Core grammar and usage rules tested on the SAT Writing and Language section.
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- When a compound subject has 'and' between parts, is the verb singular or plural?
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Plural. Example: The cat and dog are playing.- When a compound subject has 'or' or 'nor', what determines the verb form?
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The verb agrees with the nearest subject. Example: Either the teacher or the students are wrong.- Do collective nouns (team, group, family) take singular or plural verbs?
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Singular if the group acts as one unit. Example: The team is winning.- What is the rule for indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', 'nobody'?
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They take singular verbs. Example: Everyone is ready.- What is wrong with this sentence: 'The book that I read about are interesting'?
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Subject-verb disagreement. 'Book' is singular, so the verb should be 'is'.- A pronoun should agree with its antecedent in what ways?
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In person, number, and gender. Example: The girl lost her book, not his.- What is the error in: 'Each student must submit their homework'?
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Disagreement in number. 'Each' is singular, so use 'his or her' or restructure.- Is 'which' or 'that' used in a restrictive (essential) clause?
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'That' is used in restrictive clauses. Example: The house that I like is for sale.- When should you use a semicolon instead of a comma?
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To join two independent clauses. Example: I love coffee; it energizes me.- Can you join two independent clauses with just a comma?
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No, this creates a comma splice. Use a semicolon, period, or coordinating conjunction.- What is a run-on sentence and how do you fix it?
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Two independent clauses joined incorrectly. Fix with a period, semicolon, or conjunction.- When do you use an apostrophe in a word like 'its' vs 'it's'?
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'Its' is possessive (no apostrophe); 'it's' means 'it is' (with apostrophe).- What is the rule for using commas with introductory phrases?
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Use a comma after an introductory phrase. Example: After the game, we went home.- Do you use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence?
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Yes, always. Example: I wanted to go, but it was raining.- What is parallel structure and why does it matter?
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Items in a series or comparison must have the same grammatical form.
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