11/14/22, 2:10 PM Form, Structure, and Sense | Overview (article) | Khan Academy

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Test prep Digital SAT Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
Reading and Writing · Form, Structure, and Sense
Standard English
Conventions Form, Form, Structure, and Sense | Overview
Structure, and Sense
A guide to "form, structure, and sense" questions on the digital SAT. Created by Corey Kollbocker.
Form, Structure, and Sense

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Form, Structure, and
Sense | Overview

Grammar guide: Subject- What are "form, structure, and sense" questions?
verb agreement
On the SAT Reading and Writing Test, some questions will present you with a
Subject-verb agreement — short passage that contains a blank. The question will then ask you to
worked example
complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard
Grammar guide: Pronoun- English.
antecedent agreement

On the SAT, these Standard English conventions are broken down into two
Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement — Worked categories:
example

Form, structure, and sense

Boundaries

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11/14/22, 2:10 PM Form, Structure, and Sense | Overview (article) | Khan Academy

Form, structure, and sense questions focus on the rules surrounding various
parts of speech (nouns, verbs, etc.) and their usage.

Which Standard English conventions will be tested

in form, structure, and sense questions?
Form, structure, and sense questions focus on these Standard English
conventions:

Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Verb forms
Subject-modifier placement
Plural and possessive nouns

To learn more about these conventions, check out their corresponding

grammar guides and lesson videos!

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11/14/22, 2:10 PM Form, Structure, and Sense | Overview (article) | Khan Academy

How to approach form, structure, and sense

questions
Because each question will focus on a specific convention of Standard English,
it's a great first step to identify which grammar rule is being tested.

Here's one way to do that:

Step 1: Investigate the blank

Read the text closely. What's missing that the blank needs to provide? A noun
phrase? A verb phrase? Something else?

Compare the choices. What changes from choice to choice? Are verbs
conjugated differently? Are different pronouns used?

Any patterns we can identify will be useful in the next step.

Step 2: Find the focus

Based on our observations in the previous step, we should be able to identify

which Standard English convention(s) is being tested.

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11/14/22, 2:10 PM Form, Structure, and Sense | Overview (article) | Khan Academy

For example, if the main difference between the choices is verb conjugation,
we should be focused on avoid errors in verb forms and in subject-verb
agreement.

If we can narrow our focus to just the convention(s) being tested, we'll have
less to think about. This can save us both time and brainpower.

Step 3: Eliminate the obvious errors

Now it's time to take a closer look at the choices!

Plug each choice into the blank, and read the passage through. Keeping in
mind the focus grammar rules, eliminate any choice that creates an obvious
error.

Once we eliminate choices that create errors, we'll be left with only one
remaining choice. We can select it with confidence!

Learn more:

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11/14/22, 2:12 PM Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement (article) | Khan Academy

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement

A guide to the Standard English convention of subject-verb agreement. Created by Corey
Kollbocker.

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What is subject-verb agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is a convention of Standard English that requires a
subject and verb to agree in number.

Incorrect:

Apples is different from oranges.

Correct:

Apples are different from oranges.

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11/14/22, 2:12 PM Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement (article) | Khan Academy

"Is" is the singular present tense of the verb "to be". "Are" is the plural present
tense of the verb "to be".

Since "Apples " is a plural subject, it needs to be paired with the plural form of
the verb.

This same logic must be applied to all subject-verb pairings.

Subject-verb agreement may be tested in one of the Form, structure, and

sense questions that you encounter on test day.

How to identify subject-verb agreement questions

When approaching form, structure, and sense questions, it's important to
identify which Standard English conventions are being tested.

You'll know to look for subject-verb agreement errors if different choices

contain singular and plural forms of the same verb.

If you don't see this difference among the choices, then the question doesn't
deal with subject-verb agreement.

