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Page 1: SAT Practice Questions

           

Magoosh SAT presents:

SAT Practice Questions

 

Page 2: SAT Practice Questions

 

Table of Contents Click on a link to jump to a section:

Introduction

What is Magoosh?

The Magoosh Team

Why Our Students Love Us

Math:

Practice Questions

Answers

Reading:

Practice Questions

Answers

Writing:

Practice Questions

Answers

Additional Resources

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  Introduction:

How to Use This PDF

If you’re taking the SAT test, then this is a resource that can help you prepare!

You’ll find a set of sample SAT practice questions--questions that are very close to

what you’d actually see on the test--drawn from the math, reading and writing section

of the test. After each set of practice questions, you’ll find an “Answers” section with

the correct answer as well as a text explanations for the problems in that set.

The best way to use this PDF is to first answer the questions in a set, and then check

those answers with the answer key at the end. Be sure to read the detailed

explanations as well--that is the best way to learn! :)

These practice questions came from the Magoosh SAT product. If you like what you

see here, be sure to sign up for a free trial.

Happy studying! The Magoosh Team

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  What is Magoosh?

Magoosh is an online SAT prep course that offers:

● over 140 video lessons on all concepts on the SAT

● 700 math, reading and writing practice questions

● e-mail support from expert tutors

● personalized statistics based on performance

● access anytime, anywhere from an internet-connected device

You can visit us at sat.magoosh.com to learn more about what we have to offer!

Featured in:

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  The Magoosh Team

We are a group of passionate educators in Berkeley, California.

Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!

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 Why Our Students Love Us

These are survey responses sent to us by students after they took the SAT. All of these

students and many more have used the Magoosh SAT prep course to improve their

scores!

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MATH Below, you will find a set of 5 SAT math practice questions followed by answers and

explanations of each question.

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Questions:

Choose the option that best answers the question.

1. Each circle has center O. The radius of the smaller circle is 2 and the radius of the larger

circle is 6. If a point is selected at random from the larger circular region, what is the

probability that the point will lie in the shaded region?

a. 1/9

b. 1/6

c. 2/3

d. 5/6

e. 8/9

2. If the average (arithmetic mean) of seven consecutive integers is k + 2, then the product

of the greatest and least integer is:

a. k 2 - 9

b. k 2 - 2k + 1

c. k 2 + 4k - 12

d. k 2 + 6k + 9

e. k 2 + 4k - 5

3. The nth term (tn) of a certain sequence is defined as tn = tn-1 + 4. If t1= -7 then t71 =

a. 273

b. 277

c. 281

d. 283

e. 287

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4. The length and width of a rectangular yard are 11 meters and 5 meters respectively. If

each dimension were reduced by x meters to make the ratio of length to width 8 to 3,

what would be the value of x?

a. 1.4

b. 1.6

c. 1.8

d. 2.0

e. 2.2

5. If four numbers are randomly selected without replacement from set {1, 2, 3, 4}, what is

the probability that the four numbers are selected in ascending order?

a. 1/256

b. 1/64

c. 1/48

d. 1/24

e. 1/12

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Answers:

1.

2.

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3.

4.

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5.

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READING Below, you will find a set of 10 SAT reading practice questions followed by answers and

explanations of each question.

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Questions:

Passage 1

I will grant Fitzgerald this much: Somehow, in the five years between his literary debut and

The Great Gatsby, he taught himself to write. This Side of Paradise is intermittently brilliant

but terrifically uncontrolled. Gatsby, by contrast, is focused and deliberate: a single crystal,

scrupulously polished. It is an impressive accomplishment. And yet, apart from the

restrained, intelligent, beautifully constructed opening pages and a few stray passages

thereafter, Gatsby as a literary creation leaves me cold. Like one of those manicured

European parks patrolled on all sides by officious gendarmes, it is pleasant to look at, but

you will not find any people inside.

