PSAT STUDY GUIDE
absolute value - Answer
-a numbers distance from zero on a number line
domain - Answer -All possible input values (x values)
range - Answer -All possible output values (y values)
integers - Answer -numbers that have no fractional or decimal parts
positive numbers - Answer -numbers that are greater than zero
negative numbers - Answer -numbers that are less than zero
even numbers - Answer -integers that can be divided by 2 evenly, with no remainder
odd numbers - Answer -integers that cannot be divided evenly by 2
factors - Answer -numbers that a certain number can be divided by, leaving no
remainder
multiples - Answer -numbers that can be divided by a certain number, with no
remainder
prime numbers - Answer -numbers that have exactly two distinct factors, themselves
and 1
distinct - Answer -having a different value
digit - Answer -a figure from zero through nine that is used as a place holder
consecutive numbers - Answer -numbers in a row
divisible - Answer -can be divided with no remainder
,remainder - Answer -a whole number that is left over after you divide
sum - Answer -the result of addition
product - Answer -the result of multiplication
difference - Answer -the result of subtraction
quotient - Answer -the result of division
absolute value - Answer -a number's distance from zero, always shown as a positive
number
Tense - Answer -Make sure all verbs agree with each other...
e.g. "No matter where they come from or what their cultural values were, virtually all
immigrants to the United States find America a nation of great opportunity and
freedom." Obviously you would change "were" to "are" in order to agree with the verbs
"come" and "find."
Dangling Participles & Misplaced Modifiers - Answer -These sentences begin with a
long string of words followed by a comma and typically appear like the following
question,
"Having no additional funds to spend, the meeting of the budget committee was
promptly concluded."
(A) the meeting of the budget committee was promptly concluded
(B) the meeting of the budget committee concluded promptly
(C) the conclusion of the budget meeting was prompt
(D) the budget committee promptly concluded its meeting
(E) the budget committee's meeting was promptly concluded
The question tries to trick you into thinking "meeting" is the subject after the verb, but in
reality, "the budget committee " is and thus, (D) is the correct answer. Ask yourself "Is
the person, place, or object listed after the comma the true subject of the sentence? It
should be.
Faulty Comparisons - Answer -Within a sentence, objects/peoples/places can only be
compared if they are of the same type. Such as in,
"Unlike flying squirrels, which may leave their young in a tree cavity while foraging, the
babies of flying lemurs are usually carried with them.
(A) the babies of flying lemurs are usually carried
(B) the flying lemur's babies are usually carried
(C) the flying lemur is usually carrying its babies
, (D) flying lemurs usually carry their babies
(E) flying lemurs' babies are usually carried
The correct answer choice is obviously D, since you cannot compare flying squirrels
with the BABIES of flying lemurs. Choice D allows for like things to be compared.
Pronoun Clarity - Answer -Pronouns can't always be used in place of nouns, because
the pronoun within a sentence may be too ambiguous.
PSAT example:
Internet companies have discovered many advantages in collaborating with them,
whether the companies do so directly or indirectly.
"them" has no antecedent, and thus that's where the error resides within this sentence.
Pronoun Agreement - Answer -The PSAT loves using subjects like "the high school,"
"the choir," and "the nation" because students associated these nouns with many
people, and therefore think of them as plural. Remember, though: no matter how many
hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people live in a country, a university, or a city,
each of these subjects is SINGULAR and requires the SINGULAR pronoun, "it!"
Make sure you also keep an eye out for words such as "Either," "Neither," "Each,"
"Anybody," "No One," "Everyone," "Everybody," "Everything," and "Nothing." Each of
these words is always SINGULAR!
PSAT Example:
After months of pressure by the United States, the Russian government has finally
agreed to help their poorest citizens by engaging in humanitarian efforts and
implementing domestic reform.
"their" would need to be changed to "its"
Pronoun Consistency - Answer -Once you begin using a pronoun, all pronouns
referring to the same subject, must be consistent with one another.
PSAT example:
If one is to challenge the authority of a teacher, he should first think about the
consequences such an action could bring.
