Some Grammar Rules for SAT Writing

Here are some SAT grammar rules that you need to learn and understand before test day.
#1: Select the Correct Word Based on the Context of the Given Sentence
Word choice questions are common on the SAT​. A word will be underlined, and based on the context,
you have to select the best word to complete the sentence. These questions can be difficult because they
require knowledge of vocabulary. There are two common types of word choice questions.
Type #1: Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. Here are some examples of
homophones that have appeared on the practice SATs: ​fare/fair, cite/sight/site, then/than,
there/their/they're, and its/it's​. You should know what each of these words means and how it's used.

The sentence is comparing the cafe to a fair. Based on the context, the word "fair," which means an
exhibition, usually with food and entertainment, is correct. There are multiple meanings of the word "fare,"
but it often refers to the money you pay for transportation, as in "bus fare." Clearly, the word "fare" doesn't
make sense in this context, so you can immediately eliminate answer choice C.
Next, we need to determine if we should use "then" or "than." You use the word "than" to make
comparisons and "then" to refer to time. Because the sentence is comparing the cafe to a fair, ​the
correct answer is B​.
​Type #2: Related Words
The second type of word choice error involves synonyms or related words. A word will be underlined and
the answer choices will be related words. However, only one word will be correct given the context of the
sentence.
For these types of questions, quickly go through each choice to see which one makes the most sense
given the context. Based on the context of this sentence, we're looking for a word that indicates that the
officials gave permission for the cat paintings to be made.
The word "forced" sounds too strong in this context, and generally, you don't "license" a painting to be
made. The word "decreed," which means to order or command, also seems too harsh given the context.
The word "commissioned" can mean hiring an artist to create a work. It's the only word that's typically
used with artwork, and it's the most appropriate word for this sentence. ​The correct answer is B​.
It's difficult to prepare for these questions because you don't know the specific words that will
appear on the SAT​. However, it is recommended to use the word choice questions on the practice SATs
to help you study. Also, try to identify the subtle differences in the meanings of the words in the answer
choices to help select the best word to complete the sentence.
#2: Use the Fewest Words Possible
Typically, the shortest grammatically correct answer choice that expresses the same information as the
original sentence will be the right answer. Shorter sentences are more concise and easier to understand.
On the SAT, words or phrases may be unnecessarily added to a sentence. Here's an example
sentence with a redundancy error:

Every year, Jane runs the Los Angeles Marathon annually.

In this sentence, the word "annually" means that she runs the marathon every year. ​Because the
sentence starts with "every year," the word "annually" is unnecessary​. It doesn't add any new
information to the sentence, and it should be eliminated.
Here's another example of a wordy sentence:

George is a person who is angry in nature.

This is a corrected version of the sentence:

George is an angry person.

The corrected sentence conveys the same information as the original but in a much more concise
manner.
Answer choices A, B, and C are redundant. The phrase "and other countries" already implies that there
are other items on the list. ​The correct answer is D​.
​#3: Use the Correct Idiomatic Expression
Idiom questions can be challenging because ​they don't conform to specific rules​. You have to rely on
your knowledge of specific phrases and standard English conventions to answer these questions
correctly. In most idiom questions on the SAT, you'll be asked to determine which preposition to use in a
given sentence. Check out this example sentence with a prepositional idiom error:

Incorrect:​ After getting suspended, Herbert decided to focus at improving his behavior.

Correct:​ After getting suspended, Herbert decided to focus on improving his behavior.

There is no rule to learn to help identify this error, but the correct expression is "focus on."

The correct expression is "as a means of," and ​the answer is B​.

#4: Keep Verb Tenses Consistent

The general rule regarding verb consistency is that ​verbs should remain consistent in tense or form
throughout a sentence​. Here's an example of a consistency error:

Last week, Frank rented a car and drives to Las Vegas.

The verb "drives" should be in the past tense. Not only should "drives" be consistent with the past tense
"rented," but also the phrase "Last week" indicates that this was something that happened in the past.
This is the corrected version of the sentence:

Last week, Frank rented a car and drove to Las Vegas.

Also, on the SAT, ​the verb tenses of surrounding sentences can provide context clues for the
proper tense to use in a given sentence to maintain consistency​. Here's another example of a
consistency error:
 Trenton lives in a rural area. He enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The shift from the present tense "lives" to the past tense "enjoyed" doesn't make sense in context. Here is
a corrected version of the sentence:

Trenton lives in a rural area. He enjoys the peace and quiet.

In this sentence, the verbs "is" and "serves" indicate that the underlined verb should be in the present
tense. Answer choices B and D are not present tense verbs. Answer choice A is wrong because the "it" is
redundant. ​The correct answer is C​.
#5: Surround Non-Essential Clauses With Commas
The SAT tests a number of comma rules, and these are two that you need to know.
Relative Clauses: Essential vs. Non-Essential
Relative clauses are dependent clauses that describe a noun and start with a relative pronoun or adverb
like "who," "that," "which," or "where." The basic rule is that ​essential clauses shouldn't be surrounded
by commas and non-essential clauses should be​.
What's a Essnetial Clause?
Restrictive clauses are necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ​You can't take an essential clause
out of a sentence without effectively changing the meaning of the sentence​. Here's an example:

Students who read regularly are prepared for the SAT.

If you remove the clause "who read regularly," the meaning of the sentence would be substantially
changed. You'd be left with "Students are prepared for the SAT." Because you can't remove the clause
without changing the meaning of the sentence, this clause shouldn't be surrounded by commas.
What's a Non-Essential Clause?
A non-essential clause isn't essential to the meaning of the sentence​. If you got rid of the clause,
you'd have less information, but the overall meaning of the sentence would remain the same. Here's an
example sentence with the non-essential clause underlined.
 Joe's parents, ​who constantly call him​, are very overprotective.

The clause "who constantly call him" adds more information about Joe's parents, but if it were removed,
the meaning of the sentence would be the same. There would be less information about Joe's parents,
but they would still be described as overprotective. This is what the sentence looks like after removing the
non-essential clause:

Joe's parents are very overprotective.

What Is an Appositive?
An appositive is a descriptive phrase that doesn't include a verb. Similar to a non-essential clause, ​an
appositive can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence​. Here's an example with
the appositive underlined:

Val, ​a Wisconsin native​, loves fried cheese curds.

If we get rid of the appositive, the sentence still has the same meaning:

Val loves fried cheese curds.

In this sentence, "the centerpiece" is an appositive that adds more information about the mural. Because
appositives must be surrounded by commas, there should be a comma after "centerpiece." Immediately,
we know that A and C are wrong. In answer choice D, the dash can be used like a comma, but you can't
separate a clause with a comma and a dash. There would have to be a dash after "mural" for answer
choice D to be right. ​The correct answer is B​.

#6: Commas Can't Separate Two Complete Thoughts

A comma splice is when ​two independent clauses, or complete thoughts, are separated by a
comma​, and comma splices create a grammatical error known as a run-on sentence. A run-on sentence
occurs when two or more independent clauses aren't separated by the correct punctuation. Here's an
example of a comma splice:

Ken likes Selena Gomez, she is his favorite singer.

The clauses before and after the comma are complete thoughts that could stand alone as sentences.
There are a few ways to correct a comma splice. You can put a conjunction after the comma:
 Ken likes Selena Gomez, and she is his favorite singer.

Also, you can put a relative pronoun after the comma:

Ken likes Selena Gomez, who is his favorite singer.

Finally, you can use a semicolon to correctly separate two complete thoughts:

Ken likes Selena Gomez; she is his favorite singer.

This is an example of a comma splice. The sentence up until "legs" is a complete thought that could stand
alone as a sentence, and the rest of the sentence starting with "they" is also a complete thought. Both A
and B are comma splices. Answer choice D is wrong because a conjunction is needed to connect "are
characterized" and "are covered." ​The correct answer is C​.
​#7: Semicolons Separate Two Complete Thoughts
Semicolons function like periods (full-stops); they separate two independent clauses​. You should
be able to replace semicolons with periods (full-stop). On the SAT, you may find a randomly placed
semicolon, or you may need to replace a comma with a semicolon to fix a comma splice. Here are
example sentences with semicolons used correctly and incorrectly:

Incorrect:​ Because Teresa wanted to please her family; she became a doctor.

Correct:​ Teresa wanted to please her family; she became a doctor.

The second sentence is correct because the clauses on both sides of the semicolon are independent and
could stand alone as sentences.
The clause before the semicolon is not a complete thought; therefore, the semicolon is being used
incorrectly. Answer choice C unnecessarily adds "and," and answer choice B is wrong because it places a
colon after a dependent clause. ​The correct answer is D​.

#8: A Colon Must Come After an Independent Clause

Colons are usually used to introduce lists or explanations. The key rule for colons is that ​they must come
after a complete sentence​. If you end the sentence where the colon is placed, the sentence should
make sense and be a complete thought.

Incorrect:​ Meena enjoys multiple genres of music like: alternative, rap, heavy metal, and country.

Correct:​ Meena enjoys multiple genres of music: alternative, rap, heavy metal, and country.

The first sentence is incorrect because the part of the sentence that comes before the colon isn't a
complete thought.

Because the clause before the colon is a complete thought and it's setting up a list, the colon is being
used correctly. The types of people listed after the colon are the narrator's colleagues. Because
"colleagues" isn't part of the list, you can't substitute the colon for a comma. Also, you can't use a
semicolon in place of the colon because there isn't a complete thought after the punctuation. ​The correct
answer is A​.

​#9: Use Apostrophes Correctly to Form Possessives

The SAT tests you on how to use apostrophes to correctly form possessives. Luckily, the rules for forming
possessives are pretty straightforward. ​If the word is singular or plural but doesn't end in "s," then
you add an "s" after the apostrophe to form a possessive​. Here are a couple of examples:

I shall be paying a visit to the men's restroom.

My computer's monitor is rather dirty.

To create a possessive for a plural word that does end in "s," just add an apostrophe after the "s."
Check it out:

Juan thinks his parents' rules are too strict.

Also, only use apostrophes for possessives or contractions. Contractions are formed when you combine
two words. Examples include it's (it is), don't (do not), and isn't (is not). ​Don't use apostrophes to create
plural nouns​.

Because the body is being discussed in general terms, we should use the singular possessive in this
sentence; the sentence is referring to the biological clocks of the body. We can immediately get rid of A
because "bodies" is a plural noun; it's not in the possessive form.
Also, answer choice B is wrong because bodies' is the plural possessive form. Additionally, there
shouldn't be an apostrophe after the "s" in "clocks." Don't use apostrophes to form plural nouns; only use
apostrophes for possessives and contractions. Similarly, answer choice D is wrong because of the
apostrophe before the "s" in clocks; ​the correct answer is C​.

#10: Subjects and Verbs Must Agree

Subjects and verbs must agree, meaning that you must use the singular form of a verb with a singular
subject and the plural form of a verb with a plural subject. Here's an example:

Incorrect:​ High school students loves learning grammar rules.

Correct:​ High school students love learning grammar rules.

If the verb is in the present tense and the subject is in the third person (he/she/it/they), the verb usually
ends in "s" in the singular form and doesn't in the plural form. In the example sentence, the subject is
"students," which is plural; therefore the verb should be in the plural form.
On the SAT, subject verb agreement questions can be more difficult because there may be a phrase
separating the subject from the verb. Check out this example:

Incorrect:​ The members of the committee meets every Tuesday.

Correct:​ The members of the committee meet every Tuesday.

The subject of the sentence is "members," which is plural. Therefore, the verb should be in the plural
form. The prepositional phrase "of the committee" separates the subject from the verb. If a verb is
underlined on the SAT, make sure that you identify the subject that corresponds with that verb to ensure
that the subject and verb agree. Also, keep in mind that ​a subject can never be part of a prepositional
phrase​.

To determine if there's a subject verb agreement error, we have to identify the subject that
corresponds with the verb "portrays." What portrays animals? The works of art do. The phrase in
between the commas separates the subject from the verb. The subject is plural because "works"
is plural and "of art" is a prepositional phrase. The plural form of "portrays" is "portray," and the
correct answer is C. Answer choices B and D are not plural verbs; "portraying" is a gerund that
would create a fragment, and "has portrayed" is the singular form of the present perfect tense.

#11: Modifiers Must Be Next to What They're Modifying

The general rule regarding modifiers is that ​they must be next to what they're modifying​. The most
common type of modifier error on the SAT is a dangling modifier. When a sentence begins with a
modifying phrase, the introductory phrase must be immediately followed by a comma and then the noun
the phrase is describing. Here's an example of a dangling modifier:

A determined writer, Jessica's goal is to get her first novel published this year.

The way the sentence is written makes it seem like Jessica's goal is a determined writer. There are a
couple of ways to fix the sentence. You can place the noun that is being modified right after the comma:
 A determined writer, Jessica has a goal of getting her first novel published this year.

Or you can place the subject in the introductory phrase:

Because Jessica is a determined writer, her goal is to get her first novel published this year.

This sentence makes it seem like the visitor was dotted with pin-sized knobs. Logically, the sentence
should indicate that the drawers were dotted with pin-sized knobs. Similarly, answer choices B and C are
misplaced modifiers that infer that the there was a visitor dotted with knobs. ​The correct answer is D​.

#12: Pronouns Must Agree With Their Antecedents in Number

This rule means that ​a plural pronoun must refer to a plural noun and a singular pronoun must refer
to a singular noun​. Here's an example of a pronoun number agreement error:

Kristin sold their car.

The pronoun "their" is referring to the car of Kristin. Because Kristin is one person and "their" is a plural
pronoun, this sentence has a pronoun agreement error. This is the corrected version:

Kristin sold her car.

It's easy to make a careless mistake on this question because you may see the singular pronoun "it" and
assumed the underlined pronoun should be singular as well. However, the pronouns have different
antecedents. The word "it" refers to 1-MCP, which is singular, and "their" refers to apples, which is plural.
The possessive pronoun agrees with the antecedent, and there's no error.
Answer choice A is correct​. Answer choice C is a singular possessive pronoun, D is the contraction of
"it is," and B is a homophone of the correct answer, but it's the wrong word.

Other SAT Writing Grammar Rules

While the rules I explained are the most often tested on SAT Writing, ​there are some other grammar
rules that will be tested​. Here are links to other articles that explain the remaining grammatical rules you
need to know for the SAT. These are articles for ACT English, but again, because the two sections are so
similar, you can use these articles to prepare:
● Punctuation
● Everything You Need to Know About Commas
● Relative Pronouns
● Pronoun Case
● Run-ons and Fragments
● Parallelism