SAT WRITING AND LANGUAGE NOTES, EXAMPLES AND PRACTISE

QUESTIONS

The Strategies
The SAT Writing and Language Test is a passage-based test. There are four
multi-paragraph passages and 44 questions to go with them. The makers of the
SAT break this test down into two main sections: Usage and Mechanics and
Rhetorical Skills.

‍ sage and Mechanics cover questions about punctuation, grammar and usage,
U
and sentence structure. In the past, these questions have made up about 60% of
the questions on the test.

The second main category is Rhetorical Skills. Questions in this section will ask
about strategy, organization, and style. These types of questions constitute
about 40% of the questions on the test.

No matter how good you are at English, there will always be a few rules here and
there that you likely don’t know. Fortunately, they’re all very easy to learn.

As you work through your practice sections, be sure to mark every problem that
you get wrong and look at the answer explanations. The sooner you start
documenting the grammar rules you aren’t familiar with and studying them, the
more proficient you’ll become. There’s simply no substitute for practice.

Context Is Everything
The SAT Writing and Language Test is where real strategy comes into play. If
you want to get a great score, the most important habit to build is the habit of
reading through the entire passage up to the point of the problem. In other words,
you should never just skip to an underlined portion of the text without reading
what came before it.

Read through the whole thing. Every word. And collect context for each
sentence before you answer questions.

To give you an idea of how important this is, let’s use the following example. Go
right to the question and read just the part that is underlined. See if you can
answer the question based only on this information

Example 1
Ants’ search for food can require travelling as far as one hundred meters away
from their nests (the rough equivalent of a human walking 15 miles). Yet no
matter how winding a path ants might have taken to find food, they are able to
navigate back to their starting point with remarkable precision. To test their
scientific hypothesis, a team of research biologists studied ants in the Tunisian
desert.

Which choice most clearly introduces the research question central to the essay?
A. NO CHANGE
B. To discover how certain animals navigate their way over long distances,
C. To determine how ants accomplish this navigational task,
D. To answer this question,

Solution: Without read anything leading up to this problem, it’s impossible to

answer. All the answers are grammatically correct, so based on grammar alone,
there’s no possible way to select an answer. But, if you read the first paragraph
three of the answer choices make no sense and you can eliminate them quickly.

So, let’s read the first paragraph. Now look at answer choice A. What
hypothesis? No hypothesis was introduced in the preceding sentences, so this
has to be wrong. D also does not make sense. What question? The passage
does not mention a question. So that’s wrong.

The passage isn’t talking about LONG distances - it’s talking about WINDING
PATHS. It’s not about “certain animals” going a “long distance” - it’s that ANTS
have to navigate along WINDING PATHS. B is wrong, and only C remains.

But you’ll never know that unless you’ve read EVERYTHING leading up to
it! Without a full understanding of a passage, its order, its content, and its main
idea, how can you know what’s relevant or irrelevant, which paragraphs or
sentences should go where, etc.? You’ll have no idea. But this rule is even
MORE important when it comes to GRAMMAR-based questions.

Every single element of grammar is dependent on context.

Pronouns depend upon nouns. Tenses depend upon a story’s

timeframe. Everything in grammar exists in context.

Is the phrase “I had already eaten” correct?

It is impossible to say without context. In this sentence, it’s totally fine: I had
already eaten by the time you got to the diner.

In this sentence, it’s completely wrong: I had eaten pie tomorrow afternoon.

Yes - these are obvious examples, but the point is this: even within a single
sentence, the same phrase or word can be totally right or totally wrong
depending upon context.

Do NOT try to answer grammar questions without getting as much information as

you can. Furthermore, never answer a grammar question without reading the
entire sentence that it’s a part of. You must consider the passage as a whole.
Speaking of context, there’s an extremely simple but important rule to remember:
if something isn’t underlined, then it’s correct. Sections that aren’t underlined are
therefore your rocks – the solid ground on which you can gain context for the rest
of the passage.

Elimination Is Also Everything

It’s very important to get into the habit of eliminating wrong answers rather than
“picking a right one.” Often students work to find “the best answer.” However, the
job is not to pick the “best answer” but to eliminate the three worst answers.

As a quick exercise, try to prove why the following sentence is grammatically

correct: “I found a turtle hanging out underneath my bed, but it turned out that he
didn’t want to be my friend.”

The sentence is totally fine but proving why it’s grammatically correct means you
must show that it is free from errors.

And the only way to do that is to compare it to a sentence that is not incorrect.
Comparing answer choices enables us to find the wrong answers.

Comparison Is Your Best Friend

By comparing answer choices, obsessing over their weaknesses, being hyper-
cynical, looking at their differences, and eliminating the worst differences, you’re
being truly efficient. You’re using logical reasoning and arguing against the bad
answer choices, rather than arguing for them.

Example 2
The house, heated from the sun when it was out and shining, was the first of its
kind.
A. NO CHANGE
B. totally heated just from the sunlight and the warmth
C. using the sun’s heat to heat the house,
D. heated only by the sun,

Solution: All of these answers are seemingly decent. None of them, on their own,
are particularly horrific. But when you compare them to each other, the right
answer becomes extremely obvious.

Look at A and B. “Heated from the sun when it was out and shining” is wrong,
because “it” could be referring to the HOUSE or to the SUN – this sentence is
grammatically unclear. B sounds a little silly, but doesn’t break any monstrous
rules. So, we can eliminate A and move on to B.

Now compare B and C. B still sounds odd, but C is horrible! “The house, using
the sun’s heat to heat the house?” You’re repeating the subject twice in one
sentence, and you’re repeating the noun “heat” and using it as a verb. C is out.

Now we take B and compare it to the last man standing, D. “The house, heated
only by the sun, was the first of its kind.” It’s clean, it’s short, it’s beautiful! It
breaks no rules.

And now, looking back at B, we realize that “that warmth” is totally awkward.
What warmth? You’d say, “the sun and ITS warmth,” not “that warmth.” It’s an
obvious flaw, and hence we can kill it! D is your answer. It’s the LEAST
WRONG, by comparison.

Notice something else: by using comparison and elimination, you “pick up

steam” - in other words, by picking up one error, you can use that error to
eliminate more answers instantly down the line!

As you work through the answers, you realize that they’re all way too long,
repetitive, and unclear. Then, by the time you get to D, it’s so free of errors that B
looks like a joke! The correct answer is D.
At first, this might seem like it takes a bit of time. But when you get used to flying
through passages and eliminating rather than picking, you’ll be a lot faster!
Suddenly, you won’t be having long, drawn-out arguments with yourself about
what is “good” or what is “better” - you’ll be mercilessly slaying answers based on
pure, objective FACTS.

Before we launch into grammar rules, here are two more extremely important
strategies:

1. Don’t Go Back: Pull the Trigger

If you want to finish the Writing and Language Test on time, you can’t dwell. You
can’t spend five minutes on one problem and still expect to get a good score –
you’ll never finish! If you’re spending more than 60 seconds trying to eliminate
answers, and you still can’t figure it out, just pick something and move on.

Do not let one hard question hurt your chances on all the others. This is what
happens when you dwell!

Also, do not “go back” and try to re-figure later. You’ll have lost context, and your
first instincts are almost always right. Once you’ve tried the problem once, YOU
ARE DONE.

Get in and out quickly, and NEVER go back!

2. Reflecting on Errors
Albert Einstein famously said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing
over and over again and expecting different results.”

Most students get something wrong, check the right answer, and go “Eh, I
should’ve gotten that right,” or “Whatever, that was a hard one anyway.” That’s
the wrong approach. All too often, students keep making the same mistakes over
and over, but they never do anything to improve.

You should always ask yourself, “What was it that I was missing that led to my
mistake? In other words, if I had known X, I would have gotten this correct. What
is X?”

Every mistake should lead to a plan of action so that when you complete that
plan of action, you don’t make the same mistake again.

For example, it could be knowledge based: “I got this one wrong because I
wasn’t aware of the ways the SAT tests subject-verb agreement. Ok, that’s
something I need to learn.” OR “I got this one wrong because I thought this word
was a verb. Why is this word not a verb? Anything tricky about it? Oh, it ends in
“ing.” Do words that end in “ing” (like running) count as verbs?”

“Let me look that up and review my parts of speech so that I can distinguish
between nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.”

Now you might feel that this sort of internal dialogue is silly, but this is exactly
how top scorers think. They’re adamant about figuring out why they got
something wrong and how to correct themselves.

So, the overall strategy on the SAT Writing and Language Test is
this:

 Read through the entire sentence for which the problem asks you to
consider BEFORE you answer questions.

 Get the full context behind the sentence before you look at the answer
choices
  For all problems, do NOT pick the “right” answer. Your job is to eliminate
three wrong answers

 For grammar problems, remember it’s impossible to prove something

grammatically correct. Whichever choice doesn’t contain an error, leave it
alone.

 Never spend more than 60 seconds on a problem, under any

circumstances. No matter how close you might be, or how challenging the
problem might be, move on.

 NEVER leave a problem blank. Even if you have only the faintest idea,
pick something. It’s foolish not to.

Sentence Structures
Though sentence structures are rarely tested, you will need to understand the
different components of sentence structures to understand and answer grammar
based questions. The following are different components of a sentence:

1. Clauses
A CLAUSE is a group of words that includes at least a subject and a verb. A
clause always contains a subject that acts through a verb. Clauses are
categorized into two types to help us work with them:

1. Independent Clauses - a clause that can stand alone as a

complete sentence.
Example: I went to the bonfire after the game.

2. Dependent Clauses - a clause that contains elements of a

sentence but can’t stand alone as a complete sentence.
Example: When the circus gets to town…..

If you’re still a bit confused about what makes up an independent clause vs. a
dependent clause, simply remember what we like to call, “the AKWARD Rule.”

Dependent clauses, when said by themselves, sound awkward

and incomplete. For instance:

 so let’s find out why!

 and that’s why I’ll never go to that store again

 but who’s to say she isn’t?

Each of the above examples demand more information. In

comparison, the following independent clauses make complete
sense when said by themselves:

 I’m in the mood for sushi

 I have a pool in my backyard

 there are five dogs in my local vet’s playpen

Examples 1-2
Claudia didn’t enjoy following the news. No matter the topic, every story seemed
to fall under a general pessimistic trend. In every part of the world, [1] troubling
developments in politics. [2] Worried about economic markets and concerned
about environmental changes. So, while Claudia kept watching the news to
remain up-to-date about current events, she started to seek out happy stories to
balance out the negative ones.

2.
A. NO CHANGE
B. People were worried about economic markets and concerned about environmental changes
C. People worrying about economic markets and being concerned about environmental
changes
D. By worrying about economic markets and being concerned about environmental changes
1.
A. NO CHANGE
B. trouble developments in politics.
C. there were troubling developments in politics.
D. politics was developing trouble.

Solutions:
1. The error in the sentence as it is written is that it is not a complete sentence. It
also does not contain a verb - “troubling” is a not a verb (we’ll cover this more in
the Verbs chapter). C is the correct answer choice, as it correctly inserts a verb
and makes the sentence complete.

2. The sentence is incomplete as it does not contain a subject. Answer choices C

and D are also incomplete as they do not contain a verb. Only answer choice B
is correct because it creates a complete sentence that includes a subject and a
verb.

Fragments
When a sentence does not contain an independent clause, it is called a sentence
fragment. A fragment is basically an incomplete sentence, one that’s
missing either a subject or a verb.

For example: Floating on the river.

Of course, that one’s fairly easy.. The SAT, on the other hand, will give you
sentence fragments so long that by the time you’ve read to the end, you’ll have
forgotten where you started. If you read a sentence out loud and it lacks a sense
of completion or the whole thing just sounds weird, chances are it’s a sentence
fragment.
Wrong: Because my broken heart, which you have left hardly beating in my
chest, is the reason for my endless suffering

Correct: My broken heart, which you have left hardly beating in my chest, is the
reason for my endless suffering‍

There is no one way to fix a sentence fragment. On the SAT, the simpler ones
are easy to spot and fix. Other times, the trickier ones will involve removing
words like “who,” “which,” “although”,” because,” “since,” and “despite.”

Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that connects clauses or sentences together. There are
two types of conjunctions that appear on the SAT: coordinating and
subordinating.

1. Coordinating Conjunctions. Coordination means bringing things

together, in this case, two independent clauses. A coordinating
conjunction is a word that connects two independent clauses in a
sentence.

FANBOYS

‍ oordinating conjunctions are FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET and SO, and
C
are paired with a comma: Comma + Coordinating Conjunction.

Example: The girl walked in the door, and her mother gave her a huge hug.

Two independent clauses can also be connected using these

methods:

 ‍Semicolon: The girl walked in the door; her mother gave her a huge hug.‍
  Period: The girl walked in the door. Her mother gave her a huge hug.

Therefore, if an answer choice joins two independent clauses using two of the
above three options, then the answer choice is wrong.

Example 3
There are many good varieties of tomatoes available to growers - each
grower should try a few plants of several varieties to determine which performs
best.

Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable alternative to the underlined

portion?
A. growers. Each grower
B. growers, each grower
C. growers; each grower
D. growers, and each grower

Solution: The period in A), the semicolon in C), and the comma + and in D) are
the same, so you can instantly eliminate all of those answers. Only B) remains.
2. Subordinating Conjunctions. Sometimes clauses in a complex sentence are
connected by a subordinating conjunction. You may already know what
“subordination” means and you can apply that definition here. ‍

Subordinating conjunctions link a dependent clause to an independent

clause, making one clause subordinate to (or dependent on) the
other. Often, a subordinating conjunction will show a time, place, or cause and
effect relationship.

Example: Because she had gotten there just in time, her mother gave her a
huge smile.

The important thing to remember is that conjunctions are necessary to connect

independent and dependent clauses.

FRED WANTED TO GO THE RESTAURANT LAST NIGHT, BUT HE DIDN’T

HAVE ANY MONEY.

FRED WANTED TO GO THE RESTAURANT LAST NIGHT.BUT/HOWEVER HE

DIDN’T HAVE ANY MONEY.

Example 4
If you grow tomatoes to sell at a market, remember that it will take about 70 to 80
days from the time you set plants in the field until you can pick ripe tomatoes
from them.
A. NO CHANGE
B. market, and remember
C. market. Remember
D. market; remember
Solution: “If you grow tomatoes to sell at a market” is a dependent clause and
“remember that it will take about 70 to 80 days from the time you set plants in the
field until you can pick ripe tomatoes from them” is an independent clause. You
connect a dependent clause with an independent clause with a
comma. Therefore, A is the correct answer.

Example 5
A recent study by two professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz,
Chris Wilmers and James Esters, suggests, that kelp forests protected by sea
otters absorb as much as 12 times the amount of carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere as those where sea urchins are allowed to devour the kelp.
A. NO CHANGE
B. suggests that,
C. suggests, “that
D. suggests that

Solution: The comma before “that” is unnecessary as that always starts an

essential clause. A common error on SAT punctuation questions is to randomly
place a comma or semicolon within a sentence, especially in sentences in which
there are other commas. In this sentence, answer choice D is the correct
answer. No punctuation is needed. Remember that if punctuation isn’t needed,
you should leave it out.
Comma Splices and Run-On
Sentences
Remember that independent clauses are complete sentences. When you
connect two independent clauses with an unnecessary comma, you’ve created a
COMMA SPLICE. Comma splices are grammatically incorrect.

The basic form of a comma splice is Independent Clause, Independent Clause

Tip: Commas splices are often signaled by the construction “comma + pronoun”
(e.g. it, he, she, they, I). When you see this construction underlined on the SAT,
you should immediately be on your guard.

Wrong: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored, they are mostly large
and red today.

In comparison, when punctuation is needed to connect two independent clauses,

but you haven’t used any, you’re left with a RUN-ON sentence.( A SENTENCE
THAT IS NOT PROPERLY CONSTITUTED AS FAR AS GRAMMAR IS
CONCERNED.IT OCCURS WHEN TWO MAIN CLAUSES ARE JOINED WITH
THE WRONG PUNCTUATION OR CONJUNCTION.)

The basic form of a run-on is Independent Clause Independent Clause (No

commas between the clauses)

WE LIKE GRAMMAR WE LOVE THIS CLASS.

There are three number of ways to fix comma splices and eliminate run-on
sentences. Using this same example, let’s apply each approach.

1. Use Comma + FANBOYS

As covered in the previous section, we can use a coordinating conjunction
(FANBOYS) along with a comma to correctly connect two independent
sentences and avoid a comma splice or run-on.

Wrong: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored, they are mostly large
and red today.

Correct: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored, but/yet they are
mostly large and red today.

Important: If two independent clauses are connected by a word that’s not from
the FANBOYS list, the sentence is STILL A RUN-ON. This is how the SAT tricks
you.

Wrong: He was hungry, therefore, he bought a chipotle burrito.

This sentence is wrong because ‘therefore’ is not a coordinating conjunction/not

on the FANBOYS list. Other words that the SAT might use to confuse you are
however, moreover, in addition, nevertheless, and furthermore. These words are
transition words pretending to be coordinating conjunctions.

2. Use Periods or Semicolons

Commas or semi-colons are the simplest way to correct comma splices and run-
ons.

Wrong: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored, they are mostly large
and red
Correct: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored. They are mostly large
and red today.

Correct: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored; they are mostly large
and red today.

However, it’s important to remember that you should not use FANBOYS with a
semicolon or period. Semicolons and periods require complete sentences on
either side. If you add in a FANBOYS word, the second clause is no longer a
complete sentence.

Wrong: He was hungry; and he bought a pizza.

3. Turn an Independent Clause into a Dependent Clause

Another option is to turn one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause,
often by adding a subordinating conjunction. In the sentences below, the
dependent clause is noted in orange.

Wrong: Tomatoes were originally small and multicolored, they are mostly large
and red today.

Correct: While tomatoes were originally small and multicolored, they are mostly
large and red today.

On the SAT or ACT, you will have answer choices to choose from. Therefore, it’s
more important to be able to identify run-ons and be able to reword them.
Now, let’s complicate things by adding modifiers to each independent clause,
making them complex independent clauses.

Wrong: When I try to go to sleep, nightmares keep me awake at night, after

brushing my teeth, I oddly feel energized in the morning.

Correct: When I try to go to sleep, nightmares keep me awake at night; after

brushing my teeth, I oddly feel energized in the morning.

Correct: When I try to go to sleep, nightmares keep me awake at night, yet after
brushing my teeth, I oddly feel energized in the morning.

This sentence contains a ton of clauses, but essentially there are two
independent clauses being mashed together.

Clause #1: When I try to go to sleep, nightmares keep me awake

at night
Clause #2: after brushing my teeth, I oddly feel energized in the morning.

The SAT will try to trick you by putting stuffing many clauses into a sentence to
keep you from realizing what you’re reading is a run-on. Read carefully and be
on the lookout for where an independent clause ends and where another begins.

Example 6
Choreographer and dancer Savion Glover aims to restore the African roots of tap
dance, he eliminates hand gestures to focus on the feet as the primary source of
movement.
A. NO CHANGE
B. tap dance; and he eliminates
C. tap dance, consequently he eliminates

Solution: Answer choice B can be eliminated because and should only follow a
comma, never a semicolon. Option C can be eliminated because consequently is
not a FANBOYS conjunction and should only follow a semicolon or a period. A
can also be eliminated because it contains a comma splice. Option D
correctly joins the sentences using the participle eliminating.

Example 7
Josh is one of the best players I’ve ever seen. He does everything so naturally
and so confidently and he never misses a practice. Talent can only be fully
realized when it is combined with hard work and a good mindset.
A. NO CHANGE
B. He does everything so naturally and so confidently plus he never misses a
practice.
C. He does everything so naturally and so confidently, and he never misses a
practice.
D. He does everything so naturally and so confidently; and he never misses a
practice.
Solution: “He never misses a practice” is an independent clause and therefore
needs to be separated from the remaining sentence with appropriate
punctuation: either a semicolon or a comma with a FANBOYS conjunction. The
only answer choice that does that is answer choice C.

