10 Essential Grammar Rules for the Digital SAT
Memorize these rules by heart before you take your first exam.
June 22, 2023
The Digital SAT is a crucial stepping stone for high school students seeking college admission. Known for its rigorous evaluation of reading, writing, and mathematics skills, the SAT tests your command of English grammar rules. Understanding and practicing these rules can make a significant difference to your score, so we've compiled a list of 10 essential grammar rules to know for the Digital SAT (in no particular order).
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject of a sentence should agree with its verb in number. If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.
Incorrect: The dogs barks at the mailman.
Correct: The dogs bark at the mailman.
2. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
A pronoun should agree in number and gender with its antecedent. An antecedent is a word that a pronoun refers back to.
Incorrect: Each student must bring their book.
Correct: Each student must bring his or her book.
3. Parallelism
Parallelism is the use of consistent grammatical structures when listing items or ideas. This can involve verb tenses, nouns, adjectives, etc.
Incorrect: He likes running, to swim, and biking.
Correct: He likes running, swimming, and biking.
4. Misplaced Modifiers
Modifiers should be placed as close as possible to the words they modify. Misplacement can change the intended meaning.
Incorrect: I found a golden woman's necklace.
Correct: I found a woman's golden necklace.
5. Correct Verb Tense
Verbs should be used in the correct tense according to the context of the sentence.
Incorrect: Yesterday, I will go to the gym.
Correct: Yesterday, I went to the gym.
6. Subject-Predicate Logic
The predicate should logically relate to the subject. The subject of a sentence is the doer of the action, while the predicate is the action or what is done to the subject.
Incorrect: The book reads the boy.
Correct: The boy reads the book.
7. Pronoun Clarity
A pronoun's antecedent should be clear and unambiguous. A reader should be able to understand what the pronoun is referring to.
Incorrect: John told Jim that he failed.
Correct: John told Jim that Jim had failed.
8. Correct Use of Commas
Commas should be used correctly to separate items in a list, to separate independent clauses, and after introductory phrases or clauses.
Incorrect: She enjoys reading running and to paint.
Correct: She enjoys reading, running, and painting.
9. Use of Apostrophes
Apostrophes should be used correctly to indicate possession or contraction.
Incorrect: The dog wagged it's tail.
Correct: The dog wagged its tail.
10. Idiomatic Usage
Phrases should be used in their standard, idiomatic way. A deviation from idiomatic usage can create confusion or misunderstanding.
Incorrect: She climbed up the ladder on the wall.
Correct: She climbed the ladder on the wall.
The SAT Reading and Writing section will challenge your understanding of these grammar rules and more, but with thorough practice and a keen eye for detail, you can master them. There are, of course, plenty more grammar rules than these 10, but they are a good starting point. Happy test prepping!