SAT Form, Structure, and Sense (Grammar)
Choose grammatically correct forms: subject–verb and pronoun agreement, verb tense, plurals and possessives, and modifier placement.
Also known as: subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, verb tense, possessives, modifiers.
Key ideas
- A verb agrees with its subject, not with the nearest noun.
- Pronouns agree in number with the noun they replace (the company… its).
- Keep tense consistent with the rest of the text unless the timeline changes.
- An introductory modifier must describe the noun right after the comma.
Agreement
Cross out phrases between the subject and verb: The collection of rare maps of rare maps is… Collective nouns such as team, committee and company are singular and take its.
Tense, possessives and modifiers
Use the past perfect (had arrived) for an action before another past action. Its is possessive; it's means it is. Plural possessives add an apostrophe after the s (the researchers' data). In Hoping to win, the coach…, the coach must be the one hoping.
Worked examples
Example 1 · Agreement across a phrase
The collection of letters written by the two sisters ______ now held by a university library.
- Step 1.Subject: collection (singular).
Answer: is
Example 2 · Dangling modifier
Having studied the data for months, ___ (the conclusion was clear / the researchers reached a clear conclusion).
- Step 1.Who studied the data? The researchers.
Answer: the researchers reached a clear conclusion
Common mistakes
- Matching the verb to a nearby plural noun instead of the subject.
- Using their for a singular organization.
- Confusing its/it's and plural/possessive forms.
Try it yourself
Original practice questions. Your answer is checked instantly.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?