PSAT/NMSQT Writing: Standard English Conventions Questions and Answers

Question 1

The city council, after a long and often contentious debate, finally passed the new zoning ordinance, ______ it is hoped will encourage more mixed-use development in the downtown area.

Accepted Answer

ordinance which

Answer

The correct answer is 'ordinance which'. The clause 'which it is hoped will encourage more mixed-use development' is a non-restrictive clause, meaning it provides additional, non-essential information. Non-restrictive clauses must be set off by a comma. 'Which' is the appropriate relative pronoun to refer to the 'ordinance.' 'Whom' is used for people, and 'that' is typically used for restrictive clauses (essential information) and does not follow a comma.

Question 2

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

Accepted Answer

The collection of rare stamps, gathered over decades, is worth a fortune.

Answer

The correct answer is 'The collection of rare stamps, gathered over decades, is worth a fortune.' The subject of the sentence is 'collection,' which is a singular noun. Therefore, the singular verb 'is' is correct. The phrase 'of rare stamps, gathered over decades' is a prepositional phrase that does not affect the subject-verb agreement. In the other options, 'Each' is singular and requires 'has'; 'committee' is a singular unit and requires 'is'; and with 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it ('dogs'), so it should be 'want'.

Question 3

To prepare for the marathon, the runner focused on three key activities: building endurance, to improve speed, and maintaining a healthy diet.

Accepted Answer

improving speed,

Answer

This question tests parallel structure. The original sentence lists three activities, but the structure is inconsistent ('building', 'to improve', 'maintaining'). To make the items parallel, the verb forms should be consistent. The correct answer, 'improving speed,', changes the second item to a gerund ('-ing' form) to match the structure of 'building endurance' and 'maintaining a healthy diet.'

Question 4

The ancient Roman aqueducts, an engineering marvel, were designed to transport water over vast distances. Their construction required incredible precision and a deep understanding of physics.

Accepted Answer

distances; their

Answer

The original text presents two complete, independent sentences. A semicolon is used to connect two closely related independent clauses. A comma alone (as in 'distances, their') would create a comma splice, which is a grammatical error. Using a coordinating conjunction like 'and' or 'but' with a comma would also be grammatically correct, but the semicolon best shows the close, logical connection between the two ideas presented.

Question 5

The new manager, hoping to improve team morale, decided to implement a new policy ______ everyone could leave an hour early on Fridays.

Accepted Answer

that

Answer

The correct choice is 'that'. The clause 'everyone could leave an hour early on Fridays' is a restrictive clause because it is essential to understanding what the 'new policy' is. The word 'that' is used to introduce restrictive clauses. 'Which' is typically used for non-restrictive clauses (extra information) and would require a comma before it.

PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test

PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test

PSAT/NMSQT Writing: Standard English Conventions Questions and Answers