Comma Usage
The comma is widely used in writing and is the most commonly tested concept
on the SAT Writing and Language Test. Therefore, it’s extremely important to
understand how to correctly use commas and when to avoid them.

One chapter cannot fully describe everything there is to know about comma
usage, which is why you’ll find comma-related information in other sections that
discuss FANBOYS, run-ons, sentence structures, etc. The following are a few
important comma usage rules not primarily covered in other chapters.

1. Removing Non–Essential Clauses

If a clause can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence, it
needs to be surrounded by commas.

Consider the following examples:

 Her mother, a doctor, was often late.

 Jonah, a fifth-grader, jumps rope on the playground every day.

 Josh, after thinking for a while, decided to go to law school.

Take the orange font clauses out of these examples and you still have three clear
and complete sentences. If you aren’t sure whether a clause needs to be
surrounded by commas, try crossing it out. If the sentence still makes sense,
then the commas are needed; if it doesn’t make sense, then the commas are not
needed.

Example: The Tower of London, which was begun by William the Conqueror in
1078, is one of the largest and most imposing fortifications in England.

As you can see, the sentence still makes sense even when you remove the
clause in the orange font: The Tower of London is one of the largest and most
imposing fortifications in England.

However, if we remove one or both of the commas, then the sentence becomes
incorrect.

Wrong: The Tower of London, which was begun by William the Conqueror in
1078 is one of the largest and most imposing fortifications in England.

Wrong The Tower of London which was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078
is one of the largest and most imposing fortifications in England.
Sometimes non-essential clauses can be very long. In such cases, look all the
way back to the beginning of the sentence in order to identify the start of the non-
essential clause. You will need to cross out a lot of information to test whether a
non-essential clause is present.

Example 1
Pets can have pretty funny names sometimes. Tiny Tim my neighbour’s dog is a
Great Dane the size of a small horse. When he stands on his hind legs, he’s as
tall as I am!
A. NO CHANGE
B. Tiny Tim, my neighbour’s dog, is a Great Dane the size of a small horse.
C. Tiny Tim, my neighbour’s dog is a Great Dane the size of a small horse.
D. Tiny Tim, my neighbour’s dog is a Great Dane, the size of a small horse.

Solution: From the context of the sentence, we can tell that “Tiny Tim” is not the
name of a person; it’s the name of the speaker’s neighbour’s dog. Does the
sentence make sense without the information conveyed by “my neighbour’s
dog”?

“Tiny Tim is a Great Dane the size of a small horse.”

Yes, it does! My neighbor’s dog is non-essential information, so we need to set it

apart with commas. The only answer choice that does that is B.

Example 2
London, which was originally built by the Romans along the banks of the Thames
more than two thousand years ago contains some extremely modern
neighborhoods.
A. NO CHANGE
B. ago; contains
C. ago, containing
D. ago, contains

Solution: If you focus only on the underlined portion of the sentence, you’re likely
to get confused. The key is to go back to the beginning of the sentence and
recognize that it contains a non-essential clause, as signalled by the word which.

London, which was originally built by the Romans along the banks of the Thames
more than two thousand years ago contains some extremely modern
neighborhoods.

We need to remove the non-essential clause in blue font. Only option D does this
and correctly places a verb (contains) immediately after the comma. D is the
correct answer.

Important: Two commas do not always equal a non-essential clause! One

common mistake is to assume that the presence of two commas in a sentence
automatically indicates a non-essential clause.

Consider the following two sentences:

Correct: London, which was one of the largest and most important cities in
Europe during the Middle Ages, remains an important financial and cultural
centre today.

This sentence contains a non-essential clause that can be removed without

altering its basic meaning.
Wrong: During the Middle Ages, London was one of the largest and most
important cities in Europe, and today it remains an important financial and
cultural center.

The sentence is wrong if we cross out the information between the commas. The
information between the commas is actually the important information and the
independent clause.

You need to remove the part of the sentence that you believe is non-essential
and read the sentence without it to test. If that doesn’t work, try again with a
different part of the sentence. This process is very important.

Example 3
In 2004, historian and journalist J. Pennelope Goforth came across a silver
shopping bag with an envelope inside. The envelope marked “Alaska
Commercial Company” immediately caught her attention. For years, Goforth has
researched the company, which had controlled Alaska’s waters in the late
nineteenth century.
A. NO CHANGE
B. The envelope marked “Alaska Commercial Company,”
C. The envelope, marked “Alaska Commercial Company,”
D. The envelope, marked “Alaska Commercial Company
Solution: The key to answering this question is to recognize that the sentence is
referring to one specific envelope. The passage states that Goforth found a
shopping bag with an envelope inside. That’s one envelope.

The sentence you’re being asked about can therefore only be referring to that
single envelope, not implying that the envelope Goforth found was one of many
envelopes. Because the clause “marked ‘Alaska Commercial Company’”
describes that one particular envelope, commas must be used. C is therefore
correct.

On the other hand, consider this version of the passage:

Example 4
In 2004, while rummaging in a Seattle basement, historian and journalist J.
Pennelope Goforth came across a silver shopping bag filled with envelopes. The
envelope marked “Alaska Commercial Company” immediately caught her
attention. For years, Goforth had researched the company, which had controlled
Alaska’s waters in the late nineteenth century.
A. NO CHANGE
B. The envelope marked “Alaska Commercial Company,”
C. The envelope, marked “Alaska Commercial Company,”
D. The envelope, marked “Alaska Commercial Company

Solution: In this version, the passage indicates that Goforth found many
envelopes. The description marked ‘Alaska Commercial Company’ is essential
because it specifies which one of the envelopes Goforth found. No commas are
therefore needed, making A correct.‍

2. LISTS
A comma rule that everyone is most familiar with is that in lists of three or more
items, you must place a comma after every item except the last. This is
called a serial comma or the Oxford comma.

APPLES, MANGOES, AND ORANGES

Example: The pirate loves Barbados because there’s so much to do, including
shopping for eye patches, sharpening his sword, and visiting the pub.

After looking at the last two rules, you might assume that you need to put a
comma anywhere you see ‘and,’ but that’s not the case!
For example: James and his brother travel led to Oregon and Washington.

Often, you will see a list that doesn’t look like a list because each item is so long.
Be careful here.

Correct: Yesterday, Talia went on a boring first date that she left early and
plotted to take over the world using nothing but duct tape and string.

You don’t need commas in this sentence because it only lists two items.

Examples 5 - 6
The history of the English language is a fascinating one that reveals influences from a wide
variety of different languages, [5] including French Latin and Anglo-Saxon. This last language
came to Great Britain [6] when the country was invaded by Angles Jutes and Saxons groups of
people who spoke varieties of German. The country’s linguistic landscape was changed
drastically when William the Conqueror invaded and brought with him continental French, which
became the language of the courts and nobles.

5.
A. NO CHANGE
B. including French, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon
C. including French, Latin, and, Anglo-Saxon
D. including French Latin, and Anglo-Saxon

6.
A. NO CHANGE
B. when the country was invaded by Angles, Jutes, and Saxons groups of people who spoke
varieties of German
C. when the country was invaded by Angles, Jutes, and Saxons, groups of people who spoke
varieties of German
D. when the country was invaded by Angles Jutes and Saxons, groups of people who spoke
varieties of German
Solutions:
5. If “French Latin” were a language, the sentence would be corrected, but
“French Latin” is not a language; “French” is a language, and “Latin” is language.
Thus, three things are being listed, and need to use commas to separate items in
the list. Thus, the correct answer is B!

6. “Groups of people who spoke varieties of German” is restating the list in a

different way. There are three items in the list: (1) Angles (2) Jutes (3) Saxons.
We need commas separating these three items. We also need to follow “Saxons”
with a comma so that the noun phrase “groups of people who spoke varieties of
German” is highlighted as a modifier and is set apart from the main
sentence. The only answer choice that does both of these is C.

3. ADJECTIVES
In a sentence with more than one adjective in front of a noun or pronoun, and the
order of the adjectives doesn’t matter, you need to separate the adjectives with a
comma.

OSASCOMP

Let’s look at two examples, one where you need a comma and
one where you don’t:

 The hot dry desert

 The first female astronaut

Which one do you think needs a comma? If you’re not sure, check whether the examples make sense
with the order of the adjectives reversed:

 The dry hot desert

 The female first astronaut

The first sentence makes perfect sense with the new word order, so it needs a
comma: the hot, dry desert.

The second, however, doesn’t work when the order of the adjectives is switched,
so no comma is needed: the first female astronaut.

4. Names and Titles

Proper names and titles can be either essential or non-essential to a sentence.
Context will decide if we need commas around names and titles or not.

The basic idea here is simple: if the proper name being used is describing
the ‘only thing’ in the world, use a comma to offset the name. If it’s not, don’t
use commas.

Correct: I went to see Woody Allen’s latest movie, “Midnight in Paris,” with my
oldest friend, Jessie.
In the above example, you need a comma after ‘movie’ because “Midnight in
Paris” is the only film that could be described as Mr. Allen’s newest movie in
theaters and a comma after ‘friend’ because “Jessie” is the only thing in the world
described by “my oldest friend.” Make sense?

Example 7
Ada Lovelace and her acquaintance, Charles Babbage, were two of the most
influential figures in the history of computer science. After Babbage sketched out
his ideas for an “analytical engine,” Lovelace demonstrated that the machine
might be able to carry out a variety of complex tasks.
A. NO CHANGE
B. acquaintance Charles Babbage
C. acquaintance Charles Babbage,
D. acquaintances, Charles Babbage

Solution: Let’s cross out the name entirely, and see if the sentence still makes
sense: Ada Lovelace and her acquaintance, Charles Babbage, were two of the
most influential figures in the history of computer science.

A crucial piece of information is lost: we do not know who Lovelace’s

acquaintance was – since she may have had many acquaintances. Also, the
reference to Babbage does not make sense, so the name is essential and no
commas are required. The answer is, therefore, B.

Example 8
Caribbean-American author, Jamaica Kincaid is also known for being an
enthusiastic essayist and gardener. She was born Elaine Potter in St. John’s,
Antigua but came to the United States at the age of 17 to work as an au pair in
Westchester County, New York. She eventually won a scholarship to Franconia
College in New Hampshire but returned to New York City to write. In 1985, she
published the novel, Annie John, a semiautobiographical story of a young girl
growing up in Antigua.
A. NO CHANGE
B. author Jamaica Kincaid
C. author, Jamaica Kincaid,
D. author Jamaica Kincaid,

Solution: Once again, start by crossing the name out of the sentence to see if it
still makes sense: Caribbean American author, Jamaica Kincaidis is also known
for being an enthusiastic essayist and gardener.

The sentence loses meaning if we remove the name: it doesn’t tell us who the
Caribbean- American novelist is. The name is clearly essential, so no commas
are needed. The answer is B.

Example 9
I’ve always been interested in gardening, but until recently, I didn’t have room for
flowers or plants. When I moved into a new house last summer, however, I was
thrilled to discover that there was enough space in the yard for a garden. There
was just one problem - I’d never actually planted one. So I called a friend who
had a lot more gardening experience than I did. Luckily, that friend, Jane, agreed
to come over the next day.
A. NO CHANGE
B. friend, Jane
C, friend Jane,
D. friend Jane

Solution: When we cross out Jane, the resulting sentence still makes sense:
Luckily, that friend, Jane, agreed to come over the next day. Jane is therefore
non-essential and the commas are necessary, making the answer A.

Example 10
Jamaica Kincaid (born May 25, 1949) is a novelist, essayist, and gardener. She
was born Elaine Potter Richardson in St. John’s, Antigua but came to the United
States at the age of 17 to work as an au pair in Westchester County, New York.
She eventually won a scholarship to Franconia College in New Hampshire but
returned to New York City to write. In 1985, she published the novel, Annie
John, a semiautobiographical story of a young girl growing up in Antigua
A. NO CHANGE
B. the novel Annie John,
C. the novel, Annie John
D. the novel Annie John

Solution: As before, start by crossing out the novel’s title and reading the
sentence without it: In 1985, she published the novel, Annie John, a semi-
autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in Antigua.

The sentence does not make sense in context because we do not know which
novel the sentence is referring to. The information is therefore essential, meaning
that commas should not be placed around the title.

But, do we need a comma after the title? The clause that starts with “a semi-
autobiographical…” is a modifier that modifies the noun Annie John. Therefore, a
comma is needed. So, the answer is B.
5. Transitions
Using punctuation and transitions can be confusing, but here’s a tip to remember:
Place commas around the transition word if it is used in middle of a clause.
Transitions words are always non-essential.

Correct: The Tower of London was built during the Norman Conquest. Nearly a
thousand years later, however, it still remains standing.

The commas around ‘however’ tell us that if we cross that word out, the sentence
will still make sense.

The need for two commas is determined solely by context. If you are unsure
which type of punctuation should be used, cross out the word or phrase in
question and read the sentence without it.

If the sentence makes sense, the word or phrase is being used non-essential,
and two commas must be used. If the sentence does not make sense, or a
comma splice is created, a semicolon or period is required.

Important: If it’s used to begin a new clause, a transition should never follow a
comma.

Wrong: Independent Clause, Transition, Independent Clause

Correct: Independent Clause; Transition, Independent Clause

Correct: Independent Clause. Transition, Independent Clause

Wrong: The tomato is one of the most popular salad ingredients, however, it is
actually a fruit.
Correct: The tomato is a popular salad ingredient; however, it is actually a fruit.

Correct: The tomato is a popular salad ingredient. However, it is actually a fruit.

Colons, Dashes & Apostrophes

Even though comma usage is the most prominent punctuation rule tested on the
SAT, other punctuations such as semicolons, colons, dashes, and apostrophes
are frequently tested as well.

Semicolons
Semicolons have two primary uses in standard modern English. The first, and
most common, is to join independent clauses. Both the clause before and
after a semicolon must be independent, otherwise the sentence is
ungrammatical.

A simple trick is to replace the semicolon with a period and check if the sentence
is still grammatically correct. If it is, the semicolon is being used correctly.

Wrong: My favourite breakfast sandwich, beans on toast; I often make one and
eat it before work.

Correct: My favourite breakfast sandwich is beans on toast; I often make one

and eat it before work.

Semicolons should not be followed by any sort of conjunction, or the sentence

will become ungrammatical.

Wrong: Grilled cheese is one of the best, in my opinion; and beans on toast is
pretty good as well.
The second, and rarer, role semicolons play in standard modern English
involves a scenario in which items in a list of three or more are themselves
phrases that involve commas. One common example of this is when listing
cities followed by the states or countries in which they are located.

Wrong: I visited Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles, California, and San Antonio,
Texas on my vacation.

See how confusing it is to read that? It’s very difficult to keep track of which place
names refer to cities and which refer to states. Imagine how difficult it would be to
read if the cities named were smaller and less known? Use semicolons in the
place of commas in this specific scenario to avoid confusion.

Correct: I visited Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; and San Antonio,
Texas on my vacation.

SERIAL LISTING

Note that if one item in a list includes a comma, it is appropriate to use

semicolons for the entire list. For example:

Correct: I packed my sleeping bag; a pop-up tent, which I had borrowed from a
friend and only used a few times; a cast-iron skillet; and some popcorn to bring
on the camping trip.

Only “pop-up tent” uses a comma, but it’s still appropriate to set each item in the
list off with a semicolon.
Example 1
John and I have been trying to get together for weeks now. Sometimes it is just
hard to coordinate plans, people have responsibilities, after all. Maybe one day
soon we’ll be able see each other again.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Sometimes it is just hard to coordinate plans; people have responsibilities after
all.
C. Sometimes it is just hard to coordinate plans people have responsibilities after
all.
D. Sometimes it is just hard, to coordinate plans, people have responsibilities
after all.

Solution: Here, we have two independent clauses. Therefore, we connect them

with a semicolon. Therefore, we connect them with a semicolon. The correct
answer is B.

Colons
A colon (:) provides further explanation for what comes before it or to introduce a
list. The most important rule of colons to remember they must be preceded
by an independent clause. What comes after the colon does not have to be
able to stand alone. Therefore, all of the following examples are incorrect:

Wrong: A classic eggs benedict breakfast should include the following: poached
eggs, English muffins, and English tea.

Wrong: The dangerous animals you have to watch out for me are: lions, tigers,
and pythons.
In each of the above examples, the phrases preceding the colon are not
independent clauses.

The following are the two usages of colons:

1. To list things. This is pretty self explanatory.

Example: I went to the bakery and bought three things: donuts, pretzels, and a
cake.

2. To introduce information in a way that emphasizes it. The first part of the
sentence still needs to form an independent clause for this to be
grammatically correct, and the latter part of the sentence can be either a
phrase or an independent clause; its relationship to the first part of the sentence
is what’s key.

The content of the two parts of a sentence in which a colon is used for emphasis
should be very closely related.

Example: There was only one thing to do: fight the pirates head-on.

The second part of the sentence answers the question, “What was the only
thing to be done?”

Examples 2-3
I was wondering why he urged the group to go to the new restaurant when it
dawned on [2] me: the restaurant had a special on macaroni and cheese, his
favorite meal. It was adding a few extra ingredients, [3] too, bacon, breadcrumbs,
and chopped-up onion rings. Of course he would want us to go there for dinner!

2.
A. NO CHANGE
B. me; the restaurant had a special on macaroni and cheese; his favorite meal.
C. me that the restaurant had a special on macaroni and cheese; his favorite
meal.
D. me, the restaurant

3.
‍A. NO CHANGE
B. too: bacon, breadcrumbs, and chopped-up onion rings.
C. too; bacon, breadcrumbs, and chopped-up onion rings.
D. too. Bacon, breadcrumbs, and chopped-up onion rings.

Solutions:
2. The clause that follows the colon is answering the question, “What dawned on
the speaker?” Answer choice B uses a semicolon to connect the clauses, which
might be permissible, but B cannot be correct because it also replaces the
comma that appears later in the sentence with a semicolon. Answer choice C
also replaces the comma with a semicolon and thus cannot be correct either. By
replacing the colon with a comma, option D creates a comma splice, so it is not
correct. A is the correct answer.

3. The phrase “bacon, breadcrumbs, and chopped-up onion rings” is a specific

list detailing the “extra ingredients” this particular restaurant is adding to its
macaroni and cheese. A colon should be inserted before this list, after “too.” The
correct answer, B, is the only answer choice that accomplishes that.

Examples 4
Today’s researchers have found that the veritable army of trained volunteers
travelling the country conducting face-to-face interviews can sometimes
be replaced by another army the vast array of individual volunteering details
about their lives - and, inadvertently, their language - through social media.
A. NO CHANGE
B. replaced - by another army,
C. replaced by another army;
D. replaced by another army:
Solution: The portion of the sentence after “army” describes the other type of
army. We need punctuation to separate the independent clause before the word
“army.” A colon does the job here. The correct answer is D.

Dashes
A dash adds an additional thought to an independent clause. A set of two
dashes is used in much the same way as you use a set of commas - to include
non essential information.

‍2 Dashes = 2 Commas

When used to set off a non-essential clause, two dashes are exactly equivalent
to two commas. If one dash appears, so must the other. Another punctuation
mark such as a comma cannot be used in place of it.

Wrong: London - which is a very old city, has many new buildings.

Correct: London - which is a very old city - has many new buildings.

As a rule of thumb, remember that if you can take a phrase or clause out of
a sentence without making the sentence grammatically incorrect, that
phrase or clause should be separated from the main clause of the sentence
with commas, parentheses, or dashes.

Example 5
My brother is a decent tennis player, he serves well: but his forehand could be hit
with a bit more accuracy.
A. NO CHANGE
B. player - he serves well -
C. player, he serves well -
D. player and he serves well

Solution: You have first to figure out the non - essential information. In this
sentence, the non-essential information is “he serves well”. That phrase should
be off-set by two commas or two dashes. Based on our choices, the answer is B

Example 6
When we think about animals depicted in well-known works of art, the image of
dogs playing poker - popularized by American artist C.M. Coolidge, may be the
first and only one that comes to mind.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Coolidge -–
C. Coolidge;
D. Coolidge

Solution: The phrase from “popularized” to “Coolidge” is a non-essential phrase.

You can get rid of the phrase without altering the meaning of the sentence. There
is a dash already before the word popularized, and therefore the non-essential
phrase should end with a dash as well. The correct answer is B.

The choice to use two dashes rather than two commas is purely a stylistic one,
and the SAT will never require you to choose between the two. The only rule is
that dashes must go with dashes and commas with commas. One of the
SAT’s favourite errors is to mix and match commas and dashes.
IMPORTANT: Dashes can also be used to signal a list, restatement, or additional
details. Therefore, one dash often acts as a colon.

Examples:

 The preacher gave an entire sermon against eating beans - I think he’s
gone mad.

 The company leadership is faltering - the CEO embarrassed himself on the

news last night - and the investors are restless.

 I like to walk everyday - not for exercise, but for alone time.

Example 7
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the United States,
represents everything compelling about Alaska. It is immense larger in fact, than
Belgium.
A. NO CHANGE
B. ,larger
C. larger,
D. - larger,

Solution: The independent clause in this sentence is “It is immense”. “Larger that
Belgium” is additional information describing immense. Therefore, it has to be
preceded by either a colon or a dash. The phrase “in fact” is non-essential and
has to be set off by two commas. The correct answer is D.

The functionality of a dash and colon are often similar and confusing to students.
Don’t worry, the SAT will never test you on whether a dash should be used
instead of a colon, since the two are somewhat interchangeable.
Apostrophes
The basic rules for forming possessives are quite simple:

1. Singular nouns - simply add an apostrophe followed by an “s” to indicate

possession. This applies even to singular nouns that end with “s.”

Example: I really like Mike’s car.

Example: Mitosis’s properties are fascinating.

2. Plural nouns not ending in “s” - again simply add an “s” and an apostrophe.

Example: I’m always amazed by children’s capacity for wonder.‍

3. Plural nouns ending in an “s” - add an apostrophe without an “s.”

Example: The class’ size is getting unmanageable.‍

4. Compound nouns - the apostrophe should be placed at the end of the entire
compound noun, not at the end of the single-word noun.‍

Example: My father-in-law’s taste in wine is very refined.‍

5. Two or more Singular subjects. Put the apostrophe after the last noun. ‍

Example: Orange juice and grapefruit juice’s best property is their vitamin
content.
6. Two or more Plural subjects. Make each plural noun possessive
independently.

Example: The companies’ and lobbyists’ argument was that corporations should
be treated as people.

7. One plural and one singular subject. Make them possessive independently.

Example: My cat’s and dogs’ shots are all taken care of.

With apostrophes, it’s not so much about knowing the rules as it is

about determining whether you need an apostrophe at all and, if so, whether
the noun is meant to be plural or singular.

Happily, there’s an easy trick to determine whether a noun should be possessive.

“Gary’s ball” is just another way of saying “the ball of Gary.” So, if you want to
figure out whether a noun is meant to be possessive, try swapping the order of
the nouns and, putting an ‘of’ in the middle.

Example: When my computer crashed, I lost a months work on my plan to take

over the world.

Should month be possessive? Try switching it around: When my computer

crashed, I lost the work of a month on my plan to take over the world.

That makes sense: the point is that all the work done in a month was lost.

Correct version: When my computer crashed, I lost a month’s work on my plan

to take over the world.
Example 8
I have started two companies, which I run simultaneously. Both mine
companies’s profits have soared over the last six years. I think it’s safe to say
that I am a valuable employee.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Both my companies’ profits have soared over the last six years.
C. Both my companies’s profits have soared over the last six years.
D. Both my company’s profits have soared over the last six years.

Solution: The underlined sentence features two errors of possession. The first is
the incorrect use of the possessive adjective “mine” instead of the possessive
pronoun “my.” The second error incorrectly places an “s” after the apostrophe of
“companies.” Since “companies” is a plural noun ending in an “s” only the
apostrophe is only required to demonstrate the “companies” possession of
something, in this case, “profits.” The correct answer is B.

Example 9
Because their families are wealthy, each of my friends’ houses has a swimming
pool
A. NO CHANGE
B. friend’s house
C. friend’s houses
D. friends houses

Solution: The friends are intended to be plural because of the word “their” at the
beginning of the sentence. Therefore, the correct answer is A.

Example 10
If it is improperly introduced into the environment, acid-whey runoff can pollute
waterways, depleting the oxygen content of streams and rivers as it
decomposes.
A. NO CHANGE
B. could pollute waterway’s,
C. could have polluted waterways,
D. has polluted waterway’s

Solution: “Waterways” should be a plural noun without an apostrophe because

the sentence is stating that acid-whey runoff can pollute waterways. There is
nothing indicating possession. Therefore, we can eliminate B and D. Now, the
question becomes a verb tense question. Because the sentence begins in the
present tense with “is,” the correct answer should also have a verb in the present
tense. The correct answer is A.

Contraction Questions
A contraction is when an apostrophe is used to join two words
together. Let’s look at some examples:

 they are → “they’re”

 would have → “would’ve”

 could not → “couldn’t”

When you use a contraction, it’s very important that you know what words you
are joining together! You should never use a contraction just because you think it
might work – it’s important to be familiar with common contractions that show up
on the SAT.

1. Its vs It’s

 “It” - is a pronoun that refers to an object.

 “Its” - indicates possession.

 “It’s” - refers to “it is.”

I HAVE A FRIEND , HIS NAME IS JOHN

I HAVE A CAT, ITS NAME IS TOMMY

By the way, “its’” is NEVER correct. If any answer choice contains this word, the
SAT is trying to trick you – don’t fall for it!‍

2. Whose vs Who’s

 “Who” - a pronoun that refers to a person or people.

 “Whose” - indicates possession.

 “Who’s” - refers to “who is.” ‍

3. Their vs They’re vs There

This is a little trickier because now there are three words!

 “Their” - indicates possession by the pronoun “they.”

 “They’re” - contraction meaning “they are.”

 “There” - refers to a position or place.‍

4. Your vs You’re

 “You” - pronoun referring to the person addressed.

 “Your” - indicates possession.

 “You’re” - contraction meaning “you are.”

NOTE: There are no cases where we should use apostrophes with the
possessives “hers” and “his,” even as contractions. By memorizing these
common contractions, you’ll be prepared to recognize them and know how to use
them correctly in all sorts of SAT questions!

Example 11
Scientists have long known that soot particles facilitate melting by darkening the
snow and ice, limiting it’s ability to reflect the sun’s rays.
A. NO CHANGE
B. its
C. there
D. their

Solution: The sentence is referring to the ability of snow and ice to reflect the
sun’s rays; therefore the underlined word is a possessive and no apostrophe is
needed. We can get rid of A and C. Now we have to determine if the possessive
pronoun should be singular or plural. What has the ability to reflect the sun’s
rays? Snow and ice. That’s two things, so the pronoun that takes their place
needs to be plural. The correct answer is D.

Example 12
As interesting as Russ’s findings are, though, they’re true values lies in
their reminder that the Internet is not merely a sophisticated tool for collecting
data but is also a rich source of data.
A. NO CHANGE
B. their true values lies in their
C. there true values lies in they’re
D. their true values lies in there

Solution: In this question, two words in the underlined phrase could be

possessive pronouns. The first is the word “they’re,” which is a contraction for
“they are.” Should that word remain the same, or be replaced with the word
“there” or the possessive pronoun “their?” The sentence implies that “they’re” is
referring to the value of Russ’s findings, or “their value.” Therefore, we can
immediately eliminate A and C.

Next, let’s look at the underlined pronoun “their” after “in.” That word also refers
to findings and should be possessive. Thus, that word should remain the same,
and the correct answer is B

Modifiers
Modifiers are words, phrases or clauses used to describe something in a
sentence. They are often tested on the SAT in the form of comma usage. The
following are the rules that you need to remember about modifiers:

Rule 1: Keep it Close

Place the modifier as close as possible to the thing you’re describing.

Example: I dig holes for the tomato seeds that are six inches deep.

The modifier in this sentence “that are six inches deep” is placed right next to
the tomato seeds, which makes it sound as if the tomato seeds are six inches
deep! That doesn’t make sense. Tomato seeds can be buried deep, but they
can’t be deep themselves.

The only thing that can be “six inches deep” in this sentence are the holes, so
the modifier describes the holes. According to the keep it close rule, the
modifying clause “that are six inches deep” should go next to “holes.”

Here’s our corrected sentence: I dig holes that are six inches deep for the
tomato seeds.

Let’s look at another example: The circus has three clowns with the big red tent.

The phrase “with the big red tent” is the modifier, and it’s describing the circus.
But right now, it looks like it’s describing the clowns, which doesn’t make sense!
So, the correct version is “The circus with the big red tent has three clowns.”

Let’s move on to our next rule.

Rule 2: Keep it Clear

Some modifiers can incorrectly apply to multiple nouns in the same sentence.
Your goal is to make it clear which nouns are being described by the modifier.

The best way to do this is to keep the modifier far from things it doesn’t
modify.

Yes, this is essentially the other side of Rule 1. But, if we want to keep a modifier
close to the noun it modifies, we also want to keep it farther from any other nouns
so the meaning of the sentence is clear.

Let’s look at an Example: We ate a burger at the diner with fries.

The phrase “with fries” is the modifier, and as written, the sentence could mean
that either the burger came with fries or the diner came with fries. Which makes
more sense? Definitely the burger coming with fries, unless when the owners
bought the building from the city, the city also gave them a side of fries. So, we
must move the modifier away from “the diner” and closer to the “burger.”

Correct: We ate a burger with fries at the diner.

Here’s another Example: We talked with leather seats about a car.

The phrase “with leather seats” is the modifier, and it could be saying either the
car has leather seats or we have leather seats. Which makes more sense?
That the car has leather seats, unless we had an unfortunate accident where we
stitched leather seats to ourselves. So “with leather seats” should go next to
“car.”

Correct: We talked about a car with leather seats.

Rule 3: Know Your Commas

There is a certain type of modifying clause that we at AP Guru ask our students
to pay special attention to, and it’s one the SAT likes to test relatively frequently.

When a modifier begins a sentence (and ends with a comma), the noun it
modifies must be placed directly after the comma.

Example: Thinking about the day ahead, a branch on the sidewalk tripped me.

The phrase “Thinking about the day ahead” is the modifying clause - it starts
the sentence and ends with the comma. This sentence places “a branch” right
after the modifier, which makes it sound as if the branch was thinking about the
day ahead! That doesn’t make sense.

Rather, “thinking about the day ahead” can only be describing one thing: the
person in the sentence, “me.” “Me” doesn’t quite work in this construction, so we
can change it to “I” and place it next to “Thinking about the day ahead.”

Correct: Thinking about the day ahead, I tripped on a branch on the sidewalk.

Now the sentence correctly states that “I” was thinking, not the branch!
The SAT loves this trick because so few students know about it. Once you start
looking for this kind of error, you’ll see it all the time. It comes up constantly.
Once you realize that this is wrong it’s incredibly easy to spot.

Example 1
Hurrying to get her things ready, the search for her laptop charger was nearly
impossible for Clarissa.
A. No Change
B. it was almost ridiculous how long it took for Clarissa to find her laptop charger.
C. Clarissa’s laptop charger was impossible to find.
D. Clarissa frantically searched for her laptop charger.

Solution: You already know that the answer must start with “Clarissa” because
she is the noun being modified. You know INSTANTLY that answers A, B, and C
are all wrong. The correct answer is D.

But wait!!!! Doesn’t answer “C” start with “Clarissa” as well!? The answer is a
loud NO. It starts with “Clarissa’s laptop charger!!!”

This is another trick the SAT uses to mess with your head: the possessive
noun clause. A possessive noun clause looks like this:

Excited about the first game of the season, Javi’s hockey skates sat in the front
hall, ready to be worn.

How to fix it: Make sure the thing a phrase modifies is actually in the sentence.

Correct: Excited about the first game of the season, Javi kept his hockey skates
in the front hall, ready to be worn.
Remember: the noun being described, and not something the noun owns,
must show up after the comma.

Example 2
Spread by rat fleas, millions of people in medieval Europe were killed by bubonic
plague.
A. NO CHANGE
B. this lead to the killing of millions of medieval Europeans by bubonic plague
C. bubonic plague in medieval Europe was why millions of people were killed
D. bubonic plague killed millions of people in medieval Europe

Solution: The first step is to figure out what the modifier “spread by rat fleas”
describes. It’s clear it’s the “bubonic plague,” which is spread by rat fleas. Both
answer choices C and D are grammatically correct, but the correct answer D is
simpler and clearer.

Examples 3 - 10
Since the age of 10, [3] tennis has been my daughter Cayla’s fascination.
[4] Having watched them play live, Venus and Serena Williams became her idols
and she tries to immitate their aggressive play style. [5] When other six year olds
were watching cartoons, Cayla would be watching tennis. So as encouraging
parents, [6] lessons were the next step. At the ages of ten and eleven, the
Williams sisters were enrolled at the Academy of Rick Macci to improve their
game, so getting Cayla started with the game early seemed like a good idea.

A simple sport, [7] the rules of tennis have not changed since 1890. The
main idea is to hit the ball inside the opponent’s side of the court with a racquet.
Made and shaped from wood, [8] players found the first racquets difficult to play
with, but by improving the underlying technology, [9] today’s racquets are more
powerful than ever before. Hitting the ball, [10] a player’s grip must remain firm
and balanced.
3.
A. NO CHANGE
B. tennis has been the fascination of my daughter Cayla.
C. my daughter Cayla has been fascinated with tennis.
D. my daughter Cayla’s fascination has been tennis

4.
‍A. NO CHANGE
B. After Cayla watched them play live,
C. After watching live,
D. Watching them play live,

5.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Having watched cartoons,
C. When watching cartoons,
D. Cartoons being watched by other six year olds,

6.
‍A. NO CHANGE
B. lessons had to be
C. Cayla’s lessons were
D. we decided lessons were

7.
A. NO CHANGE
B. tennis has not had its rules changed
C. tennis’s rules have not changed
D. no one has changed the rules of tennis

8.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the game of tennis was
C. the first racquets were
D. the first racquets were found to be

9.
‍A. NO CHANGE
B. they are
C. today’s racquets have become
D. today’s racquet creators have made them

10.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the grip of the player must remain
C. the grip must be kept
D. a player must keep the grip

Solutions:
3 “Since the age of 10” is describing Cayla and based on Rule 1 (Keep it Close),
we know that the noun being modified should be placed next to the modifier. The
only answer choice that does that is C, making it the correct answer. Be
careful of answer choice D. The noun in this option is not Cayla but her
fascination.

4. Choices A, C and D make it seem like Serena and Venus were watching
something live, whereas it was Cayla who watched. Only option B makes that
clear. The correct answer is B.

5. Choice A is the only one that makes logical sense. You will easily be able to
eliminate the other options if you place them back in the sentence and read it
aloud. The correct answer is A.

6. The modifier “as encouraging parents” needs to be placed next to “we.” The
correct answer is D.
7. The modifier “a simple sport” should to be placed next to the noun “tennis.”
The rules themselves are not a sport. The correct answer is B.

8. The modifier “made and shaped from wood” needs to be placed next to the
“first racquets,” not “players.” Therefore, the answer has to be either C or D. The
correct answer choice is C because it is much more concise than D.

9. The modifier “improving the underlying technology” should be placed next to a

person/people, in this case “today’s racquet creators.” After all, humans improve
the technology, not the racquets themselves. The correct answer is D.

10. Who is “hitting the ball?” The player is…and therefore this modifier should be
placed next to the noun “player.” Only the correct answer is D starts with the
“player” as a noun.

Verbs
The SAT repeatedly test the proper usage of verb tenses. Knowing when to use
different verb tenses and forms will be extremely beneficial to you on this part of
the test.

Because the leading educational systems in the world do not put a huge
emphasis on grammar, a lot of students are totally unaware that these tenses
exist. But don’t worry. When it comes to verb tense, remember this: Using verbs
properly is all about understanding which tenses you’re using and how
they’re meant to be used.

While you don’t need to know the names of verb tenses for the SAT, you do need
to know when and how to use different verb tenses properly. Therefore, it’s
important you get a basic introduction of all the major verb tenses first.

VERB TENSES
1. Simple Tenses
‍The three simple tenses express three basic times:
Simple Present: I am hungry. I love pizzas. You have the floor.
Simple Past: I was hungry. I loved pizzas. You had the floor.
Simple Future: I will be hungry. I will love pizzas. You will have the floor.

The SAT typically prefers the simple tenses, unless the sentence clearly requires
one of the more complex tenses discussed below.

2. Progressive Tenses
Present perfect continuous: Expresses something that has been happening
continuously into the present moment. Formed using has been/have been +
present participle.

Examples:

 I have been cooking this chicken for hours.

 They have been learning to speak English.

 She has been thinking about dinosaurs all day.

Past perfect continuous: Expresses something that had happened

continuously into a specific moment in the past. Formed using had been +
present participle.

Examples:

 I had been cooking the chicken for hours when my kitchen exploded.

 They had been learning to speak English when they realized they were
actually in Germany.

 She had been thinking about dinosaurs when a T-rex stole her lunch.‍
Future perfect continuous: Expresses something that will happen continuously
up into a specific moment in the future. Formed using will have been + present
participle.

Examples:

 I will have been cooking this chicken for hours when you finally bring me
the broth.

 They will have been learning English for years when they arrive in
Portland.

 She will have been thinking about dinosaurs all day when she arrives at
the Natural History Museum.

Example 1
At the zoo, monkeys play on the handlebars and exotic birds had chirped in their
elaborate cages.
A. NO CHANGE
B. chirp
C. chirped
D. could have chirped

Solution: The clue is “play on the handlebars” - this tells us that the sentence is
written in the simple present tense. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Example 2
While we were on vacation, my brother and I will quietly creep out of our hotel
room to go swimming with the sharks in the ocean.
A. NO CHANG
B. quietly creep
C. are quietly creeping
D. quietly crept

Solution: The clue is the word “were,” which shows us that the sentence is in past
tense. The correct answer has the word “crept” in the past tense; therefore, the
correct answer is D.

3. The Perfect Tense

Some actions in a sentence involve more complex time sequences that cannot
be expressed with the simple or progressive tenses. These actions can be
expressed using the PERFECT tenses: Present Perfect, Past Perfect and
Future Perfect.

Past Perfect: If two actions in a sentence occurred at different times in the past,
we often use the past perfect tense for the earlier action and simple past for the
later action. Past perfect is the “past of the past.”

The past perfect tense is formed as Past Perfect = HAD + Past Participle

Examples:

 I had finished the book when you gave me the new one.

 You had already eaten when I brought over the pasta.

Note that we do not always use past perfect to write about earlier actions. In
general, you should use past perfect only when an earlier event may somehow
have a bearing on the context of the later event.

Moreover, if the sequence is already obvious, we often do not need past perfect.

Correct: Antonio DROVE to the store and BOUGHT some ice cream

We already know that “drove” happened before “bought.” A sequence of verbs

with the same subject does not require past perfect. Rather, use simple past for
all the verbs.
Correct: Laura LOCKED the deadbolt before she LEFT for work.

