PUNCTUATION CHECKLIST
Periods
• At the end of a declarative sentence
(sentence that makes a statement)
➞Today, I took a walk to nowhere.
• At the end of a command or request ➞
Here’s a cloth. Now gently burp the
baby on your shoulder.
• At the end of an indirect question ➞
Jane asked if I knew where she had left
her keys.
• Before a decimal number ➞
Statisticians claim that the average
family raises 2.5 children.
• Between dollars and cents ➞ I
remember when $1.50 could buy the
coolest stuff.
• After an initial in a person’s name ➞
You are Sir James W. Dewault, are you
not?
• After an abbreviation ➞ On Jan.12, I
leave for Africa.
Question Marks
• At the end of a question ➞ Why do you
look so sad?
• Inside a quotation mark when the
quote is a question ➞ She asked, “Why
do you look so sad?”
Exclamation Points
• At the end of a word, phrase, or
sentence filled with emotion ➞ Hurry
up! I cannot be late for the meeting!
• Inside a quotation mark when the
quote is an exclamation ➞ The woman
yelled, “Hurry up! I cannot be late for
the meeting!”
Quotation Marks
• When directly quoting dialogue, not
when paraphrasing ➞ Hamlet says, “To
be, or not to be. That is the question.”
• For titles of chapters, articles, short
stories, poems, songs, or periodicals ➞
My favorite poem is “The Road Not
Taken.”
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Semicolons
• Between two independent clauses (an
independent clause is a complete
thought. It has a subject and a
predicate.) ➞ Edward joined the
basketball team; remarkably, the 5 4́ ̋
young man excelled at the sport.
• Between elements in a series that uses
commas ➞ The possible dates for the
potluck dinner are Thurs- day, June 5;
Saturday, June 7; or Monday, June 9.
Colons
• Between two complete ideas when the
second idea explains the first. ➞ Keri
pushed her dinner away: She had eaten
on the car ride home.
• Before a list ➞ Grandma brought
Chloe’s favorite three sweets: chocolate
kisses, Tootsie Rolls, and a Snickers bar.
• Between titles and subtitles ➞ Finding
Your Dream Home: A Buyer’s Guide.
• Between volumes and page numbers
➞ Marvel Comics 21:24
• Betweenchaptersandverse➞Job4:12
• Between hours and minutes ➞ It’s 2:00
a.m. — time to sleep.
Apostrophes
• Where letters or numbers have been
deleted —a sin a contraction ➞ I
looked at my father and whispered,
“It’s (It is) okay to cry every so often.”
• At the end of a name where there is
ownership (remember to also add an s
after the apostrophe if the word or
name does not end in an s already)
➞Mary Jane’s horse sprained his ankle
during practice.
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 Commas
• Between items in dates and addresses
➞ Michael arrived at Ellis Island, New
York, on February 14, 1924.
• Between words in a list ➞ The
university hired a woman to direct the
Bursar’s, Financial Aid, and Registrar’s
offices.
• Between equally important adjectives
(be careful not to separate adjectives
that describe each other) ➞ The
reporter spoke with several intense,
talented high school athletes.
• After a tag that precedes a direct quote
➞ David whined, “I am famished.”
• In a quote that precedes a tag and is
not a question or an exclamation ➞ “I
am famished,” whined David.
• Around non-essential clauses,
parenthetical phrases, and appositives
(A nonessential or nonrestrictive clause
is a word or group of words that are
not necessary for the sentence’s
completion; a parenthetical phrase
interrupts the flow of a sentence; and
an appositive is a word or group of
words that rename the noun preceding
them) ➞ Matt’s mother, Janie
(appositive), who has trouble with
directions (non- essential clause), had
to ask for help.
• After introductory words, phrases, and
clauses➞ Hoping for the best, we
checked our luggage.
• Before conjunctions (Conjunctions are
words that link two independent
clauses together) ➞ Drew wanted to
experience ballroom dancing before his
wedding, so he signed up for lessons at
a local hall.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

A sentence is like a Christmas present: Assembly is always required. Fortunately, the instructions are
fairly basic. Every sentence must have at least a subject and a predicate. The subject is the focus of
the sentence; it is the who or the what the sentence is about. The predicate describes the subject; it
explains what the subject is or what the subject is doing. The completed idea is called a clause, and it
is the building block of all sentences.