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11/14/22, 2:12 PM Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement (article) | Khan Academy

Let's look at a subject-verb agreement question now:

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXAMPLE

When a fire burns red or green or blue, the color of its flames ______ the
chemical composition of the combustible material.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A indicate

B indicates

C have indicated

D are indicating

Check

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[Answer explanation]

Test prep Digital SAT

Reading and Writing What can make subject-verb agreement errors
Standard English
Conventions Form,
difficult to spot?
Structure, and Sense
When a verb follows directly after its subject, agreement is pretty easy to
Form, Structure, and Sense
verify ("apples is" vs "apples are"). However, when sentence structures become
Form, Structure, and
more complex, subject-verb agreement errors can be much harder to spot.
Sense | Overview

Be extra cautious when you notice any of the following:

Grammar guide: Subject-
verb agreement
Extra words between the subject and verb
Subject-verb agreement —
worked example When additional words, especially other nouns, come between a subject and
verb, agreement errors are much easier to miss.
Grammar guide: Pronoun-
antecedent agreement
[Hide example]
Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement — Worked Incorrect:
example

Istanbul, the most populous of all European cities, were founded in the
Grammar guide: Verb
forms first millennium BCE.

V bf W k d
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11/14/22, 2:12 PM Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement (article) | Khan Academy
Verb form — Worked
Correct:

Istanbul, the most populous of all European cities, was founded in the
first millennium BCE.

[Explain]

If you notice extra words or phrases, eliminate them from the sentence, and
try reading the subject straight into the verb.

Inverted sentences
Sometimes a subject will come after the verb. When this is the case,
agreement errors are trickier to identify.

[Hide example]

Incorrect:

Separating the roads were a concrete median.

Correct:

Separating the roads was a concrete median.

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11/14/22, 2:12 PM Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement (article) | Khan Academy

[Explain]

If you notice a subject that comes after its verb, try flipping the sentence and
reading the subject straight in to the verb.

Top tips

Place subject and verb side-by-side

Any time you're not sure if a subject and verb agree, place them next to each
other and see how they sound together. This tip helps cut through complex
sentence structures and tends to make subject-verb agreement errors much
more obvious.

Look out for prepositions

Prepositions like "with", "of", and "from" are often used to start phrases that
describe the subject of a sentence. These phrases can cause confusion, as the
object of the prepositional phrase ends up closer to the verb, and it's often a
noun with a different number.

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11/14/22, 2:12 PM Grammar guide: Subject-verb agreement (article) | Khan Academy

For example: "The sound of the trumpets was deafening."

The prepositional phrase "of the trumpets" may include a plural noun, but it
describes the singular subject "sound", so we need to use the singular verb
"was".

Plurals and the letter 's'

If you're a fluent speaker of English, you'll often be able to pair plural nouns
with plural verbs based purely off of instinct and sound. But if that doesn't
work, you need to be able to identify singular and plural verbs.

With nouns, plurals are usually formed by adding an 's' to the end of the word:

elephant → elephants

With verbs, though, the pattern is exactly the opposite. Typically, we form a
plural verb by removing an 's':

The elephant runs.

The elephants run.

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Your turn
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

A Neapolitan pizza made with San Marzano tomatoes ______ considered more
traditional than one made with any other type of tomatoes.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A are

B have been

C is

D were

Check

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

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The sum of money one donates to registered nonprofit organizations ______ a

deduction that can be made from one's taxable income.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A represent

B represents

C are representing

D have represented

Check

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Called embouchure, the shape of a skilled trumpet player's lips ______ for
playing a wide range of notes with clear tone and without muscle strain.

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Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A allows

B are allowing

C allow

D have allowed

Check

Sort by: Top Voted

Questions Tips & Thanks

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11/14/22, 2:13 PM Grammar guide: Pronoun-antecedent agreement (article) | Khan Academy

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Grammar guide: Pronoun-

antecedent agreement
A guide to the Standard English convention of pronoun-antecedent agreement. Created by Corey
Kollbocker.

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What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Pronoun-antecedent agreement is a convention of Standard English that
requires a pronoun and antecedent to agree in person and number.

Incorrect:

Cranberries are both sour and bitter, so people rarely eat it unsweetened.

Correct:

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Cranberries are both sour and bitter, so people rarely eat them
unsweetened.

In both of these sentences, the bolded pronouns stand in for the noun
"cranberries".

Since "cranberries" is a plural noun, it needs to be paired with the plural

pronoun "they".

This same logic must be applied to all pronouns and their antecedents.

Pronoun-antecedent agreement may be tested in one of the Form, structure,

and sense questions that you encounter on test day.

How to identify pronoun-antecedent agreement

questions
When approaching form, structure, and sense questions, it's important to
identify which Standard English conventions are being tested.

