Master Digital SAT Grammar: Your Complete Rule Guide

Although the English language is intricate, the digital SAT tests a specific set of grammar rules, and it does so consistently.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve compiled a list of essential SAT grammar rules to help you excel in the digital SAT Reading and Writing section.

Unlike other guides, ours focuses on providing numerous examples to help you understand how these grammar rules appear on the digital SAT. Mastering the SAT format is crucial to doing well on the test!

Combining Simple Sentences

At times, to write more concisely, you need to combine simple or related sentences into one. You don’t need to worry about keeping the word order exactly the same, as this revision often requires some changes. To combine sentences correctly, ask yourself the following questions:

- Is there a common person, place, thing, or concept between the two sentences? If yes, you can turn one of the sentences into a dependent clause of the other by repeating the noun (see Example 1).

- Is there a chronological order between the two sentences? If yes, you can combine them by turning one into a dependent clause with prepositions like “before,” “after,” or “following” (see Example 2).

- Does one sentence define the other? If so, combine them by inserting the defined item into the defining sentence (see Example 3).

Examples: The nouns, chronology, or definitions used to combine the sentences are underlined.

Conjunctions and Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs are words that explain how two clauses in a sentence, or how two or more sentences relate to each other.

The SAT tests your ability to use these to clarify cause-and-effect relationships or logic.

Explanation

Some conjunctions indicate cause and effect, showing that one event happened as a result of another. Here are some examples and their meanings:

- Because: the second event is a consequence of the first.

- Therefore and hence: indicate that what follows is a direct result of what came before.

- For example and for instance: provide supporting evidence for the previous statement.

- Whereby: indicates the means or method by which something happens.

- Consequently: shows that something happens directly after what was previously stated.

Examples: Incorrect conjunctions are in bold, while the correct ones are underlined.

Contradiction or Digression

Other conjunctions are used to show contrast or a shift in the argument. These can show that something occurred despite expectations or indicate a change in the direction of the argument.

- However: introduces a statement that contradicts what was previously stated.

- On the one hand, on the other hand: presents two opposing ideas.

- But: used to introduce information that contradicts the previous statement.

- Nevertheless: shows contrast or opposition to the preceding statement.

- Aside from: introduces an exception to what has been discussed.

- While and whereas: show a contrast between two ideas or facts.

Examples: Incorrect conjunctions are in bold, while the correct ones are underlined.

Similarity and Emphasis

Some conjunctions and adverbs connect ideas that are similar or emphasize the argument being made.

- Moreover: adds additional, often more significant, information.

- Just as: compares two things that are similar.

- Likewise: means "in the same way" or "similarly."

- Not only, but also: emphasizes two ideas that support each other (these always go together).

Examples: Incorrect conjunctions are in bold, while the correct ones are underlined.

Punctuation

While there are many punctuation rules in English, the SAT focuses on a few key types. Here are some of the major rules:

Punctuating Modifiers

Modifiers are phrases that describe parts of a sentence. They are punctuated differently based on whether they are essential or nonessential to the meaning of the sentence.

- If the sentence needs the modifier to make sense, it is considered restrictive and should not be surrounded by commas.

- If the modifier can be removed without changing the sentence’s meaning, it is nonrestrictive and should be surrounded by commas.

Examples: Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Using Dashes

Dashes function similarly to parentheses, separating explanatory phrases or asides that are not crucial to the main sentence. These phrases are often set off with commas, making dashes a good option for such asides.

Examples: Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Punctuating “Such As”

The phrase “such as” introduces examples to support a point. The correct punctuation rule is to place a comma before “such as,” but not before the first example in the list.

Examples: Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Formatting Lists

A list is a series of items that share a similar function in a sentence and are typically separated by commas. Here are the basic rules:

- Items in a list should be separated by commas, with a comma before the “and” or “or” before the last item: dogs, cats, gerbils, and fish.

- If any item in the list contains commas, use semicolons to separate the items instead: shaggy, purebred dogs; white cats; soft, cuddly gerbils; and fish.

Examples: Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Using Colons

Colons are used in two ways:

- To introduce a list, with the sentence ending after the list.

- To introduce an explanation, definition, or example of what was just said.

Examples: Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Using Semicolons

Semicolons serve two main functions:

- To separate items in a list when those items themselves contain commas.

