SAT A WRITING TEST

TIME: 40 MINUTES
Identify the errors in the following sentences.
1. He is not sure if
A
he should
B
buy the new computer now or
C
wait until
he receives
D
his next bonus. No error
E
.
2. Mark scored poorly
A
on the test, which
B
is not surprisingsince
C
he did not
prepare adequately
D
. No error.
E

3. I prefer
A
Marlene to any
B
hairdresser I have visited
C
in the past because she has
such a good understanding of her clients'
D
needs. No error
E
.
4. The archivist had
A
not only
B
a deep interest
C
but also a clear understanding of
the historical documents in
D
the museum. No error.
E

5. With skill and surprising
A
gentleness the fireman managed to
B
lower the injured
cat down
C
from the top of
D
the tree. No error
E
.
6. Was the woman who
A
you think you saw
B
leaving the building
wearing
C
a nurse's
D
uniform? No error
E
.
7. As he held open
A
the door for her, she could not ignore the look on his
face,
B
a look that aggravated
C
her self-consciousness as they proceeded
D
along
the street. No error
E
.
8. Many people genuinely want to be
A
fitter, but few
B
have the tenacity for
sticking
C
to a suitable regime
D
of diet and exercise.No error
E
.
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
9. Safety precautions and emergency exits, matters of great concern for
A
builders
of commercial establishments, are
B
often overlooked
C
when designing
D
a new
home. No error
E
.
10. From the time he took up
A
his new position as
B
head of the department,
he has been
C
concerned about
D
the legitimacy of his appointment. No error
E
.

Identify the best expression for the underlined sentences:
1. It is highly desirable that you furnish evidence of your expenses before you
submit your final accounts.
A. It is highly desirable that you furnish evidence of your expenses
B. It is highly desirable that you should furnish evidence of your expenses
C. It is highly to be desired that you furnish evidences of your expenses
D. You must furnish evidence of your expenses
E. You should have to supply evidence of your expenses
2. The population of tigers in the National Park is increasing steadily, and this is a
source of encouragement to those who have worked so hard to fund the
conservation effort.
A. steadily, and this
B. steadily: which
C. steadily; this trend
D. steadily, this increase
E. steady, and this
3. In the fine print at the end of the document lies the clauses that make us liable
for any expenses that result from civil unrest.
A. lies the clauses that make us liable for any expenses that
B. lies the clauses that make us liable for any expenses which
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
C. lies the clause that make us liable for any expenses that
D. lie the clauses that makes us liable for any expenses which
E. lie the clauses that make us liable for any expenses that
4. The administration discussed whether the number of students studying
European languages was likely to decline when the senior lecturer retired.
A. whether the number of students studying European languages was likely
B. whether the number of students studying European languages were likely
C. if the students studying European languages were likely
D. if the number of European language students were likely
E. whether the number of students studying European languages was liable
5. If the gardener would sow the seeds in the greenhouse rather than the garden,
he might get a better display of flowers.
A. If the gardener would sow the seeds in the greenhouse rather than the
garden
B. If the gardener sowed the seeds in the greenhouse rather than the garden
C. If the gardener would sow the seeds in the greenhouse rather than in the
garden
D. If the gardener were to sow the seeds in the greenhouse rather than in the
garden
E. If the gardener would sow the seeds in the greenhouse instead of the
garden
6. On Discovery channel last night they showed an informative program about
new innovations in medical imaging, which you would have found interesting.
A. they showed an informative program about new innovations in medical
imaging, which you would have found interesting.
B. they showed an informative program about innovations in medical
imaging, which you would have found interesting.
C. they showed an informative program about innovations in medical
imaging, that you would have found interesting.
D. there was an informative program about new innovations in medical
imaging, that you would have found interesting.
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
E. there was an informative program about innovations in medical imaging, a
program you would have found interesting.
7. After working for two hours, the essay started to take shape, and he began to
hope that he might finish before the deadline.