Passage 2

One of the main charges that has been leveled against The Great Gatsby is that the

characters are either one-dimensional stereotypes or as ethereal as one of Jay Gatsby’s

many soirees. While this assertion carries some truth, it both misses much of what

Fitzgerald set out to do in The Great Gatsby, and the literary aesthetic necessary to pull it

off. The 1920’s flappers were themselves playing a part, a role that did not allow for much

introspection. Even Jay Gatsby at his most confessional inhabits a role he has artfully

crafted. Perforce, Fitzgerald must create characters who are not wrestling with existential

doubts, and who must somehow rise above them, but who serve as a backdrop for a time

and a place.

For questions 1-4, choose the option that best answers the question.

1. Both authors would agree on which of the following?

a. Fitzgerald’s earlier work was not nearly as controlled as The Great Gatsby.

b. Fitzgerald was unable to sustain the reader’s interest after the opening chapters.

c. The Great Gatsby tends not to focus on the inner lives of characters.

d. Jay Gatsby was more fully developed than the other characters in the novel.

e. Fitzgerald focuses less on character development and more on setting in his major novels.

2. With which of the following would the author of Passage 1 most likely agree?

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a. In terms of its prose style, The Great Gatsby is a meticulously written work. b. Had Fitzgerald focused less on plot structure and more on characters, The Great

Gatsby would have been a more satisfying work.

c. Gatsby is somewhat more complicated than the other characters in The Great

Gatsby.

d. This Side of Paradise is a more accomplished work than The Great Gatsby.

e. The Great Gatsby represents the pinnacle of Fitzgerald’s style.

3. How would the author of Passage 2 most likely respond to the assertion in the last line

of Passage 1 that “you will not find any people inside”?

a. Not all characters in The Great Gatsby lacked emotional depth.

b. Many of the characters in The Great Gatsby are caricatures of actual living

people.

c. The Great Gatsby focused more on prose style than on character development.

d. Jay Gatsby was a fully formed character who evolved throughout the course of

the novel.

e. In aiming to depict a certain type of person, Fitzgerald was forced to sacrifice

character depth.

4. In Passage 1, the author mentions (“manicured European parks…”) in order to highlight

which aspect of the Great Gatsby?

a. Its reliance on an outdated narrative technique

b. The use of settings that are inappropriate to the plot

c. The way it exudes expert craftsmanship but ultimately leaves the reader

emotionally unsatisfied

d. Its tendency of leaving multiple narrative arcs unresolved

e. The lack of substantial dialogue amongst the novel’s characters

5. Passage 2 implies which of the following about Jay Gatsby?

a. He is the one of the more straightforward characters in The Great Gatsby.

b. He is being misleading even during his seemingly most candid moments.

c. He is unable to separate himself from events that happened in his past.

d. He does not accurately capture the time and place of Fitzgerald’s novel.

e. He reveals his true self only to those who are closest to him.

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Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

6. For those not versed in the niceties of superstring theory, Pearson’s writing can seem

________, or very difficult to understand.

a. vacuous

b. collegial

c. recondite

d. sanguine

e. unadorned

7. Avoiding the caustic tone used in his previous reviews of Kingley’s works, Clarke was

far more ________ in his latest article, balancing the critical with the laudatory.

a. fastidious

b. susceptible

c. parochial

d. artless

e. equitable

8. Only a hundred years ago, most doctors were ________, sometimes traveling as many

as a hundred miles to deliver a baby.

a. prototypical

b. extroverted

c. itinerant

d. miserly

e. reckless

9. The mayor’s self-serving excuses proved to have a(n) ________ effect on her career:

she even ________ some of her staunchest advocates.

a. restorative . . heartened

b. negative . . misaligned

c. palliative . . sidelined

d. deleterious . . alienated

e. tangential . . silenced

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10. The fashion designer’s creations reflect his ________ outlook: he aims to blend the

clothing styles of many different nations.

a. provincial

b. uninspired

c. cosmopolitan

d. abridged

e. compromised

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Answers:

1. (A) is only mentioned in Passage 1.

(B) Passage 1 implies that the opening of The Great Gatsby is better than the rest of the

book, but Passage 2 mentions nothing of this.

(C) is best supported by most of Passage 2, which says that Fitzgerald used characters

that did not have much depth. Passage 1 is more subtle, referencing the lack of people

in the park, and Fitzgerald’s novel. The novel is nice to read but there are no real

characters inside.

(D) is only mentioned in Passage 2.

(E) is only partially correct. However, neither author really talks about settings. Sure,

Passage 2 talks about a “time and place”, but more in the context of the characters

themselves forming the setting.

2. According to the passage, The Great Gatsby is like a scrupulously polished crystal. In

other words, Fitzgerald has worked really hard at making sure the book has “beautifully

constructed opening pages”. This matches up best with (A). “Meticulously” is a positive

word indicating that someone has been very careful at something.

(A) The answer.

(B) is wrong because of the words “plot structure”, which is never mentioned in the

passage.

(C) refers to Passage 2.

(D) is wrong because Passage 1 says that The Great Gatsby is more accomplished.

(E) is making too much of a logical jump. Just because The Great Gatsby is more

controlled and polished than This Side of Paradise does not mean it is Fitzgerald’s

best work. And don’t rely on outside knowledge—meaning if your English teacher

said The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s best work does not mean the author of

Passage 1 agrees with your English teacher.

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3. Passage 2 doesn’t disagree with the idea that the characters in Passage 1 aren’t real

people, but one-dimensional stereotypes (…this assertion carries some truth…). His

focus is that Fitzgerald was forced to portray the characters in this way because that is

how the 1920’s flappers tended to be. This matches up best with (E).

(A) is tempting but the author of Passage 2 implies that the characters lack depth.

Remember not to bring in your outside knowledge and think of the Nick Carroway, the

main character, who is mentioned in neither of these passages.

(B) is incorrect because the word caricatures is too negative. Passage 2 never says that

Fitzgerald was making fun of (which is what caricature loosely means) the 1920’s

flappers.

(C) is wrong because the author of Passage 2 never mentions prose style.

(D) is wrong because Passage 2 never talks about the evolution of Jay Gatsby.

4. The author of Passage 1 implies that The Great Gatsby is an artificial creation by

comparing it to a manicured park, which is something that is very pretty. In other words,

it is beautifully written but it leaves the author of Passage 1 “feeling cold”, or emotionally

unmoved. Craftsmanship, a word found in (C), describes the way it was written. The first

part of Passage 1 tells us how well Fitzgerald writes, comparing his prose to a

scrupulously polished crystal. The word “exudes” means to show a particular trait or

quality. Thus (C) is the best answer.

(A) is wrong because there is no mention of an outdated narrative technique.

(B) is wrong because plot is not mentioned in Passage 1.

(C) The answer.

(D) is wrong. Though narrative relates to story telling, there is no mention of either.

(E) is wrong because dialogue is not mentioned.

5. The passage says that even when Gatsby is trying to be confessional (that is he is

coming across as telling the truth), Gatsby is still playing a role. Another way of saying

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this is answer (B), a complex, more formal way of expressing the same idea (something

you often see in the correct answer to the more difficult questions).

(A) is the opposite, because Gatsby apparently is always playing a role (he is being

anything but straightforward).

(B) The answer.

(C) is a tempting answer because it takes plot elements that many students are familiar

with—though these elements are not mentioned in either passage. Typically, the SAT

will choose passages that students are totally unfamiliar with. Every so often a passage

will creep in in which students are either familiar with or have even read before (there

has been a Charles Dickens’ passage and one from The Joy Luck Club). Be careful

always to base your answer only on information contained in the passage.

(D) is wrong since the passage does not mention how Gatsby relates to the 1920’s and

the flappers.

(E) is a trap answer because it plays off of the word confessional. However, the passage

never says who he is being confessional to, and it also implies that he is still holding

back on his true self even when he is being confessional.

6. Focus on the easy part of the sentence, “difficult to understand.” Therefore, the answer

is (C), which means difficult to understand. (A) means lacking content. (B) means relating

to one’s colleagues. (D) means cheerful.

7. “Avoiding the caustic <or nasty> tone” means that Clarke will be nicer in his latest

article. More specifically, he will be both critical and laudatory, or praising. (E) means

balanced and fair, which nicely matches the meaning of “both critical and praising”.

