Question ID 6f873e68

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 6f873e68
In crafting her fantasy fiction, Nigerian-born British author Helen Oyeyemi has drawn inspiration from the
classic nineteenth-century fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Her 2014 novel Boy, Snow, Bird, for instance, is a
complex retelling of the story of Snow White, while her 2019 novel ______ offers a delicious twist on the
classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. ­Gingerbread—

B. ­Gingerbread,

C. Gingerbread

D. ­Gingerbread:

ID: 6f873e68 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case,
a subject (“her 2019 novel Gingerbread”) is immediately followed by a verb (“offers”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 550866d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 550866d1
Eli Eisenberg, a genetics expert at Tel Aviv University in Israel, recently discovered that ______ have a special
genetic ability called RNA editing that confers evolutionary advantages.

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

A. cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish

B. cephalopods—ocean dwellers—that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,

C. cephalopods, ocean dwellers that include: the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish,

D. cephalopods—ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish—

ID: 550866d1 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.
In this choice, the dash after “cephalopods” pairs with the dash after “cuttlefish” to clearly separate the supplementary
element “ocean dwellers that include the squid, the octopus, and the cuttlefish” from the rest of the sentence. This
supplementary element functions to explain what cephalopds are, 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 that explains
what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to
separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element that explains what cephalopods are
from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 975a4737
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and Easy
Conventions Sense

ID: 975a4737
To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killifish eggs ______ a dormant state
known as diapause. In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the
life span of an adult killifish.

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

A. enter

B. to enter

C. having entered

D. entering

ID: 975a4737 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause
requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “embryos”), and this choice supplies the clause with
the finite present tense verb “enter” to indicate how the embryos achieve diapause.

Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to enter” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C
is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having entered” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is
incorrect because the nonfinite participle “entering” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 562d4b57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 562d4b57
In 2000, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, herself an owner of a successful consulting firm, sought to increase
Latina representation in corporate ______ founded Las Comadres para las Americas, an international
community that for over two decades has served as a resource and information network for Latina business
professionals.

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

A. settings she

B. settings, she

C. settings and she

D. settings. She

ID: 562d4b57 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. It appropriately uses a period to mark the end of one independent clause ("In 2000…settings")
and the start of another ("She founded…professionals").

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…settings")
and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent clauses, so they need to be separated by punctuation.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with just a
comma. Linking two independent clauses with a comma also requires the use of a coordinating conjunction (like for, and,
nor, but, or, yet, or so). Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, an error caused when two independent
clauses are joined without punctuation or appropriate conjunctions. Since both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…
settings") and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent, a comma would be required in addition to
the coordinating conjunction "and."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 618d94c4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 618d94c4
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: 618d94c4 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 af557364
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: af557364
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a leader of Umuofia (a fictional Nigerian clan)
and takes pride in his culture’s traditions. However, when the arrival of European missionaries brings changes
to Umuofia, the novel asks a central question: How ______

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

A. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected.

B. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected.

C. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected?

D. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected?

ID: af557364 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the
colon should be in the conventional form of a question: with the verb before the subject, and a question mark at the end.

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID abdbb81d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: abdbb81d
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: abdbb81d 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 98baf1ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 98baf1ee
Stomata, tiny pore structures in a leaf that absorb gases needed for plant growth, open when guard cells
surrounding each pore swell with water. In a pivotal 2007 article, plant cell ______ showed that lipid molecules
called phosphatidylinositol phosphates are responsible for signaling guard cells to open stomata.

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

A. biologist, Yuree Lee

B. biologist Yuree Lee,

C. biologist Yuree Lee

D. biologist, Yuree Lee,

ID: 98baf1ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to offset the proper noun “Yuree Lee” form the title “plant cell biologist” that describes Lee.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice D
is incorrect because no punctuation is needed around the proper noun “Yuree Lee.” 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 c4ff1125
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: c4ff1125
Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between
1440 and 1450 CE. However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass
spectrometry to uncover evidence that it was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were
likely inhabiting the area.

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

A. earlier. In

B. earlier, in

C. earlier, which in

D. earlier in

ID: c4ff1125 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A 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 (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary
phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.

Choice B 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 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. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence
that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information (“However...earlier”)
rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences
(“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ef8408a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: ef8408a4
Typically, underlines, scribbles, and notes left in the margins by a former owner lower a book’s ______ when
the former owner is a famous poet like Walt Whitman, such markings, known as marginalia, can be a gold
mine to literary scholars.

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

A. value, but

B. value

C. value,

D. value but

ID: ef8408a4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of independent clauses within a sentence. An
independent clause is a phrase containing a subject and a verb that can stand on its own as a sentence. This choice uses a
comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first independent clause (“underlines…lower a book’s value”) and
the second independent clause (“such markings…can be a gold mine to scholars”) to create a compound sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses 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 two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect because a comma is needed to mark the boundary
between two coordinated independent clauses.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a1a0066e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: a1a0066e
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once
presumed to be extinct. Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical
icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: a1a0066e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 95649ca9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 95649ca9
In 1727, dramatist Lewis Theobald presented a new play, Double Falsehood, at a London theater. Theobald
claimed that his drama was based on a little-known play by William Shakespeare, Cardenio. Many, including
poet Alexander Pope, were ______ historians have determined that Shakespeare’s company did perform a
play called Cardenio in 1613.

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

A. skeptical but

B. skeptical, but

C. skeptical,

D. skeptical

ID: 95649ca9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. There are two independent clauses in the sentence, each with a subject and a verb:
"many...were skeptical" and "historians have determined…." These clauses can be grammatically joined by a comma and the
coordinating conjunction "but."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined
without punctuation. Two independent clauses can’t be joined by just the coordinating conjunction "but." A comma would
also be required. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error called a comma splice. This sentence
contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"). A comma alone can’t join
two independent clauses. That requires a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results
in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. This sentence contains
two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"), which need to be either joined by a
semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 22030ce1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 22030ce1
In 1955, Indian Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray released his first movie, Pather ______ quiet black-and-white
drama about a family in rural India, Ray’s film was quite different from the loud, colorful action-romance
movies that were popular at the time.

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

A. Panchali a

B. Panchali, which was a

C. Panchali, a

D. Panchali. A

ID: 22030ce1 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 ("In…Panchali") and another ("A quiet…time"). The phrase
beginning with "a quiet" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Ray’s film."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B 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 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: Hard

Question ID 72ba319f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 72ba319f
In 1959, the film industry debuted Smell-O-Vision. Theaters were fitted with specialized vents that emitted
odors at specific points in a ______ as the scent of roses when roses appeared in a scene. Smell-O-Vision
failed to impress, however, with one reviewer declaring it “briefly weird and not very interesting.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. movie such

B. movie; such

C. movie. Such

D. movie, such

ID: 72ba319f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The comma appropriately separates the nonessential descriptive aside "such as…scene" from
the independent clause "Theaters were…movie." Since the descriptive example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to
function, it needs to be set off with punctuation.

