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Master the grammar rules tested on the Digital SAT.
Learn step-by-step with practice exercises built right in.
The verb must agree with the subject in number:
The modifier must describe the subject:
Items in a list must be in the same grammatical form.
Stay consistent unless there is a logical reason to change.
SAT Tip: Read the whole sentence before answering. Context determines the correct answer.
Choose the correct option: "The researchers hoped (that/which) their findings would influence policy."
"That" is correct here.
"That" introduces a noun clause functioning as the object of "hoped."
"The researchers hoped that their findings would influence policy." ✅
Rule for "that" vs. "which":
"The study that was published last year..." (specifies which study — essential) "The study, which was published last year,..." (adds extra info — nonessential)
Answer: "that"
SAT shortcut: If there are no commas → "that." If there are commas → "which."
Choose the correct option: "The researchers hoped (that/which) their findings would influence policy."
"That" is correct here.
"That" introduces a noun clause functioning as the object of "hoped."
"The researchers hoped that their findings would influence policy." ✅
Rule for "that" vs. "which":
"The study that was published last year..." (specifies which study — essential) "The study, which was published last year,..." (adds extra info — nonessential)
Answer: "that"
Choose the correct possessive: "(Its/It's) (their/there/they're) responsibility to fix (whose/who's) mistake?"
Break it down word by word:
(Its/It's): "It is" fits, so It's ✅ (contraction of "it is")
(their/there/they're): "they are" fits, so they're ✅ (contraction of "they are")
(whose/who's): "who is" fits, so who's ✅ (contraction of "who is")
Complete sentence: "It's they're responsibility to fix who's mistake?"
Wait — let me re-read. If the sentence means "It is their responsibility to fix whose mistake?":
Choose the correct possessive: "(Its/It's) (their/there/they're) responsibility to fix (whose/who's) mistake?"
Break it down word by word:
(Its/It's): "It is" fits, so It's ✅ (contraction of "it is")
(their/there/they're): "they are" fits, so they're ✅ (contraction of "they are")
(whose/who's): "who is" fits, so who's ✅ (contraction of "who is")
Complete sentence: "It's they're responsibility to fix who's mistake?"
Wait — let me re-read. If the sentence means "It is their responsibility to fix whose mistake?":
Fix the verb tense error: "The team finished the project last week and will submit it yesterday."
Error: Verb tense inconsistency
"Finished" → past tense (correct, matches "last week") "Will submit" → future tense BUT "yesterday" is in the past
Fix: "The team finished the project last week and submitted it yesterday." ✅
Another possible fix (if the action hasn't happened): "The team finished the project last week and will submit it tomorrow." ✅
Rule: Verb tenses must be logically consistent with time markers.
Past time markers: yesterday, last week, in 2020, previously Present: now, currently, today, at this moment Future: tomorrow, next week, soon, eventually
Answer: Change "will submit" to "submitted" (or change "yesterday" to "tomorrow").
Fix the verb tense error: "The team finished the project last week and will submit it yesterday."
Error: Verb tense inconsistency
"Finished" → past tense (correct, matches "last week") "Will submit" → future tense BUT "yesterday" is in the past
Fix: "The team finished the project last week and submitted it yesterday." ✅
Another possible fix (if the action hasn't happened): "The team finished the project last week and will submit it tomorrow." ✅
Rule: Verb tenses must be logically consistent with time markers.
Past time markers: yesterday, last week, in 2020, previously Present: now, currently, today, at this moment Future: tomorrow, next week, soon, eventually
Answer: Change "will submit" to "submitted" (or change "yesterday" to "tomorrow").
Fix the sentence: "The artist, who many critics consider to be one of the greatest painters of the century, have recently opened a new exhibition."
Error 1: Subject-verb agreement "The artist... have recently opened" → Subject is "artist" (singular) → should be "has"
Error 2: Pronoun case (subtle) "who many critics consider" → "who" is the OBJECT of "consider" (critics consider ___) → should be "whom"
Corrected: "The artist, whom many critics consider to be one of the greatest painters of the century, has recently opened a new exhibition." ✅
Why this is tricky:
Fix the sentence: "The artist, who many critics consider to be one of the greatest painters of the century, have recently opened a new exhibition."
Error 1: Subject-verb agreement "The artist... have recently opened" → Subject is "artist" (singular) → should be "has"
Error 2: Pronoun case (subtle) "who many critics consider" → "who" is the OBJECT of "consider" (critics consider ___) → should be "whom"
Corrected: "The artist, whom many critics consider to be one of the greatest painters of the century, has recently opened a new exhibition." ✅
Why this is tricky:
Choose the correct version: (A) "Having completed the experiment, the results surprised the researchers." (B) "Having completed the experiment, the researchers were surprised by the results." (C) "Having completed the experiment, it was surprising to the researchers."
This tests dangling modifiers:
"Having completed the experiment" must modify the noun that immediately follows it — whoever completed the experiment.
(A) "the results surprised" → Did the RESULTS complete the experiment? No! ❌ (Dangling modifier)
(B) "the researchers were surprised" → Did the RESEARCHERS complete the experiment? Yes! ✅ (Correctly attached)
(C) "it was surprising" → Did "IT" complete the experiment? No! ❌ (Dangling modifier)
Answer: (B)
Rule: A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence MUST modify the subject that follows the comma.
Choose the correct version: (A) "Having completed the experiment, the results surprised the researchers." (B) "Having completed the experiment, the researchers were surprised by the results." (C) "Having completed the experiment, it was surprising to the researchers."
This tests dangling modifiers:
"Having completed the experiment" must modify the noun that immediately follows it — whoever completed the experiment.
(A) "the results surprised" → Did the RESULTS complete the experiment? No! ❌ (Dangling modifier)
(B) "the researchers were surprised" → Did the RESEARCHERS complete the experiment? Yes! ✅ (Correctly attached)
(C) "it was surprising" → Did "IT" complete the experiment? No! ❌ (Dangling modifier)
Answer: (B)
Rule: A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence MUST modify the subject that follows the comma.
SAT shortcut: If there are no commas → "that." If there are commas → "which."
It's (it is) their (possessive, belonging to them) responsibility to fix whose (possessive, belonging to whom) mistake?
Key rules:
Answer: "It's their responsibility to fix whose mistake?"
SAT Tip: Expand the contraction. If "it is" works → "it's." If not → "its."
It's (it is) their (possessive, belonging to them) responsibility to fix whose (possessive, belonging to whom) mistake?
Key rules:
Answer: "It's their responsibility to fix whose mistake?"
SAT Tip: Expand the contraction. If "it is" works → "it's." If not → "its."
SAT Strategy: When you see verb tense answer choices, look for time clue words in the sentence to determine the correct tense.
SAT Strategy: When you see verb tense answer choices, look for time clue words in the sentence to determine the correct tense.
Answer: Change "who" to "whom" and "have" to "has."
SAT Pattern: Long sentences with intervening clauses are designed to make you forget the original subject.
Answer: Change "who" to "whom" and "have" to "has."
SAT Pattern: Long sentences with intervening clauses are designed to make you forget the original subject.
Pattern to memorize: "[Participial phrase], [DOER OF THE ACTION] + [rest of sentence]."
"Running down the street, I tripped." ✅ "Running down the street, the sidewalk tripped me." ❌ (Sidewalks don't run)
Pattern to memorize: "[Participial phrase], [DOER OF THE ACTION] + [rest of sentence]."
"Running down the street, I tripped." ✅ "Running down the street, the sidewalk tripped me." ❌ (Sidewalks don't run)