complete ideas or if it’s necessary to break up the incomplete ideas. Neither appears to be
the case, and this sentence does not need a break. Choice (D) is correct.
A Use POE to determine whether the information in the map is consistent with the answer
choices. Choice (A) seems like a good choice because Harpers Ferry is directly at the
meeting point of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, so keep it. Eliminate (B) because
there is not enough information to support the 20-mile northeast approximation from
Bolivar to Harpers Ferry. Choice (C) is also unsupported because Harpers Ferry is across
the Shenandoah from Virginia, not Maryland, so eliminate (C). Choice (D) is incorrect
because the Adirondack Mountains are not even on the map (they are actually in upstate
New York). Choice (A) is correct.
C Use POE for this question, as there doesn’t seem to be a specific rule being tested.
Eliminate (A) because it is an ambiguous pronoun that could refer to either the armory or
the Civil War. Choice (B) is incorrect because war should not be the subject of this phrase
as though it saw Harpers Ferry literally change hands. Same goes for (D), as eight should
not be the subject of the phrase. Choice (C) makes it clear that it was Harpers Ferry that
changed hands, making it the most precise answer choice and the correct answer.
B If you look at the answer choices, you may notice that there isn’t a huge difference between
them; watch out for redundancy and try to be concise. The sentence uses the word crucial
already, so eliminate (A), (C), and (D), which mean the same thing as crucial. The answer
is (B).
A Notice the question! Use POE to find an answer choice that is consistent with the major
importance of Brown’s raid. A national discussion started because of the raid, so keep
(A). Choice (B) suggests the raid’s importance, but Herman Melville is not mentioned
anywhere else in the passage, so eliminate (B). Eliminate (C) and (D) because neither deals
with the impact of the raid after the fact. Choice (A) is the answer.
D The correct answer to this question needs to contrast the positive terms of hero and freedom
fighter, so eliminate (B), which is also positive. Eliminate (A) because, taken literally,
filthy means “unclean” and doesn’t really contrast hero. Choice (C) is slang, and therefore
incorrect. Choice (D) works because vile is consistent with terrorist and contrasts the
positive tone of hero.
B Use POE to find the clearest and most concise answer choice. Eliminate (A) and (D)
because both use the ambiguous pronoun it. Choice (C) is incorrect because it’s unclear
how Brown’s rally was named. This would change the overall meaning of the sentence.
Choice (B) is the clearest and most concise, and therefore the correct answer.
A The underlined portion uses a period, so check for complete and incomplete ideas. The
period here separates two complete ideas, so the period is STOP punctuation that is being
used correctly. Eliminate (D) because the transition and is used after the semicolon, turning
the complete idea into an incomplete one. Choice (A) is correct.