Question ID 0f39b19c

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 0f39b19c
After a spate of illnesses as a child, Wilma Rudolph was told she might never walk again. Defying all odds, Rudolph didn’t
just walk, she ______ the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, she won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and clinched first
place for her team in the 4x100-meter relay, becoming the first US woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. ran—fast—during

B. ran—fast during

C. ran—fast, during

D. ran—fast. During

ID: 0f39b19c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Defying…fast”) and another sentence that begins with a
supplementary phrase (“During…Olympics”).

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ac5536c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: ac5536c1
Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902), but
she also dedicated herself to mycology, the study of ______ more than 350 paintings of the fungal species she observed in
nature and submitting her research on spore germination to the Linnean Society of London.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. fungi; producing

B. fungi. Producing

C. fungi producing

D. fungi, producing

ID: ac5536c1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between two supplementary phrases following
the coordinate clause (“but she…mycology”). This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the
supplementary noun phrase (“the study of fungi”) that defines the term “mycology” and the supplementary participial phrase
(“producing...London”) that provides additional information about the extent to which Potter dedicated herself to mycology.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join two supplementary phrases following a
coordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with
“producing.” Choice C is incorrect. The lack of punctuation results in a sentence that illogically suggests that the study of
fungi is producing more than 350 paintings.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9c3630b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 9c3630b9
Using natural debris, such as dried ______ such as plastic bags; and more traditional art supplies, such as tree glue, Ghanaian
artist Ed Franklin Gavua creates his striking Yiiiiikakaii African masks, which he hopes can help viewers rethink how waste is
used in their communities.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. leaves, man-made trash:

B. leaves; man-made trash,

C. leaves, man-made trash,

D. leaves; man-made trash;

ID: 9c3630b9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of elements in a complex series. It’s
conventional to use a semicolon to separate items in a complex series with internal punctuation, and in this choice, the
semicolon after "leaves" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("natural debris, such as dried leaves") and the
second item ("man-made trash, such as plastic bags") in the series of materials used by Gavua. Further, the comma after
"trash" correctly separates the noun phrase "man-made trash" from the supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") that
describes it.

Choice A is incorrect because a comma after "leaves" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second and
third items in the series ("man-made...bags" and "and...glue"). Additionally, it’s not conventional to use a colon in this way to
separate a supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") from the noun phrase it modifies ("man-made trash"). Choice C is
incorrect because a comma after "leaves" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second and third items in
the series ("man-made...bags" and "and...glue"). Choice D is incorrect because it’s not conventional to use a semicolon in this
way to separate a supplementary phrase ("such as plastic bags") from the noun phrase it modifies ("man-made trash").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3a2d77d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 3a2d77d7
In the 1950s, novel audio technologies allowed the addition of another instrument to jazz and swing ______ relatively quiet
instrument, its full range of sound was finally audible alongside the blaring brass instruments of the time, allowing flautists
like Bennie Maupin and Bobbi Humphrey to perform with other jazz greats.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. music, the flute, a

B. music. The flute, a

C. music; the flute, a

D. music: the flute. A

ID: 3a2d77d7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within and between sentences. In this
choice, the colon correctly introduces the name of the instrument (the flute) that novel audio technologies allowed to be
added to jazz and swing. In addition, the period is used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…flute")
and another ("A relatively…greats").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses ("In…
quiet instrument" and "its…greats"). Choice B is incorrect. In standard English, it’s unconventional to form a sentence in this
way with two uncoordinated subjects ("the flute" and "its full range of sound"), and the lack of a clear main subject results in
an awkwardly constructed and confusing sentence. Choice C is incorrect. In standard English, it’s unconventional to form an
independent clause in this way with two uncoordinated subjects ("the flute" and "its full range of sound"), and the lack of a
clear main subject results in an awkwardly constructed and confusing clause.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 435809d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 435809d8
On March 23, 2021, a gust of wind wreaked havoc on global trade. Ever Given, an international shipping container vessel,
became lodged in Egypt’s Suez Canal, a major shipping route between Europe and Asia. The vessel took six days to ______
it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. dislodge in part due to its sheer size,

B. dislodge, in part due to its sheer size:

C. dislodge, in part due to its sheer size,

D. dislodge, in part, due to its sheer size

ID: 435809d8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between main clauses and a supplementary
element. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause ("The vessel took six days to
dislodge") and the supplementary element ("in part due to its sheer size") that provides additional information on why the
vessel was difficult to dislodge. Additionally, this choice correctly uses a colon to introduce another main clause that
describes the vessel’s size ("it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between two main clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded"). Additionally, it fails to mark the boundary between the main
clause ("The vessel took six days to dislodge") and the supplementary element ("in part due to its sheer size"). 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 two main
clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded"). Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main
clauses ("The vessel…size" and "it’s…loaded") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 83898524
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 83898524
In addition to advocating for South America’s independence in two political treatises, the Cartagena Manifesto and the Letter
from Jamaica, Simón Bolívar personally led armies against the Spanish, liberating three South American territories—New
Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama), Venezuela, and Quito (present-day ______ from colonial rule.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Ecuador,)

B. Ecuador)

C. Ecuador),

D. Ecuador)—

ID: 83898524 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The dash after “Ecuador” and the closing parenthesis pairs with the dash after “territories” to separate the supplementary
element (“New…Ecuador”) from the rest of the sentence. The supplementary element specifies the three South American
territories that Simón Bolívar liberated, and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting
the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of
the sentence. Furthermore, punctuation isn’t needed between “Ecuador” and the closing parenthesis. Choice B is incorrect
because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice
C is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the
sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fba5d8d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: fba5d8d1
In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants who
experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music, there was
one personality trait that they scored particularly ______ openness to experience.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. high. On

B. high on;

C. high on

D. high on:

ID: fba5d8d1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the
supplementary phrase ("openness to experience") and to introduce the information that identifies which personality trait
participants scored especially high on.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "on" and separates a
necessary preposition from the clause beginning with "there." Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this
way to join the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience"). A semicolon is
conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains
or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to
experience").

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 886dc9f9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 886dc9f9
On July 23, 1854, a clipper ship called the Flying Cloud entered San Francisco ______ left New York Harbor under the
guidance of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy and his wife, navigator Eleanor Creesy, a mere 89 days and 8 hours earlier, the
celebrated ship set a record that would stand for 135 years.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Bay and having

B. Bay. Having

C. Bay, having

D. Bay having

ID: 886dc9f9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “Bay” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“On…Bay”) and another sentence that begins with
a supplementary phrase (“Having…years”). Here, the supplementary phrase beginning with “having” modifies the subject of
the second sentence, “the celebrated ship.”

Choice A is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.
Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice
D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“On…Bay” and “having…years”) are fused without
punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 59a246dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 59a246dc
When external forces are applied to common glass made from silicates, energy builds up around minuscule defects in the
material, resulting in fractures. Recently, engineer Erkka Frankberg of Tampere University in Finland used the chemical ______
to make a glassy solid that can withstand higher strain than silicate glass can before fracturing.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. compound, aluminum oxide

B. compound aluminum oxide,

C. compound, aluminum oxide,

D. compound aluminum oxide

ID: 59a246dc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation around noun phrases. No punctuation is
needed because the noun phrase “aluminum oxide” is a restrictive appositive, meaning that it provides essential identifying
information about the noun phrase before it, “the chemical compound,” and thus doesn’t require punctuation around it.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice C
is incorrect because the noun phrase “aluminum oxide” is a restrictive appositive. Setting the phrase off with punctuation
suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a153ad6a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a153ad6a
While light is known as one of the fastest-moving substances, it slows down when passing through some types of matter.
One such type of matter is a form of cooled, condensed gas called a Bose-Einstein condensate ______ Dutch physicist Lene
Hau famously used a BEC to slow a beam of light to a complete halt.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. (BEC),

B. (BEC) and

C. (BEC);

D. (BEC)

ID: a153ad6a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a semicolon to join the first main clause ("One…(BEC)") and the second main clause ("Dutch…halt").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this
way to join two main clauses. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. Without a comma preceding it, a
conjunction can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence.
The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 77e06a09
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 77e06a09
Between 322 and 184 BCE, the Maurya Empire established a complex economic system that, through trade and centralized
______ funded major infrastructure projects throughout the Indian subcontinent. This included the building of many roads,
canals, and hospitals.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. taxation:

B. taxation,

C. taxation—

D. taxation

ID: 77e06a09 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. The comma after
"taxation" pairs with the comma after "that" to separate the supplementary element "through trade and centralized taxation"
from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to identify the funding source of the Mauryan economy,
and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the
sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a comma in this way to separate the supplementary element from
the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma in this way to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6ea8c23f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6ea8c23f
In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean mixing rates from
the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how current-driven mixing varies across
______ and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in the ocean.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. regions,

B. regions:

C. regions;

D. regions

ID: 6ea8c23f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two
elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was
able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no
punctuation is needed between them.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice
B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aab74a3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: aab74a3b
Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm
______ dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force
required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. silk, by

B. silk by

C. silk and by

D. silk. By

ID: aab74a3b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be
grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by
dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t
enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and
"by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both
independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a9e5b788
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a9e5b788
In discussing Mary Shelley’s 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader’s attention
to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley’s ______ as the recipient of
the letters that frame the book’s narrative, she’s the “occasion” of it.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. novel

