The SAT Writing section tests a specific set of grammar and usage rules repeatedly. Unlike English class where you analyze literature, SAT grammar focuses on identifying and correcting errors efficiently. Master these key rules and watch your writing score soar.
Subject-Verb Agreement
One of the most tested concepts on the SAT is ensuring subjects and verbs agree in number.
Basic rule: Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.
Common traps:
- Prepositional phrases between subject and verb: “The box of chocolates IS (not are) on the table”
- Inverted sentences: “Among the papers WAS (not were) the missing document”
- Compound subjects: “Neither the teacher nor the students WERE ready”
Look for the true subject and ignore distracting phrases in between.
Pronoun Agreement and Clarity
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender, and the reference must be clear.
Agreement errors: “Each student must bring their book” should be “his or her book” or restructure to “Students must bring their books”
Ambiguous references: “Sarah told Maria that she needed to study more” – Who needs to study? The pronoun “she” is unclear.
Pronoun case: Use subject pronouns (I, he, she, they) for subjects and object pronouns (me, him, her, them) for objects. “Between you and me” is correct, not “between you and I.”
Verb Tense Consistency
The SAT loves testing whether you can maintain consistent and logical verb tenses.
Stay consistent: If a passage is in past tense, don’t randomly switch to present tense without good reason.
Watch for time markers: Words like “yesterday,” “currently,” “will,” and “has been” signal specific tenses.
Perfect tenses matter: Use “had” for actions completed before another past action. Use “has/have” for actions continuing to the present.
Modifier Placement
Modifiers must be placed next to the words they modify, or the sentence becomes confusing or illogical.
Dangling modifiers: “Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful” – This incorrectly suggests trees were walking. Correct: “Walking down the street, I noticed the beautiful trees.”
Misplaced modifiers: “She almost ate all the cookies” vs. “She ate almost all the cookies” – these mean different things.
Place descriptive phrases immediately before or after what they describe.
Parallelism
Items in a list or comparison must have the same grammatical structure.
Incorrect: “I enjoy reading, writing, and to paint” Correct: “I enjoy reading, writing, and painting”
Incorrect: “The teacher is intelligent, creative, and has patience” Correct: “The teacher is intelligent, creative, and patient”
This applies to lists, correlative conjunctions (either…or, not only…but also), and comparisons.
Comma Usage
The SAT tests specific comma rules:
Independent clauses: Use a comma before coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so) joining two complete sentences.
Introductory elements: Use a comma after introductory phrases: “After the game, we went home.”
Nonessential information: Set off nonrestrictive clauses with commas: “My brother, who lives in Boston, is visiting.”
No comma between subject and verb: Don’t separate these unnecessarily.
Sentence Fragments and Run-ons
Fragments: Incomplete thoughts lacking a subject or verb. “Because I was tired” is a fragment; it needs a main clause.
Run-ons: Two independent clauses joined without proper punctuation. Fix with a period, semicolon, or comma + conjunction.
Comma splices: Two independent clauses joined only by a comma without a conjunction. Use a semicolon or add a conjunction.
Conciseness and Redundancy
When in doubt, choose the most concise option that maintains the original meaning.
Redundant: “Past history,” “advance planning,” “end result” – one word suffices Wordy: “Due to the fact that” should be “because” Unnecessary passive voice: “The ball was thrown by John” vs. “John threw the ball”
The SAT prefers clear, direct writing without unnecessary words.
Apostrophes and Possessives
Possessive nouns: Add ‘s to singular nouns (cat’s toy), add only an apostrophe to plural nouns ending in s (cats’ toys)
Its vs. it’s: “Its” is possessive; “it’s” means “it is”
Plurals don’t use apostrophes: “The 1990s” not “the 1990’s”
Commonly Confused Words
Their/there/they’re: Possessive, location, contraction Your/you’re: Possessive, contraction Affect/effect: Typically verb/noun (though both have alternative uses) Who/whom: Subject/object That/which: Restrictive/nonrestrictive clauses
Practice Strategy
Study these rules systematically, then practice identifying them in context. The SAT doesn’t ask you to recite grammar rules—it asks you to apply them. Read each question carefully, identify which rule is being tested, and eliminate answers that violate that rule.
Create flashcards with rules on one side and example sentences on the other. Regular review of these fundamentals will make grammar questions feel automatic on test day.
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