Day 1 – IDENTIFYING ERRORS

1. The charm ofA Lofting's book lies inB the humorous reversal ofC roles—the animals
guide, assist, and generally they takeD care of the helpless humans. No errorE
2. People were trained to performA one tiny part of one process in one department of one
industry, and so havingB no sense ofC the process as a wholeD. No errorE
3. The Stegosaurus, plant-eating dinosaursA with protectiveB bony plates and tail spikes,
was once common inC what is nowD Colorado. No errorE
4. Some plants use chemical signals that repelA insects, and also, theseB signals help to put
neighboring plants on alert so they canC mount their own defensesD. No errorE
5. Innovative use of computers in the classroom allows students to undertakeA projects
that encouragesB themC to be bothD analytical and intellectually adventurous. No errorE
6. When one is researchingA the customs of a community, youB must learn aboutC its history
and observe its people going about theirD ordinary activities. No errorE
7. Working withA consummate skill, Picasso sketched a portrait ofB the
youthful butC experienced dancer who was posing forD him. No errorE
8. From 1566 untilA 1576 Santa Elena, now an excavation siteB in South Carolina, was the
capital of Spanish Florida; howeverC, it has becomeD an English settlement by 1735. No
errorE
9. DespiteA the attorney's moving plea, the judge placedB the juvenile offender onC probation
for an indecisiveD period. No errorE
10. Yearning forA a truly representativeB art form of the Americas, the art world of the
1920's looked hopefullyC to the three popular Mexican mural artists of the dayD. No errorE
11. There has always been a great deal ofA friction between Joan and IB because weC have
opposing political views about whichD we are very vocal. No errorE
12. WhenA M. R. Harrington, an archaeologist from the Museum of the American
Indian, began to excavateB the ruins he namedC the Pueblo Grande de Nevada, he
unearthed artifacts indicatingD a 500-year occupation by indigenous peoples. No errorE
13. The supervisor cited three workers, each of whichA is likely toB win a prize for having
suggestedC cost-effective changes atD the factory. No errorE
14. Freedom of action and expression areA at the foundation not only ofB our system of
government but also of our expectations concerningC human relations at allD levels of
society. No errorE
15. While both disaster rescue workers and news reporters may faceA physical danger, the
latterB can usually control his or herC exposure to risk, whereasD rescue workers often
cannot. No errorE
16. The refusal of the management to reviseA theirB policy onC family leave causedD an
uproar among employees. No errorE
17. At first we panicked when we discovered we had missedA our flight, but then we tookB a
bus to another airport, where there areC several planes leavingD for Denver that
evening. No errorE
18. Only after the floodwaters had roseA two feet wasB the mayor willing to
orderC the evacuation ofD some homes. No errorE
19. Confucianism is more a code of ethics than likeA a religion; it presents no deities but
fostersB insteadC a respect for one's ancestors and for an orderlyD society. No errorE
20. Just asA parents vary in their readiness to have their children leave home for college,
young people varyB in his or herC readiness to leaveD. No errorE
21. Local party organizations have discovered that voter turnout is
diminished considerablyA wheneverB the media projectedC election results early in the
dayD No errorE
22. Absent fromA the speech wereB any mention of the students and laboratory technicians
upon whoseC contributions the chemist had dependedheavilyD. No errorE
23. Paul's letter to myselfA about the missing money was not intendedB to be readC by any
otherD member of the organization. No errorE
24. After the prince characterized modern architecture, as uglyA he has
beenB severelyC criticized for having been so outspokenD in public. No errorE
25. No matterA how cautiousB snowmobiles are driven, they areC capable of damagingD the
land over which they travel. No errorE
26. The black squirrels drewA a crowd of students, forB itC had never been seenD on the
campus before. No errorE
27. A majority of the students whoA attendedB the job fair expressed interest in becomingC a
doctor or lawyerD. No errorE
28. Never before hadA a group of artists been so isolatedB from society and fromC official
patronage as wasD the so-called Impressionists. No errorE
29. The steam-propelled locomotive on rails was inventeDA inB the early nineteenth century
by George Stephenson movingC coal from the coal mines near Newcastle, England, to
shipping stations on the nearbyD Tyne River. No errorE
30. Each year the television industry takes in billions of dollars
in advertisingA revenue annuallyB based on ratings information, butC it can owe
advertisers tens of millions of dollars in free commercials whenD ratings fall short of
expectations. No errorE
31. No one is exactly sure whenA modern rain forests first appeareDB, anDC fossil evidence
suggests that they were already present at the end ofD the age of the dinosaurs, some 60
million years ago. No errorE
32. Crocodiles spend muchA of their lives in the water, but asB turtles, they must lay their
eggs on lanDC, becauseD reptile embryos must respirate through the egg's permeable
shell. No errorE
33. In 1996 the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, installed a public sculpture in honor
ofA itsB two mostC celebratedD literary residents -- Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. No
errorE
34. One usuallyA thinks of a sword as a long strip of metal, eitherB iron or steel, with a
handle, anDC the first swords were made ofD wood. No errorE
35. Elephants use variousA methods to combat excessive heat, such as
fanning themselvesB with their ears and to protectC their skin from the sun with layersD oF
mud and dust. No errorE
36. Beginning in the 1830's, walking footraces in England, the United States, and continental
Europe became mass spectator sports thatB sometimes attractC overD 25,000 people. No
errorE
37. A newly formed organization of homeowners and businesspeople have met withA the
transportation department to voiceB its concerns aboutC plans forD a shopping mall in the
community. No errorE
38. AlthoughA she considers her chemistry research completeB, she has heededC her
