betterMateusz/SAT_Writting_Reading_Assessment_Question_Bank huggingface dataset:
Earth is not a perfect sphere. Due to the ______ gravitational pull, Earth bulges out on the sides closest to and farthest from
the Moon. This distorting pull is known as a tidal force, and it is responsible for the changes in water levels that are called
high and low tides.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) Moon’s
B) Moons
C) Moons’
D) Moon

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun
"Moon’s" correctly indicates that there is only one Moon, and it has a gravitational pull.
Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the plural noun "Moons."
Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the plural possessive noun
"Moons’." Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "Moon’s," not the singular noun
"Moon."

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The following text is adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s 1869 novel An Old-Fashioned Girl. Polly, a teenager, is visiting her
friend Fanny.
Fanny’s friends did not interest Polly much; she was rather afraid of them [because] they seemed so much older and
wiser than herself, even those younger in years. They talked about things of which she knew nothing and when Fanny
tried to explain, she didn’t ﬁnd them interesting; indeed, some of them rather shocked and puzzled her.

Question: Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To portray Polly’s reaction to Fanny’s friends
B) To identify the topics Polly talks about with Fanny’s friends
C) To explain how Fanny met some of her friends
D) To illustrate how Fanny’s friends feel about Polly

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to show how Polly
reacted to some of Fanny’s other friends. The text describes Polly as being frightened of Fanny’s friends because they
seemed “much older and wiser” to her and elaborates that they “talked about things of which” Polly was unfamiliar,
uninterested, and shocked. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to describe Polly’s impressions of Fanny’s other friends. 
Choice B is incorrect because the text does not provide any of the topics Polly discussed with Fanny’s friends, stating only
that Polly found the topics unfamiliar, uninteresting, and shocking. Choice C is incorrect because the text says nothing about
how Fanny and her other friends ﬁrst met. Choice D is incorrect because the focus of the text is on Polly’s feelings about
Fanny’s other friends, not on the other friends’ feelings about Polly.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Farouk El-Baz, a geologist and space scientist, ______ part of the team that selected the lunar landing sites for the Apollo
program during the 1960s and 1970s.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) are
B) was
C) have been
D) were

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was" agrees in
number with the singular subject "Farouk El-Baz."
Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Farouk El-Baz." Choice
C is incorrect because the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Farouk El-Baz." Choice D
is incorrect because the plural verb "were" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "Farouk El-Baz."

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Bonnie Buratti of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ______ data about Saturn’s rings collected by the Cassini spacecraft when
she made an interesting discovery: the tiny moons embedded between and within Saturn’s rings are shaped by the buildup of
ring material on the moons’ surfaces.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) studies
B) has been studying
C) will study
D) was studying

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the past progressive tense verb “was studying” is consistent with the other past tense verbs (e.g., “made” and “collected”)
used to describe Buratti’s discovery. Further, the past progressive tense correctly indicates that an ongoing action in the past
was occurring (she was studying) at the same time that another event occurred in the past (she made an interesting
discovery). 
Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “studies” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe
Buratti’s discovery. Choice B is incorrect because the present perfect progressive tense verb “has been studying” isn’t
consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe Buratti’s discovery. Choice C is incorrect because the future tense verb
“will study” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used to describe Buratti’s discovery.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Public-awareness campaigns about the need to reduce single-use plastics can be successful, says researcher Kim Borg of
Monash University in Australia, when these campaigns give consumers a choice: for example, Japan achieved a 40 percent
reduction in plastic-bag use after cashiers were instructed to ask customers whether ______ wanted a bag.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) they
B) one
C) you
D) it

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun–antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun “they”
agrees in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”
Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “one” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”
Choice C is incorrect because the second person pronoun “you” isn’t conventional as a substitute for “customers.” It
suggests that the audience (“you”) is the customer. Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in
number with the plural antecedent “customers.”

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
About 70,000 meteorites have been found on Earth. Although most meteorites are fragments of ______ hundred have been
identiﬁed as being from the Moon or Mars.