We know that Laura locked up first because of the word “before.”

Present Perfect: We use the present perfect tense for actions that started in the
past but continue into the present or remain true in the present. The present
perfect tense has one foot in the past and one foot in the present.

The present perfect tense follows the formula Present Perfect = HAVE/HAS
+Past Participle

The present perfect is, without question, the most confusing tense in the English
language. It sounds like it’s past tense, but it’s actually present.

When I say: “I have been to Ireland,” I’m making this statement from my current
position in the present, even though I’m referencing an event that happened in
the past.

Here are some examples of actions using present perfect tense:

 This country has enforced strict immigration laws for years.

 They have known each other since 1987.

 There have been many terrible incidents in the news.

Each of these examples involves an action that began in the past and continues
into the present.

Example 3
By 1999, the internet would have already drastically changed the way people
around the world communicate.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had already drastically changed
C. already drastically change
D. has already drastically changed

Solution: We are talking here about of an event that is already completed - the
internet drastically changing the world. Therefore, part perfect and “had+past
participle should be used. The correct answer is B.

Verb Errors
When it comes to verbs, students generally make mistakes in the following three
areas:

1. Verb Tense Consistency

As a general rule, you must avoid shifting verb tenses if the time frame of the
events or actions discussed has not changed.

Wrong: Ronnie went to the store and buys some fish.

The sentence above uses both the past and present tense. Depending on which
word is underlined in the question, you can correct this in two ways: make all
verbs present tense OR make them all past tense.

Correct: Ronnie goes to the store and buys some fish.

Correct: Ronnie went to the store and bought some fish.

Of course, the SAT usually likes to make things complicated by adding more
clauses, like in this example:

Wrong: Abigail was frightened that she might be in danger due to the storm and
stocks up on canned vegetables and water.
Here, we must correct the sentence by changing “was frightened” (past tense) to
“is frightened” (present tense). Why? Because there is another, non-underlined
verb in the sentence, “stocks,” which is in present tense. So, we must change the
underlined portion to match. Always be on the lookout for non-underlined verbs
and check to be sure all underline verbs match.

Exception: There’s one big exception to having to match verb tenses.

Occasionally, it’s okay to have two verbs with different tenses in the same
sentence, but only when it is very clear that they describe two different points in
time.

Correct: Yesterday, I ran six miles, but tomorrow I will run only three.

Example 4
As part of a prolonged effort to curb abuses, the governments reduce the amount
of bonuses given for arrests. The hope behind this effort was that with fewer
perks for arresting people, fewer needless and illegal arrests would be made.
Since the new policies went into effect only two weeks ago, it remains to be seen
if it will be an effective change of course in the long run.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the governments are to reduce
C. the governments reduced
D. the government’s reduction in

Solution: The opening clause of the sentence notes a “prolonged effort,” which
indicates the government action has taken place over a long time period in the
past. The proper verb will written therefore be in the past tense. C is the best
choice among the answers.

Example 5
Samuel Adams was by no means the first American to espouse the democratic
cause, but he has been the first who conceived the party machinery that made it
practical.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had been the first who conceived
C. was the first having conceived
D. was the first to conceive

Solution: We know that correct sentence should be written using past tense
because of the verb “was,” We also know that present perfect is used for
something that is still going on, and, based on the sentence context we’re dealing
with a completed action here.

Similarly, because there is not a sequence of completed actions, we know that

we shouldn’t use the past perfect tense, “had been.” After eliminating wrong
choices, we’re left with C and D. Due to parallel structure rules, the infinitive “to
conceive” should be used to be parallel with “to espouse” on the other side of the
conjunction. The answer is D.

2. Verb Mood
Verb moods show the mode or manner in which thought, idea, or action is
expressed. There are three verb moods in the English language:

1. The Indicative Mood is by far the most commonly used verb mood. As the
name suggests, the indicative mood is used to simply indicate that an event or
action has or will occur.

Examples:

 The sky is blue.

  That movie was upsetting.

2. The Imperative Mood is used to indicate a command or request, give

permission, or issue a restriction.

Examples:

 Please, give me some more.

 Move over so I can sit down.

 Stop doing that!

 I am going to be waiting in the surveillance truck across the street.

3. The Subjunctive Mood is used to express a condition that is doubtful or not

factual. It is most often found in a clause beginning with the word “if.” It is also
found in clauses following a verb that expresses a doubt, wish, regret, request,
demand, or proposal.

Examples:

 I would if I could.

 The judge demanded that he be banished from the county.

The vast majority of verb mood errors occurs when using the subjunctive mood.
The following sentence, for example, is incorrect.

Wrong: If I was tall, I would be a basketball player.

The correct past tense form of “is” in the subjunctive is “were” not was. “If I was”
is never a correct formulation. This thought should be formed as: “If I were.”

Correct: If I were tall, I would be a basketball player.

Example 6
If I can be a teacher, I would grade fairly.
A. NO CHANGE
B. was
C. were
D. am ever

Solution: In this instance, the speaker is not a teacher, but is instead thinking
about the potential future scenario. When working with hypotheticals, the
subjunctive is the correct use case. The word “were” is the proper usage of the
subjunctive mood here. The correct answer is C.

Example 7
At night John would turn it completely off, and he caught up with his messages at
lunchtime or dinnertime, but only if he were dining
A. NO CHANGE
B. was dining
C. had been dining
D. were to be dining

Solution: The phrase “were dining” uses the subjunctive mood, which is
appropriate for describing the uncertainty about whether John is dining alone or
not. The correct answer is A.

Example 8
Victory is the ultimate goal of any general, but too precise a focus can clouds a
leader’s judgement.
A. NO CHANGE
B. can cloud a leader’s judgement.
C. can clouds a leaders judgement.
D. can cloud leaders judgement.

Solution: The phrase in the sentence uses the verb “can,” which places
conditions on what might happen in the future. The verb form “clouds” is incorrect
as the subject “focus” is singular. Additionally, “leader’s” should have an
apostrophe to show possession. The correct answer is B.

3. Don’t Shift! Keep Your Voice Consistent

A verb can be either active or passive. When a verb is active, the subject of the
sentence actually does something.

Example: John hit the ball out of the park. John does something - he hits the ball.

When a verb is passive, it means that something HAPPENS to the subject of the
sentence.

Example: The ball was hit out of the park by Jessica. Something happened to the
ball- Jessica hits it.

When a verb in a sentence is an active verb, we say it’s in the ACTIVE VOICE.

When a verb in a sentence is a passive verb, we say it’s in the PASSIVE VOICE.
On the SAT, avoid the passive voice. Additionally, never switch from active
to passive voice in the same sentence.

Subject Verb Agreement

The subject and the verb must always agree in number. Therefore, a singular
subject requires a singular verb form: The dog runs out of the house.

A plural subject requires a plural verb form: The dogs run out of the house.

Singular and plural verb forms should be second nature to you - you use them so
often that there is nothing to memorize. You would never write the dog run out
or the dogs runs out.

However, you may get confused when the subject is cleverly hidden in the
sentence. In such a scenario, you may be unsure whether the subject is singular
or plural! If you do not know the number of the subject, then you will not be able
to select the verb form that agrees with the noun.

Consider this example: The discovery of new medicines were vital to the
company’s growth.

If you ask yourself “What is vital to the company’s growth?” you may answer the
“Discovery of new medicines is”. Therefore “The discovery... was” is correct.

The key to making subjects and verbs agree is to find the subject that goes with
a particular verb. To find the subject, you must ignore all the words that are not
the subject. You do that by eliminating all the non-essential information between
the subject and the verb.
Generally, the subject is hidden in a few ways. The most common way to
eliminate these Middlemen or Warm-ups by inserting words between the subject
and the verb or putting a significant number of words in front of the subject.

This strategy will enable you to easily identify the subject and determine whether
there is an error in subject-verb agreement.

WRONG: Changes for the new and improved SAT Writing section is going to be
implemented soon.

Correct: Changes for the new and improved SAT Writing section are going to be
implemented soon.

WRONG: When the auditors left, the executive who had been
interviewed were glad.

Correct: When the auditors left, the executive who had been
interviewed was glad.

Now, let’s walk through a tricky example: Mastery of magic tricks that truly
(surprise/surprises) the audience (require/requires) lots of time.

Here, we have to identify the subject of two verbs.

First, cross out the warm-ups and the middlemen: Mastery of magic tricks that
truly (surprise/surprises) the audience (require/requires) lots of time.

Now it’s easy to see that mastery is the main subject of the sentence. Mastery is
singular, so we need the singular verb requires.
Now, let’s get back to the first verb, which is included in part of the sentence that
has been crossed out. We need to ask ourselves the question “What is truly
surprising the audience?” Magic tricks! Magic tricks are plural, so we need the
plural verb surprise.

The correct sentence: Mastery of magic tricks that truly surprise the audience
requires lots of time.

Subject Comes After the Verb

In rare instances, the subject follows the verb. In these cases, it can be
particularly challenging to identify the subject and determine if there’s an error in
subject-verb agreement.

Example: In the trunk of my car resides 15 empty water bottles.

In the sentence, what’s residing? The water bottles. Because the subject is
“water bottles,” the verb should be in the plural form.

This is the correct version of the sentence: In the trunk of my car reside 15 empty
water bottles.

The correctly written sentence may sound more awkward to you because the
singular noun “car” is placed right next to the plural form of a verb. You should
focus on the rules and strategies as opposed to just relying on what “sounds
right.”

Collective Nouns
A common error in the agreement of subjects and verbs comes in the use of
collective nouns. Collective nouns refer to groups of things or people but act,
grammatically, as singular objects. If the subject of a sentence is a collective
noun, the verb of that sentence should remain in its singular form.

Wrong: The firm are still making a decision on your employment status at the
moment.

While “the firm” is composed of many more than two people, here the collective
stands for singular grammatical entity.

Correct: The firm is still making a decision on your employment status at the
moment.

Compound Subjects
As discussed in an earlier chapter, the coordinating conjunction “or,” when used
to connect two nouns in a sentence, renders the subjects it connects singular.
When “and” is used in this fashion, the two subjects connected are joined, and
must be treated as plural.

Wrong: The umbrella or the hat are at the bottom of the stairs.

This sentence is incorrect because while “or” connects the two subjects, it also
treats them both as singular entities.

Correct: The umbrella or the hat is at the bottom of the stairs.

Watch out for singular nouns ending in “s.” Just because a noun ends in “s” does
not necessarily mean it is plural.

example: Mathematics is a subject that I just cannot get my head around.

This sentence is correct! The speaker is referring to one subject. He or she is not
referring to many “mathematics,” just one.

A more complicated example in which a prepositional phrase is placed at the

beginning of the sentence is:

Wrong: In between the cushions of my couch is change and an old pen.

What’s in between the cushions? Change and an old pen. The sentence has two
subjects (change and an old pen)therefore, the verb should be plural.

Correct: In between the cushions of my couch are change and an old pen.

Hopefully, you got most of those, if not all, right. Now, try to solve the following
examples.

Example 1
Has the girls on the ski team ever competed internationally?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Does
C. Hasn’t
D. Have

Solution: he subject of this sentence is girls. The subject is plural and should
have the plural verb - have. The correct answer is D.

Example 2
Borderlands Food Bank, an organization in Nogales, Arizona, rescue millions of
pounds of slightly imperfect imported food every year.
A. NO CHANGE
B. have rescued
C. are rescuing
D. rescues

Solution: The subject of the sentence is Borderlands Food Bank - one

organization. Therefore, the subject is singular. The only answer option with a
singular verb is D - rescues. The correct answer is D.

Example 3
The time and place for such a large event is subject to approving from the
mayor’s office.
A. NO CHANGE
B. For such a large event, the time and place are subject to the approval from the
mayor’s office.
C. The time and place for such a large event are subject to the approval by the
office of the mayor
D. The time and place for such a large event are subject to be approved by the
office of the mayor.

Solution: The subject is both the time and the place. Therefore, the verb should
be in the plural form. Also, there is an additional error in the sentence in that “to
approving” should be “to the approval”. The correct answer is C.

Noun-Noun Agreement
Like subjects and verbs, related nouns in a sentence should also agree in
number. When we say, “agree in number,” we mean that plural nouns most often
suggest that a corresponding, logically related noun should be plural as well. The
same goes for singular nouns. This is probably best illustrated with an example.

Wrong: During our panel, we came up with an answer to all the questions that
were asked.
Here, it does not really make sense that “we” had a single answer to “all the
questions.” These related nouns should agree in number.

Correct: During our panel, we came up with answers to all the questions that
were asked.

The exception to this rule of noun-noun agreement can be found with abstract
nouns, which should usually remain singular, even if they are represented by
multiple objects.

Wrong: His love for his wife were shown by the many books of poems he
dedicated to her.

This sentence, as you can see, reads quite oddly. While “love” and “many books
of poems” are, logically related in this sentence (the “books” show the “love”),
because “love” is being used here as an abstract noun to represent a singular
emotional state, it must remain grammatically singular.

Correct: His love for his wife was shown by the many books of poems he
dedicated to her.

Example 4
The frazzled librarian scampered back to the desk. “We checked the cover of all
of the books in that sections of the library, but couldn’t find the title Amy
requested,” she reported. “We need to log it in the ‘Missing Titles’ list.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. cover of all of the books in that section
C. covers of all of the books in that section
D. covers of all of the books in that sections

Solution: “Books” is a plural noun, and multiple tangible books presumably have
multiple covers, so “cover” needs to be changed to “covers.” Only C and D do
that. However, D also changes “section” to “sections,” creating an ungrammatical
phrase “that sections.” The correct answer choice is C.

Examples 5 - 8
Succulents have become popular houseplants as of late. [5] A few
details suggests why this is the case. [6] The plants are adapted to arid climates,
so it requires very little water, sometimes needing attention as rarely as once a
month. [7] Furthermore, a succulent encompasses a wide variety of unusual
forms. Compared to traditional houseplants, succulents look fascinatingly
alien. [8] It’s easy to see why they’ve become so popular!

5.
A. NO CHANGE
B. suggest why these are the cases.
C. suggests why this is the cases.
D. suggest why this is the case.

6.
‍A. The plants are adapted to arid climates, so it requires
‍B. The plant is adapted to an arid climate, so they require
‍C. The plants are adapted to arid climates, so they require
D. The plant is adapted to arid climates, so it requires

7.
A. NO CHANGE
B. succulents encompass a wide variety of unusual forms.
C. succulents encompasses a wide variety of an unusual forms.
‍D. a succulent encompasses wide varieties of unusual forms.

8.
A. NO CHANGE
B. It’s easy to see why it’s
C. They’re easy to see why they’ve
D. They’re easy to see why it’s
Solutions:
5. The plural subject “a few details” does not agree with the verb “suggests.”
Changing “suggests.” to “suggests” corrects this sentence’s error, but two answer
choices do this. Answer choice B changes the phrasing to “why these are the
cases.” There is no reason to use the plural in this instance. Answer choice D is
correct.

6. Answer choice A refers to “The plants” (plural) before using a singular pronoun
“it,” which refers to them incorrectly. Answer choice B does the opposite,
beginning with the singular “The plant” and using a plural pronoun, “they.” The
passage begins by talking about “succulents,” a plural noun. Nothing in the
second sentence suggests that a switch to talking about a singular plant is called
for. The correct answer C, the one that refers to the plural noun “the plants,”
remains consistent with the passage’s initial plural subject.

7. It doesn’t make much sense that a single succulent would “encompass a wide
variety of unusual forms,” so the plural is called for in this sentence, allowing us
to narrow our answer choices down to B and C. “A wide variety of an unusual
form” is ungrammatical, as you inherently need more than one of something to
represent “a wide variety” of it. Thus, the correct answer is B.

8. This sentence is correct as written. “It’s easy to see” is a correct use of a

common phrase, and nothing in the passage calls for the use of “they’re” instead
of “it’s” in this instance. While B is grammatically correct when read out of the
context of the passage, the passage itself discusses succulents in the plural, not
as “a succulent.” Thus, it makes the most sense to remain consistent with this
stylistic choice, which the correct answer, A, does.
 Pronouns
A pronoun can often be used as a substitute for a noun in a sentence. Anytime a
pronoun is used in a passage, that pronoun must have a clear antecedent; that
is, it must directly connect to a noun or pronoun that was mentioned before it.

Wrong: Jim, Jerry, and Frank were best friends; unfortunately he never talks to
them anymore.

Whoa now! Who is this “he” we are talking about? And what group of people
makes up “them?” The sentence, as it stands, does not give us enough context
to justify use of the pronoun “he”.

Correct: Jim, Jerry, and Frank were best friends; unfortunately Jerry never
speaks to the other two anymore.

Anytime you are reading a passage and you find yourself confused by a pronoun,
look over the sentence again and try to clarify what or whom the pronoun is
referring to; if you can’t, make a note and move on. That unclear pronoun may
come back as a question in mere moments!

Missing or Ambiguous Antecedent

When the noun that a pronoun refers to is missing or unclear, it is necessary to
include the specific name of the person, place, or thing to ensure your sentence
is clear and correct.

Given a choice between a pronoun such as it or they and a noun naming a

specific person or thing, the noun will virtually always be correct even
when it appears in the longest answer.
Example 1
Some sources claim that Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes was the first
person to bring the tomato to Europe in 1521. Others say that Christopher
Columbus took it back as early as 1493. Regardless of which version is true,
reports from that time period all agree that they were intensely suspicious when
they first encountered the small yellow fruit.

A. NO CHANGE
B. members of the Spanish court
C. some of them
D. those people

Solution: Since the passage describes how two explorers brought the tomato
back to Europe, it makes sense that it would refer to the Europeans who first
encountered the fruit. however, the noun “Europeans” doesn’t actually appear in
the text. Only option B supplies the noun indicating who was suspicious. B is the
correct answer.

Example 2
As the group waited to spot the comet in the dark field outside of town, it struck
me that Rachel and Nancy were polar opposites. Rachel laughed and chatted
with her friends while eagerly watching the night sky, while all Nancy did was
complain about the mosquitoes and ask when they were going back. She was
certainly having the better time.

A. NO CHANGE
B. Rachel was certainly having the better time.
C. Nancy was certainly having the better time.
D. Rachel and Nancy were certainly having the better time.
Solution: All of the listed sentences could be grammatically correct, and in the
right logical context, any of them could make sense. This particular paragraph,
however, describes how Rachel “laughed” and “chatted” “while eagerly watching
the night sky,” while it says Nancy “complained” and “asked when they were
going back.” The paragraph’s details convey that Rachel had the better time,
so B is the correct answer.

Emphatic Pronouns
An EMPHATIC PRONOUN is a pronoun that emphasizes
its antecedent. Emphatic pronouns always end with “self’ or “selves.” Some
emphatic pronouns are MYSELF, HIMSELF, HERSELF, YOURSELF, ITSELF,
THEMSELVES, OURSELVES, and YOURSELVES.

Examples:

 I saw the aliens myself.

 The band itself is amazing, even without the fancy costumes.

Note: Emphatic pronouns are never surrounded by commas.

Example 3
The author’s characters, who are quite eccentric, by itself are enough to
distinguish her work from others.
A. NO CHANGE
B. its own
C. their own
D. themselves
Solution: The pronoun is referring to the “characters,” who are plural.
Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Me vs. I
It can get tricky trying to determine when to use either “I” or “me” in your writing.
Thankfully, once you get exposed to enough of these questions, you’ll start to
develop an eye to detect the subtle differences between the two.

First, use your ear and your common sense. If something does not sound
right or looks awkward, it probably is. Be sure not to overthink.

Use “me” when you are receiving an action. You may or may not be the subject.

Examples:

 He threw the football to me.

 He gave me my paycheck.