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 971ed23e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 971ed23e
Joshua Hinson, director of the language revitalization program of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, helped
produce the world’s first Indigenous-language instructional app, Chickasaw ______ Chickasaw TV, in 2010;
and a Rosetta Stone language course in Chickasaw, in 2015.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Basic; in 2009, an online television network;

B. Basic; in 2009, an online television network,

C. Basic, in 2009; an online television network,

D. Basic, in 2009, an online television network,

ID: 971ed23e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items 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
“2009” is conventionally used to separate the first item (“the world’s…2009”) and the second item (“an online…2010”) in the
series of things that Hinson helped create. Further, the comma after “Basic” correctly pairs with the comma after “app,” and
the comma after “network” correctly pairs with the comma after “TV” to set off the supplemental elements (“Chickasaw
Basic” and “Chickasaw TV”) that provide the names of the app and the TV network, respectively. Altogether, the punctuation
in this choice results in a sentence that clearly indicates that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV
network in 2010, and a language course in 2015.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a
language app in 2009, an online TV network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to
punctuate the complex series in a way that makes clear that Hinson helped make a language app in 2009, an online TV
network in 2010, and a language course in 2015. Choice D is incorrect because the comma after “2009” doesn’t match the
semicolon used to separate the second and third items in the complex series.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 26287f55
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 26287f55
A study published by Rice University geoscientist Ming Tang in 2019 offers a new explanation for the origin
of Earth’s ______ structures called arcs, towering ridges that form when a dense oceanic plate subducts
under a less dense continental plate, melts in the mantle below, and then rises and bursts through the
continental crust above.

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

A. continents geological

B. continents: geological

C. continents; geological

D. continents. Geological

ID: 26287f55 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B 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 (“A study…continents”) and
the supplementary phrase (“geological…above”) and to introduce the following explanation of the origin of Earth’s continents.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A study…continents”) and the
supplementary phrase (“geological…above”) with appropriate punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t
be used in this way to join the main clause (“A study…continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological…above”). 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 it the better choice in this context. Choice D is
incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “geological.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6a2df221
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 6a2df221
To serve local families during the Great Depression, innovative New York City librarian Pura Belpré offered
storytelling in both English and Spanish, an uncommon ______ celebrated el Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, an
important community holiday; and put on puppet shows dramatizing Puerto Rican folktales.

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

A. practice, at the time

B. practice at the time;

C. practice, at the time,

D. practice at the time,

ID: 6a2df221 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 "time" is conventionally used to separate the first item ("offered…time") and the second ("celebrated…
holiday") in the series of activities that librarian Pura Belpré offered. Moreover, the semicolon after "time" matches the
semicolon used later to separate the second item ("celebrated...holiday") and the third ("and...folktales") in the series.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the first item and the second item in the
complex series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun "practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time"
because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice C
is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the semicolon used later to separate the second
("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series. Furthermore, a comma isn’t needed between the noun
"practice" and the prepositional phrase "at the time" because the prepositional phrase is essential to the full meaning of the
phrase "an uncommon practice at the time." Choice D is incorrect because a comma after "time" doesn’t match the
semicolon used later to separate the second ("celebrated...holiday") and third ("and...folktales") items in the series.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f8497cc6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: f8497cc6
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.

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

ID: f8497cc6 Answer

Correct 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.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 2b71ef47
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 2b71ef47
The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the
infrastructure of overburdened national ______ it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads,
utilities, employee housing, and visitor facilities while also establishing educational programming for the
public.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. parks and

B. parks

C. parks;

D. parks,

ID: 2b71ef47 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
uses a semicolon to correctly join the first main clause (“The Mission…parks”) and the second main clause that begins with
“it.”

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9360277c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 9360277c
In 2008, two years after the death of science fiction writer Octavia Butler, the Huntington Library in ______
received a collection of more than 8,000 items, including Butler’s private notes, research materials,
manuscripts, photos, and drawings. Today, the Octavia E. Butler Collection is one of the most researched
archives at the library.

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

A. California,

B. California:

C. California—

D. California

ID: 9360277c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e97999ac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: e97999ac
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: e97999ac 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 f6da3294
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: f6da3294
In her two major series “Memory Test” and “Autobiography,” painter Howardena Pindell explored themes
______ healing, self-discovery, and memory by cutting and sewing back together pieces of canvas and
inserting personal artifacts, such as postcards, into some of the paintings.

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

B. of,

C. of—

D. of:

ID: f6da3294 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a preposition and its complement. No
punctuation is needed between the preposition “of” and its complement, the noun phrase “healing, self-discovery, and
memory.”

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. Choice C is incorrect
because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation
is needed between a preposition and its complement.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fe8fcf34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: fe8fcf34
In 2017, artists Isabel and Ruben Toledo redesigned the costumes and sets for The Miami City Ballet’s
production of The ______ to reviewers, the Toledos’ designs helped infuse the production with elements of
Miami’s Latin American culture.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Nutcracker according,

B. Nutcracker, according

C. Nutcracker according

D. Nutcracker. According

ID: fe8fcf34 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 (“In 2017...Nutcracker”) and another (“According...culture”). The
supplementary element “according to reviewers” modifies the main clause of the second sentence (“the Toledos’...culture”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Furthermore, no punctuation is needed within the supplementary element “according to reviewers.” Choice B 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 C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 57a2e87f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 57a2e87f
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: 57a2e87f 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 9ee338ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 9ee338ef
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: 9ee338ef 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 bfc41dd2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: bfc41dd2
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.

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

ID: bfc41dd2 Answer

Correct 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.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5219fa75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 5219fa75
It is generally true that technological change is a linear process, in which once-useful technologies are
replaced by new and better ______ the reawakening of interest in the steam engine (from advocates of
carbon-neutral rail travel) reminds us that ostensibly obsolete technologies may be brought back into service
to address society’s changing needs.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. ones, even so;

B. ones even so,

C. ones; even so,

D. ones, even so,

ID: 5219fa75 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
uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause (“It is…ones”) and the second main clause (“even so…
needs”). Furthermore, the placement of the semicolon after “ones” indicates that the supplementary phrase “even so”
modifies the following clause (“the reawakening...needs”), resulting in the most logical and grammatically complete
sentence. With this punctuation, the sentence logically indicates that the recent interest in an old technology like steam
engines is despite the fact that technological change typically seeks out new technologies.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a confusing and illogical sentence. Placing the semicolon after “so” indicates that
the supplementary element “even so” modifies the first clause of the sentence, which doesn’t make sense in this context.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. It fails to mark the boundary between the two main clauses
with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it,
a comma can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b79670a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: b79670a7
Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On consists of five human figures
made of clay and plant fiber and arranged in descending size; each figure holds the smaller one in front of it.
The arrangement of the figures, according to ______ represents her idea that “we all come from the Earth,
generation after generation.”

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

B. Swentzell,

C. Swentzell:

D. Swentzell—

ID: b79670a7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it
needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: two commas, two dashes, or a pair of
parentheses. We already have a comma before “according,” so we must add a comma after “Swentzell.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts
the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: one
before and one after the phrase. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The arrangement of the
figures, according to Swentzell” is not an independent clause, so it can’t come before a colon. Choice D is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence,
so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma at the
beginning, so we have to use another comma here to match. We can’t just switch to a dash! .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c2cb0796
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: c2cb0796
Seneca sculptor Marie Watt’s blanket art comes in a range of shapes and sizes. In 2004, Watt sewed strips of
blankets together to craft a 10-by-13-inch ______ in 2014, she arranged folded blankets into two large stacks
and then cast them in bronze, creating two curving 18-foot-tall blue-bronze pillars.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. sampler later,

B. sampler;

C. sampler,

D. sampler, later,

ID: c2cb0796 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause (“In 2004…sampler”) and the second main clause (“in
2014…pillars”).

