Cheat sheetHigh school
SAT Reading and Writing Grammar Rules
Standard English Conventions questions test a small set of rules again and again. Learn these and the grammar questions become the fastest marks on the Reading and Writing section.
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01Joining sentences
- Two complete sentences join with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
- Comma splice two complete sentences joined by a comma alone is always wrong
- Colon comes after a complete sentence and introduces an explanation, list or example
- Dashes a pair of dashes works like a pair of commas around extra information
02Commas
- Non-essential information put commas on both sides of a phrase you could delete
- Subject and verb never put a single comma between them
- Restrictive clauses no comma before 'that' when it defines the noun
- Lists commas between items; a final (Oxford) comma is acceptable
03Agreement
- Subject–verb find the real subject: 'The list of items is long' (list is singular)
- Singular words each, every, either, neither, everyone take singular verbs
- Collective nouns team, committee, company usually take singular verbs and 'its'
- Pronoun–antecedent the pronoun must match the noun it replaces in number
04Common confusions
- its / it's its = belonging to it; it's = it is
- their / there / they're possession / place / they are
- who / whom who does the action (subject); whom receives it (object)
- Possessives student's (one student); students' (more than one)
05Sentence sense
- Modifiers the noun right after an introductory phrase must be the one doing the action
- Verb tense keep tense consistent unless the time actually changes
- Parallel structure items in a list or comparison take the same form
06Transitions
- Contrast however, nevertheless, by contrast, still
- Cause and effect therefore, consequently, thus, as a result
- Addition moreover, furthermore, in addition, similarly
- Example for example, for instance
- Sequence subsequently, finally, meanwhile
07The four content areas
- Craft and Structure words in context, text structure and purpose, cross-text connections
- Information and Ideas central ideas, command of evidence (textual and quantitative), inferences
- Standard English Conventions boundaries, form, structure and sense
- Expression of Ideas rhetorical synthesis from notes, and transitions
How to use this sheet
- For rhetorical synthesis questions, re-read the goal and pick the option that meets only that goal.
- When two answers look right, choose the shorter one that is grammatically complete.
- Read the sentence before and after a transition blank before choosing.
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