 My friends threw me a surprise party.

In all three instances, you are receiving the action. You are receiving the football,
given a paycheck, and thrown a party. “I,” on the other hand, is used when you
are performing an action.

Examples:

 Here I am, typing up this article for you to read for the SAT.

 I went out yesterday to get some groceries.

Here, you are the one who is doing all of the actions. You also happen to be the
subject.

Those examples might seem silly, so here’s a more difficult example that you
might have more trouble with. You may see a question on the SAT where the
answer comes down to deciding between “and me/me and” or “and I.” To help
identify the correct answer, take out the extraneous subjects and then look for
which one sounds better or makes more sense.

Wrong: Me and Hannah went to the store.

To fix the error, first take out the other person: Me and Hannah went to the store.

You can see that’s not correct, so you know you can change “me” to the proper
case: I went to the store.

Lastly, add the other person back in: Hannah and I went to the store.

Works like magic!

Who vs. Whom

If there’s one pronoun that seems to perplex all our AP Guru students, it’s the
issue of when to use the word ‘WHO’ and when to use ‘WHOM.’

Use the following to help you determine the appropriate use of ‘who’ and ‘whom’
in a sentence:

1. Whom is always used immediately following a preposition. If you see a

preposition, followed by “who/whom,” make sure that it’s ‘whom.’

Examples:

 To whom am I speaking?

 Under whom do you work?

 In whom do you place the most trust?

  By whom were you standing?

2. Who is always the subject, and WHOM is always the object. The simplest way
to think about the “non-preposition” use of the words “who” and “whom” is in
terms of subject and object. “Who” is always the subject of a sentence, and the
word whom is always the object of a sentence.

Remember this really, really easy trick: “he vs. him.”

If you would use ‘he’ in a sentence, replace “he” with ‘who’, and if you’d use ‘him’
in a sentence, replace the word “him” with ‘whom.’

In other words

 I punched him.

 I spoke with him on the phone.

All turn into

 Whom did you punch?

 Whom did you speak to on the phone?

But

 He is a great guy.

 Do you ever think he needs to take a vacation?

Turn into

 Who is a great guy?

 Who do you think needs to take a vacation?

Shift in Point of View

Keep the point of view the same within sentences and within paragraphs.
Wrong: If one does not believe, you will not succeed.
Correct: If one does not believe, one will not succeed.

Example 4
Psychologists advise that before making any major changes in your life, a person
needs to focus on one’s goals.
A. NO CHANGE
B. their life, a person needs to focus on their goals
C. one’s life, you should focus on your goals
D. their lives, people should focus on their goals

Solution: The underlined portion of this sentence uses two different possessive
pronouns, “your” and “one’s,” neither of which agree with the antecedent, “a
person.” Choice C has a similar mistake—it uses both “your” and “one’s,” when
any given sentence can either use “you” or “one.” B has a mistake with the
agreement in number: “their” is plural and can’t be used with “a person.”

Eliminating these choice leaves only D, which is the correct answer, since the
third-person plural pronoun “their” is used appropriately with the third-person
plural antecedent “people.”

Pronoun Agreement
Any time a pronoun is used to replace a noun, that pronoun must agree in both
number and gender with the antecedent noun to which it refers. Singular
pronouns (e.g. she, it) must agree with singular nouns, and plural pronouns (e.g.
they) must agree with plural nouns.

Example 5
The cacao bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty bean of the cacao tree
(Theobroma cacao). Their the source of cocoa butter and solids, including
chocolate, as well as an ingredient in many Mesoamerican dishes such as mole
and tejate.
A. NO CHANGE
B. It’s
C. Its
D. They’re

Solution: The question is asking you for the source of cocoa butter and solids
that is the cacao bean. The cacao bean is singular. The pronoun ‘it’ should be
used to refer to singular nouns. The answer is, therefore, B.

Example 6
Things have changed in the workplace; let me just tell you. I remember back
when I was herding sheep, each man and sheep had their own sleeping bag.
Nowadays, you’d be lucky to get your hands on a pillow, let alone an entire
sleeping bag for a woolly friend!
A. NO CHANGE
B. they’re
C. his or her
D. some of their

Solution: This sentence uses the incorrect pronoun to stand in for “each man and
sheep.” The use of each individualizes the subject here, making the plural
pronoun “their” incorrect. The singular pronoun “his or her” agrees with the
subject, so C is the correct answer.

Pronouns can refer to either people or things. Some pronouns can refer only to
people, some can refer only to things, and some can refer to both.

When you see a set of answer choices that include both singular and plural
pronouns, you should always take a moment to determine which noun the
underlined pronoun refers to.

Otherwise, you are very likely to be confused by answers that are grammatically
correct but that create disagreements when plugged back into the passage.
Example 7
Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to travel into space
when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September
12,1992. After one’s medical education and a brief general practice, Jemison
served in the Peace Corps for two years.
A. NO CHANGE
B. her
C. its
D. they’re

Solution: Since the underlined pronoun can only refer to Mae Jemison, who is
clearly female based on the pronoun “she,” “her” is the sole possibility and
the answer must be B.

Example 8
The old maxim “Let the buyer beware” suggests that as a buyer we are
responsible for inspecting merchandise for flaws before paying for it.
A. NO CHANGE
B. as a buyer it is their responsibility
C. the buyer is the responsible one
D. buyers are responsible

Solution: Here the pronoun “we” stands in for the noun “a buyer.” This may seem
fine because it makes sense that we can be buyers, but there’s a disagreement
in number: “we” is plural and “a buyer” is singular.

The obvious fix is “as buyers we are responsible,” but that isn’t a choice. Answer
B has a disagreement issue similar to A with the plural “their” standing in for the
singular “buyer.” C adds extra words that make the sentence more confusing. As
such, D, which cuts the pronoun altogether, is the correct choice.
 Parallelism
When you list two or more things in a sequence, they must be in EXACTLY the
same grammatical format, or they are NOT PARALLEL.

Wrong: I took the job for the extra money and to increase my status.

If you’re listing even two things in a sentence, they need to be identically

formatted.

Correct: I took the job for the extra money and for the improved status

I‍mportant Rule: When you’re listing things out or comparing them, make
sure the verbiage used to describe them is as repetitive as possible.

Wrong: I like Melissa because she seems so sweet and for her beautiful
eyes.

Correct: I like Melissa because she seems so sweet and because she has such
beautiful eyes.

Example 1
To complete the music program, a student must present one vocal performance,
one instrumental performance, and composing one original work.

A. NO CHANGE
B. and one original composition
C. with one original composition
D. and to compose one original work
Solution: The phrase “and composing one original work” is one of three things
that a student must present to complete the music program. We want the last
item in the list to match the other two items as closely as possible. The answer
is B. The phrase “and one original composition” matches the construction. ‍

Another Rule: When making lists of any kind (pretty much any time you use
the word ‘and’), try to make your sentences as parallel as possible.

Wrong: I like you because you’re a great guy and good at pool.

Correct: I like you because you’re a great guy and because you’re good at
pool.

If this sounds unnatural, it’s because people rarely speak like this anymore. But,
it is grammatically correct.

Example 2
Changes in wind circulation, runoff from sewage, and they accumulate chemical
fertilizers can lead to the creation of ocean waters low in oxygen and inhospitable
to marine life.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Changing wind circulation, runoff from sewage, and accumulating chemical
fertilizers
C. Changing wind circulation, having runoff from sewage, and to accumulate
chemical fertilizers
D. Changes in wind circulation patterns, runoff from sewage, and accumulation of
chemical fertilizers

‍Solution: D is the only answer that contains three nouns. The other options
contain various combinations of nouns, verbs, and gerunds and are therefore not
parallel.

‍ xample 3 & 4
E
It was like standing on a bridge that must be crossed, leaving behind the carefree
days of youth and [3] stepped into a life of responsibilities, business meetings,
and [4] paying bills.

3.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to step
C. stepping
D. we stepped

4.
A. NO CHANGE
B. bills that have to be paid.
C. having to pay bills.
D. bills.

Solutions:
‍3. The word ‘and’ is the clue that acts like a parallel marker. The phrase “leaving
behind the carefree days of youth” needs to be parallel with “stepped into a life.”
Therefore, stepped should be changed to stepping. The correct answer is C.
‍
4. “Responsibilities” and “business meetings” are nouns, which means the
correct answer will also be a noun bills. The correct answer is D.
Parallel Structure with Multiple
Sentences
So far, we’ve looked at parallel structure within a single sentence. The SAT,
however, may also test your ability to recognize and create parallel structure
when more than one sentence is involved. Although these questions may initially
seem very complicated, they can actually be relatively simple to answer if you
know what information to focus on.

‍ xample 5
E
An actor stands on the stage and delivers a monologue as an audience hangs
onto his every word. A singer performs a ballad as listeners fall silent. As a group
of spectators watch in awe, dancers glide across the stage.

Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the
paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Watched by a group of spectators, dancers glide across the stage.
C. Gliding across the stage, dancers are watched by a group of spectators.
D. Dancers glide gracefully across the stage as spectators watch in awe.

‍ olution: Remember that the question is asking us to look at the pattern already
S
established in the paragraph. That means we’re going to look at the preceding
sentences before we consider the underlined sentence. Let’s start by considering
just the beginning the first two sentences:

Sentence #1: An actor...

Sentence #2: A singer...

Each of those sentences begins with a noun. That means the third sentence
must start with a noun as well. Only option D places a noun right at the beginning
of the sentence, so D is the correct answer.

Parallel Markers
How do we know that parts of a sentence need to be parallel to each other?
Often, we can use Parallel Markers - words that link or contrast items and that
force those items to be parallel.

Wrong: The college experience is not only an exciting time to meet new
people and also a stressful one because of the level of independence required.

Correct: The college experience is not only an exciting time to meet new
people but also a stressful one because of the level of independence required.

Pair errors like the one above are freebies on the SAT as long as you remember
to check for them.

As covered earlier in this chapter, just remember that whenever you have a
paired construction, the two things being paired should be as parallel as
possible Parallel Elements.‍

Example 6
James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan and other plays, is noted for portraying
adulthood as unpleasant and childhood is glorified.
A. NO CHANGE
B. childhood is being glorious
C. childhood as glorious
D. childhood glorified

‍ olution: James Barrie is noted for portraying two things. The two things are
S
connected by the conjunction “and.” The first thing he is noted for portraying is
“adulthood as unpleasant.” Its construction is NOUN + “AS” + ADJECTIVE. The
construction of the second phrase should mirror. The phrase “childhood as
glorious” matches the construction and fixes the error in parallel structure. The
answer is C. ‍

Comparisons
Comparisons are a form of parallelism that deserves special attention. As the
name indicates, comparisons compare two parts of the sentence.

To spot comparisons, you must first learn certain signal words or phrases. Once
you find a comparison, identify the two parts of the sentence that are being
compared to each other.

Comparison Signals
The most important comparison signals are Like, Unlike, As, and
Than. Whenever you see one of these four words, stop and find
the two items being compared. Other common comparison
signals are listed below:

 Like

 Unlike

 More than

 Less than

 Faster than

 Different from

 In contrast to/with

 As

 As<word> as</word>

 As much as
  As little as

 As fast as

 The same as

Two general types of comparison errors can arise:

1. Terms Being Compared Must Be the Same

When directly comparing two terms, those terms need to be parallel to each
other. Comparisons have to be parallel. That is, they must compare similar
things.

Wrong: Frank’s build, LIKE his brother, is broad and muscular.

What two things are being compared? As written, the sentence is comparing
Frank’s build directly to his brother, not his brother’s build. This is not a logical
comparison. In order to correct this error, we need to change the comparison.

Correct: Frank’s build, LIKE his brother’s, is broad and muscular.

Let’s look at a harder EXAMPLE: Beethoven’s music, which broke a number of

established rules with its structure and melodic form, is considered more
revolutionary than Bach.

First, let’s find the comparison signal: MORE revolutionary THAN....

Now we look for the two things being compared. It is often easier to find the
second thing, which follows the comparison signal: More revolutionary than
Bach. So, what is more revolutionary than Bach?

The subject of the sentence: Beethoven’s music. This comparison is not

parallel.
Correct: Beethoven’s music, which broke a number of established rules with its
structure and melodic form, is considered MORE revolutionary THAN BACH’S.

Note again that we do not have to repeat the word music, as long as we have
written Bach’s.

Example 7
One reason that an insect can walk on walls while a human cannot is that the
mass of its tiny body is far lower than humans.
A. NO CHANGE
B. far lower than that of a human’s body
C. lower by far than humans
D. far lower than is a human’s body

Solution: The sentence is comparing “the mass of its tiny body” with “humans.”
This is an illogical comparison – the comparison should be between the mass of
an insect and the mass of a human. We can eliminate option A.

Answer choice C contains the same error: it merely tweaks the word order.
Answer D seems to fix the problem by adding “body,” but it’s still not correct to
compare a human body with the mass of an insect body. The only answer that’s
left is B, which correctly compares “the mass of its tiny body” and the mass of a
human’s body. B is the right answer.‍

Example 8
Many people struggle to learn to type, but shouldn’t get discouraged if they find
the process to be more difficult than anticipated. It is a more difficult task to learn
to type than mastering a simple word-processing program.
A. NO CHANGE
B. It is a more difficult task to learn to type than to mastering a simple word-
processing program.
C. To master a simple word-processing program is a more difficult task than to
learn to type.
D. Learning to type is a more difficult task than mastering a simple word-
processing program.

‍ olutions: This sentence is comparing “to learn to type” with “mastering a simple
S
word processing program.” These two terms need to be the same part of speech.
We either need to change “mastering” to “to master” or “to learn” to “learning” so
that parallel structure is maintained. The only answer choice that does that
without introducing other errors is option D; B uses the ungrammatical “to
mastering” and choice C inverts the logic of the sentence, claiming that
mastering the word-processing program is the more difficult task. D is the
correct answer.

2. Comparisons with Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

This type of error appears when possessive nouns or phrases (e.g. “the _ of _”)
are in play.

Wrong: Which is larger, the population of New York or Los Angeles?

This sentence compares “the population of New York” with the entire city “Los
Angeles.” We can fix this error by adding “the population of” before “Los
Angeles,” or revising the sentence so that the information specifying population
size appears before the comparison.

Correct: Which is larger, the population of New York or that of Los Angeles?

Correct: Which is larger, the population of New York or the population of Los
Angeles?
Let’s try a more complex EXAMPLE:

Wrong: Wandering around the furniture store, she decided that while burgundy
and taupe would work well in her living room, the bright aquamarine lampshade
would probably hog the spotlight.

This complex comparison involves the colors “burgundy” and “taupe” and “the
bright aquamarine lampshade,” a tangible item. To fix this sentence, we need to
either adjust “the bright aquamarine lampshade” to refer to just a color (e.g.
“bright aquamarine”) or change “burgundy” and “taupe” so that they specify
tangible items (e.g. “the burgundy drapes” & “the taupe carpet”).

Correct: Wandering around the furniture store, she decided that while burgundy
and taupe would work well in her living room, bright aquamarine would probably
hog the spotlight.

Example 9
As far as places to eat for lunch, I recommend going to the deli across the
street. At that deli, the sandwiches are similar to the cafeteria, but they are
slightly larger, a bit healthier, and definitely fresher. Plus, you can eat your
sandwich on one of the benches in the nearby park and enjoy the weather.
‍
A. NO CHANGE
B. That deli’s sandwiches are similar to the cafeteria’s
C. Deli sandwiches are similar to cafeteria sandwiches
D. At that deli, the cafeteria sandwiches are similar to its sandwiches

Solutions: “Sandwiches” cannot be compared to “the cafeteria” - these are very

different things. What the speaker seems to be comparing are the sandwiches at
the deli and the sandwiches at the cafeteria.

B is the correct answer; it discusses sandwiches from the specific deli and
sandwiches from the specific cafeteria and uses possessive punctuation to
convey that the comparison is being made between the two. It is grammatically
correct to omit the word “sandwiches” after “cafeteria’s” here; the structure of the
sentence conveys that the comparison is being made between sandwiches from
the two venues.‍

Example 10
The books of Agatha Christie, a popular writer of crime novels, have had a
greater audience than any fiction author in history.
‍
A. No Change
B. than have those of any fiction author in history
C. in history as any other fiction author has had
D. than those of any other fiction author in history

Solution: Can the books of Agatha Christie, a fiction author, have had a greater
audience than those of any fiction author in history?

She is a fiction author! The best she can do is tie herself; she cannot have more
readers than even she does. So, the word “other” is crucial here. As a result,
the correct answer choice must be D.
 Miscellaneous Grammar
There are many pesky little grammar rules that you’ll be tested on as part of the
SAT. Therefore, it’s important to not just know these grammar rules, but also how
test questions are structured .

1. Avoid Punctuation before or after

‘Prepositions’
Prepositions are words that help us understand where something
is in relation to something else. They connect nouns with other
nouns or pronouns. Prepositions are usually part of a group of
words that we call “prepositional phrases.” Some common
prepositions are:

 Among

 Over

 in front of

 throughout

 beyond

 above

 through

 to

 of

 across

 near

 under

 without
  including

 until

 despite

 for

 by

 like

 in

 on

 between

 about

 into

Example 1
Jon, an avid lover of all animals, decided to protest over the depiction of violence
towards dogs, which is becoming increasingly common in feature films.
A. NO CHANGE
B. against
C. on
D. for

Solution: The verb “protest” always goes with the preposition “against” not “over.”
Therefore, the phrase should be “protest against” not “protest over.” The correct
answer is B.

Example 2
In choosing between hummus, salsa, and guacamole as a dip to serve with pita
chips, most people would say that pita chips are best served with hummus.
A. NO CHANGE
B. from
C. among
D. Delete the underline portion
Solution: “Between” is used to compare two items, while “among” should be used
to compare three or more items. Given that three items (hummus, salsa, and
guacamole) are being compared, “among” should be used instead of
“between.” C is the correct answer.

One more IMPORTANT rule to remember: Do not use a comma before a

preposition. On the SAT, a comma before a preposition is always wrong.

Wrong: The police, of the crime scene, didn’t turn up any clues.

Correct: The police of the crime scene didn’t turn up any clues.

Wrong: Andy Murray, of Great Britain, competed intensely, for the goal medal in
tennis.

Correct: Andy Murray of Great Britain competed intensely for the goal medal in
tennis.

Example 3
The young all have bright blue lines, along their bodies and tails, which is how
the lizard got its name.
A. NO CHANGE
B. lines along
C. lines along,
D. lines, along,

Solution: The correct answer is B because we are not supposed to use a

comma before a preposition

2. Idioms
You can always expect at least one idiom question on the SAT Writing and
Language Test. Examples of idioms include “at the drop of the hat,” “beat around
the bush,” and “in over one’s head.”

The idioms used on the SAT will always include a prepositional

phrase. When it comes to idioms, trust your ear to determine the correct answer.

Here’s how you do it: take an idiom’s “non-prepositional” word(s) and use it/them
in a different sentence in your head, as fast as possible. You will find that your
brain generally fills in the proper preposition for you.

It’s weird how well this works. Whenever you’re suspicious of a certain
prepositional phrase, use this trick to determine which preposition you pair the
word with.

Example 4
Macbeth is often described for being Shakespeare’s most accomplished play, as
it delivers an incredibly high amount of drama. No error
A. NO CHANGE
B. described
C. described to
D. described as

Solution: Did you use the trick? “Described” is typically followed by the
preposition “as,” not “for.” Therefore, the correct answer is D.‍

Example 5
The results of the experiment indicate that children prefer the voices of
adults rather than those of other children.
A. NO CHANGE
B. rather then
C. rather
D. to
Solution: It is incorrect to say that someone “prefers X rather than Y.” Instead, the
correct form of the idiom is “prefer X to Y,” so the correct answer is D.‍

Example 6
Immanuel Kant’s writings, while praised by many philosophers for their brilliance
and consistency, are characterized by sentences so dense and convoluted as to
pose a significant hurdle for many readers who study his works.
A. NO CHANGE
B. so dense and convoluted they posed
C. so dense and convoluted that they posed
D. dense and convoluted enough that they posed

Solution: You know that the structure of the common idiom is “so X as to Y.”
Also, the past tense in answer choices C and B is wrong. Therefore, the correct
answer is A.

