Question ID a0946a9f

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: a0946a9f
During the decades-long movement to codify the rights of Latinos in the US, certain events were pivotal: the founding of
social justice group the League of United Latin American Citizens in ______ Katzenbach v. Morgan court decision in 1966,
which affirmed the rights of Latino voters, is another such event.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. 1929. For one, the

B. 1929, for one, the

C. 1929 for one, the

D. 1929, for one. The

ID: a0946a9f Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The conventions being tested are punctuation use between sentences and the punctuation of a
supplementary element. This choice correctly uses a period to mark the boundary between one sentence ("During...one") and
another ("The Katzenbach ...event") and uses a comma to separate the supplementary phrase "for one" from the preceding
main clause. Further, placing the period after "for one" correctly indicates that the information in the preceding main clause
("the founding...1929") is the first example provided of a pivotal event in the Latino rights movement.

Choice A is incorrect because placing the period after "1929" illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause
(describing the Katzenbach v. Morgan court decision) is the first example provided of a pivotal event in the Latino rights
movement; rather, it’s a second example. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used
in this way to join two main clauses. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in
this way to join two main clauses. Moreover, it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element
"for one" from the preceding main clause.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 45f188bf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 45f188bf
The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin’sVisiCalc , improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users
with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all calculations that were
dependent on these ______ to VisiCalc’s release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by
hand, a process that could take days.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. adjustments prior

B. adjustments, prior

C. adjustments. Prior

D. adjustments and prior

ID: 45f188bf Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“The...adjustments”) and the second sentence
(“Prior...days”). Because the adverbial phrase beginning with “prior” indicates when changing a spreadsheet required redoing
the sheet by hand, that phrase belongs with the second sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. Two sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in
this way to join the sentences.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 7c30c345
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 7c30c345
In 2000, Nora de Hoyos Comstock, herself an owner of a successful consulting firm, sought to increase Latina
representation in corporate ______ founded Las Comadres para las Americas, an international community that for over two
decades has served as a resource and information network for Latina business professionals.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. settings she

B. settings, she

C. settings and she

D. settings. She

ID: 7c30c345 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. It appropriately uses a period to mark the end of one independent clause ("In 2000…settings")
and the start of another ("She founded…professionals").

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both the clause before the blank ("In 2000…settings")
and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent clauses, so they need to be separated by punctuation.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with just a
comma. Linking two independent clauses with a comma also requires the use of a coordinating conjunction (like for, and,
nor, but, or, yet, or so). Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, an error caused when two
independent clauses are joined without punctuation or appropriate conjunctions. Since both the clause before the blank ("In
2000…settings") and the clause after the blank ("she…professionals") are independent, a comma would be required in
addition to the coordinating conjunction "and."

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 3269925f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 3269925f
About 70,000 meteorites have been found on Earth. Although most meteorites are fragments of ______ hundred have been
identified as being from the Moon or Mars.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. asteroids. Several

B. asteroids, several

C. asteroids; several

D. asteroids: several

ID: 3269925f Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses a comma to correctly separate the dependent clause "although…asteroids"
from the independent clause "several hundred have been…Mars."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause. It can’t stand
on its own as a sentence, which means it can’t end in a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation
error. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause and can’t be joined to the independent clause "several hundred have been…
Mars" with a semicolon. A semicolon can only join two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a
punctuation error. A colon can only come after an independent clause, but "although…asteroids" is a dependent clause.

Question Difficulty:
Easy
Question ID a481fe22
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: a481fe22
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct.
Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis
taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: a481fe22 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 4bd2fb5a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 4bd2fb5a
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tracks comparative price list data for its thirty-eight
member countries. For instance, in July 2021, a hypothetical basket of goods priced at 100 US dollars (USD) in the United
States would have cost 62 USD and 110 USD in fellow OECD ______ and Luxembourg, respectively.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. nations, Chile

B. nations; Chile

C. nations: Chile

D. nations Chile

ID: 4bd2fb5a Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the coordinated noun phrase "Chile and Luxembourg" from the title that describes the two
countries, "fellow OECD nations." Because the proper nouns "Chile and Luxembourg" are essential information identifying the
"fellow OECD nations," no punctuation is necessary.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the country names ("Chile and Luxembourg") and the title
("fellow OECD nations") describing them. Further, setting the countries’ names off with commas suggests that they could be
removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation
is needed between the country names ("Chile and Luxembourg") and the title ("fellow OECD nations") describing them.
Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the country names ("Chile and Luxembourg") and the title
("fellow OECD nations") describing them. Placing a colon after "nations" would confusingly suggest that these were the costs
of the basket of goods for "fellow OECD nations" in general, not for Chile and Luxembourg specifically.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 81f2bac8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 81f2bac8
Where ______ Interestingly, it was invented by an author. It first appears in the novel Through the Looking Glass by English
author Lewis Carroll.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. did the word “chortle” come from.