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

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses a comma to correctly separate the dependent clause "although…asteroids"
from the independent clause "several hundred have been…Mars."
Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause. It can’t stand
on its own as a sentence, which means it can’t end in a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation
error. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause and can’t be joined to the independent clause "several hundred have been…
Mars" with a semicolon. A semicolon can only join two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a
punctuation error. A colon can only come after an independent clause, but "although…asteroids" is a dependent clause.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
According to Naomi Nakayama of the University of Edinburgh, the reason seeds from a dying dandelion appear to ﬂoat in the
air while ______ is that their porous plumes enhance drag, allowing the seeds to stay airborne long enough for the wind to
disperse them throughout the surrounding area.

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

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t
need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the rest of the sentence: “The reason seeds appear
to ﬂoat while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” .
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We
can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to ﬂoat while falling is that their plumes
enhance drag.” . Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation
after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to ﬂoat while falling is that their
plumes enhance drag.” . Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of
Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any
punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to ﬂoat while falling
is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Robin Wall Kimmerer of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is a bryologist, a plant scientist who specializes in mosses. To
Kimmerer, mosses are Earth’s most adaptable plants: they can clone ______ enter a dormant state in times of drought, and
grow in areas that don’t have soil.

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

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a series. The comma after
“themselves” is used conventionally to separate the ﬁrst item (“they can clone themselves”) and the second item (“enter a
dormant state in times of drought”) in the series of things mosses can do. 
Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series such as this. Choice
C is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “And enter.” Choice D is
incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the ﬁrst and second items in the series.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Arturo A. Schomburg was dedicated to preserving books, art, and other materials from peoples of African descent around
the world. To get these items, Schomburg ______ friends and colleagues, whom he asked to bring back rare and valuable
objects from their international travels. Now, Schomburg’s collection is a valuable resource for scholars of Black history and
culture.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) admired
B) disagreed with
C) warned
D) depended on

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Arturo A. Schomburg’s collection. In
this context, the phrase “depended on” means relied on. The text explains that Schomburg, wanting to preserve “books, art,
and other materials” created by peoples of African descent from around the world, built a large collection of these objects.
The text also states that in order to obtain these items, Schomburg asked friends and colleagues who were traveling
internationally to bring them back for him. This implies that he wouldn’t have been able to create his collection without help.
Thus, the context supports the idea that Schomburg relied on, or depended on, friends and colleagues to build his collection.
Choice A is incorrect because “admired” means respected and approved of. Although it’s reasonable to expect that
Schomburg respected his friends and colleagues, the text doesn’t discuss any such aspect of their relationships. The text
focuses instead on what Schomburg asked his friends and colleagues to do to help build his collection. Choice B is incorrect
because “disagreed with” means held an opposing belief, and nothing in the text suggests that Schomburg and his friends or
colleagues held opposing views on any subject. In fact, the text strongly implies that Schomburg’s friends and colleagues
supported him in his goal of preserving objects of importance for Black history and culture by bringing him such objects
from around the world. Choice C is incorrect because “warned” means informed someone in advance about something
dangerous, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. Nothing in the text suggests that Schomburg thought his friends and
colleagues were in any danger, let alone that he warned them of danger.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Cucurbits, a group of plants that includes squash and melons, relied on mastodons to spread their seeds in the Ice Age.
When these animals died out, cucurbits faced extinction in turn, having lost their means of seed dispersal. Around this time,
however, the ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America began raising cucurbits as crops, thus ______ the plants’
survival.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) verifying
B) multiplying
C) comforting
D) ensuring

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of cucurbits. In this context, “ensuring”
means guaranteeing, or making sure of, the cucurbits’ survival. The text states that cucurbits faced extinction in the past
because their means of seed dispersal disappeared, but the ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America began
farming cucurbits around that same time, so the crops were no longer threatened. Therefore, the context supports the idea
that the ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America helped with ensuring the cucurbits’ survival.
Choice A is incorrect because in this context verifying means making sure that something is accurate. In the text, the
ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America were ensuring the survival, not the accuracy of, the cucurbits. Choice B is
incorrect. Although the cucurbit crops themselves were multiplying, or growing in number, as a result of the work of the
ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America, it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that the survival of the plants
was multiplying. Choice C is incorrect because according to the text, in raising cucurbits as crops, the ancestors of
Indigenous peoples in North America were attempting to help the plants grow and survive; they weren’t attempting to
comfort, or free the plants from pain.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Although the playwrights hoped that their play would be ______ when performed live, critics generally agreed that the
production and performances had the opposite effect, wearying audiences instead of energizing them.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) multifaceted
B) realistic
C) rousing
D) subtle