You'll know to look for pronoun-antecedent agreement errors if

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one choice uses a singular pronoun (like "it") while another choice uses a
plural pronoun (like "they")
a pronoun outside the blank refers to a noun contained within the choices

If you don't notice either of these features, then the question doesn't deal
with pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Let's look at a pronoun-antecedent agreement question now:

PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT EXAMPLE

It is hard to live in Antarctica. The cold, dry environment provides the

continent’s soil-dwelling microbes few nutrients, little water, and almost no
sunlight. In a 2017 study of these organisms, microbiologist Belinda Ferrari
reported that ______ able to survive on a diet of atmospheric gases found in
the soil.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A it is

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B this is

C either is

D they are

Check

[Answer explanation]

What can make pronoun-antecedent agreement

errors difficult to spot?
In simple sentences, the connection between a pronoun and its antecedent is
often very clear. However, as sentences become more complex, errors in
pronoun-antecedent agreement can be much more difficult to identify.

Be extra cautious when you notice any of the following:

Distance between pronoun and antecedent

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The further apart a pronoun and its antecedent are in a sentence, the harder
agreement errors are to spot. Extra phrases and clauses interfere with our
ability to work off instinct.

Errors in these cases are less likely to just "sound wrong". So, if you notice a
pronoun way out on its own, track down its antecedent and check for
agreement. [Hide example]

Incorrect:

The record player largely fell out of style in the 1980s and 90s, but there
has since been a revival in their popularity.

Correct:

The record player largely fell out of style in the 1980s and 90s, but there
has since been a revival in its popularity.

In this compound sentence, the pronoun and its antecedent are in different
independent clauses, which makes the error harder to see.

But once we identify the antecedent as the singular noun phrase "the record
player", we know to use the singular pronoun "it".

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Multiple nouns before the pronoun

When multiple nouns appear before a pronoun in a sentence, identifying the

correct antecedent can be tricky. Errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement will
be difficult to identify in these cases, especially if some of the nouns are plural
and others are singular.

When you notice multiple nouns before the pronoun, take the time to identify
the most logical antecedent. [Hide example]

Incorrect:

The cougar, the largest of all North American cats, has lost most of their
range in the eastern United States.

Correct:

The cougar, the largest of all North American cats, has lost most of its
range in the eastern United States.

Explanation: Even though “cats” is a plural noun close to the pronoun, it isn’t
the logical antecedent of the pronoun. The actual antecedent, “cougar”, is a
singular noun and requires the singular "it".

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Pronoun before the antecedent

"Antecedent" literally means what comes before, but sometimes this

relationship gets flipped. And when a pronoun becomes before its antecedent,
we're less likely to notice an agreement error.

If you see a pronoun towards the beginning of the text, track down the noun it
refers to and double check for agreement. [Hide example]

Incorrect:

While it may not be widely associated with long life, ocean clams have
been known to live for over 500 years.

Correct:

While they may not be widely associated with long life, ocean clams have
been known to live for over 500 years.

Since we read the pronoun before we know whether its antecedent is plural
or singular, this error can be hard to identify. But once we notice that our
antecedent is the plural noun "clams", we know to use the plural pronoun
"they".

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Top tips

Find the antecedent

To recognize pronoun agreement errors, we must be able to identify the
antecedent of the pronoun in question—the noun that the pronoun logically
refers to.

Read carefully! Antecedents can be hard to find when multiple singular and
plural nouns are present.

Plug in the antecedent

If you're not sure you've identified the correct noun as the antecedent, try
plugging it in where the pronoun goes. If the sentence still makes sense,
you've found the antecedent!

For example:

The survival of the orangutan is threatened by the destruction of its

habitat.

The only noun that can logically replace "it" in this sentence is "orangutan", so
that's the antecedent:

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The survival of the orangutan is threatened by the destruction of the

orangutan's habitat.

A note about gendered pronouns

The SAT won't ask you to choose between a gendered pronoun ("he" or "she")
and the non-gendered singular pronoun "they" when referring to a single
person.

When checking for pronoun-antecedent agreement, you'll only need to

determine A) if the noun is singular or plural, and B) if the noun is a person or
a thing.

Your turn
PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Before a jury trial begins, lawyers for each side interview potential jurors
closely, ______ questions intended to reveal any biases.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

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Choose 1 answer:

A asking him or her

B asking them

C asking it

D to ask him or her

Check

PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Thanks to ______ long legs, giraffes are very fast, running as quickly as 35
miles per hour in short bursts.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A its

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B one's

C their

D his or her

Test prep Digital SAT

Reading and Writing
Check
Standard English
Conventions Form,
Structure, and Sense
Form, Structure, and Sense

Sort by: Top Voted

Form, Structure, and
Sense | Overview

Questions Tips & Thanks

Grammar guide: Subject-
verb agreement

Subject-verb agreement —
worked example Want to join the conversation?

To get started, your account must be at least 3 days old, have a verified email address, and
Grammar guide: Pronoun-
antecedent agreement have at least 5,000 energy points.

Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement — Worked
example

Grammar guide: Verb No posts yet.

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Grammar guide: Verb forms

A guide to the Standard English conventions for verbs in various forms. Created by Corey
Kollbocker.

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What are verb forms?

Verbs can take many different forms. They can have different tenses and
aspects. They can also be finite or non-finite. There are modal verbs, auxiliary
verbs, and a dozen other possible categories.

The grammar science behind these different verb forms is complex. Luckily,
you don't need to actually do any of this tricky classification to succeed on
the SAT.

You've already been exposed to all these different verb forms in your everyday
studies, and you likely use them all the time without thinking about it. If you
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rely on your instincts and familiarity with Standard English, choosing the
correct verb form should come pretty naturally.

Incorrect:

Yesterday, I am running to the lake.

Correct:

Yesterday, I ran to the lake.

The verb phrase "am running" is in the present tense and the progressive
aspect. However, the sentence tells us the action happened "yesterday", so we
should use the past tense and the simple aspect: "ran".

[Hide explanation]

Past Present Future

Simple I ran I run I will run

Perfect I had run I have run I will have run

Progressive I was running I am running I will be running

Perfect- I had been I have been I will have been

progressive running running running

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

Verb forms may be tested in one of the Form, structure, and sense questions
that you encounter on test day.

How to identify verb form questions

When approaching form, structure, and sense questions, it's important to
identify which Standard English conventions are being tested.

You'll know to look for verb form errors if

different choices use different verb tenses (past/present/future)

some choices add or remove helping verbs

If you don't see one or both of these differences among the choices, then the
question doesn't deal with verb forms.

Let's look at a verb forms question now:

While many spiders use webs to catch their food, others capture prey using
hunting or burrowing techniques. Spiders from the family Ctenizidae, often

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

called trapdoor spiders, ______ their burrows with doors, using their silk for
hinges.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A cover

B are covering

C will have covered

D had covered

Check

[Answer explanation]

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

What can make verb form errors difficult to spot?

Complex sentence structures

Verb form errors in simple sentences tend to be pretty obvious. But as
sentences become more complex, it becomes easier to miss those little
context clues that tell us when and how the verb is taking place.

[Hide example]

Incorrect:

Author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, whose active period

spanned from 1925 to 1950, famously writes many different types of
literary works, including novels, plays, and essays.

Correct:

Author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, whose active period

spanned from 1925 to 1950, famously wrote many different types of
literary works, including novels, plays, and essays.

[Explain]

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

Missing helping verbs

Only simple verbs can function without help.

[Hide example]

Incorrect:

Phosphorous, an impurity which can cause steel to be too brittle,

commonly found in raw iron ore.

Correct:

Phosphorous, an impurity which can cause steel to be too brittle, is

commonly found in raw iron ore.

[Explain]

When a helping verb is missing from any other type of verb phrase, that verb
phrase can no longer function as the main verb of the sentence. This often
creates a sentence fragment error.

When we're reading quickly, our brains have a tendency to fill in these missing
verbs, which can cause us to overlook the error. Take your time as you read

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

and make sure that each verb phrase has everything it needs to function.

Top tips

Conjugate in context
To determine if an action happens in the past, present, or future, we'll need to
rely upon context clues in the sentence. The same goes for whether an action
is completed or ongoing. Common context clues include dates, times, and
other conjugated verbs.

Match other verbs

If you're not sure how to conjugate a verb, match the tense of other verbs in
the same sentence or paragraph. Verb tense usually stays consistent unless
some shift in time occurs within the passage.

Simple present tense for general facts

General statements of fact use simple present tense (e.g., "the sky is blue"). So,
if there are no context clues that suggest a shift in tense or aspect, simple
present tense is likely the best way to go.

