Practice Standard English Conventions questions for the Scholastic Assessment Test. Every question includes a full explanation of why the correct answer is right and why the tempting distractors are wrong.
10 example questions with full explanations. Use the interactive practice above to work through the complete set.
Question 1easy
The following sentence contains a blank. Select the option that best completes the sentence according to standard English conventions.
After finishing her morning run, _______ stretched for several minutes before heading inside for breakfast.
- A.the stretching was done by Maya
- B.it was Maya who
- C.Maya✓
- D.the morning felt refreshing to Maya, who
Correct answer: C
The sentence opens with the participial phrase 'After finishing her morning run,' which must be followed immediately by the noun it modifies — Maya, the person who finished the run. Option B correctly places 'Maya' as the subject right after the introductory phrase. Options A and B create dangling or awkward constructions where the participial phrase does not directly modify the sentence's grammatical subject. Option D adds unnecessary information and changes the meaning of the sentence, making the modifier dangle.
Question 2easy
The following sentence contains an underlined portion. Choose the option that correctly replaces the underlined text.
The students in Mrs. Garza's class was excited about the upcoming science fair.
Underlined: was excited
- A.was excited
- B.is excited
- C.are being excited
- D.were excited✓
Correct answer: D
The true subject of the sentence is 'The students,' which is plural, so the verb must also be plural: 'were excited.' The intervening phrase 'in Mrs. Garza's class' can mislead readers into thinking 'class' is the subject, but it is simply a prepositional phrase modifying 'students.' Option A uses a singular verb, which does not agree with the plural subject. Options B and C introduce incorrect tense or awkward phrasing that does not match the past-tense context of the sentence.
Question 3easy
The following sentence contains an underlined portion. Choose the option that correctly replaces the underlined text.
The chef prepared the appetizers, he then plated the main course.
Underlined: appetizers, he
- A.appetizers; he✓
- B.appetizers, he
- C.appetizers, and, he
- D.appetizers: he
Correct answer: A
The original sentence is a comma splice — two independent clauses ('The chef prepared the appetizers' and 'he then plated the main course') are joined only by a comma, which is incorrect. Option A correctly uses a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses. Option A keeps the comma splice error. Option C inserts a comma before and after 'and,' which is grammatically incorrect here. Option D uses a colon, which is inappropriate because the second clause does not elaborate on or explain the first in the way a colon requires.
Question 4easy
The following sentence contains an underlined portion. Choose the option that correctly replaces the underlined text.
The library's new reading room, a bright and welcoming space was designed by a local architect.
Underlined: space was
- A.space was
- B.space, was✓
- C.space; was
- D.space: was
Correct answer: B
The phrase 'a bright and welcoming space' is an appositive that renames 'reading room.' Appositives must be set off by commas on both sides when they appear in the middle of a sentence. The opening comma already appears after 'reading room,' so a closing comma is needed after 'space' before the verb 'was.' Option A omits this necessary closing comma. Option C incorrectly uses a semicolon, which cannot separate an appositive from the rest of a sentence. Option D incorrectly uses a colon in the middle of a clause.
Question 5hard
Read the following sentence and determine whether it is grammatically correct as written:
"The governor proposed three sweeping reforms: raising the minimum wage, to expand access to affordable housing, and the reduction of corporate tax loopholes."
True or False: The sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure.
Correct answer: B
The sentence does not demonstrate correct parallel structure. A colon introduces a list of three items that should share the same grammatical form. The first item uses a gerund phrase ('raising the minimum wage'), but the second shifts to an infinitive phrase ('to expand access to affordable housing'), and the third uses a noun phrase with an article ('the reduction of corporate tax loopholes'). All three items must be parallel; for example, all gerunds: 'raising the minimum wage, expanding access to affordable housing, and reducing corporate tax loopholes.' The inconsistent mixing of gerund, infinitive, and noun phrase forms violates the rule of parallel structure in lists. This is a classic hard-level parallelism error because each item is individually grammatical but collectively non-parallel.
Question 6hard
Read the following sentence and determine whether the apostrophe usage is correct:
"The jury's verdict surprised everyone in the courtroom; the defendants' lawyers immediately announced they would appeal the decision on their clients' behalf."