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the play’s effect on audiences. As
used in this context, “rousing” means exciting or energizing. The text indicates that critics found the play to have “the
opposite effect” on audiences of what the playwrights hoped for. The critics, the text says, thought the play was wearying
rather than energizing to viewers. This context supports the idea that the playwrights hoped live performances of the play
would be energizing, or rousing, to audiences.
Choice A is incorrect because there’s no information in the text suggesting that the playwrights hoped live performances of
the play would be “multifaceted,” or be varied or have many aspects. The text indicates that critics found the play to be
wearying to audiences and that this was the opposite of what the playwrights hoped for. Multifaceted is not the opposite of
wearying, but rousing is, which suggests that the playwrights hoped the play would be rousing. Choice B is incorrect because
there’s no information in the text suggesting that the playwrights hoped live performances of the play would be “realistic,” or
lifelike or sensible. The text says that critics found the play to be wearying to audiences and that this was the opposite of
what the playwrights hoped for. Realistic is not the opposite of wearying, but rousing is, which suggests that the playwrights
hoped the play would be rousing. Choice D is incorrect because there’s no information in the text suggesting that the
playwrights hoped live performances of the play would be subtle, or complex or understated. The text says that critics found
the play to be wearying to audiences and that this was the opposite of what the playwrights hoped for. Subtle is not the
opposite of wearying, but rousing is, which suggests that the playwrights hoped the play would be rousing.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Close analysis of the painting Girl with a Flute, long attributed to the seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer,
has revealed subtle deviations from the artist’s signature techniques. These variations suggest that the work may be that of
a student under Vermeer’s tutelage—potentially ______ our understanding of Vermeer as a solitary artist.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) negating
B) preﬁguring
C) entrenching
D) substantiating

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. "Negating" means "reversing" or "making invalid." Proving that Vermeer worked with students
would reverse the view of him as a solitary artist.
Choice B is incorrect. "Preﬁguring" means "being an early indicator of." There already existed views of Vermeer as a solitary
painter, so a new painting would not be an early indicator of those views. Rather, a painting proving that Vermeer had a
student would contradict those earlier views. Choice C is incorrect. "Entrenching" means "solidifying." A painting proving that
Vermeer had a student would not solidify views of him as solitary, but would rather contradict those views. Choice D is
incorrect. "Substantiating" means "supporting with proof." A painting proving that Vermeer had a student would not support
views of him as solitary, but would rather contradict those views.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
While exploring Nevada’s Gypsum Cave in 1930, Seneca and Abenaki archaeologist Bertha Parker made her most famous
discovery: the skull of a now-extinct ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis) alongside human-made tools. Parker’s crucial
ﬁnding was the ﬁrst ______ humans in North America as far back as 10,000 years ago.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) places
B) placed
C) place
D) to place

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The object for the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "to place" is acting as a modiﬁer for "ﬁrst." What was
the ﬁnding? It was "the ﬁrst." The ﬁrst to do what? The ﬁrst "to place humans in North America" 10,000 years ago. When a
verb serves as a modiﬁer within a noun phrase, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e., not conjugated to a speciﬁc subject). The inﬁnitive
form "to place" is the only nonﬁnite option among the choices that makes sense in context.
Choice A is incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "places" is acting as a modiﬁer for "ﬁrst." What was the thing
that Parker’s ﬁnding did? What was it the ﬁrst to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as
a modiﬁer, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e., not conjugated to a speciﬁc subject), but "places" is a ﬁnite form of the verb. Choice B is
incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "placed" is acting to modify "ﬁrst." What was it that Parker’s ﬁnding was
the ﬁrst to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as a modiﬁer, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e.,
not conjugated to a speciﬁc subject), but "placed" is a ﬁnite form. "Placed" can also be a past participle, but that wouldn’t
make sense here because the meaning of "the ﬁrst placed humans" would be unclear. Choice C is incorrect. The object for
the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "place" is modifying "ﬁrst." What was the thing that Parker’s ﬁnding did? What was it the ﬁrst to
do? Place humans in North America. When a verb acts as a modiﬁer, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e., not conjugated to a speciﬁc
subject), but "place" is a ﬁnite form of the verb. Additionally, "place" can’t serve as a noun here, because it results in an
illogical sentence (the "ﬁnding" wasn’t "the ﬁrst place").

