Help me with these questions! (SAT Writing)

11041994 · 09-21-2012, 01:23 PM

1. (When Marie Curie shared) the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics (with two other) scientists-her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel-she (had been) the first woman (to win) the prize. (No error).

I chose no error. The right answer was 'had been'. WHY?

2. Most of the sediments and nutrients of the Mississippi River (no longer) reach the coastal wetlands, a phenomenon that has (adversely) (affected) (the region's) ecological balance. No error.

I chose 'the region's'. Isn't 'region's' supposed to be the same as 'region is'? There was no error in this one -.-

Philovitist · 09-21-2012, 01:28 PM

1. It uses past perfect in a sentence set up to be in the preterite. It should be "became".

2. 's can be used as a contraction of "XXX is" or as a signifier of possession/ownership.

11041994 · 09-21-2012, 01:36 PM

Is there an easy way of spotting the error in the first one?

I read on Sparknotes that "XXXs" signifies possession, and that "XXX's" is the contraction.

tomatox1 · 09-22-2012, 09:24 PM

^Not really. Just learn the past perfect tense and when to spot it.

11041994 · 09-23-2012, 11:04 AM

Alright. Thanks!