Question ID accc2b85

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: accc2b85
Consider the mechanics of the pinhole camera: light passes through a small hole, resulting in a focused
projected image. A ray diagram reveals how this ______ the hole’s small size restricts light to a single ray, all
light passing through the hole can only arrive at a single destination, eliminating diffraction and ensuring a
clear image.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. works because

B. works. Because

C. works, it’s because

D. works: it’s because

ID: accc2b85 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence ("A ray...works") and another ("Because...image").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two sentences ("A ray…works" and "Because…image") are
fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C 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 D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice.
Since the contraction "it’s" creates a main clause, the comma after "single ray" can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between two main clauses ("it’s...ray" and "all light…image").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID df8ef92f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: df8ef92f
On March 23, 2021, a gust of wind wreaked havoc on global trade. Ever Given, an international shipping
container vessel, became lodged in Egypt’s Suez Canal, a major shipping route between Europe and Asia. The
vessel took six days to ______ it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded.

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

A. dislodge in part due to its sheer size,

B. dislodge, in part due to its sheer size:

C. dislodge, in part due to its sheer size,

D. dislodge, in part, due to its sheer size

ID: df8ef92f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between main clauses and a supplementary
element. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause ("The vessel took six days to
dislodge") and the supplementary element ("in part due to its sheer size") that provides additional information on why the
vessel was difficult to dislodge. Additionally, this choice correctly uses a colon to introduce another main clause that
describes the vessel’s size ("it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded").

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 two main clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded"). Additionally, it fails to mark the boundary between the main
clause ("The vessel took six days to dislodge") and the supplementary element ("in part due to its sheer size"). Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between two main
clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded"). Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main
clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 543fb2f5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Hard

Conventions and Sense

ID: 543fb2f5
Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass first appeared in 1855 as a slim collection of twelve poems, but Whitman
would revise and expand it substantially over the next four decades. These extensive ______ the addition of
hundreds of new poems, the removal of some existing ones, and the insertion of prefatory material, reflected
the poet’s evolving literary perspective and experience of the US Civil War.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. changes, including

B. changes would include

C. changes included

D. changes, include

ID: 543fb2f5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The nonfinite present
participle "including" is correctly used to form a supplementary element that interrupts the main clause "These extensive
changes…reflected the poet’s evolving literary perspective and experience of the US Civil War." This supplementary element,
offset by commas after "changes" and "material," provides examples of the changes Whitman made to Leaves of Grass.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite modal verb "would include" can’t be used in
this way to form a supplementary element within the main clause. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an
ungrammatical sentence. The finite past tense verb "included" can’t be used in this way to form a supplementary element
within the main clause. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present tense verb
"include" can’t be used in this way to form a supplementary element within the main clause.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6f873e68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 6f873e68
In crafting her fantasy fiction, Nigerian-born British author Helen Oyeyemi has drawn inspiration from the
classic nineteenth-century fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Her 2014 novel Boy, Snow, Bird, for instance, is a
complex retelling of the story of Snow White, while her 2019 novel ______ offers a delicious twist on the
classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.

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

A. ­Gingerbread—

B. ­Gingerbread,

C. Gingerbread

D. ­Gingerbread:

ID: 6f873e68 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case,
a subject (“her 2019 novel Gingerbread”) is immediately followed by a verb (“offers”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B 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: Hard

Question ID fd5268ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Medium

Conventions and Sense

ID: fd5268ad
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?
A. their

B. it’s

C. they’re

D. its

ID: fd5268ad Answer

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 Difficulty: Medium

Question ID af66cc2b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: af66cc2b
Jamaican British artist Willard Wigan is known for his remarkable ______ so small that they are best viewed
through a microscope, Wigan’s sculptures are made from tiny natural materials, such as spiderweb strands.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. microsculptures creations

B. microsculptures, creations

C. microsculptures. Creations

D. microsculptures and creations

ID: af66cc2b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence ("Jamaican…microsculptures") and another ("Creations…
strands"). The noun phrase beginning with "creations" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Wigan’s sculptures."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences ("Jamaican…microsculptures" and "Creations…
strands") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B 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 D is incorrect. Without a comma
preceding it, the conjunction "and" can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 19ef53c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 19ef53c5
The alga species Chlorella vulgaris is very efficient at making oxygen. For this reason, scientists are currently
exploring ways to use this species in space. C. vulgaris might be used, for example, to build future biological
air exchange systems that ______ oxygen for astronauts.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. are producing

B. produced

C. produce

D. have produced

ID: 19ef53c5 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. Simple present tense verbs
can be used to describe actions that tend to occur, including in a hypothetical or future scenario. In this case, the simple
present tense verb “produce” indicates what the air exchange systems might be able to do in the future (produce oxygen for
astronauts).

