SAT Grammar rules
Prepositional Phrase
A preposition followed by a phrase (group of words) ex. a bunch *of roses*, it's *beween you and me*, *around every corner*
Preposition
A word that shows time, space or logical relationships between words. ex. above, across, after, against, among, around, at, before, beside, between, of
Collective Nouns
Common structure: "A" or "The" followed by a noun. These take singular verbs and pronouns. ex. The *team* *is* winning *its* game. other common collective nouns - group, company, family, management
Collective Adjectives
Common structure: "A" or "The" followed by an adjective. These take plural verbs and pronouns. ex.The *elderly* *are* enjoying the Silver Lake Cruise. other common collective adjectives - rich, poor, long-suffering
Subject/Object Agreement
If the subject is plural, the object should be plural. If the subject is singular, the object should be singular. examples of *incorrect* usage The *children* wanted to become *an artist*. The *teachers* paid for supplies out of their own *pocket*.
Prepositional Phases and Agreement
Ignoring prepositional phrases can help with determining subject-verb agreement ex. The *coffee*, as well as milk and pastries, *is* on its way over to you. The coffee is...
Pronoun Consistency
Keep the chosen pronoun the same throughout the message examples of *incorrect* usage *We* have to follow the rules whether *one* wants to or not. Can *we* empty the lint traps when *you* are done?
Noun/Pronoun Agreement
Nouns and pronouns must agree: plural nouns must have plural pronouns and singular nouns must have singular pronouns. examples of *incorrect* usage: *Someone* was riding *their* bike down the road. *Many people* want to take *his or her* time
Subject-Verb Agreement
Plural subjects must have plural verbs. Singular subjects must have singular verbs. examples of *incorrect* usage The *quarterback*, along with the the other players, *are* out celebrating. The *company*, having already made budget cuts, *have* decided to close. Along the side of the road *are* a *row* of trees. The *players*, after just one game, *was* tired.
Parallelism
a series of items is written in the same logical structure. a list of actions or items might trigger a problem with structure. example of *incorrect* usage: I like running, hiking, and *to swim*
Redundancy/Wordliness
a unncecssarily repetitive and usually contains a ridiculous repetition such as "free gifts" or "new innovation" a pharse can usually be replaced with a more concise alternative, for example "a few " instead of "a small number of"
Logical Comparisons "Faulty Comparison"
always make sure you are comparing two indentical objects, people, or ideas. examples of *incorrect* usage: Mario's *speeches* were on a par with *John F Kennedy*. Anna's *food* is better than *Amy*. Lauren's *dog* won more prizes in the dog show than *Oliver*.
Double Negatives
avoid pharses which use two negatives words instead of one typical *incorrect* phrases: can't scarcely/ scarcely no can't hardly/ hardly no can't barely/ barely no
Adjectives
describe things, modify nouns or pronouns ex. purple, kind, tall
Idioms
expressions which take on a meaning of their own; usually involve verb + preposition ex: preoccupation *with*
Misplaced Modifiers
make sure the correct modifier is placed directly next to the pharse it modifies examples of *incorrect* usage: *Raised* in a field without any pesicides, *I* prefer organic fruit. *Orbiting* between Mars and Jupiter, *researchers* found a new group of asteroids.
Adverbs
modifty verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs usually end in --ly ex. examine *calmly*
Word choice
similar sounding or similar looking words which are used incorrectly ex. *constrict* vs. *restrict* *regenerated* vs. *regressed*
Superlative Form
used to compare more than two things typically formed by -est or most + adj. or most +adv. ex. My cat is the *cutest* cat of all.
Comparative Form
used to compare two things typically formed by adding -er or more + adj. or more + adv. ex. Of the two sauces, I liked the first one *better.*