List of SAT Idioms

The list on the next page shows the most commonly used idoms - it’s not
practical to memorize every single idiom on this list. However, we do recommend
that you review this list periodically.

Here’s my thorough list of idioms:

 Complain about

 Set (ab)out

 Think about

 Wonder about

 Worry about

 Known as/to be

 Recognized as
 Serve as

 Translate as

 Accompanied by

 Amazed by

 Assisted by

 Awed by

 Confused by

 Encouraged by

 Followed by

 Impressed by

 Obscured by

 Outraged by

 Perplexed by

 Puzzled by

 Shocked by

 Stunned by

 Surprised by

 Celebrated for

 Compensate for

 Criticize for

 Endure for

 Famous for

 Known for

 Last for
 Look (out) for

 Named for/after

 Necessary for

 Prized for

 Recognized for

 Responsible for

 Strive for

 Wait for

 Watch for

 Across from

 Apparent from

 Defend from

 Protect against

 Refrain from

 In itself

 Adept in/at

 Confident in

 Engage in/with

 Firm in

 Interested in

 Involved in

 Succeed in/at

 Take pride in

 Enter into
 Insight into

 A native of

 Appreciation of

 Aware of

 Characteristic of

 Command of

 Composed of

 Consist of

 Convinced of

 Devoid of

 (Dis)approve of

 Family of

 In recognition of

 In the hope(s) of

 (In)capable of

 Knowledge of

 Mastery of

 Offer of

 Principles of

 Proponent of

 Source of

 Suspicious of

 Take advantage of

 Typical of
 Understanding of

 Use of

 Based on

 Confer on

 Depend on

 Draw (up)on

 Dwell on

 Focus on

 Insist on

 Reflect on

 Rely on

 Control over

 Power over

 Central to

 Critical to

 Devoted to

 Explain to

 Exposed to

 In contrast to

 Listen to

 Native to

 Point to

 Prefer x to y

 Recommend x to y
  Relate to

 Similar to

 Threat(en) to

 Unique to

 Biased toward

 Tendency toward

 Take up

 Contrast with

 Correlate with

 Identify with

 (In)consistent with

 (Pre)occupied with

 Sympathize with

3. “Each” and “Everyone” Makes

Everything Singular
The word “everyone” conjures up a large group of people. But when you use
“everyone” in a sentence, the verbs used to describe “everyone’ must be
singular, and NOT plural.

Everyone is angry - not everyone are angry.

The same goes for the word ‘each’ - this is even trickier.

‘Each’ makes things singular, but since it always draws things from a crowd, it’s
easy to imagine plurals when the word is used.
Wrong: Each of the band members are angry.

Correct: Each of the members of the band is angry.

4. “And” makes everything plural

The word ‘and’ is the exact opposite of the words ‘each’ and ‘everyone.’
Whenever you see the word ‘and’, you should assume that everything in the
sentence is now plural.

Examples:

 Joe and Matt are hungry.

 My two favourite bands are The Beatles and The Jimi Hendrix experience.

 Included in the box set are the amazing toy and my new album.

These are much, much tougher to spot when the ‘and’ comes after the plural
verb. One of the most common grammar traps looks like this:

Wrong: Part of the lecture is a talk from a notable professor and a new type of
learning methodology introduced last year.

This error is incredibly tough for your brain to pick up on because it sees the
short-term singular (...is a talk...) and assumes everything is okay. After all, the
word ‘is’ is singular, “a talk” is singular, so it’s a match! But that’s not right.

Because ‘and’ is introduced later in the sentence, the sentence should be:

Correct: Part of the lecture are a talk from a notable professor and a new type of
learning methodology introduced last year.
There are no exceptions to this rule. When you group two or more things with
the word ‘and,’ regardless of whether they are individually singular or plural, the
verbs used to describe them must now be plural.

5. Countable vs. Uncountable

Some nouns are countable, whereas others are not. If you are unsure as to
whether something is countable or not, perform the counting test.

Examples:
For hat: One hat, two hats, three hats. This works. Hat is
countable.‍
For patience: One patience (?), two patiences (?), stop. That is wrong. Patience
is not countable.

Wrong: There were LESS Numidian kings than Roman emperors.

Correct: There were FEWER Numidian kings than Roman emperors.

Remember that you must use comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs
(better, worse, more, less) to compare two things or people, but you must use
superlative forms (best, worst, most, least) to compare three or more things or
people.

6. Where and When Are Taken

Literally
On the SAT, the word ‘when’ must refer to an exact period of time, and the word
‘where’ must refer to an exact physical location. There are no exceptions to this
rule.
Wrong: It was a bad incident, where nearly 70 people were injured.

Why? Because the word “where” refers to a location, but no location is

mentioned.

Wrong: There’s a company that teaches people how to dance when they don’t
know how to.

What time exactly am I referring to here?

Whenever you see the words ‘where’ and ‘when’ on the SAT, you should become
incredibly suspicious. But, to make sure they’re being used correctly, all you
need to do is ask:

When - is this referring to a precise period of time? If so, it’s good - if not, it’s
wrong.

Where - is this referring to a precise location? If so, it’s good - if not, it’s wrong. ]

7. Or, Either…. Or, Neither... Nor

Occasionally, a subject may include a phrase such as “or, either... or, neither...
nor”. Such phrases link two nouns. If one of the nouns is singular and the other
noun is plural, what verb form should be used?

The answer is simple: find the noun nearest to the verb, and make sure that
the verb agrees in number with this noun.

Correct: Neither the coach nor the players ARE going to the beach.

Correct: Neither the players nor the coach IS going to the beach.
In the first example, the plural subject “players” is nearest to the verb, so the verb
takes the plural form “are.” In the second, the verb is singular due to the singular
subject “coach.”

8. “Being” is almost always wrong

If the word “being” in an answer choice, or it’s underlined in
a passage, it is wrong about 99/100 times. The
word “being” is technically only supposed to describe the
progressive state of embodying a characteristic. Here are
correct uses:

 You are being weird.

 John is being annoying.

 Charlie was being a bit awkward yesterday.

In all of these cases, the word ‘being’ is actually the verb in

the sentence and describes the act of embodying a
characteristic for a sustained, progressive period of time.
You can also say:

 I am being awarded tomorrow.

 I am being rewarded for my good behaviour.

 I am being punished for my bad cooking.

It’s okay to say “being ------ed” most of the time. But outside of these two
instances, the word choice is almost always wrong.

We don’t want to get too deep into the grammatical rabbit hole here, so let’s just
agree on something: If you see the word “being” in a sentence, remember
it’s wrong about 99% of the time on the SAT unless used in the two exact
ways mentioned above.
9. Would and Will
Rules about when to use “would” and “will” are quite broad, so it’s important to
understand the difference between the two.

When to use Will - Will is used to form future simple tense, to describe
something that takes place in the future and is completed in the future.

Examples:

 I will be there

 You will arrive at the airport at 10:15am Thursday morning and escort the
ambassador back to the royal palace

 Catalina will turn us in at the earliest opportunity

 I will sell my car when I can afford to buy a newer one

When to Use Would - Would is a past-tense form of will. If you are writing about
past events, you can use would to indicate something that is/was supposed to
happen.

Examples:

 She said that she would visit me.

 I thought she would have visited me by now, but she hasn’t.

 I would love to see that movie.

 If I had a hammer, I would use it as often as possible.

Would is also a conditional verb. It indicates an action that would happen if

certain circumstances were met.
For Example: Nissan said its new Chairman would be Mr. Saikawa, a company
veteran who had served as Nissan’s CEO and had led its operations in North
America.

10. Which vs That

The battle over whether to use “which” or “that” is a grammar rule many students
struggle with. It’s also a popular SAT question! Use the following quick rule of
thumb to get it right.

If the sentence doesn’t need the clause then use which” preceded by a
comma.’ If the sentence does need the clause, use ‘that without a comma’.

Pretty easy to remember, isn’t it? Here are a couple of

examples to further explain:

1. Our office, which has two lunchrooms, is located in Cincinnati.

2. Our office that has two lunchrooms is located in Cincinnati.

These sentences are not the same, but both are correct. The first sentence tells
us that you have just one office, and it’s located in Cincinnati. The clause “which
has two lunchrooms” gives us additional information, but it doesn’t change the
meaning of the sentence. Remove the clause and the location of our one office
would still be clear: Cincinnati.

The second sentence suggests that we have multiple offices and that the office
with two lunchrooms is located in Cincinnati. The phrase “that has two
lunchrooms” has another part of the sentence (our office) depends on it. You
can’t remove that clause without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Example 7
The town’s local festival had gotten a little out of hand, she thought, observing
the year’s speciality foods with a grimace. The newest fad food was garlic ice
cream, that included entire chunks of roasted garlic as well as garlic sauce. She
thought it was a bit much.

‍ . NO CHANGE
A
B. ice cream. That included entire chunks of roasted garlic;
C. ice cream, it included entire chunks of roasted garlic
D. ice cream, which included entire chunks of roasted garlic

Solution: The sentence isn’t correct as written because “that” is used to introduce
an essential clause to the sentence and shouldn’t be preceded by a comma.
Option B would be correct if a period wasn’t inserted between “garlic” and “as.”
Option C isn’t correct, either; it contains a comma splice. That leaves us with the
correct answer, D, which changes out “that” in the original sentence for “which.”

SAT WRITING AND LANGUAGE: RHETORICS

 Combining Sentences
The SAT Writing and Language Test will always include questions that ask you
how to best combine two sentences into a single compound sentence. Deciding
between the presented options requires just not grammar skills, but also an eye
for details.

For example, let’s say we have to combine the following two sentences: Since
its popularization in the nineteenth century, photography has played
various and complex roles. Crude pinhole cameras first appeared in
antiquity.

We can’t just connect these sentences with ‘and.’ The first sentence discusses a
19th century occurrence, and the second sentence discusses something
invented “in antiquity” way earlier in history. When working with a timeline of
events, it often makes sense to discuss the events that happened earliest first.

Adjusting the timeline of these two sample sentences is a bit more complex than
just switching the order in which they appear since the first sentence introduces
photography as the subject of the passage.

Consider this correct combined version: While crude pinhole cameras first
appeared in antiquity, photography was only popularized in the 19th century,
after which it has played various and complex roles.

There! Now, you may be thinking, “That may take a while. Do I really need to do
that for every sentence combination question on the test?” Thankfully, No.
Because on the test you are presented with answer options. The best answer is
right there in front of you - you just have to pick it out.
Let’s now try some sample problems like those you might see on test day so that
you can practice selecting the best answer instead of coming up with a revised
sentence from scratch.

Example 1
[1] During the 1960s, many directors from Czechoslovakia contributed to a film
movement called “Czechoslovak New Wave.” [2] This period is often considered
to be the golden age of Czechoslovak cinema. [3] These films often used
improvised dialogue rather than a script and featured many nonprofessional
actors. [4] The directors from this period wished to capture the authentic
experience of living in Czechoslovakia at the time.

What is the best option for combining Sentences 1 and 2?

A. During the 1960s, a period often considered the golden age of Czechoslovak
cinema, many directors from Czechoslovakia contributed to a film movement
called “Czechoslovak New Wave.”
B. During the 1960s, many directors from Czechoslovakia contributed to a film
movement called “Czechoslovak New Wave,” this period is often considered to
be the golden age of Czechoslovak cinema.
C. During the 1960s, many directors from Czechoslovakia contributed to a film
movement called “Czechoslovak New Wave” because this period is often
considered to be the golden age of Czechoslovak cinema.
D. During the 1960s, many directors from Czechoslovakia, often considered to
be the golden age of Czechoslovak cinema, contributed to a film movement
called “Czechoslovak New Wave.”

Example 2
[1] Cowboys have long been a symbol in American society. [2] On the one hand,
they represent American strength, adventurousness, and indefatigability. [3] They
also call up images of oppression, racism, and exploitation. [4] However, both of
these romanticized views of cowboys betray the dull routine and everyday
realities of the lives that many cowboys lived.
What is the best option for combining Sentences 2 and 3?
A. While they also call up images of oppression, racism, and exploitation, they
represent American strength, adventurousness, and indefatigability.
B. They represent American strength, adventurousness, and indefatigability, and
they call up images of oppression, racism, and exploitation.
C. On the one hand, they represent American strength, adventurousness, and
indefatigability; moreover, they call up images of oppression, racism, and
exploitation.
D. On the one hand, they represent American strength, adventurousness, and
indefatigability; on the other hand, they call up images of oppression, racism, and
exploitation.

Example 3
[1] While perhaps not as well-known as Bluebeard or Captain Kidd, Bill Johnston
was still known as a feared pirate and river smuggler in his day. [2] That day was
the War of 1812. [3] He came from a British Loyalist family and settled in Upper
Canada before beginning a career as a Lake Ontario schooner captain. [4] His
ships carried some legal cargo, but they also smuggled tea and rum into Canada.

What is the best option for combining Sentences 1 and 2?

A. While perhaps not as well-known as Bluebeard or Captain Kidd, Bill Johnston
was still known as a feared pirate and river smuggler in his day, the War of 1812.
B. While perhaps not as well-known as Bluebeard or Captain Kidd, Bill Johnston
was still known as a feared pirate and river smuggler during the War of 1812.
C. While perhaps not as well-known as Bluebeard or Captain Kidd, Bill Johnston
was still known as a feared pirate and river smuggler in his day: that of the War
of 1812.
D. While maybe he wasn’t as well known as Bluebeard or Captain Kidd, Bill
Johnston was still known as a feared pirate and river smuggler in his day of the
War of 1812 era.

Example 4
[1] While many people feel strongly about the genetic modification of foods, most
do not understand the full nature of genetically modified (GM) plants and
animals. [2] Genetic modification is defined as the artificial manipulation of a
species’ DNA usually for the purpose of improving crop yield, resistance to
disease, or nutritive value. [3] It has been going on for millennia: ancient farmers
were selectively breeding foods to provide better flavour, produce smaller seeds,
or withstand drought and flooding. [4] Today, more sophisticated tools allow
scientists to transfer genes for a desirable characteristic such as better
resistance to pests from one organism to another. [5] Opponents of genetic
modification argue that the DNA modifications are unstable, undesirable, and
unhealthy for the environment, though scientific evidence suggests this is not
true. [6] Additionally, some also argue that consuming GM foods is unsafe for
humans, despite much scientific evidence to the contrary.

What is the best option for combining Sentences 5 and 6?

A. Arguing that DNA modifications are unstable, undesirable, and unhealthy for
the environment, opponents of genetic modification argue that consuming GM
foods is unsafe for humans, despite much scientific evidence to the contrary.
B. Opponents of genetic modification argue that the DNA modifications are
unstable, undesirable, and unhealthy for the environment, and additionally, some
also argue that consuming GM foods is unsafe for humans, despite much
scientific evidence to the contrary.
C. Opponents of genetic modification argue that the DNA modifications are
unstable, undesirable, and unhealthy for the environment as well as unsafe for
human consumption, despite much scientific evidence to the contrary.
D. Though arguing that DNA modifications are unstable, undesirable, and
unhealthy for the environment, opponents of genetic modification argue that
consuming GM foods is unsafe for humans, despite much scientific evidence to
the contrary.

Example 5
[1] As anyone who has tried it can tell you, Filipino food involves an exciting and
intriguing blend of flavours. [2] Due to its interaction with various nations and
cultures, it’s cuisine is marked by influences from Austronesia, Spain, China,
Malaysia, and the United States. [3] For example, if you walked into a Filipino
restaurant, you might encounter paella, a traditionally Spanish dish, or spring
rolls, which are part of Chinese cuisine. [4] Street food is another important
aspect of Filipino cuisine. [5] Filipino street food includes a wide variety of fried
items, such as bananas, plantains, dumplings, squid balls, battered quail eggs,
and fruit or vegetable spring rolls.

Which of the following is the best option for combining Sentences 4 and 5?
A. Another important aspect of Filipino cuisine is street food, which includes
many fried items such as bananas, plantains, dumplings, squid balls, battered
quail eggs, and fruit or vegetable spring rolls.
B. Another important aspect of Filipino cuisine, including many fried foods, such
as bananas, plantains, dumplings, squid balls, battered quail eggs, and fruit or
vegetable spring rolls, is street food.
C. Street food—including many fried foods such as bananas, plantains,
dumplings, and squid balls—is another important aspect of Filipino cuisine, and it
can also include battered quail eggs, and fruit or vegetable spring rolls.
D. Including many fried foods such as bananas, plantains, squid balls, battered
quail eggs, and fruit or vegetable spring rolls, street food is another important
aspect of Filipino cuisine.

Concision and Word Choice

Concision works on one very basic principle: it is incorrect to
use 10 words to express an idea you could express using 5. For
example, the following are two instruction sentences regarding
concision problem types on the SAT:
 1. You will be asked to edit to make sure that passages are phrased in as
clear, lean, and brief a manner as possible so as to express the text’s
meaning and fulfil its intended purpose.

2. You will be asked to edit passages for concision.

These two sentences convey the exact same meaning. Just by knowing the full
meaning of “concision,” you are able to make the first sentence 26 words shorter,
as well as far smoother and easier to understand.

Important: Not all long sentences need to be made more concise! Some
sentences are expressing extremely complex thoughts, and are, even if they
seem long, exactly as long as they need to be. Remember that some relatively
short sentences can be edited and made more concise, and some extremely
long sentences are as concise as they can possibly be.

The shortest answer isn’t always the right answer, but when in doubt, the
shortest answer is the best one far more often than not.

This is a very powerful tip - but with great power comes great responsibility. It is
your job to put in the maximum amount of effort and attention into every single
SAT problem! However, if you’re really not sure, and you can’t make up your
mind - go with the shortest answer left.

Example 1
When for the first time the United States imported more oil than it exported,
Americans should have realized than an energy crisis was imminent and could
happen in the future.

A. NO CHANGE
B. could happen imminently in the future
C. is an imminent thing
D. might be imminent
Solution: So, this question would be difficult if you didn’t know the definition of
“imminent.” There is nothing grammatically wrong in the underlined phrase.
However, the word “imminent” means something is likely to happen. The phrase
“might be imminent” means the same thing as the underlined phrase and is
expressed much more succinctly. Therefore, the correct answer is D. If you did
not know the meaning of the word “imminent,” you should have gone with the
shortest answer, which also happens to be D.

Example 2
I was strongly considering buying a painting the other day. I liked the piece, but it
was because of the expense that I chose not to buy the piece. I ended up
purchasing a book of photography instead.

A. it was because of the expense that I chose not to buy the piece.
B. because of the expense I chose not to buy it.
C. it was on cause of the expense that I chose not to buy the piece.
D. it was only and simply and rightly because of the expense that I chose not to
buy the piece.

Redundancy
A longer sentence is usually more redundant than a shorter sentence. Actually,
redundancies are fairly easy to spot – you just need to know how to look out for
them and avoid the temptation to be swept away by the flow of the passage or
sentence you are reading.

Example 3
That deep-sea sub can’t fit very many people. During its last solo expedition, it
carried just one scientist. She not only collected data about rarely seen sea
creatures, but also piloted the sub and helped run checks on its navigation
system and safety features.
A. NO CHANGE
B. During its last solo expedition, it carried just scientists.
C. During its solo expedition, it carried just one scientist.
D. During its last expedition, it carried just one scientist.

Example 4
Located in Midland County, Michigan, the Chippewa Nature centre is one of the
most prominent American nature centres that is known by many people in the
United States.

A. NO CHANGE
B. being known by many Americans.
C. known by many people there.
D. OMIT the underlined portion (inserting a period after centers)

Avoid Synonyms
Please remember that you should never use two synonyms to describe
something when you can just as effectively use one. In addition, you must
sometimes look at the non-underlined portion of the sentence to identify
redundancy.

Wrong: The ancient, historic, enduring Drum Tower and Bell Tower, located in
Beijing’s Inner City, afford tourists a glimpse into the city’s long history.

Correct: “Ancient,” “historic,” and “enduring” all basically mean the same thing.
Just one of these words would get the point of the sentence across.

Often, we’ll see not just multiple words that mean the same thing, but entire
phrases that mean the same thing as well.
Wrong: In order to increase capacity, 11,000 temporary seats were added to
Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics so that more guests
could attend.

Here we’ve got two phrases that mean the same thing. Only one is necessary, so
we can just eliminate the second phrase.

Correct: In order to increase capacity, 11,000 temporary seats were added to

Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Examples 5 - 8
Henry was never expected to be king. His older brother Arthur was [5] the heir
and next in line to the throne, but when Henry was 11 years old, Arthur
[6] perished fatally. Arthur had recently married Catherine of Aragon, the
daughter of King Ferdinand of [7] Spain, a short time ago. Eager to protect
diplomatic relations with Spain, Henry’s father betrothed [8] his son Henry to
marry Catherine when he came of age.

5.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the successive heir
C. the heir
D. the successive next in line

6.
A. NO CHANGE
B. died.
C. fatally died.
D. perished and died.

7.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Spain, shortly before.
C. Spain.
D. Spain, not long ago.

8.
‍A. NO CHANGE
B. his son, Henry,
C. Henry, his son,
D. Henry

Word Choice
Word choice is choosing the most appropriate word in
context. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to cover the infinite number of ways this
concept can show up on the SAT. After all, there are hundreds of thousands of
words and no formulaic rules for why one word should be chosen over another.

Although you’ll have to rely on your fluency in English for most questions, the
SAT does not make these problems difficult. In fact, the answer must be clear
enough so that it’s not left up to opinion or preference. Here are a few general
guidelines:

1. Avoid Dramatic or High-Sounding Language. Don’t choose overly complicated

words when simple words are enough to express the intended meaning. On the
other hand, don’t make the mistake of thinking a word is high-sounding or
complicated just because you do not know what it means.

Example 9
‍The startup didn’t become financially beneficial until it reached a critical mass of
customers using the app on a daily basis.
A. NO CHANGE
B. profitable
C. commercially rewarding
D. worthy of great compensation

Example 10
The employees put forth a plan to cut spending by 50 percent but their bosses
rejected this audacious scheme.

A. NO CHANGE
B. brash industrial action.
C. bold proposal.
D. spirited counsel.

2. Choose Specific Words. Let’s explain through an example:

Example 11
Fish with bright colors have to be especially careful of dangerous things that lurk
in the sea.

Which choice fits best in the context of this sentence?

A. NO CHANGE
B. animals
C. mammals
D. predators

‍
Example 12
In anticipation of Black Friday, store owners are making sure they have a wide
variety of products.
‍
A. NO CHANGE
B. items for customers
C. stuff to sell
D. things that can purchased

3. Be Wary of Commonly Confused Words. Again, best explained through an

example.

Example 13
Ketchup is a better compliment to French fries then mustard.

A. NO CHANGE
B. compliment to French fries than
C. complement to French fries then
D. complement to French fries than

Here is a list of other commonly confused words you should

know:

 accept vs. except

 affect vs. effect

 allusion vs illusion

 cite vs. site

 ensure vs. insure

 advice vs. advise

 council vs. counsel

 elicit vs. illicit

 eminent vs. imminent

 allude vs. elude

 discreet vs. discrete

4 . Avoid Casual or Informal Language. Always pick the answer choices that use
formal language. Avoid answer choices that include slang or casual words.

Example 14
Tired from the 20 mile hike, Yasmine retired to her tent and snoozed.

A. NO CHANGE
B. hit the sack.
C. slept.
D. dozed off.

Example 15
A recent law requires that public transportation meet new safety standards,
forcing states governments to foot the bill for the construction of new railroads.
A. NO CHANGE
B. pick up the tab
C. pay
D. shell out

5. Don’t Forget Your Grammar Rules. Some questions look like they’re testing
you on word choice when they’re actually testing you on grammar

Example 16
The zombies raised from their graves and hunted the survivors.
A. NO CHANGE
B. rise
C. rose
D. rised
Example 16
I do my laundry while she does the dishes.

Which of the following alternatives would NOT be acceptable?

A. NO CHANGE
B. at the same time
C. as
D. then

Transitions
A transition word can be either located in the beginning, middle, or end of a
sentence. For the latter two cases, these questions may initially appear to only
test one sentence. However, they are actually testing your ability to identify the
relationship between two sentences: the sentence in question and the sentence
before it.

Let’s go through how to approach sentence transition questions

step-by-step:

1. Cross out the underlined word. Always start by crossing out the original
word. Otherwise, you may be biased in favor of the original phrasing.

2. Read to the end of the sentence. It’s especially important here to make
sure you understand how the two sentences are related to each other.

3. Ask yourself if anything seems obviously necessary/correct? Sometimes

you’ll read the two sentences and immediately recognize what word you
would use - that specific transition

4. Ask yourself about the relationship type. Is it addition, contrast, or

causation? If you’re not sure, it can be helpful to think about whether you
 would connect the sentences with and (addition), but (contrast), or
so/because (contrast).

5. Narrow down your choices. Once you have a sense of what you’re looking
for, rule out any answers that don’t make sense or that aren’t grammatical.

6. Plug answer into the sentence to check your work. When you think you
have the answer, plug it into the sentence and make sure the transition is
logical.

7. If two choices are synonyms, neither is correct. If two of the words mean
the same thing, there’s no way to choose between them, so neither can be
correct. When you see two choices that are synonyms, rule them both out.

Types of Transitions
1. Additional Information
This is one of the easier relationships to identify: it’s one in which two similar
ideas are connected.

Example: Between 1880 and 1930, Buenos Aires attracted tens of thousands of
European immigrants; similarly, rural Argentinians migrated there to find work
during the same period.

These ideas are very similar: two groups of people come to the same place at
the same time. So, we would use a word like “similarly” to communicate that the
second sentence is just adding some additional information on to the first
sentence.

Other SAT words that could fill this blank are:

 likewise

 also

 as well
2. Supporting Information
This type of transition is a step up from “Additional Information”; it connects two
ideas when one is an example or clarification of the other.

Example: The university’s debate team had tried several new things to recruit
potential members; for example, they held an ice cream social at the beginning of
the school year for all freshmen students.

In this sentence, we get one main idea: the debate team is trying to recruit new
students. We then get an example of one of the ways in which the team is trying
to accomplish this goal: holding an ice cream social. So, we’d use a phrase like
“for example” to show that an example is being given!

Other SAT phrases that can fill this blank are:

 for instance

 as a matter of fact

 indeed

3. Sequence of Events
This type of transition connects different events based on their relationship to
each other in terms of time.

Example: When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is brush my

teeth. Then, I take a quick shower.

In this sentence, we have a list of events: First, I brush my teeth, and then I take
a shower. In order to make this sequence clear, we use the word “then” to show
an order of events.

Other SAT words and phrases that we could use here would be:
  next

 later

 simultaneously

4. Causation
In a cause and effect relationship, one thing or action leads to another thing or
action.

Example: In the early 20th century, San Francisco was hit with a
massiveearthquake, as a result, many of the buildings in the city were destroyed.

In this sentence, we’re given a cause: San Francisco was hit by an earthquake.
We then get the result, or the effect of that cause: many buildings were
destroyed. So, we use a phrase like “as a result” to show that the effect is a
result of the cause.

Other SAT words that can fill this blank are:

 thus

 consequently

 therefore

 because

5. Contradiction
Another important relationship the SAT tests is contradiction or a change from
one idea to another. The SAT uses several different words to communicate this
kind of change.

Example: Tango is an honored cultural tradition in Argentina, although it was

considered scandalous in many other countries until it entered the mainstream in
Paris in 1912.
Here, we have an idea: Tango is an honored cultural tradition in a certain
country. We have a contrasting idea: that tango was actually considered
scandalous in other countries for a long time. We use “although” to show the
change in idea.time. We use “although” to show the change in idea.

Other SAT words that can fill this blank are:

 but/yet

 however

 nevertheless

6. No Transition
Sometimes, one of our options on the SAT is to leave out the transition word or
phrase entirely.

Example: The manager went into the meeting and thus started her presentation.

In this sentence, we’re given a transition word: thus. But do we actually need this
transition? Would the meaning of the sentence still be clear without it? Let’s try it
and see: The manager went into the meeting and started her presentation.

Even without this transition word, the sentence still makes sense. We don’t need
to transition between the two parts of this sentence because they’re already
connected by the word “and.” That means “thus” is redundant and we can
eliminate it altogether.

Example 1
Conditions in the interior of Antarctica are inhospitable to many forms of life: sub-
zero temperatures, high winds, and extreme dryness make it impossible for most
animals to survive. The Antarctic Peninsula and the surrounding islands have
milder temperatures and liquid water, whereas more animals can thrive there.
A. No Change
B. when
C. since
D. so

Example 2
Conditions in the interior of Antarctica are inhospitable to many forms of life: sub-
zero temperatures, high winds, and extreme dryness make it impossible for most
animals to survive. Therefore, the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands
have milder temperatures and liquid water, allowing more animals to thrive there.

A. No Change
B. In contrast,
C. In fact,
D. Despite

‍ xample 3
E
Conditions in the interior of Antarctica are inhospitable to many forms of
life. Therefore, sub-zero temperatures, high winds, and extreme dryness make it
impossible for most animals to survive

A. NO CHANGE
B. On the other hand, sub-zero temperatures
C. Nevertheless, sub-zero temperatures
D. Sub-zero temperatures

The following is a summary of all transition types:

Addition

 Similarly
  Indeed

 In Conclusion

 in Other Words

 Finally

Contradiction

 Still

 On the other hand

 Nonetheless

 Nevertheless

 Even though

 Thus

 Because

 Therefore

 For Example

 For Instance

 As an illustration

 Instead

 Despite this

 Meanwhile

 but

Causation

 Consequently

 As a result

 since
Supporting

 As a matter of fact

 Then

 After that

 Later

Sequence of Events

 Next

 At the same time

 Simultaneously

Transitions Between Sentences

When you are asked to choose the best transition between two sentences within
the same paragraph, always read above and below where the transition will be.
The best transition will be the one that brings together the main elements on
either side, leading from the one topic to the next.

For EXAMPLE: Lambert confirmed that we as humans have a finite amount of

mental energy and attention. Tough decision making, such as that used when
following a diet, saps us of our ability to exercise the same discipline later
on. Based on this research, Lambert designed a diet that minimizes the
need for discipline and protects against regression. Her program has been
used by everyone from celebrities to world-class athletes who vouch for its
effectiveness.

The sentence in orange font is an amazing transition between the two topics in
the same paragraph. The opening phrase “Based on this research” refers back to
the statements on mental energy. In particular, the word “this” makes that link
explicit. The diet that Lambert designed leads into the focus of the next
sentence: the program. In short, this transition guides us from the research she
completed to the diet program she developed.

Note: When asked to insert the best transition between two sentences, look for
words such as “this,” “that,” and “these.” These reference words must point to
other nouns that exist in the surrounding context, which means the transition
sentence itself may need to include them.

On the SAT, these types of questions will be worded in the

following ways:

 Which choice would provide the most effective link between Sentences X
and Y?

 Which choice most effectively signals the shift from the preceding
sentence to the rest of the paragraph?

 At this point, the writer wants to add a statement that would lead to the
sentence that follows it. Which choice would best accomplish that
purpose?

Example 4
A major component of a pilot’s flight training is preparing for emergency
situations. However, it is not practical to rehearse all the scenarios that might
occur. Often, a candidate demonstrates excellent flying skills, but loses
composure when under pressure.

A. NO CHANGE
B. It is vital that all cabin crew know basic first aid in the event that a passenger
becomes ill.
C. All important flight instruments, such as the course deviation indicator, must
be regularly monitored by the co-pilot.
D. Therefore, assessors will look for candidates who can adjust calmly to
unexpected events.
Example 5
Sherlock Holmes would sometimes use a loose network of casual spies called
the “Baker Street Irregulars.” These were young boys who provided intelligence
to Holmes on an ad hoc basis. After all, even a detective as great as Sherlock
Holmes needs help sometimes. But in the event that the amateur sleuths
provided a clue of some special importance, they might just find themselves in
receipt of a full dollar!

A. NO CHANGE
B. His assistant Watson, however, was the primary companion on most of his
cases.
C. Their reward for such services was 25 cents a day.
D. It wouldn’t be until the final novel that they would play a crucial role in the
mystery.

Transitions Between Paragraphs

The final type of transition question deals with transitions
between paragraphs. Rather than asking about a specific word or
phrase, these usually deal with full sentences.

 On the SAT, these types of questions will be worded in the following ways:

 Which choice most effectively guides the reader from the previous
paragraph to the new paragraph?

 Which choice most effectively signals the shift from the preceding
paragraph to this paragraph?

 Which choice would most effectively introduce this paragraph?

For Example:
By the time Heart of Darkness was published in 1902, a movement was
already underway to expose the large-scale theft and murder occurring in the
Congo. Dozens of missionaries had begun sending reports including
photographs, to bear witness to the violence. William Sheppard, an African
American Presbyterian, was one of these missionaries. He sent out shocking
testimony of lands seized by force, of people living under a reign of terror, and of
soldiers cutting off the hands of women and children.

An Englishman named E.D. Morel gathered the many reports and

photographs and published them. He gathered crowds to listen to eyewitness
accounts of colonial atrocities. He lobbied the British Parliament to denounce the
Belgian King’s horrifying practices. This became the first modern humanitarian
movement, and it successfully exposed the horrendous violence in the Congo.
Historians estimate, however, that, by that time, between 10 million and 20
million Congolese people had lost their lives.
‍
Take note of the sentence in orange font. This sentence serves as a transition
between the two paragraphs, but how do we know? A good transition sentence
references both preceding key terms or ideas and the ones following it. In
this case, the transition brings up not only E.D. Morel, who is the primary focus of
the second paragraph but also the many reports and photographs that were the
focus of the first paragraph.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to help you narrow down your

choices:
1. Pay attention to what the question is asking for. Though many of
these questions simply ask you to identify the sentence that
provides the best transition or introduction, some may ask about
a more specific purpose. Make sure to read the question carefully
and think about what being asked.
2. Read (at minimum) a couple of sentences into the
paragraph. Ideally, you’ll read the whole paragraph before
answering transition questions, but you absolutely must read at
least one sentence after the first to get a sense of the context.
3. Keep in mind types of transitional relationships. Though most of
these questions don’t involve transition words, it can still be
helpful to consider whether there’s a clear, contrasting, or causal
relationship.
4. Look for anything that needs to be introduced because it’s referred
back to later in the paragraph. In the subsequent sentences, look
out for pronouns like “this” and “these,” which reference ideas
or nouns that need to be introduced in the first sentence. This
will often be the best hint at the correct answer.
5. Narrow down the choices. Rule out answers that don’t make
sense or don’t fit with the general tone of the passage.
6. Plug in the sentence you think works best. When you’ve eliminated three
choices, read the last answer in context and check that it makes sense.

Let’s walk through how to approach a paragraph transition question from a real
SAT.

Example 6
In the mountains, Quezada found shards of pots, and an occasional
complete pot, painted with intricate red and black designs. These were artifacts
from his ancestors,the Paquime (or Casas Grandes) Indians, who lived in the
area from about AD 1000 to AD 1400. Fascinated by the geometric designs,
Quezada wondered, if he could make pots like these.
[6] He dug the clay. soaked it, and tried to shape it into a pot. In time, he
figured out how his ancestors had mixed the clay with volcanic ash to keep it
from cracking and had used minerals found nearby to create paints. When it was
time to paint his pots, Quezada designed his own complex geometric patterns.

8. Which of the following true statements would provide the best transition when
inserted at point [6] to serve as a transition between both the paragraphs?

A. The village of Mata Ortiz is only three streets wide but stretches for a mile
between the Casas Grandes River and the railroad tracks.
B. The patterns on Mata Ortiz pottery that Quezada admired are based on the
techniques of the ancient Paquime.
C. Quezada began working with clay from the mountains.
D. Quezada’s painted designs became increasingly complex.

Add or Delete Questions

Add or delete questions are two-part questions. First, you have to determine if
the sentence should be added or deleted. Then, you have to identify the
reasoning for why the sentence should be added or deleted.

Example: At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
Joe then confronted Jane about the money she owed him.

Should the writer make this addition?

A. Yes, because the information clarifies Joe’s reasoning for
his actions.
B. Yes, because the information helps explain how Joe and
Jane originally met.
C. No, because the additional information distracts the
reader from the main point of the essay.
D. No, because it’s unclear whether Joe wanted to argue with Jane.
When tackling these types of questions, always answer the yes or no part first.
That way, you’ve automatically halved the number of choices under
consideration.

The following is a good strategy to tackle Add/ Delete

questions:

1. Analyze the added sentence to see what it’s doing

2. Refer back to the passage to see if the sentence should be added or not

3. Answer the yes or no question first

4. Eliminate the two “Yes” answer choices or the two “No” answer choices

5. Provide the reasoning in your own words

6. Pick the answer choice that most closely matches your reasoning

Note: The most common reason, by far, for not including/ deleting
something is relevance. If the questions ask whether to add a sentence and
your answer is no, the reason will likely be that the sentence distracts the reader
or that it’s irrelevant to the focus of the essay. So, gravitate toward that answer
choice first.

Example 1,2
[1] Most people are aware that a symbol composed of three arrows forming a
triangle indicates that a container is somehow associated with recycling. [2] Far
fewer individuals know what the little letters and numbers in the centre of this
symbol indicate. [3] These markings designate the particular kind of plastic from
which the item is made. [4] The letters are acronyms that designate the item’s
broad category of plastic and provide detail about the specific thickness, density,
and durability of the material. [5] For instance, “PET” and “PETE” both stand for
the same thing, “post consumer polyethylene terephthalate,” while “HDPE”
stands for “high density polyethylene.” [6] The numbers provide the same
information in a different way a PET bottle can be designated by a numeral 1
inside the recycling arrows, while an HDPE bottle can be identified by a 2. [7] By
referring to these symbols, consumers can discern where each item should be
recycled. [8] Recycled materials should always be placed in the correct
stream. [9] While this system is very accurate, it is not consumer friendly; people
glancing over a product’s packaging they wish to recycle might encounter the
symbol and not know what it means, resulting in their recycling it
incorrectly. [10] So, the next time you purchase something made of plastic, make
sure to decode these symbols!

1. The author is considering removing Sentence 4 from the passage. Should he

or she do this?
A. Yes, because this sentence is beyond the scope of the passage because it
provides unnecessary details about only letters when letters and numbers are
each being discussed.
B. Yes, because this sentence disrupts the flow of the passage.
C. No, because the passage would lose valuable details and its parallel structure
of discussing both letters and numbers would be disrupted.
D. No, because it is functioning as a transition in order to introduce a concept
different from the one that has been discussed thus far in the passage.