professor's advice and is conductingD three additional experiments. No errorE
39. Princeton University officials first broke withA a tradition of awardingB honorary degrees
only to menC when they awarded itD to author WillCather. No errorE
40. His love of politics ledA himB to volunteer in local campaigns as wellC as a jobD in a
government office in the state capital. No errorE
 ANSWER KEYS
QUESTION 1
Corrected Sentence: The charm of Lofting's book lies in the humorous reversal of roles— the
animals guide, assist, and generally take care of the helpless humans.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is a lack of parallelism. The pronoun "they"
introduces a clause, breaking the pattern of successive verbs that precedes it.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The preposition "of" is properly used in combination with the noun
phrase "Lofting's book" to form a possessive.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The verb "lies" agrees with its singular subject "charm" and combines
with the preposition "in" to form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The preposition "of" combines with the nouns "reversal" and "roles" to
form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 2
Corrected Sentence: People were trained to perform one tiny part of one process in one
department of one industry, and so they had no sense of the process as a whole.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where a failure to maintain parallelism leaves the phrase
after the comma incomplete. Since the verbal "having" has no subject, it is not parallel with the
earlier clause "People were trained."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The infinitive "to perform" correctly begins a phrase describing how
people were trained.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The preposition "of" functions properly to link its object, the noun
"process," with the earlier noun "sense."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase "as a whole" correctly modifies the noun
"process."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 3
Corrected Sentence: The Stegosaurus, a plant-eating dinosaur with protective bony plates and tail
spikes, was once common in what is now Colorado.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is noun-noun disagreement and subject-verb
disagreement. The plural noun "dinosaurs" is an improper appositive for the singular subject,
"the Stegosaurus," and it does not agree with the singular verb "was."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). "Protective" is an appropriate adjective to modify the noun "plates."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The adverb "once" functions properly to tell when something happened,
the adjective "common" is used correctly after the linking verb "was" to describe "the
Stegosaurus," and the preposition "in" is appropriate to introduce a phrase telling where.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The noun clause "what is now" serves appropriately as the object of the
preposition "in."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 4
Corrected Sentence: Some plants use chemical signals that repel insects, and these signals help to
put neighboring plants on alert so they can mount their own defenses.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the adverb "also," in addition to the conjunction
"and," results in wordiness.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The relative pronoun "that" and the verb "repel" are appropriately
combined to begin a relative clause modifying "signals."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The conjunction "so" is properly joined to the subject "they" and the
verb "can" to begin a clause. The plural pronoun "they" agrees with the plural noun "plants," to
which it refers.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The verb "mount" correctly precedes the noun phrase "their own
defenses" to form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 5
Corrected Sentence: Innovative use of computers in the classroom allows students to undertake
projects that encourage them to be both analytical and intellectually adventurous.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is subject-verb disagreement. The singular
verb "encourages" does not agree with its plural subject, the relative pronoun "that," which refers
to the plural noun "projects."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The infinitive "to undertake" properly introduces the noun phrase that
operates as the direct object of the verb "allows."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The plural pronoun "them" agrees with the plural noun "students," to
which it refers.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The conjunction "both" combines with "and" to link the two qualities
that students are encouraged to have.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 6
Corrected Sentence: When one is researching the customs of a community, one must learn about
its history and observe its people going about their ordinary activities.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is an improper pronoun shift. The person
who “is researching” is also the person who “must learn,” and therefore should be referred to by
the pronoun “one” rather than by “you.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The singular verb “is researching” agrees with its singular subject “one.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The verb “learn” and the preposition “about” combine to form an
appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The plural pronoun “their” agrees with its plural antecedent “people.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 7
Corrected Sentence:
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The participle "Working" and the preposition "with" are appropriately
used to introduce a modifying phrase.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The noun "portrait" and the preposition "of" combine to form an
appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The word "but" is appropriately used to link two contrasting adjectives
describing the dancer.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The participle "posing" combines with the verb "was" to form an
appropriate verb form.