B. the word “chortle” did come from?

C. did the word “chortle” come from?

D. the word “chortle” come from.

ID: 81f2bac8 Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a
question mark to punctuate the interrogative sentence "where did the word ‘chortle’ come from," which asks a direct
question.

Choice A is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative sentence, such as "where did
the word ‘chortle’ come from." Choice B is incorrect because "where the word ‘chortle’ did come from" does not follow the
conventional structure of a direct question in Standard English. It’s conventional in Standard English to follow the
interrogative word "where" with an auxiliary verb (such as "did") when asking a direct question. Choice D is incorrect because
"where the word ‘chortle’ come from" does not follow the conventional structure of a direct question in Standard English. It’s
conventional in Standard English to follow the interrogative word "where" with an auxiliary verb (such as "did") when asking a
direct question. Furthermore, a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID e9a761e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: e9a761e7
At 1,377 meters, the Tsing Ma Bridge in China is one of the longest suspension bridges in the ______ the Golden Gate Bridge
in the United States, at 1,280 meters, is even longer.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. world but

B. world, but,

C. world,

D. world, but

ID: e9a761e7 Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction "but" to join the first main clause ("At...world") and the second
main clause ("the...longer").

Choice A is incorrect because when coordinating two main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before
the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because a comma isn’t needed after the conjunction "but." Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join
two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 47eab054
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 47eab054
In 2021, Mexican biologist Martha Lydia Macías-Rubalcava led a review of the scientific literature related to endophytic fungi
(i.e., fungi that live inside a host ______ researching 120 endophytic fungi–produced compounds, she found that their
phytotoxicity can make them viable alternatives to chemical herbicides for controlling weeds.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. plant). By

B. plant), by

C. plant) and by

D. plant) by

ID: 47eab054 Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…plant") and another ("By…weeds"). The prepositional phrase
beginning with "by" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "she," which refers to Macías-Rubalcava.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice
C is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction "and" can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice D
is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 139f1b75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 139f1b75
The Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan featured a uniquely egalitarian urban housing infrastructure. Built between the first
and seventh centuries CE, Teotihuacan housed its residents (as many as 200,000, by some ______ in a complex of
comfortable apartments of comparable size.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. estimates)

B. estimates),

C. estimates—

D. estimates

ID: 139f1b75 Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice correctly
completes the parenthetical element "as many as 200,000, by some estimates" with a closing parenthesis, pairing with the
opening parenthesis that appears earlier in the sentence. This parenthetical element functions to specify the number of
residents, and the use of parentheses indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical
coherence of the sentence.

Choice B is incorrect. While this choice completes the parenthetical element with a closing parenthesis, no comma is
needed before the prepositional phrases ("in...size") that provide essential information about where the residents were
housed. Choice C is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with an opening parenthesis in this way to separate the
parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it doesn’t close the parenthetical element
that was opened earlier in the sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 580e1a4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 580e1a4a
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing the culture and
history of the Mohegan ______ today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -operated museum in the
country.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Tribe, and

B. Tribe

C. Tribe and

D. Tribe,

ID: 580e1a4a Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent
clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”).

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after
“Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent, so they
can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a
grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with
just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 508ab5ba
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 508ab5ba
In 2008, two years after the death of science fiction writer Octavia Butler, the Huntington Library in ______ received a
collection of more than 8,000 items, including Butler’s private notes, research materials, manuscripts, photos, and drawings.
Today, the Octavia E. Butler Collection is one of the most researched archives at the library.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. California,

B. California:

C. California—

D. California

ID: 508ab5ba Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in
California”) from its verb (“received”).

Choice A is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”)
from its verb (“received”). Choice B is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the sentence (“the Huntington
Library in California”) from its verb (“received”). Choice C is incorrect. No punctuation should separate the subject of the
sentence (“the Huntington Library in California”) from its verb (“received”).

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 9c4892e3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 9c4892e3
In early 1700s England, it was legal for shops to sell prints of artists’ engravings without the artists’ permission. This
changed in 1735 with the passage of the Engravers’ Copyright ______ gave engravers control over the distribution and sale of
all prints made from their designs.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Act, which

B. Act; which

C. Act. Which

D. Act

ID: 9c4892e3 Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between a main clause and a
supplementary element. In this choice, the comma is used correctly to mark the boundary between the main clause
("This...Act") and the supplementary relative clause ("which...designs") that provides additional information about the
Engravers’ Copyright Act.

Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a main clause and a
supplementary relative clause. A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, and "which...designs" isn’t a
main clause. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment. Choice D is incorrect.
Joining the main clause and the additional information about the Engravers’ Copyright Act ("gave...designs") without the
comma and relative pronoun "which" results in a confusing and ungrammatical sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID be6f3070
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: be6f3070
Recent analysis of 32532 Thereus—an outer solar system object orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Saturn—has
determined its color to be gray, suggesting an icy composition. Such interpretations are ultimately ______ the object’s gray
coloration may be an incidental effect of radiation, solar wind, or collisions with other objects rather than evidence of its
physical makeup.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. speculative, though

B. speculative, though;

C. speculative; though

D. speculative, though,

ID: be6f3070 Answer

Correct Answer:
B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation in a sentence. This choice correctly uses
a comma to separate the supplementary adverb "though" from the preceding main clause ("Such interpretations are
ultimately speculative") and uses a semicolon to join the next main clause ("the object’s...makeup") to the rest of the
sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after "though" indicates that the information in the preceding main clause
(interpretations of an outer solar system object’s composition based on its color are ultimately speculative) is a qualification
of the information in the previous sentence (the composition of an outer solar system object is suggested by its color).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the two main clauses with appropriate punctuation.
Choice C is incorrect because placing the semicolon after "speculative" illogically indicates that the information in the next
main clause ("the object’s...makeup") is a qualification of the information in the previous clause ("Such...speculative").
Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary
word or phrase between two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 87b8696b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 87b8696b
In her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, author Maxine Hong Kingston examines themes
______ childhood, womanhood, and Chinese American identity by intertwining autobiography and mythology.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. of:

B. of

C. of—

D. of,

ID: 87b8696b Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. “Themes of childhood” is one noun phrase, with “themes of” implicitly carrying over to the other
items on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of] womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”).

Choice A is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an
independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a colon. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the
dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a single dash. Choice D is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the
introduction of a list. “Themes of” implicitly carries over to each item on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of]
womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”), so we don’t want to use a comma to separate it.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 5e97e5a9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 5e97e5a9
The Austronesian language family includes Tagalog, Malagasy, and some 1,200 other languages throughout the Pacific,
making it one of the largest language families in the world and of keen interest to ______ of the University of Toronto.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. linguist, Diane Massam,

B. linguist, Diane Massam

C. linguist Diane Massam

D. linguist: Diane Massam

ID: 5e97e5a9 Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Diane Massam" from the title that describes Massam, "linguist." Because
"Diane Massam" is essential information identifying the "linguist," no punctuation is necessary.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Diane Massam." Setting the
linguist’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which
isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is
needed.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 0ecf02c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 0ecf02c1
The pedagogy of the Suzuki method is rooted in several central ______ by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki, who sought to
parallel the linguistic learning environment, the method emphasizes playing instruments from a very young age and teaches
students as young as three to play simple classical pieces such as “March in G.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. tenets. Developed

B. tenets developed

C. tenets that, developed

D. tenets, developed

ID: 0ecf02c1 Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. This choice correctly uses
a period to mark the boundary between one sentence ("The pedagogy...tenets") and another ("Developed...‘March in G’"). The
participial phrase "developed by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "the method."

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences ("The pedagogy...tenets" and
"Developed...‘March in G’") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it creates a
confusing and illogical sentence structure. The relative pronoun "that" followed by a comma can’t be used in this way to
mark the boundary between sentences. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used
in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 959f930d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 959f930d
As a behavioral economist, Katy Milkman of the University of Pennsylvania recognizes that people sometimes make
irrational economic decisions. Milkman’s research can thus address anomalies that neoclassical economic ______ assume
that people are consistently rational decision-makers—cannot explain.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. models—which

B. models, which

C. models which

D. models which—

ID: 959f930d Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. The dashes after
"models" and "decision-makers" correctly separate the supplementary element "which assume that people are consistently
rational decision-makers" from the rest of the sentence. This punctuation indicates that this element could be removed
without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from
the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary
element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it interrupts the sentence at an illogical and
grammatically incoherent point. The dash should be placed before "which," not after it, to mark the beginning of the
supplementary element.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 8f83075b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 8f83075b
Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm
______ dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force
required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. silk, by

B. silk by

C. silk and by

D. silk. By

ID: 8f83075b Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be
grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by
dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t
enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and
"by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both
independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f2af7072
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: f2af7072
While one requires oxygen and one does ______ and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular respiration—that is, they
are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. not aerobic

B. not. Aerobic

C. not, aerobic

D. not; aerobic

ID: f2af7072 Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause “While...not” and the independent
clause that follows.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. “While...not” is a dependent clause, which must be
separated from the independent clause that follows with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. “While one requires oxygen and one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t stand
alone as a complete sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “While one requires oxygen and
one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t be linked to the clause that follows with a semicolon.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 6e103ce0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 6e103ce0
According to Naomi Nakayama of the University of Edinburgh, the reason seeds from a dying dandelion appear to float in the
air while ______ is that their porous plumes enhance drag, allowing the seeds to stay airborne long enough for the wind to
disperse them throughout the surrounding area.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. falling,

