PSAT Writing and Language Question 261: Answer and Explanation

Question: 261

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. Act, which were attempting
• C. Act, which attempted
• D. Act, and attempting

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

Difficulty: Hard

Category: Sentence Structure: The Basics

Getting to the Answer: Check underlined verbs for their subjects. Make sure that the sentence makes logical sense. Often, the subject of a verb can be found much earlier in the sentence. As written, the underlined segment seems to have "concerns" as its subject, but it doesn't make logical sense that the "concerns" "attempted" anything. Reading carefully, you will see that the phrase provides additional information about the Sherman Antitrust Act and should be subordinate to the main clause. Choice (C) fixes the issue and correctly uses the verb "attempted" to match the singular noun "Sherman Antitrust Act."