SAT Sentence Correction Improvement Practice Test 1

Question – 1

1. From Ancient times, men have believed that, below certain peculiar circumstances, life could arise spontaneously.?

  • A. below certain peculiar circumstances

  • B. under peculiar circumstances

  • C. under certain peculiar circumstances

  • D. under certain circumstances

  • E. below certain circumstances

  • Answer:C

  • Answer Explanation:The correct preposition denoting the influence of ‘circumstances’, as has been implied here, is ‘under’ and not ‘below’ which makes (A) the incorrect choice. Additionally, option (B) states the correct preposition but needlessly removes the word ‘certain’ while similarly, option (D) removes the word ‘peculiar’. In questions like these, any answer option making additional changes to the sentence, along with the one actually required, is not the correct answer. In short, if one change can correct the sentence and the option stating the same is given, there is no need to choose another option that makes additional and non-required changes. Hence, option (C) and not (B) or (D) is the correct answer and the other option (E) is totally incorrect due to improper preposition usage.


Question – 2

2. The great tragedy of science – ‘the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by a ugly fact’.?

  • A. the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by a ugly fact

  • B. the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

  • C. the slaying of beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact

  • D. the slaying of a fine-looking hypothesis by an ugly fact

  • E. the homicide of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

  • Answer:B

  • Answer Explanation:This is a simple question of article errors. Since the word ‘ugly’ simply needs to be preceded by the article ‘an’, the correct form of the sentence is denoted by option (B) and option (A) is incorrect. Options that make unnecessary changes to the words (even if they do not alter the meaning of the sentence) like option (D) and (E) are always incorrect answer choices. Also, options which correct the error but add another change (mostly non-required) like option (C) where the ‘a’ before the word ‘beautiful’ has been removed are also incorrect. Hence, option (B) is the correct answer choice.


Question – 3

3. Boiling never develops bacterial growth and hence never decomposes.?

  • A. never decomposes.

  • B. does not decompose easily.

  • C. does not decompose water easily.

  • D. boiled water does not decompose easily.

  • E. never decomposes anything.

  • Answer:D

  • Answer Explanation:This is an incomplete sentence since ‘decomposes’ should be followed by a noun whose decomposition is stopped by ‘boiling’. Keeping this in mind, only option (D) completes the sentence; while all the other options either make the sentence more vague (option E) or, nonsensical (option B) or, illogical (option C). Hence, option (D) is the correct choice of an answer to improve this sentence.


Question – 4

4. A gag writer who can leave a faint trace of bluing when they lauder the joke is all the more admired – and more highly paid.?

  • A. when they lauder the joke

  • B. when they launder the joke

  • C. when the audience lauders the joke

  • D. when he lauders the joke

  • E. when he launders the joke

  • Answer:C

  • Answer Explanation:In the given sentence, the error lies in the pronoun ‘they’ as it has been left undefined. The only option that makes the subject definite (since the people who lauder the ‘joke’ should be known) is (C). There is a stark difference between the blues of ‘laundering’ and the blues (melancholy) which is sometimes expressed within a ‘joke’ to choose any of the options using the word ‘launder'(since a ‘joke’ cannot be laundered). Hence, option (C) is the most logical and correct answer choice.


Question – 5

5. He should further have become able ot only to handle a pen, and ruler but also a magnetic tape, valve, and transistor.?

  • A. He should further have become able

  • B. He further have become able

  • C. He has further become able

  • D. He should further become able

  • E. He should further be able

  • Answer:D

  • Answer Explanation:It is not necessary that all the words of the underlined portions need to be changed to improve the sentence and in this case, this fact has been exemplified by the options (D) and (E). While both of them are correct in grammar as well as fitment within the sentence at hand, option (D) is improving upon the existing sentence by making the least number of changes. Option (E) is removing the ‘have’ as well as altering the ‘become’ which is perfectly fine the way it is used in the sentence (being and becoming are two different words and have different implications and even a minute change of meaning is not required here). The other options, (A) and (B), are totally incorrect grammatically (‘have become’ is wrong grammar) while option (C) is changing the meaning of the sentence a little which is totally unacceptable in questions like these. Hence, option (D) is the correct answer choice.


Question – 6

6. At one pole, we have the literary intellectuals- at the other, the scientists.?

  • A. At one pole

  • B. In one pole

  • C. Next to one pole

  • D. Beside one pole

  • E. For one pole

  • Answer:A

  • Answer Explanation:The grammar and implication of the given sentence is perfect the way it is. ‘At’ is the correct preposition here and hence, the no error option; (A) is the correct answer choice.


Question – 7

7. Unless and until the Americans and us educate ourselves both sensibly and imaginatively.?

  • A. the Americans and us

  • B. Americans and we

  • C. the Americans and they

  • D. the Americans and we

  • E. the Americans

  • Answer:D

  • Answer Explanation:The word ‘us’ is a grammatically erroneous denotation of the self here. The word ‘they’ is a totally unnecessary change and in these kinds of questions, any change in the meaning, implication and structure of the sentence (unless totally necessary) should be avoided. Hence, option (D) is the correct answer choice.


Question – 8

8. At present, there can be little doubt that the whole of mankind is in human danger.?

  • A. mankind is in human danger

  • B. mankind is in mortal danger

  • C. mankind is in danger

  • D. mankind is in beastly danger

  • E. mankind is in earthly danger

  • Answer:B

  • Answer Explanation:This sentence is a case of erroneous comparisons since mankind cannot be in ‘human danger’ (since ‘human’ kind is just another way to express ‘mankind). To presume that the ‘danger’ mentioned here is ‘beastly’ or ‘earthly’ will be incorrect due to lack of facts to back it up. Additionally, since the kind of ‘danger’, which ‘human’ beings or the ‘mankind’ can plausibly be in is given (through the word ‘mortal’), option (B) is the correct answer choice for this sentence.


Question – 9

9. When we think, we do not just think: we think with idea’s.?

  • A. we think with idea’s

  • B. we think through idea’s

  • C. we think via ideas

  • D. we think with ideas

  • E. we ideate

  • Answer:D

  • Answer Explanation:This is a very simple sentence quoting a very straightforward error. The word ‘ideas’ should not have an apostrophe mark as it is grammatically incorrect. Additionally, to uselessly replace the word ‘with’ (which is correct and already provided) by the word ‘via’ in option (C) will also be incorrect. Hence, option (D) is the correct form of improvement for this question.


Question – 10

10. It is foolhardy to put great powers into the people without making sure that they have a reasonable idea of what they are doing.?

  • A. into the people

  • B. through the people

  • C. into people

  • D. into the hands of people

  • E. through people

  • Answer:D

  • Answer Explanation:This is a case of confused verbs since ‘powers’ should logically be ‘put into’ an aspect of the ‘people’ and not just ‘into’ them. To make the sentence more defined, option (D), which adds a proper subject to the sentence is the correct answer choice since all the other options do not furnish the need of a subject for this sentence. Hence, option (D) is the correct answer choice.


Question – 11

11. The improvement of communications between individuals and groups depends on the telephones.?

  • A. depends on the telephones

  • B. depends on telephones

  • C. is depending on the telephones

  • D. will depend on the telephones

  • E. depends on a telephone

  • Answer:B

  • Answer Explanation:The word ‘the’ used before ‘telephones’ is unnecessary and grammatically not perfect as against option (B) which states the same logic but with perfect grammar and the same words. Option (E) is needlessly changing the implication of the sentence a little while option (C) and (D) are totally inappropriate. Hence, option (B) is the correct choice of an answer for this sentence.


Question – 12

12. To do the supporting research, ‘thousands upon thousands’ of scientists and engineers need to train.?

  • A. scientists and engineers need to train

  • B. scientists and researchers need to train

  • C. scientists and engineers need to get trained

  • D. scientists and researchers need to get trained

  • E. researchers need to get training

  • Answer:C

  • Answer Explanation:The sentence sounds little incomplete since the word ‘train’ is an incomplete verb in the way it has been used here. To make the sentence more definite, adding the verb ‘get’ will be appropriate which is done correctly in option (C). The word ‘researchers’ has been added in the other options which is needless since the scope of the question does not allow us to replace the subject words. Hence, option (C) is the correct choice of an answer for this question.


Question – 13

13. Though education and wisdom go hand in hand, only one of the two are acquired through books.?

  • A. only one of the two are acquired through

  • B. only one of the two are acquired within

  • C. none of the two are acquired through

  • D. only one of the two is acquired through

  • E. only one of the two can be acquired through ,

  • Answer:D

  • Answer Explanation:Since the subject, denoted by the word ‘one’ in the predicate of the sentence is a singular noun, its associated verb has to be singular (‘is’ not ‘are’). Due to noun-verb mismatch, the options (B), (C), (E) and (A) are incorrect and the only correct answer choice is (D).


Question – 14

14. In modern times, little attention has paid to the study of the ideas which form the very instruments by which thought and observation proceed.?

  • A. In modern times, little attention has paid

  • B. In modern times, very little attention has paid

  • C. In modern times, attention has been paid

  • D. In modern times, little attention has to be paid

  • E. In modern times, little attention has been paid

  • Answer:E

  • Answer Explanation:Since it has been established in the sentence that ‘little attention’ was ‘paid’ to the subject in question, there is no need to alter the implication of the same while choosing the answer for improvement for this question. Alterations in meaning have been made in options (C) and (D), while option (A) is grammatically incorrect and option (B) is adding a word (‘very’) while still not editing the sentence to make it correct. Hence, option (E), which adds the word ‘been’ before the word ‘paid’, to make grammatical as well as logical sense, is the correct answer choice.


Question – 15

15. If you ask people in general, we would have absolutely no problem with the idea of India at all.?

  • A. we would have absolutely no problem with the idea of India at all.

  • B. they would have absolutely no problem with the idea of India at all.

  • C. we would have absolutely no problem with the ideas of India at all.

  • D. they would absolutely have no problem with the idea of India at all.

  • E. they would have absolutely no problem with the idea of India as a nation at all.

  • Answer:B

  • Answer Explanation:Since the subject (noun) used here i.e. ‘people in general’, is in third person, the pronoun for the same cannot be in the first (‘we’). This eliminates options (A) and (C) while option (D) is very tactfully altering the order of words but still maintaining the same and correct meaning of the sentence (which is not required). In option (E), ‘India as a nation’ is an addition which is just making the statement flowery without adding any necessary content to it. Hence, option (B), which employs simple yet correct editing by replacing the pronoun (‘we’ by ‘they’), is the correct answer choice.


Score: 0/10

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