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
San Francisco is known for the colorful murals painted on many of its buildings. The densest collection of murals is found
on Balmy Alley in the Mission District neighborhood. In the 1970s, Latina artists painted vivid scenes of community life on
walls along this block. As the original murals have faded, later generations of artists have painted new ones over them. As a
result, Balmy Alley has become a living showcase of San Francisco’s artistic spirit, with its murals reﬂecting changes in the
cultural life of the city.

Question: Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To compare the Balmy Alley murals to other murals in San Francisco
B) To offer an overview of the history and importance of the Balmy Alley murals
C) To urge people to protect the murals of San Francisco from decay
D) To describe the rise of mural painting in San Francisco beginning in the 1970s

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it best states the main purpose of the text. The text begins by brieﬂy stating that San
Francisco is known for its murals, then transitions to a discussion of a single collection of murals, which is found on Balmy
Alley in the city’s Mission District. The text explains that the murals in this area were originally created in the 1970s, then
observes that they have changed over time: as some have faded through the decades, others have been painted in their
place. The text ends by emphasizing that these murals are signiﬁcant because they reﬂect San Francisco’s artistic spirit and
cultural life. Therefore, the text provides an overview of the history and importance of the Balmy Alley murals.
Choice A is incorrect. Although it can be inferred from the text that there are murals in other areas of San Francisco besides
Balmy Alley, the text doesn’t speciﬁcally discuss murals in other areas or compare the murals of Balmy Alley to those in other
areas. Choice C is incorrect. By observing that some of the murals of Balmy Alley have been replaced due to fading, the text
implies that murals can decay, but it never urges readers to protect this speciﬁc collection of murals—or any murals
elsewhere in San Francisco, for that matter. Indeed, by describing the ever-changing murals of Balmy Alley as “a living
showcase of San Francisco’s artistic spirit,” the text emphasizes the positive aspects of the fact that the original Balmy Alley
murals have faded and been replaced with new murals. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe the rise of
mural painting in San Francisco generally or note when this occurred. The only historical development of the 1970s
mentioned in the text is the origin of the murals in a speciﬁc area of the city: Balmy Alley in the Mission District.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms such as
fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion, ______

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.
B) an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a recent study.
C) these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.
D) a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the modiﬁer "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts."
Subject-modiﬁer placement requires a modiﬁer and its subject to be next to each other, so "biocrusts" or some variant
meaning "biocrusts" (in this case, "these crusts") must begin the missing clause.
Choice A is incorrect. Modiﬁers and their subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modiﬁer "fortifying soil in
arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study’s estimate." Choice B is incorrect. Modiﬁers and their
subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modiﬁer "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is
"biocrusts," not "an estimated 60 percent reduction." Choice D is incorrect. Modiﬁers and their subjects must go next to each
other. The subject of the modiﬁer "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study."

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Within baleen whale species, some individuals develop an accessory spleen—a seemingly functionless formation of
splenetic tissue outside the normal spleen. Given the formation’s greater prevalence among whales known to make deeper
dives, some researchers hypothesize that its role isn’t ______; rather, the accessory spleen may actively support diving
mechanisms.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) replicable
B) predetermined
C) operative
D) latent

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of baleen whale accessory spleens. In
this context, “latent” means dormant or functionless. The text sets up a contrast between the idea that baleen whale
accessory spleens appear not to have a function and the research indicating that the accessory spleen may actually have a
role in supporting the whales’ diving mechanisms. This context therefore conveys the idea that the assumption that baleen
whale accessory spleens are latent may be incorrect.
Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the role of the accessory spleen is “replicable,” or capable
of being reproduced. The text indicates that the role of the accessory spleen seems to have no function, but some
researchers think it does have a role; the text doesn’t address whether the role of the accessory spleen could or couldn’t be
reproduced. Choice B is incorrect because suggesting that the role of the accessory spleen is “predetermined,” or decided in
advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Although the researchers may agree that the role of the accessory spleen or any
other organ hasn’t been determined in advance, the text focuses on the idea that the accessory spleen was thought to have
been functionless but may in fact serve an active role for baleen whales. Choice C is incorrect because it’s the opposite of
what the context of the text is conveying. The second sentence of the text indicates that baleen whale accessory spleens
may not be useless, not that they aren’t “operative,” or functional.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The ﬁne, powdery substance that covers the Moon’s surface is called regolith. Because regolith is both readily available and
high in oxygen ______ scientists have wondered whether it could be used as a potential source of oxygen for future lunar
settlements.

