betterMateusz/SAT_Writting_Reading_Assessment_Question_Bank huggingface dataset:
The following text is adapted from Indian Boyhood, a 1902 memoir by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman), a Santee Dakota writer.
In the text, Ohiyesa recalls how the women in his tribe harvested maple syrup during his childhood.
Now the women began to test the trees—moving leisurely among them, axe in hand, and striking a single quick blow, to
see if the sap would appear. The trees, like people, have their individual characters; some were ready to yield up their life-
blood, while others were more reluctant. Now one of the birchen basins was set under each tree, and a hardwood chip
driven deep into the cut which the axe had made. From the corners of this chip—at ﬁrst drop by drop, then more freely—the
sap trickled into the little dishes.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A) It portrays the range of personality traits displayed by the women as they work.
B) It foregrounds the beneﬁcial relationship between humans and maple trees.
C) It demonstrates how human behavior can be inﬂuenced by the natural environment.
D) It elaborates on an aspect of the maple trees that the women evaluate.

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text’s overall portrayal
of how the women in Ohiyesa’s tribe harvested maple syrup. The text states that the women used an axe to strike the maple
trees in order to ﬁnd out which ones would produce sap. The underlined sentence compares the trees to people, with the sap
described as the trees’ “life-blood.” Some of the trees are ready to give out their sap, while others are unwilling to do so.
Using personiﬁcation, the sentence provides greater detail about the aspect of the maple trees—their potential to give sap—
that the women are evaluating.
Choice A is incorrect because the personalities of the women are not discussed in the text. Although the underlined
sentence does mention “individual characters,” this reference is not to the women in the text but rather to the maple trees,
which the sentence compares to people with individual character traits. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined
sentence focuses on the trees’ willingness or refusal to yield sap, not on the beneﬁcial relationship between the women and
the trees. Additionally, although the text does suggest that the women and their tribe beneﬁt from the maple trees since the
trees allow the women to harvest syrup, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the trees beneﬁt from this relationship in
turn. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence is comparing maple trees to humans, not addressing the
inﬂuence of the natural environment on how the actual humans in the text, the women, behave.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Emperor penguins don’t waddle out of the ocean. They launch themselves at such a high speed that they travel up to two
meters before landing. How ______ A layer of microbubbles on their plumage reduces friction as the penguins speed to the
surface.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) they are able to move so fast!
B) are they able to move so fast.
C) they are able to move so fast.
D) are they able to move so fast?

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a
question mark to punctuate the interrogative sentence “how are they able to move so fast?” The interrogative sentence asks
a direct question, and the next sentence answers it.
Choice A is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative sentence “how they are able
to move so fast!” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next sentence’s explanation of how
the penguins achieve such speeds. Choice B is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an
interrogative sentence. Choice C is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative
sentence “how they are able to move so fast” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next
sentence’s explanation of how the penguins achieve such speeds.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In 1959, the ﬁlm industry debuted Smell-O-Vision. Theaters were ﬁtted with specialized vents that emitted odors at speciﬁc
points in a ______ as the scent of roses when roses appeared in a scene. Smell-O-Vision failed to impress, however, with one
reviewer declaring it “brieﬂy weird and not very interesting.”

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) movie such
B) movie; such
C) movie. Such
D) movie, such

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The comma appropriately separates the nonessential descriptive aside "such as…scene" from
the independent clause "Theaters were…movie." Since the descriptive example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to
function, it needs to be set off with punctuation.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. Since the example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence
to function, the descriptive aside "such as…scene" needs to be separated from the preceding independent clause with some
sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. A semicolon can only be used to separate
two independent clauses, but "such…scene" is not an independent clause and couldn’t stand on its own as a sentence.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. The descriptive aside "Such…scene" is not an independent
clause and can’t stand on its own as a sentence.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Nuhād al-ҭaddād, known as Fairuz, was one of the most beloved Lebanese singers of the twentieth century. Her broad
singing repertoire—which included traditional forms, such as the Arabic qasida and maqam, alongside modern pop and jazz
styles—lent Fairuz a timeless, cross-generational appeal, ______ her the moniker “the soul of Lebanon.”

