Tip #25 to Get a Top SAT Critical Reading Score

Medium

1. Only recently has the careful craftsmanship of Mabel Seeley's mystery novels been appreciated by readers and critics.
   1. Only recently has the careful craftsmanship
   2. Only recently have the careful craftsmanship
   3. Recently only has the careful craftsmanship
   4. While recently only have the careful craftsmanship
   5. Only recently becoming fully appreciated, the careful craftsmanship
2. 

Hard

3. 
4. 

Answers

1. Stephen for two more weeks is single.
2. Margarita with her sisters currently runs a marketing firm.
3. Tricky! Running from the bulls is Jimmy with his friends. ("Jimmy" is the subject.)
4. The way of samurais is a strict path.
5. Tricky! Around the corner are a dog and a cat. ("Dog and cat" is a compound subject.)
6. The PTA through generous donations is building a new school building.
7. The boys with their dog Alfred walk to school.

1. A The subject of the verb "has" is "craftsmanship," so "has" is correct. When a verb is underlined, identify the subject.
2. E This is a reminder that sometimes you will get a "No error." In fact, on the SAT about 20% of writing questions have no error. Usually, but not always, if one of these subject/verb tricks shows up in a "medium," then it is not the error; and if it shows up in a "hard," then it is the error. So here "has" is the verb of the subject "music" and is correct.
3. C When you see a verb underlined, ask yourself, What is the subject? Cross off prepositional phrases and notice what is doing the action of the verb. In this case, what is doing the "is-ing," not the office, but the trophies. The subject "trophies" came after the verb "is," which is a trick we know to look for. The verb should be "are." I love these, they are tricky, but we know they are coming!
4. B "Number" is the subject and "of milligrams" and "of various minerals" are prepositional phrases, so "demonstrate" should be "demonstrates." The cool thing about writing multiple-choice and our strategies is that once you find something that is definitely wrong, you know that it's the answer and no matter how strange other answer choices seem, there can be only one error.

Go to: Tip #26