Identifying Sentence Errors
Read the sentence and select the portion of the sentence that contains an error if there is an error. If there is no error, select E.
The Knowsys Method
Read the entire sentence carefully, listening for errors. Then quickly check each underlined part against the Big 8 Grammar Rules.
The grammar rule that is tested here is idioms. The first time that you read the sentence, you should be able to tell that something is missing.
A. The words "I learn" are underlined. Compare them to the words "I am." which are not underlined and must be correct. The "I" makes sense because the person who learns should be the same person who gains understanding. The word "learn" is in present tense, just like the word "am." There is no error here.
B. The part of the sentence that sounds awkward comes after the comma. Look back and notice that the first part of the sentence started. It started with the word "the." That should remind you of something you have studied! On the Knowsys Frequently Tested Idioms chart, there is an entry that reads "the x . . . the y." This construction is used when one thing leads to another. Ex: The more I practice, the better I play. Go back to the original sentence. There is no "the" after the comma! Mark this error and quickly check the other choices.
C. The words "to understand" come right after the word "able." Your Knowsys Frequently Tested Idioms chart tells you to use the formula "ability to + verb." This use is idiomatically correct! There is no error here.
D. The word "around" is the idiomatically correct preposition to explain the world's relationship to yourself. There is no error here.
E. This cannot be the answer because you already found an error.
The correct answer is (B).
This is a medium level question.
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- Knowsys SAT Flashcards (box set)
- Knowsys Vocabulary Activities SAT iBook (for the iPad)
- Knowsys SAT Flashcards App (for iPhone, iPad, or iPod)
- Web-based SAT Flashcards (use if you don't have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod)