SAT Free Practice Test
Section 4
Time — 25 Minutes
35 Questions
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The following sentences test correctness and effectiveness of expression. Part of each sentence or the entire sentence is underlined; beneath each sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Choice A repeats the original phrasing; the other four choices are different. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A; if not, select one of the other choices.
In making your selection, follow the requirements of standard written English; that is, pay attention to grammar, choice of words, sentence construction, and punctuation. Your selection should result in the most effective sentence--clear and precise, without awkwardness or ambiguity.
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EXAMPLE:
Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book and she was sixty-five years old then.
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(A) and she was sixty-five years old then |
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(B) when she was sixty-five |
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(C) at age sixty-five years old |
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(D) upon the reaching of sixty-five years |
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(E) at the time when she was sixty-five |
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1. Hiking this far, the backpackers felt they did not want to turn back without reaching the summit.
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2. HarborChem, a chemical company which manufactures many household products, is selling its Enviro division, producing recycled paper.
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3. Andy and Brian were skiing down the beginner's slope when, completely losing his balance, he twisted his knee badly.
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4. The topic the class discussed, which was whether rezoning of the building will provide more affordable housing in the neighborhood or just drive away local residents.
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5. Having studied both sides of the issue in great detail, that the council refused to accept his proposal frustrated the mayor extremely.
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6. Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman who traveled to space, and who orbited the earth 48 times over a period of 71 hours.
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7. The Hardangerfjord in Norway, with its length of 179 kilometers and maximum depth greater than 800 meters, is the third-largest fjord in the world.
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8. Experimental musicians have argued that minimal use of traditional sounds providing listeners with more to contemplate than does listening to traditional radio-friendly music.
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9. With her technical brilliance and ironic wit and use of graphic imagery, Sylvia Plath is considered to be a great American poet.
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10. The reason debut releases are so often the best work of bands is that these first recordings summarize the best creative ideas compiled over many years.
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11. With many oil reserves existing in various countries around the world, some argue that a shift away from fossil fuels is unnecessary in our lifetime.
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The following sentences test your ability to recognize grammar and usage errors. Each sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. No sentence contains more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.
EXAMPLE: The other delegates and him immediately
A B C
accepted the resolution drafted by the neutral states.
D
No error
E
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12. Launched just a few weeks after its sister
A
spacecraft Voyager 2, Voyager 1 was sent on a
B
faster trajectory so it actually reaches Jupiter
C
and Saturn first, sending back photographs in
D
early 1979. No error
E
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13. No matter what languages they speak
A
or what their previous occupation is, the
B C
members of the group were thrilled to have
D
been granted full citizenship in the United
States. No error
E
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14. People which need physical therapy in
A
order to recover from work-related injuries are
B
furious over the proposal to decrease medical
C D
coverage. No error
E
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15. Even though the entire temple
A
did not survive, it was historically
B
significant to archaeologists because of their
C D
structure. No error
E
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16. One challenge faced by the director of the
A
graduate-level writing program was
how reimagining writing in English as
B C
international as opposed to simply
D
Anglo-American. No error
E
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17. Before Jay can enter his high-security
A B
office, he has to swipe his access card in the
C
lobby, use a fingerprint scanner on his floor,
and then enters a passcode outside
D
his office door. No error
E
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18. Because she is absent when the committee
A
members discussed her proposal, Kyoko
is concerned that missing another meeting will
B C
lead to her removal from the group. No error
D E
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19. Although he is often characterized as a
A B C
science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury, author of
The Martian Chronicles, also consider himself
D
a writer of fantasy works. No error
E
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20. Most social scientists agree that a system
A
for settling disputes is not only valuable but also
B C
of necessity in all civilizations. No error
D E
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21. The new mechanism, which uses
A
automated sensors in the controlling of the
B
entire assembly line, should improve the
C
efficiency of the entire operation. No error
D E
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22. It is far easier to fly a kite than to explain
A B
in words precisely how a kite is flown.
C D
No error
E
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23. The senator's aides are concerned that
A
the timing of the announcement, coming just
B
hours before the debate, were calculated by
C
his opponent simply to damage his credibility
with the public. No error
D E
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24. Because some people are convinced that
A B
remote viewing, a technique of visualizing
scenes or items from a distance, is legitimate,
but others condemn it as pure fantasy. No error
C D E
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25. The departure of manufacturing
companies during the period had two causes:
A
increased taxes on all exports with a decrease
B C
in government subsidies across almost all
D
industries. No error
E
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26. The technology behind electric cars
has been around for many decades, but only
A B
recently has automakers begun to design
C D
production models. No error
E
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27. The number of grants given this year to
A
Norwegian artists underscore the
B
strong encouragement being given to
C D
Scandinavian artists. No error
E
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28. In contrast with southern Africa,
A
the decline in mortality rates in western Africa
B
have occurred rather recently. No error
C D E
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29. Nearly all of the photographers for the
A
project agree that of the two prints
B
being considered, Morton's is the
C
more appropriate. No error
D E
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The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask you to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.
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Questions 30-35 are based on the following passage.
(1) Many people complain about the way that professional athletes nowadays at this time are charging for their autographs. (2) But really, why should an athlete just give away something that someone else is going to turn around and sell? (3) Their goal, after all, is not trying to exploit someone. (4) Clearly, there are times when an athlete should sign something for free. (5) For example, it's only fair for a pro athlete to give an autograph to a child for free, especially if their greedy parents aren't nearby. (6) Because I play two varsity sports at my school, I think about issues like this that pro athletes face.
(7) But the issue of charging for autographs is more complicated than you might think. (8) Some athletes sign stacks of items ahead of time and sell them to companies, while others refuse to sign autographs in public any time they can't charge for them. (9) It really bothers a lot of people and turns them against pro athletes.
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(10) The athletes sometimes justify charging for autographs by saying that their careers could end at any moment due to injury. (11) This is a valid point, as most of their contracts don't protect their salaries against injury. (12) Other athletes point out that they already spend many hours also signing autographs for free during their own personal time. (13) You also have to consider that when players aren't charging, many people will ask them to sign 3 or 4 items and not personalize them, just so they can turn around and sell them. (14) Sometimes the side of the athletes isn't told by the media though, they say it is because it doesn't make such an exciting story. (15) Thus the media can turn more people against pro athletes instead of reporting fairly.
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30. In context, which of the following revisions is necessary in sentence 1 (reproduced below)?
Many people complain about the way that professional athletes nowadays at this time are charging for their autographs.
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31. In context, which is the best version of sentence 3 (reproduced below)?
Their goal, after all, is not trying to exploit someone.
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32. In context, which of the following most logically replaces "It" in sentence 9 (reproduced below)?
It really bothers a lot of people and turns them against pro athletes.
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33. What should be done with sentence 6 (reproduced below)?
Because I play two varsity sports at my school, I think about issues like this that pro athletes face.
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34. Which is the best way to deal with sentence 14 (reproduced below)?
Sometimes the side of the athletes isn't told by the media though, they say it is because it doesn't make such an exciting story.
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35. Which of the following is best to add after sentence 15 as a concluding sentence?
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