Writing Rules

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Faulty Modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes (a.k.a. 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, for instance, 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 that are "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, for instance, 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 way the jacket was hanging that is too small. 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.

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

Faulty Modifiers on SAT Writing: Grammar Rule Prep

One of comedian Groucho Marx's most famous jokes involves a pachyderm and some sleepwear.

"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas," he says. "How he got in my pajamas I don't know!"

This joke is a play on a grammatical error called a misplaced modifier, where a descriptive phrase or word is placed in
the wrong part of the sentence.

The modifier errors on the SAT Writing may not be quite as funny as Groucho's, but it's still important that
you understand how they work. To that end, we'll be covering both basic grammatical concepts behind faulty modifiers
and how to apply that knowledge on the test:

 Key Principle: Modifiers Must Be Next to What They Modify

 Dangling Modifiers: Modifying Phrases at the Beginning of Sentences
 Misplaced Modifiers: Modifier Order Within Sentences
 SAT Writing Tips and Tricks
 Practice Questions

Modifiers Must Be Next to the Thing They're Modifying

The heading says it all: the most important concept to remember when dealing with modifiers is that they need to be
next to the word they're describing.

Sometimes these types of mistakes are obvious:

Bird for sale by flightless woman.

You have to figure that the bird is flightless, not the woman. The sentence should be:

Flightless bird for sale by woman.

However, on the SAT, this kind of error is often harder to spot. Take a look at the following sentence:

Despite having finished her test, the teacher wouldn't let Jenna leave until the class was over.
There's nothing obviously wrong with this sentence, but let's think about what it's actually saying. It starts with the
modifier "despite having finished her test." Logically, that phrase would seem to be describing Jenna, but since it's
located next to "the teacher," the sentence is actually saying that the teacher has finished her test. That doesn't make
much sense, so we need to reorder the sentence to place the modifier next to what it's modifying:

The teacher wouldn't let Jenna leave until the class was over, despite the fact that she had finished her test.
There are two main types of faulty modifiers: dangling modifiers, which involve phrases at the beginning of
sentences (e.g. the example about Jenna), and misplaced modifiers, which involve the order of words and phrases
within sentences (e.g. the example about the bird). Almost all of the faulty modifiers questions on the SAT deal
with dangling modifiers, so we'll cover those first.

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Dangling Modifiers: Modifying Phrases at the Beginning of Sentences

Questions about dangling modifiers only appear in the Improving Sentences section, but they're very common. You're
essentially guaranteed to see at least one and may see as many four, so it's extremely important that you understand
how to approach them.

When a sentence begins with a modifying phrase, the intro must be immediately followed by a comma and
then the noun it's describing. Incorrect sentences of this type start with modifying phrases that describe something
other than the noun immediately following the comma. For example:

Swimming toward the shore, a little girl was building a sand castle.
The "little girl" can't be "swimming toward the shore" and "building a sand castle" at the same time—something's
missing.

There are two ways to correct this kind of error: you can either replace the incorrect noun (in this case "little girl")
with a correct one, making any changes necessary to preserve the meaning of the sentence (fix 1), or you can turn the
intro phrase into a clause that includes the the subject the phrase is meant to be describing (fix 2). These techniques
sound more complicated than they are, so let's put them to use remedying our issue with the little girl who is in two
places at once:

Fix 1: Swimming toward the shore, I saw a little girl building a sand castle.

Fix 2: As I swam toward the shore, a little girl was building a sand castle.

Both versions of the sentence are equally correct. You won't be asked to choose between the two options—
instead, which approach makes more sense will depend on which part of the sentence is underlined and what answer
choices you're given.

Keep in mind that some sentences will use this construction without asking about it (there will be an unrelated error
instead), but look out for sentences that begin with verb participles (verbs ending in "ing," "ed," or "en") or
prepositional phrasesfollowed by a comma, especially if the underlined portion begins immediately after the comma.

Situation 1: Main Clause Underlined

If only the main clause is underlined, you'll need to pick the answer with the correct subject—what I refer to above
as fix 1. For example:

Incorrect: After seven straight hours of studying, Jose's brain was fried.

Correct: After seven straight hours of studying, Jose felt like his brain was fried.

Even though the distinction may not seem important, "Jose" and "Jose's brain" aren't actually the same—Jose's brain
can't study. If only the second half of the sentence is underlined, the best way to correct this issue is to replace the
incorrect noun "Jose's brain" with the correct one "Jose."

When you see an Improving Sentences question like this with the main clause underlined, you must find the answer
choice or choices that start with the correct noun.

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Start by ruling out any answers that don't start with a noun or pronoun or that start with a noun other than the one the
introductory phrase is meant to be describing. If there is more than one answer choice remaining, check for other
grammatical issues.

Let's work through an example question from a real SAT:

The sentence begins with the modifier "spread by rat fleas," which suggests that there may be a dangling modifier. The
first step, then, is to determine what that phrase describes. It's definitely not "millions of people in medieval Europe," so
we can know there's a modifier error and can rule out A.

We can also eliminate B, which begins with a conjunction instead of a noun, and C, which begins with the unclear
pronoun "this."

With only D and E remaining, it's clear that "bubonic plague" is spread by rat fleas. Both answers are grammatical, but
E is much simpler and clearer, so it must be the answer.

Situation 2: Both Modifier and Main Clause Underlined

You may also see dangling modifier questions presented with both the modifier and part, or all, of the main clause
underlined, though this configuration is much less common.

In these cases, the correct answer usually rewrites the sentence to eliminate the faulty modifier entirely, so it's difficult
to anticipate what the correct choice will be. Instead, you want to approach these questions by process of elimination:

1. Determine what the error is—figure out how the modifier is wrong so that you can rule out any choices that
make the same mistake
2. Eliminate answers that aren't grammatical—rule out any answers that create other issues, like run-ons or
sentence fragments
3. Choose clearest, most concise answer—of the remaining choices pick the one that expresses the point with
the simplest structure and fewest extra words

This process may seem a bit vague, so let's work through an official SAT example:

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First, let's figure out what's wrong with this sentence. It's a bit confusing because there's no obvious error. We can start
by separating the two independent clauses to make what's happening in the underlined portion clearer:

She was concerned about how Hank would react to the incident. In searching his face, he did not seem to be at all
embarrassed or troubled.