A. After working for two hours, the essay started to take shape, and he began
to hope
B. When the essay started to take shape after he had worked on it for two
hours, he began to hope
C. When the essay started to take shape after he had worked on it for two
hours, he begun to hope
D. When the essay started to take shape after working on it for two hours, he
began to hope
E. After working for two hours, the student's essay started to take shape, and
he began to hope
8. The young man was surprised to find that his experience as a tutor had been
used as the basis for the protagonist in a short story written by a former
girlfriend.
A. that his experience as a tutor had been used as the basis for the
protagonist in
B. his experience as a tutor having been used as the protagonist in
C. his experience as a tutor had been used as the basis for the protagonist's
in
D. his experience as a tutor being used as the basis for the protagonist of
E. that his experience as a tutor had been used as the basis for events in the
life of the protagonist in
9. In the engineering sector at the moment there are no jobs for those without
experience, which makes it difficult for we recent graduates to get started on our
careers.
A. at the moment there are no jobs for those without experience, which
makes it difficult for we
B. at the moment there are no jobs for those without experience, which
makes it difficult for us
C. there are no jobs at the moment for those without experience, a fact that
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
makes it difficult for us
D. there are no jobs at the moment for those without experience, which
makes it difficult for us
E. there are no jobs at the moment for those without experience, a fact which
makes it difficult for we
10. The mole is a nocturnal insectivorous mammal regarded as pests by
gardeners because of their burrowing activity spoilinglawns and gardens.
A. regarded as pests by gardeners because of their burrowing activity
spoiling
B. regarded to be pests by gardeners because of their burrowing activity's
spoiling
C. regarded as a pest by gardeners because of burrowing activity spoiling
D. considered as a pest by gardeners because of its burrowing activity
spoiling
E. regarded as a pest by gardeners because its burrowing activity spoils lawns
and gardens.
Questions 1-6 refer to the following passage, which is a draft of an essay:
(1)I recently revisited the city which I was born in, which is a place well known for
a castle built on a rock overlooking the surrounding plains, and even better
known for a legendary figure who robbed the rich to give to the poor. (2)As I
toured the castle and its museum, visited the town center, and roamed around
old haunts, I reflected on how the buildings that people of different eras build
reflect their central preoccupations.
(3)The castle was originally built in the eleventh century, and remained important
for several centuries. (4)Throughout the medieval period castles and fortified
houses were built. (5)The powerful landowners surveyed and dominated the
surrounding lands, the source of their wealth and prestige.
(6)Once the industrial era began, castles were sidelined. (7)The merchants and
factory owners built town halls, churches, factories and imposing office buildings.
(7)The town center reflects this era. (8)An imposing town hall, complete with
massive pillars and monumental lions, overlooks the town square. (9)The square is
surrounded by equally massive blocks of shops, banks and offices, built to reflect
the power of trade in the heyday of the British Empire.
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
(10)Most people who enter the city today never visit the castle or the old market
square, they head for the two shopping malls situated at either end of the city
center. (11)Here the visitor can shop to their hearts content in an environment of
glass and polished chrome. (12)Modern man is no longer a warrior defending his
land, or a builder of churches, or a governor of people: he is primarily a
consumer. (13)The buildings our generation leaves to posterity will reflect our
predominant interest shopping.
1. The author's approach to the topic can best be described as
A. rhetorical
B. a reminiscence
C. a specific example to illustrate a general point
D. personal narrative
E. several examples used to contradict a viewpoint
2. The sentence (or sentences) which most clearly expresses the author's primary
purpose is
A. (1)
B. (2)
C. (12)
D. (13)
E. (1) and (13)
3. Which is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence (1),
(reproduced below)?
I recently revisited the city which I was born in, which is a placewell known for a
castle built on a rock overlooking the surrounding plains, and even better known
for a legendary figure who robbed the rich to give to the poor.