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. The word “later” is an adverb and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is
preceded by a 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. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice.
Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. The word “later” is an adverb
and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is preceded by a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 37ccf84e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 37ccf84e
When particles are suspended in liquid (like pollen in a water glass), they will zigzag randomly through the
liquid and collide with one another in perpetuity. This type of random, continuous ______ is known as
Brownian motion, can be observed throughout the natural world.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. movement: which

B. movement, which

C. movement which

D. movement. Which

ID: 37ccf84e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. This choice correctly uses commas to set off the nonessential relative clause "which is known
as Brownian motion" that provides extra information about the "random, continuous movement" that isn’t necessary for the
function of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" is a
nonessential supplement. Nonessential supplements need to be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a pair of
commas, dashes, or parentheses, so we can’t use a colon here. Also, notice that colons can only come after an independent
clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which
is known as Brownian motion" is a nonessential supplement, so it should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a
pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma after "motion," so we need to add a comma before "which."
This choice is missing that comma. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "This type of random,
continuous movement" is not an independent clause and can’t stand alone as a full sentence, so we can’t put a period here.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5f38d8f4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 5f38d8f4
To humans, it does not appear that the golden orb-weaver spider uses camouflage to capture its ______ the
brightly colored arachnid seems to wait conspicuously in the center of its large circular web for insects to
approach. Researcher Po Peng of the University of Melbourne has explained that the spider’s distinctive
coloration may in fact be part of its appeal.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. prey, rather,

B. prey rather,

C. prey, rather;

D. prey; rather,

ID: 5f38d8f4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. The
semicolon is correctly used to join the first main clause (“To humans…prey”) and the second main clause (“rather…
approach”). Further, the comma after the adverb “rather” is correctly used to separate the adverb from the main clause (“the
brightly…approach”) it modifies, logically indicating that the information in this clause (how the spider’s behavior appears to
humans) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (how the spider’s behavior does not appear to humans).

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. The two main clauses are fused
without appropriate punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. Placing the comma between the first main
clause “To humans…prey” and the adverb “rather” illogically indicates that the information in the first main clause is contrary
to what came before, which doesn’t make sense in this context.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e437ac5e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: e437ac5e
In 1959, marine biologist Dr. Albert Jones founded the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a scuba diving ______
that is the oldest club for Black divers in the United States and that has helped thousands of diving
enthusiasts become certified in the field.

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

B. club,

C. club—

D. club, and

ID: e437ac5e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use punctuation to separate it from
“scuba diving club.” .

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not
use a comma (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates
a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a dash (or any kind of punctuation) to
separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence. It makes “that is…United
States” into an awkward independent clause, but it also makes “that has…field” into its own awkward independent clause
without the correct punctuation separating it.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d173443c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: d173443c
Luci Tapahonso is the inaugural poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. Her book Sáanii Dahataal/The Women
Are Singing—a combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and ______ serves as a testament to her versatility
as a writer.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. prose;

B. prose

C. prose,

D. prose—

ID: d173443c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it
needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the
beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A
combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of
the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we
need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that
conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential
supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already
have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice C
is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of
fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence
with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a
dash at the end of the supplement to match.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fd02bdb9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: fd02bdb9
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.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. falling,

B. falling:

C. falling;

D. falling

ID: fd02bdb9 Answer

Correct 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.” .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0693086b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 0693086b
While one requires oxygen and one does ______ and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular
respiration—that is, they are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. not aerobic

B. not. Aerobic

C. not, aerobic

D. not; aerobic

ID: 0693086b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause “While...not” and the independent
clause that follows.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. “While...not” is a dependent clause, which must be
separated from the independent clause that follows with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. “While one requires oxygen and one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t stand
alone as a complete sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “While one requires oxygen and
one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t be linked to the clause that follows with a semicolon.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f2e0c354
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: f2e0c354
Researchers studying magnetosensation have determined why some soil-dwelling roundworms in the
Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field when searching for ______ in
the Northern Hemisphere, the magnetic field points down, into the ground, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it
points up, toward the surface and away from worms’ food sources.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. food:

B. food,

C. food while

D. food

ID: f2e0c354 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is colon use within a sentence. A colon used in this way introduces
information that illustrates or explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon introduces the following
explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two long independent
clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence.
The two clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation. Furthermore, the conjunction “while”
fails to indicate that what follows is an explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the
opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two clauses
(“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID af0e160f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: af0e160f
Photosynthesis, the mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into ______ is
fueled in part by an enzyme called Photosystem II that harvests energy-giving electrons from water
molecules.

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

B. nutrients and

C. nutrients,

D. nutrients—

ID: af0e160f 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 “nutrients” pairs with the comma after “photosynthesis” to separate the supplementary element “the
mechanism by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into nutrients” from the rest of the sentence. This
supplementary element functions to define the term “photosynthesis,” 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 it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of
the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a conjunction 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 a dash can’t be paired with a comma in
this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1b496066
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 1b496066
In 1937, Chinese American screen actor Anna May Wong, who had portrayed numerous villains and
secondary characters but never a heroine, finally got a starring role in Paramount Pictures’ Daughter of
Shanghai, a film that ______ “expanded the range of possibilities for Asian images on screen.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. critic, Stina Chyn, claims

B. critic, Stina Chyn, claims,

C. critic Stina Chyn claims

D. critic Stina Chyn, claims,

ID: 1b496066 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The conventions being tested are punctuation use between titles and proper nouns and
between verbs and integrated quotations. No punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun “Stina Chyn” from the title that
describes Chyn, “critic.” Because “Stina Chyn” is essential information identifying the “critic,” no punctuation is necessary.
Further, no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and the following quotation because the quotation is integrated
into the structure of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s
name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the
case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s
name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the
case. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between “claims” and the integrated quotation. Choice D is incorrect because
no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and its subject, “critic Stina Chyn.” Additionally, no punctuation is
needed between the verb “claims” and the integrated quotation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8e27d086
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 8e27d086
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: 8e27d086 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 1dd740ff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 1dd740ff
While many video game creators strive to make their graphics ever more ______ others look to the past,
developing titles with visuals inspired by the “8-bit” games of the 1980s and 1990s. (The term “8-bit” refers to
a console whose processor could only handle eight bits of data at once.)

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. lifelike but

B. lifelike

C. lifelike,

D. lifelike, but

ID: 1dd740ff Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C 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 (“While…lifelike”) and the main
clause (“others look to the past”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. Choice B is incorrect because it fails
to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main clause (“others…past”). Choice D is
incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID cf7c358c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: cf7c358c
In 2010, archaeologist Noel Hidalgo Tan was visiting the twelfth-century temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia
when he noticed markings of red paint on the temple ______ the help of digital imaging techniques, he
discovered the markings to be part of an elaborate mural containing over 200 paintings.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. walls, with

B. walls with

C. walls so with

D. walls. With

ID: cf7c358c 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
after “walls” is used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“In...walls”) and the second sentence (“With…
techniques”), which starts with a supplementary phrase.

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 sentences. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“In...walls” and
“with...paintings”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it,
the conjunction “so” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5df45c4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 5df45c4a
The poem Beowulf begins with the word “hwæt,” which is an Old English ______ as “hark!” or “listen!” in some
versions, the word was playfully rendered as “bro!” by Maria Dahvana Headley in her 2020 translation of the
poem.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. exclamation, translated

B. exclamation and translated

C. exclamation translated

D. exclamation. Translated

ID: 5df45c4a 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 ("The poem…exclamation") and another sentence that begins
with a supplementary element ("Translated…poem"). The supplementary element "translated as ‘hark!’ or ‘listen!’ in some
versions" modifies the subject of the second sentence, "the word" (referring to hwæt).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice after "exclamation." A comma can’t be used in this way to mark
the boundary between sentences. Choice B 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 after "versions." A comma can’t be
used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID da3a871d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: da3a871d
Hegra is an archaeological site in present-day Saudi Arabia and was the second largest city of the Nabataean
Kingdom (fourth century BCE to first century CE). Archaeologist Laila Nehmé recently traveled to Hegra to
study its ancient ______ into the rocky outcrops of a vast desert, these burial chambers seem to blend
seamlessly with nature.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. tombs. Built

B. tombs, built

C. tombs and built

D. tombs built

ID: da3a871d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “tombs” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“Archaeologist...tombs”) and another
(“Built...nature”).