8. The clue “sometimes traveling” point to (C), which means traveling on foot. (B) just

means social, and doesn’t relate to traveling around. A doctor could be antisocial and

still travel hundreds of miles to deliver a baby.

9. “Self-serving”, meaning the mayor is only out for herself, shows that the blanks are both

negative. That leaves us with (B) and (D). “Misaligned” means put in the wrong position.

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That does not match the context. “Deleterious” means harmful, making (D) the best

answer.

10. We need a word that means drawing from many different influences/nations. Eclectic

would work pretty well, but it is not amongst the answer choices. (C) is even better

though, since it means international. (A) is the opposite, and means limited in outlook.

(E) is too negative.

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WRITING Below, you will find a set of 14 SAT writing practice questions followed by answers and

explanations of each question.

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Questions:

Select the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice repeats the original phrasing.

1. Recent malfunctions in interstellar exploration have not resulted from lapses in high

technology but commonplace deficiencies in plumbing and wiring.

a. not resulted from lapses in technology but

b. resulted not from lapses in high technology but from

c. resulted from lapses not in high technology but

d. resulted from lapses not in high technology but have stemmed from

e. resulted not from lapses in high technology but have stemmed from

Select the one underlined part of the sentence which contains an error. If the sentence is correct, select no error.

2. Simon Bolivar is remembered in leading the independence revolutions in several South

American countries, including Venezuela and Bolivia. No error

a. is

b. in leading

c. in several

d. including

e. No error

The passage below is an early draft of an essay. Read the passage and select the best

answer for the question that follows.

(1) Many composers are household names. (2) They are known by many people. (3) Mozart,

Bach, and Beethoven come to mind. (4) There are, however, many other great composers who

are not as well known but deserve the same recognition as others. (5) Antonin Dvorak comes

to mind. (6) He was a Czech composer from the late 19th century.

(7) He wrote great pieces such as his 9th symphony, which is nicknamed the New World

Symphony. (8) Dvorak is known for taking folk melodies of his homeland and incorporating

them into his music. (9) In some of his popular pieces, including the middle movement of the

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Piano Trio in E minor, incorporating a dumka, which is a form of music which is based on the

harmonic patterns of Slavic folk music. (10) It changes suddenly from gloomy to upbeat.

(11) Classical music is becoming less popular. (12) It means that the music of Dvorak will become

even less well known. (13) People should learn who wrote the music in movies. (14) Some of this

music may be Dvorak, like the 9th symphony, or the New World Symphony, which is featured in

movies. (15) By looking for Dvorak’s music online people will learn to appreciate and love a

composer who should become a household name.

3. The words “as others” in sentence 4 should be changed to

a. Leave it as is.

b. “as do the previously mentioned composers”

c. “as that of the others”

d. “as these other composers”

e. “as composers”

4. In context, which is the best way to revise and combine sentences 5 and 6 (reproduced

below)?

Antonin Dvorak comes to mind. He was a Czech composer from the late 19th

century.

a. One composer who comes to mind is Antonin Dvorak, a composer who was

from the late 19th century.

b. Antonin Dvorak, a Czech composer from the late 19th century, he comes to

mind.

c. From the late 19th century is a Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak, who comes to

mind.

d. One of these composers is Antonin Dvorak, a Czech one from the late 19th

century.

e. One such composer is the Czech Antonin Dvorak, who was from the late 19th

century.

5. In context, which of the following would be the most logical place for sentence 7?

a. Move it to the third paragraph.

b. Combine it with sentence 9.

c. Eliminate it altogether.

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d. Move it to the end of the second paragraph.

e. Place it after sentence 13

6. In context, which of the following is the best way to combine and revise sentences 9

and 10 (reproduced below)?

In some of his popular pieces, including the middle movement of the Piano Trio in E

minor, incorporating a dumka, which is a form of music which is based on the

harmonic patterns of Slavic folk music. It changes suddenly from gloomy to upbeat.

a. For instance, in the middle movement of the Piano Trio in E minor, Dvorak

incorporates a dumka, which is a musical form based on the harmonic patterns

of Slavic folk music and is known for sudden changes in mood, from gloomy to

upbeat.

b. In some of his popular pieces, including the middle movement of the Piano Trio

in E minor, Dvorak incorporates a dumka, basing it on the harmonic patterns of

Slavic folk music, which suddenly changes from gloomy to upbeat.

c. Dvorak, in some of his popular pieces, including the middle movement of the

Piano Trio in E minor incorporated a dumka, this is based on harmonic patterns

of Slavic folk music, known for its sudden changes in a gloomy to an upbeat

mood.

d. For example, Dvorak includes a dumka, in some of his popular pieces, including

the middle movement of the Piano Trio in E minor, which is based on harmonic

patterns of Slavic folk music and changes in mood from gloomy to upbeat.

e. Dvorak includes in some of his popular pieces a dumka, including the Piano Trio

in E minor, in which harmonic patterns of Slavic folk music and changes in mood

from gloomy to upbeat are included.

7. In context, the third paragraph represents a shift from the other two paragraphs in that it

a. does not mention Dvorak’s music

b. focuses more on the composer’s life

c. broadens the discussion to include other composers

d. urges the reader to take a certain course of action

e. elaborates on information provided in the second paragraph

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8. The following sentence makes the most sense if placed at which point in the passage?

There is, however, one way to reverse this unfortunate trend.

a. Before sentence 11

b. Between sentence 12 and 13

c. Between sentence 14 and 15

d. After sentence 15

e. Nowhere in the passage.

9. In context, sentences 11 and 12 (reproduced below) can best be combined and revised

in which of the following ways?

Classical music is becoming less popular. It means that the music of Dvorak will

become even less well known.

a. Given that Dvorak’s music will become less well known, classical music is

becoming less popular.

b. Due to the decreasing popularity of classical music, lesser known will Dvorak’s

music become.

c. Because classical music is becoming less popular, the music of Dvorak will likely

become even less well known.

d. Dvorak’s music becoming even less well known, because of the decreasing

popularity in classical music.

e. Classical music will become even less popular, Dvorak will become less well

known as a result.

Select the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice

repeats the original phrasing.

10. Mayor Frank Pierce’s son told reporters that he had decided not to run for reelection

even though there were many restoration projects in the downtown area that remained

unfinished.

a. he had decided not to run for reelection

b. it had been decided upon that he would not run for reelection

c. his father had decided not to run for reelection

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d. he would decide not to run for reelection

e. his decision was not running for reelection

Select the one underlined part of the sentence which contains an error. If the sentence is

correct, select no error.

11. The committee awarded both Carlos and me the first place title, since during our

respective performances we both played flawless and with emotional depth. No error

a. me

b. respective

c. flawless

d. with

e. No error

Select the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice

repeats the original phrasing.

12. Though considered an amateur with no scientific credentials, Guglielmo Marconi was

the first to send a discernable Trans-Atlantic message via radio signal.

a. with no scientific credentials, Guglielmo Marconi was

b. Guglielmo Marconi, who had been lacking scientific credentials, had been

c. Guglielmo’s lack of scientific credentials were

d. and one with no scientific credentials, Guglielmo Marconi

e. who had a lack of scientific credentials, Guglielmo Marconi

Select the one underlined part of the sentence which contains an error. If the sentence is

correct, select no error.

13. The recent finding that the shoreline is receding collaborates the research team’s

hypothesis that the water level throughout the basin is increasing and will continue to

do so . No error

a. that

b. collaborates

c. is increasing

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d. do so

e. No error

Select the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice

repeats the original phrasing.

14. It is essential that an aspiring concert pianist practice scales each day, master difficult

fingering technique, and be able to convey the emotional depth of a piece.

a. be able to convey

b. is able to convey

c. conveys

d. should be conveying

e. have the ability to convey

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Answers:

1. The correct idiomatic phrase here is “resulted not from X but from Y”. Notice the

parallelism in the “from” parts. (A) and (C) drop the second “from.” (D) and (E) are both

wordy “have stemmed”.

