SAT WRITING

-VERBS AND TENSES

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 VERBS

In addition to subject-verb agreement, there are other aspects of verbs

that are tested for:

• Tricky Tenses (especially perfect tense)

• Irregular Verbs

• Mood (especially the subjunctive)

• Voice (Active Vs. Passive)

• Infinitive vs. Gerund

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 TENSE

• Sentences with more than one verb does not necessarily require
more than one verb tense.

• Rather, until and unless the logic of the sentence dictates so, the
verbs in a sentence must agree in tense.
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⊡ Students often worry excessively about grades and will forget about
actually understanding the concepts.

⊡ Studentsoften worry excessively about grades and forget about actually

understanding the concepts.
⊡ They biked to the top of the mountain and then come back down in time
to eat lunch.

⊡ They biked to the top of the mountain and then came back down in time
to eat lunch.
⊡ Once the drought had hit eastern Africa, the Somalis have suffered
terribly.

⊡ Once the drought had hit eastern Africa, the Somalis suffered terribly.
 IRREGULAR VERBS

• Be sure to use the standard form of verbs. No need to scoff it isn’t

as easily said than done.

• When using the perfect tenses you must use the past participle of
the verb rather than the past tense form of the verb. Don’t mix
them up!
⊡ Elisha could never have went to the state finals if I had not convinced
her to join the team in the first place.

⊡ Elisha could never have gone to the state finals if I had not convinced
her to join the team in the first place.
⊡ Had I never known about video games, I would have got perfect grades
last semester.

⊡ HadI never known about video games, I would have gotten perfect
grades last semester.
⊡ When the temperature sunk below zero, the pipes bursted like water
balloons.

⊡ When the temperature sank below zero, the pipes burst like water
balloons.
 PERFECT TENSES

Some sentences force you to switch verb tenses.

• He is thin now because he spent the last six months on an intensive diet.

Specially important are a switch which involves the perfect tenses.

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 PRESENT PERFECT

If an event started in the past but continues into the present, the present
perfect is required.

- They have been in town for several days.

- My country has enforced strict immigration laws for several years.
⊡ We are walking all over the countryside since last weekend.

⊡ We have been walking all over the countryside since last weekend.
⊡ They never met an Australian before they met Crocodile Dundee.

⊡ They had never met an Australian before they met Crocodile Dundee.
 PAST PERFECT

If more than one action in a sentence occurred at different times in the past,
you must use the past perfect tense for the earlier action and the simple past
for the later action.

- Several teachers thought that Jimmy had cheated on the exam.

- The movie had ended, but we remained in our seats.
⊡ Bythe time the committee had adjourned, it voted on all 4 key
proposals.

⊡ Bythe time the committee adjourned, it had voted on all 4 key

proposals.
⊡ We thought that Joe didn’t go to the museum with the rest of the class.

⊡ We thought that Joe hadn’t gone to the museum with the rest of the class.
 WORD OF CAUTION

!!!!!Use the perfect tense only when they can be justified by the
rules.!!!!!!

!!!!!!Else just keep it simple!!!!!!

⊡ For anyone with enough brains to have thought about the problem, now
is the time to work out a solution.

⊡ For anyone with enough brains to have thought about the problem, now
is the time to work out a solution.
⊡I had the bike for 4 years now.

⊡I have had the bike for 4 years now.

⊡ When the epidemic struck Rwanda, the entire population had suffered.

⊡ When the epidemic struck Rwanda, the entire population suffered.

⊡I have never felt so free as when I am running.

⊡I never feel so free as when I am running.

 TIMELESS

When you need to discuss a theory, an artistic work, or a general

historical fact, the verb that describes it is “timeless” and should take
the present tense by default.
⊡ The ancient Greek philosopher Zeno believed that all motion was an
illusion.

⊡ The ancient Greek philosopher Zeno believed that all motion is an

illusion.
 INFINITIVES/GERUNDS
Infinitives are verb like phrases like to run, to see, and to think, which
usually act as nouns.

Gerunds are also verb like words, like running, seeing, and thinking,
and they also often act as nouns.

Eg. I like pizza.

I like to swim.
I like swimming.

Usually, gerunds and infinitives are interchangeable. But in some

situations, one is preferable to the other.
 BIG CONCEPT

The gerund often indicates a general class of activity, while the

infinitive indicates a specific activity.
⊡ Curtis and Dan went kayaking this afternoon.