True or False: All apostrophes in this sentence are used correctly.
Correct answer: A
All three apostrophes in the sentence are used correctly. 'Jury's' correctly shows singular possessive (the verdict belonging to the jury). 'Defendants'' correctly shows plural possessive—because 'defendants' is a regular plural ending in 's,' the apostrophe is placed after the final 's' with no additional 's' added. 'Clients'' is likewise a correct plural possessive, as 'clients' is a regular plural ending in 's,' so the apostrophe follows the 's.' None of the apostrophes are used for contractions or incorrectly applied to simple plurals. This question is challenging because it requires evaluating three distinct apostrophe constructions—one singular possessive and two plural possessives—and confirming all are correctly formed.
Question 7easy
Read the following sentences and select all that apply: Which sentences correctly use a semicolon?
Select all that apply.
- A.She loves hiking; her brother prefers swimming.✓
- B.He was tired; and he went to bed early.
- C.The storm was fierce; it knocked out the power for hours.✓
- D.They arrived late; because the train was delayed.
Correct answer: A, C
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. In option A, 'She loves hiking' and 'her brother prefers swimming' are both independent clauses, making the semicolon correct. In option C, 'The storm was fierce' and 'it knocked out the power for hours' are also both independent clauses correctly joined by a semicolon. Option B is incorrect because a semicolon should not be used before a coordinating conjunction like 'and' — a comma or no conjunction at all is preferred. Option D is incorrect because 'because the train was delayed' is a dependent clause and cannot follow a semicolon.
Question 8easy
Read the following sentences and select all that apply: Which sentences correctly use a colon?
Select all that apply.
- A.She packed everything she needed: a tent, a sleeping bag, and a flashlight.✓
- B.He wanted: to travel the world and meet new people.
- C.The recipe requires three ingredients: flour, sugar, and butter.✓
- D.My favorite sports are: soccer, basketball, and tennis.
Correct answer: A, C
A colon must be preceded by a complete independent clause before introducing a list or explanation. In option A, 'She packed everything she needed' is a complete clause that naturally leads into the list — correct usage. In option C, 'The recipe requires three ingredients' is a complete clause that introduces the list — also correct. Option B is incorrect because the colon interrupts the verb phrase 'wanted to travel'; the clause before the colon is not complete. Option D is incorrect because 'My favorite sports are' is not a complete clause — the colon breaks the link between the verb 'are' and its complements.
Question 9easy
Read the following sentences and select all that apply: Which sentences are complete sentences (NOT fragments)?
Select all that apply.
- A.The dog barked loudly at the mail carrier.✓
- B.Running through the park every morning before school.
- C.Although the sun was shining and the birds were singing.
- D.Maria finished her homework before dinner.✓
Correct answer: A, D
A complete sentence must have a subject, a verb, and express a complete thought. Option A has a subject ('The dog'), a verb ('barked'), and expresses a complete thought — it is a proper sentence. Option D has a subject ('Maria'), a verb ('finished'), and expresses a complete thought — also a proper sentence. Option B is a fragment because it lacks a main subject and verb; 'Running' is a participle, not a finite verb. Option C is a fragment because 'Although' makes it a dependent clause — it has a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought on its own.
Question 10easy
Read the following sentences and select all that apply: Which sentences use apostrophes correctly?
Select all that apply.
- A.The cat's toy was lost under the sofa.✓
- B.The student's grades improved after extra tutoring.✓
- C.The dogs' bowl's were filled with fresh water.
- D.Its collar is red, but its tag has fallen off.✓
Correct answer: A, B, D
Apostrophes are used to show possession or to form contractions, but never to form simple plurals. Option A correctly uses 'cat's' as a singular possessive. Option B correctly uses 'student's' as a singular possessive. Option D correctly uses 'its' (no apostrophe) as a possessive pronoun — 'it's' with an apostrophe means 'it is,' which would not make sense here. Option C is incorrect because 'bowl's' incorrectly adds an apostrophe to form a plural; it should be 'bowls' (no apostrophe) — the sentence should read 'The dogs' bowls were filled with fresh water.'