Bluebook SAT Grammar and Punctuation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The architect's design for the library ______ praised for its use of natural light, but critics questioned whether the glass walls would be energy efficient. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- was (Correct answer)
- were
- are
- have been
Correct answer: was
The singular subject "design" takes "was," matching the past tense "questioned."
The subject is the singular noun "design" (not "walls" or "library"), so a singular verb is required, which eliminates "were" and "have been." The second clause uses the past tense "questioned," so "was" keeps the tenses consistent, whereas "are" shifts to the present.
Question 2: In 1977, NASA launched two probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, each carrying a gold-plated record with sounds and images from ______ purpose was to communicate the story of our world to any intelligent life that might find it. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- Earth, it's
- Earth. Its (Correct answer)
- Earth, its
- Earth its
Correct answer: Earth. Its
Two independent clauses need a period; "Its" is the possessive.
After "Earth" the first sentence is complete, and "Its purpose was to communicate..." is a second complete sentence, so a period is required. Choices A and C create comma splices, and D creates a run-on. Additionally, "it's" (it is) is wrong; the possessive "its" is needed to refer to the record's purpose.
Question 3: Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, ______ experiments disproved the law of conservation of parity, was excluded from the 1957 Nobel Prize awarded for that discovery. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- who's
- whose (Correct answer)
- whom
- which
Correct answer: whose
"Whose" shows possession of the experiments.
The blank needs a possessive relative pronoun to indicate that the experiments belonged to Wu. "Whose" is the possessive form. "Who's" means "who is," "whom" is an object pronoun, and "which" is not used for people.
Question 4: Because the museum's collection had grown too large for its original ______ the trustees voted to construct a new wing. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- building;
- building:
- building, (Correct answer)
- building
Correct answer: building,
A dependent clause that opens a sentence is followed by a comma.
The sentence begins with a dependent clause introduced by "Because." When an introductory dependent clause precedes the main clause, a comma separates them. A semicolon or colon cannot follow a dependent clause, and omitting punctuation makes the sentence harder to read and violates the convention.
Question 5: To reduce food waste, some restaurants have begun donating unsold meals to shelters; ______ others have started composting scraps rather than sending them to landfills. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- similarly, (Correct answer)
- consequently,
- in other words,
- nevertheless,
Correct answer: similarly,
Both clauses describe parallel strategies for the same goal.
The first clause describes one strategy for reducing food waste, and the second describes another strategy with the same goal. "Similarly" signals a comparable action. "Consequently" would imply cause and effect, "in other words" a restatement, and "nevertheless" a contrast, none of which fits.
Question 6: The ranger explained that hikers should carry at least two liters of water, that they should tell someone their planned route, and that ______ before dusk. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- returning to the trailhead
- to return to the trailhead
- they should return to the trailhead (Correct answer)
- the trailhead should be returned to
Correct answer: they should return to the trailhead
Each "that" clause must have the same subject-verb structure.
The sentence lists three "that" clauses, each of which must be a full clause. The first two follow the pattern "that [subject] should [verb]," so the third should be "that they should return to the trailhead." The other choices are fragments or shift to an awkward passive construction, breaking parallelism.
Bluebook SAT Grammar and Punctuation 2
The architect's design for the library ______ praised for its use of natural light, but critics questioned whether the glass walls would be energy efficient.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?