Now it's clearer that "in searching his face" is a modifying phrase, currently describing Hank (since "he" comes
immediately after the comma). But based on the context, we know the person searching the face is actually "she," so
we've located the error. We can rule out A, as well as D, which repeats the same error.

Choice B swaps out "it" for "he," which doesn't solve the problem, because "it" is still not the person searching Hank's
face. B is also wrong.

Choices C and E both fix the misplaced modifier issue, but E is needlessly wordy ("being" is usually wrong), so C is
the correct answer.

Misplaced Modifiers: Modifier Placement in Sentences

Now that we've covered how to approach questions about modifiers at the beginning of sentences, let's talk about
questions that deal with modifier placement within sentences. Questions on this topic can appear in both the Improving
Sentences and Identifying Sentence Errors, but they are much less common than questions on dangling modifiers.

The key rule for modifier placement—a modifier must be next to whatever it's modifying—remains the same. A
misplaced modifier occurs when a modifier is separated from the word it's meant to describe:

The werewolf mailed a package to the vampire full of garlic.

Despite what the sentence says, it's clear that the "package" and not the "vampire" is meant to be full of garlic. In order
to correct this error, we need to switch around the order of the phrases:

The werewolf mailed a package full of garlic to the vampire.

Because the exact nature of this kind of error can vary so widely, there's no single best way to approach the
questions.

However, many of these errors involve gerunds, especially on the Identifying Sentence Errors. Remember that like
other modifiers gerunds must be next to what they're describing, i.e. whatever or whoever is doing the action.

To help clarify, let's go through some SAT style examples, starting with this Identifying Sentence Errors question:

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On (A) her most recent (B) vacation to Istanbul, Jill stumbled upon (C) a fantastic jewelry shop walking (D) through the
massive market. No error. (E)

Reading through this sentence, you may not immediately notice anything incorrect—in fact, it seems just fine. But
before picking E, we need to check each of the other underlined portions.

"On" is an idiomatically correct preposition and "most recent" is a correct superlative, so we can rule out A and B.
"Stumbled upon" includes a correctly conjugated verb and an idiomatically correct preposition, so C is also incorrect.

This leaves only D, "walking." When a gerund is underlined, you must check placement—is the modifier next to the
noun that is walking? No, it's next to "jewelry shop," which can't walk. As such, D is the correct answer.

Next, take a look at this Improving Sentences example:

Kate Hudson began acting at a young age, being Goldie Hawn's daughter.

A. Kate Hudson began acting at a young age, being Goldie Hawn's daughter.

B. Kate Hudson began acting at a young age, and she was Goldie Hawn's daughter.

C. Kate Hudson, who as Goldie Hawn's daughter began acting at a young age.

D. Being Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn's daughter began acting at a young age.

E. Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn's daughter, began acting at a young age.

The misplaced modifier in this sentence is fairly obvious: "being Goldie Hawn's daughter" is clearly meant to describe
"Kate Hudson" not "a young age." However, there's no answer choice that places the modifier next to what it's
modifying, so we need to narrow down the choices with process of elimination.

We already ruled out A (which is the same as the original sentence), and we can eliminate C because it's a fragment.
B, D, and E are all grammatically correct, so we need to pick the clearest and most concise answer.

B is incorrect because it make the sentence much longer than it needs to be by splitting it into two independent clause.
D doesn't work because the word order is confusing. Describing Kate Hudson as Goldie Hawn's daughter makes
sense; describing Goldie Hawn's daughter as Kate Hudson doesn't.

E is correct because it puts the (slightly rephrased) modifier next to what it's modifying.

Applying Modifier Rules on SAT Writing Questions

Now that we've gone over all the rules you need to know, let's review some of the key points about how to spot and
answer faulty modifier questions on the SAT Writing section.

What to watch for:

 Prepositional phrases at the beginning of sentences where the clause after the comma is underlined
 Verb participles (verbs ending in "ing," "ed," or "en") at the beginning of sentences
 In ISE questions, underlined gerunds

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Rules to keep in mind:

 A modifier must be next to what it's modifying

 Gerunds must be next to the noun doing the action
 If a sentence starts with a descriptor, whatever comes after the comma must be the noun it’s describing

Helpful SAT Writing tips:

 Think about both what a modifier is currently describing and what it's actually meant to be describing
 Watch out for answers that fix the original modifier issue but are ungrammatical in another way
 Remember that there are a lot of different ways to fix faulty modifiers—use process of elimination to
narrow down wrong answers rather than focusing on one specific way of correcting the error
 You will see these errors on the test, and they are likely unfamiliar, so make sure to review (and practice
with) similar questions from real SATs

Test Your Knowledge!

Try out the principles we've discussed on these SAT Writing practice questions:

1. One of the spiciest cuisines in the world, Sichuan has recently become very popular in the United States.

A. Sichuan has recently become

B. Sichuan has most recently become known as

C. Sichuan’s food has recently become

D. the cuisines of Sichuan have become

E. recently Sichuan has become

2. Thinking, perhaps, that their questions won't be answered, the number of students who attend career counseling
has dropped precipitously.

A. the number of students who attend career counseling has dropped precipitously.

B. the number of students who attend career counseling is dropping precipitously.

C. a dropping number of students are attending career counseling.

D. students are attending career counseling in ever lower numbers.

E. students, the number of whom attend career counseling has dropped precipitously.

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3. By gazing sadly upon his owner, Tina was convinced to give the puppy more food.

