PSAT Writing and Language Question 346: Answer and Explanation

Question: 346

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. gained. From
• C. gained from
• D. gained, it was from

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

Punctuation is changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing STOP, HALF-STOP, and GO punctuation. Use the Vertical Line Test and identify the ideas as complete or incomplete. Draw the vertical line between the words gained and from. The first part of the sentence, Polo also carried knowledge he had gained, is a complete idea. The second part, from his journey east, is an incomplete idea. To connect a complete idea to an incomplete idea, HALF-STOP or GO punctuation is needed. Eliminate (A) and (B) because a semicolon and a period are both STOP punctuation. Keep (C) because no punctuation is GO punctuation. The addition of the word it in (D) changes the second part of the sentence to a complete idea, it was from his journey east. Each part of the sentence is now a complete idea, so STOP punctuation is needed. Since a comma is GO punctuation, eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).