9-14 min practice time3 questions in practice blockStandard English Conventions
Practice time9-14 min
Practice questions3 questions
Best forStandard English Conventions
What this tests
What to know for this SAT skill
Place modifiers next to the nouns they describe
Fix dangling introductory phrases
Avoid ambiguous descriptions
Keep sentence meaning clear after revision
How do you match an introductory modifier to its subject?
Identify the person, thing, or idea described by the opening phrase, then check the subject of the main clause. The subject must fit that description. These examples show why passive voice can be correct and why a possessive noun at the start of an answer may not be the subject.
Can a modifier describe a state rather than a person?
In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the coefficient of friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless (and, as its name suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______blank
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.
two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.
reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.
superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.
Answer: D. superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.
Identify what the opening noun phrase describes. "A nearly frictionless ... state" names superlubricity, the state introduced in the previous sentence; it does not name the two surfaces.
Find the subject that each choice supplies. A and B make "two surfaces" the main subject. C makes "reaching superlubricity" the subject, naming an event rather than the state itself.
Choose D: "superlubricity" follows the descriptive phrase and is the subject of "is reached." Read the completed sentence to confirm that the description and subject refer to the same thing.
Common trap
Do not reject an answer just because it uses passive voice. Here "is reached" is grammatical, and its subject is exactly the state being described. A familiar noun appearing later in a choice does not repair a mismatched subject.
Passage context: The scientific background and numerical threshold are supplied by the bank passage. This task tests the relationship between the description and the sentence subject, not your knowledge of friction.
Dolphin question bank #2701. Worked explanation reviewed .
Why is a possessive noun not always the subject?
In 2016, engineer Vanessa Galvez oversaw the installation of 164 bioswales, vegetated channels designed to absorb and divert stormwater, along the streets of Queens, New York. By reducing the runoff flowing into city sewers, ______blank
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
the mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved by bioswales.
the bioswales have mitigated both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways.
the bioswales’ mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved.
both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways have been mitigated by bioswales.
Answer: B. the bioswales have mitigated both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways.
Ask what reduces the runoff. The first sentence defines bioswales as channels that absorb and divert stormwater, so "By reducing the runoff" should describe the bioswales.
Look for the head of the subject phrase, not just a matching word. A and C make "mitigation" the head. In C, "bioswales’" is only a possessive modifier of "mitigation." D makes flooding and pollution the subject.
Choose B: "the bioswales" is the subject of "have mitigated" and the logical agent of reducing runoff. The introductory phrase now explains how those channels produced the stated result.
Common trap
A choice can begin with a relevant word and still attach the modifier incorrectly. Read the entire subject phrase: "the bioswales" names the channels, while "the bioswales’ mitigation" names their effect.
Passage context: Use the passage’s definition of bioswales to identify the agent. You do not need outside engineering facts, and the modifier rule is about the grammatical subject rather than whichever noun is closest on the page.
Dolphin question bank #2662. Worked explanation reviewed .