B. falling:

C. falling;

D. falling

ID: 6e103ce0 Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t
need any punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the rest of the sentence: “The reason seeds appear
to float while falling is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation after it. We
can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their plumes
enhance drag.” . Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any punctuation
after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling is that their
plumes enhance drag.” . Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of
Standard English. The word “falling” occurs in the middle of a clause and isn’t part of a supplement, so we don’t need any
punctuation after it. We can see this more clearly if we simplify the sentence: “The reason seeds appear to float while falling
is that their plumes enhance drag.” .

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID e3ac81a5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: e3ac81a5
Nine months before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to comply with the segregated seating policy on a Montgomery,
Alabama, bus, a fifteen-year-old Montgomery girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same ______ to some
historians, Colvin’s arrest led to Parks’s action and eventually to the desegregation of Montgomery’s bus system.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. offense. According

B. offense, according

C. offense according

D. offense and according

ID: e3ac81a5 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses. Separating
them with a period and turning them into their own sentences is the only grammatically correct choice among the provided
options.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error, which is a punctuation error that occurs when two
independent clauses are joined by only a comma. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent
clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by
a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are
joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses, so they need
to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without
punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are independent clauses, so we would need to put a
comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” to join them properly.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 1d4540a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 1d4540a3
Luci Tapahonso is the inaugural poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. Her book Sáanii Dahataal/The Women Are Singing—a
combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and ______ serves as a testament to her versatility as a writer.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. prose;

B. prose

C. prose,

D. prose—

ID: 1d4540a3 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it
needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the
beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A
combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of
the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we
need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that
conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential
supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already
have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a dash at the end of the supplement to match. Choice C
is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. “A combination of
fiction and memoir, poetry and prose” is a nonessential supplement, so it needs to be set off from the rest of the sentence
with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a dash at the beginning of the supplement, so we need to add a
dash at the end of the supplement to match.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 1d280f7b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 1d280f7b
Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating children’s books such asThe Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902),
but she also dedicated herself to mycology, the study of ______ more than 350 paintings of the fungal species she observed
in nature and submitting her research on spore germination to the Linnean Society of London.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. fungi; producing

B. fungi. Producing

C. fungi producing

D. fungi, producing

ID: 1d280f7b Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between two supplementary phrases following
the coordinate clause (“but she…mycology”). This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the
supplementary noun phrase (“the study of fungi”) that defines the term “mycology” and the supplementary participial phrase
(“producing...London”) that provides additional information about the extent to which Potter dedicated herself to mycology.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join two supplementary phrases following a
coordinate clause. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with
“producing.” Choice C is incorrect. The lack of punctuation results in a sentence that illogically suggests that the study of
fungi is producing more than 350 paintings.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID e758ffce
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: e758ffce
The 1977 play And the Soul Shall Dance depicts two Japanese American farming families in Depression-era Southern
California. Critics have noted the way pioneering ______ compares the experiences of issei (Japanese nationals who
emigrated to America) and nisei (their American-born children).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi,

B. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi

C. playwright Wakako Yamauchi,

D. playwright Wakako Yamauchi

ID: e758ffce Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" from the title that describes Yamauchi, "pioneering
playwright." Because "Wakako Yamauchi" is essential information identifying the "pioneering playwright," no punctuation is
necessary.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Setting the
playwright’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence,
which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the title "pioneering playwright" and
the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the proper noun
"Wakako Yamauchi" and the verb "compares."

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 566fac8d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 566fac8d
Winding through the ice atop Norway’s Jotunheim Mountains is the Lendbreen pass, an ancient route that was used by
hunters, farmers, traders, and travelers in the Middle Ages before eventually falling into disuse. Recently, archeologists have
______ knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts from the icy pass.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. unearthed:

B. unearthed,

C. unearthed—

D. unearthed

ID: 566fac8d Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. No punctuation should separate the verb "unearthed" and its objects (i.e, what was
"unearthed"): "knives, horseshoes, wool tunics, and thousands of other artifacts."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was
"unearthed") with a colon. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error, separating the verb "unearthed"
from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error,
separating the verb "unearthed" from its objects (i.e, what was "unearthed") with a dash.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 1e5cd04d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 1e5cd04d
In 1727, dramatist Lewis Theobald presented a new play,Double Falsehood, at a London theater. Theobald claimed that his
drama was based on a little-known play by William Shakespeare, Cardenio. Many, including poet Alexander Pope, were
______ historians have determined that Shakespeare’s company did perform a play called Cardenio in 1613.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. skeptical but