A. Tina was convinced to give the puppy more food.

B. Tina was convinced by the puppy to give him more food.

C. the puppy was convinced by Tina to give him more food.

D. convincing Tina to give him more food, the puppy was.

E. the puppy convinced Tina to give him more food.

Answers: 1. C, 2. D, 3. E

Parallel Construction

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

Examples

Words or phrases that are already parallel are in bold, while 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.

We get to add to our grammar knowledge. Get excited! Parallel structure questions on the SAT Writing section are
fairly common. Fortunately, parallel structure is a somewhat easy to comprehend grammatical rule. Once you
understand the rule, you should be able to correctly answer any parallel structure question on the SAT.

So, let’s master another rule and boost your SAT Writing score with these tips and strategies.

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In this post, I’ll do the following:

 Explain parallel structure.

 Detail the types of parallel structure questions on the SAT.
 Offer strategies to correctly answer parallel structure questions.
 Provide additional practice questions to test you on what you've learned.

What is Parallelism as a Grammar Rule?

Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words for two or more words or ideas in a sentence. Using
parallel structure shows that the words/ideas have the same level of importance and makes the sentence easier to
understand.

The basic parallel structure rule is that the things in a list should be in the same grammatical form. If you are
listing three things, the construction of that list should be noun, noun, noun, or verb, verb, verb, or gerund, gerund,
gerund, etc. Any inconsistency within the list is an error in parallel structure. Here is an example of a sentence
with an error in parallel structure:

Egya likes laughing, singing, and to write.

The sentence is listing three things that Egya likes. The first two are in the gerund form. Gerunds are verbs that
function like nouns and end in "ing". The last thing, "to write", is an infinitive. An infinitive is also a verb that functions
like a noun, but it is constructed by using the word "to" plus the verb. In order to make this list parallel, all three items
should be in the same grammatical form. The corrected version of the sentence looks like this:

Egya likes laughing, singing, and writing.

Now all three items on the list are gerunds. So, how is parallel structure tested on the SAT Writing section?

Parallel Structure on the SAT

There are two primary types of parallel structure questions that appear in SAT Writing.

Type #1: Parallel Lists

The example from above was a parallel structure list sentence. Generally, in list questions, three things are listed and
you have to ensure that all the items in the list are in the same grammatical form. This is another sentence that
contains a parallel structure error:

Sonia is known for her independence, her honesty, and being intelligent.
Do you see the inconsistency in the list? The first two items are nouns, traits that Sonia possesses. In the last item,
"being intelligent", the word "being" is a gerund and "intelligent" is an adjective that describes Sonia. We want all
three items in the listto have the same construction. After we fix the parallel structure error, this is our sentence:

Sonia is known for her independence, her honesty, and her intelligence.
Now all the items in the list match. The sentence reads better and all is well in the world of parallel structure.

Strategy

To correctly answer parallel structure list questions, first identify that there is a list of items. Usually the list will look like this: x, y,
and z. Make sure that the commas are separating items in a list and are not just separating clauses. Once you have identified the
list, ensure that the items in the list are as consistent with the other items in the list as possible. How do we do that?

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Break down each item in the list by identifying the parts of speech of the words and make sure that all the items match. We want
each item to be in the same grammatical form. After breaking down the list items, there should be no inconsistencies. Once we
fixed our previous example sentence, the items in the list included "independence" (noun), "honesty" (noun), and "intelligence"
(noun).

Let's move on to the second type of parallel structure question.

Type #2: Parallel Phrases

Parallel structure phrase questions are slightly more complicated than list questions, but they follow the same principle. The parallel
structure rule regarding phrases is that the construction of a phrase on one side of a conjunction must match the
construction of the phrase on the other side of the conjunction as closely as possible.

Definition of a Conjunction

Conjunctions are words that connect phrases or clauses. Examples of common conjunctions include and, or, but, and so. Some of
you may be familiar with the acronym FANBOYS. It stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. Those are all conjunctions.

Additionally, there are correlative conjunctions, also known as word pairs. Literally, these words come in pairs. The items correlative
conjunctions compare follow each word of the word pair. Examples of word pairs include either...or, not only...but also, as...as,
and both...and.

Example Sentences

Now that we know the rule and the definition of a conjunction, we can check out how this rule should be applied. Here is a sentence
with a parallel structure error:

The SAT Writing section challenges students and frustration is found in them.
So, the two items are connected by the conjunction "and". Let's break down each item by its parts of speech. The first item,
"challenges students" is VERB + NOUN .

The second item that follows the conjunction is "frustration is found in them". That phrase's construction
is NOUN + VERB + ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + PRONOUN. Even if you struggle identifying the parts of speech of certain
words, you should be able to immediately recognize that the phrases are not consistent and the sentence has a parallel structure
error.

So, how do we correct the sentence? We change the wording in the phrase following "and" to match the VERB +
NOUN construction of the first phrase. This is the corrected version of the sentence:

The SAT Writing section challenges students and frustrates them.

Do you see that the phrases appear more consistent and the sentence reads better after we fix the error? Also, note that it's fine to
use a pronoun in the place of a noun as long as the pronoun has a clear antecedent (coming soon).

Let's go through the same process with another example:

Rand Paul supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act as well as that the Department of Education should be
eliminated.
The two items in the sentence are the two things that Rand Paul supports. Both items are connected by the conjunction "as well
as".

Let's break down the parts of speech of the words in those things. Phrase #1 Is "the repeal of the Affordable Care Act".
Repeal= NOUN + of= PREPOSITION + Affordable Care Act= NOUN. Phrase #1's construction is NOUN + PREPOSITION
+ NOUN.

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The basic construction of phrase #2 is PRONOUN (that) + NOUN (Department of Education) + VERB (should be eliminated). Its
construction is PRONOUN + NOUN + VERB. We want the construction of phrase #2 to match the construction of phrase #1. Here
is the corrected version of the sentence:

Rand Paul supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act as well as the elimination of the Department of Education.
Much better, right???? So, phrase #2 should now match the NOUN + PREPOSITION + NOUN construction of phrase #1. Let's see
if it does. Elimination=NOUN, of=PREPOSITION, Department of Education=NOUN. Boom!!