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) earned
B) had earned
C) earning
D) earn

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The word "earning" is being used to introduce an additional modifying phrase, which describes
how Fairuz’s repertoire lent her cross-generational appeal. When a verb ends in -ing and doesn’t have a helper verb like "is"
before it, it can be used to modify a noun or verb. This is appropriate here.
Choice A is incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from
the rest of the sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a ﬁnite form of the verb (like "earned") creates an
error. We need another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information. Choice B is
incorrect. The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from the rest of
the sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a ﬁnite form of the verb (like "had earned") creates an error. We
need another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information. Choice D is incorrect.
The underlined verb is being used to introduce additional descriptive information, which is set off from the rest of the
sentence by a comma. Because there is no subject here, a ﬁnite form of the verb (like "earn") creates an error. We need
another form of the verb that doesn’t require a subject and can introduce descriptive information.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902), but
she also dedicated herself to mycology, the study of ______ more than 350 paintings of the fungal species she observed in
nature and submitting her research on spore germination to the Linnean Society of London.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) fungi; producing
B) fungi. Producing
C) fungi producing
D) fungi, producing

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between two supplementary phrases following
the coordinate clause (“but she…mycology”). This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the
supplementary noun phrase (“the study of fungi”) that deﬁnes the term “mycology” and the supplementary participial phrase
(“producing...London”) that provides additional information about the extent to which Potter dedicated herself to mycology.
Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join two supplementary phrases following a
coordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with
“producing.” Choice C is incorrect. The lack of punctuation results in a sentence that illogically suggests that the study of
fungi is producing more than 350 paintings.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Swedish scientists Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann developed a method for measuring the concentration of different
proteins in a biological sample. Their ______ ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), is used to detect and measure
proteins that indicate the presence of certain diseases.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) method (called
B) method—called
C) method, called
D) method called

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The comma after “method” pairs with the comma after the closing parenthesis to separate the supplementary element
“called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions
to identify the name of Engvall and Perlmann’s method, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be
removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.
Choice A is incorrect because an opening parenthesis can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element
from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
While most animals are incapable of passing somatic mutations—genetic alterations that arise in an organism’s
nonreproductive cells—on to their offspring, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) presents an intriguing ______: in a 2022 study,
researchers found that elkhorn coral produced offspring that inherited somatic mutations from a parent.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) hypothesis
B) aﬃnity
C) anomaly
D) corroboration

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. An "anomaly" is something that deviates from norms or expectations. In this case, the elkhorn
coral is an anomaly because it can pass on somatic mutations, whereas most other animals can’t.
Choice A is incorrect. A "hypothesis" is "a theory about something," but no theories are provided about elkhorn coral in this
text, just facts. Choice B is incorrect. "Aﬃnity" represents "an inclination or liking toward something." As genetic mutations
tend to occur without any conscious effort, you can’t really have an inclination toward passing on somatic mutations. Choice
D is incorrect. "Corroboration" means "evidence to support or prove something." Because elkhorn coral do the opposite of
what most animals do, they do not provide corroboration of the theory that somatic mutations can’t be passed onto
offspring. Rather, they show the opposite.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In 2018, the innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek ______ were featured in City Dreams, a solo
exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) Kingelez;
B) Kingelez,
C) Kingelez
D) Kingelez:

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. No punctuation is
needed when the subject of a sentence is immediately followed by a main verb. In this case, the sentence’s subject (“the
innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek Kingelez”) is followed by the main verb “were featured,” and
no punctuation should come between them.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In 2008, two years after the death of science ﬁction writer Octavia Butler, the Huntington Library in ______ received a
collection of more than 8,000 items, including Butler’s private notes, research materials, manuscripts, photos, and drawings.
Today, the Octavia E. Butler Collection is one of the most researched archives at the library.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) California,
B) California:
C) California—
D) California

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in
California”) from its verb (“received”).
Choice A is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”)
from its verb (“received”). Choice B is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington
Library in California”) from its verb (“received”). Choice C is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the
sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”).

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The process of mechanically recycling plastics is often considered ______ because of the environmental impact and the loss
of material quality that often occurs. But chemist Takunda Chazovachii has helped develop a cleaner process of chemical
recycling that converts superabsorbent polymers from diapers into a desirable reusable adhesive.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) resilient
B) inadequate
C) dynamic
D) satisfactory

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about recycling plastics. In this
context, “inadequate” means not satisfactory. The text indicates that the mechanical plastic-recycling process affects the
environment and causes “the loss of material quality.” The text contrasts that with Chazovachii’s chemical plastic-recycling
process, which is cleaner and produces a desirable product. The text’s emphasis on the negative aspects of mechanical
recycling suggests that it is inadequate in terms of environmental impact and the quality of the material the process yields.
Choice A is incorrect because in this context “resilient” would mean able to withstand diﬃculty and the text does not
characterize the plastic-recycling process as having this quality or describe any diﬃculties that these processes might need
to overcome. Choice C is incorrect because in this context “dynamic” would mean constantly changing. Although the text
suggests that there have been changes in the ﬁeld of recycling, as is the case with the advent of Chazovachii’s chemical
recycling process, there is nothing to suggest that the mechanical process itself has changed or is prone to change. Choice
D is incorrect because in this context “satisfactory” would mean acceptable but not perfect. The text mentions only
shortcomings of the mechanical process (environmental effects and lower material quality), so the text more strongly
supports a negative view of this process and provides no evidence that it would be considered satisfactory.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Text 1
Most scientists agree that the moon was likely formed after a collision between Earth and a large planet named Theia. This
collision likely created a huge debris ﬁeld, made up of material from both Earth and Theia. Based on models of this event,
scientists believe that the moon was formed from this debris over the course of thousands of years.
 
Text 2 
Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center used a computer to model how the moon could have formed. Although
simulations of the moon’s formation have been done in the past, the team from NASA ran simulations that were much more
detailed. They found that the formation of the moon was likely not a slow process that took many years. Instead, it’s
probable that the moon’s formation happened immediately after impact, taking just a few hours.

Question: Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the evidence for the
formation of the moon?
A) The author of Text 1 argues that the formation of the moon occurred much earlier than the author of Text 2 argues.
B) The author of Text 1 suggests there is more evidence conﬁrming the existence of Theia than the author of Text 2
suggests.
C) The author of Text 1 claims that the moon’s surface is more similar to Earth’s surface than the author of Text 2 claims.
D) The author of Text 1 believes that the moon formed more slowly than the author of Text 2 believes.

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. Text 1 states that the moon was formed from the debris “over the course of thousands of
years,” while Text 2 states that the moon’s formation happened “immediately after impact, taking just a few hours.” This
shows a clear difference in how the authors view the evidence for the speed of the moon’s formation.
Choice A is incorrect. While Text 2 suggests that the moon formed over “just a few hours” and Text 1 says it took “thousands
of years,” neither one mentions when that formation occurred. Choice B is incorrect. While Theia isn’t mentioned in Text 2,
neither text describes or disputes evidence of Theia’s existence. Choice C is incorrect. Neither text makes any claims about
the similarity or difference between the moon’s surface and Earth’s surface.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In the 2011 documentary The Barber of Birmingham, civil rights activist James Armstrong recounts how his barbershop in
Birmingham, Alabama, ______ as a political hub for members of the Black community during the 1950s.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) serving
B) having served
C) served
D) to serve

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. Relative clauses, such
as the one beginning with "how," require a ﬁnite (tensed) verb, a verb that can function as the main verb of a clause. This
choice correctly supplies the clause with the ﬁnite past tense verb "served."
Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonﬁnite participle "serving" doesn’t supply the
clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonﬁnite participle
"having served" doesn’t supply the clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical
sentence. The nonﬁnite to-inﬁnitive "to serve" doesn’t supply the clause with a ﬁnite verb.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a leader of Umuoﬁa (a ﬁctional Nigerian clan) and takes pride in
his culture’s traditions. However, when the arrival of European missionaries brings changes to Umuoﬁa, the novel asks a
central question: How ______

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) Umuoﬁa’s traditions will be affected.
B) will Umuoﬁa’s traditions be affected.
C) Umuoﬁa’s traditions will be affected?
D) will Umuoﬁa’s traditions be affected?