A. I recently revisited the city which I was born in, which is a place
B. I recently revisited the city in which I was born in, which is
C. I recently revisited the city in which I was born, a city
D. Recently I revisited the place which I was born in, which is a city
E. Recently I revisited the city which I was born in, which is
4. The best way to rewrite the underlined parts of sentences 4 and 5 (reproduced
below) in order to combine the sentences is:
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
Throughout the medieval period castles and fortified houses were built. The
powerful landowners surveyed and dominated the surrounding lands, the source
of their wealth and prestige.
A. Throughout the medieval period castles and fortified houses were built
from which powerful landowners surveyed and dominated
B. Castles and fortified houses were built throughout the medieval period,
from which powerful landowners surveyed and dominated
C. Castles and fortified houses were built throughout the medieval period,
when powerful landowners surveyed and dominated
D. Throughout the medieval period, powerful landowners built castles and
fortified houses from which to survey and dominate
E. Throughout the medieval period, powerful landowners built castles and
fortified houses from which they would have surveyed and dominated
5. The change most needed in sentence 10 is
A. change or to nor
B. change either end to both ends
C. change the comma to a semicolon
D. avoid the repetition of the word city
E. change people to persons
6. Sentence 11 has faulty
A. pronoun usage
B. parallelism
C. verb tenses
D. diction
E. verb agreement
Questions 7-12 refer to the following passage, which is a draft of an essay:
(1)Nowadays we tend to use the expression plain vanilla in a derogatory sense
for something simple and unadorned. (2)But have you ever thought about the
ways in which the vanilla bean has improved the taste of what we eat?
(3)One of the most used, and presumably, most appreciated, flavors known to
man, worldwide we use more than one thousand tons of vanilla beans every year,
mainly to flavor ice cream, cakes and confectionery. (4)Since the 1930s chemical
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
companies have also been making huge amounts of synthetic vanilla essence
mainly from the byproducts of the paper pulp industry. (5)In fact, most of the
vanilla flavor products on the supermarket shelves have never seen a vanilla
pod. (6)However, good cooks keep real vanilla pods in their sugar to enhance the
taste of their cakes and cookies and would not buy synthetic vanilla.
(7)Natural vanilla is the product of a creeper that grows best in hot wet climates.
(8)It requires hand pollinating and the growing, harvesting and curing need skill
and are labor intensive. (9)With the advent of biotechnology it remains to be seen
how long the traditional growing and production methods would survive.
(10)But whatever the source, vanilla has become essential to the human palate.
(11)Think about it: do you even know what plain ice cream would taste like
without vanilla?
7. The writer uses all of the following techniques except
A. rhetorical questions
B. statement of facts
C. speculation
D. address to the reader
E. personal experience
8. Which version of the underlined part best corrects and improves sentence 3
(reproduced below)?
One of the most used, and presumably, most appreciated, flavors known to man,
worldwide we use more than one thousand tons of vanilla beans every year,
mainly to flavor ice cream, cakes and confectionery.
A. Vanilla is certainly one of the most used, and presumably most
appreciated, flavors known to man. Worldwide
B. Vanilla is certainly one of the most used, and presumably most
appreciated, flavors known to man, worldwide
C. Vanilla is certainly one of the most used, and presumably most
appreciated, flavors known to man worldwide:
D. One of the most used, and presumably most appreciated, flavors known to
man worldwide, vanilla
E. Worldwide vanilla is certainly one of the most used, and presumably most
appreciated, flavors known to man.
SAT A WRITING TEST
TIME: 40 MINUTES
9. The best replacement for the word it in sentence 8 is
A. vanilla
B. the pod
C. vanilla flowers
D. the plant
E. pods
10. The change most needed in sentence 9 is
A. change would to will
B. change methods to method
C. rewrite to avoid to be
D. insert for in front of how
E. substitute arrival for advent
11. One reason the writer uses the word plain in the last sentence is probably
A. to contrast with vanilla
B. to link to the use of the same word in the first sentence
C. to emphasis an opposite
D. to clarify what is meant by flavor
E. to add more force to the argument
12. Which sentence best states the author's contention about vanilla?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 9
D. 10
E. 11