Explanation -

9/7/24

At the age of 51, Georgia O’Keeffe was asked by the Philadelphia advertising agency N.W. Ayer & Son to travel to Hawaii to produce two print-ad images for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, later renamed Dole. Not known for commercial work, O’Keeffe had completed a commission in 1936 — what would be the largest of her flower paintings — for the Elizabeth Arden Sport Salon in New York.

A. NO CHANGE
B. agency N.W. Ayer & Son,
C. agency, N.W. Ayer & Son,
D. agency, N.W. Ayer & Son

When names in the middle of a sentence are tested, there are typically only two correct options: two commas (non-essential) and no commas (essential). To check which one is correct, cross out the name, and read the sentence without it. At the age of 51, Georgia O’Keeffe was asked by the Philadelphia advertising agency…to travel to Hawaii to produce two print-ad images for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, later renamed Dole. Although the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it does not really make sense in terms of meaning — we do not know what the Philadelphia advertising agency was called. As a result, the information is essential, and no commas should be used. That makes (A) correct.

9/6/24

Frank J. Sulloway, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley believes that family roles based on birth order and competition between siblings affect a person’s behavior and eventually shape your personality.

A. NO CHANGE
B. one’s
C. their
D. his or her

The underlined pronoun logically refers to a person, singular, so the correct answer must be singular. That eliminates (C). (A) and (B) can also be eliminated because one’s should be paired with one, and your should be paired with you. His or her is singular and correctly corresponds to a person, making (D) the answer.

9/5/24

José Martí considered New York his adopted hometown and wrote dazzling accounts of the city, likening the cables of the brand new Brooklyn Bridge, to satisfied colossal boa constrictors resting on top of towers. He also rarely passed up an opportunity to let the city amuse him and was an enthusiastic patron of H.M. Barnum’s circus, billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

A. NO CHANGE
B. Bridge to satisfied colossal boa constrictors resting,
C. Bridge to satisfied colossal boa constrictors resting
D. Bridge to satisfied, colossal, boa constrictors resting

(A) is incorrect because it places a comma before a preposition (to). When it is plugged in, (B) creates the same error: the comma after resting is placed before the preposition on. (D) is incorrect because it places a comma between an adjective (colossal) and the noun it modifies (boa constrictors). (C) is correct because no punctuation is necessary in the underlined section.

9/4/24

When Arcosanti opened in 1970, its founder, the Italian architect Paolo Soleri, imagined the small Arizona desert complex would of became a city of thousands of people, all living together in harmony in what he called an arcology—a community where nature and architecture work together to create a balanced existence.

A. NO CHANGE
B. would have became
C. would become
D. became

Would can only be followed by have, not of, eliminating (A). (B) can be eliminated because any form of to have must be followed by the past participle (become) rather than the simple past (became). Although (D) is in the simple past and is thus parallel to the other verbs in the passage, it does not make logical sense: Soleri could not have imagined that Arcosanti became something right when it opened. Logically, this verb must describe Soleri’s hopes for Arcosanti’s future. When the future is discussed from the perspective of the past, would + verb must be used, making the answer (C).

9/3/24

In the 1930s, the concept of showing movies outdoors wasn’t new: people often watched silent films on screens set up at beaches or other places boasting an abundance of sky. However, it was an auto-parts salesman named Richard Hollingshead whom saw the genius in giving a car-loving society one more activity to do in their vehicles.

A. NO CHANGE
B. who
C. which
D. and

As a rule, who rather than whom must be used before a verb, eliminating (A). (C) is incorrect because the underlined pronoun refers to a person, and which can only refer to things. (D) is incorrect as well because plugging in and creates a nonsense construction (However, it was an auto-parts salesman named Richard Hollingshead and saw…). (B) correctly uses who to refer back to Richard Hollingshead.

9/2/24

On a gloomy Wednesday morning, thousands of spectators gathered in Washington, D.C.’s Potomac Park to witness what would be the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. As the crowd buzzed with excitement, President Woodrow Wilson stood with the pilot, Second Lieutenant George Leroy Boyle. The two men chatted for a few minutes, Wilson in a three-piece suit and bowler hat, Boyle in his leather flying cap, a cigarette in his mouth. The president dropped a letter in Boyle’s sack, and the pilot took off for his journey from Washington, D.C., to New York, with plans to stop in Philadelphia for delivery and refueling. The flight, however, never made it to the City of Brotherly Love.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of the sentence (replacing the comma after minutes with a period). Should the writer do this?

A. Yes, because it is irrelevant to the paragraph’s focus on the airmail service’s first flight.
B. Yes, because it suggests that Wilson and Boyle disagreed about the importance of the airmail service.
C. No, because it provides a detailed description that helps the reader envision the encounter between Wilson and Boyle.
D. No, because it emphasizes that Wilson and Boyle were able to overcome their differences.

Remember that “delete” questions are, in fact, asking you to determine two things: first, what type of information does the underlined portion contain, and second, is that information relevant? In this case, the underlined portion provides a description of Wilson’s and Boyle’s appearances. That information alone points to (C), and the explanation that answer provides makes sense as well: those details do, in fact, help the reader to envision the scene, and so they should NOT be removed. All of the other answers are unrelated to the idea of a detailed description, making (C) correct.

9/1/24

In southern Manitoba, a bison kept escaping a ranch. The locals nicknamed him Freddy, and he became something of a minor celebrity. He even had a song dedicated to him. After witnessing the media coverage surrounding Freddy, a renaissance-style choral arrangement was inspired to be crafted by composer Elliot Britton, complete with contemporary pop-chord progressions accompanied by traditional fiddle and electronically distorted bison noises.

A. NO CHANGE
B. the crafting of a renaissance-style choral arrangement was inspired by composer Elliot Britton.
C. composer Elliot Britton was inspired to craft a renaissance-style choral arrangement,
D. composer Elliot Britton, who was inspired to craft a renaissance-style choral arrangement,

Who witness[ed] the media coverage surrounding Freddy? Composer Elliot Britton. So composer Elliot Britton, the subject, must be placed at the beginning of the underlined phrase; otherwise, a dangling modifier is created. That eliminates (A) and (B). (D) can also be eliminated because this option creates a fragment: the verb was “belongs” to who rather than to composer Elliot Britton, and so the sentence lacks a main verb. The error is absent from (C), making it correct.

8/31/24

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have developed a solar water purifier they hope can sanitize water more quickly, cheaply, and effectively than other models. The device resembles a small A-frame tent. Black carbon-dipped paper is draped over a triangular form and set on top of the water. The edges of the paper trail in the water, soaking it up like a sponge.

What is the best way to combine the underlined sentences?

A. A triangular form is set on top of the water and draped with carbon-dipped paper, whose edges trail in the water, soaking it up like a sponge.
B. A triangular form is set on top of the water, and carbon-dipped paper is draped over it, whose edges trail in the water and soak it up like a sponge.
C. Black carbon-dipped paper is draped over a triangular form and, then, set on top of the water, its edges trailing and soaking it up like a sponge.
D. Draped over a triangular form, black carbon-dipped paper is set on top of the water, whose edges trail, soaking it up like a sponge.

(B) is incorrect because whose edges trail in the water and soak it up like a sponge modifies carbon-dipped paper and should be placed next to it; however, the modifying phrase is placed after the word it (that is, water), creating a misplaced modifier. (C) is incorrect because its edges trailing and soaking it up like a sponge is used to modify water rather than carbon-dipped paper, creating the same error as in (B). (D) is likewise wrong because the construction water, whose edges trail is illogical because water does not have edges. Rather, it is the edges of the carbon-dipped paper that trail in the water. (A) is correct because the phrase whose edges trail in the water is clearly used to modify carbon-dipped paper.