Choice A is incorrect. The present progressive tense verb “are producing” suggests that the oxygen is currently being
produced, not that it might be produced in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb “produced” suggests
that the oxygen was produced in the past, not that it might be produced in the future. Choice D is incorrect because the
present perfect tense verb “have produced” suggests that the oxygen has been produced from a point in the past up to the
present, not that it might be produced in the future.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 975a4737
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 975a4737
To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killifish eggs ______ a dormant state
known as diapause. In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the
life span of an adult killifish.

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

A. enter

B. to enter

C. having entered

D. entering

ID: 975a4737 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause
requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “embryos”), and this choice supplies the clause with
the finite present tense verb “enter” to indicate how the embryos achieve diapause.

Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to enter” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C
is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having entered” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is
incorrect because the nonfinite participle “entering” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ba4d42c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: ba4d42c1
The sun never sets during the Arctic summer in the Far North. In response, reindeer in this region must
change their sleep habits. Instead of resting when it gets dark, they rest when they need ______ their food.

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

B. will digest

C. to digest

D. digesting

ID: ba4d42c1 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. Working
together with the finite verb "need," the nonfinite to-infinitive verb "to digest" is correctly used to form a subordinate clause
that describes what the reindeer need.

Choice A is incorrect because the verb "digest" (in either its finite or nonfinite form) can’t be used in this way with the finite
verb "need." Choice B is incorrect because the finite verb "will digest" can’t be used in this way with the finite verb "need."
Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite participle "digesting" can’t be used in this way with the finite verb "need."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 82aaffb8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 82aaffb8
Jetties—long, narrow structures that extend from a landmass into the water—are often constructed to protect
coastlines from erosion. Jetties can sometimes have the opposite ______ obstructing the natural flow of sand
along the shore can lead to increased erosion in some areas.

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

A. effect, though;

B. effect, though

C. effect; though

D. effect, though,

ID: 82aaffb8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice correctly
uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb "though" from the preceding main clause ("Jetties can sometimes
have the opposite effect") and uses a semicolon to join the next main clause ("obstructing…areas") to the rest of the
sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after "though" logically indicates that the information earlier in this sentence (that
jetties can sometimes cause erosion) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence
(that jetties are often constructed for the purpose of protecting coastlines from erosion).

Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the two main clauses with appropriate punctuation. With
"though…areas" functioning as a subordinate clause following the comma, this choice illogically indicates that the following
information (that obstructing the natural flow of sand along the shore can sometimes lead to erosion) is contrary to the
information earlier in the sentence (that jetties can sometimes cause erosion). Instead, the information following "though"
supports the previous claim about the erosive effects of jetties. Choice C is incorrect because it’s not conventional to use a
semicolon in this way to separate a main clause from a dependent clause. Further, it illogically indicates that the following
information (that obstructing the natural flow of sand along the shore can sometimes lead to erosion) is contrary to the
information earlier in the sentence (that jetties can sometimes cause erosion). Instead, the information following "though"
supports the previous claim about the erosive effects of jetties. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice.
Commas can’t be used in this way to set off a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 771b3e53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Hard

Conventions and Sense

ID: 771b3e53
Entomologists Yash Sondhi and Samuel Fabian have tried to explain why moths fly erratically around light
sources at night. Knowing that flying insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. the researchers theorize that moths, mistaking nighttime lights for the Sun, continually try to reorient their
bodies while flying near such lights.

B. the researchers’ theory is that moths mistake nighttime lights for the Sun, continually trying to reorient
their bodies while flying near such lights.

C. moths mistake nighttime lights for the Sun and continually try to reorient their bodies while flying near
such lights, the researchers theorize.