- To join two independent clauses without using a conjunction.

Examples: Incorrect and correct punctuation are underlined.

Sentences

Sentences consist of clauses, which are groups of words. There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent.

- An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, containing both a subject and a verb.

- A dependent clause cannot stand alone and must be attached to an independent clause.

The SAT tests three common clause-related issues: fixing sentence fragments, addressing run-on sentences, and using a dependent clause as the subject of a sentence.

Sentence Fragments

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. You can fix it by either attaching it to an independent clause or by adding the missing subject or verb.

Examples: In these sentences, subjects are underlined and verbs are bold.

Run-on Sentences

A run-on sentence consists of two independent clauses joined with either just a comma or no punctuation at all. To fix it, you can:

- Add a conjunction (like because or which) to connect the clauses if one clause explains or defines the other.

- If neither clause defines or explains the other, use a comma + conjunction or a semicolon to combine them.

- Alternatively, separate the clauses into two sentences.

Examples: The separation between independent clauses is marked with "|", while the correction is underlined.

Dependent Clauses as Sentence Subjects

Sometimes, a sentence uses a dependent clause as the subject. In this case, treat the clause as a singular noun.

For example, in the sentence “Whoever came up with the idea to put solar panels on rooftops is brilliant,” the subject is the entire dependent clause, which is treated as singular.

Examples: The dependent clause serving as the subject is underlined, and the verb is in bold.

Faulty Modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase used to add description. The digital SAT tests two types of modifier errors: dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers.

Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier is a descriptive phrase that starts the sentence, followed by a comma, but is not immediately next to the noun it modifies.

For example, in "Coating the sidewalk, we walked to school," the phrase "coating the sidewalk" is supposed to describe the snow. But, since "we" immediately follows the comma, the sentence incorrectly suggests that "we" are the ones coating the sidewalk.

Examples: The underlined modifiers are incorrectly placed, while the bold nouns are the ones they are meant to describe.

Misplaced Modifiers

A misplaced modifier is a descriptive phrase that’s too far away from the noun it’s supposed to describe, which leads to confusion or changes in meaning.

For example, “The jacket too small was on the sale rack” places the modifier “on the sale rack” too far from the noun it describes. This incorrectly suggests that the way the jacket was hanging was too small, rather than the jacket itself. Moving the modifier closer to the noun fixes this.

Examples: The incorrect placement of modifiers is underlined, and the correctly positioned ones are shown in bold.

Parallel Construction

Parallel construction involves keeping all the items in a list or series grammatically consistent. For example, if two items in a list are verbs ending in -ing, the third should also end in -ing. Similarly, if one item is a prepositional phrase, the others must be as well.

Examples: In the examples, bolded items form a grammatically parallel list, while the underlined items need to be revised to follow the same format.

Plurals and Possessives

The SAT tests your ability to form plural and possessive nouns correctly.

Plural Nouns: To make a singular noun plural, add s to the end.

Example: One student → Three students

Singular Possessive Nouns: To show ownership of a singular noun, add apostrophe + s. Example: The pencil belonging to one student → The student’s pencil

Plural Possessive Nouns: To show ownership of a plural noun, add only an apostrophe after the plural form.

Example: The classroom belonging to three students → The students’ classroom

Pronouns

A pronoun is a part of speech that takes the place of a noun. For example, the pronoun she can stand for a noun like the woman or Queen Elizabeth. Unlike nouns, pronouns change their form based on how they are used in a sentence. The SAT tests pronouns in several ways.

Subject vs. Object Pronouns

Pronouns and nouns can either be subjects or objects in a sentence. Subjects perform the action (they "do" the verb), while objects receive the action (the verb is done to them).

For example, in the sentence “A dog chases its tail”, the dog is the subject noun, chases is the verb (the action), and tail is the object noun.

Unlike regular nouns like "dog" or "tail," pronouns change form depending on whether they are functioning as subjects or objects. For instance:

“She likes him” – she is the subject (doing the action), and him is the object (receiving the action).

“He likes her” – he is the subject, and her is the object.

If you're ever unsure whether to use a subject or object pronoun in a compound noun (e.g., "John and me"), a helpful trick is to remove the other noun and check the sentence with just the pronoun. For example:

“Me ate dinner” is clearly wrong.

“Sold cookies to I” is also incorrect.

Who vs. Whom

Who is a relative pronoun used when the pronoun is the subject of the clause, meaning it is doing the action. Whom, on the other hand, is used when the pronoun is the object of the action.

The tricky part about who is that determining whether to use its subject or object form depends on the pronoun’s role in the clause, not on its antecedent (the noun it refers to).

In “People who understand the tax code”, who is the subject of the verb understand, even though people is the object of the verb benefits.

In “Skydivers, whom many people greatly admire”, whom is the object of the verb admire, even though skydivers is the subject of the sentence.

One trick is to replace who or whom with I or me.

“Me understand the tax code” doesn’t work, so who is correct.

“Many people greatly admire I” doesn’t work, so whom is correct.

Examples: Subjects are bold, verbs are in italics, and objects are underlined.

Pronouns and Antecedents

A pronoun should clearly refer back to a noun (the antecedent). If it’s unclear which noun the pronoun refers to, or if a pronoun has no antecedent at all, the sentence needs to be rewritten.

For example:

“This could refer either to the Industrial Revolution, the resistance group, mechanization, or the labor force” – to make it clearer, we replace this with a specific noun.

In another example, if there’s no clear antecedent for them, the sentence must be revised to clarify the reference.

Examples: The unclear pronouns are bold, while corrected pronouns and antecedents are underlined.

Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in terms of person, number, and gender.

Person: If you are referring to I or we (1st person), you (2nd person), or he, she, it, or they (3rd person), the pronoun should stay consistent.

Number: Singular nouns take singular pronouns, and plural nouns take plural pronouns.

For example:

“The teacher gave their students an assignment” is incorrect, because teacher is singular, so it should be “The teacher gave his or her students an assignment” (if you’re referring to one teacher).

That vs. Who

The basic rule here is simple:

Use who for people.

Use that for everything else (e.g., animals, objects, or ideas).

Examples: Mismatched relative pronouns are bold, while matching pronouns and antecedents are underlined.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people, places, or things that are unspecified or unknown. Many indefinite pronouns may seem to refer to multiple things or people but are actually singular. As a result, they take singular verbs and pronouns.

For example:

“Everyone is” (not “everyone are”)

“No one wants to be a dropout” (not “no one wants to be dropouts”)

Examples: Subject pronouns are in bold, verbs in italics, and objects are underlined. Mismatched pronouns and antecedents are in bold, and matching pronouns and antecedents are underlined.

Its/It’s, Their/They’re/There, Your/You’re, Whose/Who’s

It’s easy to confuse these similar-sounding words, but the key to using them correctly is remembering their specific meanings and uses. Here’s a quick guide:

It’s, you’re, they’re, and who’s are contractions for it is, you are, they are, and who is. If you can replace the word with “it is,” “you are,” “they are,” or “who is,” use the contraction (e.g., It’s raining or They’re going to the store).

Its, your, their, and whose are possessive forms, meaning they show ownership (e.g., Its tail was wagging, Your book is on the table, Their house is big, Whose jacket is this?).

There refers to a location (e.g., The book is over there). It can also be used as an expletive subject (e.g., There is a problem).

Examples: Incorrect forms of these words are underlined, while the correct ones are bold.

Verbs

The SAT often tests two types of verb-related issues: verb tense and subject-verb agreement.

Verb Tense

Verb tense helps indicate the time of action in a sentence. There are nine basic verb tenses, divided into three time periods: present, past, and future. Each time period has three different tenses.

For example, the verb to sing can be shown in different tenses:

Present: sing / sings

Past: sang

Future: will sing

The main rule with verb tenses is consistency. Keep the same tense throughout a sentence unless there’s a change in the time period. For instance:

“I eat lunch every day, but yesterday I ate pizza” (The first part is in the present tense, and the second part shifts to past tense due to the time reference).

When you’re describing things happening at the same time, the verb tense should remain the same (e.g., “She sings and dances”). But if a sentence shifts to describe a different time period, adjust the tense accordingly (e.g., “She will sing and danced at the concert”).

Subject-Verb Agreement

Nouns and verbs need to agree in number (singular or plural). This means:

Singular nouns use singular verbs: The dog runs.

Plural nouns use plural verbs: The dogs run.

A collective noun (e.g., family, team, crowd) represents a group of people or things but is treated as a singular noun. So, you would say “The team wins”, not “The team win”.

Illogical Comparisons

There are two common types of illogical comparisons that the SAT may test.

Comparing Things in Different Categories

When using the word than in a comparison, the things being compared must belong to the same category. For example:

Correct: “I like apples more than oranges” (both are fruits).

Incorrect: “I like Stanley more than Cora” (Stanley and Cora are people, not objects). To correct this, you would have to make sure the comparison makes sense, like this:

“I like apples more than I like oranges” or

“I like Stanley more than I like Cora”.

Comparing One Item to All Others of That Type

Another type of illogical comparison occurs when you compare one thing to all other things in that category. You can only compare one thing to other similar things, not all things in the category. For example:

Correct: “This car is faster than all other cars.”

Incorrect: “This car is faster than any car.” (This would imply that there’s no faster car, which doesn’t logically work).

Examples: In the examples below: Mismatched verbs are bold. Correct forms are underlined.

Key Digital SAT Grammar Rules You Need to Know

Here’s a quick recap of all the grammar rules covered in this guide:

Combining Simple Sentences: The SAT values conciseness. You can combine two sentences into one by using a repeated noun, prepositions like "before," "after," or "following," or by integrating the defined item into the sentence that defines it.

Conjunctions and Conjunctive Adverbs: These words show how two clauses or sentences are connected.

Explanation: Use conjunctions like because, consequently, and for example to show cause-and-effect relationships.

Contradiction or Digression: Words like however, but, and nevertheless indicate opposing or contrasting ideas.

Similarity and Emphasis: Words such as moreover and likewise connect similar ideas or add emphasis to an argument.

Punctuation:

Punctuating Modifiers: If a modifier is essential to the sentence's meaning, don’t use commas. If it can be removed without changing the meaning, surround it with commas.

Using Dashes: Dashes separate an explanatory or additional phrase that is not crucial to the main idea.

Punctuating "Such As": Always place a comma before such as (but no comma after it).

Formatting Lists: Use commas to separate items in a list, including a comma before and or or in the final item.

Using Colons: A colon introduces a list, explanation, definition, or example, and signals that the sentence will conclude.

Using Semicolons: Semicolons separate list items that already contain commas and fix run-on sentences by separating independent clauses without a conjunction.

Sentences: Sentences consist of independent and dependent clauses.

Sentence Fragments: These are incomplete sentences that lack an independent clause.

Run-on Sentences: Multiple independent clauses joined by just a comma or no punctuation at all.

Dependent Clauses as Subjects: When a sentence uses a dependent clause as the subject, treat it as a singular noun.

Faulty Modifiers: These are words or phrases that describe other parts of the sentence.

Dangling Modifier: A phrase at the beginning of a sentence that isn’t directly followed by the noun it describes, creating confusion.

Misplaced Modifier: A descriptive phrase that is too far from the noun it’s supposed to modify, leading to confusion.

Parallel Construction: When listing items, ensure they follow the same grammatical structure.

Plurals and Possessives:

Plural Nouns: To make a noun plural, add -s (e.g., dog → dogs).

Possessive Singular Nouns: Add apostrophe + s to show ownership (e.g., dog's collar).

Possessive Plural Nouns: For plural nouns, add only an apostrophe (e.g., dogs' collars).

Pronouns: Pronouns replace nouns and must agree with their antecedents.

Subject vs. Object Pronouns: Pronouns change depending on whether they are the subject or the object of a verb.

Who vs. Whom: Who is used for subjects, while whom is used for objects.

Pronouns and Antecedents: Ensure it’s clear which noun the pronoun refers to.

Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement: Pronouns must match their antecedents in number and person.

That vs. Who: Use who for people and that for everything else.

Indefinite Pronouns: Words like everyone may seem plural but are singular, so they take singular verbs.

Its/It’s, Their/They’re/There, Your/You’re, Whose/Who’s: Memorize these homophones and their meanings.

Verbs: SAT tests verb tense and subject-verb agreement.

Verb Tense: Keep verbs consistent within a sentence based on the time period (present, past, or future).

Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensure the subject and verb match in number (singular or plural).

Illogical Comparisons: Avoid comparing things from different categories, and don’t compare one thing to all things in a category.