8/30/24

In the late nineteenth century, the most sophisticated railroad managers and some economists argued that railroads were “natural monopolies,” the inevitable consequence of an industry that required huge investments in land and construction. However, competition was expensive and wasteful. In 1886, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway and the Missouri Pacific Railroad both built railroad tracks heading west from the Great Bend of the Arkansas River in Kansas to Greeley County on the western border, roughly 200 miles away. The tracks ran parallel to each other, about two miles apart.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Therefore,
C. Indeed,
D. Still,

To answer this question, ignore the transition already in the passage, and consider the information before and after it. The previous sentence describes the idea that the railroads were natural monopolies because they required huge investments in land and construction, and the sentence begun by the transition states that competition [between railroad companies] was expensive and wasteful. Those are similar ideas, so (A) and (D) can be eliminated (still means “despite this”). (B) is incorrect as well because the fact that competition cost a lot of money and created waste was not a result of the fact that it required huge investments. Those ideas are connected, but the first is not the cause of the second. (C) is correct because indeed is used to emphasize a preceding statement, which is exactly what the rest of the sentence does. The example that follows then further supports that idea by illustrating how competition led to wasteful spending (that is, two sets of tracks built almost right next to one another).

8/29/24

In the early twentieth century, new knowledge about nutrition science fueled widespread “expert” condemnation of dishes featuring a range of ingredients mixed together. Instead, reformers insisted with great confidence (but scant evidence), that it was healthier to eat simple foods with few ingredients—meals in which meats and plain vegetables were clearly separated.

A. NO CHANGE
B. confidence, (but scant evidence),
C. confidence, (but scant evidence)
D. confidence (but scant evidence)

As a general rule, it is unnecessary for parentheses to be accompanied by commas, either before or after. Because two commas and two parentheses both serve to indicate non-essential information, it is redundant to include both. (In rare cases, a comma may be required after a close-parenthesis for other reasons, but that is not relevant to this question.) (D) is the only option that does not contain commas, so it is correct.

8/28/24

Debbie Smith has her work cut out for her. Since 2010, she has been the artist responsible to record the likeness of every clown registered with Clowns International, the oldest established organization for clowns in the United Kingdom. It’s a seemingly straightforward task—that is, until you discover what she uses as a canvas: eggs.

A. NO CHANGE
B. for recording
C. in recording
D. with recording

The correct idiom is responsible for + -ING. The infinitive (to record) or a preposition other than for cannot be used. As a result, (B) is correct.

8/27/24

Bill Bowerman’s “eureka” moment came while eating breakfast with his wife on a summer Sunday in 1976. As he stared at his waffles, it occurred to him that the grooves of the waffle iron were a perfect mold for multi-terrain sneaker soles. He poured molten rubber into iron after iron that he perfected the waffle-sole pattern that Nike, which he co-founded in 1964, continues to use on some running and training shoes today.

A. NO CHANGE
B. which
C. until
D. when

If the original sentence doesn’t make sense to you when you read it, try to avoid falling into a loop of continually reading and re-reading it; when you can’t figure out what a sentence is trying to say, that’s a pretty reliable sign that something is wrong with it. In this case, once you’ve determined that that doesn’t make sense, you are probably best served by ignoring it and plugging in each of the answers in turn. The only option that makes sense is (C) — logically, Bowerman must have poured molten rubber into iron after iron until he perfected the waffle-sole pattern. The other answers all create nonsense meanings.

8/26/24

During the Renaissance, first-person accounts of little-explored lands and botanical discoveries thrilled armchair gardeners, working horticulturists and scholars, although the high cost of producing books and manuscripts tended to limit their audience. At a more practical level, interest in garden design and new techniques of cultivation blossomed and was accompanied by a combustion of interest in previously unknown plants.

A. NO CHANGE
B. a bang
C. a blowup
D. an explosion

To say that there was an explosion of interest in something is to say that there was a dramatic increase in interest. Although the other answers have similar literal meanings to explosion, none of them can be used idiomatically to have this meaning. (D) is thus correct.

8/25/24

In 2004, Debra Britt and her sisters, Felicia Walker and Tamara Mattison, began to collect and make dolls, doll clothes, and accessories. By 2012, the serious hobby had overrun their home, so they rented a storefront space in downtown Mansfield, Massachusetts, where they were living, and transformed it into the National Black Doll Museum of History and Culture.

A. NO CHANGE
B. have lived
C. would live
D. would have lived

If you look at the rest of the passage, you can see that the other verbs are in the past tense (began, rented, transformed), so the underlined verb must be in the past tense as well. (B) can be eliminated because have lived is in the present perfect, which describes an action that began in the past but that is continuing into the present. (C) and (D) can also be eliminated because would live/would have lived are both used to indicate hypothetical actions — actions that could take place, or could have taken place, that did not actually occur. That leaves (A): although were living is not precisely parallel in form to the other verbs in the sentence, it is still in the past and is therefore sufficiently parallel to be correct. The progressive (were…-ING) is simply used here to emphasize that the sisters’ residence in Mansfield was an ongoing situation.

8/24/24

For most of history, humans weren’t interested in the direct consumption of milk. Instead, the early milkers of the fertile crescent transformed it into sour yogurt, butter and cheese because the hot climate caused milk to quickly spoil. Even so, milk was a vital symbol in the mythology of the Sumerians, Greeks and Egyptians.

Which of the following is the LEAST acceptable placement for the underlined word?

A. where it is now.
B. after the word climate.
C. after the word milk.
D. after the word spoil.

This is a question that needs to be done more or less by ear. (A) is incorrect (i.e., acceptable) because quickly (adverb) can be used to modify spoil (verb). (B) is acceptable because quickly can modify the verb caused. (D) is acceptable because it is equivalent to (A) — it merely places the adverb after the verb, rather than before it. (C) is the least acceptable option because adverbs typically are not placed before infinitives (to spoil); the construction is not idiomatic. That makes (C) correct.

8/23/24

In James Dinh’s proposal for the National Museum of the American Indian’s new memorial, concentric circles—“ripples,” in Dinh’s imagination—radiate outward from a star and fountain and is bounded on one side by a mound of earth inlaid with a stone wall. One stretch of this wall, which Dinh terms the “Wall of Stories,” is particularly striking: it features a seated bronze sculpture of a mother and child.

A. NO CHANGE
B. are
C. has been
D. have been

The answer choices contain both singular and plural verbs, indicating that this question is testing (in part) subject-verb agreement. To make the subject easier to identify, ignore the non-essential clause between the dashes: In James Dinh’s proposal for the National Museum of the American Indian’s new memorial, concentric circles…radiate outward from a star and fountain and is bounded on one side by a mound of earth inlaid with a stone wall. The subject is concentric circles (plural), so a plural verb (are) is required. That eliminates (A) and (C). Next, determine the tense: all of the other verbs in the passage are in the present (radiate, terms, is, features), so the underlined verb must be in the present as well. That makes the answer (B).

8/22/24

In a 2012 paper, marketing researchers Rajeev Batra, Aaron Ahuvia and Richard P. Bagozzi developed a model of “brand love.” Based on studies of consumers’ brand attachment, they showed that in order to form meaningful attachment with a brand, consumers need to experience them in ways that go beyond simply buying and using a product.

A. NO CHANGE
B. themselves
C. itself
D. it

The only plural noun to which the underlined pronoun could refer is consumers, but it does not make sense to say consumers need to experience consumers in ways that go beyond simply buying and using a product. A far more logical interpretation of the sentence is that the antecedent is the singular noun a brand. As a result, a singular pronoun must be used. That eliminates (A) and (B). (C) is incorrect because “self” words are used to indicate that someone/something is both the subject and the object of an action, and a brand cannot do anything to itself. It alone makes sense, so (D) is correct.

