Today’s SAT question of the day is a spicy improving question with a subordinate clause problem. In its most basic form, the sentence says:

The variety of spices used in cooking, including salt and, it depends on the recipe’s origin, other spices.

In this case, the verb “depends” needs to match the verb that precedes it (including) in order to add this clause to the sentence correctly. Think about this sentence:

I will go to several stores in the mall, including Macy’s and, depending on the time, Urban Outfitters.

This example sentence is just like today’s question of the day, minus the error. E provides this solution. Thinking of alternate sentences that use the same grammatical concepts can be a great way to find the correct answer choice – you might not “hear” exactly what’s wrong in the SAT question, but you will most likely phrase your alternate sentence correctly, thereby illuminating the problem and the solution all at once.