Identifying Sentence Errors - PSAT Writing
Card 1 of 2748
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Defying all expectations, the space shuttle reentered the atmosphere at 3:57, that was three whole minutes ahead of schedule. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Defying all expectations, the space shuttle reentered the atmosphere at 3:57, that was three whole minutes ahead of schedule. No error
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This sentence has a clunky dependent clause tacked on the end. We can make it sound better by taking out some words and making it an appositive phrase: "Defying all expectations, the space shuttle reentered the atmosphere at 3:57, three whole minutes ahead of schedule." Or, alternatively, one could also change "that was" to "which was," but one introduce a phrase that provides additional information about a subject and follows a comma with "that"; one should use "which" instead in this instance.
This sentence has a clunky dependent clause tacked on the end. We can make it sound better by taking out some words and making it an appositive phrase: "Defying all expectations, the space shuttle reentered the atmosphere at 3:57, three whole minutes ahead of schedule." Or, alternatively, one could also change "that was" to "which was," but one introduce a phrase that provides additional information about a subject and follows a comma with "that"; one should use "which" instead in this instance.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although the popular image of a Viking is a large man with horns on his helmet, and there is no evidence that Vikings actually wore horns. No error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although the popular image of a Viking is a large man with horns on his helmet, and there is no evidence that Vikings actually wore horns. No error.
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This sentence is not coordinated correctly. When the first phrase starts with “although,” the main phrase should start after the comma without using another conjunction in between the comma and the main phrase. The corrected sentence reads, "Although the popular image of a Viking is a large man with horns on his helmet, there is no evidence that Vikings actually wore horns."
This sentence is not coordinated correctly. When the first phrase starts with “although,” the main phrase should start after the comma without using another conjunction in between the comma and the main phrase. The corrected sentence reads, "Although the popular image of a Viking is a large man with horns on his helmet, there is no evidence that Vikings actually wore horns."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Returning from a deep and troublesome existential crisis, Bob decided that his sole purpose in life was to perfect the process which was making oven-baked macaroni and cheese. No error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Returning from a deep and troublesome existential crisis, Bob decided that his sole purpose in life was to perfect the process which was making oven-baked macaroni and cheese. No error.
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The relative pronoun “which” in this sentence is not used correctly. It should add extra information about a noun, and it should follow a comma. There is a better, shorter way of phrasing this sentence: "Returning from a deep and troublesome existential crisis, Bob decided that his sole purpose in life was to perfect the process of making oven-baked macaroni and cheese."
The relative pronoun “which” in this sentence is not used correctly. It should add extra information about a noun, and it should follow a comma. There is a better, shorter way of phrasing this sentence: "Returning from a deep and troublesome existential crisis, Bob decided that his sole purpose in life was to perfect the process of making oven-baked macaroni and cheese."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Traveling during the holidays can be expensive, and it is worth it to celebrate with your family. No error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Traveling during the holidays can be expensive, and it is worth it to celebrate with your family. No error.
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The conjunction used in this sentence (“and”) does not match the logic of the sentence's content. The two parts oppose each other, so “but” is more appropriate. The corrected sentence reads, "Traveling during the holidays can be expensive, but it is worth it to celebrate with your family."
The conjunction used in this sentence (“and”) does not match the logic of the sentence's content. The two parts oppose each other, so “but” is more appropriate. The corrected sentence reads, "Traveling during the holidays can be expensive, but it is worth it to celebrate with your family."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Before she traveled to Peru, she decided to start learning Quechua, that is one of the most popular local languages. No error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Before she traveled to Peru, she decided to start learning Quechua, that is one of the most popular local languages. No error.
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This sentence uses “that” to introduce a non-restrictive clause (added information rather than details central to the meaning of the sentence). It would be correct to use “which” instead: "Before she traveled to Peru, she decided to start learning Quechua, which is one of the most popular local languages."
This sentence uses “that” to introduce a non-restrictive clause (added information rather than details central to the meaning of the sentence). It would be correct to use “which” instead: "Before she traveled to Peru, she decided to start learning Quechua, which is one of the most popular local languages."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The weather should be beautiful on Friday, but Barbara has made plans to go hiking. No error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The weather should be beautiful on Friday, but Barbara has made plans to go hiking. No error.
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The conjunction that this sentence uses does not make logical sense. The first half is the reasoning for the second half, so the conjunction “so” would be more appropriate. The corrected sentence reads, "The weather should be beautiful on Friday, so Barbara has made plans to go hiking."
The conjunction that this sentence uses does not make logical sense. The first half is the reasoning for the second half, so the conjunction “so” would be more appropriate. The corrected sentence reads, "The weather should be beautiful on Friday, so Barbara has made plans to go hiking."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Some experts have proposed that one’s physical health may have more to do with genetics then diet, exercise habits, or lifestyle choices. No error.