8/21/24

Before Star Trek premiered on September 8, 1966, the show’s ingredients had been slow-cooking in creator Gene Roddenberry’s brain for years. At first, Roddenberry’s initial idea was to write a show about a 19th-century blimp that journeyed from place to place, making contact with distant peoples. Deciding instead to set the show in the future, Roddenberry drew upon his youthful immersion in science fiction magazines like Astounding Stories.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Roddenberry had the initial idea
C. Roddenberry’s idea initially was
D. Roddenberry’s idea was

To answer this question, you must back up to the beginning of the sentence. It contains the phrase At first, which is a synonym for initially. As a result, it is redundant to include both. Because the beginning of the sentence cannot be changed, initially must be removed from the underlined portion. That makes (D) correct.

8/20/24

Even before the advent of digital technologies, critics predicted the collapse of existing media. After television was invented, many claimed radio would die. But radio ended up surviving by finding new uses; people started listening in cars, during train rides and on factory floors.

Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable alternative to the underlined word?

A. destruction
B. demise
C. revolt
D. disappearance

Destruction, demise, and disappearance can all be used to indicate that critics believed existing media was on its way out. Revolt (rebellion) implies the opposite, however, so it is NOT an acceptable alternative to the underlined word. That makes (C) correct.

8/19/24

On March 19, 1918, Woodrow Wilson signed the Calder Act, requiring people in the United States to set their clocks to standard time; less than two weeks later, on March 31, they would be required to abandon standard time and pushed their clocks ahead by an hour for the nation’s first experiment with daylight saving.

A. NO CHANGE
B. push
C. have pushed
D. had pushed

The presence of the word and before the underlined verb signals a parallel construction: they would be required to (1) abandon standard time and (2) x. There is no option that supplies the infinitive (to push); however, the to before abandon can “apply” to the underlined verb as well. As a result, the verb alone can be used. That makes the answer (B).

8/18/24

In an exhibition called Figuring History, the African-American artist Robert Colescott provided a tongue-in-cheek send-up of the famous depiction of George Washington crossing the Delaware. The Oakland, California, native places George Washington Carver, the agricultural pioneer at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, in the spot of his namesake.

A. NO CHANGE
B. artist, Robert Colescott
C. artist Robert Colescott,
D. artist, Robert Colescott,

When commas are tested with names that appear in the middle of a sentence, there are typically only two correct options: no commas (essential) or two commas (non-essential). The easiest way to determine which is correct is to treat the name like a non-essential item and cross it out of the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense in context, the information is not essential, and commas are required; if the sentence does not make sense in context, the information is essential, and no commas should be used. Crossed out: In an exhibition called Figuring History, the African-American artist…provided a tongue-in-cheek send-up of the famous depiction of George Washington crossing the Delaware. Athough the sentence that remains makes grammatical sense, it omits a very important piece of information: we no longer know who the African-American artist is. As a result, the reference to The Oakland, California, native in the following sentence does not make sense. The information is therefore essential, and no commas should be used, making the answer (A).

8/17/24

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) has been the site of many creative adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. Some are a multimedia mashup of characters, lines and scenes from Shakespeare’s history plays. “Extensively cut,” “deeply cut” and “severely cut” are some of the favorite phrases used by the reviewers of these types of experimental stage and film adaptations. The job can involve rearranging scenes, simplifying plotlines, and eliminating characters. In such cases, cutting up Shakespeare is not an act of destruction but an act of creation. Professional playwrights in Shakespeare’s time even thought about creating scripts as “cutwork,” like constructing costumes by cutting and stitching.

Which answer creates the most logical transition between the preceding sentence and the information that follows?

A. NO CHANGE
B. During Shakespeare’s time, it was not uncommon for multiple versions of plays to circulate.
C. Multimedia websites also offer contemporary “translations” of Shakespeare’s plays, along with notes and interviews.
D. Cutting, however, doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of something.

Although the question is phrased in terms of a “transition,” you must focus on the information that follows because the underlined sentence must set up that information — what comes before is less important. The sentence after states that cutting up Shakespeare is not an act of destruction but an act of creation. Logically, then, the underlined sentence must be consistent with the idea that cutting Shakespeare is NOT about destroying his work. Be careful with (A): if you focus on the previous sentence, this answer might seem to fit with the general discussion of cutting, but the references to simplifying plotlines and eliminating characters are not really consistent with the idea of creation. (B) and (C) are simply off-topic. (D) is correct because the statement that cutting Shakespeare’s work is NOT about getting rid of something leads naturally into the idea that cutting = creation.

8/16/24

To some extent, the fear of having a book or movie plot “spoiled” is well-grounded. You only have one opportunity to learn something for the first time. Once you’ve learned it, that knowledge affects what you notice, what you anticipate, and even what your imagination can do.

A. NO CHANGE
B. what you can imagine.
C. what is in your imagination.
D. what your imagination is like.

The underlined portion involves the third item in a list, so the format of this item must match the format of the previous two. In most cases, you can determine the answer by focusing on the beginning of each item, but in this case all of the answers begin the same way, so you must consider the information that follows. In each of the first two items, what is followed by you + verb, so the third item must contain you + verb as well. (D) contains your rather than you, so it can be eliminated. In (C), a verb does follow what, but it also contains a prepositional phrase afterward, unlike the first two items. (B) contains two verbs (can and imagine), making it the closest match and thus the answer.

8/15/24

Long before smartphones filmed the stiffened appendages of people seeking internet fame, striking a pose was a popular form of entertainment in Victorian England. They called the practice “tableaux vivants” (literally, “living pictures”). The technique had its roots in medieval drama, but it became a fashionable Victorian-era dinner party game similar to charades. People would select a famous scene and position themselves in it, frozen, for their guests and friends to observe.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Participants
C. One
D. We

Although the general meaning of the sentence is clear in the original version, the pronoun they is vague and ambiguous — the sentence does not indicate who called the practice “tableaux vivants.” One and we create the same problem. Only (B) provides a noun, eliminating the ambiguity.

8/14/24

Paradoxically, time is perceived to pass slowly in situations in which there is either nothing happening or a great deal is happening. In other words, the complexity of the situation is either much higher or much lower than normal.

A. NO CHANGE
B. a great deal happens.
C. a great deal has happened.
D. a great deal happening.

The sentence in which the underlined portion appears describes two alternative scenarios, connected grammatically by the word or. Because the construction of the first item cannot be changed, the second must be made to match the first. The second item must also be able to follow there is. The first item contains nothing + -ING, so to remain parallel, the second item must contain a great deal + -ING. It is also correct to say time is perceived to pass slowly in situations in which there is…a great deal happening. Only (D) fits.

8/13/24

Since April 2017, a canoe powered solely by solar energy travels back and forth along the 42-mile stretch of the Capahuari and Pastaza rivers that connect the nine isolated settlements that live along their banks. The boat, named Tapiatpia after a mythical electric eel in the area, is the Amazon’s first solar powered public transport system.

A. NO CHANGE
B. has traveled
C. would travel
D. traveled

The word since is a tip-off that the present perfect (has/have + past participle) is required: this tense indicates that an action began in the past and is continuing into the present. (B) contains the correct construction, making it the answer.

8/12/24

Protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays is nothing new: many organisms, including microbes, plants, and animals, have developed the ability to shield themselves by producing small molecules that absorb UV rays, and block radiation, from entering cells and damaging the DNA.

A. NO CHANGE
B. molecules, that absorb UV rays and block radiation
C. molecules that absorb UV rays and block radiation
D. molecules that absorb UV rays and block radiation,

(A) and (D) can both be eliminated right away because they place a comma before a preposition (from), and (B) can be eliminated because as a rule, no comma should be placed before that. (C) is correct because no punctuation is required in the underlined portion.

8/11/24

Deep twilight settles in over Wales, Alaska. As the last traces of sunset orange give way to blue black on the western horizon, the icy Bering Strait and Siberia beyond are invisible in the night. All is quiet in the tiny village—a cluster of buildings with a single string of streetlights, tucked between frozen hills and frozen sea.

Which of the following is the LEAST acceptable alternative to the underlined portion?

A. village, a cluster
B. village: a cluster
C. village and a cluster
D. village; it is a cluster

The question asks you to identify the LEAST acceptable option, so the correct answer must be wrong. (A) is acceptable because a comma is used to set off a dependent clause that modifies the independent clause before it. (B) is acceptable because the colon is preceded by a complete sentence, and the information that follows is an explanation of what the tiny village is made up of. (D) is acceptable because the addition of it is at the beginning of the second clause makes that clause independent, and a semicolon is correctly used to separate it from the independent clause that comes before it. (C) is NOT acceptable because the word and prevents the information after the comma from describing the tiny village. This answer implies that a cluster of buildings, etc. is a separate location from the tiny village, a meaning not implied by the original construction in the passage. As a result, (C) is the LEAST acceptable answer and is thus correct.

8/10/24

Unlike his peers, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright also had a rare artistic passion that was very unusual: Japanese art. Wright first became interested in his early twenties, and within a decade, he was an internationally known collector of Japanese woodblock prints.

A. NO CHANGE
B. a rarely unusual artistic passion
C. a rare and unusual artistic passion
D. a rare artistic passion

Something that is rare is by definition unusual, so it is redundant to use both words. (D) is the only option that includes only one of these terms, so it is correct. Shortcut: shorter is better. On a purely visual basis, you can start by assuming that (D) is right.

8/9/24

Spam has become a sought-after product in many countries around the world since its introduction in the 1930s, especially those that have faced economic hardship. Because it’s cheap, filling, and long-lasting, it addresses a genuine need.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Since its introduction in the 1930s, Spam has become a sought-after product in many countries around the world,
C. In many countries around the world, Spam has become a sought-after product since its introduction in the 1930s,
D. Around the world, in many countries, Spam has become a sought-after product since its introduction in the 1930s,

The key to answering this question is to focus on the information that comes after the underlined portion. The phrase especially those that have faced economic hardship can only refer to many countries around the world — if another phrase, e.g., in the 1930s, is placed at the end of the underlined portion, a misplaced modifier is created. As a result, the correct answer must end with the phrase many countries around the world. (B) is the only answer to contain that construction, so it is correct.

8/8/24

In the 1840s, the travel writer Alexander Mackay described the “extraordinary number” of newspapers that travelers would encounter everywhere they went. Henry David Thoreau, on the other hand, was more appalled than dazzled. In fact, he loathed newspapers, denouncing them for a variety of offenses, including “servility” and outright baseness.

A. NO CHANGE
B. However,
C. Likewise,
D. Subsequently,

Start by ignoring the transition already in the passage, and focus on determining the relationship between the sentence begun by the underlined transition and the sentences before. The preceding portion of the passage indicates that Thoreau was more appalled (horrified) than dazzled by the plethora of newspapers, and the sentence begun by the transition indicates that he loathed and denounced them. Those are similar ideas, so a continuer is required. That eliminates (B). (C) doesn’t quite fit: likewise is used to indicate that two distinct examples support the same point, or to introduce a new, similar idea—it is not used to continue the same point, as is the case here. (D) is incorrect because subsequently is a synonym for next, or afterward, and the transition is not introducing a new step in a sequence. In fact is correct because the statement begun by the transition serves to emphasize and expand on the idea that Thoreau was more appalled than dazzled. That makes the answer (A).

8/7/24

The more often people hear a statement, the more likely they are to believe it’s true—a phenomenon commonly known as the illusory truth effect. Adding a picture can also change how believable a statement is. Sometimes, images can make messages more convincing; other times, skepticism is increased.

A. NO CHANGE
B. skepticism would be increased.
C. there is an increase in skepticism.
D. they can increase skepticism.

The construction [s]ometimes…other times in the last sentence indicates that the second half of the sentence must be parallel in structure to the first. The first half begins with subject + can + verb, so the second half must match. (D) is the only answer to contain that construction (they can increase), so it is correct.

8/6/24

When he published The Sun Also Rises in 1926, Ernest Hemingway was already well-known among expatriate writers in Paris and cosmopolitan literary circles in New York and Chicago. However, it was his second novel A Farewell to Arms, that truly made him a celebrity. With this newfound fame, Hemingway learned, came fan mail, and lots of it.

A. NO CHANGE
B. novel: A Farewell to Arms
C. novel, A Farewell to Arms,
D. novel, A Farewell to Arms

The easiest answers to eliminate are (B) and (D). (B) is incorrect because a colon must follow a complete, standalone sentence, and However, it was his second novel clearly is not a sentence. (D) is incorrect because when a title appears in the middle of a sentence, it is always wrong to place a single comma before it. (A) and (C) both appear to violate a comma rule; however, when these answers are plugged into the sentence, the comma after Arms results in the seemingly incorrect placement of a comma after the word that. The only way that this construction can be made acceptable is if the title is made non-essential (two commas). When it is crossed out, the underlying structure of the sentence makes sense: However, it was his second novel…that truly made him a celebrity. In contrast, the placement of only a single comma before that creates an unnatural break. (A) can thus be eliminated, making (C) correct.

8/5/24

In the late 1970s, a group of researchers set out testing the improbable idea of making computers “talk” to one another by using digital information packets that could be traded among multiple machines. The project, called ARPANET, went on to fundamentally change life on Earth under its more common name: the Internet.

A. NO CHANGE
B. in testing
C. for testing
D. to test

The correct idiom is set out + infinitive (to test); the gerund (-ING) form is incorrect, regardless of whether a preposition is used before it. That makes (D) the only possible answer.

8/4/24

In the nineteenth century, people in the United States ate dessert puddings that still are recognizable today; however, they also ate main-course puddings like steak and kidney pudding, pigeon pudding, or eating mutton pudding, in which stewed meats were surrounded by a flour or potato crust. Other puddings had no crust at all. Some, like Yorkshire pudding, were a kind of cooked batter.

A. NO CHANGE
B. they ate
C. ate
D. DELETE the underlined word.

The underlined portion involves the third item in a list, so the format of this item must match the format of the previous two. The first two items contain nouns only (steak and kidney pudding, pigeon pudding), so the third item must contain only a noun as well. (A), (B), and (C) are incorrect because they contain other parts of speech. (D) creates the correct construction by deleting the verb, leaving only the noun mutton pudding.

8/3/24

You are invited into Do Ho Suh’s apartment. You put down your bag, remove your coat and step inside. The hallway changes color as you proceed, first pink, then green and then blue. There is a red staircase outside, and beyond it people are moving around. You can see them right through the walls. Back home, the only things that behave this way are cobwebs, but here, everything—door panels, chain locks, light switches, sprinkler system dissolves delightfully into colored light.

A. NO CHANGE
B. chain locks; light switches, sprinkler system,
C. chain locks, light switches sprinkler system
D. chain locks, light switches, sprinkler system—

The list door panels, chain locks, light switches, sprinkler system is non-essential because the sentence still makes sense when it is removed: Back at your house, the only things that behave this way are cobwebs, but here, everything…dissolves delightfully into colored light. As a result, a second dash must be used to mark the end of the non-essential clause. That makes (D) the only possible answer. In the other answers, the various types of punctuation within the list are only a distraction.

8/2/24

Researchers have reported that individuals, who live in urban areas of more than half a million inhabitants, are exposed to night-time light levels three to six times brighter than those in small towns and rural areas. People living in regions with more intense light sleep less, are more tired during the daytime, and report feeling more dissatisfied with their sleep.

A. NO CHANGE
B. individuals, who live in urban areas of more than half a million inhabitants
C. individuals who live in urban areas of more than half a million inhabitants,
D. individuals who live in urban areas of more than half a million inhabitants

When commas with “who” clauses in the middle of a sentence are tested, there are typically only two possible answers: two commas (non-essential) or no commas (essential). Answers with a comma only before the “who” clause are always wrong, and answers with a comma only after the “who” clause are, with a few rare exceptions, wrong as well. In this case, the clause is essential because the sentence is not talking about individuals in general, as two commas would imply, but rather about a specific group of individuals: those who live in urban areas with more than half a million inhabitants. In other words, the meaning of that clause is restricted to that particular group. No commas indicate a restricted meaning, so (D) is correct.

8/1/24

The Museum of Bad Art was founded in 1994, when Boston art and antique dealer Scott Wilson rescued a portrait of a handsome grandmother, pensively poised under an aggressively yellow sky in a windswept meadow, from a Boston trash heap. Wilson wanted to sell the frame, but upon seeing the painting (later dubbed Lucy in the Field with Flowers), an objection was made by his friend Jerry Reilly. Reilly took the tribute to someone else’s elder and hung it in his own home.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Jerry Reilly, his friend made an objection.
C. his friend Jerry Reilly, who made an objection.
D. his friend Jerry Reilly objected.

(A) is incorrect because it contains a dangling modifier, albeit a hidden one. To simplify the sentence and reveal the error, cross out the information in parentheses: Wilson wanted to sell the frame, but upon seeing the painting, an objection was made by his friend Jerry Reilly. Who saw the painting? Jerry Reilly, not an objection. Because Jerry Reilly is not placed immediately after painting, a dangling modifier is created. Although (B) and (C) place Reilly’s name in the appropriate spot, these answers are both incorrect because they contain fragments — in neither case does the verb correspond to the subject, Jerry Reilly. (D) corrects this error and is shorter, clearer, and less awkward, so it is the answer.

7/31/24

For years, Stefan Strumbel, a street artist born and raised in the small city of Offenburg, Germany, has wrestled with the idea of “heimat”—a German word that translates loosely as “homeland”—and how his art should reflect it. That’s one reason, he says that he decided to stop painting graffiti and focus on cuckoo clocks instead.

A. NO CHANGE
B. reason he says, that
C. reason, he says, that
D. reason he says that,

As a general rule, a comma should not be placed before the word that; however, this question involves an exception. The most logical grammatical “interpretation” of the sentence is that he says is used as a non-essential clause because when that phrase is crossed out, the sentence still makes sense: That’s one reason…that he decided to stop painting graffiti…. As a result, a comma is required both before and after he says, making the answer (C). Otherwise, all of the other options create illogical breaks in the sentence.

7/30/24

Before publishing Silent Spring, the book that flung the modern environmental movement, Rachel Carson was a well-known author of beautifully descriptive books about marine life, including The Sea Around Us, which became a surprise hit after it was published in 1951.

A. NO CHANGE
B. hurled
C. launched
D. tossed

Saying that a movement was launched is another way of saying that it began. The other options are idiomatically unacceptable in this context. (C) is thus correct.

7/29/24

Because the Hollywood sign is so famous today, it may be surprising to learn that it wasn’t until fairly recently that it achieved its iconic status. In the 1930s and 1940s, however, the sign made an appearance in only a few of the movies that were about Hollywood or the movie industry. Other Hollywood institutions, like the Brown Derby restaurant, tended to represent the film world.

A. NO CHANGE
B. for example,
C. therefore,
D. likewise,

The underlined transition is placed between two commas in the middle of a sentence, so it serves to indicate the relationship between the sentence in which it appears and a previous statement — NOT two parts of the same sentence. With that information in mind, start by ignoring the original transition so that you don’t get distracted by it, and focus on the relationship between the information that comes before. The beginning of the passage states that the Hollywood sign didn’t become famous until fairly recently. The sentence that follows indicates that the Hollywood sign made an appearance in only a few films about the movie industry. Those are similar ideas, so (A) can be eliminated. (C) does not fit because the sign’s appearance in only a few films in the 1930s and ’40s is not a result of the fact that it didn’t become “iconic” until recently. (D) can also be eliminated because the sentence with the transition is not presenting a second example or situation that is similar to a first. Rather, the Hollywood sign’s infrequent appearance in old movies is cited as a single example of its relative obscurity. That makes (B) correct.

7/28/24

It turns out that water worlds may be some of the worst places to look for living things. One recent study shows how a planet covered in oceans could be starved of phosphorus, a nutrient without which earthly life cannot thrive. Other work concludes that a planet swamped in even deeper water would be geologically dead, lacking any of the planetary processes that nurture life on Earth.

A. NO CHANGE
B. it
C. this
D. DELETE the underlined word.

(A) is correct because which is the only option that creates a sentence that is both grammatical and logical. Replacing which with it creates a jumbled, nonsense clause (a nutrient without it earthly life cannot thrive), eliminating (B). (C) does not work grammatically or logically. The sentence consists of an independent clause (One recent study shows how a planet covered in oceans could be starved of phosphorus) followed by a comma; in order to avoid a comma splice, the following clause must be dependent. Replacing which with this creates an independent clause (a nutrient without this earthly life cannot thrive) and thus a comma splice. In addition, this construction implies that phosphorous is this earthly life, a meaning that is somewhat bizarre. (D) is incorrect because the phrase after the comma no longer refers back to phosphorous if the underlined pronoun is removed (a nutrient without earthly life cannot thrive) — a pronoun is required to “tie” the two parts of the sentence together. (A) correctly provides that pronoun, making it the answer.

7/27/24

In 1934, Babe Ruth and his American teammates embarked on an 18-game tour of Japan. Swatting 13 home runs, waving American and Japanese flags, clowning with kids, and he even donned a kimono, the Babe won the hearts and minds of the Japanese people.

A. NO CHANGE
B. even donning
C. even to don
D. even don

The underlined section is part of the fourth item in a list. The previous items begin with -ING words (swatting, waving, clowning), so the final item must begin that way as well. Only (B) contains this construction, so it is correct.

7/26/24

Our relationship with horses is distinct from our relationships with cats and dogs; horses sit at the intersection of being wild and domesticated and don’t fit easily into the category of pet. Perhaps this difference also has to do with its large size, which creates an element of danger.

A. NO CHANGE
B. it’s
C. their
D. they’re

To identify the noun to which the underlined pronoun refers (i.e., the antecedent), you must back up to the previous sentence. The only noun that fits is horses, plural — it would not make sense for its to refer to the singular noun difference. As a result, a plural pronoun is required, eliminating (A) and (B). (D) is incorrect as well because you would not say, Perhaps this difference also has to do with they are large size. That leaves (C), which correctly provides the plural possessive, their. Their large size = the large size of horses.

7/25/24

Recently, I did something that many people would consider unthinkable, or at least very strange. Before going to see a movie, I deliberately read a review that revealed all of the major plot points, from start to finish.

A. NO CHANGE
B. movie, I deliberately: read a review that
C. movie I deliberately read a review, that
D. movie, I deliberately read a review

(B) is incorrect because a complete, standalone sentence must be placed before a colon, and Before going to see a movie, I deliberately is clearly not a complete sentence. (C) is incorrect because as a general rule, no comma should be placed before the word that. (D) makes sense on its own, but the removal of that creates a nonsense construction when this answer is plugged into the passage: Before going to see a movie, I deliberately read a review revealed all the major plot points... (A) is correct because it places a comma between a dependent clause (Before going to see a movie) and an independent clause (I deliberately read a review that revealed all the major plot points, from start to finish), without adding any unnecessary punctuation.

7/24/24

For centuries people set their clocks and watches by looking up at the sun and estimating, a tradition that led to wildly dissimilar results between (and often within) cities and towns. To railroad companies around the world, that wasn’t acceptable. They needed synchronized, predictable station times for arrivals and departures, so they proposed splitting up the globe into 24 time zones.

Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable alternative to the underlined word?

A. produced
B. created
C. resulted
D. yielded

Be careful when plugging in the options: produced, created, and yielded all fit, as does resulted in; however, (C) only includes the verb, and it is idiomatically incorrect to say a tradition that resulted wildly dissimilar results. Because the question asks you to identify the answer that is NOT acceptable, (C) is correct.

7/23/24

When the radio became prevalent in the 1930s, Orson Welles perpetrated a famous hoax about extraterrestrials with his infamous “War of the Worlds” program. This broadcast didn’t actually cause widespread fear of an alien invasion among listeners, as some have claimed; however, they did spark a national conversation about mass media and audience gullibility.

A. NO CHANGE
B. it
C. these
D. DELETE the underlined word.

The answer choices contain both singular and plural pronouns, indicating that the question is testing pronoun agreement. As a result, you must start by identifying the underlined pronoun’s antecedent — that is, the noun to which it refers. Although the first half of the sentence does contain a plural noun (listeners), this does not make sense as the antecedent of the underlined word — listeners did not spark a national conversation. Both they and these are plural, so (A) and (C) can be eliminated. (D) does not work because the underlined pronoun cannot be deleted without creating a nonsense construction: a semicolon must be followed by a complete sentence, and removing the pronoun means removing the subject. (B) is correct because the logical antecedent of the underlined pronoun is the singular noun broadcast. (What sparked a national conversation about media and mass gullibility? This broadcast.)

7/22/24

Based in Mexico City, the artist known only as Curiot is famous for his colorful paintings featuring mythical half-animal, half-human figures. Most of which are rooted in Mexican tradition and depicted with meticulous detail, geometrical patterns, and vibrant hues.

A. NO CHANGE
B. figures. Most of these creatures
C. figures, with most of these creatures
D. figures, most of them

(A) is incorrect because pronoun + of which (most of which) signals a dependent clause and cannot be used to begin a sentence. (C) is incorrect because the idiomatic structure is with…-ING (e.g., with most of these figures being rooted); a conjugated verb (are) cannot be used instead. (D) is incorrect because pronoun + of them signals an independent clause and thus cannot be placed after a comma without creating a comma splice. (B) corrects all of these errors by placing a period between two complete sentences.

7/21/24

I don’t know why that particular photo of a half-finished sweater caught my attention, but as soon as I saw it, I wanted to learn to knit. At first, I wasn’t sure I needed another hobby, but after I read an essay by Ann Hood, “Ten Things I Learned From Knitting,” the decision was made by me.

A. NO CHANGE
B. my decision was made by me.
C. my decision had been made.
D. I made my decision.

(A), (B), and (C) are all incorrect because they use the passive voice (x is done by y) to create unnecessarily wordy and awkward constructions. (C) is also wrong because the past perfect (had been + verb) is used to indicate a completed action that came before a second action, but the passage clearly indicates that the narrator made the decision after reading Ann Hood’s essay. (D) is correct because it uses the active voice and is cleaner and more concise than the other options. In addition, an active construction is used earlier in the sentence (after I read an essay…), and this answer maintains that syntax.

7/20/24

Located in Abu Dhabi, the new branch of the Louvre Museum is intended to look like a floating dome: the glimmering structure appears to hover over the sparkling water that surrounds it, and its webbed pattern allows the sky to filter through. The overall effect is meant to evoke rays of sunlight passing through palm leaves in a desert oasis.

If the writer were to delete the words glimmering and sparkling from the underlined portion, the sentence would most nearly lose details that:

A. emphasize the effects of light on the museum building.
B. highlight the contrast in appearance between the museum building and its surroundings.
C. provide an overview of the main sections of the museum.
D. make clear that water is the primary influence on the museum’s design.

To answer this question, you must take the end of the passage into account. The last sentence states that the museum’s design is intended to evoke rays of sunlight passing through palm leaves in a desert oasis—in that context, the use of words like glimmering and sparkling is intended to emphasize the importance of light, a fact that directly corresponds to (A). (B) is incorrect because the passage says/implies nothing about a contrast between the museum building and its surroundings, and (C) is incorrect because the passage also says nothing about the sections of the building. If you read only the underlined portion, (D) might seem plausible, but the last sentence directly contradicts the idea that water is the primary influence on the design of the building.

7/19/24

Unlike the Venus flytrap, the lobes or leaves of the waterwheel do not change shape when they snap shut; rather, closing like two halves of a mussel shell. In contrast, the Venus flytrap flexes its leaves from flat to curved when enclosing its prey.

A. NO CHANGE
B. shut, but rather closing
C. shut but rather close
D. shut but rather closes

(A) is incorrect because a complete sentence must follow a semicolon, but rather, closing like two halves of a mussel shell is not a sentence. (B) is incorrect because a conjugated verb rather than an -ING word (gerund) must be used in order to maintain parallel structure with change. (D) is incorrect because the subject of the underlined verb is lobes or leaves (plural), whereas closes is singular. (C) is correct because it provides a conjugated plural verb (close).

7/18/24

There are almost 90 million cats in the United States, or one for every three households. That makes cats more popular, petwise, than dogs. The majority of them—about two-thirds to three-fourths, surveys say—are sweet, harmless, cuddly housecats, which seldom set foot outside. The other one-quarter to one-third aren’t so harmless. Equipped with laser-quick paws and razor-tipped claws, they are the stuff of every bird and small mammal’s nightmares.

A. NO CHANGE
B. three-fourths, surveys say, are sweet
C. three-fourths, surveys say, are sweet—
D. three-fourths—surveys say are sweet,

Between all of the dashes and internal hyphens, this question is somewhat confusing visually, but the presence of a dash before the underlined section, coupled with the fact that three of the answers contain dashes, is a big clue that a non-essential clause is involved here. As a result, it is easiest to start by identifying that clause. One helpful shortcut is to know that non-essential clauses typically end before verbs, and here there is only one option that places the second dash before a verb: (A). To confirm that answer, try crossing out the information between the dashes: The majority of them…are sweet, harmless, cuddly housecats, which seldom set foot outside. Yes, that makes sense, so (A) is correct.

7/17/24

Announced in 2013, the BRAIN Initiative is a massive project undertaken by a group of agencies and individuals, including universities, technology companies, and neuroscientists. The Initiative includes a variety of programs designed to lower the barriers between the human brain and the digital world, with the goal being to understand how the brain processes information.

A. NO CHANGE
B. to be
C. has been
D. is

The idiomatic construction is with…-ING, which can be used as an alternative to and (with the goal being to understand = and the goal is to understand). As a result, being, which normally signals a wrong answer, must be used. That makes (A) correct.

7/16/24

Training to go to Mars requires a substantial suspension of disbelief. But that has not stopped scores of people from participating in simulations that re-create Mars on Earth in order to better understand and prepare for the challenges of one day sending humans to the red planet. Often set in dusty, remote locations, these so-called Mars analogs often feature lifestyle choices meant to approximate humanity’s journey to the next planet over. There’s a 20-minute communications delay (no phone calls); freeze-dried meals; and limited water supplies. Moreover, participants can never leave the habitat without a spacesuit on.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of the sentence. Should the writer do this?

A. Yes, because it provides background information that is irrelevant to the main focus of the paragraph.
B. Yes, because it suggests that people will travel to Mars in the near future.
C. No, because it provides an explanation for why people choose to participate in simulations of life on Mars.
D. No, because it describes some of the challenges involved in traveling to Mars.

When a question asks whether a given portion of a sentence should be deleted, it’s really asking whether the information in that section is on- or off-topic. What is the passage about? Simulations of life on Mars. What is the focus of the underlined portion? Why people participate in these “Mars analogs,” or the purpose behind Mars analogs. Is that information relevant to the passage? Yes, so (A) and (B) can be eliminated. (D) does not fit because the underlined portion has nothing to do with the challenges involved in traveling to Mars. That leaves (C), which correctly indicates that the purpose of the underlined portion is to explain why people spend months pretending to live on Mars.

7/15/24

Because laws prohibiting excess noise failed to satisfy people’s desire for quiet products and technologies emerged to meet the demand of increasingly sensitive consumers. In the early twentieth century, sound-muffling curtains, softer floor materials, room dividers, and ventilators kept the noise from the outside from coming in, while preventing sounds from bothering neighbors.

A. NO CHANGE
B. quiet, products and technologies
C. quiet products, and technologies
D. quiet products and technologies,

(A) is incorrect because the lack of a comma after quiet results in this word modifying products and technologies and creates one very long clause that begins with a conjunction (because) and thus cannot stand on its own as a sentence. (C) is incorrect because no comma should be placed between compound nouns (two nouns joined by and). To test this answer out, you can also think of the rule this way: comma + and = period, but a period cannot be plugged in after products because the preceding clause is not a complete sentence (Because laws prohibiting excess noise failed to satisfy people’s demand for quiet products.) (D) is incorrect because this answer places a comma between a subject (products and technologies) and the verb that follows (emerged). (B) is correct because the comma after quiet serves to break the sentence into two clauses: a dependent clause (Because laws prohibiting excess noise failed to satisfy people’s demand for quiet) and an independent clause (products and technologies emerged to meet the demand of increasingly sensitive consumers) that together form a complete sentence.

7/14/24

There are over 50,000 therapy dogs in the United States, and they’re becoming more popular in countries from Norway to Brazil. Trained and certified by a variety of organizations, hospitals and other facilities welcome these dogs and their handlers, who interact with patients.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Trained and certified by a variety of organizations, these dogs and their handlers interact with patients and are welcomed by hospitals and other facilities.
C. These dogs and their handlers, welcomed by hospitals and other facilities and trained and certified by a variety of organizations.
D. Welcomed by hospitals and other facilities, these dogs and their handlers being trained and certified by a variety of organizations.

(A) is incorrect because it contains a dangling modifier: the phrase Trained and certified by a variety of organizations must logically describe these dogs and their handlers, but the latter phrase does not appear immediately after the former. (C) is incorrect because it is a fragment: this answer does not contain a main clause that can stand on its own as a sentence. (D) is also a fragment because it contains a gerund (being) rather than a main verb. (B) corrects the dangling modification by placing these dogs and their handlers after the introductory phrase and does not introduce any new errors.

7/13/24

Like many successful authors of the nineteenth century, Washington Irving struggled against literary bootleggers. In England, some of his sketches were reprinted in periodicals without his permission, a legal practice since there was no international copyright law at the time. To prevent further piracy in Britain, Irving paid to have the first four American installments published as a single volume by John Miller in London.

Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable alternative to the underlined portion?

A. permission—a legal practice
B. permission; that practice was legal
C. permission, and a legal practice
D. permission, a practice that was legal

To answer this question, focus on whether information after the punctuation in each answer choice (dash, semicolon, comma) is a complete sentence because that factor determines what type of punctuation can and cannot be used. (A) is acceptable because a legal practice since there was no international copyright law at the time is a fragment, and a dash can correctly come before a fragment. (B) is acceptable because that practice was legal since there was no international copyright law at the time is a complete sentence, and a complete sentence must follow a semicolon. (D) is acceptable because a practice that was legal since there was no international copyright law at the time is a fragment, which can correctly follow a comma. Although (C) contains a comma as well, that comma is followed by and — and comma + and = period. If you plug in a period, you get A legal practice since there was no international copyright law at the time, a statement that is clearly not a sentence. Because the question asks you to identify the option that is NOT acceptable, (C) is correct.

7/12/24

The older you get, the more difficult it is to learn to speak French like a Parisian. However, no one knows exactly what the cutoff point is—at what age it becomes harder, nevertheless, to pick up noun-verb agreements in a new language.

A. NO CHANGE
B. for instance,
C. moreover,
D. likewise,

To simplify the sentence and avoid getting distracted by the transition already in the passage, ignore the transition and re-read the passage without it. The passage is discussing the age at which it becomes more difficult for people to learn a new language. In that context, [picking] up noun-verb agreements is an example of a skill that becomes more difficult as people get older. The only option to convey that relationship is for instance, which indicates that an example is being presented. (B) is thus correct.

7/11/24

They call it “the Never-Ending Storm of Catatumbo” or “The Lighthouse of Maracaibo”: something so familiar that people in the state of Zulia in Venezuela even put it on their flag. Less than half an hour after the first cloud forms, it starts to flash. It does this faster and faster — 200 times a minute is not uncommon. Afterward, the cloud becomes a giant bulb that lights up the night.

Which choice provides new information that is relevant to the rest of the paragraph?

A. NO CHANGE
B. lightning
C. a storm
D. a natural force

The key phrase in the question is “relevant to the rest of the paragraph.” As a result, it is necessary to consider the information in the rest of the passage when determining the answer. What is the focus of the rest of the passage? Something that starts to flash, and that is a giant bulb that lights up the night. The only option that corresponds to that description is “lightning,” so the answer is (B).

7/10/24

Crossword puzzles are said to be the most popular and widespread word game in the world, yet they have a relatively short history. The first crosswords appeared in British children’s books during the nineteenth century, they were simple games, apparently derived from the word square: a group of words arranged so that the letters read alike vertically and horizontally. In the United States, however, the puzzle developed into a serious adult pastime.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Although the first crosswords
C. Until the first crosswords
D. When the first crosswords

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 construction comma + they later in the sentence (nineteenth century, they were simple games) signals a comma splice — two complete sentences separated by a comma. Because comma + they cannot be changed, a conjunction must be added to the beginning of the sentence to make the first clause dependent. Although does not make sense: the first crosswords were not simple games despite the fact that they appeared in children’s books. Those are similar ideas, not different ones. Until also does not make sense: this answer would imply that crosswords were simple games before they appeared in children’s books (at which point they became more complex). Only when fits: it indicates that crossword puzzles were simple at the time they appeared in children’s books. That makes (D) correct.

7/9/24

When German immigrants first started coming to the United States in the 1700s, they brought the pretzel with them. Bavarians and other southern Germans had been enjoying pretzels for hundreds of years. Sometimes they ate pretzels as a side to a main dinner course; other times, they chowed down on sweet pretzels for dessert. In Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany, signs for bakeries still include gilded pretzels hanging over the door.

A. NO CHANGE
B. chomped on
C. consumed
D. chugged

Chowed down on, chomped on, and chugged are all excessively slangy and casual when compared to the types of words used in the rest of the passage. In addition, chugged can only describe something done to a liquid, not a solid food. Only consumed is consistent with the moderately serious tone of the passage, making the answer (C).

7/8/24

While most paintings produced by members of the Hudson River School were rendered realistically, many of the scenes they depicted were synthesized from a variety of natural images observed by the artists. In gathering the visual data for their paintings, the artists would travel to environments with extraordinary and extreme conditions that did not permit extended painting in these environments. During the expeditions, the artists recorded sketches and memories, returning to their studios to paint the finished works later.

A. NO CHANGE
B. in such environments.
C. in such places.
D. DELETE the underlined portion.

To answer this question, you must take the entire sentence into account — the underlined portion does not provide enough information to answer the question. Before the underlined section, the writer already makes clear that artists would travel to environments with extraordinary and extreme conditions that did not permit extended painting. As a result, it is redundant to restate this information. (Although (C) replaces environments with places, the result is still the same.) The information should therefore be deleted, making (D) correct.