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

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the
main clause (“scientists...settlements”).
Choice A is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the clause that follows
(“scientists...settlements”) with the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main clause. Choice
C is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause and the main clause with appropriate
punctuation. Choice D is incorrect. Joining the subordinate clause (“Because...content”) and the clause that follows
(“scientists...settlements”) with a comma and the conjunction “and” results in an ungrammatical sentence that lacks a main
clause.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
From afar, African American ﬁber artist Bisa Butler’s portraits look like paintings, their depictions of human faces, bodies,
and clothing so intricate that it seems only a ﬁne brush could have rendered them. When viewed up close, however, the
portraits reveal themselves to be ______ stitching barely visible among the thousands of pieces of printed, microcut fabric.

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

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“the portraits...quilts”) and the
supplementary noun phrase (“the stitching...fabric”) that provides a further description of how the portraits can be identiﬁed
as quilts.
Choice A is incorrect. A comma and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a
supplementary noun phrase. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a
supplementary noun phrase. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment
beginning with “the stitching.”

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
During the English neoclassical period (1660–1789), many writers imitated the epic poetry and satires of ancient Greece and
Rome. They were not the ﬁrst in England to adopt the literary modes of classical ______ some of the most prominent ﬁgures
of the earlier Renaissance period were also inﬂuenced by ancient Greek and Roman literature.

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

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary phrase following a clause.
This choice uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb phrase “however” from the independent clause it modiﬁes
(“They …antiquity”) and uses a semicolon to join the ﬁrst independent clause (“They …antiquity”) and the second independent
clause (“some…literature”). Further, placing the semicolon after “however” indicates that the information in the clause that
this part of (that neoclassical writers were not the ﬁrst to adopt classical literary modes) is contrary to what might be
assumed from the information in the previous sentence (that the neoclassical writers were unique in imitating classical epic
poetry and satires).
Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary after “however” between the two independent clauses with
appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because the comma after “however” can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between the two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “antiquity”
illogically indicates that the information in the clause that this part of (that prominent Renaissance ﬁgures were also
inﬂuenced by classical literature) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (that neoclassical writers were not the
ﬁrst to adopt classical literary modes).

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Jackie Ormes’s Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the ﬁrst comic strip by a Black woman to appear in a widely
read newspaper. The strip tells the story of Torchy, a young woman who leaves Mississippi to become a performer in New
York City. Torchy’s story reﬂects the experience of the Great Migration (1910–1970), when millions of Black Americans left
the South in search of opportunities in other parts of the United States. Torchy Brown thus shows how Ormes used comics
to comment humorously on issues affecting Black Americans, which she continued to do throughout her career.

Question: Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To show how Ormes’s Torchy Brown inspired other Black women to write comic strips in the 1930s
B) To illustrate how the subjects Ormes addressed in her comic strips changed over the course of her career
C) To give an example of how Ormes presented the experiences of Black Americans in her comic strips
D) To claim that several characters in Torchy Brown were based on people that Ormes knew personally

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The text describes how Torchy Brown depicted the experiences of a young Black woman
experiencing America’s Great Migration. It further states that Ormes continued to use comics throughout her career to
humorously comment on important issues impacting Black Americans.
Choice A is incorrect. The text never mentions other Black women comic strip writers. Choice B is incorrect. The text never
mentions any changes in the subjects Ormes addressed. Choice D is incorrect. The text never mentions the inspiration for
characters in Torchy Brown.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The intense pressure found in the deep ocean can affect the structure of proteins in ﬁsh’s cells, distorting the proteins’
shape. The chemical trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) counters this effect, ensuring that proteins retain their original ______ is
found in high concentrations in the cells of the deepest-dwelling ﬁsh.