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the
colon should be in the conventional form of a question: with the verb before the subject, and a question mark at the end. 
Choice A is incorrect. This choice ends the sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that
the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be that question. Choice B is incorrect. This choice ends the
sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause
after the colon should be that question. In Standard English, questions place the verb before the subject and end with a
question mark. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t conform to the conventions of Standard English. In Standard
English, questions place the verb before the subject.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The Alvarez theory, developed in 1980 by physicist Luis Walter Alvarez and his geologist son Walter Alvarez, maintained that
the secondary effects of an asteroid impact caused many dinosaurs and other animals to die ______ it left unexplored the
question of whether unrelated volcanic activity might have also contributed to the mass extinctions.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) out but
B) out, but
C) out
D) out,

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the ﬁrst main clause (“the Alvarez…out”) and the
second main clause (“it left…extinctions”).
Choice A is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma
before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are
fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a
conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Archeological excavation of Market Street Chinatown, a nineteenth-century Chinese American community in San Jose,
California, provided the ﬁrst evidence that Asian food products were imported to the United States in the 1800s: bones from
a freshwater ﬁsh species native to Southeast Asia. Jinshanzhuang—Hong Kong–based import/export ﬁrms—likely
coordinated the ﬁsh’s transport from Chinese-operated ﬁsheries in Vietnam and Malaysia to North American markets. This
route reveals the (often overlooked) multinational dimensions of the trade networks linking Chinese diaspora communities.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A) It explains why efforts to determine the country of origin of the items mentioned in the previous sentence remain
inconclusive.
B) It provides information that helps support a claim about a discovery’s signiﬁcance that is presented in the following
sentence.
C) It traces the steps that were taken to locate and recover the objects that are described in the previous sentence.
D) It outlines a hypothesis that additional evidence discussed in the following sentence casts some doubt on.

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The underlined sentence provides information about import/export ﬁrms, showing how Chinese
communities across the world were connected by trade routes.
Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence never suggests that the countries of origin of the ﬁsh are in question—in fact,
it tells us exactly where they came from. Choice C is incorrect. The passage never describes the steps taken to discover the
ﬁsh bones described in the previous sentence. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t outline a hypothesis
but instead provides evidence. And the following sentence agrees with the underlined sentence, so we could eliminate this
choice just for saying that the following sentence "casts some doubt on" the underlined one—partly wrong is all wrong.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In 2007, computer scientist Luis von Ahn was working on converting printed books into a digital format. He found that some
words were distorted enough that digital scanners couldn’t recognize them, but most humans could easily read them. Based
on that ﬁnding, von Ahn invented a simple security test to keep automated “bots” out of websites. The ﬁrst version of the
reCAPTCHA test asked users to type one known word and one of the many words scanners couldn’t recognize. Correct
answers proved the users were humans and added data to the book-digitizing project.

Question: Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To discuss von Ahn’s invention of reCAPTCHA
B) To explain how digital scanners work
C) To call attention to von Ahn’s book-digitizing project
D) To indicate how popular reCAPTCHA is

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text. After providing a brief
introduction to computer scientist Luis von Ahn, the text focuses on discussing how von Ahn’s digitization work led to the
invention of a digital security test known as reCAPTCHA.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t address how digital scanners work. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text
mentions von Ahn’s book-digitizing project, that information is provided as a detail, not as the main purpose of the text.
Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t provide any indication of reCAPTCHA’s popularity; instead, it describes
reCAPTCHA’s origin.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, continues to be studied by
archaeologists. Unfortunately, as ______ attest, archaeological excavations have disrupted ash deposits at the site, causing
valuable information about the eruption to be lost.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) researchers, Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn,
B) researchers, Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn
C) researchers Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn
D) researchers Roberto Scandone, and Christopher Kilburn

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a restrictive coordinated noun phrase. No
punctuation is needed within or around the coordinated noun phrase “researchers Roberto Scandone and Christopher
Kilburn” because it would create an illogical separation between the noun “researchers” and the coordinated noun phrase
“Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.”
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Placing a pair of commas around the coordinated noun phrase
“Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn” creates an illogical separation between the noun “researchers” and the
aforementioned coordinated noun phrase. In this case, it illogically suggests that researchers in general bear the speciﬁc
names Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the
noun “researchers” and the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.” Choice D is incorrect
because no punctuation is needed within the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.”