7/7/24

Key-Sook Geum is an artist, fashion designer, and scholar from the Republic of Korea. Having taught and worked in fashion design, Geum combines art with fashion through her exquisite wire sculptures in the shape of women’s clothing.
She is inspired by the shapes and styles of clothing from Korea’s Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). The items tell stories about the people who wore them: their lives, values, and beliefs.

A. NO CHANGE
B. sculpture’s in the shape of womens
C. sculptures in the shape of womens’
D. sculptures’ in the shape of women’s

As a rule, a noun can only be possessive when it is followed by another noun, so start by looking at the words after sculptures and women’s. Sculptures is followed by in, which is a preposition rather than a noun, so this word cannnot be possessive (no apostrophe). That eliminates (B) and (D). The word clothing, which follows women’s, is a noun (you can say the clothing) so an apostrophe is necessary — the question is whether it belongs before or after the -s. Although the plural possessive (women’s clothing = clothing belonging to women) is normally formed by adding -s + apostrophe to a noun, women is irregular: that is, its plural is not formed by adding -s to its singular form (woman). To form the possessive of an irregular plural noun, add apostrophe + -s (women’s). (A) is thus correct.

7/6/24

Located in London’s Kew Gardens, the greenhouse known as the Temperate House is home to a geographically arranged collection of 10,000 plants from temperate climates around the world. These areas are sometimes described as “the Goldilocks zone” of the planet. Plants are safe from frost there.

Which of the following choices most effectively combines the underlined sentences?

A. These areas are sometimes described as the “Goldilocks zone” of the planet, being that plants are safe from frost there.
B. These areas are sometimes described as the planet’s “Goldilocks zone,” where plants are safe from frost.
C. These areas are sometimes described as the “Goldilocks zone” of the planet, and that is an area where plants are safe from frost.
D. Described sometimes as the “Goldilocks zone” of the planet, plants are safe from frost there.

Shortcut: shorter is better. When you are asked to combine sentences, the shortest answer will frequently be correct, and you should start by looking at it. That is the case here: (B), the shortest answer, is also the cleanest and least awkward, and it does not contain any grammatical errors. Otherwise, (A) is incorrect because the phrase being that is wordy and awkward (note that answers with being are almost always wrong). (C) is incorrect because the phrase and that is an area where is unnecessarily wordy and repetitive. (D) is incorrect because it contains a dangling modifier: the phrase Described sometimes as “the Goldilocks zone” of the planet refers to areas, so that word, not plants, must follow the comma. (B) is correct because it joins the sentences cleanly, using only one word (where).

7/5/24

It’s difficult to describe how excited I was when two veteran mountain climbers asked me to join them for a winter attempt on Gasherbrum II, one of the tallest peaks in the Himalayas. Like any adventurous activity, mountaineering has hazards. They must find someone who can tolerate extremely challenging conditions—frostbite burns, intense hunger, the loss of feeling in fingers and toes, overwhelming weariness—all while maintaining the will to push forward.

Which of the following true statements provides the most appropriate transition between the previous sentence and the information that follows?

A. NO CHANGE
B. Mountaineers must choose their climbing partners with extreme care.
C. Personal preparedness and skill development are very important.
D. Instructors teach many skills, including the fundamentals of survival in a cold environment.

Although this question is phrased in terms of transitions, the easiest way to answer it is to focus on the information that follows the underlined statement. That statement must logically set up the information that follows. In this case, the following sentence refers to the fact that [climbers] must find someone who can tolerate some very challenging conditions. Logically, the underlined sentence must indicate who that “someone” who must be found is — otherwise, the following sentence does not make sense. The choices that refer to specific people are (B) (mountaineers) and (D) (instructors). (B) is correct because mountaineers must logically choose partners who can withstand such difficult conditions. Given that the narrator states that s/he was invited to join two veteran mountain climbers, the reference to instructors does not make sense — the narrator is describing a partnership, not a student/teacher scenario.

7/4/24

Many marine animals are large, rare, elusive, and highly mobile. Sharks are an obvious example: in the oceans they make up a small proportion of the biomass, are difficult to catch, and they have been in conflict with humans for thousands of years.

A. NO CHANGE
B. have been
C. having been
D. being

The underlined portion involves the third item in a list, so the format of this item must match the format of the previous two. (C) and (D) do not match either of the first two items at all and can be eliminated right away. Be careful with (A): although the construction pronoun + verb (they have been) is the same as in the first item (they make up), this answer does not match the second item, which begins with a verb alone (are). As a result, this answer is incorrect. Although (B) may appear to contain the same problem, in fact it is acceptable. The pronoun they before the first item can in fact “apply” to the verbs in the following items, making it unnecessary to repeat the pronoun. (B) is thus correct.

7/3/24

We know a lot about carbon, the element that forms the chemical backbone of life, in our crust and oceans. We know far less about it in the Earth’s core and mantle. So far, it’s proved challenging to sample the mantle, which extends up to 1,800 miles below the surface and plays a huge yet mysterious role in the global carbon cycle.

A. NO CHANGE
B. surface, and plays a huge yet mysterious,
C. surface and plays a huge, yet mysterious
D. surface, and plays a huge yet mysterious,

Comma + and = period, so plug in a period in place of and: So far, it’s proved challenging to sample the mantle, which extends up to 1,800 miles below the surface. Plays a huge yet mysterious role in the global carbon cycle. Clearly, the second statement is not a sentence, so the comma before and is incorrect. That eliminates (B) and (D). (C) is also incorrect because when two adjectives are separated by but or yet, no comma should be used between them. (A) is correct because no punctuation is necessary in the underlined section.

7/2/24

If you’ve heard the term “grazer” before, it may bring to mind familiar farm animals, such as cows or sheep munching on pastureland. But the ocean has its own suite of grazers, one with very different — even bizarre — body forms and feeding techniques.

A. NO CHANGE
B. animals such as cows or sheep,
C. animals such as cows or sheep
D. animals such as: cows or sheep

(A) is incorrect because the comma before such would logically seem to begin a non-essential phrase (such as cows or sheep), but there is no second comma to end the phrase. (B) contains the opposite error: a comma is placed at the end of the non-essential phrase, but there is no comma at the beginning. (D) is incorrect because a colon must be placed after a complete, standalone thought, and If you’ve heard the term “grazer” before, it may bring to mind familiar farm animals, such as clearly cannot stand on its own as a sentence. Although the phrase such as cows and sheep can be treated non-essentially, it does not need to be. As a result, the commas are optional; it is also acceptable not to use any punctuation. (C) is thus correct.

7/1/24

Five decades into his life, Phineas Taylor Barnum from Bethel, Connecticut, had risen above his humble beginnings as an impoverished country boy and become a showman—indeed, the “greatest showman” (as he would claim) of his generation. Thanks to a combination of brilliant marketing tactics and less-than-upstanding business practices, Barnum had truly arrived, and with his book Humbugs of the World, published in 1865, he wanted to inform you, his audience, that he hadn’t achieved his rags-to-riches success story by scamming the public.

The use of parentheses in the underlined portion is most likely intended to

A. distinguish Barnum’s exact words from the surrounding description of his life.
B. emphasize the obstacles that Barnum overcame to achieve success.
C. illustrate the pride that Barnum took in his career.
D. suggest that Barnum may have exaggerated his accomplishments.

To answer this question, you must focus on the wording of the information in the parentheses. In context of the fact that Barnum was a showman given to less-than-upstanding business practices, the phrase as he would claim serves to emphasize the idea that Barnum was given to making over-the-top statements about his achievements, i.e., that he “may have exaggerated his accomplishments.” That makes the answer (D). (A) is incorrect because the information in the parentheses is not a direct quote. (B) is off-topic because the information in the parentheses has nothing to do with Barnum’s rags-to-riches story. Be careful with (C), though: it is obvious from the passage that Barnum took pride in his career, but the focus of the parenthetical information is on Barnum’s outsized claim about his accomplishments.

Explanation