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

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “conﬁgurations” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“The intense…conﬁgurations”) and
another (“TMAO…ﬁsh”). The supplementary phrase (“ensuring…conﬁgurations”) modiﬁes the main clause of the ﬁrst
sentence (“The chemical…effect”), and “TMAO” is the subject of the second sentence.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences  (“The intense…conﬁgurations” and “TMAO…
ﬁsh”) 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. Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma
preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In the 1970s, Janaki Ammal, a prominent botanist, emerged as a powerful voice in India’s environmental conservation
movement. Her exhaustive chromosomal survey of plants in Silent Valley, a pristine tropical forest in Kerala, India, that is
home to nearly 1,000 species of native ﬂora (many of which are endangered), ______ instrumental in the government’s
decision to preserve the forest.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) are
B) were
C) have been
D) was

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The subject "survey" is singular, and so is the verb "was."
Choice A is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "are" is plural. Choice B is incorrect. The subject "survey" is
singular, but the verb "were" is plural. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "have been" is plural.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In Nature Poem (2017), Kumeyaay poet Tommy Pico portrays his ______ the natural world by honoring the centrality of nature
within his tribe’s traditional beliefs while simultaneously expressing his distaste for being in wilderness settings himself.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) responsiveness to
B) ambivalence toward
C) renunciation of
D) mastery over

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s description of how Pico feels about the natural
world. In this context, to say that Pico portrays his “ambivalence toward” nature would mean that he portrays his mixed
feelings about nature. The text explains that Pico “honors the centrality of nature” and also makes it clear that he doesn’t
enjoy being in nature. This context suggests that Pico feels ambivalence toward nature.
Choice A is incorrect because saying that Pico portrays his “responsiveness to” nature would mean that he portrays himself
as quick to react to nature, which isn’t supported by the text. Instead, the text focuses on Pico’s mixed feelings toward
nature, describing him as both honoring nature’s role in his tribe’s beliefs and expressing his personal dislike for being in
nature. Choice C is incorrect because saying that Pico portrays his “renunciation of” nature would mean that he portrays
himself as rejecting nature, which isn’t supported by the text. The text conveys that Pico demonstrates both positive and
negative responses toward nature, not that he’s giving it up completely. Choice D is incorrect because saying that Pico
portrays his “mastery over” nature would mean that he portrays himself as having control over nature, which isn’t supported
by the text. The text focuses on Pico’s mixed feelings about nature; nothing in the text suggests that Pico feels mastery over
nature.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
How do scientists determine what foods were eaten by extinct hominins such as Neanderthals? In the past, researchers
were limited to studying the marks found on the fossilized teeth of skeletons, but in 2017 a team led by Laura Weyrich of the
Australian Centre for Ancient DNA tried something ______ the DNA found in Neanderthals’ fossilized dental plaque.

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

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. “A team…tried something new” is an independent clause leading to an explanation of what the
new thing was. A colon can only be used at the end of an independent clause, and typically introduces further explanation
that expands upon the ﬁrst clause, which makes a colon the perfect choice here.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a
sentence, and so it can’t be linked to the independent clause “a team…tried something new” with a semicolon. Only two
independent clauses can be connected in this way. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. If
“sequencing” is included in the ﬁrst clause, it can no longer stand on its own as a complete idea. Since a colon can only
come at the end of an independent clause, using one in this way creates an error. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a sentence fragment. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a sentence.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Researchers and conservationists stress that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is ______. For example, people can
take simple steps such as washing their footwear after travel to avoid introducing potentially invasive organisms into new
environments.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) preventable
B) undeniable
C) common
D) concerning