QUESTION 8
Corrected Sentence: From 1566 until 1576, Santa Elena, now an excavation site in South
Carolina, was the capital of Spanish Florida; however, it had become an English settlement by
1735.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where the present perfect verb phrase "has become" is
used instead of the pluperfect that is needed to describe an action that had taken place "by 1735."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The words "From" and "until" are properly used to describe the decade
during which Santa Elena was the capital of Spanish Florida.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The compound noun "excavation site" is properly used in the phrase
enclosed by commas that describes what Santa Elena is now.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The conjunctive adverb "however" is properly used to introduce a
clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 9
Corrected Sentence: Despite the attorney's moving plea, the judge placed the juvenile offender
on probation for an indefinite period.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is improper diction. The adjective
"indecisive" is used where "indefinite" is needed.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The preposition "Despite" is properly used to introduce a prepositional
phrase.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The verb "placed," which can be singular or plural, agrees with its
singular subject, "judge."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The preposition "on" combines with the noun "probation" to form an
appropriate prepositional phrase.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 10
Corrected Sentence:
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The participle "yearning" correctly introduces a phrase describing "the
art world," and the preposition "for" functions properly within that phrase to link the verbal
"yearning" with the noun "form."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The adverb "truly" is used correctly to modify the adjective
"representative," and "representative" appropriately describes the noun "form."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The verb in past tense, "looked," correctly describes a completed action,
and the adverb "hopefully" (telling how) correctly modifies the verb.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase "of the day" serves appropriately as an
adjective describing the noun "artists."

QUESTION 11
Corrected Sentence: There has always been a great deal of friction between Joan and me because
we have opposing political views about which we are very vocal.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is an improper pronoun case. The
nominative case of the first-person pronoun, "I," is used where the objective case, "me," is
needed.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The phrase "a great deal of" is an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The subordinating conjunction "because" is appropriately used to
introduce a dependent adverbial clause; the nominative case of the pronoun "we" is appropriately
used, since it is the subject of the clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The preposition "about" is appropriately used to introduce the relative
pronoun "which," which refers appropriately to the plural noun "views."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 12
Corrected Sentence:
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The subordinating conjunction "When" properly begins the dependent
adverbial clause "When . . . Nevada."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The verb "began" properly describes an action in the past and joins with
the infinitive phrase "to excavate" to form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The singular pronoun "he," referring to "M.R. Harrington," agrees with
the singular verb "named."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The participle "indicating" properly modifies the noun "artifacts."

