Reading and Writing Flashcards
7 cards from real DSAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Reading and Writing flashcards as text
Read this sentence: 'Neither the coach nor the players was satisfied with the outcome.' Which revision corrects the subject-verb agreement error?
Answer: Neither the coach nor the players were satisfied with the outcome.
When 'neither...nor' connects subjects, the verb agrees with the closer subject ('players'), which is plural, so 'were' is correct.
A passage describes a scientist who spent 30 years studying ant colonies. The author refers to her as 'tireless.' Based on context, 'tireless' most likely means:
Answer: persistently dedicated without flagging
'Tireless' in context means dedicated and persistent over a long period, not literally incapable of fatigue.
Which choice most effectively combines the following two sentences? 'The novel was praised by critics. It failed to attract a wide readership.'
Answer: Although the novel was praised by critics, it failed to attract a wide readership.
'Although' correctly signals the contrast between critical praise and poor readership, making option A the most logical and grammatical combination.
The graph shows average reading scores increasing from 2010 to 2020, then dropping sharply in 2021. Which claim is best supported by this data?
Answer: Reading scores declined significantly after a decade of improvement.
The data directly shows a rise followed by a sharp decline in 2021, supporting only the factual claim about the trend.
Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
Answer: Running to catch the bus, her backpack fell off.
In option A, 'Running to catch the bus' modifies 'her backpack,' which cannot run — this is a dangling modifier.
A student reads: 'The author uses the metaphor of a storm to describe the character's inner turmoil.' What does this sentence primarily analyze?
Answer: literary technique
Identifying and discussing a metaphor is an analysis of literary technique, not a plot summary or character motivation.
In the Digital SAT Reading and Writing section, what does it mean for evidence to be 'textual'?
Answer: The evidence comes directly from words in the passage.
Textual evidence refers specifically to words, phrases, or sentences found in the passage itself.