Writing Questions from May 2008 SAT

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>In context, which of the following is the best way to revise the underlined portion of sentences 6 and 7 (reproduced below)?</p>

<ul>
<li>The | indicates the end of the underlined portion.</li>
</ul>

<p>In the 1770’s it took from five to eight months to sail from England to India. A | European writing a letter to someone in India usually had to wait two years for a response.</p>

<p>My Response:</p>

<p>As early as the 1770’s, sailing from England to India took five to eight months, whereas a </p>

<p>Correct Response:</p>

<p>In the 1770’s, when it took from five to eight months to sail from England to India, a</p>

<p>I don’t understand why the response I chose is grammatically incorrect. Both of them seem applicable. Any thoughts?</p>

2

<p>You are distorting the meaning of the original sentence in your version and “whereas” doesn’t fit the context. The original sentence doesn’t say “as early as”: it could have taken five to eight months to travel to India since the 1500s. The original sentence is simply stating how long it took in the 1770s. Secondly, it is because it took 5-8 months to sail to India that a response to a letter took 2 years. Instead of “whereas”, which implies conflicting or contrasting information will follow, you need a conjunction/transition like “consequently” or “as a result”; in your present sentence, the correct conjunction would result in a run-on sentence.</p>