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Some SAT questions give you four choices that all mean about the same thing. Nothing is misspelled. The question asks which choice says it most concisely — the same meaning in the fewest words.
The answer is the shortest choice that still keeps every piece of the meaning. Compare Due to the fact that the wind was strong, the race ended up being canceled with The race was canceled because the wind was too strong. Both give the same two facts, and the second uses fewer words.
Watch for phrases that say the same thing twice: free gift, combined together, past history, in the year 1937. Watch for verbs stretched into phrases: made a decision is just decided.
Other questions show a student's notes and a goal. The right answer covers every part of the goal. A choice can be perfectly true and still be wrong if it only covers half.
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