SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
In 1981, a national competition invited designs for a memorial honoring Americans who served in the Vietnam War. Still an undergraduate at Yale University when she submitted her entry, ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Maya Lin won the competition with her design for a V-shaped wall of polished black granite.
the competition was won by Maya Lin, who designed a V-shaped wall of polished black granite.
the design that won the competition, a V-shaped wall of polished black granite, was Maya Lin's.
Maya Lin's design, a V-shaped wall of polished black granite, won the competition.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The introductory phrase "Still an undergraduate at Yale University when she submitted her entry" describes a person. The noun that comes right after the comma must be that person, Maya Lin. Only choice A places "Maya Lin" immediately after the phrase; the others put "the competition," "the design," or "Maya Lin's design" there.
Choice D names Maya Lin first, but the subject is "Maya Lin's design," and a design cannot be an undergraduate.
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