D. moths continually try to reorient their bodies while flying near nighttime lights, the researchers theorize,
mistaking such lights for the Sun.

ID: 771b3e53 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
"the researchers" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "knowing…day." In doing
so, this choice clearly establishes that the researchers—and not another noun in the sentence—know that flying insects keep
their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "the researchers’ theory"
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the researchers’ theory knows that flying insects keep their
backs pointed toward sunlight during the day. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement
of the noun "moths" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that moths know that flying insects keep
their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The
placement of the noun "moths" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that moths know that flying
insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 550866d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 550866d1
Eli Eisenberg, a genetics expert at Tel Aviv University in Israel, recently discovered that ______ have a special
genetic ability called RNA editing that confers evolutionary advantages.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish

B. cephalopods—ocean dwellers—that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,

C. cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include: the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,

D. cephalopods—ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish—

ID: 550866d1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
In this choice, the dash after "cephalopods" pairs with the dash after "cuttlefish" to clearly separate the supplementary
element "ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish" from the rest of the sentence. This
supplementary element functions to explain what cephalopods are, and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could
be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains
what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to
separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are
from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 28526aa1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 28526aa1
In order to prevent nonnative fish species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas,
marine biologist Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in
Egypt’s Great Bitter Lakes. The lock would increase the salinity of the lakes and ______ a natural barrier of
water most marine creatures would be unable to cross.

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

B. create

C. creating

D. created

ID: 28526aa1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of non-finite (untensed) verb forms in a sentence. The
modal “would,” which indicates the future from a perspective in the past, should be accompanied by a non-finite plain form
verb. In this choice, the non-finite plain form verb “create” is used correctly in conjunction with the non-finite plain form verb
“increase” to describe what the lock would do.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite present tense verb “creates” can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to
describe what the lock would do. Choice C is incorrect because the present participle “creating” can’t be used in this way
with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do. Choice D is incorrect because the finite past tense verb “created”
can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a778e64f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: a778e64f
Using natural debris, such as dried ______ such as plastic bags; and more traditional art supplies, such as tree
glue, Ghanaian artist Ed Franklin Gavua creates his striking Yiiiiikakaii African masks, which he hopes can
help viewers rethink how waste is used in their communities.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. leaves, man-made trash:

B. leaves; man-made trash,

C. leaves, man-made trash,

D. leaves; man-made trash;

ID: a778e64f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of elements in a complex series. It’s
conventional to use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the
semicolon after "leaves" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("natural debris, such as dried leaves") and the
second item ("man-made trash, such as plastic bags") in the series of materials used by Gavua. Further, the comma after
"trash" correctly separates the noun phrase "man-made trash" from the supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") that
describes it.

Choice A is incorrect because a comma after "leaves" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second and
third items in the series ("man-made...bags" and "and...glue"). Additionally, it’s not conventional to use a colon in this way to
separate a supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") from the noun phrase it modifies ("man-made trash"). Choice C is
incorrect because a comma after "leaves" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second and third items in
the series ("man-made...bags" and "and...glue"). Choice D is incorrect because it’s not conventional to use a semicolon in this
way to separate a supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") from the noun phrase it modifies ("man-made trash").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f8ac582e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: f8ac582e
Chondrites are stony meteorites that are undifferentiated—that is, their contents have not melted and
separated into distinct layers. They are hardly ______ many chondrites experience aqueous alteration as a
result of exposure to fluids, as well as fracturing, veining, and localized melting due to collisions with other
objects.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. pristine, though

B. pristine, though;

C. pristine; though

D. pristine, though,

ID: f8ac582e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice correctly
uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb "though" from the preceding main clause ("They are hardly pristine")
and uses a semicolon to join the two main clauses ("They…though" and "many…objects"). Further, placing the semicolon after
"though" indicates that the information in the preceding main clause (chondrites are far from pristine) is contrary to what
might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence (chondrites have been generally unaltered by their
environment).

