SAT English

Choose the correct use of commas with a title following a person's name.

• Al Mooney Sr. is here.

• Al Mooney, Sr. is here.

• Al Mooney, Sr., is here.

• Al Mooney Sr., is here.

In which sentence is the comma used correctly after an introductory word?

• Well I can’t believe this!

• Why I can’t believe this!

• Why, I can’t believe this!

• No you can’t have a dollar.

Which sentence correctly uses the Oxford comma?

• My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law and nephew.

• We had coffee, cheese and crackers and grapes.

• We had coffee, cheese, and crackers, and grapes.

• My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew.

Which one is grammatically correct?

• I went to the store because I ran out of peanut butter

• Because I ran out of butter, I went to the store.

• Both

Answer explanation

Some subordinating conjunctions can link clauses without a comma, but only if the dependent clause comes second.

It is tempting to glamorize the hunt for dinosaur ______ majority of fieldwork is characterized by a daily routine of heat, insects, and tedious labor. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• fossils but the

• fossils, the

• fossils but

• fossils, but the

Answer explanation

The coordinating conjunction "but" grammatically links the two independent clauses while logically indicating the contrast between them.

Which one is NOT a subordinating conjunction?

• while

• although

• but

• when

Answer explanation

Subordinating conjunctions are words that turn an independent clause into a dependent clause. There are many subordinating conjunctions, but some examples include although, since, because, while, when, and after.

Semicolons can be used to link two ______ clauses without any conjunction.

How do you identify a linking clauses question?

• if the choices add or remove commas and FANBOYS

• if the choices add or remove end punctuation like periods or question marks

• if any choice contains a semicolon

• all of the above

Detroit natives Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey have combined their two passions, Detroit and beekeeping, to improve the health of their city’s flowers and other vegetation. In 2017, the couple converted a vacant lot in the city into an ______ in the years that followed they acquired nine additional lots and established more than 35 hives. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• apiary

• apiary,

• apiary, and

• apiary and

If the sentence still makes sense without the supplemental information, then the supplement is _____. The supplement must be separated from the rest of the sentence by punctuation.