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

Your turn
VERB FORMS

Botanists recognize over fifty different species of sunflower, and variance

exists even in those species. One species, the silverleaf sunflower, ______ both
an early-flowering ecotype that tends to grow in coastal areas and a late-
flowering ecotype that grows inland.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A encompassing

B to encompass

C encompasses

D having encompassed

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

Check

VERB FORMS

Antarctic pearlwort, a low-growing shrub with characteristic yellow flowers, is

one of only two native flowering plants which ______ in Antarctica.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A were occurring

B occur

C are occurring

D will have occurred

Check

VERB FORMS

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11/14/22, 2:15 PM Grammar guide: Verb forms (article) | Khan Academy

Before the museum closed permanently, it faced financial challenges that

______ a large deficit and declining ticket sale revenues.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A include

B will include

C would include

D included

Check

Are you struggling with the concepts in this article?

Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing
Standard English You can learn more about verbs and their many forms here!
C ti F
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11/14/22, 2:17 PM Grammar guide: Subject-modifier placement (article) | Khan Academy

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Grammar guide: Subject-

modifier placement
A guide to the Standard English convention of subject-modifier placement. Created by Corey
Kollbocker.

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What is subject-modifier placement?

Subject-modifier placement refers to a convention of Standard English that
requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another.

Incorrect:

Consumed in the form of sugars and starches, the human body uses
carbohydrates as its primary source of energy. [Explain]

Correct:
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11/14/22, 2:17 PM Grammar guide: Subject-modifier placement (article) | Khan Academy

Consumed in the form of sugars and starches, carbohydrates serve as the

primary source of energy for the human body. [Explain]

Subject-modifier placement may be tested in one of the Form, structure, and

sense questions that you encounter on test day.

How to identify subject-modifier placement

questions
When approaching form, structure, and sense questions, it's important to
identify which Standard English conventions are being tested.

You may want to look for subject-modifier placement errors if

the blank is longer than a few words

the choices rearrange words or phrases into different orders

If you don't see one or both of these features, then the question likely doesn't
deal with subject-modifier placement.

Let's look at a subject-modifier placement question now:

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SUBJECT-MODIFIER PLACEMENT EXAMPLE

Rabinal Achí is a precolonial Maya dance drama performed annually in Rabinal,

a town in the Guatemalan highlands. Based on events that occurred when
Rabinal was a city-state ruled by a king, ______ had once been an ally of the
king but was later captured while leading an invading force against him.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A Rabinal Achí tells the story of K’iche’ Achí, a military leader who

B K’iche’ Achí, the military leader in the story of Rabinal Achí,

C there was a military leader, K’iche’ Achí, who in Rabinal Achí

D the military leader whose story is told in Rabinal Achí, K’iche’ Achí,

Check

[Answer explanation]

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11/14/22, 2:17 PM Grammar guide: Subject-modifier placement (article) | Khan Academy

Top tips

Double-check introductory modifiers

When modifying phrases come at the beginning of a sentence, our brains will
often do the work of connecting the modifier to whichever noun it logically
describes. But these modifying phrases don't apply to the whole sentence:
they still need to be placed right next to their subjects.

Any time you see a blank come after an introductory modifying phrase, double
check the noun that follows to be sure it makes sense alongside the modifier.

[Hide explanation]

Notice where the blank shows up in our example question:

Based on events that occurred when Rabinal was a city-state ruled by

a king, ______

The whole paragraph is focused on the dance drama Rabinal Achí, so it's easy
to connect that subject to this introductory modifier. However, we still need
to make sure that the noun phrase following the modifier makes sense in the
context of that particular sentence.

Only choice A correctly places Rabinal Achí in that spot.

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Beware possessive nouns

When a noun phrase starts with a possessive noun, it can make modifier
placement extra confusing. Remember that possessive nouns really function as
adjectives: the noun that follows the possessive is the actual focus of the noun
phrase. That's the noun the modifier needs to describe.

[Hide explanation]

Incorrect:

Exhausted from running home in the rain, Erin's jacket was soaking wet.

Correct:

Exhausted from running home in the rain, Erin pulled off her soaking wet
jacket.

In the first version of this sentence, the modifier illogically applies to the noun
"jacket". It doesn't make sense to say that "Erin's jacket was exhausted". It's
Erin that's exhausted.

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11/14/22, 2:17 PM Grammar guide: Subject-modifier placement (article) | Khan Academy

We can fix this error in modifier placement by adjusting the second half of the
sentence so that "Erin" is the noun that the modifier logically describes.

Your turn
SUBJECT-MODIFIER PLACEMENT

Having returned from the ocean to the stream where it was born, an adult
salmon's life cycle ends when it spawns and dies, after which its offspring
start the cycle anew.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A an adult salmon's life cycle ends when it spawns and dies,

B an adult salmon spawns and dies, completing its life cycle,

C the spawning and death of an adult salmon complete its life cycle,
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D the life cycle of an adult salmon is complete when it spawns and die,

Check

SUBJECT-MODIFIER PLACEMENT

While popular depiction might characterize surfing as a summer sport, the

reality is that winter conditions are considered better for surfing. Generated
by seasonal storms far off the coast, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

surfers highly prize the large, predictable sets of waves that are
A
created by winter swells.

winter swells reach the shore as large, predictable sets of waves that
B
are highly prized by surfers.

the shore causes large winter swells to break in predictable sets of

C
waves highly prized by surfers.

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winter is highly prized by surfers for large swells that break in large,
D
Test prep Digital SAT predictable sets of waves.
Reading and Writing
Standard English
Conventions Form,
Structure, and Sense Check
Form, Structure, and Sense

Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement — Worked
example
Sort by: Top Voted

Grammar guide: Verb

forms
Questions Tips & Thanks

Verb form — Worked

example

Want to join the conversation?

Grammar guide: Subject-
modifier placement
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have at least 5,000 energy points.
Subject-modifier
placement — worked
example

Grammar guide: Plurals

and possessives
No posts yet.

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Grammar guide: Plurals and possessives

A guide to the Standard English conventions surrounding plural and possessive nouns and
pronouns. Created by Corey Kollbocker.

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What are plurals and possessives?

Plurals are nouns and pronouns that refer to more than one thing.

Possessives are nouns and pronouns that show possession.

There are similarities and differences in how plurals and possessives are
formed that can cause confusion. In particular, confusion can arise over when
to use or not use apostrophes.

Incorrect:

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One cannot overstate the importance of bee's to the pollination of

Michigans blueberry crop. [Explain]

Correct:

One cannot overstate the importance of bees to the pollination of

Michigan's blueberry crop. [Explain]

The formation of plurals and possessives may be tested in one of the Form,
structure, and sense questions that you encounter on test day.

How to form plurals and possessives

To succeed on questions about plural and possessive nouns, you'll need to
know the rules for using apostrophes in the following cases:

Plural nouns [Hide explanation]

Plural nouns do not require an apostrophe.

Example: The plants in the greenhouse are thriving.

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11/14/22, 2:19 PM Grammar guide: Plurals and possessives (article) | Khan Academy

Singular possessive nouns [Hide explanation]

Singular possessive nouns require an apostrophe followed by an "s".

Example: The company's most popular products include shampoo and

moisturizer.

Note: This rule applies even if the singular noun already ends in "s" (e.g.,
the rhinoceros's horn).

Plural possessive nouns [Hide explanation]

Plural possessive nouns that end in "s" require an apostrophe after the "s".

Example: On many superhero teams, the heroes' costumes are each a

different color.

Note: If a plural noun doesn't end in "s", then an "s" should be added after
the apostrophe (e.g., the men's swim team).

Pronouns [Hide explanation]

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never use apostrophes. His and hers don't use apostrophes. Yours, ours,
and theirs are in the same category.

Example: His favorite food is the same as hers.

How to identify questions about plurals and

possessives
When we approach form, structure, and sense questions, it's important to
identify which Standard English conventions are being tested.

Make sure to look for errors with genitives and plurals if

the choices add or remove apostrophes

the choices change the placement of apostrophes

If you don't see one or both of these features, then the question likely doesn't
deal with plurals and possessives.

Let's look at a plurals and possessives question now:

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PLURALS AND POSSESSIVES EXAMPLE

Slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel The Poet X, winner of the 2018
National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, is composed of ______
protagonist, fifteen-year-old Xiomara Batista.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A poem’s putatively written by the novel’s

B poem’s putatively written by the novels’

C poems putatively written by the novels’

D poems putatively written by the novel’s

Check

[Answer explanation]

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Top tips

Check all the nouns

SAT questions that ask us about plural and possessive nouns may include two
nouns in the underline. The choices will include variations where one, both, or
neither of the two are made plural or possessive.