First, you have to know these terms:

• Independent clause: a clause that expresses a complete thought. ➞ Monica walked on the
grass.
• Dependent (subordinate) clause: a clause that does not express a complete thought. ➞
Though it was wet
• A complete thought ➞ Though it was wet, Monica walked on the grass.
• Essential clause: a dependent clause that is necessary to the basic meaning of the
completed sentence. ➞ who are pregnant
Women who are pregnant can crave salty or sweet foods.
• Non-essential clause: a dependent clause that is not necessary to the basic meaning of the
completed sentence. ➞ who growls whenever the phone rings
Elmo, who growls whenever the phone rings, tried to attack the vacuum cleaner.
• Phrase: a group of words that lack either a subject or a predicate. ➞ I nearly spring
In early spring, I notice a change in people’s attitudes.

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 • Appositive: a phrase that makes a preceding noun or pronoun clearer or more definite by
explaining or identifying it. ➞ rice pudding and fruit salad
Candice’s grandfather brought her favorite desserts, rice pudding and fruit salad.
• Fragment: a phrase punctuated like a sentence even though it does not express a complete
thought. ➞ Timothy saw the car. And ran.
• Coordinating Conjunction: a word that when preceded by a comma or a semicolon joins two
independent and equal clauses. (and, but, so, or, for, nor, yet) ➞ Dorothy had a beautiful
rose garden, and her yard was a profusion of color every summer.
• Subordinating Conjunction: a word that makes a clause a dependent clause (after, although,
as, because, before, if, once, since, than, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where,
wherever, while) ➞ After the accident, mourners covered the beaches nearest to the tragedy
with roses.
• Conjunctive Adverb: a word that introduces a relationship between two independent
clauses (accordingly, besides, consequently, furthermore, hence, however, instead,
moreover, nevertheless, otherwise, then, therefore, thus) ➞ On Tuesdays, I play racquetball;
otherwise, I would go with you.

To construct a sentence:

• Always have at least one independent clause in the sentence.

• Join two independent clauses with a semicolon or a comma and conjunction.
➞ Chaucer was a narrator, and he was a pilgrim in his Canterbury Tales.
• Do not run two or more independent clauses together without punctuation; that error is
appropriately called a run-on. Wrong: Chaucer was a narrator and he was a pilgrim in his
Canterbury Tales.
• Do not separate two independent clauses with just a comma; that error is called a comma
splice. Wrong: Chaucer was a narrator, he was a pilgrim in his Canterbury Tales.
• Do not use a conjunctive adverb (the words accordingly, besides, consequently, furthermore,
hence, however, instead, moreover, nevertheless, otherwise, then, therefore, thus) like a
conjunction. Wrong: Chaucer was a narrator, moreover he was a pilgrim in his Canterbury
Tales.
• Use a comma after a conjunctive adverb when it follows a semicolon. (See Conjunctive
Adverbs)
• Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses. (See Subordinating Clauses)
• Use commas around nonessential clauses. Do not use commas around essential clauses.
(See Nonessential and Essential Clauses)
• Use commas around appositives. (See Appositives)
• Use commas around parenthetical elements (a word or group of words that interrupt a
sentence’s flow). ➞ Mrs. Moses, that mean old crone, yelled at little Paula for laughing too
loud!

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TRANSITIONS

Continuer Contradictory words Cause and effect

And But Because
Also Yet So
Furthermore However Thus
Additionally/In addition to Although/though Consequently
For example/For instance While Therefore
Finally Whereas As such
That is In spite of/despite of As a result of
In fact On the contrary Accordingly
Indeed In contrast Since
Similarly Even so Hence
Likewise Still Subsequently
Then Nevertheless
Next Meanwhile/otherwise

How to Approach Transition Word Questions

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you correctly answer transition word questions.

1. Read Until the End of the Sentence

This advice goes for all SAT Writing questions. To ensure that you properly understand the context
and are able to correctly determine the right transition word to use, you need to read the entire
sentence to effectively determine the relationship between the sentences.

