SAT Improving Sentence Errors III

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| By Vaibhav Agarwal
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Vaibhav Agarwal
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Quizzes Created: 58 | Total Attempts: 624,400
| Attempts: 12,822 | Questions: 21
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1. David couldn't never believe that his grandmother lived to be one hundred years old.

Explanation

The word "never" is unnecessary in the sentence because "couldn't" already implies a negative meaning. Therefore, using "never" creates a double negative, which is grammatically incorrect. The correct sentence should be "David couldn't believe that his grandmother lived to be one hundred years old."

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About This Quiz
SAT Improving Sentence Errors III - Quiz

This is the third SAT Improving sentence Errors quiz that will test you on your ability to improve sentences. It is modelled after the actual questions on the... see moreSAT Writing section. Read the questions carefully and answer. So, let's try out the quiz. All the best!
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2. Many people believes that the body of knowledge in science is growing at an increasing rate.

Explanation

The given sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error. The verb "believes" should be changed to "believe" to match the plural subject "Many people." Therefore, the correct answer is "believe."

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3. A poorly performance is typical of students who take tests under pressure.

Explanation

The word "poorly" is the correct answer because it correctly modifies the verb "performance," indicating that the performance is of low quality or not satisfactory. It effectively describes the performance of students who take tests under pressure.

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4. Years ago, there were much films on Biblical themes; now, the subject is almost taboo.

Explanation

In this sentence, the word "much" is used incorrectly. The correct word to use in this context is "many" because it refers to countable nouns like "films." "Much" is used for uncountable nouns. Therefore, the correct answer is to replace "much" with "many."

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5. The celebrity Oprah Winfrey is possible the foremost advocate of adult fiction these days.

Explanation

The sentence is stating that Oprah Winfrey is one of the biggest supporters or promoters of adult fiction currently. The word "possible" is used to indicate that she is likely or perhaps the most prominent advocate of adult fiction. Therefore, the word "possible" is correctly used in this context.

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6. Three restless five-year olds were throwing paperclips, were drawing on the blackboard, and shouted out.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct. It describes the actions of three restless five-year-olds who were throwing paperclips, drawing on the blackboard, and shouting out. The phrase "and shouted out" is appropriately used to indicate an additional action performed by the children.

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7. I pity a man whom would sacrifice his honor for security.

Explanation

The correct answer is "whom." In this sentence, "whom" is used as the object of the verb "pity." It refers to the man who would sacrifice his honor for security. "Whom" is the correct pronoun to use here because it is the object of the verb and follows a preposition ("pity").

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8. Between John and David, he is stronger.

Explanation

The pronoun "he" is used correctly in this sentence. It refers back to one of the two people mentioned earlier, John or David, and indicates that the person being referred to is stronger.

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9. The ancient concept of an earth-centered universe was challenged by Copernicus in the sixteenth century.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors. It states that the ancient concept of an earth-centered universe was challenged by Copernicus in the sixteenth century. This implies that before Copernicus, the prevailing belief was that the Earth was at the center of the universe, but Copernicus challenged this idea.

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10. Tragically, the starter was benched in his first season after a number of setbacks and injuries.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors. The word "tragically" is used to emphasize the unfortunate situation of the starter being benched. The verb "was" is in the correct past tense form to match the subject "starter". The word "benched" is the correct past participle form of the verb "bench" to indicate that the starter was removed from the game. The phrase "number of" is used correctly to indicate that there were multiple setbacks and injuries. Therefore, the sentence is error-free.

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11. Public radio, which is managed by many top media officials, are funded primarily by private donations.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is "Public radio," which is singular. Therefore, the verb "are" should be changed to "is" to agree with the subject. The correct sentence would be "Public radio, which is managed by many top media officials, is funded primarily by private donations."

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12. The Cuban Missile Crisis was averted when Kenendy struck a secret deal with the Soviets.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors. It states that the Cuban Missile Crisis was averted, and this was achieved when Kennedy struck a secret deal with the Soviets. The sentence is clear and coherent, providing a logical explanation for how the crisis was avoided.

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13. All the hurricane victims except for Mr. Mills and me have decided to accept the settlement proposed by the insurance company.

Explanation

The correct answer is "me" because it is the correct pronoun to use after the preposition "except." In this sentence, "except" is used to indicate that everyone, except for Mr. Mills and the speaker (me), has decided to accept the settlement. Therefore, the pronoun "me" is needed to indicate that the speaker is also not accepting the settlement.

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14. The President balked at the new constitution for it limited its powers as military leader.

Explanation

The pronoun "its" is the correct answer because it refers to the possessive form of "the President's." In this context, "its" is used to indicate that the new constitution limited the powers of the President as a military leader.

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15. Corruption is a serious problem for many governments in the world and it is not such a large problem for the US.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct. It states that corruption is a serious problem for many governments in the world, but it is not such a large problem for the US. The word "and" is used correctly to connect the two contrasting statements.

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16. Which sentence is written correctly?

Explanation

This sentence correctly uses the word "than" to make a comparison between the size of two dogs. It also uses the correct possessive pronoun "their" to indicate ownership. The other options either use the incorrect word "then" or the contraction "they're" (they are), which does not fit the context.

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17. Some people believe that among rap, country, and popular music, rap is better.

Explanation

This question is testing the understanding of comparative adjectives. The correct answer is "better" because it is the comparative form of the adjective "good". The sentence is comparing rap, country, and popular music, and stating that rap is superior or of higher quality compared to the other two genres.

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18. At least four people, including me, have decided to drop the class because of the racist teacher.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors. It effectively conveys the message that at least four people, including the speaker, have made the decision to drop the class due to the teacher's racism.

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19. Can you please explain to me to whom this package is addressed?

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors.

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20. The actors were worried when the curtain would not raise at the beginning of the production.

Explanation

The word "raise" is the correct answer because it is the correct verb form to use in this sentence. The sentence is in the past tense, so the past tense form of the verb "raise" should be used, which is "raised." The sentence is also in the passive voice, so the verb should be in the past participle form, which is also "raised." Therefore, "raise" is the correct choice.

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21. I can hardly fathom how large the universe really is; actually, I can't believe it's still getting bigger.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors. The phrase "can hardly" is used correctly to indicate that the speaker finds it difficult to comprehend the vastness of the universe. The adverb "really" is appropriately placed to emphasize the magnitude of the universe. The word "actually" is used to contrast the speaker's disbelief with their initial statement. The word "bigger" is used correctly to convey the idea that the universe is continuously expanding.

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  • Feb 07, 2007
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David couldn't never believe that his grandmother lived to be one...
Many people believes that the body of knowledge in science is growing...
A poorly performance is typical of students who take tests under...
Years ago, there were much films on Biblical themes; now, the subject...
The celebrity Oprah Winfrey is possible the foremost advocate of adult...
Three restless five-year olds were throwing paperclips, were drawing...
I pity a man whom would sacrifice his honor for security.
Between John and David, he is stronger.
The ancient concept of an earth-centered universe was challenged by...
Tragically, the starter was benched in his first season after a number...
Public radio, which is managed by many top media officials, are funded...
The Cuban Missile Crisis was averted when Kenendy struck a secret deal...
All the hurricane victims except for Mr. Mills and me have decided to...
The President balked at the new constitution for it limited its powers...
Corruption is a serious problem for many governments in the world and...
Which sentence is written correctly?
Some people believe that among rap, country, and popular music, rap is...
At least four people, including me, have decided to drop the class...
Can you please explain to me to whom this package is addressed?
The actors were worried when the curtain would not raise at the...
I can hardly fathom how large the universe really is; actually, I...
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