PSAT Writing and Language Question 73: Answer and Explanation

Question: 73

The writer is considering deleting the phrase "by factories" from the previous sentence and adjusting the punctuation accordingly. Should the phrase be kept or deleted?

• A. Kept, because it helps to emphasize that the auto industry is largely to blame for the extinction of the beaver.
• B. Kept, because it clarifies what in addition to houses has replaced the beaver habitat.
• C. Deleted, because it repeats information given earlier in the sentence.
• D. Deleted, because it paints an unnecessarily negative portrait of the Industrial Revolution in Detroit.

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

B

Note the question! The question asks whether the phrase should be kept or deleted, so it's testing precision. The phrase should be deleted unless it is needed to keep the precise meaning of the sentence. In this case, if the phrase by factories were deleted, it would be unclear what is replacing the homes. Therefore, the phrase should be kept. Eliminate (C) and (D). The extinction of the beaver is not consistent with the passage, so eliminate (A). The correct answer is (B).