Strategy

If you see a conjunction connecting/comparing two items, identify the items. Then, break down the words in each
item by their parts of speech and determine the phrase's construction.

Make sure that the phrases are parallel. The construction of the phrases should match as closely as possible. Also, a
preposition used on one side of a conjunction or word pair must appear on the other side. Look at this example with a
parallel structure error.

The dancer was praised not only for her strength but also in her agility.
The dancer was praised for two things. Those things are connected by the word pair "not only...but also". The two
things, which are the phrases before and after "but also", should be parallel in construction. The prepositions should
match for the sentences to be parallel. This is the corrected version of the sentence:

The dancer was praised not only for her strength but also for her agility.
Now let's apply what we've learned to examples from real SATs.

Real SAT Writing Examples

See if you can identify an error in parallel structure in this first example.

Explanation: First, we notice that there is no grammatical error within the underlined phrase. Now, let's look at the
phrase's function within the sentence. The phrase "and composing one original work" is one of three things that a
student must present to complete the music program. Therefore, the phrase is part of a list and should be parallel
in structure to the other two items in the list. The construction of the first two items is "ONE" + ADJECTIVE +
NOUN. We want the last item in the list to match the other two items as closely as possible. So, what's the answer?
The answer is B. The phrase "and one original composition" matches the construction of "ONE" + ADJECTIVE +
NOUN. Answer choice C doesn't work because the word "with" is incorrect given the context of the sentence.
Remember the basic list construction of x, y, and z.

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Here's another real SAT example for you.

Explanation: Again, there is nothing grammatically incorrect within the phrase "childhood is glorified". What is the
function of that phrase within the sentence? The phrase is one of two things James Barrie is noted for portraying. The
two things are connected by the conjunction "and". The first thing he is noted for portraying is "adulthood as
unpleasant". What is the construction of that phrase? Its construction is NOUN + "AS" + ADJECTIVE. We want the
construction of the second phrase to mirror that of the first. The answer is C. The phrase "childhood as glorious"
perfectly matches the construction of NOUN + "AS" + ADJECTIVE and fixes the error in parallel structure.

Check out this example of an identify the error parallel structure question.

Explanation: Hopefully, you identified the conjunction "and" within the sentence. What is "and" connecting in the
sentence? It is connecting two things that eating nuts might help. The first thing it might help is "to lower blood
cholesterol levels in humans". The basic construction of that phrase is INFINITIVE + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL
PHRASE. The second thing that eating nuts might help is "reducing the risk of heart disease". Let's break down that
phrase by parts of speech. That phrase's construction is GERUND+ NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. We know
that the infinitive form is correct in the first phrase because the word "to" isn't underlined. Therefore, the word
"reducing" should be changed to the infinitive form to fix the error in parallel structure. The answer is C. "Reducing"
should be changed to "reduce". The "to" is implied from "to lower".

Here are some tips for you to use to help you correctly answer any parallel structure question you may encounter on
the SAT Writing section.

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General Strategies for Parallel Structure SAT Writing Questions

#1: Any List Within A Sentence Indicates a Possible Error in Parallel Structure
If you see the x, y, and z list construction, make sure that the items in the list have the same grammatical form.

#2: Phrases Connected by Conjunctions May Indicate an Error in Parallel Structure

The phrase parallel structure questions tend to be more difficult and will most likely appear near the end of the
sentence improvement and identify the error subsections. If you see multiple items connected by conjunctions at the
end of these subsections, look for errors in parallel structure.

#3: Break Down the Construction of Phrases Separated by Conjunctions and Items in
a List

Identify the parts of speech of words within a list. Also, identify the parts of speech of words within phrases that
precede and succeed a conjunction. Make sure the construction of the phrases and list items match as closely as
possible.

Now we can apply the lessons we've learned.

Additional SAT Writing Practice

If you've read this article closely, I hope you have a solid grasp on parallel structure and how parallel structure
questions are presented on the SAT. I've created some realistic SAT Writing practice problems for you to test your
knowledge of parallel structure. Use what you've learned and the strategies I've presented to help you answer the
questions.

1. I like my PrepScholar articles because not only are they informative and entertaining but also because they offer
students help.

A. they offer students help.

B. they offers students help.

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C. they are helpful for students.

D. they are helping students.

E. their offering to help students.

2. Because I was hungry, tired, and feeling like I was sad, I did not want to go to my appointment.

A. and feeling like I was sad,

B. and sad,

C. I had feelings of sadness,

D. I felt like I was sad,

E. to feel sadness,

3. Stand-up comedy, one of the least respected performing arts, is valuable to society because the performer is able to
inform the audience and making it laugh uncontrollably.

A. making it laugh uncontrollably.

B. making them laugh uncontrollably.

C. uncontrollable laughter is caused by him.

D. make it laugh uncontrollably.

E. he makes people laugh uncontrollably.

4. Exercising (A) enabled Joe to strengthen his (B) muscles and releasing (C) his stress. (D) No Error (E)

Answers: 1. C, 2. B, 3. D, 4. C

Sentences

Sentences are made up of groups of words that are called clauses. There are two types of clauses:
independent and dependent. An independent clause can function as a complete sentence because it has a subject-
verb pair and does not start with a word or phrase that makes the clause dependent, such as "when" or
"because." Meanwhile, a dependent clause must be attached to an independent clause to be part of a complete
sentence.

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The SAT tests three different types of clause-related situations: fixing sentence fragments, splitting up run-on
sentences, and using a dependent clause as the subject of a sentence.

Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is a sentence made of anything less than an independent clause. To fix it, we either connect
the fragment to an independent clause (examples 1 and 2), or add the missing subject or verb (example 3).

Examples

In these sentences, subjects are underlined and verbs are in bold.

Error: To boost the number of women in STEM fields, including electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering.

Fix: To boost the number of women in STEM fields, including electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering, senior
female executives also act as mentors to young women.

Error: From diving hard for every attempted shot to deftly throwing the ball to the most open defender.

Fix: From diving hard for every attempted shot to deftly throwing the ball to the most open defender, the goalie was
saving her team at a time when they needed her.

Error: For the sake of a better experience at school, asking his adviser for a new room assignment.

Fix: For the sake of a better experience at school, the freshman asked his adviser for a new room assignment.

Run-on Sentences
A run-on sentence is made of multiple independent clauses joined by only a comma or no punctuation at all. To
find the correct answer on the SAT, look for an answer choice that uses one of these three fixes:

 If one independent clause is an explanation or definition of the other, add a word like "because" or "which" to
the beginning of the explanation (examples 1 and 2).

 If neither independent clause defines or explains the other, combine them with either a comma + conjunction
like "and" or "but," or with a semicolon (examples 3 and 4).

 Alternately, split them up into two separate sentences (example 5).

Examples

The separation between the two independent clauses is marked with a |, while the correction is underlined.

Error: The dog Mary wants to put in the dog show is a beagle, | it is a medium-sized member of the hound family.

Fix: The dog Mary wants to put in the dog show is a beagle, which is a medium-sized member of the hound family.

Error: The deli had no milk left after a rush of morning customers, | the owner rushed to order more.

Fix: Because the deli had no milk left after a rush of morning customers, the owner rushed to order more.

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Error: My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus it is very garlicky.

Fix: My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus, as it is very garlicky.

Error: Air plants like the Tillandsia species are tolerant of a wide range of climates, | they thrive in room temperatures.

Fix: Air plants like the Tillandsia species are tolerant of a wide range of climates; they thrive in room temperatures.

Error: Deciding which play to put on is only the first step, | even a great script won’t succeed without a well-selected
cast and a set design that works with the director’s vision.

Fix: Deciding which play to put on is only the first step. Even a great script won’t succeed without a well-selected cast
and a set design that works with the director’s vision.

Dependent Clauses as Sentence Subjects

Sometimes, instead of having a simple noun for a subject, a sentence can use a whole dependent clause as the
subject. When this happens, you should treat the dependent clause as a singular noun.

For instance, in the first example, the clause "whoever came up with the idea to put solar panels on rooftops" is the
subject of the sentence. You can tell by using this trick: replace the clause with a singular noun like "Albert
Einstein" to see if the sentence still works. Here, when we do this, we can see that "Albert Einstein are geniuses"
doesn't work. The verb needs to be singular to match the subject.

Examples

The subordinate clause that is the subject is underlined, while the verb it's doing is bold.

Error: Whoever came up with the idea to put solar panels on rooftops are geniuses.

Fix: Whoever came up with the idea to put solar panels on rooftops is a genius.

Error: That cleaning a kitchen is a repetitive chore which makes it especially thankless.

Fix: That cleaning a kitchen is a repetitive chore makes it especially thankless.

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 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:

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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 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 like dog or tail, pronouns change form depending on whether they are 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.

Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns

I me

you you

he him

she her

it it

we us

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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, "me ate dinner" is clearly wrong, and in the third example, "sold cookies to I" is also clearly wrong.

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 dependent or independent clauses inside sentences. Who is used
when this pronoun is the subject doing the action and whom is used when this 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. Here, ―me understand the tax code‖ doesn’t work, and neither does ―many people greatly admire I.‖

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.

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Pronouns and Antecedents
If there is a pronoun, it should be obvious what noun the pronoun is referring back to. If it's not clear which noun
a pronoun is referring to, or if a pronoun has no antecedent, the sentence needs to be rewritten in one of two ways:
either the pronoun can be replaced with a noun, or the phrase can be simplified.

For instance, in example 1, "this" could refer either to "Industrial Revolution," "resistance group," "mechanization," or
"labor force," so a noun is added. Meanwhile, in example 3, there is no antecedent for "them," so the sentence has to
be rewritten.

Examples

The unclear pronouns are in bold, while corrected pronouns and antecedents are underlined.

Error: During the Industrial Revolution in England, a resistance group sprang up to protest the mechanization of the
labor force. Workers associated with this began to break and burn factory machinery to protest what they saw as
unfair treatment.

Fix: During the Industrial Revolution in England, a resistance group sprang up to protest the mechanization of the labor
force. Workers associated with this faction began to break and burn factory machinery to protest what they saw as
unfair treatment.

Error: The files arranged by the temporary workers were out of order, so management sent them back to the main
office.

Fix: The files arranged by the temporary workers were out of order, so management sent the files back to the main
office.

Error: The amount of entertainment available is increasing steadily; soon there will be over 5000 shows for them to
distribute to subscribers.

Fix: The amount of entertainment available is increasing steadily; soon there will be over 5000 shows for distribution to
subscribers.

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

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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.

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 are referring to many things or people are actually singular.

This means that they use singular forms of verbs: ―everyone is‖ instead of ―everyone are" (like in 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‖ (like in examples 3 and 4).

37 | P a g e
 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.

Error: Everyone of the experts invited to speak at the conference were unable to make it.

Fix: Everyone 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 are 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.

38 | P a g e
  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
the pants are on the shelf = the pants are there
somewhere

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

you are delighted = you’re delighted

you’re you are
you are a student = you’re a student

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

whose
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 famous 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 famous
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.

39 | P a g e
Error: Having several books to return to the library, Maria checks they’re due dates to make sure she won’t have to pay
fines.

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

Error: Dismayed that no one agreed with his argument, the city councilman asked, ―Whose with 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. Here 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.

Time Period Verb Forms

Simple Present: They sing.

Present Present Continuous: They are singing.
Present Perfect: They have sung.

Simple Past: They sang.

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

Future: They will sing.

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

Generally, the idea is to keep verbs in a single sentence within 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, then verb tenses should shift to account for the change in
time (example 3).

Examples

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

40 | P a g e
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 number: they 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 the verb have the same number (singular or plural). One
thing to remember is that collective nouns are singular (a ―crowd of people laughs‖ instead of ―crowd of people laugh‖).

Examples

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

Error: The survey supported the researchers' hypothesis when they found that the furniture in most people's
homes are mostly made of wood.

Fix: The survey supported the researchers' hypothesis when they found that the furniture (singular) in most people's
homes is (singular) mostly made of wood.

Error: There was a beaker and three pipettes on the top shelf of the cupboard.

Corrected: There were (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 keep getting 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.

41 | P a g e
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:

I like Stanley's apples better than Cora.

You'd have to say:

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

or simply:

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

The second kind of illogical comparison that the SAT likes to test is the idea that you can't compare something
to all things of that type. 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.

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.

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

42 | P a g e
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 (examples 1 and 2).

Sometimes a sentence uses words when they don’t serve any purpose and don’t even need to be replaced with one
word, but instead should just be deleted (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 may not be awarded the contract because it lacks production facilities, making it a worse
choice from a theoretical way of speaking.

Fix: The company may 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
When 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.

Examples

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

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

Fix: The stock market may 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.

43 | P a g e
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 – the point of this kind of revision is that you will need to shift things around.

To combine sentences correctly you have to think about several things:

 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 this 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 like ―before,‖ ―after,‖ or ―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 combined the sentences 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 smaller, local orchestras.

Fix: After perfecting their techniques and skills through their conservatory training, young musicians can start their
careers in smaller, 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.

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 Expression

The SAT tests your knowledge of common English usage.

You'll see questions about two types of idioms. First, there are expressions that mean something different than the
actual words they use (like "raining cats and dogs" or "kick the bucket"). And second, there are short phrases or
groups of words that always go together (like "stumble on" or "keep at bay").

Also, you'll be asked to distinguish among frequently confused homonyms (words that sound like each other but are
used in different circumstances because they mean different things, like "bear" and "bare").

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Verbal Phrases
The SAT particularly loves one type of idiom: verbal phrases, which are verb + preposition pairs. They always want to
know if you know which is the correct preposition, as in the incorrect sentences below.

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. There are just some 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.

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 (you can find more of them by searching ―commonly confused words‖):

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

45 | P a g e
Complement: something that completes; to pair well with
Compliment: praise, flattery

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 hearing
musicians perform it.

Fix: After losing his hearing, Beethoven had to rely on his imagination to hear his music, rather than hearing 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, receiving a standing ovation.

Fix: The presidential candidate used rhetorical flourishes to great effect in his speech, receiving a standing ovation.

Language Formality
When writing for school, for work, or for publication in a news or scientific journal, you have to use formal English. This
means avoiding slang and words and phrases that sound too casual. Instead, 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: At London’s Westminster Abbey in 1559, Elizabeth Tudor, the 25-year-old daughter of Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyn, got to become Queen Elizabeth I.

Fix: At London’s Westminster Abbey in 1559, Elizabeth Tudor, the 25-year-old daughter of Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyn, was crowned Queen Elizabeth I.

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Conjunctions and Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs are words that explain how two clauses in a sentence, or how to two or more
successive sentences, relate to one another.

The SAT checks your ability to use conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs to clarify cause and effect or logic within
sentences.

Explanation
Some conjunctions link events in a cause and effect relationship, helping to point out what happened as a result of
something else.

Because: what has just been said is true as a consequence of what is about to be said

Therefore and hence: it follows from what has just been said that

For example and for instance: here is evidence that backs up the previous argument

Whereby: by which; using the idea/principle/concept just mentioned; by means of

Consequently: directly following the thing that has just been described

Examples

The incorrect conjunctions are in bold, while the right ones are underlined.

Error: Recent advances in medicine include a new MRI technique for detecting heart damage in chemotherapy
patients. However, doctors will be able to see heart defects earlier and more effectively.

Fix: Recent advances in medicine include a new MRI technique for detecting heart damage in chemotherapy
patients. Consequently, doctors will be able to see heart defects earlier and more effectively.

(Doctors can see better as a result of the new MRI test.)

Error: Not only have archaeologists in Britain unearthed several well-preserved Bronze Age dwellings, we are getting
new insight into domestic life 3000 years ago.

Fix: Because archaeologists in Britain have unearthed several well-preserved Bronze Age dwellings, we are getting
new insight into domestic life 3000 years ago.

(We are getting insight as a result of dwellings being unearthed.)

Error: Foreshadowing, a literary technique when an author hints at what will happen later in the text, is a useful tool for
setting the right atmosphere.

Fix: Foreshadowing, a literary technique whereby an author hints at what will happen later in the text, is a useful tool
for setting the right atmosphere.

(An author hints by means of foreshadowing.)

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Contradiction or Digression
Other conjunctions are useful for describing a negative or opposing relationship between events. They can explain
that something happened despite something else, or even though common sense would not have predicted it. They
can also indicate that the argument is shifting to a different point.

However: introduces a statement/idea that contradicts what has just been said

On the one hand, on the other hand: presents two ideas that oppose each other (these always go together)

But: despite what has just been said, here is information to the contrary

Nevertheless: in spite of what has just been said

Aside from: the example follows is an exception to what is being discussed

While and whereas: in contrast or comparison with the fact that

Examples

The incorrect conjunctions are in bold, while the correct ones are underlined.

Error: The pianist had not had nearly enough time to study and practice the sonata, and she played it flawlessly.

Fix: The pianist had not had nearly enough time to study and practice the sonata, but she played it flawlessly.

(The flawlessness happened despite the lack of practice time.)

Error: Just as crayons are a medium generally reserved for young children, professional artists have used them to
great effect.

Fix: Though crayons are a medium generally reserved for young children, professional artists have used them to great
effect.

(That professional artists have used crayons contrasts with the fact that crayons are usually for children.)

Similarity and Emphasis

The final category of conjunctive adverbs connects things that are equal or similar, or adds examples that emphasize
the direction of the argument.

Moreover: as an additional – potentially more convincing or important – matter

Just as: in comparison to; similar to

Likewise: in the same way; also

Not only, but also: presents two ideas that support and emphasize each other (these always go together)

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Examples

The incorrect conjunctions are in bold, while the right ones are underlined.

Error: Investing money is one way to plan for the future. Hence, another good long-term planning option is to take
advantage of a retirement savings account.

Fix: Investing money is one way to plan for your future. Likewise, another good long-term planning option is to take
advantage of a retirement savings account.

(The word “another” means that two similar things are being discussed.)

Error: Dressing to attract attention can affect the way people perceive you. Nevertheless, it can be inappropriate
depending on the context.

Fix: Dressing to attract attention can affect the way people perceive you. Moreover, it can be inappropriate depending
on the context.

(The inappropriateness is an additional, more significant, effect of attention-getting clothing.)

Punctuation

There are many punctuation rules in English, but, fortunately, the SAT doesn’t test all of them. Instead, the test focuses
on several specific types.

Punctuating Modifiers
Phrases that modify or describe a part of a sentence are punctuated differently depending on whether they are
an essential or nonessential part of the sentence.

If the sentence needs the modifier in order to make sense, then the modifier is ―restrictive‖ and doesn’t get surrounded
by commas.

If you could easily take out the modifier without losing the sentence’s meaning, then the modifier is ―nonrestrictive‖ and
should be surrounded by commas like this:

 Put one comma right after a modifier that starts a sentence.

 Put one comma right before a modifier that ends a sentence.
 If the modifier appears in the middle of the sentence, surround it with commas on both sides.

Examples

Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Error: US President, Barack Obama, will meet with his counterparts from the European countries for the multinational
summit.

Fix: US President Barack Obama will meet with his counterparts from the European countries for the multinational
summit.

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(Since “Barack Obama” is key to the sentence's meaning, no commas are needed.)

Error: The daisy, a perennial plant, sometimes known as bruisewort, grows low to the ground.

Fix: The daisy, a perennial plant sometimes known as bruisewort, grows low to the ground.

(The modifier just needs to be surrounded by commas, and doesn’t need any commas inside it.)

Error: Started on a whim by an eccentric resident; the project to clean up the abandoned lot soon became a popular
neighborhood pastime.

Fix: Started on a whim by an eccentric resident, the project to clean up the abandoned lot soon became a popular
neighborhood pastime.

(The modifier should be set off by a comma, not a semicolon.)

Error: This last part of the minuet should be played with steadily increasing volume, or crescendo; until the final chord.

Fix: This last part of the minuet should be played with steadily increasing volume or crescendo, until the final chord.

(“Crescendo” is being defined, so it needs to be set off by commas, not semicolons.)

Using Dashes
Think of dashes as being kind of like parentheses. Dashes separate out a sentence piece that is explanatory, but
isn’t crucial, like an aside, or something muttered under your breath. Sometimes this piece is a digressive thought;
sometimes it's a list of examples.

Typically, the phrase inside the dashes has commas in it, so dashes are the best way to set it off from the rest of the
sentence. If the phrase is in the middle of the sentence, it needs to be surrounded by dashes on both sides.

Examples

Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Error: The hairstylist picked up the scissors – the kind that usually sit in the jar of blue liquid, and started to snip bits of
hair off his client’s head.

Fix: The hairstylist picked up the scissors – the kind that usually sit in the jar of blue liquid – and started to snip bits of
hair off his client’s head.

Error: The best hotel concierges have many skills: knowledge of foreign customs, the ability to speak several
languages, and a charming manner, that put even the most diffident guests at ease.

Fix: The best hotel concierges have many skills – knowledge of foreign customs, the ability to speak several
languages, and a charming manner – that put even the most diffident guests at ease.

Error: After readers found the errors, all 243 of them – the publishing company was forced to issue a reprint of the
book.

Fix: After readers found the errors – all 243 of them – the publishing company was forced to issue a reprint of the book.

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Punctuating “Such As”
The phrase “such as” introduces a series of examples to back up the point that’s just been made. The correct way
to punctuate it is to put a comma before ―such as,‖ and then no comma before the first list item or example.

Examples

Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Error: Teachers give out a variety of homework assignments, such as, worksheets,hands-on projects, and online
quizzes.

Fix: Teachers give out a variety of homework assignments, such as worksheets,hands-on projects, and online
quizzes.

Error: The antique book shop also sold other paper ephemera such as, maps and newspapers.

Fix: The antique book shop also sold other paper ephemera, such as maps and newspapers.

Formatting Lists

A list is a series of people, ideas, objects, actions, or conditions that follow each other, play the same role in the
sentence, and are typically separated by commas. In fact, the last sentence has two lists: ―people, ideas, objects,
actions, or conditions‖ and ―follow each other, play the same role in the sentence, and are separated by commas.‖ See
what I did there?

Punctuation rules for lists:

 They should be separated by commas, with a comma coming before the ―and‖ or ―or‖ that precedes the last list
item: dogs, cats, gerbils, and fish.

 If one of the list items has a comma within it, then all the list items should be separated by semicolons: shaggy,
purebred dogs; white cats; soft, cuddly gerbils; and fish.

Examples

Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Error: The market stall sold ripe apples, dark red cherries; and sometimes even apricots.

Fix: The market stall sold ripe apples, dark red cherries, and sometimes even apricots.

Error: The class focused on programming languages, like Python, algorithms and documentation.

Fix: The class focused on programming languages, like Python; algorithms; and documentation.

Using Colons
Colons are used in two different ways.

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First, they can indicate that a list is coming up, and that after the list the sentence will end.

