SAT Grammar and Punctuation Practice Flashcards

The novelist, ______ early works were largely ignored, later won the Pulitzer Prize.

Answer: whose

'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun that shows the works belong to the novelist; 'who's' is a contraction of 'who is.'

Scientists have ______ a new compound that may significantly reduce inflammation.

Answer: identified

'Have identified' (present perfect) is correct: it marks a discovery made in the recent past with present relevance, and 'identified' is the correct past participle.

Each of the proposals ______ a detailed budget breakdown.

Answer: requires

'Each' is always singular, so the verb 'requires' is correct regardless of the prepositional phrase 'of the proposals.'

The film's pacing was slow ______ the performances were universally praised.

Answer: although

'Although' introduces a concessive clause expressing contrast: despite slow pacing, the performances were praised.

The two runners crossed the finish line ______ the same moment.

Answer: at

'At' is the correct preposition for a precise point in time; 'in' is for periods, and 'on' is for dates.

The data from the latest study ______ that sleep deprivation impairs decision-making.

Answer: suggests

'Data' in formal academic and SAT usage is treated as a plural noun ('data are'), but the head noun of the subject phrase is 'data,' and in modern American English 'data' increasingly takes a singular verb 'suggests.' On the Digital SAT, 'data' typically triggers a singular verb: 'suggests' is the intended answer.

After the merger, the two companies ______ their resources to develop a joint product line.

Answer: combined

Simple past 'combined' is correct: the action occurred after the merger (a single, completed past event).