and the fungus

Tricholoma matsutake’s fungal hyphae.

D. pine trees and the fungus

Tricholoma matsutake

can transport nutrients through their entangled tree roots and fungal hyphae.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase "pine trees and the

fungus

Tricholoma matsutake

" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "forming…association." In doing

so, this choice clearly establishes that the pine trees and fungus—and not another noun in the sentence—are forming the networks.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the it-cleft "it is" immediately after the modifying phrase

illogically and confusingly suggests that "it" is forming extensive networks. Fur thermore, it’s not conventional to follow a long introductory

modifying element with an it-cleft construction because it results in an unnecessarily wordy and confusing sentence, such as this. Choice B is

incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "the transport of nutrients" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically

suggests that the transport of nutrients is forming extensive networks. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The

placement of "nutrients" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that nutrients are forming extensive networks.

Question ID: 0bcb4417

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Oglala Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier’s star quilt poems offer an unusually open-ended reading experience. With ______ eight panels of text

stitched together in the shape of a traditional eight-pointed Lakota star quilt, the poems present viewers with a seemingly infinite number of

ways to read them.

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

Answer

A. their

B. it’s

C. they’re

D. its

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive determiners. The plural possessive determiner "their" agrees

in number with the plural noun "the poems," thus indicating that the poems had eight panels of text stitched together in the shape of a traditional

eight-pointed Lakota star quilt.

Choice B is incorrect because "it’s" is the contraction for "it is" or "it has," not a possessive determiner. Choice C is incorrect because "they’re" is

the contraction for "they are," not a possessive determiner. Choice D is incorrect because the singular possessive determiner "its" doesn’t agree in

number with the plural noun "the poems."

Question ID: db2e480a

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

By the time Hawaiian king Kamehameha III ______ the throne, the number of longhorn cattle, first introduced to the islands in 1793, had

drastically increased, and so too had the need for

paniolo

(Hawaiian cowboys) to manage the wild herds that then roamed throughout the

volcanic terrain.

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

Answer

A. ascended

B. will ascend

C. ascends

D. is ascending

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. "Ascended" is in the simple past tense. Since Kamehameha became king in the past, this makes the most sense.

Choice B is incorrect. "Will ascend" is in the future tense, but we wouldn’t know about Kamehameha III’s ascent if it hadn’t happened yet. The

information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described happened in the past. Choice C is incorrect.

"Ascends" is in the simple present tense. However, the information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events

described happened in the past. Choice D is incorrect. "Is ascending" is in the continuous present tense, which we use to show that something is

ongoing, but this doesn’t make sense here—the information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described

happened in the past.

Question ID: 4c9a2aee

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Wanda Diaz-Merced is an astrophysicist who lost her sight when she was young. Diaz-Merced’s condition inspired her to develop software that

can translate scientific data into sound. Sound-based tools ______ scientists to detect subtle patterns in data. Such patterns may not be evident

in traditional graphs.

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

Answer

A. has enabled

B. enable

C. is enabling



D. enables

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "enable" agrees in number with the plural

subject "sound-based tools."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "has enabled" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "sound-based tools." Choice C is

incorrect because the singular verb "is enabling" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "sound-based tools." Choice D is incorrect

because the singular verb "enables" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "sound-based tools."

Question ID: b0fb36ad

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

Unique among animal species, humans use our vocal apparatuses primarily for two separate communicative purposes: to talk and to sing. The

question of what cross-cultural traits distinguish these distinct modes, and secondarily what pressures led humans to develop them in the first

place, ______ neuropsychologist Daniela Sammler’s 2024 study “Signatures of Speech and Song: ‘Universal’ Links despite Cultural Diversity.

”

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

Answer

A. animates

B. have animated

C. animate

D. animating

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "animates" agrees in number with the

singular subject "question."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "have animated" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "question." Choice C is incorrect

because the plural verb "animate" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "question." Choice D is incorrect because it results in an

ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle "animating" doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb.

Question ID: a30567fd

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Nuhād al-Ḥaddād, known as Fairuz, was one of the most beloved Lebanese singers of the twentieth century. Her broad singing repertoire—which

included traditional forms, such as the Arabic

qasida

and

maqam

, alongside modern pop and jazz styles—lent Fairuz a timeless, cross-

generational appeal, ______her the moniker “the soul of Lebanon.

