Help on 2 PSAT Writing Questions

Test Preparation
1

<ol>
<li> The cape buffalo plays a vital role in the ecology of the grasslands when they eat tall, coarse grass and therefore encouraging the growth of the shorter, softer grasses eaten by smaller animals.</li>
</ol>

<p>a) grasslands when they it
b) grasslands when it eats
c) grasslands, eating
d) grasslands, it eats
e) grasslands by their eating</p>

<p>Could someone please explain to my why the answer is c?</p>

<ol>
<li>Our instructor repeatedly insured us that our harnesses, cables, and other climbing equipment had been checked many times and would not fail. No error</li>
</ol>

<p>Why is the answer insured?</p>

2

<p>I just did the same practice test, and I was wondering that myself haha.</p>

<p>a) - when they eat - the buffalo is singular so “they” is wrong
b) - looks right, but “it” just sounds like bad grammar to me.
d) - by saying “it” after the comma, it breaks the sentence apart into two separate thoughts, so you would need a semi-colon after “grasslands”.
e) - would need an “of” before “eating” to make any sense</p>

<p>c is all that is left.</p>

<p>As for 33, I do not see how there is any error.</p>

3

<p>Heres a site that explains it better.</p>

<p>[embedit.in</a> — Psat score report writing incorrectomitted](<a href=“http://embedit.in/f2j2BYotvg]embedit.in”>http://embedit.in/f2j2BYotvg)</p>

4

<p>Oh, and for 33, the word is ensure, not insure…thats why</p>

5

<p>Argh bad mistake</p>

<p>vapor what did you get on the test?</p>

6

<ol>
<li>The cape buffalo plays a vital role in the ecology of the [grasslands when they eat] tall, coarse grass and therefore encouraging the growth of the shorter, softer grasses eaten by smaller animals.</li>
</ol>

<p>a) grasslands when they eat
b) grasslands when it eats
c) grasslands, eating
d) grasslands, it eats
e) grasslands by their eating</p>

<p>The use of “when” as a conjunction in (a) and (b) is imprecise. The sense of the sentence is not of a specific event that is connected to another event, but of general behavior of the cape buffalo. Then (a) is doubly wrong: the plural pronoun “they” is inconsistent with “cape buffalo”. And then both “they” (in (a) ) and “it” (in (b) ) are vague references. (d) “it eats …” creates a run-on sentence. (e) treats “eating” as a gerund when its use is that of a participle. The possessive pronoun “their” compounds the error.</p>

<p>(c) leads to the participial phrase:
“eating tall, coarse grass and therefore encouraging the growth of the shorter, softer grasses eaten by smaller animals.” The phrase succinctly, neatly and correctly modifies cape buffalo.</p>

7

<p>33 is assured, not insured, nor ensured</p>

8

<p>It makes sense now.</p>

<p>When I read c, I thought it was a comma splice or something.</p>

9

<p>If you are not sure if buffalo is singular or plural, take a look at the verb next to it. Then you will know if the author meant for it to be singular or plural.<br>
“plays” is a verb for a singular subject</p>

<p>He plays an important role
They play an important role</p>

10

<p>I put b as the answer.</p>

<p>Another question. </p>

<p>When should I use he has had vs had?</p>

11

<p>You should use the “he has had” when the thing started in the past, and is still going on, which is the present perfect, the “he had” is just past tense.</p>

<p>For example:
He has had trouble on the exams. - it’s saying he had trouble in the past and is still having trouble, which is present perfect.</p>

<p>He had trouble on the exams. - this is just saying that he had trouble in the past, no indication that he still has trouble.</p>

<p>Hope this helps, if not, sorry.</p>