2. The idiom is “for leading”. Therefore, (B).

3. “As others” is vague. Do we mean other people? Of course not. The passage is about

different composers. So therefore, “as these other composers” makes it clear that we

are referring to the composers mentioned in the previous sentence.

4. The doubling of the word “composer” in (A) is unnecessary. (B) is not a grammatical

sentence since we double up the subject (Dvorak, he). (C) is awkward. (D) is wrong

because a “Czech one” is awkward. (E) is more succinct than (A) and is therefore the

best answer.

5. Sentence 7 mentions a great piece by Dvorak but it does not fit in with the rest of the

paragraph, which focuses on how Dvorak took folk tunes of his native land (we don’t

necessarily know if folk tunes were even part of the New World Symphony. It doesn’t

belong in this paragraph at all. Eliminate (A), (B), and (D). Since the last paragraph talks

about the New World Symphony it might make sense to place sentence 7 after

sentence 13. But sentence 7 introduces the New World Symphony, which sentence 14

does. Also putting sentence 7 after sentence 13 breaks the logical flow between

sentence 13 and 14, which is focused on Dvorak’s music in movies.

6. (B) implies that Dvorak is basing the dumka on harmonic patterns and that “harmonic

patterns” suddenly change from gloomy to upbeat. (C) is a comma splice (notice the

comma before the “this”.) The double “include” in (D) is awkward. Also, the “which”

should modify “dumka”. In (E) the last part is awkwardly worded.

7. (A) is clearly wrong since the third paragraph mentions Dvorak’s music. (B) is wrong

because the focus is on Dvorak in movies, and classical music and pop culture in

general. While the third paragraph broadens the scope of discussion, it doesn’t do so

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by including other composers. (C) is out. Paragraph 3 does urge readers to listen to

Dvorak’s music. Answer (D).

8. This unfortunate trend can refer to classical music becoming less popular as well as

Dvorak’s music becoming less popular. However, we wouldn’t put the sentence

between sentence 11 and 12 (which is not even an option), since it breaks the flow

between the two sentences. Therefore, the unfortunate trend is referring to Dvorak’s

music becoming even less well known, and thus the italicized sentence should be put

after sentence 12.

9. (A) reverses the causality. In other words, it is implying that because Dvorak’s music is

becoming less well known, classical music is becoming less popular. (B) is awkward

(“lesser known” should go at the end”). (D) is awkward because of “becoming even”; it

should be “IS becoming even”. (E) is wrong because “as a result” should come in the

middle of the sentence. Also, the sentence requires a comma since the AND is joining

together two independent clauses.

10. The “he” IS ambiguous because Mayor Frank Pierce’s son could run for reelection,

maybe he is in the Senate. (C) successfully gets rid of the ambiguity.

11. “Me” is correct since the committee is the subject and the recipients are objects in the

sentence. “Flawless” is anything but, since it is an adverb, which, on the SAT at least,

always require an “-ly”.

12. Watch out for (B) and (C), which both need a comma (the SAT has never had an

Improving the Sentence question in which a comma leads off an answer choice). The

original sentence, which has the comma and the correct noun after the comma

(Marconi). Therefore (A).

13. The word should be “corroborates”, which means to confirm, not “collaborate”, which

means to work together. “Do so” is a stand in for “increase”.

14. Notice the entire sentence uses words that do not have an ‘s’ after them

(“practice…master”), even though the subject is singular (“pianist”). The reason is

“essential” uses the subjunctive tense. The SAT doesn’t typically test this explicitly in

terms of verb tense. In this case, you just have to pay attention to the parallel verbs

(each verb does not have an ‘-s’ at the end. With the subjunctive you want to use the

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infinitive form of the verb (to master, to practice, to be) but without the ‘to’. Therefore,

(A).

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Page 33: SAT Practice Questions

  Additional Resources: Need more help tackling the SAT? Check out our free resources and tools below!

Study Schedules:

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Flashcards:

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Book Reviews:

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Thanks for using our free SAT practice test! If you’d like to prepare for

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