Choice A is incorrect because placing the comma after "pristine" and using "though" as a subordinating conjunction
illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause (many chondrites have experienced damage) is contrary to
the information in the previous clause (chondrites are far from pristine). Choice C is incorrect because placing the semicolon
after "pristine" illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause (many chondrites have experienced damage)
is contrary to the information in the previous clause (chondrites are far from pristine). Choice D is incorrect because it
results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, the comma after "though" can’t be used in this way to join two
main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 296f8a05
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Medium

Conventions and Sense

ID: 296f8a05
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?
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

ID: 296f8a05 Answer

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 Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e803340a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: e803340a
Dolores Huerta’s advocacy on behalf of farmworkers was rooted in her experience as a schoolteacher in
Stockton, California, in the early 1950s. Hoping to help her students and their families outside the ______
Huerta left teaching to start the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, a group focused
on the needs of local farmworkers.

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

B. classroom;

C. classroom,

D. classroom

ID: e803340a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice correctly
uses a comma to mark the boundary between the introductory participial phrase ("Hoping…classroom") and the main clause
("Huerta…farmworkers").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "hoping." Choice B is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between the participial phrase ("Hoping…
classroom") and the main clause ("Huerta…farmworkers"). Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary
between the participial phrase ("Hoping…classroom") and the main clause ("Huerta…farmworkers").

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 562d4b57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 562d4b57
In 2000, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, herself an owner of a successful consulting firm, sought to increase
Latina representation in corporate ______ 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.

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: 562d4b57 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, or, yet, or 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: Easy

Question ID d902a695
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Hard

Conventions and Sense

ID: d902a695
When a given industry—water and electricity are two well-known examples—carries high infrastructural start-
up costs and other barriers that discourage competition, ______ of just one or two suppliers per municipality.
Such industries are known as natural monopolies.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. these often consist

B. they often consist

C. it often consists

D. this often consists

ID: d902a695 Answer

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 "industry" and clearly indicates that the industry consists of just one or two suppliers
per municipality.

Choice A is incorrect. The plural pronoun "these" neither agrees in number with the singular antecedent "industry" nor clearly
indicates that the industry—not another plural noun in the sentence, such as "start-up costs" or "barriers"—consists of just
one or two suppliers per municipality. Choice B is incorrect because the plural pronoun "they" doesn’t agree in number with
the singular antecedent "industry." Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun "this" is ambiguous in this context; the
resulting sentence leaves unclear what consists of just one or two suppliers per municipality.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7c668878
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 7c668878
In his 1963 exhibition Exposition of Music—Electronic Television, Korean American artist Nam June Paik
showed how television images could be manipulated to express an artist’s perspective. Today, Paik ______
considered the first video artist.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. will be

B. had been

C. was

D. is

ID: 7c668878 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present
tense verb "is," used in conjunction with the word "today," correctly indicates that Paik is currently considered the first video
artist.

Choice A is incorrect because the future tense verb "will be" doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently considered the first video
artist. Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb "had been" doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently considered
the first video artist. Choice C is incorrect because the past tense verb "was" doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently
considered the first video artist.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 618d94c4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 618d94c4
In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean
mixing rates from the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how
current-driven mixing varies across ______ and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in
the ocean.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. regions,

B. regions:

C. regions;

D. regions

ID: 618d94c4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two
elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was
able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no
punctuation is needed between them.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice
B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 72b7feaa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 72b7feaa
Technologies such as microphones and inkjet printers are made using piezoelectric materials, which
generate an internal electric field when pressure is applied to them. The toxic nature of some of these
materials recently led a team from the University of Sheffield to investigate how ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. could their use be better regulated?

B. their use could be better regulated.

C. their use could be better regulated?

D. could their use be better regulated.

ID: 72b7feaa Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a period
to punctuate a declarative sentence that asks an indirect question ("The toxic nature of some of these materials recently led
a team from the University of Sheffield to investigate how their use could be better regulated").

Choice A is incorrect because the structure requires a period and a declarative clause at the end of the sentence that states
what the team investigated, not an interrogative clause that asks a direct question, such as "how could their use be better
regulated?" Choice C is incorrect because it’s unconventional to use a question mark in this way to punctuate a declarative
sentence. Choice D is incorrect because the structure requires a declarative clause at the end of the sentence that states
what the team investigated, not an interrogative clause that asks a direct question, such as "how could their use be better
regulated?"