Choice B 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 C is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the
two sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“Archaeologist...tombs” and
“Built...nature”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 121aae1f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 121aae1f
Human-made (synthetic) fibers used in clothes and many other consumer products are more durable than
most natural plant ______ the manufacture of synthetic fibers requires toxic chemical solvents that can
pollute air and water.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. fibers,

B. fibers but

C. fibers

D. fibers, but

ID: 121aae1f 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 “but” to join the first main clause (“Human-made...fibers”) and the
second main clause (“the manufacture...water”).

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 when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s
conventional to use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on
sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 09333379
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 09333379
Nine months before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to comply with the segregated seating policy on a
Montgomery, Alabama, bus, a fifteen-year-old Montgomery girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the
same ______ to some historians, Colvin’s arrest led to Parks’s action and eventually to the desegregation of
Montgomery’s bus system.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. offense. According

B. offense, according

C. offense according

D. offense and according

ID: 09333379 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses. Separating
them with a period and turning them into their own sentences is the only grammatically correct choice among the provided
options.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error, which is a punctuation error that occurs when two
independent clauses are joined by only a comma. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent
clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by
a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are
joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses, so they need
to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without
punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are independent clauses, so we would need to put a
comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” to join them properly.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 79cfe2cc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 79cfe2cc
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.

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,

ID: 79cfe2cc Answer

Correct 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).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 84225518
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 84225518
With some 16,000 in attendance, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and ______ or FESTAC
‘77, as the event was more commonly known—became the largest pan-African event on record. FESTAC drew
people from around the world to Lagos, Nigeria, for a monthlong celebration of Black and African art,
scholarship, and activism.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Culture:

B. Culture—

C. Culture,

D. Culture

ID: 84225518 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text uses a dash to introduce a nonessential element that explains the acronym FESTAC.
The dash matches the dash that comes after “known,” ending the descriptive aside.

Choice A is incorrect. A colon can only come after an independent clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect.
While punctuation is required to set off “or FESTAC…known” from the rest of the sentence, nonessential elements must be
separated from the sentence with matching punctuation. Since a dash appears on the other side of the element, we can’t use
a comma here. Choice D is incorrect. The descriptive aside “or FESTAC…known” is a nonessential element that must be
separated with punctuation from the rest of the sentence. This choice fails to add the necessary punctuation before the
nonessential element.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 306ada66
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 306ada66
A group of ecologists led by Axel Mithöfer at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany
examined the defensive responses of two varieties of the sweet potato ______ TN57, which is known for its
insect resistance, and TN66, which is much more susceptible to pests.

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

B. plant;

C. plant

D. plant:

ID: 306ada66 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 (“A group…plant”) and the
supplementary element (“TN57…pests”) and to introduce the following elaboration on the specific varieties of sweet potato
plants that were examined.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “TN57.” Choice B is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the supplementary
element (“TN57…pests”). 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. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group...plant”) and the supplementary element
(“TN57...pests”) with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3839f96c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 3839f96c
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: 3839f96c 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 103d9693
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 103d9693
Psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial
sweetener ______ After conducting consumer taste tests, he found that no such ideal existed: participants
expressed a wide range of preferences for different blends of sweetener, carbonization, and flavoring.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. do most people prefer in a diet drink?

B. do most people prefer in a diet drink.

C. most people prefer in a diet drink?

D. most people prefer in a diet drink.

ID: 103d9693 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. This sentence is a statement: “Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how
much artificial sweetener most people prefer in a diet drink.” So a period is the most appropriate punctuation mark.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect.
This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. We already have the verbs
“was hired…to determine” in this sentence. The verb “do” is not needed and results in a confusing, ungrammatical
sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
English. This sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4800f3d3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 4800f3d3
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.

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

ID: 4800f3d3 Answer

Correct 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.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 130a364f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 130a364f
The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin’s VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by
providing users with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all
calculations that were dependent on these ______ to VisiCalc’s release, changing a paper spreadsheet often
required redoing the entire sheet by hand, a process that could take days.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. adjustments prior

B. adjustments, prior

C. adjustments. Prior

D. adjustments and prior

ID: 130a364f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C 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 the first sentence (“The...adjustments”) and the second sentence
(“Prior...days”). Because the adverbial phrase beginning with “prior” indicates when changing a spreadsheet required redoing
the sheet by hand, that phrase belongs with the second sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. Two sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B 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 the sentences.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID aa21be9a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: aa21be9a
In 2018, the innovative works of Congolese sculptor and architect Bodys Isek ______ were featured in City
Dreams, a solo exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Kingelez;

B. Kingelez,

C. Kingelez

D. Kingelez:

ID: aa21be9a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a5f7262f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: a5f7262f
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: a5f7262f 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 35c6af60
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 35c6af60
Swedish scientists Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann developed a method for measuring the concentration of
different proteins in a biological sample. Their ______ ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), is used
to detect and measure proteins that indicate the presence of certain diseases.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. method (called

B. method—called

C. method, called

D. method called

ID: 35c6af60 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 “method” pairs with the comma after the closing parenthesis to separate the supplementary element
“called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions
to identify the name of Engvall and Perlmann’s method, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be
removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because an opening parenthesis can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element
from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3baa0f75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 3baa0f75
Before the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, transporting goods by wagon between New York City and the
Midwest took up to forty-five days and cost one hundred dollars per ton. By linking the Hudson River to Lake
______ canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Erie; the

B. Erie (the

C. Erie, the

D. Erie: the

ID: 3baa0f75 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the introductory supplementary phrase (“By
linking the Hudson River to Lake Erie”), which identifies how the canal reduced transport time, and the main clause (“the
canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton”).

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase
(“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). Choice B is incorrect because an open parenthesis can’t be used in this
way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase (“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). Choice D is
incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between an introductory supplementary phrase
(“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”).

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8f2d7e11
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 8f2d7e11
Quantum particles of light—photons—provide an unhackable means of transmitting encryption keys over
networks, as attempts to observe particles in quantum states will invariably alter the particles ______
dismantle any information they transmit.

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

A. and in the process,

B. and, in the process,

C. and in the process—

D. and, in the process

ID: 8f2d7e11 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses paired punctuation in the form of two commas to set off the nonessential
phrase "in the process."

Choice A is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation.
We need a comma after "and" to match the one after "process." Choice C is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a
nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation, so we would need a dash after "and" to match the one
following "process." Choice D is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with
paired punctuation. We would need a comma after "process" to match the one following "and."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9f7e7c74
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 9f7e7c74
The city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, continues to
be studied by archaeologists. Unfortunately, as ______ attest, archaeological excavations have disrupted ash
deposits at the site, causing valuable information about the eruption to be lost.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. researchers, Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn,

B. researchers, Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn

C. researchers Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn

D. researchers Roberto Scandone, and Christopher Kilburn

ID: 9f7e7c74 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a restrictive coordinated noun phrase. No
punctuation is needed within or around the coordinated noun phrase “researchers Roberto Scandone and Christopher
Kilburn” because it would create an illogical separation between the noun “researchers” and the coordinated noun phrase
“Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.”

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Placing a pair of commas around the coordinated noun phrase
“Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn” creates an illogical separation between the noun “researchers” and the
aforementioned coordinated noun phrase. In this case, it illogically suggests that researchers in general bear the specific
names Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the
noun “researchers” and the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.” Choice D is incorrect
because no punctuation is needed within the coordinated noun phrase “Roberto Scandone and Christopher Kilburn.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 26a66f24
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 26a66f24
Fans of science fiction will ______ multiple references to classic sci-fi stories in Janelle Monáe’s song lyrics,
including her recurring nods to the plot of the 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis.

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

A. appreciate the

B. appreciate. The

C. appreciate, the

D. appreciate: the

ID: 26a66f24 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested here is punctuation between a verb and object. No punctuation is
needed between the verb ("appreciate") and its object ("the multiple references..."). The object helps complete the idea of the
verb—in this case, it explains what fans of science fiction will appreciate—and any punctuation between the two results in an
ungrammatical sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object. Choice C is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the verb and its object. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the
verb and its object.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d4c3122b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: d4c3122b
Lucía Michel of the University of Chile observed that alkaline soils contain an insoluble form of iron that
blueberry plants cannot absorb, thus inhibiting blueberry growth. If these plants were grown in alkaline soil
alongside grasses that aid in iron solubilization, ______ Michel was determined to find out.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. could the blueberries thrive.

B. the blueberries could thrive.

C. the blueberries could thrive?

D. could the blueberries thrive?

ID: d4c3122b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a
question mark to punctuate the interrogative clause “could the blueberries thrive,” which asks a direct question at the end of
the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative clause, such as “could the
blueberries thrive,” at the end of a sentence. Choice B is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative clause. The
declarative clause “the blueberries could thrive” incorrectly indicates that it was known that the blueberries could thrive in
alkaline soil, whereas Michel had yet to find this out. Choice C is incorrect because a question mark can’t be used in this way
to punctuate a declarative clause, such as “the blueberries could thrive,” at the end of a sentence.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b249902a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: b249902a
Detroit natives Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey have combined their two passions, Detroit and beekeeping,
to improve the health of their city’s flowers and other vegetation. In 2017, the couple converted a vacant lot in
the city into an ______ in the years that followed they acquired nine additional lots and established more than
35 hives.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. apiary,

B. apiary, and

C. apiary and

D. apiary

ID: b249902a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are
both independent clauses. This choice uses a comma plus a coordinating conjunction to link them together, which is one of
the correct ways to link two independent clauses.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as
complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. A comma by itself is not enough punctuation to link
two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence
could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. Independent clauses can only
be linked in a few ways, including with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. This choice uses the coordinating
conjunction “and,” but it is missing the comma beforehand. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence
error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent
clauses. Independent clauses need to have certain kinds of punctuation marks between them. This choice doesn’t use any
punctuation between the two clauses.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9b49630d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 9b49630d
Materials scientist Marie-Agathe Charpagne and her colleagues believed they could improve on the
multicomponent alloy NiCoCr, an equal-proportions mixture of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and chromium (Cr), by
replacing chromium with ruthenium ______ the alloy that resulted, NiCoRu, turned out to be an unsuitable
replacement for NiCoCr.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. (Ru)

B. (Ru) but

C. (Ru),

D. (Ru), but

ID: 9b49630d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses. This choice correctly uses a
comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“Materials…Ru”) and the second main clause
(“the alloy…NiCoCr”).

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 b305e581
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: b305e581
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.

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

ID: b305e581 Answer

Correct 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.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3c2cf8cd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 3c2cf8cd
After the United Kingdom began rolling out taxes equivalent to a few cents on single-use plastic grocery bags
in 2011, plastic-bag consumption decreased by up to ninety ______ taxes are subject to what economists call
the “rebound effect”: as the change became normalized, plastic-bag use started to creep back up.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. percent, such

B. percent and such

C. percent. Such

D. percent such

ID: 3c2cf8cd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “percent” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“After…percent”) and another (“Such…up”).

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 sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to
join sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“After…percent” and “Such…up”)
are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 7dbcbcde
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 7dbcbcde
Journalists have dubbed Gil Scott-Heron the “godfather of rap,” a title that has appeared in hundreds of
articles about him since the 1990s. Scott-Heron himself resisted the godfather ______ feeling that it didn’t
encapsulate his devotion to the broader African American blues music tradition as well as “bluesologist,” the
moniker he preferred.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. nickname, however

B. nickname, however;

C. nickname, however,

D. nickname; however,

ID: 7dbcbcde Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and two supplementary
elements. In this choice, the commas after “nickname” and “however” are correctly used to separate the supplementary
adverb “however” from the main clause (“Scott-Heron…nickname”) on one side and the supplementary participial phrase
(“feeling…bluesologist”) on the other.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary adverb “however” and the
supplementary phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”). Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join
the supplementary adverb “however” and the supplementary phrase (“feeling…bluesologist”). Choice D is incorrect because a
semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“Scott-Heron…nickname”) and the supplementary word and
phrase (“however” and “feeling…bluesologist”). Moreover, placing the semicolon after “nickname” illogically signals that the
following information (Scott-Heron’s feeling that the nickname didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the blues tradition) is
contrary to the information in the previous clause (Scott-Heron’s resistance to the nickname).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f856be23
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: f856be23
In her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, author Maxine Hong Kingston
examines themes ______ childhood, womanhood, and Chinese American identity by intertwining
autobiography and mythology.

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

B. of

C. of—

D. of,

ID: f856be23 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. “Themes of childhood” is one noun phrase, with “themes of” implicitly carrying over to the other
items on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of] womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”).

Choice A is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an
independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a colon. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the
dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a single dash. Choice D is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the
introduction of a list. “Themes of” implicitly carries over to each item on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of]
womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”), so we don’t want to use a comma to separate it.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1da00c69
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 1da00c69
A subseasonal weather forecast attempts to predict weather conditions three to four weeks in ______ its
predictions are therefore more short-term than those of the seasonal forecast, which attempts to predict the
weather more than a month in advance.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. advance,

B. advance

C. advance;

D. advance and

ID: 1da00c69 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both
independent clauses, so using a semicolon to separate them is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its
predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so a comma is not enough to separate them. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are
both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with specific punctuation (a period, a semi-colon, a colon, a dash, or
a comma + a coordinating conjunction). Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A
subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so the word “and” by itself is
not enough to separate them. There would need to be a comma before “and” for this choice to work.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 2680b96d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 2680b96d
The Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden in Norway and the Jardim Botânico of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil are two of
many botanical gardens around the world dedicated to growing diverse plant ______ fostering scientific
research; and educating the public about plant conservation.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. species, both native and nonnative,

B. species, both native and nonnative;

C. species; both native and nonnative,

D. species both native and nonnative,

ID: 2680b96d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series (a series including
internal punctuation). The semicolon after “nonnative” is correctly used to separate the first item (“growing diverse plant
species, both native and nonnative”) and the second item (“fostering scientific research”) in the series of things that
botanical gardens are dedicated to. Further, the comma after “species” is correctly used to separate the noun phrase “diverse
plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it.