QUESTION 13
Corrected Sentence: The supervisor cited three workers, each of whom is likely to win a prize for
having suggested cost-effective changes at the factory.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is an improper use of pronoun. In the phrase
"each of which," the pronoun "which" incorrectly refers to a person (one of the "three workers")
and should instead be "whom."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The singular verb "is" agrees with the singular subject "each" and
combines with the phrase "likely to" to form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The preposition "for" and the phrase "having suggested" together form
an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The preposition "at" properly introduces the adjective phrase modifying
"changes."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 14
Corrected Sentence: Freedom of action and expression is at the foundation not only of our
system of government but also of our expectations concerning human relations at all levels of
society.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is subject-verb disagreement. The plural
verb "are" does not agree with the singular subject "freedom."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The phrase "not only" is joined with the preposition "of" to form an
appropriate idiom that is paralleled later in the sentence with "but also of."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The noun "expectations" and the participle "concerning" combine to
form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The preposition "at" and the adjective "all" together form an appropriate
idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 15
Corrected Sentence: While both disaster rescue workers and news reporters may face physical
danger, the latter can usually control their exposure to risk, whereas rescue workers often cannot.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is noun-pronoun disagreement. Because the
pronouns "his" and "her" are both singular, neither properly refers to the plural noun "the latter"
("news reporters").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The plural verb "may face" agrees with its plural compound subjects
"workers" and "reporters."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The phrase "the latter" properly refers to "news reporters."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The subordinating conjunction "whereas" properly begins the dependent
adverbial clause "whereas . . . cannot."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 16
Corrected Sentence: The refusal of management to revise its policy on family leave caused an
uproar among employees.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where an improper pronoun is used. The plural pronoun
"their" refers incorrectly to the singular noun "management."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The infinitive phrase "to revise" operates as an nominative adjective
describing "refusal."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The noun "policy" and the preposition "on" combine to form an
appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The verb "caused" idiomatically introduces the effect of the
management's action.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 17
Corrected Sentence: At first we panicked when we discovered we had missed our flight, but then
we took a bus to another airport, where there were several planes leaving for Denver that
evening.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the tense sequence is incorrect. The present tense
of the verb, "are," is inconsistent with the earlier past-tense verbs, "panicked," "discovered," and
"took."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The past perfect tense, "had missed," is appropriate to describe an action
that was completed before the time of another action in the past (the discovery).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The past-tense verb "took" is consistent with other verbs in past tense
("panicked" and "discovered").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The participle "leaving" functions correctly to introduce an adjective
phrase describing the noun "planes."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 18
Corrected Sentence: Only after the floodwaters had risen two feet was the mayor willing to order
the evacuation of some homes.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where the verb form is incorrect. After the helping verb
"had," the correct form of this irregular verb is not the past, "rose," but the past participle,
"risen."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). In this inverted construction, the singular verb "was" agrees with its
singular subject, "mayor," and the past tense correctly indicates a time after another action in the
past (the rising of the floodwaters).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The infinitive "to order" functions properly to introduce the adjective
phrase that completes the sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The noun "evacuation" serves correctly as the direct object of the
infinitive "to order," and the preposition "of" introduces a phrase that modifies "evacuation."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 19
Corrected Sentence: Confucianism is more a code of ethics than a religion; it presents no deities
but fosters instead a respect for one's ancestors and for an orderly society.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is wordiness. After the phrase "more . . .
than," the word "like" is unnecessary and spoils the parallelism of the two ideas being compared
("a religion" and "a code") in the opening clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The conjunction "but" is appropriate to indicate a contrast, and the
singular verb "fosters" agrees with its singular subject, "it."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The adverb "instead" functions correctly after the verb "fosters" to
indicate an alternative goal.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The adjective "orderly" appropriately describes the noun "society."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 20
Corrected Sentence: Just as parents vary in their readiness to have their children leave home for
college, young people vary in their readiness to leave.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the number of the pronouns is incorrect. The
singular pronouns "his" and "her" do not agree with the plural noun to which they refer,
"people."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The phrase "Just as" is an appropriate idiom to introduce a comparison
between parents and young people.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The verb "vary" is plural and agrees with its plural subject, "people."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The infinitive "to leave" functions correctly as an adjective to modify
the noun immediately before it, "readiness."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 21
Corrected Sentence: Local party organizations have discovered that voter turnout is diminished
considerably whenever the media project election results early in the day.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the tense sequence is incorrect. The past tense of