”

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

Answer

A. earned

B. had earned

C. earning

D. earn

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The word "earning" is being used to introduce an additional modifying phrase, which describes how Fairuz’s

repertoire lent her cross-generational appeal. When a verb ends in -ing and doesn’t have a helper verb like "is" before it, it can be used to modify a

noun or verb. This is appropriate here.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from the rest of the

sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a finite form of the verb (like "earned") creates an error. We need another form of the

verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information. Choice B is incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to

introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a finite

form of the verb (like "had earned") creates an error. We need another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce

descriptive information. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off

from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a finite form of the verb (like "earn") creates an error. We need

another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information.

Question ID: 81ac953e

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

In 1899, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius developed an equation to answer a long-standing question: why do chemical reactions speed up at

higher temperatures? The Arrhenius equation, named for its creator, ______ an important concept in modern chemistry.

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

Answer

A. have remained

B. remain

C. remains

D. are remaining

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. This choice uses the singular verb "remains" to match the singular subject "equation."

Choice A is incorrect. The singular noun "equation" doesn’t match with the plural verb conjugation "have remained." Choice B is incorrect. The

singular noun "equation" doesn’t match with the plural verb conjugation "remain." Choice D is incorrect. The singular noun "equation" doesn’t

match with the plural verb conjugation "are remaining."

Question ID: 50801257

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical ______ the contributions of the barrier-breaking 18th-

century astronomer and author of “Dispute of the Procession of the Equinoxes,” naming a crater on Venus after her.

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

Answer

A. Union would finally acknowledge

B. Union to finally acknowledge

C. Union, having finally acknowledged

D. Union, finally acknowledging

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. It’s the only choice that offers a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “International

Astronomical Union” to make a complete sentence. This might seem like an odd use of “would,” but when speaking from a point of view in the

past, we can actually use “would” to express something that happened later. That’s the case here: 200 years after Wang Zhenyi’s death, the IAU

would finally acknowledge her contributions.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb

“

acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “To acknowledge” can’t do that.

Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb

“

acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “Having acknowledged” can’t do

that. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the

verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. The “-ing” form can’t do that.

Question ID: a14eef71

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the coefficient of friction (COF) between

two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless (and, as its name suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______

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

Answer

A. when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.

B. two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.

C. reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

D. superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a

modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is

“

superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first

word in the missing clause. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly

frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity

”

must be the first word in the missing clause. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the

modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,

so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.

Question ID: b85c19ed

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

The violins handmade in the seventeenth century by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari have been celebrated as some of the finest in the world.

In close collaboration with musicians, Stradivari introduced changes to the shape of a traditional violin, flattening some of the instrument’s

curves and making ______ lighter overall.

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

Answer

A. those

B. one

C. them

D. it

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 “violin” and thus indicates that the traditional violin (and not its curves) was made lighter.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “those” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “violin.” Choice B is incorrect

because the singular pronoun “one” is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear what Stradivari made lighter.Choice C is

incorrect because the plural pronoun “them” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “violin.

”

Question ID: dfbf5d33

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Hard

Question

In 1453, English King Henry VI became unfit to rule after falling gravely ill. As a result, Parliament appointed Richard, Third Duke of York, who had

a strong claim to the English throne, to rule as Lord Protector. Upon recovering two years later, ______ forcing an angered Richard from the royal

court and precipitating a series of battles later known as the Wars of the Roses.

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

Answer

A. Henry resumed his reign,

B. the reign of Henry resumed,

C. Henry’s reign resumed,

D. it was Henry who resumed his reign,



Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the introductory phrase “upon

recovering two years later” appears immediately before the noun it modifies (“Henry”), clearly establishing that Henry recovered two years later.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the reign of Henry” immediately after the

introductory phrase illogically suggests that the reign of Henry recovered two years later.Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling

modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “Henry’s reign” immediately after the introductory phrase illogically suggests that Henry’s reign

recovered two years later.Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “it” immediately

after the introductory phrase illogically suggests that “it” recovered two years later.

Question ID: ec08463d

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

Botanists recognize over fifty different species of sunflower. One species, the silverleaf sunflower, ______ both an early-flowering ecotype that

tends to grow in coastal areas and a late-flowering ecotype that grows inland.

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

Answer

A. having included

B. including

C. to include

D. includes

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be

conjugated. This choice gives us the singular present tense “includes,” which is the only conjugated form of the verb among the choices.



Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function

as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “Having included” is a participle form of the verb:

it’s not conjugated and doesn’t function like a normal verb.Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the

conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be

conjugated. “Including” is the gerund form of the verb: it’s not conjugated and doesn’t function like a normal verb.Choice C is incorrect. This

doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the

sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “To include” is the infinitive form of the verb: it’s not conjugated.



Question ID: 4a90a978

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

In 1990, California native and researcher Ellen Ochoa left her position as chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch at a NASA research

center ______ the space agency’s astronaut training program.

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

Answer

A. to join

B. is joining

C. joined

D. joins

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms in a sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive verb "to join"

is correctly used to form a subordinate clause that expresses why Ochoa left her position (to join the training program).

Choice B is incorrect because the finite verb "is joining" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the training program. A

conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "is joining" with the previous finite verb, "left." Choice C is incorrect because the finite

verb "joined" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the training program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to

coordinate "joined" with the previous finite verb, "left." Choice D is incorrect because the finite verb "joins" can’t be used in this way to indicate

Ochoa’s action of joining the training program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "joins" with the previous finite verb,

"left."

Question ID: 588887b9

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Easy

Question

In 1881, French chemist Camille Faure redesigned the rechargeable lead-acid battery. Faure’s design greatly increased the amount of electricity

that the original battery, which the French physicist Gaston Planté ______ fifteen years earlier, could hold.

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

Answer

A. is inventing

B. will invent

C. invents

D. had invented

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. Faure redesigned the battery in 1881, and the original battery was invented “fifteen years earlier.” Notice that this is

the only choice in the past tense. To indicate that a past occurrence took place before another past occurrence, we need to use “had” + the past

tense form of the verb. This is called the “past perfect” tense.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a tense error. Planté invented the original battery in the past, so we shouldn’t use the present tense “is

inventing.” Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a tense error. Planté invented the original battery in the past, so we shouldn’t use the future

tense “will invent.” Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a tense error. Planté invented the original battery in the past, so we shouldn’t use the

present tense “invents.

”

Question ID: e44db0a0

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Because a cycle of lunar phases ______ 29.5 days to complete, it’s possible to observe two full moons in a single month, one at the beginning and

one at the end.



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

Answer

A. are taking

B. have taken

C. take

D. takes

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "takes" agrees in number with the singular

subject "a cycle of lunar phases."

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are taking" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "a cycle of lunar phases." Choice B is

incorrect because the plural verb "have taken" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "a cycle of lunar phases." Choice C is incorrect

because the plural verb "take" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "a cycle of lunar phases."

Question ID: b8e13a74

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

Josephine Paddock and Florence Esté were among the 300 artists who exhibited at the 1913 Armory Show, a groundbreaking New York City art

exhibition that introduced modernism to American audiences. Though shocking at the time, an abstract cubist painting exhibited by Marcel

Duchamp—one of several works that received scorn from critics—______ the Western art canon more than a century later.

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

Answer

A. has entered



B. have entered

C. were entering

D. enter

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "has entered" agrees in number with the

singular subject "an abstract cubist painting."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "have entered" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "an abstract cubist painting."

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "were entering" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "an abstract cubist painting."

Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "enter" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "an abstract cubist painting."

Question ID: 67614549

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English

Conventions

Form, Structure, and

Sense

Medium

Question

After winning the 1860 presidential election, Abraham Lincoln appointed Edward Bates, Salmon P. Chase, and William H. Seward to his cabinet.

Lincoln’s decision was surprising, since each of these men had run against him, but historians have praised it, noting that Lincoln ______ his

rivals’ diverse talents to strengthen his administration.

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

Answer

A. has leveraged

B. is leveraging

C. will leverage

D. leveraged

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the verb is “Lincoln,” and the first sentence tells us that we’re talking about something that Abraham

Lincoln did in 1860. So the simple past tense “leveraged” fits the logic of the text.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Has leveraged” is the present perfect tense, which is used for an action that began in

the past and continues into the present. Lincoln started leveraging his rivals’ talents in 1860—it’s definitely not still happening today. So the

present perfect tense isn’t appropriate. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Is leveraging” is the present tense, but Lincoln

leveraged his rivals’ talents in 1860, so the present tense isn’t appropriate. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Will leverage

”

is the future tense, but Lincoln leveraged his rivals’ talents in 1860, so the future tense isn’t appropriate.