Here is my list of acceptable pets: dogs, cats, gerbils, and fish.

Second, they are used to indicate that an explanation, a definition, or an example of what has just been said is coming.

My search for the perfect pet came down to man's best friend: a dog.

Examples

Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Error: It’s easy to explain why many 12th graders start taking school less seriously toward the end of the year;
senioritis.

Fix: It’s easy to explain why many 12th graders start taking school less seriously toward the end of the year: senioritis.

("Senioritis" is the defined term.)

Error: The more I cook at home, the more kitchen techniques I learn, knife skills, mise en place, and cooking several
dishes simultaneously.

Fix: The more I cook at home, the more kitchen techniques I learn: knife skills,mise en place, and cooking several
dishes simultaneously.

(“Learn” introduces a list.)

Error: Consider lobsters, for example, with age, they only get stronger and more fertile.

Fix: Consider lobsters, for example: with age, they only get stronger and more fertile.

("Example” introduces an explanation.)

Using Semicolons
Semicolons have two basic functions.

First, in lists they separate list items that have commas:

We ate mushrooms, which had been picked in a nearby forest; herbs, nuts, and berries foraged from a public park; and
champagne.

Second, they fix run-on sentences by separating two independent clauses without a conjunction:

Jim rode his bike; Mary walked.

Examples

Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

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Error: The State Department completed three assignments: diplomatic talks, led by an expert in arms control, a
bilateral meeting, chaired by an assistant director, and a state visit.

Fix: The State Department completed three assignments: diplomatic talks, led by an expert in arms control; a
bilateral meeting, chaired by an assistant director; and a state visit.

(Two of the three list items have commas in them, so they are separated by semicolons.)

Error: The architect worked on the model all night, he was bleary-eyed during the presentation.

Fix: The architect worked on the model all night; he was bleary-eyed during the presentation.

(These are independent clauses, so they should be connected by a semicolon.)

The Bottom Line

Here is a quick summary of all the grammar rules we talked about in this article:

 Faulty Modifiers - words or phrases that describe something

1. Dangling Modifier - a descriptive phrase that begins a sentence, has a comma after it, and has the
noun it describes NOT placed right after the comma
2. Misplaced Modifier - 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

 Parallel Construction - a list where all the items have the same grammatical format

 Sentences - made up of independent and dependent clauses

1. Sentence Fragments - sentences made of anything less than an independent clause
2. Run-on Sentences - multiple independent clauses joined by only a comma or no punctuation at all
3. Dependent Clauses as Subjects - sentences can use a whole dependent clause as subjects; treat the
dependent clause as a singular noun

 Plurals and Possessives - plural is when there is two or more of something; possessive is when something
belongs to something else
1. Plural Noun - add ―s‖ to the end of a singular noun
2. Possessive Singular Noun - add "apostrophe+s" to the end of a singular noun
3. Possessive Plural Noun - add an apostrophe to the end of a plural noun

 Pronouns - parts of speech that stand in for a noun (its antecedent)

1. Subject vs. Object Pronouns - pronouns change form depending on whether they are subjects or
objects
2. Who vs. Whom - who is the subject form, and whom is the object form
3. Pronouns and Antecedents - it should be obvious which noun each pronoun is referring back to
4. Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement - pronouns have to match their antecedents' person and
number
5. That vs. Who - who is for a person or people, and that is for everything else
6. Indefinite Pronouns - pronouns like "everyone" that seem plural are actually singular
7. Its/It’s, Their/They’re/There, Your/You’re, Whose/Who’s - you have to memorize these

 Verbs - the SAT tests tense agreement and subject-verb agreement

1. Verb Tense - keep verbs in a single sentence within the same time period: present, past, or future
2. Subject/Verb Agreement - a noun and its verb have the same number (singular or plural)

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 Illogical Comparisons - you can only compare things that are alike in some way; you can't compare
something to all things of that type

 Concision and Redundancy - the SAT is all about being as succinct and to the point as possible
1. Overly Wordy Phrases - often, one word is better than many; sometimes, extra words should just be
deleted
2. Redundancy - if a sentence expresses the same bit of information two or more times, delete the
repetition
3. Combining Simple Sentences - make one sentence into a dependent clause of the other through
a repeated noun, using prepositions like ―before,‖ ―after,‖ or ―following,‖ or by inserting whatever is
being defined into the defining sentence

 Idioms and Standard English

1. Verbal Phrases - verb + preposition pairs that always go together
2. Prepositional Idioms - groups of words that always end on a specific preposition
3. Commonly Confused Words - English has a lot of homonyms (words that sound similar to each other
but mean very different things)
4. Language Formality - avoiding slang and words and phrases that sound too casual

 Conjunctions and Conjunctive Adverbs - words that explain how two clauses in a sentence or successive
sentences relate to one another
1. Explanation - conjunctions like "because," "consequently," and "for example" link events in a cause
and effect relationship
2. Contradiction or Digression - conjunctions like "however," "but," and "nevertheless" describe a
negative or opposing relationship between events
3. Similarity and Emphasis - conjunctions like "moreover" and "likewise" connect things that are equal or
similar, or add examples to the argument

 Punctuation
1. Punctuating Modifiers - if the sentence needs the modifier in order to make sense, then the modifier
doesn’t need commas; if you can take out the modifier without losing meaning, then the modifier should
be surrounded by commas
2. Using Dashes - separate out a sentence piece that is explanatory, but isn’t crucial
3. Punctuating “Such As” - put a comma before ―such as,‖ and then no comma after it
4. Formatting Lists - list items are typically separated by commas, with a comma before the ―and‖ or ―or‖
that precedes the last list item
5. Using Colons - indicating that a list is coming up, and that after the list the sentence will end; indicating
that an explanation, a definition, or an example is coming
6. Using Semicolons - separating list items that have commas; fixing run-on sentences by separating
two independent clauses without a conjunction

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