The mistake would be "he," which should change to "one" in order to remain consistent
with the "one" after "If."
absolute value - Answer
-a numbers distance from zero on a number line
domain - Answer -All possible input values (x values)
range - Answer -All possible output values (y values)
integers - Answer -numbers that have no fractional or decimal parts
positive numbers - Answer -numbers that are greater than zero
negative numbers - Answer -numbers that are less than zero
even numbers - Answer -integers that can be divided by 2 evenly, with no remainder
odd numbers - Answer -integers that cannot be divided evenly by 2
factors - Answer -numbers that a certain number can be divided by, leaving no
remainder
multiples - Answer -numbers that can be divided by a certain number, with no
remainder
prime numbers - Answer -numbers that have exactly two distinct factors, themselves
and 1
distinct - Answer -having a different value
digit - Answer -a figure from zero through nine that is used as a place holder
consecutive numbers - Answer -numbers in a row
divisible - Answer -can be divided with no remainder
,remainder - Answer -a whole number that is left over after you divide
sum - Answer -the result of addition
product - Answer -the result of multiplication
difference - Answer -the result of subtraction
quotient - Answer -the result of division
absolute value - Answer -a number's distance from zero, always shown as a positive
number
Tense - Answer -Make sure all verbs agree with each other...
e.g. "No matter where they come from or what their cultural values were, virtually all
immigrants to the United States find America a nation of great opportunity and
freedom." Obviously you would change "were" to "are" in order to agree with the verbs
"come" and "find."
Dangling Participles & Misplaced Modifiers - Answer -These sentences begin with a
long string of words followed by a comma and typically appear like the following
question,
"Having no additional funds to spend, the meeting of the budget committee was
promptly concluded."
(A) the meeting of the budget committee was promptly concluded
(B) the meeting of the budget committee concluded promptly
(C) the conclusion of the budget meeting was prompt
(D) the budget committee promptly concluded its meeting
(E) the budget committee's meeting was promptly concluded
The question tries to trick you into thinking "meeting" is the subject after the verb, but in
reality, "the budget committee " is and thus, (D) is the correct answer. Ask yourself "Is
the person, place, or object listed after the comma the true subject of the sentence? It
should be.
Faulty Comparisons - Answer -Within a sentence, objects/peoples/places can only be
compared if they are of the same type. Such as in,
"Unlike flying squirrels, which may leave their young in a tree cavity while foraging, the
babies of flying lemurs are usually carried with them.
(A) the babies of flying lemurs are usually carried
(B) the flying lemur's babies are usually carried
(C) the flying lemur is usually carrying its babies
, (D) flying lemurs usually carry their babies
(E) flying lemurs' babies are usually carried
The correct answer choice is obviously D, since you cannot compare flying squirrels
with the BABIES of flying lemurs. Choice D allows for like things to be compared.
Pronoun Clarity - Answer -Pronouns can't always be used in place of nouns, because
the pronoun within a sentence may be too ambiguous.
PSAT example:
Internet companies have discovered many advantages in collaborating with them,
whether the companies do so directly or indirectly.
"them" has no antecedent, and thus that's where the error resides within this sentence.
Pronoun Agreement - Answer -The PSAT loves using subjects like "the high school,"
"the choir," and "the nation" because students associated these nouns with many
people, and therefore think of them as plural. Remember, though: no matter how many
hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people live in a country, a university, or a city,
each of these subjects is SINGULAR and requires the SINGULAR pronoun, "it!"
Make sure you also keep an eye out for words such as "Either," "Neither," "Each,"
"Anybody," "No One," "Everyone," "Everybody," "Everything," and "Nothing." Each of
these words is always SINGULAR!
PSAT Example:
After months of pressure by the United States, the Russian government has finally
agreed to help their poorest citizens by engaging in humanitarian efforts and
implementing domestic reform.
"their" would need to be changed to "its"
Pronoun Consistency - Answer -Once you begin using a pronoun, all pronouns
referring to the same subject, must be consistent with one another.
PSAT example:
If one is to challenge the authority of a teacher, he should first think about the
consequences such an action could bring.
The mistake would be "he," which should change to "one" in order to remain consistent
with the "one" after "If."
