#sat grammar

[edu-portal]

What topics should you focus on to ace your SAT grammar!

Avoid redundancy by being concise.

-You'll have to correct for wordiness on a regular basis. Usually, the most succinct answer is the right one. You'll have to edit for redundancy if information is restated or inferred once and then addressed again. When repairing this error, remove any redundant details.

Conjunctions and Adverbs of Conjunction

-Clauses are joined using conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs. 

-Examine the relationship between knowledge to ensure that conjunctions are grammatically correct. 

-Conjunctive adverbs are needed for contradictions, contrasts, parallels, emphasis, and oppositions.

Idioms 

-Idioms may also be used to correct grammatical errors by relying on what sounds correct. In idioms, you can need to make changes for gerunds and infinitives.  An infinitive is a verb that takes on the role of a noun.

Words That Are Often Misused

-Words that sound the same but have different meanings are often misunderstood and need editing.

- Here's a rundown of widely misunderstood phrases like "then" and "than." When making changes, you can consider broader contexts to determine which word's meaning is the most rational.

Sentences that go on and on

When searching for run-on sentences, keep in mind that the sentence includes a comma splice if there is no coordinating conjunction between two clauses or a subordinating conjunction at the beginning of the subordinate clause. This error can be fixed by adding a conjunction or breaking the sentence into two.

Punctuation is important.

Adjusting the positioning and use of commas with modifiers are two common punctuation errors to correct. To highlight an explanatory expression, dashes should be used. Commas should be used to divide the items on the list, and the last item should be accompanied by a comma followed by “and” or “or.” Corrections to the use of colons and semicolons may also be needed.

In order to cover this topic in detail, join an online SAT preparation course for a complete guide!

[preppedandpolished]

Episode #226, Three Grammar Mistakes Students Often Make on The SAT and ACT

Aaron of Prepped and Polished shows you three common errors students make on the SAT and ACT and how to avoid them. What was your biggest takeaway from this podcast about Three Grammar Mistakes Students Often Make on The SAT and ACT?

Aaron of Prepped and Polished shows you three common errors students make on the SAT and ACT and how to avoid them. What was your biggest takeaway from this podcast about Three Grammar Mistakes Students Often Make on The SAT and ACT?

[leannedodge]

When two choices are equivalent

In the grammar section of the SAT and ACT, sometimes two of the answer choices will function similarly in a sentence. Since only one answer choice can be correct, two choices that work exactly the same way thus must both be incorrect. Most frequently, if a sentence works with a period, it will also work with a semicolon (and conversely, if a sentence does not work with a period, it will not work with a semicolon). If you get both options as answer choices, neither can be correct. For example:

After my cat looked at me and meowed. He jumped onto the windowsill.

After my cat looked at me and meowed; he jumped onto the windowsill.

The only difference in those two sentences is swapping a period for a semicolon (and changing capitalization accordingly). Since a period and a semicolon function the same way, both choices must be incorrect and you can cross out both choices.

[leannedodge]

Colons

How do you know when to use a colon? Check to see if these two statements are true about the sentence in question: 1. There is a complete sentence before the colon 2. There is a list or explanation after the colon (this could be one word or a much longer list or explanation) Take a look at the following sentence: I like to go many places, such as: the beach, the mountains, and the library. Let’s try the test. Is there a complete sentence before the colon? No. We’re done—the colon above is incorrect. On the ACT, the first test is typically the more important one. On the SAT, a sentence may pass the first test but fail the second.

[leannedodge]

Although the SAT and ACT will never test you on the Oxford comma (the optional comma before the "and" in a list of three or more items), here's a reminder of the importance of how punctuation conveys meaning in a sentence. Personally, I admit that I am a believer in the Oxford comma. Read the article to see how the absence or presence of a comma can completely change the interpretation of a law.

[leannedodge]

Transitions

One question type that comes up on the ACT and SAT involves transitions. Transitions are words that connect one sentence to another. You can recognize a transition question because your answer choices will include words like "therefore," "however," "in fact," and so forth. In order to solve a transition question, you must look at the sentence before and the sentence after the transition (or at the different clauses of the sentence, if the transition is internal to a sentence). What is the relationship? Do the sentences contradict one another? Do they go the same direction? If the latter, is there a relationship of causation, or an idea in the second sentence that elaborates on something set up in the first sentence? By pinning down the precise nature of the relationship, you can identify what sort of transition would fit. Here's a simple example: It was raining. I went outside anyhow. How could you join those two sentences together? Look at the relationship between sentences. The second sentence goes a different direction than did the first sentence. That means we need a word signaling contradiction. For instance, we could write, "It was raining, but I went outside anyhow."

[pwnthesat]

Hey Mike! I have a question from the Oct SAT. Is the sentence "Most people are unaware that even after being turned off, many household appliances still continue to draw not insignificant amounts of energy" correct as is? "Not insignificant" wasn't underlined, btw.

Yeah, that’s fine as written.

[satcrammers]

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