Bluebook SAT Writing and Language 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the best revision of the underlined portion of the sentence? <br> Sentence: "The dog ran quickly, and he chased the ball down the street."
- The dog quickly ran, and he chased the ball down the street.
- The dog ran quickly, and chased the ball down the street. (Correct answer)
- The dog ran quickly, and he chasing the ball down the street.
- The dog ran quickly, and he chases the ball down the street.
Correct answer: The dog ran quickly, and chased the ball down the street.
The original sentence uses the pronoun "he" unnecessarily because "The dog" is already established as the subject performing both actions. Removing "he" creates a more concise and grammatically parallel structure, where both verbs "ran" and "chased" directly relate to the single subject "The dog." This revision improves the sentence's flow and conciseness without losing clarity.
Question 2: Which of the following sentences is most effectively written?
- Neither the teacher nor the students was prepared for the sudden change in schedule. (Correct answer)
- Neither the teacher nor the students were prepared for the sudden change in schedule.
- Neither the teacher or the students were prepared for the sudden change in schedule.
- Neither the teacher or the students was prepared for the sudden change in schedule.
Correct answer: Neither the teacher nor the students was prepared for the sudden change in schedule.
The correct answer uses the singular verb 'was' with the 'neither...nor' construction, even though 'students' is plural. This choice aligns with a grammatical perspective that treats 'neither...nor' as always requiring a singular verb, regardless of the number of the second subject. This interpretation emphasizes that *not one* of the mentioned subjects was prepared, focusing on the individual absence rather than the collective.
Question 3: Which of the following revisions most improves the clarity of the sentence? <br> Sentence: "In spite of the fact that the weather was cold, she decided to go on a walk, even though she was feeling sick."
- Although the weather was cold, she decided to go for a walk despite feeling sick.
- She decided to go for a walk, even though it was cold and she felt sick.
- She decided to go for a walk, although it was cold, even though she felt sick.
- Despite the cold weather, she decided to go for a walk, even though she was feeling sick. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Despite the cold weather, she decided to go for a walk, even though she was feeling sick.
The original sentence is wordy due to the phrase "In spite of the fact that." Option D improves clarity and conciseness by replacing this with the more direct and efficient phrase "Despite the cold weather." This revision streamlines the introductory clause, making the sentence easier to read and understand without altering its meaning.
Question 4: Which of the following choices correctly revises the underlined portion of the sentence? <br> Sentence: "The committee has voted on the new proposal, however, no decision has been made yet."
- The committee has voted on the new proposal however, no decision has been made yet.
- The committee has voted on the new proposal; however, no decision has been made yet. (Correct answer)
- The committee has voted on the new proposal, nevertheless no decision has been made yet.
- The committee has voted on the new proposal; nonetheless no decision has been made yet.
Correct answer: The committee has voted on the new proposal; however, no decision has been made yet.
When a conjunctive adverb like "however" connects two independent clauses, it must be preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. The original sentence incorrectly uses a comma before "however," creating a comma splice. Option B correctly uses a semicolon before "however" and a comma after it, properly separating the two complete thoughts and adhering to standard punctuation rules.
Question 5: Which of the following is the best revision of the underlined portion of the sentence? <br> Sentence: "The painting, which is in the museum's collection, are an example of modern art."
- The painting, which are in the museum's collection, is an example of modern art.
- The paintings, which are in the museum's collection, are examples of modern art.
- The painting, which is in the museum's collection, is an example of modern art. (Correct answer)
- The paintings, which is in the museum's collection, is an example of modern art.
Correct answer: The painting, which is in the museum's collection, is an example of modern art.
The subject of the sentence is "The painting," which is singular. The verb must agree with this singular subject, not with the plural noun "collection" found within the intervening clause. Therefore, the singular verb "is" is required to agree with "The painting," making option C grammatically correct.
Bluebook SAT Writing and Language 1
Which of the following is the best revision of the underlined portion of the sentence?
Sentence: "The dog ran quickly, and he chased the ball down the street."