8 Must Know SAT Grammar Rules

How is your grammar? The SAT tests more than your reading comprehension — it also tests that you know the rules of grammar. To tackle this portion of the exam, here are 8 grammar rules you should know before you sit for the SAT test.

1. The Subject and Verb Must Agree

Every complete sentence will have a “subject” and a “verb” related to that subject. Both of these words have to agree.

Example: The child plays with the ball.

“Child” is a singular subject, so it uses a singular verb (plays). However, some sentences on the SAT can be designed to confuse you.

Example: The child with the yellow gloves plays with the ball.

Some students might see “gloves” and think it’s a plural subject, so therefore requires a plural verb. However, the subject is still “child,” and “plays” is still correct.

Another way the SAT tries to trick you is with collective nouns. Collective nouns are singular, and therefore should use a singular verb.

Example: The team is reviewing the portfolio.

Although team refers to multiple people, “is” is correct here, not “are.” If the sentence said “The members are reviewing the portfolio,” “are” would be correct.

2. Verbs Need to Be in the Correct Tense

Those taking the SAT should consider whether the sentence is describing a past, present, or future event. Looking at context can help them select the correct verb tense.

Past Example: The dog was playing with the ball or The dog played with the ball.
Present Example: The dog is playing with the ball or The dog plays with the ball.
Future Example: The dog will play with the ball.

There may be a few different ways to say some sentences, as shown above, so keep that in mind when choosing the correct sentence.

3. Pronouns Have to Agree With Their Antecedents

As with subject and verb agreements, pronouns have to agree with their antecedents. If the antecedent is singular, the referring pronoun should be singular. If the antecedent is plural, the referring pronoun should be plural.

Example: Cows have a wide field of vision, but they cannot see directly in front or behind them.

“Cows” in this sentence is plural, so the pronoun “they” is plural as well.

4. Modifiers Need to Appear Close to The Person or Thing They’re Modifying

Dangling or misplaced modifiers may make sense to you when you write out a sentence or read them, but they can often confuse readers or convey the wrong idea. If you see a modifier, the word directly after the comma should be the word that’s being modified.

Example: A highly intelligent creature, the elephant quickly figured out the puzzle.

The elephant is the “highly intelligent creature,” so it would come directly after the modifier.

5. Possessives and Contractions Need to Be Correct

This rule covers two different sub-rules. When you’re referring to a possessive noun, you use an apostrophe. The placement of the apostrophe depends on whether the noun is singular or plural.

Singular Example: The cat’s bowl is empty.
Plural Example: The cats’ bowl is empty.

However, apostrophes in pronouns are actually contractions, not indicative of possession. For instance, “it’s” is a contraction of “it is” and “its” is the possessive.

Possessive Example: The bird is sitting in its favorite spot.
Contraction Example: It’s sitting in its favorite spot.

Another common example would be their vs. they’re. “Their” is the possessive and “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.”

Possessive Example: The birds are sitting in their favorite spot.
Contraction Example: They’re sitting in their favorite spot.

7. Pronouns Should Be Clear

When using pronouns, it’s important to be clear who the pronoun is referencing. It can become confusing when the sentence contains multiple subjects.

Incorrect Example: Julia, Megan, and Elizabeth were chasing butterflies when she sprained her ankle.

In this sentence, it isn’t clear who sprained their ankle.

Correct Example: Julia, Megan, and Elizabeth were chasing butterflies when Elizabeth sprained her ankle.

8. Don’t Use Run-On Sentences or Fragments

Run-on sentences and fragments can be commonly used in text messages or speech, but they’re incorrect when it comes to grammar and the SAT. Every sentence should have a main clause, including the subject and a predicate, and correct punctuation.

Run-On Example: The cat eats the wet food and the dog eats the dry food.
Fragment Example: The cat eating the wet food, the dog the dry
Correct Example: The cat eats the wet food, and the dog eats the dry food.

Simply adding a comma to the run-on sentence makes it correct. You can also opt to write it as “The cat eats the wet food, while the dog eats the dry food.”

The SAT may not require you to brush up on your vocabulary anymore, but it will require you to know your grammar rules. Understanding these rules will help you ace the Writing and Language portion of the SAT.

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