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Some experts have proposed that one’s physical health may have more to do with genetics then diet, exercise habits, or lifestyle choices. No error.
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“Then” is used to describe a sequence of events (e.g. "First I went home, and then I went to the store"). “Than” is used for making comparisons (e.g. "I have more books than Julie").
“Then” is used to describe a sequence of events (e.g. "First I went home, and then I went to the store"). “Than” is used for making comparisons (e.g. "I have more books than Julie").
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although so many people were already lined up at the ticket booth when we arrived, Louise and I missed the start of the movie we had come to see. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Although so many people were already lined up at the ticket booth when we arrived, Louise and I missed the start of the movie we had come to see. No error
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This sentence contains a logical error. The long line was the cause of missing the start of the movie, so the use of a contrasting conjunction like "although" here is wrong. Replacing it with "Because" or "Since" would be a simple correction.
This sentence contains a logical error. The long line was the cause of missing the start of the movie, so the use of a contrasting conjunction like "although" here is wrong. Replacing it with "Because" or "Since" would be a simple correction.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Abigail’s favorite pastime was hiking; and she often hiked with friends in the mountains near her house. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Abigail’s favorite pastime was hiking; and she often hiked with friends in the mountains near her house. No error
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The option with an error is “hiking; and she.” Semicolons can be used to separate two phrases that could each stand as their own sentence but are related to each other in topic. The problem with “hiking; and she” is that the semicolon is being used to separate two ideas that are related, but the material that follows the semicolon is a fragment and cannot stand as a sentence on its own. This problem could easily be corrected by removing the “and” so the entire passage reads, “Abigail’s favorite pastime was hiking; she often hiked with friends in the mountains near her house.”
The option with an error is “hiking; and she.” Semicolons can be used to separate two phrases that could each stand as their own sentence but are related to each other in topic. The problem with “hiking; and she” is that the semicolon is being used to separate two ideas that are related, but the material that follows the semicolon is a fragment and cannot stand as a sentence on its own. This problem could easily be corrected by removing the “and” so the entire passage reads, “Abigail’s favorite pastime was hiking; she often hiked with friends in the mountains near her house.”
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
One of the first abstract impressionists, Jackson Pollock was concerned with neither the praise of his supporters nor the criticism of his detractors. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
One of the first abstract impressionists, Jackson Pollock was concerned with neither the praise of his supporters nor the criticism of his detractors. No error
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This sentence contains no errors. The modifying phrase at the beginning of the sentence, "One of the first abstract impressionists," correctly modifies the subject right after it, "Jackson Pollock." The answer choice "concerned with" is correctly phrased. The answer choice "nor" is fine; it goes with the "neither" to form a correct "neither . . . nor" construction. Finally, the answer choice "criticism of his detractors" is fine because it preserves the parallel structure introduced earlier in the sentence by the phrase "praise of his supporters."
This sentence contains no errors. The modifying phrase at the beginning of the sentence, "One of the first abstract impressionists," correctly modifies the subject right after it, "Jackson Pollock." The answer choice "concerned with" is correctly phrased. The answer choice "nor" is fine; it goes with the "neither" to form a correct "neither . . . nor" construction. Finally, the answer choice "criticism of his detractors" is fine because it preserves the parallel structure introduced earlier in the sentence by the phrase "praise of his supporters."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Charlie preferred tackling new and exciting challenges to repeating the same boring procedures. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Charlie preferred tackling new and exciting challenges to repeating the same boring procedures. No error
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The sentence is correct as written! "Preferred" is in the correct tense, "new and exciting" are adjectives modifying a noun, "to" is the correct word to make a comparison, and "the same boring procedures" is an appropriate noun phrase.
The sentence is correct as written! "Preferred" is in the correct tense, "new and exciting" are adjectives modifying a noun, "to" is the correct word to make a comparison, and "the same boring procedures" is an appropriate noun phrase.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Joan always wanted to be a famous surgeon when she grew up, but my ambition was to be alandscape architect. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Joan always wanted to be a famous surgeon when she grew up, but my ambition was to be alandscape architect. No error
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This sentence is correct as written! "Famous" is an adjective describing a noun, "she" is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent, "but" is the appropriate conjunction, and "was to be a" is a correct combination of verbs and an indefinite article.
This sentence is correct as written! "Famous" is an adjective describing a noun, "she" is a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent, "but" is the appropriate conjunction, and "was to be a" is a correct combination of verbs and an indefinite article.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Because ofa severedrought in the western halfof the country, produce prices skyrocketed. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Because ofa severedrought in the western halfof the country, produce prices skyrocketed. No error
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This sentence is correct as written! It's okay to start a sentence with "because" if you have a main clause after, "severe" is an adjective modifying a noun, "western half" is formatted correctly (no capitalization!), and "skyrocketed" is a verb in the correct tense.
