If you are reading this in an email you received from me, do not click the link to sat.collegeboard.org below. Use the link to my website that is farther down on the email. If you are seeing this in my blog, do the SAT Question of the Day by clicking on this link:
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day?questionId=20131024&oq=1 (This link takes you to today’s question. If you use my archive, you will see the question related to my SAT explanation for that date.)
The answer is B. The introductory phrase describes an artist; so, we need her to be the subject of the sentence immediately following the comma, not her sculptures. Fixing that problem leaves us with with either answer B or E. Which one of them has a mistake? (The SAT website explanation forgot to tell you about that issue!) E is wrong because it is improper to put the pronoun (they) immediately following the word (sculptures) it represents. Another example of a similar mistake would be, “My biology teacher he likes to…” The “he” is improper. Just delete it.
An important issue that this question brings up is that you can best prepare for the Writing section of the SAT and English section of the ACT by reviewing the grammar and composition errors that show up on the tests. (Today’s question is a perfect example because this mistake shows up on the test quite frequently.) You can get a list of them by checking out my website or reviewing Video #9.
Let’s see what the ACT folks have for us today.
ACT Question of the Day: Use your “back” button to return to my website after reading the ACT Question of the Day.
The answer is H. Take a look at the list of common errors I mentioned above and this question is a snap. Parallel structures is also a common mistake that the test writers expect you to identify and correct. Because the non-underlined portion of the sentence has “of policing,” you need a parallel structure (object) to go with the verb control. It has to have the preposition “of” as well. That leaves you with answer H.
Only two days until the ACT test. Be sure you do some last minute review of your weak areas tonight. If the grammar is an issue for you, review my list. Browse through my website or Demystifying the SAT & ACT manual to review the math topics. Do a reading passage. Don’t plan on cramming tomorrow night. You should relax after dinner. Tune in tomorrow and I’ll give you some advice about how to spend your last evening before the test.
The SAT & ACT Wizard
