Grammar plays always an important role in English. Correct grammar is your key to crack the English section in the SAT. Knowing your grammar will help you avoid errors that make your English fabulous

 

Here are a few rules below to ace the SAT Exam 

 

 

#SUBJECT AND VERB NUMBER AGREEMENT

 

One SAT grammar rule that’s constantly tested is subject-verb agreement.

 

One aspect of this rule you should keep straight is the number agreement. What that means simply is this: singular with the singular, plural with plural. If your sentence’s subject is singular (meaning one), then the accompanying verb must be singular too.

 

The same logic applies to a plural subject. A plural verb must accompany a plural subject. Never mix plural and singular together in the same sentence. If you see a combination on the SAT test, know that it’s there to trip you up.

 

 

#COLLECTIVE NOUNS ARE SINGULAR IN NATURE

 

To make things confusing, the SAT Language and Writing Test will throw in collective nouns to mess with your understanding of the subject-verb agreement.

 
That means for you is this: grouping words, used in context, referring to various individuals are singular subjects. Words like “team”, “group”, “jury”, “crowd”, “class”, “panel”, “committee” are common collective nouns.

 

If you see one of these words used in any sentence, remember that even though it refers to multiple people, the collection of them is understood as a singular subject; a singular verb must be used in that case. If the word refers to multiple collected groups, like “crowds” for example, then the verb must be plural too.

 

 

#PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES DO NOT INFLUENCE SUBJECT NUMBER

 

Remember this in case of prepositions on the SAT test – they are not to be used when determining if the subject is singular or plural.

 

To determine whether the subject is singular or plural, refer back to the main noun that’s being modified. For example, “the team of employees are talented” is incorrect. Why? Because it’s assuming the preposition ‘of’ is referring mainly to players, so it uses are, a plural verb.

 

The main verb being modified is “team”, which is singular; the sentence should read “the team of employees is talented.” The SAT will use prepositional phrase tricks like this to test your understanding.

 

 

#LIMIT YOUR WORD COUNT

 

Often, shorter sentences are your best friend.

 

Among answer choices, the shortest yet grammatically correct one that communicates all of the information is correct. Moreover, shorter sentences are much easier to understand and use in writing. On the test, any answer choices that unnecessarily add words or phrases that don’t communicate anything can be discarded.

 

 

#AVOID COMMA SPLICES

 

A comma splice is easy to do; however, it’s incorrect.

 

Comma splices occur when two complete, independent thoughts (or clauses) are only separated by a comma. Run-on sentences are the most common result of comma splicing.

 

When using a comma, make sure that both thoughts cannot exist by themselves entirely. If they can exist independently, then you need to adjust your punctuation accordingly.

 

 

#SEMICOLONS CAN JOIN COMPLETE THOUGHTS

 

To easily fix a comma splice, use a semicolon instead.

 

Semicolons function similarly to periods. They are able to clearly indicate two complete, independent thoughts. More importantly, if those two thoughts refer to one another, a semicolon can link them together.

 

On the SAT, remember that if you see a semicolon used and both clauses aren’t independent then it’s incorrect. More importantly, if you find a comma splice, substitute a semicolon into the sentence instead.

 

 

#BE MINDFUL OF CONTEXT

 

Every word used has to make sense within the context.

 

The SAT eliminated its once-feared Vocabulary section, meaning that you no longer have to have command of difficult, obscure words. However, the new test will check your understanding of moderately-difficult words. Questions will throw incorrect word choices at you through homophones (words that sound the same but with different definitions) and words with multiple meanings.

 

One efficient way to check vocabulary in a sentence is to analyze each word and ensure every single one makes sense in the context of the presented information. If a word sounds like it should be correct, but you know it actually means something else then there’s a problem.

 

 

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