Idioms

Link of the Day

It is not uncommon for migrant workers to find pay in Florida's orange groves. Picking fruit is hard work, and because it is seasonal, many Americans will pass it over in favor of a more steady job. However, sometimes these migrant workers are in dire straits, and they are taken advantage of. This unedited interview with Miguel tells how he came to America hoping to earn enough money for his son's cancer treatments, but found fear and desperation. 

5/2 Improving Sentences

Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentences. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

First, read the sentence and predict how to solve any problems you identify. After that, look for an answer choice that matches your prediction or finds another way to solve those problems. Focus on differences among the answer choices to quickly eliminate wrong answers.

About 35 percent of the world's orange juice is produced by Florida, comparing it with nearly 50 percent produced by Brazil, the world's largest orange producer. 

Clearly, the underlined portion needs to be changed. The pronoun "it" has no antecedent (it is not standing in for any noun in the sentence), and the correct idiom for comparing things that are different is "compared with." Check the answer choices for an option that avoids these errors.


A) comparing it with

B) but

C) whereas

D) although

E) compared with

The answer is E.


On sat.collegeboard.org, 58% of responses were correct.


Want more help with grammar? Visit www.myknowsys.com!