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID af557364
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: af557364
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a leader of Umuofia (a fictional Nigerian clan)
and takes pride in his culture’s traditions. However, when the arrival of European missionaries brings changes
to Umuofia, the novel asks a central question: How ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected.

B. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected.

C. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected?

D. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected?

ID: af557364 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the
colon should be in the conventional form of a question: with the verb before the subject, and a question mark at the end.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice ends the sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that
the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be that question. Choice B is incorrect. This choice ends the
sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause
after the colon should be that question. In Standard English, questions place the verb before the subject and end with a
question mark. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t conform to the conventions of Standard English. In Standard
English, questions place the verb before the subject.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4e93a070
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 4e93a070
Like other amphibians, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is unable to generate its own heat, so during periods of
subfreezing temperatures, it ______ by producing large amounts of glucose, a sugar that helps prevent
damaging ice from forming inside its cells.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. had survived

B. survived

C. would survive

D. survives

ID: 4e93a070 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present
tense verb “survives” correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large
amounts of glucose.

Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives
subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose. Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb
“survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of
glucose. Choice C is incorrect because the conditional verb “would survive” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly
survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID abdbb81d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: abdbb81d
Po’Pay was a Tewa leader from Ohkay Owingeh, a pueblo located about twenty-five miles north of present-
day Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was instrumental in organizing the Pueblo Revolt of ______ as a result of his
leadership, the Spanish colonizers were expelled from the region for a time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. 1680

B. 1680 and

C. 1680,

D. 1680, and

ID: abdbb81d 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 “and” to join the first main clause (“He…1680”) and the second
main clause (“as…time”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. 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 C 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.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3b3c043c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 3b3c043c
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?
A. to have suspended

B. suspending

C. to suspend

D. suspended

ID: 3b3c043c Answer

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 Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e0945e4c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: e0945e4c
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?

A. photographer’s early photo’s

B. photographers early photo’s

C. photographer’s early photos

D. photographers early photos

ID: e0945e4c Answer

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 Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e4bb0146
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: e4bb0146
Dr. Rocío Paola Caballero-Gill is a paleoceanographer. This means that Dr. Caballero-Gill doesn’t just study
oceans as they are today. She uses chemistry and fossil evidence ______ oceans as they were in the past.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. has studied

B. to study

C. studied

D. studies

ID: e4bb0146 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The nonfinite to-
infinitive verb “to study” is correctly used to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr. Caballero-Gill uses chemistry
and fossil evidence for (to study oceans as they were in the past).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite verb “has studied” can’t be used in this way
to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr. Caballero-Gill uses the evidence for. Choice C is incorrect because it
results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite verb “studied” can’t be used in this way to form a subordinate clause that
indicates what Dr. Caballero-Gill uses the evidence for. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical
sentence. The finite verb “studies” can’t be used in this way to form a subordinate clause that indicates what Dr. Caballero-
Gill uses the evidence for.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ad201599
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Medium

Conventions and Sense

ID: ad201599
In 1930, Japanese American artist Chiura Obata depicted the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park in two
memorable woodcuts: Evening at Carl Inn and Lake Basin in the High Sierra. In 2019, ______ exhibited
alongside 150 of Obata’s other works in a single-artist show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

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

B. they were

C. this was

D. some were

ID: ad201599 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun–antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun “they”
agrees in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts” and clearly identifies what was exhibited at the Smithsonian
American Art Museum.

Choice A is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts.”
Choice C is incorrect because the singular pronoun “this” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts.”
Choice D is incorrect because the plural pronoun “some” is illogical in this context (referring to “some” of two woodcuts).

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 98baf1ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 98baf1ee
Stomata, tiny pore structures in a leaf that absorb gases needed for plant growth, open when guard cells
surrounding each pore swell with water. In a pivotal 2007 article, plant cell ______ showed that lipid molecules
called phosphatidylinositol phosphates are responsible for signaling guard cells to open stomata.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. biologist, Yuree Lee

B. biologist Yuree Lee,

C. biologist Yuree Lee

D. biologist, Yuree Lee,

ID: 98baf1ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to offset the proper noun "Yuree Lee" from the title "plant cell biologist" that describes Lee.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice D
is incorrect because no punctuation is needed around the proper noun "Yuree Lee." Setting the phrase off with punctuation
suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1a886467
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 1a886467
Formed in 1967 to foster political and economic stability within the Asia-Pacific region, the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations was originally made up of five members: Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore,
Malaysia, and Indonesia. By the end of the 1990s, the organization ______ its initial membership.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. has doubled

B. had doubled

C. doubles

D. will double

ID: 1a886467 Answer

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 doubled” properly indicates that the doubling of the organization’s initial membership occurred during a specific
period before the present (between the organization’s founding in 1967 and the end of the 1990s).