the verb, "projected," is inconsistent with the present tense of the earlier verb, "is diminished."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The adverb "considerably" correctly modifies the verb immediately
before it.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The subordinating conjunction "whenever" properly introduces the
dependent adverbial clause that completes the sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase "in the day" functions correctly as an adverb
telling when.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 22
Corrected Sentence: Absent from the speech was any mention of the students and laboratory
technicians upon whose contributions the chemist had depended heavily.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the verb does not agree with its subject. In this
inverted construction, the plural verb "were" does not agree with the singular subject "mention."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The predicate adjective "absent" functions correctly to describe the noun
"mention," and the preposition "from" introduces an adverb phrase that modifies "absent."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The relative pronoun "whose" serves appropriately to link the
preposition "upon" with its object, "contributions."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The adverb "heavily" is used properly to modify the verb "had
depended."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 23
Corrected Sentence: Paul's letter to me about the missing money was not intended to be read by
any other member of the organization.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where the pronoun is incorrect. The reflexive form,
"myself," is not appropriate, since the same person did not both send and receive the letter.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The singular helping verb "was" agrees with its singular subject, "letter,"
and the past participle form "intended" is correct after the helping verb.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The infinitive phrase "to be read" functions appropriately as an adverb
telling how the letter was intended.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The adverb "any" serves correctly to modify the adjective "other," and
"other" properly modifies the noun "member."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 24
Corrected Sentence: After the prince characterized modern architecture as ugly, he was severely
criticized for having been so outspoken in public.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the tense sequence is inappropriate. The use of
"After" with the past tense ("characterized") in the introductory clause requires the use of the
past tense ("was . . . criticized") rather than the present perfect tense ("has been . . . criticized") in
the main clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The word "as" correctly precedes the adjective "ugly" after the verb
"characterized."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The adverb "severely" is appropriate to tell how the prince was
criticized.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The adjective "outspoken" is used correctly after the verbal "having
been," and the adverb "so" properly modifies "outspoken."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 25
Corrected Sentence: No matter how cautiously snowmobiles are driven, they are capable of
damaging the land over which they travel.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where an adjective is used incorrectly. An adverb
("cautiously") rather than the adjective ("cautious") is needed to modify the verb "are driven."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The phrase "No matter" is an appropriate idiom to link the introductory
dependent clause to the sentence's main clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The plural verb "are" agrees with its plural subject, "they," and its
present tense is consistent with that of the earlier verb, "are driven."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The preposition "of" is appropriate to begin the phrase that explains
what snowmobiles can do, and the gerund "damaging" serves appropriately as the object of the
preposition.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 26
Corrected Sentence: The black squirrels drew a crowd of students, for they had never been seen
on the campus before.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the number of the pronoun is incorrect. The
singular pronoun "it" does not agree with the plural noun to which it refers, "squirrels."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The past-tense verb "drew" is correct to indicate a time after an earlier
time in the past (when the squirrels were not seen).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The conjunction "for" is used appropriately to join a clause describing an
effect with a later clause stating a cause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). After the helping verb "had," the verb forms "been" and "seen" are
correct to form passive voice and past perfect tense.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 27
Corrected Sentence: A majority of the students who attended the job fair expressed interest in
becoming doctors or lawyers.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is noun-noun disagreement. The singular
nouns "doctor" and "lawyer" do not agree with the earlier plural noun, "students."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The noun "students" is used properly as the object of the preposition
"of," and the relative pronoun "who" functions correctly to introduce an adjective clause
describing "students."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The verb in past tense, "attended," is consistent with the later past-tense
verb, "expressed."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The gerund "becoming" serves appropriately as the object of the
preposition "in."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.
QUESTION 28
Corrected Sentence: Never before had a group of artists been so isolated from society and from
official patronage as were the so-called Impressionists.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is subject-verb disagreement. In this
inverted construction, the singular verb "was" does not agree with its plural subject,
"Impressionists."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The helping verb "had" is used correctly to produce past perfect tense
and thus indicate a time prior to the time of the Impressionists.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). After the helping verb "had been," the past participle form, "isolated," is
correct, and "so" is an appropriate adverb to modify the verb.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The conjunction "and" is appropriate to join two parallel prepositional
phrases, and the repetition of the preposition "from" makes the parallelism more emphatic.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 29
Skill: Managing phrases and clauses in a sentence
Corrected Sentence: The steam-propelled locomotive on rails was invented in the early
nineteenth century by George Stephenson, moving coal from the coal mines near Newcastle,
England, to shipping stations on the nearby Tyne River.
