PSAT Writing and Language Question 571: Answer and Explanation

Question: 571

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. Perhaps like van Gogh or F. Scott Fitzgerald Bruce Hornsby’s legacy
• C. Perhaps, like van Gogh or F. Scott Fitzgerald Bruce Hornsby’s, legacy
• D. Perhaps, like van Gogh or F. Scott Fitzgerald Bruce Hornsby’s legacy

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) "Like van Gogh's or F. Scott Fitzgerald's" is an appositive. If you remove this portion, the sentence still functions perfectly acceptably. A correctly used appositive must be set off from the surrounding sentence with two commas or two dashes. Choice (B) forgets the punctuation completely. Choice (C) incorrectly diagnoses what the appositive actually is by misplacing the second comma. Choice (D) neglects the second comma. In addition, choice (A) is the only option that makes a logical comparison, using the possessive "Gogh's" and "Fitzgerald's" to make these implicitly comparable to "Hornsby's legacy."