Choice A is incorrect because the present perfect verb “has doubled” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its
initial membership occurred during a specific period in the past. Choice C is incorrect because the present tense verb
“doubles” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its initial membership occurred during a specific period in the
past. Choice D is incorrect because the future tense verb “will double” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its
initial membership occurred during a specific period in the past.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5eeb0eb1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 5eeb0eb1
By analyzing the level of radioactive decay within a fossil specimen, scientists can establish the age of that
fossil with a high degree of precision. When radioactive elements aren’t present, scientists turn to ______
analysis of Earth’s sediment layers (strata)—to estimate how old a fossil is based on the age of the strata in
which the fossil is found.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. stratigraphy—the

B. stratigraphy (the

C. stratigraphy: the

D. stratigraphy, the

ID: 5eeb0eb1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. The dash after
"stratigraphy" pairs with the dash after "(strata)" to separate the supplementary element "the analysis of Earth’s sediment
layers (strata)" from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to define the term "stratigraphy," and the
pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because a parenthesis 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 a colon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D 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.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6f1fa020
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 6f1fa020
Each year in the fall, when the weather starts to cool in the northern hemisphere, millions of North American
monarch butterflies journey south. Searching for food and warmer habitats, they ______ thousands of miles—
from as far north as Canada all the way down to Mexico—on this annual migration.

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

B. were flying

C. had flown

D. fly

ID: 6f1fa020 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present
tense verb “fly” is consistent with the other present tense verb ( “journey”) used to describe the butterflies’ yearly migration.
Together, these simple present tense verbs correctly indicate that the migration is a current, yearly occurrence.

Choice A is incorrect. The simple past tense verb “flew” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verb used to describe
the butterflies’ yearly migration. Choice B is incorrect. The past progressive tense verb “were flying” isn’t consistent with the
other present tense verb used to describe the butterflies’ yearly migration. Choice C is incorrect. The past perfect tense verb
“had flown” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verb used to describe the butterflies’ yearly migration.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 053930c2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 053930c2
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?
A. reach

B. had reached

C. will reach

D. are reaching

ID: 053930c2 Answer

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 Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c4ff1125
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: c4ff1125
Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between
1440 and 1450 CE. However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass
spectrometry to uncover evidence that it was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were
likely inhabiting the area.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. earlier. In

B. earlier, in

C. earlier, which in

D. earlier in

ID: c4ff1125 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary
phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.

Choice B 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 C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence
that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information (“However...earlier”)
rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences
(“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e598da1c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: e598da1c
Roughly 300 nights a year, when the cold air descending from the Andes Mountains meets the warm air
rising from Venezuela’s coastal Lake Maracaibo, the result is a spectacular lightning storm, its strikes so
bright, so localized, and so ______ that it has become known as “Maracaibo’s Lighthouse.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. dependable:

B. dependable;

C. dependable

D. dependable,

ID: e598da1c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of an integrated relative clause. No punctuation
is needed before the relative clause beginning with "that" because the content of the relative clause ("that...Lighthouse") is
integral to the meaning of the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so bright, so localized, and so dependable") that it modifies.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so bright...dependable")
and the integrated relative clause that modifies it. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the
coordinated adjectival phrase ("so bright...dependable") and the integrated relative clause that modifies it. Choice D is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinated adjectival phrase ("so bright...dependable") and the
integrated relative clause that modifies it.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 693a53ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: 693a53ad
The classic children’s board game Chutes and Ladders is a version of an ancient Nepalese game,
Paramapada Sopanapata. In both games, players encounter “good” or “bad” spaces while traveling along a
path; landing on one of the good spaces ______ a player to skip ahead and arrive closer to the end goal.