Explanation for Correct Answer C : The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the verb
"moving" is not punctuated, creating confusion as to its subject. The verb phrase (beginning with
"moving") should be set off from the first part of the sentence with a comma, to show that the
verb's subject is "locomotive" and not "George Stephenson."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The past tense verb "was
invented" fits the time of the action in the sentence ("the early nineteenth century").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B : There is no error at (B). The preposition "in" logically and
appropriately links the verb phrase "was invented" to the noun phrase "the early nineteenth
century."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The adjective "nearby" properly
modifies the noun "Tyne River."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 30
Skill: Managing word choice and grammatical relationships between words
Corrected Sentence: Each year the television industry takes in billions of dollars in advertising
revenue based on ratings information, but it can owe advertisers tens of millions of dollars in free
commercials when ratings fall short of expectations.
Explanation for Correct Answer B : The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is
redundancy. The sentence's opening phrase establishes that the action in the sentence occurs
"each year," so the word "annually," which means "each year," is redundant and should be
deleted.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The adjective "advertising"
appropriately modifies the noun "revenue."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C : There is no error at (C). The coordinating conjunction
"but" properly connects the independent clause that precedes it to the independent clause that
follows it.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The subordinating conjunction
"when" properly introduces the clause "ratings fall short of expectations."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 31
Skill: Managing phrases and clauses in a sentence
Corrected Sentence: No one is exactly sure when modern rain forests first appeared, but fossil
evidence suggests that they were already present at the end of the age of the dinosaurs, some 60
million years ago.
Explanation for Correct Answer C : The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the contrast in
ideas between the sentence's two main clauses should be shown by a contrastive conjunction
such as "but" or "yet." Instead, the conjunction "and" is used, which fails to show the contrast in
ideas.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The subordinating conjunction
"when" appropriately connects the first independent clause ("No one is exactly sure") with its
own subordinate clause ("when modern rain forests first appeared").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B : There is no error at (B). The past tense of the verb
"appeared" is called for by the word that precedes it ("first").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase "at the
end" is a necessary part of the larger prepositional phrase "at the end of the age of the dinosaurs."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 32
Skill: Managing grammatical structures used to modify or compare
Corrected Sentence: Crocodiles spend much of their lives in the water, but like turtles, they must
lay their eggs on land, because reptile embryos must respirate through the egg's permeable shell.
Explanation for Correct Answer B : The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is a
misleading and illogical use of the word "as." "As" can function as a preposition in some
situations, but in this sentence it yields the illogical meaning that "as turtles, they" (crocodiles)
"must lay their eggs on land." To clearly convey the intended comparison between crocodiles
and turtles, the preposition "like" should be used instead.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The pronoun "much" is an
appropriate and necessary part of the noun phrase "much of their lives."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C : There is no error at (C). The prepositional phrase "on land"
properly modifies the verb "lay."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The subordinating conjunction
"because" properly introduces the clause "reptile embryos...egg's permeable shell."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.
QUESTION 33
Skill: Because this sentence is correct as written, none of the four writing skills can be
appropriately assigned to this question.
Corrected Sentence: In 1996 the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, installed a public sculpture in
honor of its two most celebrated literary residents -- Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost.
Explanation for Correct Answer E : There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The words "in honor of" are an
appropriate and necessary part of the prepositional phrase "in honor of its...residents."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B : There is no error at (B). The possessive pronoun "its"
agrees with the singular noun "the town of Amherst, Massachusetts."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C : There is no error at (C). The adverb "most" properly
modifies the participial adjective "celebrated."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The participial adjective
"celebrated" properly modifies the noun phrase "literary residents."

QUESTION 34
Skill: Managing phrases and clauses in a sentence
Corrected Sentence: One usually thinks of a sword as a long strip of metal, either iron or steel,
with a handle, but the first swords were made of wood.