This sentence is correct as written! It's okay to start a sentence with "because" if you have a main clause after, "severe" is an adjective modifying a noun, "western half" is formatted correctly (no capitalization!), and "skyrocketed" is a verb in the correct tense.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Never oneto turn down a challenge, Pablo decided that he was going to revolutionize the classic canvas tote bag. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Never oneto turn down a challenge, Pablo decided that he was going to revolutionize the classic canvas tote bag. No error
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This sentence is correct as written! "One" is the appropriate pronoun, "turn down" is a verb in the correct tense, "that" is the correct relative pronoun, and "was going to revolutionize" is a correctly formed verb phrase.
This sentence is correct as written! "One" is the appropriate pronoun, "turn down" is a verb in the correct tense, "that" is the correct relative pronoun, and "was going to revolutionize" is a correctly formed verb phrase.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Susan, a fabulous salsa dancer, isalso a brilliantdata analyst. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Susan, a fabulous salsa dancer, isalso a brilliantdata analyst. No error
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This sentence contains no grammatical errors and needs to stylistic adjustments made to it.
This sentence contains no grammatical errors and needs to stylistic adjustments made to it.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Spinningaround to face the intruder, Jack stifled a cry of recognition. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Spinningaround to face the intruder, Jack stifled a cry of recognition. No error
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This sentence is correct as written! "Spinning", "to face," and "stifled" are all the correct forms of the verbs, and "a cry of recognition" is a well-formed noun phrase.
This sentence is correct as written! "Spinning", "to face," and "stifled" are all the correct forms of the verbs, and "a cry of recognition" is a well-formed noun phrase.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Unfortunately, the organization suffered from poorgovernance at the national level. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Unfortunately, the organization suffered from poorgovernance at the national level. No error
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This sentence is correct as written. "Unfortunately" is an adverb modifying the sentence as a whole, "suffered from" uses the correct tense and preposition, "poor" is an adjective modifying a noun, and "the national level" is a correctly formed noun phrase.
This sentence is correct as written. "Unfortunately" is an adverb modifying the sentence as a whole, "suffered from" uses the correct tense and preposition, "poor" is an adjective modifying a noun, and "the national level" is a correctly formed noun phrase.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The Black Death, which struck Europe around 1350 CE, was introduced through the Port of Venice and killed between one third and one half the population of Europe. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The Black Death, which struck Europe around 1350 CE, was introduced through the Port of Venice and killed between one third and one half the population of Europe. No error
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There is no error in this sentence.
There is no error in this sentence.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Increasing discretionary income, a result of the Industrial Revolution, fostered the creation of a unique working-class identity in Victorian Britain. No error
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Increasing discretionary income, a result of the Industrial Revolution, fostered the creation of a unique working-class identity in Victorian Britain. No error
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There are no grammatical errors in this sentence. The interrupting phrase "a result of the Industrial Revolution" is correctly set-off from the the sentence with commas. "A unique working class identity" is correctly treated as singular, since this "identity", while applied to a whole class of people, is itself a singular, unified idea.
There are no grammatical errors in this sentence. The interrupting phrase "a result of the Industrial Revolution" is correctly set-off from the the sentence with commas. "A unique working class identity" is correctly treated as singular, since this "identity", while applied to a whole class of people, is itself a singular, unified idea.
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The United States has been a country of immigrants since its foundation. This is still true today. The United States allows more people to immigrate to it then any other country. This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages. As most public schools in the United States provide a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not they should teach their children their heritage language.
There are many myths surrounding the idea of bilingual education that prevent its widespread implementation in public schools. However, bilingual education has actually been shown to produce higher achievements in both languages. As well as enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills. Because some public school systems have successfully implemented bilingual education, there are still enormous difficulties in terms of resources and support from the U.S. Board of Education.
Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
The United States has been a country of immigrants since its foundation. This is still true today. The United States allows more people to immigrate to it then any other country. This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages. As most public schools in the United States provide a monolingual education, immigrant parents are often unsure of whether or not they should teach their children their heritage language.
There are many myths surrounding the idea of bilingual education that prevent its widespread implementation in public schools. However, bilingual education has actually been shown to produce higher achievements in both languages. As well as enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills. Because some public school systems have successfully implemented bilingual education, there are still enormous difficulties in terms of resources and support from the U.S. Board of Education.
Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
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The sentence which contains an error is "This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages." The verb used should be "has" rather than "have" because the subject of the sentence is the singular "stream."
The sentence which contains an error is "This stream of immigration have resulted in an extremely diverse population with many different cultures and languages." The verb used should be "has" rather than "have" because the subject of the sentence is the singular "stream."
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