SAT GRAMMAR SECTION: 35 MINUTES, 44 QUESTIONS

The SAT Writing and Language section is comprised of questions that test your knowledge
of grammar and writing style. By learning the grammar rules that are tested on SAT Writing,
you'll be preparing yourself to do exceptionally well on the Writing section, and you'll be one
step closer to getting your target score. In this article, I'll explain the most important
SAT grammar rules and provide related examples from the official practice tests.

The SAT Writing and Language section tests you on a multitude of grammatical rules. Based on
the content of the practice tests released by the College Board, many of these grammatical
rules are likely to be tested on every SAT.

In this guide, I’ll provide explanations and examples for the grammar rules that are tested most
often on the SAT. In addition to the grammar questions, there are also writing style
questions that make up a significant portion of the SAT Writing and Language section.
You need to prepare for those questions, too.

The information in this guide will be extremely beneficial to you, especially if you’re trying to
get a middle score, starting your SAT Writing studying, or you’re reviewing the most important
SAT grammar rules.

If your target score is above a 700 for Writing and Reading, you should also thoroughly study
the rules that are only rarely tested on the SAT.

The Grammar Rules You Must Know for SAT Writing

Here are the 12 SAT grammar rules that you need to learn and understand before test day.

#1: Select the Correct Word Based on the Context of the Given Sentence

Word choice questions are common on the SAT. A word will be underlined, and based on the
context, you have to select the best word to complete the sentence. These questions can be
difficult because they require knowledge of vocabulary. There are two common types of word
choice questions.

Type #1: Homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. Here are some
examples of homophones that have appeared on the practice SATs: fare/fair, cite/sight/site,
then/than, there/their/they're, and its/it’s. You should know what each of these words means
and how it's used.

1
SAT Example

The sentence is comparing the cafe to a fair. Based on the context, the word “fair,” which means
an exhibition, usually with food and entertainment, is correct. There are multiple meanings of the
word “fare,” but it often refers to the money you pay for transportation, as in “bus fare.” Clearly,
the word “fare” doesn’t make sense in this context, so you can immediately eliminate answer
choice C.

Next, we need to determine if we should use “then” or “than.” You use the word “than” to make
comparisons and “then” to refer to time. Because the sentence is comparing the cafe to a fair, the
correct answer is B.

Type #2: Related Words

The second type of word choice error involves synonyms or related words. A word will be
underlined and the answer choices will be related words. However, only one word will be correct
given the context of the sentence.

SAT Example

2
For these types of questions, I like to quickly go through each choice to see which one makes the
most sense given the context. Based on the context of this sentence, we’re looking for a word
that indicates that the officials gave permission for the cat paintings to be made.

The word “forced” sounds too strong in this context, and generally, you don’t “license” a
painting to be made. The word “decreed,” which means to order or command, also seems too
harsh given the context. The word “commissioned” can mean hiring an artist to create a work.
It’s the only word that’s typically used with artwork, and it’s the most appropriate word for this
sentence. The correct answer is B.

It’s difficult to prepare for these questions because you don’t know the specific words that
will appear on the SAT. However, I recommend using the word choice questions on the
practice SATs to help you study. Also, try to identify the subtle differences in the meanings of
the words in the answer choices to help select the best word to complete the sentence.

#2: Use the Fewest Words Possible

Typically, the shortest grammatically correct answer choice that expresses the same information
as the original sentence will be the right answer. Shorter sentences are more concise and easier to
understand. On the SAT, words or phrases may be unnecessarily added to a sentence. Here’s
an example sentence with a redundancy error:

Every year, Jane runs the Los Angeles Marathon annually.

In this sentence, the word “annually” means that she runs the marathon every year. Because the
sentence starts with “every year,” the word “annually” is unnecessary. It doesn’t add any
new information to the sentence, and it should be eliminated.

Here’s another example of a wordy sentence:

George is a person who is angry in nature.