Choice A is incorrect because a comma (specifically, the comma after “nonnative”) can’t be used in this way to separate
items in a complex series. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate the noun phrase
“diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it. Further, a comma can’t be
used in this way to separate items in a complex series. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies
it. Further, a comma can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID bd907188
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: bd907188
The field of geological oceanography owes much to American ______ Marie Tharp, a pioneering
oceanographic cartographer whose detailed topographical maps of the ocean floor and its multiple rift
valleys helped garner acceptance for the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. geologist,

B. geologist

C. geologist;

D. geologist:

ID: bd907188 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. “Marie tharp” is essential information that completes the first clause — the first clause doesn’t
function without it. So we don’t want to separate it with punctuation.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to
American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s
essential information and should not be separated by a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation
error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking
about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a
semicolon. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much
to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means
it’s essential information and should not be separated by a colon.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6203926e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 6203926e
In ancient Greece, an Epicurean was a follower of Epicurus, a philosopher whose beliefs revolved around the
pursuit of pleasure. Epicurus defined pleasure as “the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the ______
that all life’s virtues derived from this absence.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. soul,” positing

B. soul”: positing

C. soul”; positing

D. soul.” Positing

ID: 6203926e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a participial phrase.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“Epicurus…‘soul’”) and the participial
phrase (“positing…absence”) that provides additional information about how Epicurus defined pleasure.

Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice C is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice D is incorrect
because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “positing.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c876444f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: c876444f
American writer Edwidge Danticat, who emigrated from Haiti in 1981, has won acclaim for her powerful short
stories, novels, and ______ her lyrical yet unflinching depictions of her native country’s turbulent history, writer
Robert Antoni has compared Danticat to Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. essays, praising

B. essays and praising

C. essays praising

D. essays. Praising

ID: c876444f 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
after “essays” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“American…essays”) and another (“praising…
Morrison”). The participial phrase beginning with “Praising” modifies the subject of the second sentence, “writer Robert
Antoni.”

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 sentences. Choice B 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 run-on sentence. The sentences (“American…essays” and
“Praising…Morrison”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4fe1258f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 4fe1258f
The haiku-like poems of Tomas Tranströmer, which present nature- and dream-influenced images in crisp,
spare language, have earned the Swedish poet praise from leading contemporary ______ them Nigerian
American essayist and novelist Teju Cole, who has written that Tranströmer’s works “contain a luminous
simplicity.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. writers. Among

B. writers among

C. writers; among

D. writers, among

ID: 4fe1258f 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. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“The haiku-like…writers”) and
the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”) that specifies a contemporary writer who has praised Tomas Tranströmer’s
haiku-like poems.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “among.” Choice B
is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary phrase with appropriate
punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“The haiku-like…
writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9bcab648
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 9bcab648
In 1976, the Inuit rock group Sikumiut recorded the album People of the Ice. Though only their first record, it
shows a band already skilled at the difficult task of making music that sounds easy and fun. On songs like
“Utirumavunga,” Lucassie Koperqualuk’s guitar riffs effortlessly ______ Charlie Adams’s delightfully catchy
vocal melodies.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. blend, with

B. blend. With

C. blend; with

D. blend with

ID: 9bcab648 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 836e370c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 836e370c
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: 836e370c 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 5684e9ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 5684e9ad
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: 5684e9ad 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 9e56d8e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 9e56d8e7
Award-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe was known for his innovative filming techniques. While
filming a boxing match for the movie Body and Soul ______ Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller
skates. This allowed the operator to move smoothly around actors in a boxing ring, creating an immersive
experience for viewers.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. (1947), and

B. (1947),

C. (1947) and

D. (1947)

ID: 9e56d8e7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary element and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“While...1947”), which
indicates when the action occurred, and the main clause (“Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates”).

Choice A is incorrect because a comma paired with the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause (“Howe…skates”). Choice C is incorrect because
the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause
(“Howe…skates”). Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary element and the
main clause with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fb0a6682
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: fb0a6682
At eight paragraphs long, the preamble to the constitution of ______ country in Western Asia—is much longer
than the one-paragraph preamble to the United States Constitution.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Bahrain—a

B. Bahrain, a

C. Bahrain a

D. Bahrain: a

ID: fb0a6682 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The dash after “Bahrain” pairs with the dash after “Asia” to separate the supplementary element “a country in Western Asia”
from the rest of the sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from
the rest of the sentence. Choice C 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 a colon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to
separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 36e0f3e2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 36e0f3e2
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing
the culture and history of the Mohegan ______ today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -
operated museum in the country.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Tribe, and

B. Tribe

C. Tribe and

D. Tribe,

ID: 36e0f3e2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent
clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”).

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after
“Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent, so they
can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a
grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with
just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 082574fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 082574fc
The life spans of rockfish vary greatly by species. For instance, the colorful calico rockfish (Sebastes dalli)
can survive for a little over a ______ the rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) boasts a maximum life span
of about two centuries.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. decade: while

B. decade. While

C. decade; while

D. decade, while

ID: 082574fc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a subordinate clause.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“the colorful…decade”) and the
subordinate clause (“while…centuries”) that provides contrasting information about the life span of rougheye rockfish.

Choice A is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause. Choice B is
incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “while.” Choice C is incorrect
because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID bff3cf74
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: bff3cf74
Sociologist Alton Okinaka sits on the review board tasked with adding new sites to the Hawai‘i Register of
Historic Places, which includes Pi‘ilanihale Heiau and the ‘Ōpaeka‘a Road Bridge. Okinaka doesn’t make such
decisions ______ all historical designations must be approved by a group of nine other experts from the fields
of architecture, archaeology, history, and Hawaiian culture.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. single-handedly, however;

B. single-handedly; however,

C. single-handedly, however,

D. single-handedly however

ID: bff3cf74 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary word or phrase between two
main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb “however” from the preceding
main clause (“Okinaka doesn’t…single-handedly”) and a semicolon to join the next main clause (“all…culture”) to the rest of
the sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after “however” correctly indicates that the information in the preceding main
clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in
the previous sentence (Okinaka sits on the review board that adds new sites to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places).

Choice B is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “single-handedly” and the comma after “however” illogically
indicates that the information in the next main clause (all historical designations must be approved by a group of experts) is
contrary to the information in the previous clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly). Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or
phrase between 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: Hard

Question ID d7b89c91
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: d7b89c91
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: d7b89c91 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 11db42e0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 11db42e0
On sunny days, dark rooftops absorb solar energy and convert it to unwanted heat, raising the surrounding air
______ a light-colored covering to an existing dark roof, either by attaching prefabricated reflective sheets or
spraying on a paint-like coating, helps combat this effect.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. temperature; by adding

B. temperature, adding

C. temperature. Adding

D. temperature by adding

ID: 11db42e0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C 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 the first sentence (“On…temperature”) and the second sentence (“Adding…
effect”). The gerund phrase beginning with “adding” is the subject of the second sentence, and the verb phrase “helps
combat this effect” describes what adding a light-colored covering can do.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the sentence “On...temperature” and the
supplementary phrases that follow. Doing so leaves the verb phrase “helps combat” without a subject and thus results in a
grammatically unconventional sentence. Choice B 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. This choice results in a confusing and illogical
sentence that suggests that adding a light-colored covering to an existing dark roof raises the temperature of the
surrounding air. Furthermore, it creates ambiguity by leaving the verb phrase “helps combat” without a subject (so it isn’t
clear what helps combat the effect).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3233279a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 3233279a
Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta’s celebrated literary oeuvre includes The Joys of Motherhood, a novel about
the changing roles of women in 1950s ______ a television play about the private struggles of a newlywed
couple in Nigeria; and Head Above Water, her autobiography.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Lagos, A Kind of Marriage,

B. Lagos; A Kind of Marriage,

C. Lagos, A Kind of Marriage:

D. Lagos; A Kind of Marriage

ID: 3233279a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series (a series including
internal punctuation). In this choice, the semicolon after “Lagos” is conventionally used to separate the first item (“The Joys…
Lagos”) and the second item (“A Kind…Nigeria”) in the series. Further, the comma after “Marriage” correctly separates the
title “A Kind of Marriage” from the supplementary phrase (“a television…Nigeria”) that describes it.

