Silverturtle's Guide to SAT and Admissions Success

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1141

<p>Can someone explain these questions?</p>

<p>The African tsetse fly does not need a brain, everything
it has to do in life is programmed into its nervous
system.
(A) brain, everything
(B) brain due to everything which
(C) brain, for everything
(D) brain; since, everything
(E) brain whereas everything</p>

<p>I picked A, but I can see why it’s wrong, since it’s a two independent clauses. The answer is choice C, but isn’t that a bit too ‘wordy’ and ‘awkward’?</p>

<p>Explaining modern art is impossible, partly because of
its complexity but largely because of it rapidly
changing.<a href=“A”>/U</a> of it rapidly changing
(B) it makes rapid changes
(C) of the rapidity with which it changes
(D) changing it is rapid
(E) it changes so rapid</p>

<p>I picked B, the answer is C, but I also thought that it was too wordy.</p>

<p>The famous filmmaker had a tendency of changing his recollections, perhaps out of boredom at having to tell interviewers the same story over and over. No error.</p>

<p>I picked D because I thought it was an idiom error ‘boredom of’, but the answer choice is B.</p>

<p>The television station has received many complaints about the clothing advertisements, which some viewers condemn to be tasteless. No error</p>

<p>I picked no error, the answer choice is D. </p>

<p>Can someone explain these answer choices? It’s from the released QAS.</p>

1142

<p>First question–
A semicolon should be used between two independent clauses; choice A uses a comma. Choice B is awkward and choice E is illogical. Choice D improperly uses the semicolon, since the second clause in the sentence is dependent. Choice C remains.</p>

<p>Second question–
The answer lies in parallelism: the preposition “because of” has to remain the same in the comparison. This means that choices A and C are the only possible answers. Choice C is the only logical answer, since the correct version of choice A should read “of its rapidly changing”.</p>

<p>Third question–
B should read “to change”. D is a correct idiom.</p>

<p>Fourth question–
D should be “as” instead of “to be”. It’s another idiom error.</p>

1143

<p>Are the phrases ‘to be’ and ‘being’ generally wrong on the SAT?</p>

<p>And for the third question, what would that error fall under? I can see how ‘to change’ works, but what’s wrong with having ‘of changing’?</p>

1144

<p>I remember someone saying that unless used as a noun, “being” is generally wrong. Someone please correct me.</p>

<p>The phrase “tendency + infinitive” is just an idiom that one needs to know. People just don’t say “tendency of + gerund”. Knowing these idioms usually comes from reading widely or looking up idiom lists (I suggest the former both if you have the time and as a general habit).</p>

1145

<p>

</p>

<p>Choice (A) is a comma splice. Choice (B) incorrectly uses “due to” and is phrased incorrectly (one would have to say “because of the fact that everything which it has to do…”). Choice (C) is neither awkward nor incorrect; “for” means “because” there. Choice (D) uses a semicolon to set off a dependent clause. Choice (E) employs an illogical conjunction.</p>

1146

<p>

</p>

<p>What comes after the two because’s must be parallel:</p>

<p>Explaining modern art is impossible, partly because of its complexity but largely because of it rapidly changing.</p>

<p>“it” would need to be the possessive “its” there because “changing” is a gerund. (B) is not parallel because it uses a clause instead of a prepositional phrase. (C) is awkward but grammatical. (D) is illogical. (E) uses an adjective when it should use an adverb and has the same problem as (B).</p>

1147

<p>

</p>

<p>See the section of my guide entitled “Incorrectly using a gerund or infinitive as a complement”; “tendency” is one of the words listed there.</p>

1148

<p>

</p>

<p>See the idiom list of my guide (it’s in the preposition section of post #13); “condemn as” is listed there.</p>

1149

<p>

</p>

<p>Actually, when “being” is a gerund (a functional noun), it can be correct; but when “being” is a participle (a functional adjective), it is usually wrong for logical reasons. However, in the former situation, “being” requires a prepositional modifier. Here is the relevant section of the guide:</p>

<p>

</p>

1150

<p>If I read your writing guide can you really guarantee a 750 on the November 9 SAT?
How much time should I dedicate to reading your guide, it looks very long?
(does the question mark go there)</p>

1151

<p>

</p>

<p>Or your money back. Seriously, though, if you’re fluent in English and understand everything there, the Writing section tests (albeit indirectly) applied content to such an extent that knowing the relevant material and practicing with it should be sufficient for a very high score for a sizable majority of people.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I’m not in a good position to know how long it would take, and it will vary person-to-person. </p>

<p><a href=“does%20the%20question%20mark%20go%20there”>quote</a>

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, the sentence has a comma splice, so that is throwing off the syntax. You could say:</p>

<p>How much time should I dedicate to reading your guide (it looks very long)? or</p>

<p>How much time should I dedicate to reading your guide? It looks very long.</p>

1152

<p>Silverturtle, would these work as well?</p>

<p>How much time should I dedicate to reading your guide; it looks very long?</p>

<p>How much time should I dedicate to reading your guide since it looks very long?</p>

1153

<p>^ The first one doesn’t work, but the second one does. I believe that you could write this, though:</p>

<p>How much time should I dedicate to reading your guide; it looks very long.</p>

1154

<p>Question: What do whereby and wherein mean, and how are they exactly used? I had difficulties with these two questions:</p>

<p>Watermelons have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years, [and whereby thumping them] to test for ripeness has an equally long history.
A) and whereby thumping them
B) whereby thumping them
C) because thumping them
D) thumping them as a way
E) and thumping them</p>

<p>The name “transferware” [comes from a nineteenth-century technique for which] a pattern is engraved onto a copper roll, printed on tissue paper, and transferred onto earthenware dishes.
A) comes from a nineteenth-century technique for which
B) comes from a nineteenth-century technique according to which
C) comes from a nineteenth-century technique whereby
D) is a nineteenth-century technique wherein
E) means it is a nineteenth-century technique by which</p>

<p>These were from the tests from SAT Online course.</p>

1155

<p>Krazy the answers are E and C right? Whereby just means “by which”.</p>

<p>Silverturtle I have a question. Do you use “who (or whom)” for a group of people, like “crowd”? Or do you use “which”? Also, “which” can be used as both a subject or an object right? Like, “the cat which I like” or “the cat which likes me”.
Sorry if these are answered by your guide - I just started reading it today, but these are questions I’ve been wanting to ask.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

1156

<p>Yea I would go with E/C.</p>

<p>Heres another one:</p>

<p>A good actor practices by himself or herself.</p>

<p>This is grammatically incorrect right? PR says the sentence is fine.</p>

1157

<p>This is from Collegeboard’s online prep test 1.</p>

<p>At the reception were the chattering guests, the three-tired cake, the lively music that have become characteristic of many wedding celebrations.</p>

<p>I chose “characteristic” as the faulty part of the sentence. Since more that one thing were being talked about, I felt that “characteristics” is more appropriate. But it then occurred to me that “characteristic” can also be used as an adjective, but in this context, it doesn’t seem correct. The adjective form of the word will be used in this way * Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn.*</p>

<p>So what’s the answer? :/</p>

1158

<p>This is an extremely awkward sentence, but I don’t spot an error.</p>

1159

<p>Are these sentences correct?</p>

<p>It is I who likes cake. I talked to him, who likes cake. I talked to he who likes cake.</p>

1160

<p>

Should be It is me who likes cake.</p>