⊡ Curtis and Dan went to kayak this afternoon.

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 BIG CONCEPT

The infinitive indicates a stronger connection between subject and

action than does the gerund.

Unclear: Cara has always loved dancing.

Clearer: Cara has always loved to dance.

The infinitive often indicates purpose or intention better than does the
gerund.
⊡ Wehave supplied cars for transporting the guests back to their hotel
rooms.

⊡ We have supplied cars to transport the guests back to their hotel rooms.
⊡ Thepurpose of this trip is showing you what life was like in the 18th
century.

⊡ Thepurpose of this trip is to show you what life was like in the 18th
century.
⊡Ihave always loved to dance, although my condition has always
prevented me from doing it myself.

⊡Ihave always loved dancing, although my condition has always

prevented me from doing it myself.
⊡ Thedefendant was unwilling to give up his right of having his lawyer
present at all questioning.

⊡ Thedefendant was unwilling to give up his right to have his lawyer

present at all questioning.
⊡ Within
the next 3 weeks, we plan having all of the work on the roof
completed.

⊡ Within
the next 3 weeks, we plan to have all of the work on the roof
completed.
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 MOODS
The mood of a verb is its factuality or urgency. There are three moods
of verbs in English.

• Indicative mood: Most verbs are in the indicative mood, meaning they indicate something real
or factual, as in I am going to the park.

• Subjunctive mood: Verbs in the subjunctive mood indicate

something hypothetical, conditional, wishful, suggestive, or
counter to fact, as in I wish I were going to the park.

• Imperative mood: Verbs in the imperative mood indicate a direct command, as in Go to the
park!
⊡Ipropose that Amy apologizes to Mark, and we forget this ever
happened.

⊡Ipropose that Amy apologize to Mark, and we forget this ever

happened.
 SUBJUNCTIVE

The subjunctive mood is usually indicated by auxiliaries like would,

should, might, and may, or if the verb is to be, by the forms were and
be.
 IF…WOULD HAVE

One very common mistake is using the construction if . . . would

have . . . as a past subjunctive form. The correct form is if . . . had. . .

Wrong: If he would have arrived a minute sooner, he would not have

missed her.

Right: If he had arrived a minute sooner, he would not have missed

her.
⊡ If
the wagon train would have reached Salt Creek in time, the massacre
would have been prevented.

⊡ Ifthe wagon train had reached Salt Creek in time, the massacre would
have been prevented.
⊡ We could start the meeting if Sam was here.

⊡ We could start the meeting if Sam were here

⊡ If I was going to take the SAT tomorrow, I’d be sure to get plenty of
sleep tonight.

⊡ If I were going to take the SAT tomorrow, I’d be sure to get plenty of
sleep tonight.
⊡ David ran as if he was carrying a refrigerator on his back.

⊡ David ran as if he were carrying a refrigerator on his back.

⊡Iwish that we would have paid the extra $50 a night to get a better
room.

⊡I wish that we had paid the extra $50 a night to get a better room.
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 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

English verbs are written in either active or passive voice. In the

active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. In the
passive voice, the subject of the sentence has an action performed on
it by someone or something else.

Passive: The pizza WAS EATEN by the hungry students.

Active: The hungry students ate the pizza.

 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

Only transitive verbs (verbs that take direct objects) can be written in
the passive voice. Verbs that do not take objects should never be
written in the passive voice.

Incorrect: The aliens WERE ARRIVED on Neptune in the 24th

century.
Correct: The aliens ARRIVED on Neptune in the 24th century.

Incorrect: After they advertised, sales WERE INCREASED by 25%.

Correct: After they advertised, sales INCREASED by 25%.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

Passive voice is necessary in the following situations:

1. To emphasize the action rather than the subject of the action.

In this operation, new blood vessels are inserted to bypass blocked vessels.

2. The sentence is meant to emphasize that the subject has been

acted upon.
He was fired by his boss.
⊡ Dylan’s work was done quickly by him.

⊡ Dylan did his work quickly.

⊡ BecauseHelen had homework to do, the television was turned off by
her mother.

⊡ Because Helen had homework to do, her mother turned off the
television.
END DRILL
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ASSIGNMENT
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