2. The author is considering removing Sentence 8 from the passage. Should he

or she do this?
A. Yes, because the sentence is extraneous and doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of
the passage.
B. Yes, because the sentence provides information that conflicts with other
information in the passage.
C. No, because the sentence provides information necessary to understanding
the passage’s main idea.
D. No, because the sentence is transitioning to the passage’s conclusion.

Example 3
‍Fortunately, a new group of artists has discovered the murals, and efforts are
underway to clean, restore, and repaint them. Once again, Siqueiros’s “America
Tropical” is leading the way. [1] After a lengthy and complex restoration process,
this powerful work is now a tourist attraction, complete with a visitor centre and a
rooftop viewing platform. Advocates hope that Siqueiros’s mural will once more
serve as an inspiration, this time inspiring viewers to save and restore an
important cultural and artistic legacy.

At point [1], the writer is considering adding the following sentence: When it was
painted in 1932, Siqueiro’s mural was considered offensive, but now it is
acclaimed.

Should the writer make this addition here?

A. Yes, because it provides historical context for the changes discussed in the
passage
B. Yes, because it provides a useful reminder of how people once viewed
Siqueiro’s work.
C. No, because it unnecessarily introduces an unrelated point in the passage
D. No, because it uncessary repeats a point already made in the paragraph

Organization and Structure

There are five types of questions that will be asked in this
section:

1. Sentence Improvement Questions

A couple of questions on every SAT test will require you to
improve a particular sentence by reordering the words for clarity
and proper grammar. These questions usually go like this:

 The best placement for the underlined portion would be:

  All of the following would be acceptable placements for the underlined
portion EXCEPT:

Sometimes, the whole sentence is underlined, and you’re picking out the entire
sentence from the answer choices.

The general strategy to approach sentence improvement

questions is as follows:

1. Place the underlined portion after the thing to which it applies

2. If you’re picking out an entire sentence, ensure any misplaced or confusing

phrases are placed after the things to which they apply

3. Always read the sentence for its meaning and to ensure it makes sense.

Example 1
During summer camp, I would talk to the other campers about friends back
home living in the cabin.

The best placement for the underlined portion would be:

A. where it is now
B. after the word talk
C. after the word campers
D. after the word friends

Solution: Who’s living in the cabin? The campers. Therefore, we should put the
underlined phrase after campers. The correct answer is C.

Example 2
Many strains of microbes found in the deep ocean deadly to life have evolved to
survive in conditions on the planet’s surface.

The best placement for the underlined portion would be:

A. where it is now
B. after the word conditions
C. after the word survive
D. after the word surface

Solution: The author’s intent is to say that these microbes survive in conditions
that would normally be deadly to humans. Therefore, we place the phrase next to
what it applies to – deadly next to “conditions” and life next to “on the planet’s
surface.” The correct answer is B.‍

Example 3
In the current economy, downsizing our workforce would not be advisable.

All of the following would be acceptable placements for the underlined portion
EXCEPT
A. where it is now
B. after the word workforce
C. after the word advisable
D. after the word downsizing

Solution: Placing the underlined phrase between “downsizing” and “our

workforce” would make for an awkward interruption. The correct answer is D.

2. Sentence Order Questions

All sentence order questions will ask you where a sentence
should be placed in a passage. The strategy for answering these
type of questions follows:

1. Determine the topic of the sentence you’re being asked about: Focus on
the keywords or phrases in the question.

2. Go through the answer choices. The most important thing is to read the
sentences before and after the insertion point.

3. Eliminate wrong choices

 4. The right choice should logically follow the sentence before and connect to
the following sentence. Use chronological order or order of events when
applicable.

Example 4: A New Watch Company

‍[1]After a year of living on futons and eating ramen, the founders at Hourglass
decided that antique watches weren’t profitable enough to sustain a
business. [2] Instead, they decided to invest in modern designs, create new
watches, and market them at a discount online. [3] Hourglass soon skyrocketed
to success. [4] Within a year, it broke ten million dollars in revenue and
announced its intent to expand overseas. [5] A lot of existing watch companies
are now looking to buy out this company that was once on the verge of
bankruptcy. [6]With those plans in place, the company began to attract the young
and fashionable crowd, as well as celebrities looking for the next trend.

For the sake of the logic and coherence of the paragraph, sentence 6 should be:
A. placed where it is now
B. placed after sentence 1
C. placed after sentence 2
D. placed after sentence 4

Solution: Note that sentence 6 refers to “those plans,” so your natural thought
should be, “What plans?” Sentence 6 only makes sense if it’s placed next to
another sentence that defines what those plans are. The only sentence that does
so logically is sentence 2. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Example 5: Surrender of the Vietnamese

[1] The Mongols tried to conquer Vietnam at various points in the second
millennium. [2] The first time, they were repelled by the unknown landscape and
intemperate climate. [3] When they came back better prepared, the Vietnamese
scared them off by setting fires to their encampments. [4] The Mongols finally
succeeded twice in the late 13th century, but mysteriously left each time. [5] It
wasn’t until the 19th century that the Vietnamese were full conquered - by the
French. [6] On their third return, they were routed by the genius of the
Vietnamese generals at the battle of Bach Dang.

For the sake of the logic and coherence of the paragraph, sentence 6 should be:
A. placed where it is now.
B. placed after sentence 1.
C. placed after sentence 2.
D. placed after sentence 3.

Solution: This is an example of putting things in chronological order, from first to

last. Sentence 6 begins with “On their third return,” which means that it should be
placed after the narrator has talked about the first and second attempt. The
second time the Mongols tried to conquer Vietnam is discussed in sentence 3,
so the correct answer is D.

Example 6: Computer Designers

[1] A basic understanding of computer programming is essential. [2] In fact, many
designers initially begin their pursuits as programmers. [3] Consider taking some
general computer science courses as well as courses in artificial intelligence and
graphics in order to increase your understanding of the technical challenges
involved in developing a video game. [4] Courses in psychology and human
behavior may help you develop emphatic collaboration skills, while courses in
humanities, such as literature and film, should give you the background
necessary to develop effective narrative structures. [5] A designer also needs
careful educational preparation. [6] Finally, because a designer should
understand the business aspects of the video game industry, such as budgeting
and marketing, you may want to consider taking some business
courses. [7] Although demanding and deadline driven, video game design can be
a lucrative and rewarding field for people who love gaming and have prepared
themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge.

To make the paragraph most logical, sentence 5 should be:

A. placed where it is now
B. placed before sentence 1
C. placed after sentence 3
D. DELETED from the paragraph.

Solution: In answer choice B, the paragraph would start with “a designer also
needs careful educational preparation”. The rest of the paragraph is about the
education that a designer needs to be successful. That sentence is a good
introduction - The correct answer is B.‍

3. Inserting Sentences
You will also be asked on the SAT to identify where in a passage
a new sentence should be added. The strategy to answer these
questions is similar:

1. Read the sentence to be inserted and paraphrase the topic of that

sentence - there will probably be keywords or a phrase.

2. Plug the sentence into each spot listed in the answer choices and
eliminate whatever does not fit

3. Plug in the sentence into the remaining answer choices to check to see
whether the surrounding sentences contain that word or phrase. The
sentence will almost certainly have to be placed next to a sentence
that includes the topic word or phrase. ‍

Example 7: Organized T-Ball

[1] Our son has started playing organized T-ball, a beginner’s version of
baseball. [2] “Organized” is what parents call it, anyway. [3] Joe is seven, living in
those two or three years when they can manage to throw a baseball a few feet
but when what they’re really interested in are things closer at hand, bugs,
butterflies, dirt (if they’re in the infield), grass (if they’re in the
outfield). [4] Children of that age still think nothing of doing little dances in the
outfield, often with their backs to home plate and, consequently, the batter. [5] It’s
not as if the outfielders’ positions matter much, though - the ball never gets hit
hard enough to reach there.

The writer wishes to add the following sentence in order to emphasize the
uncertainty already expressed about an idea in the paragraph: I still have doubts.

The new sentence would best amplify and be placed after sentence:
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

Example 8: Hardon Collidor

[1] The large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle collider in the world, was
built to test theories of particle physics. [2] In particular, it was used to prove the
existence of the Higgs Boson, a new type of particle that helps explain why
things have mass. [3] The Collider is based at the CERN Laboratory and
contains four types of detectors. [4] Having more than one detector carry out the
same tests gives scientists the ability to cross-check results and identify any
anomalies in the data they generate.

Upon reviewing this essay and realizing that some information has been left out,
the writer composes the following sentence: Two of them, the ATLAS and CMS
detectors, are very similar and can run the same class of experiments.

The most logical and effective place to insert this sentence would be:
A. After sentence 1.
B. After sentence 2.
C. After sentence 3.
D. After sentence 4.

Example 9,10 & 11: Japanese Tea Ceremonies

[1] Tea is found in a myriad of different varieties throughout the world and plays
an important part in a great many cultures. [2] In traditional Japanese culture, tea
ceremonies play a special role in creating a social space in which tea is enjoyed
with others. [3] Matcha is a kind of green tea that has been ground into a fine
powder. [4] Japanese tea ceremonies vary in their details; there are many
different schools that all differ in the details of how one prepares and serves the
tea. [5] During a ceremony, the tea is prepared carefully in a manner according to
tradition. [6] Whereas some people can down a cup of tea in minutes, tea
ceremonies draw out the tea-drinking process. [7] Tea certainly plays a special
role in traditional Japanese culture, as tea ceremonies demonstrate.

9. The sentence “A particular tea is often used in these ceremonies: matcha”

would be best inserted into the paragraph in which of the following locations?
A. Before sentence 2
B. Before sentence 3
C. Before sentence 4
D. Before sentence 7

10. The sentence “No matter which school is followed, many tea ceremonies
involve the consumption of light food along with the tea.” would be best inserted
into the paragraph in which of the following locations?
‍A. Before sentence 4
B. Before sentence 5
C. Before sentence 6
D. Before sentence 7

11. The sentence “Ceremonies can span hours.” would be best inserted into the
paragraph in which of the following locations?
A. Before sentence 2
B. Before sentence 5
C. Before sentence 6
D. Before sentence 7
 Command of Evidence
It is crucial that you analyze the answer choices, not from a perspective of asking
which is grammatically correct (they all will be) or even which sounds the best
(they all might sound equally good) but how they are able to fulfil the desired
outcome as specified in the question.

The following are the types of command of evidence questions

that you may encounter:

1. Evidence
Evidence questions ask you to find the best piece of evidence that supports an
idea or claim in a sentence. You must pick the answer choice that is directly
related to the point of the sentence, and also supports whatever that point is.

Example 1
Oxford University’s Bodleian Library System is considered one of the most
important research libraries in the world; the library’s famous Radcliffe Camera is
located in the city centre.

Which of the following best supports the claim that this library is one of the most
important research libraries in the world?
A. NO CHANGE
B. There are many libraries around the world that have far more scholarly
significance.
C. It houses nearly 12 million books and thousands of ancient texts
D. Thousands of students attend Oxford University.

Solution:
Answer choice C actually gives some reasons for why this library might be so
important! C is the answer.
Example 2
Although it is less well-known than other European cities, Prague has some of
the most unique architecture in the world.

Which would be the most effective next sentence, given that the writer wants to
add an example of the statement made in the above sentence?
A. Many of the buildings in the city are centuries old.
B. Prague was once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.
C. One of its universities, Charles University, is one of the oldest in the world.
D. Even the cluster of buildings in Prague Castle differ greatly in the styles of
their design.

Solution: Answer choices A is about buildings, but not architecture. Answer

choices B and C contain historical information, not architectural. The only choice
that discusses architecture, or the design of buildings and other structures is D,
which is the correct answer.

Example 3
One reason that honey doesn’t spoil involves the chemical make-up of the
substance itself. Honey is extremely acidic, with a pH that falls between 3 and
4.5, depending on its floral source. As a result, invading microorganisms are
unable to grow. In addition, honey contains very little water in its natural state,
preventing bacteria from flourishing.

Which choice gives a second supporting example that is most similar to the
example already in the sentence?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Molasses is a byproduct of cane sugar and has an exceptionally long shelf life.
C. Honey may cause bacterial infections in people with weakened immune
systems.
D. Fructose and glucose are responsible for honey’s sweet taste.
Choice C is off-topic as well, but less directly. The correct answer must focus on
the characteristics of honey itself, whereas C focuses on honey’s effect on
people. So, C is out. The correct answer must explain why honey does not spoil.
Sweetness has nothing to do with that fact. Therefore D is not the answer either.

That leaves us with A, which is the answer. Logically, bacteria would cause
honey to spoil. The absence of water would prevent bacteria from flourishing,
thus keeping honey fresh.

2. Summarize
The next common thing you’ll be asked to do on a command of
evidence question is to choose the answer choice that best sums up some
information presented in the passage.

1. Paragraph Summary - To answer these questions, you have first to

summarize the paragraph in your own words. Once you know what the
paragraph is about, the answer choice that most specifically talks about the main
point of the paragraph is the right answer!

2. Introductory Sentence - When choosing an introductory sentence for a

passage, even if this is the first question of the set, don’t answer without first
reading the entire passage! Discerning between answer options obviously
requires you to know what the passage talks about in each of its sections, so
read the entire passage first before picking the best opening line.

3. Concluding Sentence - Choosing a sentence to end a passage is much like

choosing one to begin it, except instead of taking into account what’s going to be
said, you have to take into account what has been said. Both question types
require understanding of the passage as a whole.

Example 4
The Ashmolean museum is home to works of art from across the centuries. New
exhibits from all time periods are regularly featured in the museum; ancient and
modern art alike are prominently displayed in the museum’s galleries. It is clear
that the Ashmolean is very popular among the local university students.

Which choice provides the best summary of the paragraph?

A. NO CHANGE
B. has been around for a long time.
C. is going to stop opening so many new exhibits soon.
D. values a wide variety of artworks.

Example 5
The earliest recorded use comes from Sumerian clay tablets, which indicate that
honey was used in more than a quarter of all prescriptions. The ancient Greeks
and Egyptians also used honey regularly in ointments for skin and eye diseases.
Locally produced honey can be an effective treatment for seasonal allergies. The
medical device company Derma Sciences sells MediHoney, bandages covered
in honey, to hospitals in over 25 countries. In fact, honey has been shown to
prevent the growth of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli.

Which of the following provides the best introduction to the paragraph?

A. The carbohydrates in honey can easily be converted to energy because the
body quickly digests this natural substance.
B. As a result of this quality, along with a thickness that prevents wounds from
becoming infected, honey has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries.
C. In contrast to other sweeteners such as sugar, honey contains a number of
vitamins and minerals.
D. Some studies have found that honey can also raise blood sugar levels, but
more slowly and by smaller amounts than other sweeteners do.

3. Setting up
The SAT likes to ask us which sentences best “set up” an idea. For the SAT,
something that “sets up” the next part of a passage is something that makes that
next part the clearest and unsurprising. That means we want to pick phrases that
are closely connected to and help explain the information immediately after them.

Example 6
Fortunately, a new group of artists has discovered the murals, and efforts are
underway to clean, restore, and repaint them. Once again, Siqueiros’s “America
Tropical” is leading the way. After a lengthy and complex restoration process, this
powerful work is now a tourist attraction, complete with a visitor centre and a
rooftop viewing platform. Advocates hope that Siqueiros’s mural will once more
serve as an inspiration, this time inspiring viewers to save and restore an
important cultural and artistic legacy.

Which choice most effectively sets up the information that follows?

A. NO CHANGE
B. being cleaned and restored.
C. at risk of destruction.
D. awaiting its moment of appreciation

Example 7
Because philosophy teaches students not what to think but how to think, the age-
old discipline offers consistently useful tools for academic and professional
achievement. [1] A 1994 survey concluded that only 18 percent of American
colleges required at least one philosophy course. Therefore, between 1992 and
1996, more than 400 independent philosophy departments were eliminated from
institutions.

Which choice most effectively if inserted at point [1] will set up the information
that follows?
A. Consequently, philosophy students have been receiving an increasing number
of job offers.
B. Therefore, because of this evidence, colleges increased their offerings in
philosophy.
C. Notwithstanding the attractiveness of this course of study, students have
resisted majoring in philosophy
D. However, despite its many utilitarian benefits, colleges have not always
supported the study of philosophy.

The carbohydrates in honey can be converted to energy because the body easily
digests this natural substance. The earliest recorded use comes from Sumerian
clay tablets, which indicate that honey was used in numerous remedies. The
ancient Greeks and Egyptians also used medicinal honey regularly in ointments
for skin and eye diseases. [3] Raw, locally produced honey can be an effective
treatment for seasonal allergies. The medical device company Derma Sciences
sells MediHoney, bandages covered in honey, to hospitals in over 25 countries.

4. Author’s Goal
These questions ask you to determine if a sentence or phrase
fulfills the author’s stated purpose. The following is the strategy
to answer the Author’s Goal questions:
A. Determine what the Question is asking you.
B. Go through the answer choices to see if the phrase fulfills the
stated purpose. The title of the passage often gives you the best
hint to the purpose of a passage.
C. Eliminate wrong answer choices
D. Consider the conciseness, tone, and formality of answer choices, if necessary.

Example 8
By nightfall a controlled inferno roars in the kiln.

The writer would like to indicate that at this point the fire is extremely intense.
Given that all the choices are true, which one best accomplishes the writer’s
goal?
A. NO CHANGE
B. the fire is stronger than ever
C. there is more heat being produced
D. a kind of intense blaze takes place

Solved Long Passage: Tourism vs. Preservation in the Lascaux Caves

Should historical monuments be completely open for the public to examine, or is
there greater value in [1] protecting them for everyone? While many people are
willing to travel thousands of miles to view ancient works of art and architecture
up close and in person, the more visitors an ancient site has, the more quickly it
[2] crumbles. [3]The history of the Lascaux caves in France attests to this fact.
Discovered by accident in 1940, the caves are covered in breathtaking Paleolithic
artwork portraying a wide variety of animals in motion. Visitors poured into the
site as it [4] got really popular, but such a high rate of tourism has damaged the
art, causing chemical changes as well as [5] the introduction of lichen and black
mold, as well as other deposits. Over interaction with the caves has turned them
from a fascinating tourist destination into a world wonder desperately in need of
help. [6] If you want to experience the beauty of the Lascaux caves, visiting the
replica site Lascaux II can help you have the experience of exploring the caves
without damaging their fragile art.

1. The author wants to emphasize that the historical sites being discussed are
areas of potential academic interest. Which of the following choices best
accomplishes this?
A. NO CHANGE
B. safeguarding them for future studies
C. shielding them from thoughtless damage and vandalism
D. defending them against artistic criticis

2. Which of the following best encompasses both two-dimensional works of art as

well as three-dimensional works of art and architecture?
A. NO CHANGE
‍ . fades
B
C. breaks
D. deteriorates

3. The author wants to introduce the Lascaux caves as an example of a historic

site that has been damaged. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes
this?
A. NO CHANGE
B. You may think this isn’t true, but the Lascaux caves prove it is.
C. Works of art like those found in the Lascaux caves form the most important
type of historic site to protect.
D. The Lascaux caves show just how selfish some people can be.

4. The author wants to maintain a formal tone throughout the passage. Which of
the following options best accomplishes this?
A. NO CHANGE
B. blew up
C. grew in renown
D. became infamous

5. Which of the following best conveys the author’s distaste for the lichen and
black mold?
A. NO CHANGE
B. colonies
C. infestations
D. appearances

6. The author wants to end the passage with a call to action. Which of the
following sentences best accomplishes this?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Who knows what other sites have yet to be discovered and potentially better
preserved?
C. We should learn from what has happened to the Lascaux caves and be
content to appreciate unique historic sites from afar so as not to damage them.
D. Scientists hope to eventually restore Lascaux caves to the condition in which
they were initially discovered, but this will take a great deal of time and effort to
fix a problem that could have been avoided.

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