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how biodiversity loss due to
invasive species can be avoided. As used in this context, “preventable” means able to be stopped or kept from happening.
The text indicates that “people can take simple steps” to avoid bringing possible invasive species into new environments. It
presents these steps as an example of how biodiversity loss due to invasive species is preventable.
Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that a simple step like washing your shoes after traveling is an
example of biodiversity loss due to invasive species being “undeniable,” or something that can’t be proved to be wrong.
Although the text may suggest that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is something that really happens, the word that
completes the text must make the ﬁrst sentence into an assertion that is illustrated by the second sentence, and the second
sentence illustrates the idea that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is preventable, not undeniable. Choice C is
incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that a simple step like washing your shoes after traveling is an example of
biodiversity loss due to invasive species being “common,” or something that happens regularly. Additionally, the text doesn’t
provide any information about how frequently invasive species cause biodiversity loss. Choice D is incorrect because it
wouldn’t make sense to say that a simple step like washing your shoes after traveling is an example of biodiversity loss due
to invasive species being “concerning,” or something that is troubling or causes worry. Although the text implies that the
phenomenon of biodiversity loss due to invasive species is itself a concerning phenomenon, the word that completes the
text must make the ﬁrst sentence into an assertion that is illustrated by the second sentence, and the second sentence
illustrates the idea that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is preventable, not concerning.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Horizontal gene transfer occurs when an organism of one species acquires genetic material from an organism of another
species through nonreproductive means. The genetic material can then be transferred “vertically” in the second species—
that is, through reproductive inheritance. Scientist Atma Ivancevic and her team have hypothesized infection by invertebrate
parasites as a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer between vertebrate species: while feeding, a parasite could acquire a
gene from one host, then relocate to a host from a different vertebrate species and transfer the gene to it in turn.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A) It explains why parasites are less susceptible to horizontal gene transfer than their hosts are.
B) It clariﬁes why some genes are more likely to be transferred horizontally than others are.
C) It contrasts how horizontal gene transfer occurs among vertebrates with how it occurs among invertebrates.
D) It describes a means by which horizontal gene transfer might occur among vertebrates.

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The text deﬁnes horizontal gene transfer and then gives one possibility for how it happens in
vertebrates (via infection by parasites). The underlined part describes how that mechanism could work.
Choice A is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this.  Parasites are only described as the mechanism that does the
transferring, not the species that gives or receives the genes. Choice B is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this.
 The text never discusses which genes are more likely to be transferred. Choice C is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t
do this.  The text never discusses how horizontal gene transfer occurs among invertebrates.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In 1929 the Atlantic Monthly published several articles based on newly discovered letters allegedly exchanged between
President Abraham Lincoln and a woman named Ann Rutledge. Historians were unable to ______ the authenticity of the
letters, however, and quickly dismissed them as a hoax.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) validate
B) interpret
C) relate
D) accommodate

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of letters allegedly exchanged
between President Lincoln and Rutledge. In this context, “validate” means to conﬁrm that something is real or correct.
According to the text, it was alleged, or claimed, that the newly discovered letters had been written by Lincoln and Rutledge.
The text also indicates that historians ultimately decided the letters were a hoax, or fraudulent. This context suggests that
the historians couldn’t conﬁrm that the letters were authentic.
Choice B is incorrect. The text focuses on the authenticity of the letters, which were claimed to have been written by Lincoln
and Rutledge and were then quickly dismissed as fraudulent by historians. Rather than conveying that the historians simply
weren’t able to “interpret,” or explain in an understandable way, the letters’ authenticity, the text suggests that the historians
decided the letters lacked authenticity altogether. Choice C is incorrect. The text states that the historians quickly dismissed
the letters claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge as fraudulent; this suggests that rather than being unable to
“relate,” or tell others about, the letters’ authenticity, the historians were able to share what they’d decided about the letters.
Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to suggest that the historians couldn’t “accommodate,” or give
consideration to, the authenticity of the letters claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge; the text states that the
historians decided that the letters were fraudulent, which indicates that they did consider whether the letters were authentic.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In assessing the ﬁlms of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, ______ have missed his equally deep engagement with Japanese
artistic traditions such as Noh theater.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) many critics have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources but
B) Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources has been the focus of many critics, who
C) there are many critics who have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources, but they
D) the focus of many critics has been on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources; they

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modiﬁer placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“many critics” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “in assessing…Kurosawa.” In
doing so, this choice clearly establishes that it is the critics—and not another noun in the sentence—who assess Kurosawa’s
ﬁlms.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “Kurosawa’s…sources”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that his use of Western literary sources is what assesses
Kurosawa’s ﬁlms. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the function word “there”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “there” is what assesses Kurosawa’s ﬁlms. Choice D is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “the focus…critics” immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the critics’ focus is what assesses Kurosawa’s ﬁlms.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions