10/8/25
In 1984, several graffiti vandals were given the option of either going to jail or taking part in a new city beautification initiative. They chose the latter and became some of the first members of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Since then, the program overseen the creation of more than 3,800 pieces of art painted on sides of buildings. 2,000 of the works are still viewable by the public, making this collection the “World’s Largest Outdoor Art Gallery.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. has oversaw
C. has overseen
D. oversaw
The word since at the beginning of the sentence is a tip-off that the present perfect (has + past participle) is required. (A) and (D) do not place has before the verb, so they can be eliminated. (A) is also incorrect because the simple past form of oversee is oversaw. (B) can be eliminated as well because has must be followed by the past participle, overseen. (C) is correct because it supplies the appropriate form.
10/7/25
One issue that often plagues even the most sturdily built old homes is the “improvements’’ made in the intervening decades. Whether the culprit was a clueless homeowner or an unlicensed contractor or an unskilled handyman, substandard repairs are common.
A. NO CHANGE
B. most sturdy built
C. more sturdier built
D. sturdier built
Built is a verb, and so it must be modified by an adverb — sturdily, not sturdy or sturdier. That eliminates (B) and (D). (C) is incorrect because it is redundant to use both more and the comparative form of an adjective (sturdier). (A) correctly uses the adverb sturdily to modify the verb built.
10/6/25
Tokyo is one of my favorite places, but it’s also one of the most expensive cities in the world. During my last visit I decided to participate in a homestay in order to save money on a hotel. Through a tourist website, I found Yuko, a young Japanese woman who rented out a spare room in her house. She seemed excited to hear from me and sent me useful information about public transportation, along with some maps. Tokyo was originally known as Edo, but its name was changed to Tokyo when it became the imperial capital in 1868. I could not wait to meet this interesting Japanese family.
Which choice provides the most relevant information at this point in the passage?
A. NO CHANGE
B. She also described her husband, who had a black belt in Karate, and her 85-year-old grandmother, who still rode a bicycle.
C. The house was located in Shinjuku, which is one of the busiest and most popular areas of the city.
D. Tokyo is divided into 23 districts, or wards, each of which is governed as an independent city.
To answer this question, you must focus on the information that comes after that underlined statement — the beginning of the passage does not provide enough information. If you read the sentence after the underlined section, you’ll learn that the writer could not wait to meet this interesting Japanese family. Logically, then, the previous sentence must provide specific information about how Yuko’s family was interesting. The only answer to provide such information is (B); (A) and (D) are entirely off-topic, and (C) is about the location of Yuko’s house, not about her family.
10/5/25
Born William Harrison Dempsey in Manassa, Colorado, “Jack” Dempsey was one of 11 children. He left home at the age of 16 and traveled west on freight trains with hobos, settling occasionally in mining towns. It was during that period of his life that Dempsey learned how to box. Initially, he only needed to defend himself at first, but soon he showed exceptional talent for the sport.
A. NO CHANGE
B. first of all
C. in the first place
D. DELETE the underlined portion.
To answer this question, you must consider the sentence as a whole; the underlined section alone does not give you enough information to determine the correct option. When considered independently, the underlined portion makes sense; however, the beginning of the sentence already contains the word initially, which is a synonym for at first. As a result, at first is redundant and should be eliminated, making the answer (D).
10/4/25
In 1931, RCA Victor developed and released the first 33 1/3 rpm records to the public. The format initially was a commercial failure because the records and playback equipment were expensive and because the audio performance was poor. When the stylus for playback was improved and the product released, the record became the standard in music playback for decades.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the product that was released,
C. the product being released,
D. the product has been released,
The presence of the word and before the underlined portion signals a parallel construction: the correct option must be parallel to the stylus for playback was improved. The expected answer would be the product was released, but that is not one of the options. The key to answering the question is to recognize that the word was is optional — the appearance of that verb before improved can “apply” to released as well, making the repetition unnecessary. As a result, (A) is correct. In (B), the word that creates a jumbled and un-parallel construction; in (C), being is awkward and again creates a construction that is not parallel; and in (D), has been is not parallel to was.
10/3/25
The moment a volunteer with a therapy dog walks into a hospital room, you can instantly feel a change in mood. Their eyes immediately focus on the animal, and smiles spread across their faces.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Your
C. One’s
D. Patients’
The reference to a hospital room implies that the underlined pronoun refers to patients, but because that noun does not actually appear earlier in the passage, it must be explicitly stated. Even if the meaning is clear enough, the sentence lacks precision. Only (D) provides the noun, making it correct. Shortcut: given the choice between a pronoun and a noun, the noun will usually be correct.
10/2/25
Throwing everything you own into your beat-up van and heading to California is a familiar path many aspiring musicians and actors follow as they head out West to chase their dreams. Although the odds are stacked quite heavily against them, opportunities are there for the taking. Such is the case for Richard Gibbs, a dreamer turned rock star and blockbuster film composer whose had a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
A. NO CHANGE
B. who’s had a knack for being
C. who’s had a knack to be
D. whose knack for being
Who’s = who is/has; whose = possessive of who. The possessive form must be followed by a noun, but the underlined word is followed by had, which is a verb. As a result, (A) and (D) can be eliminated. In (C), knack is followed by “to be” instead of by the idiomatically correct “for + -ing word” or “for + noun”. (B) is correct because it supplies the appropriate form of who and is idiomatically correct.
10/1/25
People are divided about whether hedgehogs should be kept as pets. Wild animals should stay wild, one argument goes. On the other hand, cats and dogs were wild once, and domestication has to start somewhere. At first, a hedgehog may feel threatened and extend they’re quills when handled by humans, but eventually most hedgehogs come to enjoy being petted and cuddled.
A. NO CHANGE
B. their
C. its
D. it’s
Start by identifying the noun to which the underlined pronoun most refers — what feels threatened and extends its quills? The most logical referent is a hedgehog, singular. They’re and their are both forms of they, plural, so (A) and (B) can be eliminated. (D) can also be eliminated because it’s = it is, and it does not make sense to say a hedgehog may feel threatened and extend it is quills. Its is the possessive form, making (C) correct. Its quills = the quills of a hedgehog.
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