SAT READING AND WRITING PSAT 8&9 FFAS MA SA Boundaries (Medium)Question ID 7¢30c345 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Dee Cette} In 2000, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, herself an owner of a successful consulting firm, sought to increase Latina founded Las Comadres para las Americas, an international community that for over two decades has served as a resource and information network for Latina business professionals. representation in corporate Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. settings she B, settings, she C settings and she D. settings. She ID: 7¢30c345 Answer Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, It appropriately uses a period to mark the end of one independent clause ("In 2000. settings’) and the start of another (‘She founded..professionals"), Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both the clause before the blank ("In 2000. settings") and the clause after the blank ('she..professionals’) are independent clauses, so they need to be separated by punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with just a comma, Linking two independent clauses with a comma also requires the use of a coordinating conjunction (like for, and, nor, but, of, yet, ot so), Choice C is incorrect, This choice results in a run-on sentence, an error caused when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation or appropriate conjunctions, Since both the clause before the blank ("In 2000...settings") and the clause after the blank (she. professionals") are independent, a comma would be required in addition to the coordinating conjunction “and” Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 7e989974 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions ID: 7e989974 Robin Wall Kimmerer of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is a bryologist, a plant scientist who specializes in mosses. To Kimmerer, mosses are Earth's most adaptable plants: they can clone enter a dormant state in times of drought, and grow in areas that don’t have soil. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. themselves; B, themselves, C. themselves. And D. themselves ID: 7e989974 Answer Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a series, The comma after “themselves” is used conventionally to separate the first item ("they can clone themselves”) and the second item (‘enter a dormant state in times of drought’) in the series of things mosses can do. Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can't be used in this way to separate items in a simple series such as this. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “and enter” Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the first and second items in the series. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID f5f6b97d Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Emperor penguins don’t waddle out of the ocean. They launch themselves at such a high speed that they travel up to two meters before landing. How __A layer of microbubbles on their plumage reduces friction as the penguins speed to the surface. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. they are able to move so fast! B. are they able to move so fast. C. they are able to move so fast. D. are they able to move so fast? Dee Ger Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation, This choice correctly uses a question mark to punctuate the interrogative sentence “how are they able to move so fast?" The interrogative sentence asks a direct question, and the next sentence answers it. Choice A is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative sentence “how they are able to move so fast!” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next sentence’s explanation of how the penguins achieve such speeds, Choice B is incorrect because a period can't be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative sentence. Choice C is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative sentence “how they are able to move so fast” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn't set up the next sentence’s explanation of how the penguins achieve such speeds. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 4e5c1a5a Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao After the United Kingdom began rolling out taxes equivalent to a few cents on single-use plastic grocery bags in 2011, plastic-bag consumption decreased by up to ninety _ taxes are subject to what economists call the "rebound effect’ as the change became normalized, plastic-bag use started to creep back up. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A. percent, such B. percent and such C percent. Such D. percent such ID: 4e5claSa Answer Correct Answer: C Rationale Choice C is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences, In this choice, the period after “percent” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (‘After..percent”) and another (“Such..up’), Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can't be used in this way to join sentences, Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence, The sentences (“After. percent” and “Such...up’) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction, Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 87b8696b Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions ID: 87b8696b In her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, author Maxine Hong Kingston examines themes childhood, womanhood, and Chinese American identity by intertwining autobiography and mythology. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Avot 8. of of D. of, PAE ed Ud Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, “Themes of childhood” is one noun phrase, with "themes of” implicitly carrying over to the other items on the list ("themes of childhood, [themes of] womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity’) Choice A is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book..themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of" at the end, so it can't precede a colon. Choice C is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, "In her book..themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the dangling "of" at the end, so it can't precede a single dash, Choice D is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list, "Themes of” implicitly carries over to each item on the list ("themes of childhood, [themes of] womanhood, and {themes of] Chinese American identity’), so we don’t want to use a comma to separate it. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 96beb3e2 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions Dee TS EL yd A standard Argo float, a type of autonomous robot, measures temperature and salinity in the upper regions of ice-free oceans. More advanced floats can measure a wider range of __and monitor seasonal ice zones. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. variables: travel to greater depths B. variables, travel to greater depths, C. variables travel to greater depths, D. variables, travel to greater depths; PDA Ee Gg Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a series, The comma after "variables" is used conventionally to separate the first and second items in the series, and the comma after “depths” is used conventionally to separate the second and third items. Choice A is incorrect because a colon can't be used in this way to separate items in a simple series. Choice Cis, incorrect because a comma is needed after “variables” to separate the first and second items in the series. Choice Dis incorrect because a semicolon can't be used in this way to separate items in a simple series. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 7eff0d8b Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao DCL Polyphenols are organic compounds _ among their many roles, provide pigment that helps protect plants against ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A.that— 8. that; C. that, D. that: Da CEE eGo Correct Answer: C Rationale Choice C is the best answer, The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “that” pairs with the comma after “roles” to separate the supplementary element “among their many roles” from the rest of the sentence, This supplementary element functions to clarify that polyphenols have many roles, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence. Choice A is incorrect because a dash can't be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence, Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence, Choice D is incorrect because a colon can't be paired with a. comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID c789ca4e Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao ID: c789ca4e The Alvarez theory, developed in 1980 by physicist Luis Walter Alvarez and his geologist son Walter Alvarez, maintained that the secondary effects of an asteroid impact caused many dinosaurs and other animals to die it left unexplored the question of whether unrelated volcanic activity might have also contributed to the mass extinctions. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Aout but 8. out, but Cout D. out, Dee eV oe org Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (‘the Alvarez...out’) and the second main clause (‘it left...extinctions’. Choice A is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it's conventional to use a. comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction, Choice D is incorrect because it results in comma splice, Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID f2af7072 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Dred While one requires oxygen and one does ___ and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular respiration—that is, they are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. not aerobic B. not. Aerobic C. not, aerobic D. not; aerobic ID: f2af7072 Answer Correct Answer: C Rationale Choice € is the best answer, A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause "While,,not” and the independent clause that follows, Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. “While...not” is a dependent clause, which must be separated from the independent clause that follows with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. "While one requires oxygen and one does not" isn’t an independent clause, so it can't stand alone as a complete sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. "While one requires oxygen and one does not isn't an independent clause, so it can't be linked to the clause that follows with a semicolon, Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID ec600740 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions Dee) The fine, powdery substance that covers the Moon's surface is called regolith. Because regolith is both readily available and high in oxygen _ scientists have wondered whether it could be used as a potential source of oxygen for future lunar settlements. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A content and B. content, C.content D. content, and DCU Gord Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (Because...content’) and the main clause (‘scientists...settlements’). Choice A is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (‘Because..content’) and the clause that follows (‘scientists...settlements") with the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main clause. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause and the main clause with appropriate punctuation, Choice D is incorrect, Joining the subordinate clause ("Because.. content”) and the clause that follows (‘scientists...settlements”) with a comma and the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main clause. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 566fac8d Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Winding through the ice atop Norway's Jotunheim Mountains is the Lendbreen pass, an ancient route that was used by hunters, farmers, traders, and travelers in the Middle Ages before eventually falling into disuse, Recently, archeologists have ___ knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts from the icy pass. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A. unearthed: B. unearthed, C.unearthed— D. unearthed DR Gers Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, No punctuation should separate the verb "unearthed" and its objects (ie, what was "unearthed’): "knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts.” Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb “unearthed' from its objects (ce, what was “unearthed’) with a colon. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (ie, what was "unearthed") with a comma, Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (ie, what was “unearthed’) with a dash, Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 59f8e37f Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao DAE In her two major series "Memory Test" and “Autobiography,” painter Howardena Pindell explored themes healing, self-discovery, and memory by cutting and sewing back together pieces of canvas and inserting personal artifacts, such as postcards, into some of the paintings. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Aof B.of, of D. of ID: 59f8e37F Answer Correct Answer: A Rationale Choice A is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a preposition and its complement. No punctuation is needed between the preposition “of” and its complement, the noun phrase “healing, self-discovery, and memory.” Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement, Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 35541d09 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions ID: 35541409 Typically, underlines, scribbles, and notes left in the margins by a former owner lower a book's _ when the former owner is a famous poet like Walt Whitman, such markings, known as marginalia, can be a gold mine to literary scholars. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A.value, but 8. value value, D. value but IDREEE Cee Ung Correct Answer: A Rationale Choice A is the best answer, The convention being tested is the coordination of independent clauses within a sentence. An independent clause is a phrase containing a subject and a verb that can stand on its own as a sentence. This choice uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction "but" to join the first independent clause (‘underlines..lower a book's value”) and the second independent clause (‘such markings..can be a gold mine to scholars’) to create a compound sentence, Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction, Choice G is incorrect because it results in a comma splice, A comma can't be used in this way to mark the boundary between two independent clauses, Choice D is incorrect because a comma is needed to mark the boundary between two coordinated independent clauses. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID {281f151 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao ID: £281f151 Human-made (synthetic) fibers used in clothes and many other consumer products are more durable than most natural plant ___ the manufacture of synthetic fibers requires toxic chemical solvents that can pollute air and water. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. fibers, 8. fibers but C fibers D. fibers, but ID: £281f151 Answer Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (‘Human-made..fibers’) and the second main clause ("the manufacture..water’), Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it's conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice Cis incorrect because it results ina run-on sentence, The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 2e070d96 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat 19 and Writing | Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Both Sona Charaipotra, an Indian American, and Dhonielle Clayton, an African American, grew up frustrated by the lack of diverse characters in books for young people. In 2011, these two writers joined forces to found CAKE Literary, a book packaging ___ specializes in the creation and promotion of stories told from diverse perspectives for children and young adults, Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A.company, 8. company that C. company D. company, that ID: 2e070d96 Answer Correct Answer: Rationale Choice B is the best answer, The convention being tested is the use and punctuation of an integrated relative clause. This choice correctly uses the relative pronoun “that” and no punctuation to create an integrated relative clause that provides essential information about the noun phrase (“a book packaging company’) that it modifies. Choice A is incorrect because it doesn't use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies ("a book packaging company’), Choice C is incorrect because it doesn't use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies (‘a book packaging company"). Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the integrated relative clause beginning with “that specializes” and the noun phrase that it modifies (‘a book packaging company’). Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID a6afde86 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao ID: aGafde86 Before the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, transporting goods by wagon between New York City and the Midwest took Up to forty-five days and cost one hundred dollars per ton. By linking the Hudson River to Lake __canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A Erie; the 8B. Erie (the C. Erie, the D. Erie: the DRE Cog Correct Answer: C Rationale Choice C is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the introductory supplementary phrase ("By linking the Hudson River to Lake Erie”), which identifies how the canal reduced transport time, and the main clause (‘the canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton’. Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can't be used in this way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase (‘By..Erie’) and the main clause (‘the canal,, ton"), Choice B is incorrect because an open parenthesis can't be used in this way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase ("By..Erie’) and the main clause (‘the canal...ton’), Choice D is incorrect because a colon can't be used in this way to mark the boundary between an introductory supplementary phrase ("By..Erie’) and the main clause (‘the canal.,.ton" Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 5a4e7f5f Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao In 1959, the film industry debuted Smell-O-Vision, Theaters were fitted with specialized vents that emitted odors at specific points in a___as the scent of roses when roses appeared in a scene. Smell-O-Vision failed to impress, however, with one reviewer declaring it "briefly weird and not very interesting.” Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A. movie such B. movie; such C. movie. Such D. movie, such ID: 5a4e7f5f Answer Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, The comma appropriately separates the nonessential descriptive aside "such as. scene” from the independent clause "Theaters were..movie.’ Since the descriptive example of roses isn't necessary for the sentence to function, it needs to be set off with punctuation. Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. Since the example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to function, the descriptive aside "such as..scene” needs to be separated from the preceding independent clause with some sort of punctuation, Choice Bis incorrect, This choice creates a punctuation error. A semicolon can only be used to separate two independent clauses, but "such..scene” is not an independent clause and couldn't stand on its own as a sentence. Choice Cis incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. The descriptive aside "Such..scene" is not an independent clause and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID ce694afe Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao DRE Psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial sweetener _ After conducting consumer taste tests, he found that no such ideal existed: participants expressed a wide range of preferences for different blends of sweetener, carbonization, and flavoring. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A. do most people prefer in a diet drink? 8, do most people prefer ina diet drink. C. most people prefer in a diet drink? D, most people prefer in a diet drink. DRE Unt Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, This sentence is a statement: "Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial sweetener most people prefer in a diet drink.” So a period is the most appropriate punctuation mark. Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This sentence is not a question—it's a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation. Choice Bis incorrect, This doesn't complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English, We already have the verbs "was hired..to determine" in this sentence, The verb “do” is not needed and results in a confusing, ungrammatical sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn't complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This sentence is not a question~it's a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 5d2fa0fc Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao DAC Hrcs At eight paragraphs long, the preamble to the constitution of ___ country in Western Asia—is much longer than the one-paragraph preamble to the United States Constitution, Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. Bahrain—a 8. Bahrain, a . Bahrain a D. Bahrain: a ID: Sd2fa0fc Answer Correct Answer: A Rationale Choice A is the best answer, The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The dash after "Bahrain" pairs with the dash after “Asia” to separate the supplementary element "a country in Western Asia” from the rest of the sentence, Choice B is incorrect because a comma can't be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a colon can't be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 7331561 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao ID: 7331561 The life spans of rockfish vary greatly by species. For instance, the colorful calico rockfish (Sebastes dalli) can survive for a little over a___ the rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) boasts a maximum life span of about two centuries. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. decade: while 8, decade, While C. decade; while D. decade, while ID: 7331561 Answer Correct Answer: D Rationale Choice D is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a subordinate clause, This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause ("the colorful...decade") and the subordinate clause (‘while...centuries") that provides contrasting information about the life span of rougheye rockfish. Choice A is incorrect because a colon can't be used in this way to join amain clause and a subordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “while” Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause, Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 0178c7ea Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions DAE Tar) Award-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe was known for his innovative filming techniques. While filming a boxing match for the movie Body and Soul__ Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates. This allowed the operator to move smoothly around actors in a boxing ring, creating an immersive experience for viewers. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A, (1947), and 8. (1947), (1947) and D. (1947) DRE Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary element and amain clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (While...1947°), which indicates when the action occurred, and the main clause ("Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates") Choice A is incorrect because a comma paired with the conjunction “and” can't be used in this way to mark the boundary between the supplementary element (‘While..1947") and the main clause ("Howe..skates”). Choice Cis incorrect because the conjunction “and” can't be used in this way to join the supplementary element ("While. 1947") and the main clause (‘Howe..skates”). Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary element and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID {0124561 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reac ‘Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao bret Pr Lay A subseasonal weather forecast attempts to predict weather conditions three to four weeks in __ its predictions are therefore more short-term than those of the seasonal forecast, which attempts to predict the weather more than a month in advance. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A.advance, B. advance advance; D. advance and DOUPe CUS Correct Answer: C Rationale Choice C is the best answer, The clause "A subseasonal..advance” and the clause “its predictions..forecast” are both independent clauses, so using a semicolon to separate them is grammatically correct, Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal..advance" and the clause “its predictions. forecast" are both independent clauses, so a comma is not enough to separate them. Choice B is incorrect, This choice creates a run-on sentence error, The clause "A subseasonal..advance” and the clause ‘its predictions..forecast” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with specific punctuation (a period, a semi-colon, a colon, a dash, or a comma + a coordinating conjunction). Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause "A subseasonal..advance" and the clause “its predictions..forecast” are both independent clauses, so the word “and” by itself is not enough to separate them. There would need to be a comma before “and” for this choice to work. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 5bflebee Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reat Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Da While many video game creators strive to make their graphics ever more others look to the past, developing titles with visuals inspired by the Ty -bit” games of the 1980s and 1990s. (The term "B-bit” refers to a console whose processor could only handle eight bits of data at once.) Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. lifelike but B lifelike C lifelike, D. lifelike, but Dae oe Unig Correct Answer: C Rationale Choice C is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause ("While. lifelike”) and the main clause (“others look to the past’). Choice A is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause ("While..lifelike") and the main clause (‘others...past’). Choice D is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 111c3cbf Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Generations of mystery and horror _ have been influenced by the dark, gothic stories of celebrated American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A.writers B. writers, . writers— D. writers; ID: 111¢3cbf Answer Correct Answer: A Rationale Choice A is the best answer, The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as. in this case, a subject (‘Generations of mystery and horror writers’) is immediately followed by a verb (“have been influenced’), no punctuation is needed, Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID 312bfabb Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Standard English Boundaries mao Conventions ID: 312bfabb When particles are suspended in liquid (like pollen in a water glass), they will zigzag randomly through the liquid and collide with one another in perpetuity. This type of random, continuous __is known as Brownian motion, can be observed throughout the natural world. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ‘A. movement: which B, movement, which C. movement which D. movement. Which ID: 312bfabb Answer Correct Answer: B Rationale Choice B is the best answer, This choice correctly uses commas to set off the nonessential relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion’ that provides extra information about the "random, continuous movement” that isn’t necessary for the function of the sentence, Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause “which is known as Brownian motion” is a nonessential supplement. Nonessential supplements need to be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas, dashes, or parentheses, so we can't use a colon here, Also, notice that colons can only come after an independent clause, which isn't the case here, Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, The relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" is a nonessential supplement, so it should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma after “motion,” so we need to add a comma before "which." This choice is missing that comma Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment, "This type of random, continuous movement" is, not an independent clause and can't stand alone as a full sentence, so we can't put a period here. Question Difficulty: MediumQuestion ID f60f2482 Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty PSAT 8/9 Rea Standard English Boundaries Conventions mao Deze rd In 1959, marine biologist Dr. Albert Jones founded the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a scuba diving that is the oldest club for Black divers in the United States and that has helped thousands of diving enthusiasts become certified in the field. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A.club B. club, C.club— D. club, and DE UPLora Ung Correct Answer: A Rationale Choice A is the best answer, “That is..field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use punctuation to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “That is..field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a comma (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from “scuba diving club." . Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, "That is..field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a dash (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from "scuba diving club.” , Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence, It makes "that is..United States” into an awkward independent clause, but it also makes “that has..field” into its own awkward independent clause without the correct punctuation separating it Question Difficulty: Medium