Explanation for Correct Answer C : The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is an
inappropriate connective. The coordinate conjunction "and" does not fit in this context. Instead,
the conjunction "but" is needed to indicate the contrast between the two ideas.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The indefinite pronoun "one" is
used appropriately to indicate that no specific person is being talked about, and the adverb
"usually" correctly modifies the verb "thinks."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B : There is no error at (B). The correlative conjunction
"either" is used appropriately to introduce two possibilities.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The plural verb "were" agrees
with the plural noun "swords," and the preposition "of" is an appropriate and necessary part of
the prepositional phrase "of wood."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 35
Skill: Managing word choice and grammatical relationships between words
Corrected Sentence: Elephants use various methods to combat excessive heat, such as fanning
themselves with their ears and protecting their skin from the sun with layers of mud and dust.
Explanation for Correct Answer C : The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is an
incorrect verb form. The infinitive ("to protect") is used where the gerund "protecting" is needed
to parallel "fanning."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The adjective "various"
appropriately modifies the noun "methods."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B : There is no error at (B). The reflexive pronoun
"themselves" is used appropriately to refer to "Elephants."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The preposition "with" is an
appropriate and necessary part of the prepositional phrase "with layers...dust."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.
QUESTION 36
Skill: Managing word choice and grammatical relationships between words
Corrected Sentence: Beginning in the 1830's, walking footraces in England, the United States,
and continental Europe became mass spectator sports that sometimes attracted over 25,000
people.
Explanation for Correct Answer C : The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is an
incorrect verb tense. The action of the sentence takes place in the past, so the past-tense verb
"attracted" should be used in place of the present-tense verb "attract."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A : There is no error at (A). The preposition "in" appropriately
links the participle "beginning" with the noun phrase "the 1830's" to indicate when walking
footraces first occurred.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B : There is no error at (B). The relative pronoun "that" is used
properly to introduce the relative clause that provides more information about the noun "mass
spectator sports."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D : There is no error at (D). The preposition "over" is an
appropriate and necessary part of the prepositional phrase "over 25,000 people."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 37
Corrected Sentence: A newly formed organization of homeowners and business people has met
with the transportation department to voice its concerns about plans for a shopping mall in the
community.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is a problem with subject-verb agreement.
The plural verb "have" agrees with the interrupting nouns ("homeowners and business people")
but not with its singular subject, "organization."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The infinitive "to voice" correctly introduces a verbal phrase that
modifies "met" and indicates the purpose of the meeting.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The noun "concerns" serves correctly as the direct object of the infinitive
"to voice," and the preposition "about" is appropriate to begin a phrase that modifies "concerns."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The noun "plans" serves correctly as the object of the preposition
"about," and the preposition "for" appropriately begins another prepositional phrase that modifies
"plans."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 38
Corrected Sentence: Although she considers her chemistry research complete, she has heeded her
professor's advice and is conducting three additional experiments.
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The subordinating conjunction "Although" properly introduces the
subordinate adverbial clause, "she considers... complete."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The adjective "complete" properly modifies the noun phrase, "her
chemistry research."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The singular verb phrase "has heeded" agrees with its singular subject,
"she."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The singular verb phrase "is conducting" agrees with its singular subject,
"she," and properly introduces the second half of the compound predicate of the main clause.

QUESTION 39
Corrected Sentence: Princeton University officials first broke with a tradition of awarding
honorary degrees only to men when they awarded such a degree to author Willa Cather.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where the pronoun reference is vague. The sentence
contains no singular noun to which the pronoun "it" (presumably meaning an honorary degree)
can refer.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The past tense verb "broke" is used correctly to describe action already
completed, and the preposition "with" is used properly to begin a phrase modifying "broke."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The preposition "of" is used correctly to begin a phrase modifying
"tradition," and the verbal "awarding" functions properly as the object of the preposition.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The prepositional phrase "to men" is used correctly to identify those
awarded honorary degrees.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.

QUESTION 40
Corrected Sentence: His love of politics led him to volunteer in local campaigns as well as to
work in a government office in the state capital.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is a flaw in parallelism. The noun phrase "a
job" is not parallel with the earlier verbal phrase "to volunteer."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The past-tense verb "led" correctly describes actions already completed.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). Since the pronoun "him" is the direct object of the verb "led," the
objective case is correct.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The connecting phrase "as well" functions correctly to introduce an
additional activity.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
There is an error in the sentence.