An arco book arco is a registered trademark of Thomson Learning, Inc., and is used herein under license by Peterson’s. About The Thomson Corporation and Peterson’s

3. Many times a usage is wrong only because of its connection to something else in the sen-
tence. You have to be alert for this possibility.
EXAMPLE:
After the heavy rains, the construction supervisor, concerned about the moisture content of the
soil, ordering new soil samples. No error
The correct answer to this example is (D). The sentence as written is only a fragment—it lacks a
main verb. To figure out how to correct the error requires that you pay attention to the entire structure. You
can turn the fragment into a complete sentence by changing ordering to ordered.
4. If you suspect there is an error in the sentence but can’t put your finger on it, use the
following checklist:
Identifying Sentence Errors Checklist
Verbs
Does the sentence have a main verb? If not, is there a verb form underlined that could be changed into a
main verb?
If any verbs are underlined, do they agree with their subjects?
If any verbs are underlined, are they in the correct tense?
Pronouns
If any pronouns are underlined, do they have referents? (Be specific!)
If any pronouns are underlined, are they in the right case?
If any pronouns are underlined, do they agree with their referents?
Adjectives and Adverbs
If an adjective or adverb is underlined, is it correctly modifying a verb or another adjective?
A
B
D
E
C
A
B
D
E
C

---

Writing Test
25
ARCO
■ SAT II Subject Tests
www.petersons.com/arco
Prepositions
If a preposition is underlined, is its use idiomatic?
Conjunction
If a conjunction is underlined, is its use consistent with the logic of the sentence?