PSAT Writing Skills questions - Can somebody explain these to me?

mitsu · October 12, 2004, 10:44pm

PSAT 2003
If the consumer price index (raises drastically) (in a single year), economists may (assume that) a period of inflation is (soon to come).
Answer: (raises drastically)

<pre><code> CB Official SAT Study Guide
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Delgado's dilemma was (like many other) young writers: he (had to choose) between assured publication in a student magazine (and) (probable rejection by) a popular magazine.
Answer: (like many other)

<pre><code> Barron's SAT II writing
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Although I wish it (were) (otherwise), by this time next week (I will have had) surgery on my knee, which (was) injured during a hockey game last winter.
Answer: No error

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I don't understand what's wrong with the first two. For the one from Barron's, why isn't the (were) wrong? Shouldn't it be "I wish it /was/ otherwise"?

Thanks ^^

princess345345 · October 12, 2004, 10:45pm

I know for the 2nd sentence, it's a faulty comparison. As it is, you're comparing his dilemma to "many other young writers"... It should be "Delgado's dilemma was (like that of many other) young writers:...."

1ofeach · October 12, 2004, 10:53pm

The first one should be "RISES" . Rise/Raise are words to watch out for.
Rise is something that happens without human hands (such as bread rising) and raises needs outside help; We raised the furniture when we moved it so it wouldn't scrape the floor.

mitsu · October 12, 2004, 11:04pm

princess345345: Yeah, I see it now. I have been having trouble spotting that kind of error. Thanks for pointing it out!

1ofeach: ...I never noticed that o.O;; It's sad, but I thought it was a case of gray and grey... Get any other words that I should watch out for? Thanks for answering my question!

tanman · October 12, 2004, 11:26pm

For the third one, I think it has to do with the fact that the first clause is in the subjunctive mood. From the American</a> Heritage Book on English Usage, the subjunctive is used "to express the speakers attitude about the likelihood or factuality of a given situation".

Remember the song from The Fiddler on the Roof - "If I were a rich man"...

anastasia_b · October 13, 2004, 12:44pm

Another one to watch out for is lay/lie.

You lay down the book youve been reading, but you lie down when you go to bed.

Objects or any nouns that are being acted upon use "lay." If the subject is doing the action [on itself], it's lie.

zoogies · October 13, 2004, 4:21pm

Yeah, it should be 'rises'; as for the second one, you can't compare someone's dilemna with a group of people. How can a dilemna be similar to some young writers? No, it has to be similar to the dilemna of other young writers.

Subjunctives! Whoopeee! I guess it's a subjunctive, since it's expressing desire, but I didn't know that 'were' was the singular form of the verb then. I don't know. Could be an error? Check the explanation.

mitsu · October 13, 2004, 9:35pm

tanman: Thanks! It's still a bit confusing to me, but I think I can catch that kind of mistake next time. I hope I don't start singing during the test XD

anastasia_b: Lay and lie...okay, I'll keep them in mind. Thanks!

zoogies: The problem is that my brain will automatically sub in "the dilemna of" and I won't even realize it. Bad brain! lol~
I did check the explanation....which is: "No error."
....-_-;;