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

ordinance, which

Answer

ordinance, whom

Answer

ordinance that

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

Each of the players have their own pre-game ritual.

Answer

The committee, comprised of ten members, are meeting tomorrow.

Answer

Neither the cat nor the dogs wants to go outside in the rain.

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

NO CHANGE

Answer

to have improved speed,

Answer

an improvement of speed,

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

distances, their

Answer

distances and their

Answer

distances, but their

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

which

Answer

of which

Answer

in that

Question 6

Despite its small size, the hummingbird has a remarkably fast metabolism, it must consume nectar from hundreds of flowers each day to survive.

Accepted Answer

metabolism; it

Answer

metabolism, it

Answer

metabolism, and it

Answer

metabolism and