Bluebook SAT Grammar and Punctuation — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, has captured images of galaxies more than 13 billion light-years ______ these images help astronomers study the early universe.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- away,
- away; (Correct answer)
- away
- away, and,
Correct answer: away;
Two independent clauses need a semicolon or a comma plus conjunction.
The text contains two complete sentences: one about the telescope capturing images and one about how the images help astronomers. A comma alone (choice A) creates a comma splice, and no punctuation (choice C) creates a run-on. Choice D places a stray comma after "and." A semicolon correctly joins the two independent clauses.
Question 2: Each of the three researchers ______ responsible for analyzing a different section of the ice core.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- were
- are
- is (Correct answer)
- have been
Correct answer: is
"Each" is singular and takes "is."
The subject of the sentence is the singular pronoun "Each"; the phrase "of the three researchers" is a prepositional phrase that does not change the number of the subject. The singular verb "is" is therefore correct. "Were," "are," and "have been" are all plural forms.
Question 3: Novelist Toni Morrison, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in ______ was the first African American woman to win the award.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- 1993, (Correct answer)
- 1993;
- 1993
- 1993:
Correct answer: 1993,
The nonessential clause beginning with "who" must be closed with a comma.
The clause "who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993" is a nonessential relative clause set off from the main sentence. It opens with a comma after "Morrison," so it must close with a comma after "1993." A semicolon or colon would incorrectly separate the subject from its verb, and no punctuation leaves the clause unclosed.
Question 4: Chemists have long known that certain metals, including platinum and palladium, speed up reactions without being ______ in the process.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- consumed, they act as catalysts
- consumed; acting as catalysts
- consumed. Acting as catalysts.
- consumed; they act as catalysts (Correct answer)
Correct answer: consumed; they act as catalysts
A semicolon must join two independent clauses; "they act as catalysts" is one.
The first part of the sentence is a complete independent clause ending at "consumed." To attach a second independent clause ("they act as catalysts"), a semicolon is correct. Choice A is a comma splice. Choice B follows a semicolon with a fragment, and choice C makes "Acting as catalysts" a stand-alone fragment.
Question 5: While studying migratory patterns, ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- the tagging of more than 200 Arctic terns was completed by the ornithologists.
- more than 200 Arctic terns were tagged by the ornithologists.
- the ornithologists tagged more than 200 Arctic terns. (Correct answer)
- the ornithologists' tags were placed on more than 200 Arctic terns.
Correct answer: the ornithologists tagged more than 200 Arctic terns.
The introductory phrase must modify the ornithologists, who did the studying.
The introductory modifier "While studying migratory patterns" must be followed immediately by the noun it describes. Only the ornithologists were studying, so "the ornithologists" must come right after the comma. In the other choices the modifier illogically describes tagging, terns, or tags.
Question 6: The committee reviewed three proposals for the new community center: a design featuring a rooftop garden, a plan that prioritized a large indoor gym, and ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- one proposal emphasized low construction costs.
- a proposal that emphasized low construction costs. (Correct answer)
- to emphasize low construction costs in a proposal.
- emphasizing low construction costs was the third proposal.
Correct answer: a proposal that emphasized low construction costs.
The third item must match the noun-phrase structure of the first two.
The list consists of noun phrases: "a design featuring..." and "a plan that prioritized...". The third item must also be a noun phrase, so "a proposal that emphasized low construction costs" maintains parallel structure. The other choices introduce a full clause, an infinitive phrase, or an inverted sentence, breaking parallelism.