Choice A is incorrect because the comma after “Lagos” doesn’t match the semicolon used later in the series to separate the
second item (“A Kind…Nigeria”) from the third item (“and…autobiography”). Choice C is incorrect because the comma after
“Lagos” doesn’t match the semicolon used later in the series to separate the second item (“A Kind…Nigeria”) from the third
item (“and…autobiography”). Additionally, a colon can’t be used in this way to separate the title “A Kind of Marriage” from the
supplementary phrase (“a television…Nigeria”) that describes it. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate
punctuation to separate the title “A Kind of Marriage” from the supplementary phrase (“a television…Nigeria”) that describes
it.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ae88a59f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: ae88a59f
Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers
important data on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with
African farmers, enabling them to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. information, though;

B. information, though,

C. information; though

D. information though,

ID: ae88a59f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…
though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically
belongs.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent
clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition
word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon
can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the second
clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma
and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 26b716e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 26b716e8
Emperor Ashoka ruled the Maurya Empire in South Asia from roughly 270 to 232 BCE. He is known for
enforcing a moral code called the Law of Piety, which established the sanctity of animal ______ the just
treatment of the elderly, and the abolition of the slave trade.

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

B. life;

C. life:

D. life,

ID: 26b716e8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. We must use a
comma to separate the first two items in the list, just as a comma is used to separate "the just treatment of the elderly" and
"the abolition of the slave trade."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list
of three things. To appropriately format the list, we need punctuation to separate each item. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While
semicolons are sometimes used to separate list items, this list uses commas to separate the other list items, and lists must
use the same punctuation throughout. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the
sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While colons can be used to introduce lists, they can’t be used
to separate items within a list.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1e43d5ea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 1e43d5ea
A recent study tracked the number of bee species present in twenty-seven New York apple orchards over a
ten-year period. ______ found that when wild growth near an orchard was cleared, the number of different bee
species visiting the orchard decreased.

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

A. Entomologist Heather Grab:

B. Entomologist, Heather Grab,

C. Entomologist Heather Grab

D. Entomologist Heather Grab,

ID: 1e43d5ea Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a name and title and between a
subject and a verb. No punctuation is needed between the proper noun “Heather Grab” and “entomologist,” the title that
describes Grab. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the sentence’s subject (“Entomologist Heather Grab”) and
the main verb (“found”) that indicates what Grab did.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed. Setting the entomologist’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed
between the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0b05d2d6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 0b05d2d6
The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three pioneers in the field of click chemistry: two-time
Nobel laureate Barry Sharpless, who coined the term “click chemistry” in 1998; Carolyn Bertozzi, founder of
the Bertozzi Group at ______ and Morten Meldal, a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

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

B. Stanford,

C. Stanford:

D. Stanford;

ID: 0b05d2d6 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. This choice correctly uses a semicolon to punctuate a complex list (which is made up of items
that have commas in them).

Choice A is incorrect. This is a complex list, indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." What comes
after the blank is a separate list item, so punctuation is needed after "Stanford." Choice B is incorrect. This is a complex list,
indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." The items in this list have internal punctuation in the form
of commas and must therefore be separated by semicolons to avoid confusion. Choice C is incorrect. This is a complex list,
indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." Colons aren’t used to separate items in a list.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e6201ac0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: e6201ac0
Archaeologists have estimated that the pre-Columbian Native American city of Cahokia, located across the
Mississippi River from modern-day St. Louis, Missouri, had as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the year 1150
______ it one of the largest cities in North America at the time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. CE making

B. CE. Making

C. CE, making

D. CE; making

ID: e6201ac0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The phrase “making…at the time” provides additional information about Cahokia that’s not
required for the sentence to make sense or function grammatically. As a nonessential supplement, this phrase should be
separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. The nonessential descriptive aside “making…at the time”
needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence
fragment. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Thus, it can’t be separated
from the rest of the sentence with a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Making…at the
time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as an independent clause. Since a semicolon can only link two
independent clauses, using one here creates an error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6378f094
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 6378f094
Emperor penguins don’t waddle out of the ocean. They launch themselves at such a high speed that they
travel up to two meters before landing. How ______ A layer of microbubbles on their plumage reduces friction
as the penguins speed to the surface.

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

A. they are able to move so fast!

B. are they able to move so fast.

C. they are able to move so fast.

D. are they able to move so fast?

ID: 6378f094 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a
question mark to punctuate the interrogative sentence “how are they able to move so fast?” The interrogative sentence asks
a direct question, and the next sentence answers it.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative sentence “how they are able
to move so fast!” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next sentence’s explanation of how
the penguins achieve such speeds. Choice B is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an
interrogative sentence. Choice C is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative sentence. The exclamative
sentence “how they are able to move so fast” emphasizes the penguin’s high rate of speed, but it doesn’t set up the next
sentence’s explanation of how the penguins achieve such speeds.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c18d995f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: c18d995f
The Alvarez theory, developed in 1980 by physicist Luis Walter Alvarez and his geologist son Walter Alvarez,
maintained that the secondary effects of an asteroid impact caused many dinosaurs and other animals to
die ______ it left unexplored the question of whether unrelated volcanic activity might have also contributed to
the mass extinctions.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. out but

B. out, but

C. out

D. out,

ID: c18d995f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join the first main clause (“the Alvarez…out”) and the
second main clause (“it left…extinctions”).

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 47e67c42
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 47e67c42
Polyphenols are organic compounds ______ among their many roles, provide pigment that helps protect
plants against ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.

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

A. that—

B. that;

C. that,

D. that:

ID: 47e67c42 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 “that” pairs with the comma after “roles” to separate the supplementary element “among their many roles”
from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to clarify that polyphenols have many roles, 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 dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element from the rest of
the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary
element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a comma to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d1145534
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: d1145534
Generations of mystery and horror ______ have been influenced by the dark, gothic stories of celebrated
American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849).

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

B. writers,

C. writers—

D. writers;

ID: d1145534 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case,
a subject (“Generations of mystery and horror writers”) is immediately followed by a verb (“have been influenced”), no
punctuation is needed.

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice C is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 62e50f59
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 62e50f59
A standard Argo float, a type of autonomous robot, measures temperature and salinity in the upper regions of
ice-free oceans. More advanced floats can measure a wider range of ______ and monitor seasonal ice zones.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. variables: travel to greater depths

B. variables, travel to greater depths,

C. variables travel to greater depths,

D. variables, travel to greater depths;

ID: 62e50f59 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a series. The comma after
“variables” is used conventionally to separate the first and second items in the series, and the comma after “depths” is used
conventionally to separate the second and third items.

Choice A is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series. Choice C is incorrect
because a comma is needed after “variables” to separate the first and second items in the series. Choice D is incorrect
because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 678404ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 678404ae
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.