Be sure that the answer you choose uses (or doesn't use) apostrophes
correctly in both nouns.

[Show me]

Beware "its" and "their"

"Its" and "their" follow the same rule as other possessive pronouns: they don't
require an apostrophe. However, these pronouns are frequently confused
with the contractions "it's" and "they're".

Any time you see a form of "it's/its" or "there/their/they're" appear in the

choices, double check that you're using the appropriate form.

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[Hide explanation]

Use the following tables to keep things straight!

its:

its belongs to it
it's "it is"

their:

their belongs to them

they're "they are"

there that place

Note: You may be offered variations of both "they" and "it" in the same
question, so you'll also need to pay attention to pronoun agreement.

Is the noun being referred to singular? Use a version of "it".

Is the noun being referred to plural? Use a version of "they".

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Your turn
PLURALS AND POSSESSIVES

Labor unions are formed in order to protect ______ through collective

bargaining, which gives employees greater leverage while ensuring they are
Test prep Digital SAT treated equally by management.
Reading and Writing
Standard English
Conventions Form, Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of
Structure, and Sense Standard English?
Form, Structure, and Sense

Choose 1 answer:
Verb form — Worked
example
A workers' rights
Grammar guide: Subject-
modifier placement
B worker's rights
Subject-modifier
placement — worked
example C workers rights'

Grammar guide: Plurals

and possessives D workers' rights'

Plurals and possessives —

worked example
Check

Practice: Form, structure,

and sense PLURALS AND POSSESSIVES

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Next lesson The striated ______ walls are the result of erosion and frost weathering having
exposed layers of multicolored sedimentary rock.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of

Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A patterns' of a canyons

B patterns of a canyons'

C pattern's of a canyon's

D patterns of a canyon's

Check

Sort by: Top Voted

Questions Tips & Thanks

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Test prep Digital SAT Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
Reading and Writing · Form, Structure, and Sense
Standard English
Conventions Form,
Form, structure, and sense
Structure, and Sense
Google Classroom Facebook Twitter Email
Form, Structure, and Sense

Verb form — Worked In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing
example the coefficient of friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A
nearly frictionless (and, as its name suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______

Grammar guide: Subject- Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
modifier placement
Choose 1 answer:
Subject-modifier
placement — worked
example A reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

Grammar guide: Plurals

and possessives B superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.

Plurals and possessives —

worked example C when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.

Practice: Form, structure,

D two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.
and sense

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Form, structure, and sense

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Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing
Standard English When they were first discovered in Australia in 1798, duck-billed, beaver-tailed platypuses so defied
categorization that one scientist assigned them the name Ornithorhynchus paradoxus: “paradoxical
Conventions Form,
bird-snout.” The animal, which lays eggs but also nurses ______ young with milk, has since been
Structure, and Sense classified as belonging to the monotremes group.
Form, Structure, and Sense
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Verb form — Worked
example Choose 1 answer:

Grammar guide: Subject- A it’s

modifier placement

Subject-modifier B their
placement — worked
example

C they’re
Grammar guide: Plurals
and possessives
D its
Plurals and possessives —
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· Form, Structure, and Sense
Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing Form, structure, and sense
Standard English
Conventions Form, Google Classroom Facebook Twitter Email
Structure, and Sense
Form, Structure, and Sense After winning the 1860 presidential election, Abraham Lincoln appointed Edward Bates, Salmon P.
Chase, and William H. Seward to his cabinet. Lincoln’s decision was surprising, since each of these
Verb form — Worked men had run against him, but historians have praised it, noting that Lincoln ______ his rivals’ diverse
example talents to strengthen his administration.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Grammar guide: Subject-
modifier placement
Choose 1 answer:

Subject-modifier
placement — worked A will leverage
example

Grammar guide: Plurals B is leveraging

and possessives

Plurals and possessives — C has leveraged

worked example

D leveraged
Practice: Form, structure,
and sense
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· Form, Structure, and Sense

Form, structure, and sense

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Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing
Standard English In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical ______ the
contributions of the barrier-breaking 18th-century astronomer and author of “Dispute of the
Conventions Form,
Procession of the Equinoxes,” naming a crater on Venus after her.
Structure, and Sense
Form, Structure, and Sense Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Verb form — Worked Choose 1 answer:

example

A Union, finally acknowledging

Grammar guide: Subject-
modifier placement

B Union, having finally acknowledged

Subject-modifier
placement — worked
example
C Union would finally acknowledge

Grammar guide: Plurals

and possessives
D Union to finally acknowledge

Plurals and possessives —

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· Form, Structure, and Sense

Form, structure, and sense

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Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing
Standard English Photographer Ansel Adams’s landscape portraits are iconic pieces of American art. However, many of
the ______ of landscapes were intended not as art but as marketing; a concessions company at
Conventions Form,
Yosemite National Park had hired Adams to take pictures of the park for restaurant menus and
Structure, and Sense brochures.
Form, Structure, and Sense
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Verb form — Worked
example Choose 1 answer:

Grammar guide: Subject- A photographers early photo’s

modifier placement

Subject-modifier B photographers early photos

placement — worked
example

C photographer’s early photos

Grammar guide: Plurals
and possessives
D photographer’s early photo’s
Plurals and possessives —
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Form, structure, and sense

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Reading and Writing
Standard English Classical composer Florence Price’s 1927 move to Chicago marked a turning point in her career. It was
there that Price premiered her First Symphony—a piece that was praised for blending traditional
Conventions Form,
Romantic motifs with aspects of Black folk music—and ______ supportive relationships with other
Structure, and Sense Black artists.
Form, Structure, and Sense
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Verb form — Worked
example Choose 1 answer:

Grammar guide: Subject- A developing

modifier placement

Subject-modifier B developed
placement — worked
example

C having developed
Grammar guide: Plurals
and possessives
D to develop
Plurals and possessives —
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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
· Form, Structure, and Sense

Form, structure, and sense

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Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing
Standard English In 1990, California native and researcher Ellen Ochoa left her position as chief of the Intelligent
Systems Technology Branch at a NASA research center ______ the space agency’s astronaut training
Conventions Form,
program.
Structure, and Sense
Form, Structure, and Sense Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Verb form — Worked Choose 1 answer:

example

A to join
Grammar guide: Subject-
modifier placement

B is joining
Subject-modifier
placement — worked
example
C joined

Grammar guide: Plurals

and possessives
D joins

Plurals and possessives —

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Test prep · Digital SAT Reading and Writing · Standard English Conventions
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Form, structure, and sense

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Test prep Digital SAT
Reading and Writing
Standard English Official measurements of the Mississippi River’s length vary: according to the US Geologic Survey, the
river is 2,300 miles long, whereas the Environmental Protection Agency records its length as 2,320
Conventions Form,
miles. This disparity can be explained in part by the fact that rivers such as the Mississippi expand and
Structure, and Sense contract as ______ sediment.
Form, Structure, and Sense
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Verb form — Worked
example Choose 1 answer:

Grammar guide: Subject- A one accumulates

modifier placement

Subject-modifier B they accumulate

placement — worked
example

C it accumulates
Grammar guide: Plurals
and possessives
D we accumulate
Plurals and possessives —
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12/6/22, 8:07 PM Form, structure, and sense (practice) | Khan Academy

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In 1881, French chemist Camille Faure redesigned the rechargeable lead-acid battery. Faure’s design
greatly increased the amount of electricity that the original battery, which the French physicist Gaston
Planté ______ fifteen years earlier, could hold.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A is inventing

B will invent

C had invented

D invents

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Wanda Diaz-Merced, an astrophysicist who is blind, has developed software that can translate
astrophysical data into sound. Such tools ______ astrophysicists to detect subtle patterns in data—
patterns that may not be evident in graphs and other visual formats.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A has enabled

B enable

C is enabling

D enables

Start over 4 of 4 Check

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12/6/22, 8:11 PM Form, structure, and sense (practice) | Khan Academy

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The African Games Co-production Market, one of over 180 annual international conferences
supporting video game development, ______ the growth of the African gaming industry by helping
start-up studios in Africa find partners.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A promotes

B promote

C are promoting

D have promoted

Start over 3 of 4 Check

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12/6/22, 8:09 PM Form, structure, and sense (practice) | Khan Academy

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Form, structure, and sense

Ten of William Shakespeare’s plays are classified as histories. Although each one of these plays, which
include Henry V and Richard III, ______ on a single historical figure (specifically, an English king), some,
such as Henry VI Part One and Henry VI Part Two, feature different episodes from the same monarch’s
life.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Choose 1 answer:

A focuses

B focus

C are focused

Start over 2 of 4 Check

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