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Beginning in the 1950s, Navajo Nation legislator Annie Dodge Wauneka continuously worked to promote public health; this
______ effort involved traveling throughout the vast Navajo homeland and writing a medical dictionary for speakers of Diné
bizaad, the Navajo language.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) impartial
B) offhand
C) persistent
D) mandatory

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Annie Dodge Wauneka’s work as a
Navajo Nation legislator. As used in this context, “persistent” means existing continuously. The text states that Wauneka
“continuously worked to promote public health,” traveling extensively and authoring a medical dictionary; this indicates that
Wauneka’s effort was persistent.
Choice A is incorrect because describing Wauneka’s effort related to public health as “impartial,” or not partial or biased and
treating all things equally, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text suggests that Wauneka’s continuous work was partial in
one way, as she focused speciﬁcally on promoting public health throughout the Navajo homeland and to speakers of the
Navajo language. Choice B is incorrect because the text emphasizes that Wauneka’s effort to promote public health as a
Navajo Nation legislator was continuous and extensive, involving wide travels and the authoring of a medical dictionary.
Because this work clearly involved care and dedication, it wouldn’t make sense to describe it as “offhand,” or casual and
informal. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Wauneka’s effort to promote public health was
“mandatory,” or required by law or rule, even though Wauneka was a Navajo Nation legislator. Rather than suggesting that
Wauneka’s effort was required for any reason, the text emphasizes the continuous and extensive nature of her work.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
After winning the 1860 presidential election, Abraham Lincoln appointed Edward Bates, Salmon P. Chase, and William H.
Seward to his cabinet. Lincoln’s decision was surprising, since each of these men had run against him, but historians have
praised it, noting that Lincoln ______ his rivals’ diverse talents to strengthen his administration.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) has leveraged
B) is leveraging
C) will leverage
D) leveraged

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the verb is “Lincoln,” and the ﬁrst sentence tells us that we’re talking about
something that Abraham Lincoln did in 1860. So the simple past tense “leveraged” ﬁts the logic of the text.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Has leveraged” is the present perfect tense, which is used for an
action that began in the past and continues into the present. Lincoln started leveraging his rivals’ talents in 1860—it’s
deﬁnitely not still happening today. So the present perfect tense isn’t appropriate. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a
tense issue. “Is leveraging” is the present tense, but Lincoln leveraged his rivals’ talents in 1860, so the present tense isn’t
appropriate. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a tense issue. “Will leverage” is the future tense, but Lincoln leveraged
his rivals’ talents in 1860, so the future tense isn’t appropriate.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
After a spate of illnesses as a child, Wilma Rudolph was told she might never walk again. Defying all odds, Rudolph didn’t
just walk, she ______ the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, she won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and clinched ﬁrst
place for her team in the 4x100-meter relay, becoming the ﬁrst US woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) ran—fast—during
B) ran—fast during
C) ran—fast, during
D) ran—fast. During

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Defying…fast”) and another sentence that begins with a
supplementary phrase (“During…Olympics”).
Choice A is incorrect. When a dash is present in a sentence (“ran—fast”), it’s not conventional to use another dash (“fast—
during”) to mark the boundary between sentences because it creates a potentially confusing sentence. In this context, a
period, semicolon, or colon would be clear and more conventional. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on
sentence. The sentences (“Defying…fast”) and (“during…Olympics”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.
Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between sentences.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In 1943, in the midst of World War II, mathematics professor Grace Hopper was recruited by the US military to help the war
effort by solving complex equations. Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just ______ as a pioneering
computer programmer, Hopper would help usher in the digital age.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) equations, though:
B) equations, though,
C) equations. Though,
D) equations though

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation to mark boundaries between
supplements and clauses. The comma after “equations” is used to separate the independent clause (“Hopper’s…equation”)
from the supplementary adverb phrase “though.” The colon after “though” is used to mark the boundary between the clause
ending with “though” and the following clause (“as…age”). A colon used in this way introduces information that illustrates or
explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon after “though” introduces the following explanation of
how Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations: she would become a pioneering computer
programmer.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two independent
clauses (“Hopper’s…though” and “as…age”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical sequence of
sentences. Placing the period after “equations” and beginning the next sentence with “Though” illogically suggests that the
following information (that Hopper would help usher in the digital age) is contrary to the information in the previous
sentence (Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations). Instead, the information that follows
supports the information from the previous sentence by explaining how her work and inﬂuence extended beyond solely
solving equations. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses (“Hopper’s…
though” and “as…age”) are fused without punctuation.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In 1976, the Inuit rock group Sikumiut recorded the album People of the Ice. Though only their ﬁrst record, it shows a band
already skilled at the diﬃcult task of making music that sounds easy and fun. On songs like “Utirumavunga,” Lucassie
Koperqualuk’s guitar riffs effortlessly ______ Charlie Adams’s delightfully catchy vocal melodies.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) blend, with
B) blend. With
C) blend; with
D) blend with

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a prepositional phrase. No
punctuation is needed between the verb “blend” and the prepositional phrase “with Charlie Adams’s delightfully catchy vocal
melodies.” The prepositional phrase completes the idea of the sentence, explaining with what Koperqualuk’s guitar riffs
blend.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the prepositional phrase.  Choice B is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the prepositional phrase.  Choice C is incorrect because
no punctuation is needed between the verb and the prepositional phrase.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In 1453, English King Henry VI became unﬁt to rule after falling gravely ill. As a result, Parliament appointed Richard, Third
Duke of York, who had a strong claim to the English throne, to rule as Lord Protector. Upon recovering two years later, ______
forcing an angered Richard from the royal court and precipitating a series of battles later known as the Wars of the Roses.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) Henry resumed his reign,
B) the reign of Henry resumed,
C) Henry’s reign resumed,
D) it was Henry who resumed his reign,

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modiﬁer placement. This choice ensures that the
introductory phrase “upon recovering two years later” appears immediately before the noun it modiﬁes (“Henry”), clearly
establishing that Henry recovered two years later.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “the reign of Henry”
immediately after the introductory phrase illogically suggests that the reign of Henry recovered two years later. Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “Henry’s reign” immediately after the
introductory phrase illogically suggests that Henry’s reign recovered two years later. Choice D is incorrect because it results
in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the function word “it” immediately after the introductory phrase illogically suggests
that “it” recovered two years later.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The following text is from Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel The House of Mirth. Lily Bart and a companion are walking through a
park.
Lily had no real intimacy with nature, but she had a passion for the appropriate and could be keenly sensitive to a scene
which was the ﬁtting background of her own sensations. The landscape outspread below her seemed an enlargement of
her present mood, and she found something of herself in its calmness, its breadth, its long free reaches. On the nearer
slopes the sugar-maples wavered like pyres of light; lower down was a massing of grey orchards, and here and there the
lingering green of an oak-grove.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A) It creates a detailed image of the physical setting of the scene.
B) It establishes that a character is experiencing an internal conﬂict.
C) It makes an assertion that the next sentence then expands on.
D) It illustrates an idea that is introduced in the previous sentence.

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The ﬁrst
sentence of the text establishes that Lily can be “keenly sensitive to” scenes that serve as a “ﬁtting background” for her
feelings—that is, she’s very aware of when a setting seems to reﬂect her mood. The next sentence, which is underlined, then
demonstrates this awareness: Lily views the landscape she’s in as a large-scale reﬂection of her current mood, identifying
with elements such as its calmness. Thus, the function of the underlined sentence is to illustrate an idea introduced in the
previous sentence.
Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence describes the scene only in very general terms, referring to its
calmness, breadth, and long stretches of land. It’s the next sentence that adds speciﬁc details about colors, light, and various
trees nearby. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the underlined sentence suggests that Lily is experiencing an internal
conﬂict. In fact, the sentence indicates that Lily thinks the landscape reﬂects her own feeling of calmness. Choice C is
incorrect because the only assertion in the underlined sentence is that Lily feels that broad aspects of the landscape, such
as its calmness, reﬂect her current mood, and that assertion isn’t expanded on in the next sentence. Instead, the next
sentence describes speciﬁc details of the scene without connecting them to Lily’s feelings.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The following text is from Herman Melville’s 1854 novel The Lightning-rod Man.
The stranger still stood in the exact middle of the cottage, where he had ﬁrst planted himself. His singularity impelled a
closer scrutiny. A lean, gloomy ﬁgure. Hair dark and lank, mattedly streaked over his brow. His sunken pitfalls of eyes were
ringed by indigo halos, and played with an innocuous sort of lightning: the gleam without the bolt. The whole man was
dripping. He stood in a puddle on the bare oak ﬂoor: his strange walking-stick vertically resting at his side.

Question: Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A) It elaborates on the previous sentence’s description of the character.
B) It introduces the setting that is described in the sentences that follow.
C) It establishes a contrast with the description in the previous sentence.
D) It sets up the character description presented in the sentences that follow.

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. This best states the function of the underlined sentence. The sentence basically says: “He
stood out, so I looked more closely at him.” Then the rest of the text describes him in detail.  
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t state the function of the underlined sentence. The previous sentence basically says: “He
was still standing in the middle of the cottage”—it doesn’t include any description of the character himself.  Choice B is
incorrect. This doesn’t state the function of the underlined sentence. The following sentences describe the character, not the
setting. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t state the function of the underlined sentence. The underlined sentence basically
says: “He stood out, so I looked more closely at him.” The previous sentence basically says: “He was still standing in the
middle of the cottage.” There’s no contrast between these two sentences.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
When ancient oak planks were unearthed during subway construction in Rome, Mauro Bernabei and his team examined the
growth rings in the wood to determine where these planks came from. By comparing the growth rings on the planks to
records of similar rings in oaks from Europe, the team could trace the wood to the Jura region of France, hundreds of
kilometers from Rome. Because timber could only have been transported from distant Jura to Rome by boat, the team’s
ﬁndings suggest the complexity of Roman trade routes.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A) It presents a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s ﬁndings.
B) It questions how the team was able to conclude that the planks were used to build a boat.
C) It explains why the planks were made from oak rather than a different kind of wood.
D) It describes common methods used in Roman subway construction.

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a
whole. The ﬁrst sentence explains that Bernabei and his team studied growth rings to obtain information about the ancient
oak planks found during a construction project in Rome. The next sentence presents what the researchers learned: the wood
from the planks came from France’s Jura region, which is far from Rome. The underlined sentence then presents the
implications of the ﬁndings about the planks: the wood must have been brought to Rome by boat, a diﬃcult task that
suggests Roman trade routes were complex. Thus, the underlined sentence mainly functions to present a conclusion about
Roman trade routes based on the team’s ﬁndings.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the team thought the ancient planks were used in the
construction of a boat, nor does the underlined sentence question that conclusion. Instead, the text states that the wood
could only have been transported from Jura to Rome in a boat. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence simply
offers a conclusion drawn from the team’s ﬁndings about the likely place of origin of the ancient planks; the text never
mentions why oak was chosen for the planks instead of other wood. Choice D is incorrect because neither the underlined
sentence nor the text as a whole addresses any methods that Romans used in constructing subways. Instead, the underlined
sentence offers a conclusion drawn from the team’s ﬁndings about the likely place of origin of the ancient wooden planks
discovered.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
As a young photographer in the 1950s, William Klein ______ the conventions of photography by creating images that were
high contrast and included blurred and distorted elements—features generally seen as ﬂaws. So unorthodox was Klein’s
work that he had diﬃculty ﬁnding a publisher for his now-iconic 1956 photo book Life is Good & Good for You in New York.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) reviewed
B) deﬁed
C) respected
D) prevented

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. "Deﬁed" means "resisted" or "deliberately disobeyed," which matches the way Klein broke from
the conventions of photography in his time by including features that were generally seen as ﬂaws.
Choice A is incorrect. "Reviewed" means "analyzed" or "evaluated," but that doesn’t really ﬁt the context here. Klein isn’t
directly providing any thoughtful examination of the conventions of photography: he’s just breaking all the rules. Choice C is
incorrect. "Respected" can mean "admired" or "followed" (as in the case of conventions). It’s clear that Klein didn’t respect
conventions, given his use of photographic features that were generally considered "ﬂaws." Choice D is incorrect. "Prevented"
means "stopped," and Klein did not stop the conventions—they still existed. Instead, he made images that were seen as
"ﬂawed" under those conventions.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure