Test Preparation on CAT Sentence Correction Guide

A powder derived from the North American Echinacea flower which has beeneffective in preventing colds is grown by many small farmers out West.

1A powder derived from the North American Echinacea flower which has beeneffective in preventing colds
2A derivative which has been effective in preventing colds of the North American Echinacea flower
3A North American Echinacea flower derivative which has been effective inpreventing colds
4The North American Echinacea flower has a derivative which has been effectivein preventing colds that
5The North American Echinacea flower a derivative of which has been effectivein preventing colds

To answer this question you first have to realize that the basic structure of thissentence is fairly simple. The main verb of the sentence is grown. What isgrown? A flower is grown not its derivative. Choices A B C and D all imply thatit is a derivative or a powder which is grown out West and not the flower. This isa clear flaw in logic. The only answer choice that has the correct subject is ChoiceE.

Trying to mimic some of the pitch variations of a dolphin chattering is the sameas attempting to sing like a sick parakeet when one is intoxicated the completelack of harmony and apparent randomness of the noise means the human vocalchords are completely incapable of reproducing these sounds.

1the same as attempting to sing like a sick parakeet when one is intoxicated
2similar to an intoxicated person singing like a sick parakeet
3like singing like a sick parakeet as an intoxicated person
4the same as an intoxicated person singing like a sick parakeet
5like the intoxicated person is singing like a sick parakeet

This question is quite tricky. It involves parallel structure. You have to lookcarefully to figure out what form the comparison takes. The comparison is notone of similarity it is one of equality. Saying x is y is quite different from sayingx is like y or x is similar to y. Choices B C and E all change the fundamentalunderlying concept of the sentence. Choice D disrupts the parallel structure. Theparallel structure is ?trying to mimic? and ?attempting to sing?. Choice A is thecorrect answer.

The possibility of an attack on Indian Point a nuclear power plant has causedlocal governmental officials to plan evacuation routes build shelters and offeringcitizens potassium pills so there will be fewer casualties in case of a leak.

1plan evacuation routes build shelters and offering citizens potassium pillsso there will be
2plan evacuation routes build shelters and offer citizens potassium pills inorder to have
3planning evacuation routes building shelters and the offer of potassiumpills to citizens so there will be
4evacuation route planning building shelters and offering citizens potassiumpills in order to have
5a planning of evacuation routes shelter building and offering potassiumpills to citizens to have8

This question has to do with parallel structure. Something causes officials toplan build and offer. Choices A and C disrupt parallel structure by using an ?ing?form inconsistently. Choices D and E are incorrect as you cannot cause someoneto evacuation route planning or to a planning. Cause should be followed by theinfinitive. Choice B is the correct answer.

Although the sting of Egyptian Scorpions are rarely dangerous they cause redwelts to appear posing minor health risks to infants who are particularly vulnerableto its venom.

1Egyptian Scorpions are rarely dangerous they cause red welts to appear posing minor health risks to infants who are particularly vulnerable to its
2Egyptian Scorpions are rarely dangerous they cause red welts to appear andpose minor health risks to infants who are particularly vulnerable to their
3Egyptian Scorpions is rarely dangerous it causes red welts to appear posingminor health risks to infants who are particularly vulnerable to their
4Egyptian Scorpions is rarely dangerous it causes red welts to appear andposes minor health risks to infants who are particularly vulnerable to its
5Egyptian Scorpions is rarely dangerous they cause red welts to appear posingthe greatest danger to the infant who are particularly vulnerable to its

This is a very easy question because the only mistakes you have to correct aremistakes in subject/verb agreement and subject/pronoun agreement. The subjectis the sting. So you want the correct verb form to go with the singular sting. Thatleaves you with C D and E as possible choices because they say the sting ?C is rarelydangerous. Another mistake you have to correct is a subject/pronoun agreementmistake. The venom belongs to the sting. Therefore you would use ?its? beforevenom because sting is singular. That leaves you with choices D and E. Choice Emakes another mistake by saying they cause red welts to appear. The scorpionsdon?t cause the red welts to appear the sting of the scorpions does. Therefore thesingular ?it? needs to be used. Choice D is the correct answer.

The catastrophic San Francisco Earthquake at the turn of the century destroyednumerous buildings and many were led to believe that the city had become apermanent disaster zone.

1many were led to believe that the city had become
2many had been led to believing of the city as if it were
3the belief this led to was that the city had become
4led many to the belief of the city as if it were
5led many to believe that the city had become

This sentence involves parallel structure. What did the earthquake do? It destroyedand led. These are actives verbs rather than the passive constructionsin A and B. C also does not provide parallel structure. D is wordy and uses thewrong tense. The past perfect should be used as the city had become a disasterzone before people came to believe this. ?The belief of the city as if it were? isalso non-idiomatic. Choice E is the correct answer.

Besides offering such physiological rewards as toned muscles karate if practicedregularly can turn the body into a dangerous weapon and produce numerousother benefits.

1karate if practiced regularly can turn the body into a dangerous weapon
2one can turn the body into a dangerous weapon through karate if it is practicedregularly
3the body can be turned into a dangerous weapon as a result of karate ifpracticed regularly
4when karate is practiced regularly the body can be turned into a dangerousweapon
5when practiced regularly the results of karate can be to turn the body into adangerous weapon

This question has to do with dangling modifiers. There is no subject in the firstphrase the part before the first comma. Therefore the subject of the verb inthat phrase must come directly after the comma. What is the verb in the phrase?Offering is the verb. Who or what does the offering? Karate offers. Thereforekarate is the subject and must come directly after the first comma. The onlychoice which offers this is A. 15

The new government requires employers to inform an employee of their legalright to holidays and overtime pay.

1employers to inform an employee of their
2employers to inform employees that he has a95
3employers to inform employees that there is a
4that employers inform an employee of their
5that employers inform the employees that they have a

The first issue you need to be aware of is pronoun reference. It should be employees?legal right not employers?. Therefore you can eliminate A and D. Thesingular ?an employee? does not go together with the plural ?their?. Option Bdoes not have agreement between the plural ?employees? and the singular ?he?.Option E has an unclear pronoun ?they? at the end of the option. It is not clearwhether this word refers to the employees or the employers. Only option C iscorrect.

Riddled with bullets shattered by bombs and hidden in alleys the historic buildingsin Lodz Poland were long ignored by tourists traveling instead to morewell-known memorial museums.

1the historic buildings in Lodz Poland were long ignored by tourists traveling
2the historic buildings in Lodz Poland were long ignored by tourists whotraveled
3tourists long ignored the historic buildings in Lodz Poland traveling
4tourists long ignored the historic buildings in Lodz Poland and traveled
5tourists long ignored the historic buildings in Lodz Poland; they depended

This question has to do with ambiguity arising from a lack of pronouns and improperword order. Choices C D and E all imply that tourists are the ones whowere riddled with bullets shattered by bombs and hidden in alleys. This is a caseof dangling modifiers. Choice A implies that the buildings may have been theones traveling to more well-known memorial museums. Choice B uses the pronoun?who?. This correctly connects all the parts of the sentence. Choice B is thecorrect answer.

Rallies organized in conjunction with the dissemination of democratic principleswhich was once prohibited by Communist Chinese leaders are beginning to takeshape at a grass roots level permitted by the new Chinese leadership.

1Rallies organized in conjunction with the dissemination of democratic principleswhich was once prohibited by Communist Chinese leaders are
2Rallies organized in conjunction with the dissemination of democratic principles a practice that Communist Chinese leaders once prohibited is
3Organizing rallies in conjunction with the dissemination of democratic principles as once prohibited by Communist Chinese leaders is
4Communist Chinese leaders once prohibited organizing rallies in conjunctionwith the dissemination of democratic principles but they are
5Communist Chinese leaders once prohibited organizing rallies in conjunctionwith the dissemination of democratic principles but such principles are

Option A is incorrect as it is unclear to what ?which? is referring. It should referto organizing rallies but the placement means it is referring to the democraticprinciples. B is incorrect as the subject ?Rallies? does not agree with the verb ?is?.Option C states that organizing rallies is beginning to take shape. The democraticprinciples are beginning to take shape. Choice D has an ambiguity resulting fromthe pronoun ?they?. It is unclear to whom ?they? is referring. Choice E is the correctanswer.

10.

By the end of the nineteenth century five of the Western European states haddeveloped a railroad system but only one in the East.

1only one in the East
2only one eastern state
3in the East there was only one state
4in the East only one state did
5only one in the East had

This question has to do with parallel structure. You have to have a continuity ofverb tenses and structures. Because you say ?five x had? then you have to followit by saying ?but only one y had?. The only two choices that even have a verb inthem are D and E. Choice D uses a different verb tense the simple past. Choice Eis the correct answer.


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