B. skeptical, but

C. skeptical,

D. skeptical

ID: 1e5cd04d Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. There are two independent clauses in the sentence, each with a subject and a verb:
"many...were skeptical" and "historians have determined…." These clauses can be grammatically joined by a comma and the
coordinating conjunction "but."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined
without punctuation. Two independent clauses can’t be joined by just the coordinating conjunction "but." A comma would
also be required. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error called a comma splice. This sentence
contains two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"). A comma alone can’t join
two independent clauses. That requires a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results
in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation. This sentence contains
two independent clauses ("Many…were skeptical" and "historians have determined…"), which need to be either joined by a
semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 65439b1e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 65439b1e
A group of ecologists led by Axel Mithöfer at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany examined the
defensive responses of two varieties of the sweet potato ______ TN57, which is known for its insect resistance, and TN66,
which is much more susceptible to pests.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. plant.

B. plant;

C. plant

D. plant:

ID: 65439b1e Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the
supplementary element (“TN57…pests”) and to introduce the following elaboration on the specific varieties of sweet potato
plants that were examined.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “TN57.” Choice B is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the supplementary
element (“TN57…pests”). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally
used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group...plant”) and the supplementary element
(“TN57...pests”) with appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID fa08b905
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: fa08b905
Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between 1440 and 1450 CE.
However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass spectrometry to uncover evidence that it
was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were likely inhabiting the area.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. earlier. In

B. earlier, in

C. earlier, which in

D. earlier in

ID: fa08b905 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary
phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between
sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence
that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information (“However...earlier”)
rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences
(“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 91d28dac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 91d28dac
After the printing press was introduced in 1440, handwritten manuscripts from Europe’s medieval period were often
destroyed and the paper used for other purposes. In one instance, pages ______ a collection of Norse tales dating to 1270
were discovered lining a bishop’s miter (hat).

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. from:

B. from,

C. from

D. from—

ID: 91d28dac Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The word “from” introduces a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun “pages” and provides
essential information about their origin. No additional punctuation is needed after “from” in this context.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of
the prepositional phrase with a colon. Also, a colon can only follow an independent clause, but what comes before the blank
could not stand on its own as a complete sentence. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error,
illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional phrase with a comma. Choice D is incorrect.
This choice results in a punctuation error, illogically separating the preposition “from” from the rest of the prepositional
phrase with a dash.

Question Difficulty:
Easy
Question ID 9e1567fe
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 9e1567fe
How do scientists determine what foods were eaten by extinct hominins such as Neanderthals? In the past, researchers
were limited to studying the marks found on the fossilized teeth of skeletons, but in 2017 a team led by Laura Weyrich of the
Australian Centre for Ancient DNA tried something ______ the DNA found in Neanderthals’ fossilized dental plaque.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. new: sequencing

B. new; sequencing

C. new, sequencing:

D. new. Sequencing

ID: 9e1567fe Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “A team…tried something new” is an independent clause leading to an explanation of what the
new thing was. A colon can only be used at the end of an independent clause, and typically introduces further explanation
that expands upon the first clause, which makes a colon the perfect choice here.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a
sentence, and so it can’t be linked to the independent clause “a team…tried something new” with a semicolon. Only two
independent clauses can be connected in this way. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. If
“sequencing” is included in the first clause, it can no longer stand on its own as a complete idea. Since a colon can only
come at the end of an independent clause, using one in this way creates an error. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a sentence fragment. “Sequencing…dental plaque” can’t stand on its own as a sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID bdd3c593
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: bdd3c593
Gathering accurate data on water flow in the United States is challenging because of the country’s millions of miles of ______
the volume and speed of water at any given location can vary drastically over time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. waterways and the fact that,

B. waterways, and the fact that,

C. waterways, and, the fact that

D. waterways and the fact that

ID: bdd3c593 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation within two coordinated noun phrases. When, as in
this case, a noun phrase (“the country’s millions of miles of waterways”) is coordinated with another noun phrase (“the fact”)
followed by an integrated relative clause (“that the volume...time”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed. Choice C
is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 8dad1ce4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 8dad1ce4
Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On consists of five human figures made of clay
and plant fiber and arranged in descending size; each figure holds the smaller one in front of it. The arrangement of the
figures, according to ______ represents her idea that “we all come from the Earth, generation after generation.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Swentzell

B. Swentzell,

C. Swentzell:

D. Swentzell—

ID: 8dad1ce4 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence, so it
needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: two commas, two dashes, or a pair of
parentheses. We already have a comma before “according,” so we must add a comma after “Swentzell.” .