This is a corrected version of the sentence:

George is an angry person.

The corrected sentence conveys the same information as the original but in a much more concise
manner.

SAT Example

3
Answer choices A, B, and C are redundant. The phrase “and other countries” already implies that
there are other items on the list. The correct answer is D.

#3: Use the Correct Idiomatic Expression

Idiom questions can be challenging because they don't conform to specific rules. You have to
rely on your knowledge of specific phrases and standard English conventions to answer these
questions correctly. In most idiom questions on the SAT, you'll be asked to determine which
preposition to use in a given sentence. Check out this example sentence with a prepositional
idiom error:

Incorrect: After getting suspended, Herbert decided to focus at improving his behavior.
Correct: After getting suspended, Herbert decided to focus on improving his behavior.
There is no rule to learn to help identify this error, but the correct expression is "focus on."

SAT Example

4
The correct expression is “as a means of,” and the answer is B. Study the idiom questions from
the practice SATs, that I have discussed below in this document.

#4: Keep Verb Tenses Consistent

The general rule regarding verb consistency is that verbs should remain consistent in tense or
form throughout a sentence. Here’s an example of a consistency error:

Last week, Frank rented a car and drives to Las Vegas.

The verb “drives” should be in the past tense. Not only should “drives” be consistent with the
past tense “rented,” but also the phrase “Last week” indicates that this was something that
happened in the past. This is the corrected version of the sentence:

Last week, Frank rented a car and drove to Las Vegas.

Also, on the SAT, the verb tenses of surrounding sentences can provide context clues for the
proper tense to use in a given sentence to maintain consistency. Here’s another example of a
consistency error:

Trenton lives in a rural area. He enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The shift from the present tense “lives” to the past tense “enjoyed” doesn’t make sense in
context. Here is a corrected version of the sentence:

Trenton lives in a rural area. He enjoys the peace and quiet.

SAT Example

5
In this sentence, the verbs “is” and “serves” indicate that the underlined verb should be in the
present tense. Answer choices B and D are not present tense verbs. Answer choice A is wrong
because the “it” is redundant. The correct answer is C.

#5: Surround Non-Restrictive Clauses and Appositives With Commas

The SAT tests a number of comma rules, and these are two that you need to know.

Relative Clauses: Restrictive vs. Non-Restrictive

Relative clauses are dependent clauses that describe a noun and start with a relative pronoun or
adverb like “who,” “that,” “which,” or “where.” The basic rule is that restrictive clauses
shouldn’t be surrounded by commas and non-restrictive clauses should be (IMPORTANT
TO LEARN THIS, PLEASE REVERT FOR MORE EXAMPLES).

What’s a Restrictive Clause?

Restrictive clauses are necessary to the meaning of the sentence. You can’t take a restrictive
clause out of a sentence without effectively changing the meaning of the sentence. Here’s an
example:

Students who read regularly are prepared for the SAT.

6
If you remove the clause “who read regularly,” the meaning of the sentence would be
substantially changed. You’d be left with “Students are prepared for the SAT.” Because you
can’t remove the clause without changing the meaning of the sentence, this clause shouldn’t be
surrounded by commas.

What’s a Non-Restrictive Clause?

A non-restrictive clause isn't essential to the meaning of the sentence. If you got rid of the
clause, you'd have less information, but the overall meaning of the sentence would remain the
same. Here's an example sentence with the non-restrictive clause underlined.

Joe’s parents, who constantly call him, are very overprotective.

The clause “who constantly call him” adds more information about Joe’s parents, but if it were
removed, the meaning of the sentence would be the same. There would be less information about
Joe’s parents, but they would still be described as overprotective. This is what the sentence looks
like after removing the non-restrictive clause:

Joe’s parents are very overprotective.

What Is an Appositive?