B. novel,

C. novel; rather,

D. novel, rather,

ID: a9e5b788 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a semicolon to join a main clause (“Saville...novel”) and a second main clause (“she’s...it”) preceded by
supplementary elements (“rather...narrative”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be
used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, the comma after “novel” can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID cdbbbf94
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: cdbbbf94
As British scientist Peter Whibberley has observed, “the Earth is not a very good timekeeper.” Earth’s slightly irregular rotation
rate means that measurements of time must be periodically adjusted. Specifically, an extra “leap second” (the 86,401st
second of the day) is ______ time based on the planet’s rotation lags a full nine-tenths of a second behind time kept by
precise atomic clocks.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. added, whenever

B. added; whenever

C. added. Whenever

D. added whenever

ID: cdbbbf94 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a preposition. When, as in this
case, a verb (“is added”) is immediately followed by a preposition (“whenever”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice B is incorrect because
no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed
between the verb and the preposition.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a3e87535
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: a3e87535
Julia Alvarez’s 1994 novel In the Time of the Butterflies, a fictionalized account of the lives of the Mirabal ______ can serve as
a starting point for those wanting to explore how the rule of dictator Rafael Trujillo has been represented in Dominican
American literature.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. sisters, and

B. sisters and

C. sisters,

D. sisters

ID: a3e87535 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The comma after "sisters" pairs with the comma after "Butterflies" to separate the supplementary element "a fictionalized
account of the lives of the Mirabal sisters" from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to describe
the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without
affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because a comma and conjunction can’t be used in this way to separate the supplementary element
from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e76e74e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: e76e74e8
Over twenty years ago, in a landmark experiment in the psychology of choice, professor Sheena Iyengar set up a jam-tasting
booth at a grocery store. The number of jams available for tasting ______ some shoppers had twenty-four different options,
others only six. Interestingly, the shoppers with fewer jams to choose from purchased more jam.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. varied:

B. varied,

C. varied, while

D. varied while

ID: e76e74e8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon is
used in a conventional way to introduce the following description of how the number of jams available varied.

Choice B is incorrect because it creates a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses (“the
number…varied” and “some…six”). Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using the
conjunction “while” to join the main clause (“the number…varied”) with the following clause’s description of the number of
jams available suggests that the variation in the number of jams is in contrast to some shoppers having twenty-four options.
Choice D is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using “while” in this way suggests that the
number of jams available varied during the time in which some shoppers had twenty-four options and others had six. The
sentence makes clear, however, that what follows “varied” is a description of the variation, not a separate, simultaneous
occurrence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 083a35dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 083a35dc
Po’Pay was a Tewa leader from Ohkay Owingeh, a pueblo located about twenty-five miles north of present-day Santa Fe, New
Mexico. He was instrumental in organizing the Pueblo Revolt of ______ as a result of his leadership, the Spanish colonizers
were expelled from the region for a time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. 1680

B. 1680 and

C. 1680,

D. 1680, and

ID: 083a35dc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “and” to join the first main clause (“He…1680”) and the second
main clause (“as…time”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to
use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a
conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 145d5ca7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 145d5ca7
Gathering accurate data on water flow in the United States is challenging because of the country’s millions of miles of ______
the volume and speed of water at any given location can vary drastically over time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. waterways and the fact that,

B. waterways, and the fact that,

C. waterways, and, the fact that

D. waterways and the fact that

ID: 145d5ca7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation within two coordinated noun phrases. When, as in
this case, a noun phrase (“the country’s millions of miles of waterways”) is coordinated with another noun phrase (“the fact”)
followed by an integrated relative clause (“that the volume...time”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice C
is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6e071432
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 6e071432
In 1986, conceptual artist Sophie Calle asked twenty-three people, all of whom had been born without sight, to describe “their
image of beauty” in rich detail. Calle paired excerpts of these conversations with photographs—both of interviewees and the
items they ______ to powerful effect in her exhibition The Blind.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. described, from hair to grass to sculptures

B. described, from hair to grass to sculptures—

C. described—from hair to grass to sculptures,

D. described: from hair to grass to sculptures

ID: 6e071432 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of supplementary elements within a sentence.
The comma after "described" separates the first supplementary element ("both of interviewees and the items they
described") from the second supplementary element ("from hair to grass to sculptures"). Furthermore, the dash after
"sculptures" pairs with the dash after "photographs" to separate these two supplementary elements from the rest of the
sentence. The pair of dashes, which operate at a higher organizing level than the comma, indicates that the elements
between the dashes function together—in this case, the second supplement ("from…sculptures") describes the range of
items mentioned in the first supplement—and could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the
sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. A dash is
needed after "sculptures" to separate the supplementary elements ("both…sculptures") from the rest of the sentence. Choice
C is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. The two
supplementary elements "both…described" and "from…sculptures" function together to describe the photographs, and
placing a dash between them would make this relationship less clear, suggesting that the supplement "both...described" is a
standalone element that could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the
case. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. A colon
isn’t conventionally used in this way to separate a supplementary element ("from hair to grass to sculptures") from the noun
phrase it is modifying ("items they described"). Additionally, a dash is needed after "sculptures" to separate the
supplementary elements ("both…sculptures") from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard