PSAT Writing and Language Question 709: Answer and Explanation

Question: 709

The writer is considering deleting the phrase-underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

• A. Kept, because it specifies the mechanics of the American political process.
• B. Kept, because it clarifies how the majority of American presidents have been elected.
• C. Deleted, because it unnecessarily repeats implicit information from earlier in the paragraph.
• D. Deleted, because it is not factually supported by the general claims made elsewhere in the passage.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

(C) Earlier in the paragraph, the author mentions that the winning candidate did not win the popular vote four times in U.S. history. It is reasonable to infer that the other times, the winning candidate did win the popular vote. Leaving this sentence in the paragraph is just wordy. Choice (D) is not correct because there is nothing in the passage that contradicts this information.