An appositive is a descriptive phrase that doesn't include a verb. Similar to a non-restrictive

clause, an appositive can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. Here's
an example with the appositive underlined:
Val, a Wisconsin native, loves fried cheese curds.
If we get rid of the appositive, the sentence still has the same meaning:

Val loves fried cheese curds.

SAT Example

7
In this sentence, “the centerpiece” is an appositive that adds more information about the mural.
Because appositives must be surrounded by commas, there should be a comma after
“centerpiece.” Immediately, we know that A and C are wrong. In answer choice D, the dash can
be used like a comma, but you can’t separate a clause with a comma and a dash. There would
have to be a dash after “mural” for answer choice D to be right. The correct answer is B.

#6: Commas Can't Separate Two Complete Thoughts

A comma splice is when two independent clauses, or complete thoughts, are separated by a
comma, and comma splices create a grammatical error known as a run-on sentence. A run-on
sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses aren't separated by the correct
punctuation. Here’s an example of a comma splice:

Ken likes Selena Gomez, she is his favorite singer.

The clauses before and after the comma are complete thoughts that could stand alone as
sentences. There are a few ways to correct a comma splice. You can put a conjunction after the
comma:

Ken likes Selena Gomez, and she is his favorite singer.

Also, you can put a relative pronoun after the comma:

Ken likes Selena Gomez, who is his favorite singer.

Finally, you can use a semicolon to correctly separate two complete thoughts:

Ken likes Selena Gomez; she is his favorite singer.

8
 SAT Example

This is an example of a comma splice. The sentence up until “legs” is a complete thought that
could stand alone as a sentence, and the rest of the sentence starting with “they” is also a
complete thought. Both A and B are comma splices. Answer choice D is wrong because a
conjunction is needed to connect “are characterized” and “are covered.” The correct answer is
C.

#7: Semicolons Separate Two Complete Thoughts

Semicolons function like periods; they separate two independent clauses. You should be able
to replace semicolons with periods. On the SAT, you may find a randomly placed semicolon, or
you may need to replace a comma with a semicolon to fix a comma splice. Here are example
sentences with semicolons used correctly and incorrectly:
Incorrect: Because Teresa wanted to please her family; she became a doctor.
Correct: Teresa wanted to please her family; she became a doctor.
The second sentence is correct because the clauses on both sides of the semicolon are
independent and could stand alone as sentences.

9
SAT Example

The clause before the semicolon is not a complete thought; therefore, the semicolon is being used
incorrectly. Answer choice C unnecessarily adds “and,” and answer choice B is wrong because it
places a colon after a dependent clause. The correct answer is D.

#8: A Colon Must Come After an Independent Clause

Colons are usually used to introduce lists or explanations. The key rule for colons is that they
must come after a complete sentence. If you end the sentence where the colon is placed, the
sentence should make sense and be a complete thought.

Incorrect: Meena enjoys multiple genres of music like: alternative, rap, heavy metal, and
country.
Correct: Meena enjoys multiple genres of music: alternative, rap, heavy metal, and country.
The first sentence is incorrect because the part of the sentence that comes before the colon isn’t a
complete thought.

10
SAT Example

Because the clause before the colon is a complete thought and it's setting up a list, the colon is
being used correctly. The types of people listed after the colon are the narrator's colleagues.
Because "colleagues" isn't part of the list, you can't substitute the colon for a comma. Also, you
can't use a semicolon in place of the colon because there isn't a complete thought after the
punctuation. The correct answer is A.

#9: Use Apostrophes Correctly to Form Possessives

The SAT tests you on how to use apostrophes to correctly form possessives. Luckily, the rules
for forming possessives are pretty straightforward. If the word is singular or plural but
doesn’t end in “s,” then you add an “s” after the apostrophe to form a possessive. Here are a
couple of examples:

I shall be paying a visit to the men’s restroom.

My computer’s monitor is rather dirty.
To create a possessive for a plural word that does end in “s,” just add an apostrophe after
the “s.” Check it out:

Juan thinks his parents’ rules are too strict.

Also, only use apostrophes for possessives or contractions. Contractions are formed when you
combine two words. Examples include it’s (it is), don’t (do not), and isn’t (is not). Don’t use
apostrophes to create plural nouns.

11
SAT Example

Because the body is being discussed in general terms, we should use the singular possessive in
this sentence; the sentence is referring to the biological clocks of the body. We can immediately
get rid of A because “bodies” is a plural noun; it’s not in the possessive form.

Also, answer choice B is wrong because bodies’ is the plural possessive form. Additionally,
there shouldn’t be an apostrophe after the “s” in “clocks.” Don’t use apostrophes to form plural
nouns; only use apostrophes for possessives and contractions. Similarly, answer choice D is
wrong because of the apostrophe before the “s” in clocks; the correct answer is C.

#10: Subjects and Verbs Must Agree

Subjects and verbs must agree, meaning that you must use the singular form of a verb with a
singular subject and the plural form of a verb with a plural subject. Here’s an example:
Incorrect: High school students loves learning grammar rules.
Correct: High school students love learning grammar rules.
If the verb is in the present tense and the subject is in the third person (he/she/it/they), the verb
usually ends in “s” in the singular form and doesn’t in the plural form. In the example sentence,
the subject is “students,” which is plural; therefore the verb should be in the plural form.

On the SAT, subject verb agreement questions can be more difficult because there may be a
phrase separating the subject from the verb. Check out this example:

Incorrect: The members of the committee meets every Tuesday.

Correct: The members of the committee meet every Tuesday.

12
The subject of the sentence is “members,” which is plural. Therefore, the verb should be in the
plural form. The prepositional phrase “of the committee” separates the subject from the verb. If a
verb is underlined on the SAT, make sure that you identify the subject that corresponds with that
verb to ensure that the subject and verb agree. Also, keep in mind that a subject can never be
part of a prepositional phrase.

SAT Example

To determine if there’s a subject verb agreement error, we have to identify the subject that
corresponds with the verb “portrays.” What portrays animals? The works of art do. The phrase in
between the commas separates the subject from the verb. The subject is plural because “works”
is plural and “of art” is a prepositional phrase. The plural form of “portrays” is “portray,” and the
correct answer is C. Answer choices B and D are not plural verbs; “portraying” is a gerund that
would create a fragment, and “has portrayed” is the singular form of the present perfect tense.

#11: Modifiers Must Be Next to What They're Modifying

The general rule regarding modifiers is that they must be next to what they’re modifying. The
most common type of modifier error on the SAT is a dangling modifier. When a sentence begins
with a modifying phrase, the introductory phrase must be immediately followed by a comma and
then the noun the phrase is describing. Here’s an example of a dangling modifier:
A determined writer, Jessica’s goal is to get her first novel published this year.
The way the sentence is written makes it seem like Jessica’s goal is a determined writer. There
are a couple of ways to fix the sentence. You can place the noun that is being modified right after
the comma:

13
 A determined writer, Jessica has a goal of getting her first novel published this year.
Or you can place the subject in the introductory phrase:

Because Jessica is a determined writer, her goal is to get her first novel published this year.

SAT Example

This sentence makes it seem like the visitor was dotted with pin-sized knobs. Logically, the
sentence should indicate that the drawers were dotted with pin-sized knobs. Similarly, answer
choices B and C are misplaced modifiers that infer that the there was a visitor dotted with
knobs. The correct answer is D.

#12: Pronouns Must Agree With Their Antecedents in Number

This rule means that a plural pronoun must refer to a plural noun and a singular pronoun
must refer to a singular noun. Here's an example of a pronoun number agreement error:

Kristin sold their car.

The pronoun “their” is referring to the car of Kristin. Because Kristin is one person and “their” is
a plural pronoun, this sentence has a pronoun agreement error. This is the corrected version:

Kristin sold her car.

14
It’s easy to make a careless mistake on this question because you may see the singular pronoun
“it” and assumed the underlined pronoun should be singular as well. However, the pronouns
have different antecedents. The word “it” refers to 1-MCP, which is singular, and “their” refers
to apples, which is plural. The possessive pronoun agrees with the antecedent, and there’s no
error.

Answer choice A is correct. Answer choice C is a singular possessive pronoun, D is the

contraction of “it is,” and B is a homophone of the correct answer, but it’s the wrong word

Idiom questions on the SAT are different than most of the other grammar questions. Why?
Idiom questions can't be figured out by applying a specific rule. You have to rely on your
general knowledge of English and your familiarity with certain phrases.

What Is an Idiom?

Idioms are phrases or expressions that do not conform to simple rules. Each idiom, by
definition, is unique. Most people think of idioms as expressions that often have figurative
meanings different from their literal meanings. Examples of this type of idiom include "at the
drop of the hat," "beat around the bush," and "in over (one's) head." However, the SAT does not
test you on these colloquial expressions. SAT Writing and Language idiom questions will test
you on different types of idioms.

How Are Idioms Tested in SAT Writing and Language?

While the SAT does not test you on the figurative expressions I referenced above, the SAT may
test you on two types of idioms: prepositional idioms and idioms with gerunds/infinitives.

15
Prepositional Idioms

For prepositional idioms, you must know which prepositions to use with a given word based on
the context of the sentence. For example, you should say that you're "interested in" something,
not "interested at" something. You "focus on" something, not "focus at" something. There is no
rule to determine the correct preposition to use. You must be familiar with the phrase or rely on
what you think "sounds right." Here's an example sentence with a prepositional idiom:

Because he laughed when his friend fell down, Justin was accused of being devoid
at sympathy.

You may encounter a sentence like this on your SAT. In the sentence, there is no violation of a
specific grammar rule. However, "devoid at" is an idiom error. Why? Well, the correct phrase is
"devoid of." The corrected version of the sentence looks like this:

Because he laughed when his friend fell down, Justin was accused of being devoid
of sympathy.

The expression "devoid of" means without. Familiarity with the given expression greatly helps to
identify an idiom error.

There is another type of idiom that may be tested on the SAT.

Idioms with Gerunds or Infinitives

Gerunds are verbs that are used as nouns and end in "ing." Examples of gerunds
include running, jumping, and thinking. Infinitives are verbs used as nouns and are constructed
by using the word "to" plus a verb. Examples of infinitives include to run, to jump, and to
think.

What are some examples of idioms with gerunds or infinitives? The correct phrase is
"capable of being," not "capable as being." The proper idiomatic expression is "mind being," not
"mind to be." For these types of idioms, you need to know which preposition to use and whether
to use a gerund or an infinitive.

With some idioms, depending on the context, it is acceptable to use an infinitive or a gerund.

Here's an example:

I struggle to do geometry.

16
Or, you can also write:

I struggle doing geometry.

Both sentences are correct. Here is a sentence with an idiom error:

Bob insists at being annoying.

Do you recognize the idiom error? Do you know the right idiom? This is the corrected version of
the sentence:

Bob insists on being annoying.

Again, there is no rule to learn that lets you know that the phrase should be "insists on being"
instead of "insists at being." This is another example of an idiom error:

Julie tends being worrisome.

Check out the sentence after the idiom error is corrected:

Julie tends to be worrisome.

The infinitive form should be used with the word "tends" instead of the gerund form. Now let's
look at idiom questions from the SAT.

Real Examples

Here are a couple of idiom questions from the College Board's practice tests.

17
Explanation: The infinitive "to be" is incorrectly used with the verb "serves." In this sentence,
the proper idiomatic expression is "serves as." The correct answer is B.

Explanation: The correct idiomatic expression is "as a means of." The answer is B.

SAT Tips for Idiom Questions

#1: If a preposition, gerund, or infinitive is underlined, check for idiom errors.

#2: The question may be testing idioms if the answer choices are all prepositions.

18
#3: Keep a list of idioms that appear on practice tests.

#4: Review and familiarize yourself with the list of idioms below.

Complete List of SAT Writing Idioms

While there are thousands of idioms in the English language, SAT idiom questions will most
likely involve prepositional idioms or idioms with gerunds/infinitives. I've listed some of the
more common prepositional idioms and idioms with gerunds/infinitives to help guide your
studying. Idioms that have appeared on questions in the College Board’s practice tests are listed
first.

It's not practical for you to memorize every single idiom on this list. There will probably
only be a couple of idiom questions on your SAT Writing and Language subsection. Spending
numerous hours learning hundreds of idioms wouldn't be the best use of your study time.

IDIOMS FROM SAT PRACTICE TESTS

as a means of
serve as
wait for
in order to be

PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS
About
anxious about
ask about
bring about
curious about
hear about
think about
talk about
worry about

Against
advise against
argue against
count against
decide against
defend against
go against
rebel against

As
celebrate as
regard as

19
see as
view as

At
aim at
arrive at
laugh at
look at
succeed at

By
accompanied by
amazed by
confused by
followed by
go by
impressed by
organized by
struck by

For
advocate for
ask for
blame for
famous for
known for
last for
meant for
named for
necessary for
pay for
ready for
responsible for
tolerance for
strive for
wait for
watch for

From
abstain from
different from
excuse from
far from
obvious from
protect from

20
Into
enter into
look into
inquire into
read into

In
engage in
fall in love
in A as in B
interested in
succeed in
take in

On
base on
draw on
focus on
impose on
insist on
move on
prey on
rely on

Over
argue over
rule over
talk over
think over
Of
approve of
capable of
certain of
characteristic of
combination of A and B
cure of
deprive of
die of
a fan of
in danger of
in the hope of
in recognition of
made up of
a model of
an offer of
on the border of

21
remind of
a selection of
a source of
suspicious of
take advantage of
an understanding of
a wealth of

To
able to
accustomed to
adapt to
adhere to
admit to
adjacent to
agree to
as opposed to
belong to
central to
come to
contribute to
devoted to
in addition to
in contrast to
listen to
object to
prefer A to B
partial to
reluctant to
reply to
see to
similar to
a threat to
try to (NOT try and)
unique to

With
agree with
bargain with
correlate with
familiar with
identify with
in keeping with
interfere with
sympathize with
trust with

22
GERUNDS VS. INFINITIVES

Verbs Followed by a Gerund

accuse of
admire for
allow
appreciate
capable of
complete
concentrate on
confess to
consider
delay
describe
discourage from
discuss
dislike
effective at
enjoy
escape
finish
forbid
imagine
insist on
permit
plan on
postpone
refrain from
report
resent
resume
stop
tolerate

Prepositions Followed by a Gerund

before
after
without

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive

agree
attempt
choose
condescend

23
dare
decide
deserve
encourage
expect
fail
intend
love
mean
neglect
offer
plan
prepare
promise
refuse
scramble
seem
strive
swear
tend
threaten
want

SOME MORE PRACTICE

1. Diligent research performed by education scholars indicates that more time spent studying
correlates from better educational outcomes.
A. NO CHANGE
B. of
C. with
D. Delete the underlined portion

2. Because she is extremely protective, Renee hopes to prevent her younger sister for making
irresponsible decisions at parties.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to
C. from
D. at

3. After being interrogated by the police for five hours, Ken admitted to being guilty of
racketeering and money laundering.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to be
C. to having
D. is

24
4. Even though she was expected doing all of the domestic labor, Natasha was unwilling to
conform to traditional gender roles.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to do
C. at
D. having done

Answers: 1. C, 2. C, 3. A, 4. B

25