Problem
Jane has five coins totaling 35 cents. Each coin is either a penny, a nickel, a dime, or a quarter. After using two of the coins ...
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You'll probably see at least one question involving prime numbers.
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SAT: Paragraph Improvement Question #3 |
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(1) For centuries, musicians have played "acoustical" guitars, or ones that produce sounds through the vibrations of their strings. (2) They are made of light wood, have curved sides and a flat or arched top and back. (3) Guitar strings are made of bronze, nylon, or steel. (4) Most guitars have 6 strings, but some have 4 or 12. (5) The strings are fastened to the bridge, a small piece of wood on top of the instrument, extend along the finger board and are tied to tuning keys at the head. (6) Narrow metal strips called "frets" are located on the finger board below the strings. (7) To play the guitar, a musician must press the strings against the frets with the fingers of one hand. (8) They strum or pluck the strings with the other hand or with a plectrum, also known as a "pick".
(9) In the 1930's, guitar companies begin to commercially produce the electric guitar. (10) An electric guitar is essentially that same as an acoustical. (11) Except it also has an electromagnetic device that picks up the vibrations of the strings and translates them into electrical impulses. (12) An amplifier is used to modify the impulses, and loudspeakers change impulses back into sound. (13) An electric guitar produces a greater range of sounds than an acoustical guitar, although some people find the acoustical to be far more pleasant to listen to.
Question:
Of the following, which version of sentence 4 makes the most sense?
Most guitars have 6 strings, but some have 4 or 12.
Choices:
Sentence 4 is just fine as it is. We can eliminate choice (B) because of the word "and." Since we know that "most" guitars have 6 strings, the information about some having 4 or 12 should be joined to the preceding independent clause with a conjunction that expresses this difference, such as "but" or "however." Choice (C) has the same problem as (B), but also reverses the order of the clauses, which is awkward. Choice (D) is incorrect for a number of reasons: "most" is ambiguous, "having" requires the auxiliary verb "are" and it is unclear what "4 or 12" refers to in the second clause. Choice (E) is also incorrect, due to the verb "are having." The simple present tense, "have," is the proper form of this verb for sentence 4.
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