How to gain confidence in the SAT Grammar Section

SAT is undoubtedly one of the most critical aspects of your college application. Students spend months honing their skills in each section of the exam. A student is exceptional in one unit, but his scores can’t seem to go up in the others. Identifying your weak areas is extremely necessary to get a high score on the exam. As we all know, SAT consists of three sections. This article talks about acing the SAT grammar, rules to remember, and what to anticipate.

By studying the grammatical principles needed for this section, you will be closer to reaching your target score goal.

 

Learn about your current level of preparation

Before diving into how to do well on the SAT grammar, you must assess your knowledge by completing a practice exam.

It will not only assist you in giving yourself a reality check, but it will also inform you of the significant areas where you need to work harder. 

 

Understanding your English Language Level:

Are you a novice or a fluent second language English speaker?

This is important to know before you begin preparing since it will help you realize how much work you will need to put in.

It will also give you an idea of which grammatical principles you will need to master. 

 

Learn standard English conventions

Do you know what ingredients make a good sentence? You may have learned from school that sentence structuring and punctuation are critical to effective communication. Similarly, the SAT assesses the norms of standard English to see how well you understand these fundamental notions of the English language. SAT has questions on subject-verb agreement, verb tense, parallel constructions, and other topics.

 

Learn the Principles of Grammar: If you believe you are poor in grammar and struggle to grasp and structure sentences, now is the time to put in the effort to learn the basic rules of grammar.

It would help if you got thoroughly acquainted with the notions of punctuation, verbs, tenses, pronouns, modifiers, etc. 

 

Experiment with Recognizing the Rules

Now that you’ve mastered the rules, it’s time to practice recognizing which rule a question is inquiring about. When taking practice tests, attempt to determine which rule is being asked about before replying. When verifying your answers in a practice book, be sure you’ve got the issue correct. Was it a query regarding verb tense? Punctuation? Recognizing what went wrong in a sentence is just as important as learning how to correct it. You may remember all the rules in the world, but if you don’t know when to apply them, you’ll end yourself right back where you started.

 

Understand how the SAT tries to deceive you.

 

The Grammar SAT is a sucker for gimmicks. One of its preferred techniques is to separate significant parts of a text. To fight this, remove any extraneous words and phrases from the statement until just the basics remain. For example, if you see any superfluous adjectives or parenthetical sentences in a lengthy, complicated statement, cross them to make the sentence more manageable. Another method is to find the bits of the sentence you need (the pronoun and its antecedent, the verb and its subject, and so on) and compare them to each other while disregarding the remainder of the phrase.

 

Here are some SAT grammar rules to remember

 

Agreement Between the Subject and the Verb Number

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule that is continually examined. Number agreement is one part of the regulation that must be followed.

That means singular with singular, plural with plural.

If the subject of your sentence is singular (meaning one), then the verb must also be distinct. The same rationale holds for multiple subjects. A plural verb must be used with a plural subject. Never use the single and plural in the exact phrase. It will throw you off if you see such a combination on the test. 

 

In Nature, Collective Nouns Are Singular.

 

The SAT Writing and Language Test will include collective nouns to confuse your comprehension of subject-verb agreement to complicate matters further. This implies that grouping words used in context and related to different people are single subjects. Collective nouns include words like “team,” “gang,” “jury,” “crowd,” “class,” “panel,” and “committee.”

If you see one of these terms in a phrase, remember that if it refers to a group of individuals, the group is viewed as a singular subject. Thus, a singular verb must be used. If the noun refers to many gathered groups, such as “crowds,” the verb must also be plural.

 

Your word count should be limited.

 

Shorter sentences are frequently your greatest friend. The shortest yet grammatically correct response choice that communicates all the information is accurate. Furthermore, shorter phrases are considerably easier to comprehend and use in writing. Any response options on the exam that add words or sentences that don’t express anything can be eliminated.

 

Comma Splices Should Be Avoided

 

A comma splice is simple, yet it is improper. This is a comma splice when a comma only separates two entire, distinct thoughts (or sentences). The most typical outcome of comma splicing is run-on sentences. When employing a comma, be sure that both concepts cannot exist wholly independently. If they can survive alone, you must alter your punctuation accordingly.

 

Adhere to the Basic Sentence Rules.

 

Don’t be deceived by excessive wording or improper punctuation.

A sentence must have one essential clause (a subject and associated predicate) and proper punctuation to be complete. A full subject can contain many main provisions if they are connected by adequate punctuation.

A sentence is considered a fragment if it lacks a major clause. As easy as that. Remember that sentence length does not indicate whether or not a sentence is appropriately written. Examine the subjects and predicates to ensure that commas or semicolons properly connect numerous ones.

 

It is in your best interest to learn grammar rules and drill them regularly before taking the SAT. That is precisely what Miles Smart Tutoring does with the children we deal with each year.

Our teachers will teach you the knowledge and tactics you’ll need to learn while also allowing you to practice them through weekly practice exams and homework assignments.

Each week, you may assess your progress to identify which areas are the most difficult for you. Contact Miles Smart Tutoring for more information or to book trial study sessions.