Grammar and Conventions

✏️ Subject-Verb Agreement

Part 1 of 7 — Singular & Plural Subjects, Tricky Cases

The #1 grammar rule tested on the SAT: a verb must agree in number with its subject.

Golden rule: Ignore everything between the subject and the verb — prepositional phrases, appositives, and relative clauses do not change subject-verb agreement.

The box of chocolates is on the table. (Subject = box, not "chocolates")

The students in the classroom have finished the test. (Subject = students, not "classroom")

Tricky Cases

Compound Subjects

• And → usually plural: Tom and Jerry are friends.
• Or / nor → verb matches the closer subject: Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.

Indefinite Pronouns

Everyone has a pencil. ✅ Everyone have a pencil. ❌

Few are willing to volunteer. ✅

Inverted Sentences

When the subject comes after the verb, agreement still applies:

There are many reasons to study. (subject = reasons) Here is the list of candidates. (subject = list)

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice 🔍

Fill in the Correct Verb 🧮

Type the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. Neither the coach nor the players _____ (was/were) satisfied with the result.
2. The collection of rare stamps _____ (is/are) worth thousands of dollars.
3. Everyone in the two classes _____ (has/have) completed the assignment.

Identify the Rule 🔍

SAT-Style Editing 📋

Key Takeaways

1. Find the real subject — strip away prepositional phrases and other interrupters.
2. Indefinite pronouns: "everyone," "each," "neither" → singular verbs.
3. Compound subjects with "and" → plural; "or/nor" → match the closer subject.
4. Inverted sentences: "There are" / "Here is" — find the subject after the verb.
5. Tricky nouns: "news," "mathematics," "athletics" → singular; "scissors," "data" (formal) → see context.

Up next: Pronoun Agreement & Clarity →

🔗 Pronoun Agreement & Clarity

Part 2 of 7 — Antecedent Agreement, Ambiguity, Who vs. Whom, Pronoun Case

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it refers to) in number and person.

The student finished her project. ✅ (singular antecedent → singular pronoun) The students finished their projects. ✅ (plural antecedent → plural pronoun)

Common SAT trap: Singular indefinite pronouns paired with "their."

❌ Everyone should bring their book. ✅ Everyone should bring his or her book. (formal/SAT style)

On the SAT, the formally correct answer is usually preferred.

Ambiguous Pronouns

A pronoun is ambiguous when it could refer to more than one antecedent.

❌ When Sarah met Rachel, she smiled. (Who smiled — Sarah or Rachel?)

Fix: Replace the pronoun with the noun.

✅ When Sarah met Rachel, Sarah smiled.

Who vs. Whom

• Who = subject (doing the action): Who is calling?
• Whom = object (receiving the action): To whom did you give the letter?

Quick test: If you can substitute "he/she," use . If you can substitute "him/her," use .

⏰ Verb Tense & Mood

Part 3 of 7 — Consistent Tense, Perfect Tenses, Subjunctive Mood

The SAT tests whether you can maintain consistent verb tense and choose the correct tense based on context.

The Six Main Tenses

SAT Rule: Don't shift tenses unless the meaning requires it.

🔨 Sentence Structure

Part 4 of 7 — Fragments, Run-Ons, Comma Splices, Coordination & Subordination

A correct sentence must have:

• A subject
• A predicate (verb)
• A complete thought

Sentence Fragments

A fragment lacks one of those elements.

❌ Because the weather was cold. (dependent clause — no main clause) ✅ Because the weather was cold, we stayed inside.

❌ Running through the park on a sunny day. (no subject or main verb) ✅ She was running through the park on a sunny day.

Run-On Sentences

Two independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or a conjunction.

❌ I love reading I go to the library every week. (fused sentence) ❌ I love reading, I go to the library every week. (comma splice)

Four ways to fix a run-on or comma splice:

1. Period: I love reading. I go to the library every week.
2. Semicolon: I love reading; I go to the library every week.
3. Comma + conjunction: I love reading, so I go to the library every week.
4. Subordination: Because I love reading, I go to the library every week.

Coordination vs. Subordination

Coordination (equal ideas)

Uses (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) with a comma, or a semicolon:

🎯 Modifier Placement

Part 5 of 7 — Dangling Modifiers, Misplaced Modifiers, Squinting Modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about another word. On the SAT, modifier errors are among the most frequently tested grammar concepts.

Golden Rule: A modifier must be placed next to the word it modifies.

Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier is misplaced when it is too far from the word it describes, creating confusion or unintended meaning.

❌ She almost drove her kids to school every day. (This says she almost drove but didn't actually drive)

✅ She drove her kids to school almost every day. (She drove most days — "almost" modifies "every day")

❌ The professor only teaches on Tuesdays. (The only thing the professor does is teach? Probably not.)

✅ The professor teaches only on Tuesdays. ("Only" modifies "on Tuesdays")

Dangling Modifiers

A modifier dangles when the word it's supposed to modify is missing from the sentence or is not the subject right after the modifier.

❌ Walking to school, the rain started to fall. (The rain isn't walking to school!)

✅ Walking to school, noticed the rain starting to fall. (Now "I" is doing the walking)

⚖️ Parallel Structure & Comparisons

Part 6 of 7 — Parallel Lists, Correlative Conjunctions, Faulty Comparisons

Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for items in a list, pair, or series.

❌ She likes hiking, swimming, and to ride bikes. ✅ She likes hiking, swimming, and riding bikes.

❌ The job requires creativity, dedication, and being organized. ✅ The job requires creativity, dedication, and organization.

Rule: All items in a series must be in the same form — all nouns, all gerunds, all infinitives, etc.

Parallel Structure in Pairs

When two elements are joined by and, but, or or, they must match:

❌ The CEO was known for her vision and being decisive. ✅ The CEO was known for her vision and her decisiveness.

Correlative Conjunctions

These always come in pairs and demand parallel structure:

🏆 Review & Mixed Practice

Part 7 of 7 — Cheat Sheet, Mixed SAT-Style Questions, Test Strategies

You've covered all the major grammar conventions tested on the SAT:

Strategy: The Error-Spotting Checklist When you see an underlined portion on the SAT, run through these checks:

1. ✅ Does the verb agree with its subject?
2. ✅ Are pronouns clear and correctly matched?
3. ✅ Is the tense consistent and logical?
4. ✅ Is the sentence complete (no fragments, run-ons)?
5. ✅ Are modifiers placed correctly?
6. ✅ Is the structure parallel?