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts
the flow of the sentence, so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks: one
before and one after the phrase. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The arrangement of the
figures, according to Swentzell” is not an independent clause, so it can’t come before a colon. Choice D is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. The phrase “according to Swentzell” is an aside that interrupts the flow of the sentence,
so it needs to be separated from the sentence with a pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma at the
beginning, so we have to use another comma here to match. We can’t just switch to a dash! .

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 54b5498e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 54b5498e
Philosopher Peter Kivy was a leading figure in musical ______ evidenced by his belief that instead of evoking particular
emotions, such as sadness or joy, compositions elicit a listener’s emotional response to the structure and artistry of the
music itself, Kivy’s approach to the study of music was decidedly formalist.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. aesthetics as

B. aesthetics and as

C. aesthetics, as

D. aesthetics. As

ID: 54b5498e Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("Philosopher...aesthetics") and another ("As...formalist"). The
long adverbial element "as evidenced...itself" modifies the content in the following clause to support the claim that Kivy’s
approach was formalist.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences ("Philosopher...aesthetics" and "As…formalist")
are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction
"and" can’t be used in this way to join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t
be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f10d84ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: f10d84ef
The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three pioneers in the field of click chemistry: two-time Nobel laureate
Barry Sharpless, who coined the term “click chemistry” in 1998; Carolyn Bertozzi, founder of the Bertozzi Group at ______ and
Morten Meldal, a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Stanford

B. Stanford,

C. Stanford:

D. Stanford;

ID: f10d84ef Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. This choice correctly uses a semicolon to punctuate a complex list (which is made up of items
that have commas in them).

Choice A is incorrect. This is a complex list, indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." What comes
after the blank is a separate list item, so punctuation is needed after "Stanford." Choice B is incorrect. This is a complex list,
indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." The items in this list have internal punctuation in the form
of commas and must therefore be separated by semicolons to avoid confusion. Choice C is incorrect. This is a complex list,
indicated by the semicolon between "1998" and "Carolyn Bertozzi." Colons aren’t used to separate items in a list.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID d30b0424
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: d30b0424
In ancient Greece, an Epicurean was a follower of Epicurus, a philosopher whose beliefs revolved around the pursuit of
pleasure. Epicurus defined pleasure as “the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the ______ that all life’s virtues
derived from this absence.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. soul,” positing

B. soul”: positing

C. soul”; positing

D. soul.” Positing

ID: d30b0424 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a participial phrase.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“Epicurus…‘soul’”) and the participial
phrase (“positing…absence”) that provides additional information about how Epicurus defined pleasure.

Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice C is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase. Choice D is incorrect
because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “positing.”

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 5a4e7f5f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 5a4e7f5f
In 1959, the film industry debuted Smell-O-Vision. Theaters were fitted with specialized vents that emitted odors at specific
points in a ______ as the scent of roses when roses appeared in a scene. Smell-O-Vision failed to impress, however, with one
reviewer declaring it “briefly weird and not very interesting.”

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. movie such

B. movie; such

C. movie. Such

D. movie, such

ID: 5a4e7f5f Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The comma appropriately separates the nonessential descriptive aside "such as…scene" from
the independent clause "Theaters were…movie." Since the descriptive example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence to
function, it needs to be set off with punctuation.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. Since the example of roses isn’t necessary for the sentence
to function, the descriptive aside "such as…scene" needs to be separated from the preceding independent clause with some
sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. A semicolon can only be used to separate
two independent clauses, but "such…scene" is not an independent clause and couldn’t stand on its own as a sentence.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. The descriptive aside "Such…scene" is not an independent
clause and can’t stand on its own as a sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID e9f4276d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: e9f4276d
A conceptual artist and designer embraced by both the art world and the fashion ______ Mary Ping was chosen to curate the
exhibition Front Row: Chinese American Designers for the Museum of Chinese in America.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. world

B. world:

C. world;

D. world,

ID: e9f4276d Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…
world”), which describes Mary Ping, and the main clause (“Mary…America”).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”)
and the main clause (“Mary…America”) with appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in
this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and the main clause (“Mary…America”). In this
context, the colon incorrectly suggests that the information in the supplementary phrase is an explanation or amplification of
the information in the main clause (Mary Ping being chosen to curate the exhibition), which isn’t the case. Choice C is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary phrase (“A conceptual artist…world”) and
the main clause (“Mary…America”). Semicolons are conventionally used to separate two main clauses or to separate items in
a complex series.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID ce694afe
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: ce694afe
Psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how much artificial sweetener ______ After
conducting consumer taste tests, he found that no such ideal existed: participants expressed a wide range of preferences
for different blends of sweetener, carbonization, and flavoring.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. do most people prefer in a diet drink?

B. do most people prefer in a diet drink.

C. most people prefer in a diet drink?

D. most people prefer in a diet drink.

ID: ce694afe Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. This sentence is a statement: “Moskowitz was hired by a soda company to determine how
much artificial sweetener most people prefer in a diet drink.” So a period is the most appropriate punctuation mark.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation. Choice B is incorrect.
This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. We already have the verbs
“was hired…to determine” in this sentence. The verb “do” is not needed and results in a confusing, ungrammatical
sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
English. This sentence is not a question—it’s a statement. So a question mark is not the appropriate punctuation.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 54868589
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 54868589
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?

A. apiary,

B. apiary, and

C. apiary and

D. apiary

ID: 54868589 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are
both independent clauses. This choice uses a comma plus a coordinating conjunction to link them together, which is one of
the correct ways to link two independent clauses.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as
complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. A comma by itself is not enough punctuation to link
two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence error. Both clauses in this sentence
could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent clauses. Independent clauses can only
be linked in a few ways, including with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. This choice uses the coordinating
conjunction “and,” but it is missing the comma beforehand. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence
error. Both clauses in this sentence could stand alone as complete sentences, which means they are both independent
clauses. Independent clauses need to have certain kinds of punctuation marks between them. This choice doesn’t use any
punctuation between the two clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 62e13c74
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 62e13c74
In the novelThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a leader of Umuofia (a fictional Nigerian clan) and takes pride
in his culture’s traditions. However, when the arrival of European missionaries brings changes to Umuofia, the novel asks a
central question: How ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected.

B. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected.

C. Umuofia’s traditions will be affected?

D. will Umuofia’s traditions be affected?

ID: 62e13c74 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the
colon should be in the conventional form of a question: with the verb before the subject, and a question mark at the end.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice ends the sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that
the novel “asks a question,” so the clause after the colon should be that question. Choice B is incorrect. This choice ends the
sentence with a period, which isn’t right. The clause before the colon tells us that the novel “asks a question,” so the clause
after the colon should be that question. In Standard English, questions place the verb before the subject and end with a
question mark. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t conform to the conventions of Standard English. In Standard
English, questions place the verb before the subject.

Question Difficulty:
Easy
Question ID 5e5fb74a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 5e5fb74a
Emperor Ashoka ruled the Maurya Empire in South Asia from roughly 270 to 232 BCE. He is known for enforcing a moral
code called the Law of Piety, which established the sanctity of animal ______ the just treatment of the elderly, and the
abolition of the slave trade.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. life

B. life;

C. life:

D. life,

ID: 5e5fb74a Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. We must use a
comma to separate the first two items in the list, just as a comma is used to separate "the just treatment of the elderly" and
"the abolition of the slave trade."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list
of three things. To appropriately format the list, we need punctuation to separate each item. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While
semicolons are sometimes used to separate list items, this list uses commas to separate the other list items, and lists must
use the same punctuation throughout. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the
sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While colons can be used to introduce lists, they can’t be used
to separate items within a list.

Question Difficulty:
Easy
Question ID 3d3d7b16
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 3d3d7b16
American writer Edwidge Danticat, who emigrated from Haiti in 1981, has won acclaim for her powerful short stories, novels,
and ______ her lyrical yet unflinching depictions of her native country’s turbulent history, writer Robert Antoni has compared
Danticat to Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. essays, praising

B. essays and praising

C. essays praising

D. essays. Praising

ID: 3d3d7b16 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period
after “essays” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“American…essays”) and another (“praising…
Morrison”). The participial phrase beginning with “Praising” modifies the subject of the second sentence, “writer Robert
Antoni.”

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to
join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“American…essays” and
“Praising…Morrison”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f0124561
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: f0124561
A subseasonal weather forecast attempts to predict weather conditions three to four weeks in ______ its predictions are
therefore more short-term than those of the seasonal forecast, which attempts to predict the weather more than a month in
advance.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. advance,

B. advance

C. advance;

D. advance and

ID: f0124561 Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both
independent clauses, so using a semicolon to separate them is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its
predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so a comma is not enough to separate them. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are
both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with specific punctuation (a period, a semi-colon, a colon, a dash, or
a comma + a coordinating conjunction). Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “A
subseasonal…advance” and the clause “its predictions…forecast” are both independent clauses, so the word “and” by itself is
not enough to separate them. There would need to be a comma before “and” for this choice to work.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 278e3e3c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 278e3e3c
Featuring works by the photographers Lola Álvarez Bravo and Else “Yva” Neuländer-Simon, the 2021 exhibition The New
Woman Behind the Camera set out to provide a wide-ranging overview of photography by women in the 1920s through the
______ given the collection’s breadth of more than 120 photos, its efforts were largely successful.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. 1950s, and

B. 1950s and

C. 1950s

D. 1950s,

ID: 278e3e3c Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction "and" to join the first main clause ("Featuring...1950s") and the
second main clause ("given...successful").