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

B. are allowing

C. have allowed

D. allow

ID: 693a53ad Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject–verb agreement. The singular verb “allows” agrees in
number with the singular subject “landing.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are allowing” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “landing.”
Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “have allowed” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “landing.”
Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “allow” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “landing.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ef8408a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: ef8408a4
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

B. value

C. value,

D. value but

ID: ef8408a4 Answer

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 C 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: Easy

Question ID a1a0066e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: a1a0066e
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once
presumed to be extinct. Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical
icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: a1a0066e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7ebe1dd0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Hard

Conventions and Sense

ID: 7ebe1dd0
A species of Byropsis algae produces toxins to avoid being eaten by predators. However, in some cases, the
toxins the organism uses to protect itself from predation actually ______ its attractiveness to predators. The
Hawaiian sea slug, for example, not only tolerates Byropsis toxins but actually uses them for protection in the
same way the algae does.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. is increasing

B. increase

C. increases

D. has increased

ID: 7ebe1dd0 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "is increasing" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "toxins."
Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb "increases" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "toxins." Choice D
is incorrect because the singular verb "has increased" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "toxins."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e48e163e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: e48e163e
The element carbon has the highest melting point ______ all the elements on the periodic table—3,500
degrees Celsius.

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

B. of—

C. of,

D. of:

ID: e48e163e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a preposition and its complement. No
punctuation is needed between the preposition "of" and its complement "all the elements on the periodic table." The
complement completes the meaning of the preposition in the phrase "the highest melting point of all the elements on the
periodic table," and using punctuation to separate the complement from the preposition results in an ungrammatical
sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the preposition and its complement. Choice C is incorrect
because no punctuation is needed between the preposition and its complement. Choice D is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the preposition and its complement.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 05be3983
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Hard

Conventions and Sense

ID: 05be3983
American abstract artist Richard ______ his installations to make passersby keenly aware of how one’s
movements are affected by the physical features of one’s environment, assembles large-scale steel plates
into sculptures that dominate the outdoor spaces they occupy.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Serra is intending

B. Serra, intends

C. Serra, intending

D. Serra intends

ID: 05be3983 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. This choice pairs the
comma after "Serra" with the comma after "environment" and uses the nonfinite present participle "intending" to correctly
form a supplementary phrase describing the reaction Serra intends his sculptures to provoke. This supplementary phrase
appears between the noun phrase that it modifies ("American abstract artist Richard Serra") and the finite present tense verb
("assembles"), which functions as the sentence’s main verb and describes what Serra does.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present continuous tense verb "is
intending" can’t be used in this way in conjunction with the finite present tense verb "assembles," which already functions as
the main verb in the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present
tense verb "intends" can’t be used in this way to supplement the noun phrase "American abstract artist Richard Serra." Choice
D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present tense verb "intends" can’t be used in this
way in conjunction with the finite present tense verb "assembles," which already functions as the main verb in the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 95649ca9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 95649ca9
In 1727, dramatist Lewis Theobald presented a new play, Double Falsehood, at a London theater. Theobald
claimed that his drama was based on a little-known play by William Shakespeare, Cardenio. Many, including
poet Alexander Pope, were ______ historians have determined that Shakespeare’s company did perform a
play called Cardenio in 1613.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. skeptical but

B. skeptical, but

C. skeptical,

D. skeptical

ID: 95649ca9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. There are two independent clauses in the sentence, each with a subject and a verb:
"many...were skeptical" and "historians have determined…." These clauses can be grammatically joined by a comma and the
coordinating conjunction "but."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined
without punctuation. Two independent clauses can’t be joined by just the coordinating conjunction "but." A comma would
also be required. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error called a comma splice. This sentence
contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"). A comma alone can’t join
two independent clauses. That requires a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results
in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. This sentence contains
two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"), which need to be either joined by a
semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fc895aa3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Easy

Conventions and Sense

ID: fc895aa3
In the early twentieth century, Joseph Kekuku and other Hawaiian ______ in the mainland United States to the
bright and lilting sound of the kīkā kila, or Hawaiian steel guitar. The instrument soon became a fixture in
American blues and country music.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. musicians introduced audiences

B. musicians’ introduced audiences’

C. musician’s introduced audience’s

D. musicians’ introduced audiences

ID: fc895aa3 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural nouns. The plural nouns "musicians" and
"audiences" correctly indicate that there were multiple musicians introducing the music to multiple audiences.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns "musicians" and "audiences," not the plural possessive
nouns "musicians’" and "audiences’." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns "musicians" and
"audiences," not the singular possessive nouns "musician’s" and "audience’s." Choice D is incorrect because the context
requires the plural noun "musicians," not the plural possessive noun "musicians’."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b4774c86
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, Hard

Conventions and Sense

ID: b4774c86
In her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, sociologist Arlie Russell
Hochschild first explored at length her conception of a “sociology of emotions”—the idea that the various
cultural and ideological frameworks a person has internalized (class, gender, political affiliation, etc.) ______
each emotional reaction that person has within a situation.

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

B. is underlying

C. underlie

D. has been underlying

ID: b4774c86 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "underlies" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."
Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "is underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."
Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb "has been underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject
"frameworks."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0b330819
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 0b330819
The term “retroflex” derives from Latin and means “bent back,” an apt descriptor for the branch of
consonants—retroflex consonants—pronounced with the tongue curling up and back in the mouth. In many
languages, including English, these consonants are ______ in some dialects of Mandarin, however, four such
consonants (“ch,” “sh,” “zh,” and “r”) are relatively common.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. rare and

B. rare,

C. rare

D. rare;

ID: 0b330819 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice uses a
semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause ("In many…rare") and the second main clause ("in some…
common") in this sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. Joining the first main clause ("In many…rare") and the second main clause ("in some...common") with
the conjunction "and" conflicts with the use of "however" later in the sentence, resulting in a confusing and illogical sentence.
Choice B 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 C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused
without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 22030ce1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 22030ce1
In 1955, Indian Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray released his first movie, Pather ______ quiet black-and-white
drama about a family in rural India, Ray’s film was quite different from the loud, colorful action-romance
movies that were popular at the time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Panchali a

B. Panchali, which was a

C. Panchali, a

D. Panchali. A

ID: 22030ce1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…Panchali") and another ("A quiet…time"). The phrase
beginning with "a quiet" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Ray’s film."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B 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 C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way
to mark the boundary between sentences.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 72ba319f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 72ba319f
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: 72ba319f 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 B is 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 C is 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: Easy

Question ID 3043adaf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 3043adaf
In his Naturalis historia, Pliny the Elder praised Hipparchus’s star catalog, a second-century BCE list of
roughly 850 different stars’ celestial positions. For centuries, scholars dreamed about locating a copy of this
legendary lost ______ fantasy (partially) became reality in 2022, when researchers uncovered traces of the
star catalog on a palimpsest, a reused parchment.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. work, that

B. work that

C. work. That

D. work and that

ID: 3043adaf 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 is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("For…work") and another ("That…parchment").

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 because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences ("For…work" and "that…
parchment") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the
conjunction "and" can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 971ed23e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 971ed23e
Joshua Hinson, director of the language revitalization program of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, helped
produce the world’s first Indigenous-language instructional app, Chickasaw ______ Chickasaw TV, in 2010;
and a Rosetta Stone language course in Chickasaw, in 2015.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Basic; in 2009, an online television network;

B. Basic; in 2009, an online television network,

C. Basic, in 2009; an online television network,

D. Basic, in 2009, an online television network,

ID: 971ed23e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series. It’s conventional to
use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the semicolon after
“2009” is conventionally used to separate the first item (“the world’s…2009”) and the second item (“an online…2010”) in the
series of things that Hinson helped create. Further, the comma after “Basic” correctly pairs with the comma after “app,” and
the comma after “network” correctly pairs with the comma after “TV” to set off the supplemental elements (“Chickasaw
Basic” and “Chickasaw TV”) that provide the names of the app and the TV network, respectively. Altogether, the punctuation
in this choice results in a sentence that clearly indicates that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV
network in 2010, and a language course in 2015.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a
language app in 2009, an online TV network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to
punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV
network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice D is incorrect because the comma after “2009” doesn’t match the
semicolon used to separate the second and third items in the complex series.

Question Difficulty: Hard