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

ID: 678404ae Answer

Correct 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.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID dcc8a25e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: dcc8a25e
In 1943, in the midst of World War II, mathematics professor Grace Hopper was recruited by the US military
to help the war effort by solving complex equations. Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than
just ______ as a pioneering computer programmer, Hopper would help usher in the digital age.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. equations, though:

B. equations, though,

C. equations. Though,

D. equations though

ID: dcc8a25e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation to mark boundaries between
supplements and clauses. The comma after “equations” is used to separate the independent clause (“Hopper’s…equation”)
from the supplementary adverb phrase “though.” The colon after “though” is used to mark the boundary between the clause
ending with “though” and the following clause (“as…age”). A colon used in this way introduces information that illustrates or
explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon after “though” introduces the following explanation of
how Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations: she would become a pioneering computer
programmer.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two independent
clauses (“Hopper’s…though” and “as…age”) such as these. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical sequence of
sentences. Placing the period after “equations” and beginning the next sentence with “Though” illogically suggests that the
following information (that Hopper would help usher in the digital age) is contrary to the information in the previous
sentence (Hopper’s subsequent career would involve more than just solving equations). Instead, the information that follows
supports the information from the previous sentence by explaining how her work and influence extended beyond solely
solving equations. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two independent clauses (“Hopper’s…
though” and “as…age”) are fused without punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3152fbb0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 3152fbb0
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: 3152fbb0 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 c4d6b754
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: c4d6b754
The forty-seven geothermal springs of Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park are sourced via a process known
as natural groundwater recharge, in which rainwater percolates downward through the earth—in this case,
the porous rocks of the hills around Hot ______ collect in a subterranean basin.

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

A. Springs to

B. Springs: to

C. Springs—to

D. Springs, to

ID: c4d6b754 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 dash after “Springs” pairs with the dash after “earth” to separate the supplementary element “in this case, the porous
rocks of the hills around Hot Springs” from the rest 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. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary
element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in this way to
separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 17ece48a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 17ece48a
A study led by scientist Rebecca Kirby at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that black bears that
eat human food before hibernation have increased levels of a rare carbon isotope, ______ due to the higher
13C levels in corn and cane sugar. Bears with these elevated levels were also found to have much shorter

hibernation periods on average.

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

A. carbon-13, (13C)

B. carbon-13 (13C)

C. carbon-13, (13C),

D. carbon-13 (13C),

ID: 17ece48a 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 comma after “(13C)” pairs with the comma after “isotope” to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)”
from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element defines the “rare carbon isotope,” 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 it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13
(13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the
supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use
appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. The
comma after “carbon-13” isn’t necessary because the parentheses around “13C” already separate this element from the rest
of the sentence.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID dd53fb5c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: dd53fb5c
Both Sona Charaipotra, an Indian American, and Dhonielle Clayton, an African American, grew up frustrated
by the lack of diverse characters in books for young people. In 2011, these two writers joined forces to found
CAKE Literary, a book packaging ______ specializes in the creation and promotion of stories told from diverse
perspectives for children and young adults.

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

A. company,

B. company that

C. company

D. company, that

ID: dd53fb5c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use and punctuation of an integrated relative clause. This
choice correctly uses the relative pronoun “that” and no punctuation to create an integrated relative clause that provides
essential information about the noun phrase (“a book packaging company”) that it modifies.

Choice A is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the
noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”). Choice C is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun
to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”).
Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the integrated relative clause beginning with “that
specializes” and the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”).

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8cfad1fb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 8cfad1fb
The Lion Light system, developed by Kenyan inventor Richard Turere, consists of LED lights installed around
the perimeter of livestock pastures. Powered with ______ the blinking LEDs keep lions away at night, thus
protecting the livestock without risking harm to the endangered lions.

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

A. energy collected, by solar panels, during the day

B. energy collected by solar panels during the day

C. energy collected by solar panels during the day,

D. energy, collected by solar panels during the day,

ID: 8cfad1fb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“powered…day”),
which describes how the LEDs are powered, and the main clause (“the blinking…night”).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with
appropriate punctuation. Furthermore, placing commas around the phrase “by solar panels” suggests that it could be
removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark
the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect.
Placing commas around the phrase “collected by solar panels during the day″ suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 08fe665d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 08fe665d
A conceptual artist and designer embraced by both the art world and the fashion ______ Mary Ping was
chosen to curate the exhibition Front Row: Chinese American Designers for the Museum of Chinese in
America.

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

A. world

B. world:

C. world;

D. world,

ID: 08fe665d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…
world”), which describes Mary Ping, and the main clause (“Mary…America”).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”)
and the main clause (“Mary…America”) with appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in
this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and the main clause (“Mary…America”). In this
context, the colon incorrectly suggests that the information in the supplementary phrase is an explanation or amplification of
the information in the main clause (Mary Ping being chosen to curate the exhibition), which isn’t the case. Choice C is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and
the main clause (“Mary…America”). Semicolons are conventionally used to separate two main clauses or to separate items in
a complex series.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6b4c8b42
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 6b4c8b42
The 1977 play And the Soul Shall Dance depicts two Japanese American farming families in Depression-era
Southern California. Critics have noted the way pioneering ______ compares the experiences of issei
(Japanese nationals who emigrated to America) and nisei (their American-born children).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi,

B. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi

C. playwright Wakako Yamauchi,

D. playwright Wakako Yamauchi

ID: 6b4c8b42 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" from the title that describes Yamauchi, "pioneering
playwright." Because "Wakako Yamauchi" is essential information identifying the "pioneering playwright," no punctuation is
necessary.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Setting the
playwright’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence,
which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the title "pioneering playwright" and
the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the proper noun
"Wakako Yamauchi" and the verb "compares."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7399839f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 7399839f
After the printing press was introduced in 1440, handwritten manuscripts from Europe’s medieval period
were often destroyed and the paper used for other purposes. In one instance, pages ______ a collection of
Norse tales dating to 1270 were discovered lining a bishop’s miter (hat).

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

A. from:

B. from,

C. from

D. from—

ID: 7399839f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The word “from” introduces a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun “pages” and provides
essential information about their origin. No additional punctuation is needed after “from” in this context.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of
the prepositional phrase with a colon. Also, a colon can only follow an independent clause, but what comes before the blank
could not stand on its own as a complete sentence. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error,
illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional phrase with a comma. Choice D is incorrect.
This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional
phrase with a dash.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4449bf81
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Medium

Conventions

ID: 4449bf81
In her analysis of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (1905), scholar Candace Waid observes that the novel
depicts the upper classes of New York society as “consumed by the appetite of a soulless ______ an apt
assessment given that The House of Mirth is set during the Gilded Age, a period marked by rapid
industrialization, economic greed, and widening wealth disparities.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. materialism”; and

B. materialism” and

C. materialism,”

D. materialism”

ID: 4449bf81 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a supplementary noun
phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“scholar…materialism”) and the
supplementary noun phrase (“an apt assessment”) that describes Waid’s observation about how The House of Mirth depicts
the upper classes of New York society.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. Choice B is incorrect. Joining the main clause (“scholar…
materialism”) and the following noun phrase with the conjunction “and” results in a confusing and illogical sentence that
suggests that the novel depicts the upper classes of New York society as “an apt assessment,” which doesn’t make sense in
this context. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary
noun phrase with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4dc1b152
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Hard

Conventions

ID: 4dc1b152
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: 4dc1b152 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 4439e901
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: 4439e901
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.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. themselves;

B. themselves,

C. themselves. And

D. themselves

ID: 4439e901 Answer

Correct 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.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ad00132a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries Easy

Conventions

ID: ad00132a
Winding through the ice atop Norway’s Jotunheim Mountains is the Lendbreen pass, an ancient route that
was used by hunters, farmers, traders, and travelers in the Middle Ages before eventually falling into disuse.
Recently, archeologists have ______ knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts from
the icy pass.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. unearthed:

B. unearthed,

C. unearthed—

D. unearthed

ID: ad00132a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the verb "unearthed" and its objects (i.e, what was
"unearthed"): "knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was
"unearthed") with a colon. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed"
from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error,
separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a dash.

Question Difficulty: Easy