PSAT Practice Writing

Which choice best improves the following sentence? Questions are rarely asked by students in an imposing teacher.

• to an imposing teacher.

• through an imposing teacher.

• by an imposing teacher.

• and an imposing teacher.

• NO CHANGE

Which choice best improves the following sentence? In the past, corporations had very few restrictions on what they had to pay from employee's wages.

• to pay on employees' wage.

• to pay from employees' wage.

• for pay from employees' wages.

• to pay for employees' wages.

• NO CHANGE

Which choice best improves the following sentence?

To some people, the idea of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is synonymous with rowdy behavior, noisiness, and disorder.

• to

• of

• for

• about

• NO CHANGE

Answer explanation

In English, it's always "synonymous with" and "similar to."

Which choice best improves the following sentence? The night grew so cold that all the campers were shivering although a raging fire.

• from a raging fire.

• through a raging fire.

• despite a raging fire.

• although a raging fire.

• NO CHANGE

Which choice best improves the following sentence? That author's most recent novel is based on the Civil War in Spain, but, on a deeper level, many perceive the book as a protest on Spanish social conventions.

• but, on a deeper level many perceive the book as a protest on Spanish social conventions.

• but on a deeper level, many perceive the book as a protest on Spanish social conventions.

• but on a deeper level many perceive the book as a protest against Spanish social conventions.

• NO CHANGE

Which underlined phrase is incorrect?

Between you and I, the smell coming from that corner of the room is offensive, and the janitor should be fired. No error.

• Between you and I

• from that corner

• of the room

• should be fired

• NO CHANGE

Answer explanation

"Between," being a preposition, needs an object pronoun ("me"), not a subject pronoun ("I"), in its prepositional phrase.

Although he did not give a(n) __________ sum of money, Scott’s gift was appreciated by the museum, which was in need of any amount of cash, no matter how small it might be.

• ridiculous

• obligatory

• affluent

• substantial

Laura was not known for using understated examples to argue her viewpoint but instead would often employ __________ expressions in order to stress her personal opinion.

• impetuous

• incomparable

• supreme

• hyperbolic

After decades of physically-mobile work, inspecting the corporation’s vast field operations, Edward found it quite difficult to adjust to the __________ work in an office cubicle.

• sedentary

• tedious

• complex

• mundane

Which of the following is a complete sentence?

• Because night fell.

• Jim ate the sandwich.

• On a tree-lined path.

• In our neck of the woods.