Choice B is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma
before the coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are
fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a
conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 436cccf5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 436cccf5
Swedish scientists Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann developed a method for measuring the concentration of different
proteins in a biological sample. Their ______ ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), is used to detect and measure
proteins that indicate the presence of certain diseases.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. method (called

B. method—called

C. method, called

D. method called

ID: 436cccf5 Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The comma after “method” pairs with the comma after the closing parenthesis to separate the supplementary element
“called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions
to identify the name of Engvall and Perlmann’s method, and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be
removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because an opening parenthesis can’t be paired with a comma to separate the supplementary element
from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a dash can’t be paired with a comma to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation
to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID d60b3de9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: d60b3de9
The Lion Light system, developed by Kenyan inventor Richard Turere, consists of LED lights installed around the perimeter of
livestock pastures. Powered with ______ the blinking LEDs keep lions away at night, thus protecting the livestock without
risking harm to the endangered lions.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. energy collected, by solar panels, during the day

B. energy collected by solar panels during the day

C. energy collected by solar panels during the day,

D. energy, collected by solar panels during the day,

ID: d60b3de9 Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“powered…day”),
which describes how the LEDs are powered, and the main clause (“the blinking…night”).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with
appropriate punctuation. Furthermore, placing commas around the phrase “by solar panels” suggests that it could be
removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to mark
the boundary between the supplementary phrase and the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Choice D is incorrect.
Placing commas around the phrase “collected by solar panels during the day″ suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID a5da1629
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: a5da1629
In discussing Mary Shelley’s 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader’s attention
to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley’s ______ as the recipient of
the letters that frame the book’s narrative, she’s the “occasion” of it.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. novel

B. novel,

C. novel; rather,

D. novel, rather,

ID: a5da1629 Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a semicolon to join a main clause (“Saville...novel”) and a second main clause (“she’s...it”) preceded by
supplementary elements (“rather...narrative”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be
used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, the comma after “novel” can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 312bfabb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: 312bfabb
When particles are suspended in liquid (like pollen in a water glass), they will zigzag randomly through the liquid and collide
with one another in perpetuity. This type of random, continuous ______ is known as Brownian motion, can be observed
throughout the natural world.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. movement: which

B. movement, which

C. movement which

D. movement. Which

ID: 312bfabb Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice correctly uses commas to set off the nonessential relative clause "which is known
as Brownian motion" that provides extra information about the "random, continuous movement" that isn’t necessary for the
function of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which is known as Brownian motion" is a
nonessential supplement. Nonessential supplements need to be set apart from the rest of the sentence with a pair of
commas, dashes, or parentheses, so we can’t use a colon here. Also, notice that colons can only come after an independent
clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. The relative clause "which
is known as Brownian motion" is a nonessential supplement, so it should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a
pair of matching punctuation marks. We already have a comma after "motion," so we need to add a comma before "which."
This choice is missing that comma. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "This type of random,
continuous movement" is not an independent clause and can’t stand alone as a full sentence, so we can’t put a period here.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID f4e0e75d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: f4e0e75d
Archaeologists have estimated that the pre-Columbian Native American city of Cahokia, located across the Mississippi River
from modern-day St. Louis, Missouri, had as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the year 1150 ______ it one of the largest cities in
North America at the time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. CE making

B. CE. Making

C. CE, making

D. CE; making

ID: f4e0e75d Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The phrase “making…at the time” provides additional information about Cahokia that’s not
required for the sentence to make sense or function grammatically. As a nonessential supplement, this phrase should be
separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. The nonessential descriptive aside “making…at the time”
needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence
fragment. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Thus, it can’t be separated
from the rest of the sentence with a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Making…at the
time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as an independent clause. Since a semicolon can only link two
independent clauses, using one here creates an error.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f60f2482
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Standard English Boundaries
Writing Conventions
ID: f60f2482
In 1959, marine biologist Dr. Albert Jones founded the Underwater Adventure Seekers, a scuba diving ______ that is the
oldest club for Black divers in the United States and that has helped thousands of diving enthusiasts become certified in the
field.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. club

B. club,

C. club—

D. club, and

ID: f60f2482 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use punctuation to separate it from
“scuba diving club.” .

Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not
use a comma (or any kind of punctuation) to separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates
a punctuation error. “That is…field” is an essential supplement, so we should not use a dash (or any kind of punctuation) to
separate it from “scuba diving club.” . Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence. It makes “that is…United
States” into an awkward independent clause, but it also makes “that has…field” into its own awkward independent clause
without the correct punctuation separating it.

Question Difficulty:
Medium