2. Cross Out the Underlined Word

Next, cross out the underlined word. Otherwise, if you don’t immediately recognize an obvious
error, you may be biased in favor of the original phrasing.

3. Determine Which Word You Would Use

Decide which transition word you would use to connect the sentences. You may find that exact word
or a synonym in the answer choices.

4. Identify the Type of Relationship

Determine whether the sentences have a continuer, contrast, or causation relationship. In rare
cases, they may have a different relationship. If you’re not sure, think about whether you would
connect the sentences with and (addition), but (contrast), or so/because (causation).

5. Narrow Down Your Choices

Once you know what you’re looking for, eliminate the choices that don’t make sense or aren’t
grammatical.

6. Plug In Your Answer

When you think you have selected the right answer, plug it into the original sentence to make sure
the transition is logical.

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Concision and Redundancy

There are times when saying something twice is needed: for emphasis, to review a difficult topic, or
to explain something more clearly. The SAT, however, is all about being as succinct and to the point
as possible.

Your ability to edit the fat out of sentences is tested in three ways: fixing overly wordy phrases,
finding redundancies, and combining two simple sentences into a more complex one.

Overly Wordy Phrases

The SAT deeply believes in Shakespeare's maxim that “brevity is the soul of wit”: if you can say the
same thing with fewer words, do it.

It’s tempting to think that when a sentence uses a multi-word phrase where a single word will do,
the sentence sounds formal or more academic. But this is not the case. Often, one word is better
than many words (examples 1 and 2).

Sometimes, a sentence might use words that don’t serve any purpose and don’t even need to be
replaced but rather deleted altogether (examples 3 and 4).

Examples

Error: Thinking in a manner more general, we can say that good schools enable people to learn
more.
Fix: Generally, we can say that good schools enable people to learn more.

Error: The company might not be awarded the contract because it lacks production facilities, making
it a worse choice from a theoretical way of speaking.
Fix: The company might not be awarded the contract because it lacks production facilities, making
it a worse choice theoretically.

Error: Although hesitant to challenge herself at first, the student decided to enroll in three AP
courses, two honors courses, and an intensive art course on top of that.
Fix: Although hesitant to challenge herself at first, the student decided to enroll in three AP courses,
two honors courses, and an intensive art course.

Error: When the audience stood to applaud the speaker, it was clear that her words had had a
marvelous, even stupendous, effect on the crowd.
Fix: When the audience stood to applaud the speaker, it was clear that her words had had a
marvelous effect on the crowd.

Redundancy

If a sentence expresses the same bit of information two or more times, it’s considered
redundant. Pick the best way of stating the necessary fact and delete the repetition.

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Examples

Words or phrases that mean the same thing as each other are underlined.

Error: The stock market might repeat its drop and rise pattern again, warns the financial forecast.
Fix: The stock market might repeat its drop and rise pattern, warns the financial forecast.

Error: Soon a relative calm period followed quickly after the brunt of the cyclone had passed.
Fix: A relative calm period followed quickly after the brunt of the cyclone had passed.

Error: Management was surprised to see a biannual uptick in sales twice each year.
Fix: Management was surprised to see a biannual uptick in sales.

Combining Simple Sentences

Sometimes, in order to write with concision, you have to combine simple or related sentences into
one. Don’t worry about keeping word order, as this kind of revision often requires you to shift things
around.

To combine sentences correctly, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is there a person, place, thing, or concept that both sentences are talking about? If so, you
can make one sentence into a dependent clause of the other through the repeated noun
(example 1).

• Is there a chronological sequence that the two sentences are describing? Then you can
make one into a dependent clause of the other using prepositions such as before,
after, and following (example 2).

• Does one sentence define the other? Combine them by inserting whatever is being defined
into the defining sentence (example 3).

Examples

The nouns, chronology, or definitions used to combine the sentences that are underlined.

Error: The voting rate has not decreased among uneducated citizens. Uneducated voters continue to
vote for better schools.
Fix: The voting rate has not decreased among uneducated citizens, who continue to vote for better
schools.

Error: Young musicians are encouraged to perfect their techniques and skills through their
conservatory training. After this, they can start their careers in small, local orchestras.
Fix: After perfecting their techniques and skills through their conservatory training, young musicians
can start their careers in small, local orchestras.

Error: The conclusion scientists came to is the idea that instead of being made up of particles, matter
is actually made out of one-dimensional objects called strings. This is string theory.

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Fix: The conclusion scientists came to is string theory, the idea that instead of being made up of
particles, matter is actually made out of one-dimensional objects called strings.

Idioms and Conventional Expressions

The SAT tests your knowledge of common English usage, including two types of idioms.

First, there are expressions that mean something different from the actual words being used (such
as raining cats and dogs or kick the bucket). Secondly, there are short phrases or groups of words
that always go together (such as stumble on or keep at bay).

You'll also be asked to distinguish among frequently confused homonyms—that is, words that
sound like each other but are used in different circumstances as they mean different things. One
common example is bear vs bare.

Verbal Phrases

The SAT particularly loves one type of idiom called verbal phrases, which are verb + preposition
pairs, and wants to check that you know for sure which preposition is correct.

Examples

Error: The show was followed on an encore.

Fix: The show was followed by an encore.

Error: She is responsible of returning her library books.

Fix: She is responsible for returning her library books.

Error: One should refrain for texting while driving.

Fix: One should refrain from texting while driving.

Prepositional Idioms

These are just like verbal phrases except they don’t involve verbs; rather, they're groups of words
that always end on a specific preposition.

Examples

Error: The translucent sculpture used light as a means through connecting viewers standing across
from each other.
Fix: The translucent sculpture used light as a means of connecting viewers standing across from each
other.

Error: In accordance to these findings, future research will focus on analyzing the effect of facial
expressions on mirror neurons.
Fix: In accordance with these findings, future research will focus on analyzing the effect of facial
expressions on mirror neurons.

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Commonly Confused Words

English has a lot of words that sound similar to each other but mean very different things. Here is
a very incomplete list of examples of these words (you can find more by searching for “commonly
confused words” on Google):

Accept: to receive (verb)

Except: with the exclusion of (preposition)

Affect: to influence (verb); emotional response (noun)

Effect: result (noun); to cause (verb)

Beside: close to; next to

Besides: except for; in addition to

Complement: something that completes (noun); to pair well with (verb)

Compliment: praise, flattery (noun)

Eminent: prominent
Imminent: about to happen

Precede: to come before

Proceed: to continue, to keep going

Sight: scene, view, picture, being able to see

Site: place, location; a web page
Cite: to quote, to point to evidence

Then: an adverb denoting time

Than: a conjunction used in comparisons

Examples

Error: After losing his hearing, Beethoven had to rely on his imagination to hear his music,
rather then listening to musicians perform it.
Fix: After losing his hearing, Beethoven had to rely on his imagination to hear his music,
rather than listening to musicians perform it.

Error: Despite hours of work, the web administration team was unable to restore the sight after the
denial of service attack.
Fix: Despite hours of work, the web administration team was unable to restore the site after the
denial of service attack.

Error: The presidential candidate used rhetorical flourishes to great affect in his speech and received
a standing ovation.
Fix: The presidential candidate used rhetorical flourishes to great effect in his speech and received a
standing ovation.

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Language Formality

When writing for school, work, or publication in a news or scientific journal, you have to use formal
English. This means you need to avoid slang and words and phrases that sound too casual. It’s
important to keep each sentence at the same language elevation.

Examples

Error: A bunch of guys doing experiments was able to synthesize a lithium-ion battery smaller than a
grain of sand.
Fix: A team of researchers was able to synthesize a lithium-ion battery smaller than a grain of sand.

Error: In 1559, at London’s Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth Tudor, the 25-year-old daughter of Henry
VIII and Anne Boleyn, got to become Queen Elizabeth I.
Fix: In 1559, at London’s Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth Tudor, the 25-year-old daughter of Henry VIII
and Anne Boleyn, was crowned Queen Elizabeth I.

MODIFIERS

Faulty Modifiers
A modifier is a word or phrase that describes (i.e., modifies) something. There are two kinds of
modifier problems tested on the SAT: dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers.

Dangling Modifiers
A dangling modifier is a descriptive phrase that begins a sentence, has a comma after it, and has the
noun it describes not placed right after the comma.

In the first example below, the modifier coating the sidewalk is supposed to describe the snow.
However, since we is the first word after the comma, the sentence makes it sound like we are the
ones coating the sidewalk.

Examples
Modifiers are underlined, while the nouns being correctly and incorrectly modified are in bold.

Error: Coating the sidewalk, we trudged through the heavy snow.

Fix: We trudged through the heavy snow coating the sidewalk.

Error: Long and tangled, it was difficult to comb the child's hair.
Fix: Long and tangled, the child's hair was difficult to comb.

Error: Exhausted and weak, the soldiers' uniforms were covered in frost.
Fix: Exhausted and weak, the soldiers were covered in frost.

Misplaced Modifiers
A misplaced modifier is a descriptive phrase that's not close enough to the thing it's supposed to
be describing, making it sound like it's referring to the wrong thing.

In the first example below, the modifier on the sale rack is supposed to show where the jacket is
hanging. However, since it's been placed next to too small, the sentence seems to say that it's the

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way the jacket was hanging that is too small (instead of the jacket itself). To correct it, we move the
modifier closer to the noun it describes.

Examples
Modifiers are underlined, while the things being correctly and incorrectly modified are in bold.

Error: The jacket was too small on the sale rack.

Fix: The jacket on the sale rack was too small.

Error: Ray wore his one-collared shirt to the job interview, which was stained with mustard.
Fix: Ray wore his one-collared shirt, which was stained with mustard, to the job interview.

Error: She handed out brownies to children wrapped in foil.

Fix: She handed out brownies wrapped in foil to children.

PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION

To use parallel construction is to write a list in which all the items have the same grammatical
format. For example, if two things in a list are verbs ending in -ing, the third item should also be a
verb ending in -ing. If one item in a list is a prepositional phrase, then the second item should also be
a prepositional phrase.

Examples
Words or phrases that are already parallel are in bold, whereas those that need to be corrected to
parallel are underlined.

Error: The couple bought the concert tickets, arrived at the theater, and they sat down in their
seats.
Fix: The couple bought the concert tickets, arrived at the theater, and sat down in their seats.

Error: Painting your bedroom requires picking a color, measuring the walls, get the right tools,
and buying paint.
Fix: Painting your bedroom requires picking a color, measuring the walls, getting the right tools,
and buying paint.

Error: The workshop had a whiteboard on one wall, a set of shelves against another wall, and
a third wall had many drawers for tools.
Fix: The workshop had a whiteboard on one wall, a set of shelves against another wall, and many
drawers for tools along a third wall.

Error: Her essay focused on characters' reactions to bad news and showing how these characters
handled success.
Fix: Her essay focused on characters' reactions to bad news and showed how these characters
handled success.

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PLURALS AND POSSESSIVES

The SAT will test your understanding of how to make nouns plural (when there is two or more of
something) and how to make them possessive (when you have to explain that something belongs to
something or someone else).

To make a plural noun that doesn't own anything, add s to the end of a singular noun:

➞ one student, but three students

To make a possessive singular noun, add apostrophe + s to the end of a singular noun:

➞ the pencil that belongs to one student = the student’s pencil

To make a possessive plural noun, add an apostrophe to the end of a plural noun:

➞ the classroom that belongs to three students = the students’ classroom

Examples

Error: Every morning, many hawk’s circled the field, looking for prey.
Fix: Every morning, many hawks circled the field, looking for prey.

Error: The more I read the novel, the closer I felt to the authors’ point of view.
Fix: The more I read the novel, the closer I felt to the author’s point of view.

Error: Art Deco furniture is marked by the artists use of geometric shapes, curves, strong colors, and
new materials, such as plastics.
Fix: Art Deco furniture is marked by the artist’s use of geometric shapes, curves, strong colors, and
new materials, such as plastics.

Pronouns
A pronoun is a part of speech that stands in for a noun. For example, the pronoun she can stand in
for the woman or Queen Elizabeth. But unlike nouns, pronouns change their form if they're used in
different ways. These are the ways that pronouns are tested on the SAT.

Subject vs Object Pronouns

Nouns and pronouns can be either the subjects or the objects of verbs. Subjects do verbs and
objects have verbs done to them. For instance, in the sentence, "A dog chases its tail," dog is the
subject noun, chases is the verb that it's doing, and tail is the object noun.

Unlike nouns such as dog or tail, pronouns change form depending on whether they're subjects or
objects. For example, in the phrase she likes him, the woman is the subject, so the pronoun
is she. On the other hand, in the phrase he likes her, the woman is the object, so the pronoun
changes to her.

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 Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns
I me
you you
he him
she her
it it
we us
they them

If you’re trying to figure out whether to use a subject or object pronoun when dealing with a
compound noun, one trick is to take out the other noun and try the sentence with just the
pronoun—you’ll quickly know which is right. In the first example below, me ate dinner is clearly
wrong. In the third example as well, sold cookies to I is obviously incorrect.

Examples

Error: Me and my parents ate dinner.

Fix: My parents and I ate dinner.
Error: The tourists asked my friends and I for directions.
Fix: The tourists asked my friends and me for directions.

Error: The Girl Scouts sold cookies to my sister and I.

Fix: The Girl Scouts sold cookies to my sister and me.

Who vs Whom

Who is a relative pronoun which can start either a dependent or independent clause within a
sentence. Who is used when the pronoun is the subject doing the action, whereas whom is used
when the pronoun is the object of the action.

What's tricky about who is that figuring out whether to use its subject or object form doesn't depend
on its antecedent. Instead, you have to see what role who is playing inside its own clause.

For instance, in example 1, even though people is an object of the verb benefits, inside the
clause who understand the tax code, who is the subject of the verb understand. On the other hand,
in example 2, even though skydivers is the subject of the sentence, in the clause whom many people
greatly admire, whom is the object of the verb admire.

One trick is to replace the who or whom with I or me to see whether you need the subject or
object form. In this case, me understand the tax code doesn’t work, and neither does many people
greatly admire I.

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Examples

Subjects are bold, verbs are in italics, and objects are underlined.

Error: The essay points out that the reduction in taxes only benefits those people whom understand
the tax code.
Fix: The essay points out that the reduction in taxes only benefits those people who understand the
tax code.

Error: Skydivers, who many people greatly admire, tend to be comfortable with risk-taking and in
excellent physical shape.
Fix: Skydivers, whom many people greatly admire, tend to be comfortable with risk-taking and in
excellent physical shape.

Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

Pronouns have to match their antecedents in various ways.

This means that when we use pronouns more than once in a sentence, we have to use the
same person throughout. (To clarify: 1st person means I or we, 2nd person means you, and 3rd person
means he, she, it, or they.)

This also means that plural nouns are matched with plural pronouns, and singular pronouns refer
back to singular nouns.

Examples

Mismatched pronouns and antecedents are in bold, while matching pronouns and antecedents are
underlined.

Error: If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, you have to know the rules of the game.
Fix: If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, she has to know the rules of the game.

Error: Like its distant oceanic relatives whales, hippopotamuses can alter their density to sink or
float in water.
Fix: Like their distant oceanic relatives whales, hippopotamuses can alter their density to sink or
float in water.

Error: After acquiring several new companies, the multinational

corporation moved their headquarters to a state with more favorable tax loop holes.
Fix: After acquiring several new companies, the multinational corporation moved its headquarters to
a state with more favorable tax loop holes.

That vs Who

The basic concept behind these relative pronouns is simple: who is the pronoun for a person or
people, and that is the pronoun for everything else.

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Examples

Mismatched relative pronouns are in bold, while matching pronouns and antecedents are
underlined.

Error: Coaching can be difficult for people that have a hard time planning strategy on the field.
Fix: Coaching can be difficult for people who have a hard time planning strategy on the field.

Error: The scientific establishment who rejected Giordano Bruno’s theory that the earth revolves
around the sun later had to acknowledge its mistake.
Fix: The scientific establishment that rejected Giordano Bruno’s theory that the earth revolves
around the sun later had to acknowledge its mistake.

Error: The decision was made by the director, wanting to organize the group in a more efficient way.
Fix: The decision was made by the director, who wanted to organize the group in a more efficient
way.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to a person, place, or thing that is unknown or unspecified. Many
indefinite pronouns that seem like they're referring to multiple things or people are actually
singular.

This means that they use singular forms of verbs: everyone is instead of everyone are (examples 1
and 2). This also means that any nouns that refer to them also have to be singular and not plural: no
one wants to be a dropout instead of no one wants to be dropouts (examples 3 and 4).

Person Place Thing

everyone everywhere everything
everybody
someone somewhere something
somebody
anyone anywhere anything
anybody
no one nowhere nothing
nobody
each (of these)
either (of these)
neither (of these)

Examples

Pronouns and matching verbs or nouns are underlined, while mismatched verbs or nouns are in
bold.

Error: On big-budget movies, each of the actors have large, well-decorated trailers.
Fix: On big-budget movies, each of the actors has a large, well-decorated trailer.

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Error: Every one of the experts invited to speak at the conference were unable to make it.
Fix: Every one of the experts invited to speak at the conference was unable to make it.

Error: Anyone thinking about becoming writers must be excellent readers.

Fix: Anyone thinking about becoming a writer must be an excellent reader.

Error: Either of these desks would be great surfaces to work on.

Fix: Either of these desks would be a great surface to work on.

Its/It’s, Their/They’re/There, Your/You’re, Whose/Who’s

The different forms and abbreviations of these pronouns are frequently mixed up, but they're
something you simply have to memorize. Here are some tricks to use if you're stuck:

• Take the abbreviation apart: does it is, you are, they are, or who is work in the sentence?
Then use it’s, you’re, they’re, or who’s.
• If the sentence is trying to say that something belongs to something else, use its, your, their,
or whose.
• If the sentence is trying to point to a specific or vague place, use there.

Pronoun Definition Examples

the puppy’s toy = its toy
its belonging to it
the leg of the table = its leg

the sky is cloudy = it is cloudy = it’s cloudy

it’s it is
the book is long = it is long = it’s long

the sisters’ bedroom = their bedroom

their belonging to them
the color of walls = their color

flowers are blooming = they are blooming = they’re

blooming
they’re they are
friends are great = they are great = they’re great

in/on that place in the world exist many trees = there are many trees
there
existing somewhere the pants are on the shelf = the pants are there

your belonging to you this is my dinner, and this is your dinner

you’re you are you are delighted = you’re delighted

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 you are a student = you’re a student

I don’t know who owns this house = whose is this

whose belonging to whom?
house?

who’s who is who from the team is coming? = who’s coming?

Examples
Incorrect forms of these words are underlined, while the correct ones are bold.

Error: Who could have known that Da Vinci’s most mysterious painting would become his most
famous, with it’s unique half-smile forever expressing some unknowable emotion.
Fix: Who could have known that Da Vinci’s most mysterious painting would become his most
famous, with its unique half-smile forever expressing some unknowable emotion.

Error: Your just like all the other Americans visiting England who think that cricket is closely related
to baseball.
Fix: You’re just like all the other Americans visiting England who think that cricket is closely related
to baseball.

Error: Having several books to return to the library, Maria checks they’re due dates to make sure she
won’t have to pay any fines.
Fix: Having several books to return to the library, Maria checks their due dates to make sure she
won’t have to pay any fines.

Error: Dismayed that no one agreed with his argument, the city councilman asked, “Whosewith me
on this?”
Fix: Dismayed that no one agreed with his argument, the city councilman asked, “Who’s with me on
this?”

Error: Every study we have come across suggests that bicycles are an excellent way to get
around: there economical, good for public health, and environmentally friendly.
Fix: Every study we have come across suggests that bicycles are an excellent way to get
around: they’re economical, good for public health, and environmentally friendly.

Verbs

There are two main issues with verbs tested on the SAT: verb tenses and subject-verb agreement.

Verb Tense

There are nine basic verb tenses, three for each time period (present, past, future). Below are the
basic tenses formed from the verb to sing. As you can see, some of the verb tenses are created by
adding forms of the verbs have, be, and do.

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 Time Period Verb Forms
Simple Present: They sing.
Present Continuous: They are singing.
Present
Present Perfect: They have sung.

Simple Past: They sang.

Past Continuous: They were singing.
Past
Past Perfect: They had sung.

Future: They will sing.

Future Continuous: They will be singing.
Future
Future Perfect: They will have sung.

Generally, the idea is to keep verbs in a single sentence in the same time period, especially if a
sentence is describing things that happen during the same time period (example 1).

If a sentence contains a shift in chronological time, verb tenses should shift to account for the
change in time (example 3).

Examples

Verbs in the same tense are underlined, while verbs in the wrong tense are in bold.

Error: According to the cardiologist, since the patient’s arteries are (present) dangerously clogged
with cholesterol deposits, the medical team had (past) to check for elevated blood pressure and
other heart attack risks.
Fix: According to the cardiologist, since the patient’s arteries are (present) dangerously clogged with
cholesterol deposits, the medical team has (present) to check for elevated blood pressure and other
heart attack risks.

Error: Even though office hours had been (past) over for some time, the professor and her
student are continuing (present) their productive work on the research project.
Fix: Even though office hours have been (present) over for some time, the professor and her
student are continuing (present) their productive work on the research project.

Error: If the pace of technological advancements continues (present), in the future we

ride (present) self-driving cars.
Fix: If the pace of technological advancements continues (present), in the future we will
ride (future) self-driving cars.

Subject/Verb Agreement

Nouns and verbs are both parts of speech with numbers and are written differently if they refer to
just one thing or multiple things. One dog runs fast, for example, but two dogs run fast.

Subject/verb agreement just means that the noun and verb have the same number (singular or
plural). One point to remember is that collective nouns are singular (a “crowd of people laughs”

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instead of “crowd of people laugh”). A collective noun is a noun that stands for a group of things but
is grammatically treated as a single unit (i.e., a singular noun).

Examples

Matching subjects and verbs are underlined, while verbs that don't match subjects are in bold.

Error: A recent survey found that the furniture in most people's homes are mostly made of wood.
Fix: A recent survey found that the furniture (singular) in most people's homes is (singular) mostly
made of wood.

Error: There is a beaker and three pipettes on the top shelf of the cupboard.
Fix: There are (plural) a beaker and three pipettes (plural) on the top shelf of the cupboard.

Error: I am trying to read the name of the store across the street, but a crowd of people keepgetting
in the way.
Fix: I am trying to read the name of the store across the street, but a crowd (singular) of
people keeps (singular) getting in the way.

Illogical Comparisons

There are two different kinds of comparisons that break the rules of logic.

The first relies on the idea that you can only compare things that are alike in some way. One trick
to spotting illogical comparisons is that they tend to happen when a sentence is comparing
something that belongs to someone or something else by using the comparison word than. You have
to make sure that the two things on either side of the than are in the same category (examples 1 and
2).

For instance, you can compare apples and oranges because both are fruits. But if both Stanley and
Cora have apples, you can't say the following:

➞ I like Stanley's apples better than Cora.

You'd have to say this:

➞ I like Stanley's apples better than Cora's apples.

Or, more simply, this:

➞ I like Stanley's apples better than Cora's.

The second kind of illogical comparison that the SAT likes to test is the notion that you can't
compare something to all things of that type. Instead, you can only compare that thing to all
other things of that type (example 3).

Examples

The two things that each sentence is comparing are underlined.

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Error: Some regulators believe that new drugs should have to go through an even more rigorous
testing process than patients who prefer the one currently in place.
Fix: Some regulators believe that new drugs should have to go through an even more rigorous
testing process than the one currently in place, which patients prefer.

Error: Charles Dickens's epic novels, which are almost universally admired by readers and critics
alike, are more sweeping than Jane Austen, who writes novels of manners.
Fix: Charles Dickens's epic novels, which are almost universally admired by readers and critics alike,
are more sweeping than Jane Austen's novels of manners.

Error: For astronauts, the moon is easier to get to than any space object.
Fix: For astronauts, the moon is easier to get to than any other space object.

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