SAT Grammar Practice: Complete Rules and Strategies

Grammar Topics Tested on the SAT

The SAT tests a tight set of grammar topics: subject-verb agreement, pronoun rules, commas, semicolons and colons, parallel structure, modifier placement, verb tense consistency, and redundancy. That's the whole list. Every grammar question maps to one of these.

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

The verb must match the subject in number — singular subject, singular verb. Easy when the subject sits next to the verb. The trap: long phrases between the subject and verb. 'The list of books, articles, and essays IS [not are] long.' The subject is 'list,' not 'books.'

Letting the noun closest to the verb dictate agreement. Find the real subject first.

Pronoun Agreement and Case

Pronouns must match their antecedents in number and gender. 'Each student should bring HIS OR HER [not their] book' is the formal SAT rule, though usage is shifting. The SAT also tests case: I/me, who/whom. The trick for who/whom: rephrase using he/him. 'He went' = who. 'I saw him' = whom.

Comma Rules the SAT Tests

The SAT tests a handful of comma rules: separating items in a list, after introductory phrases, around non-essential clauses (you can remove them and the sentence still works), and joining independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). The big trap: do NOT use a comma alone to join two complete sentences — that's a comma splice.

Semicolons and Colons on the SAT

A semicolon joins two complete, related sentences. If the parts on either side could stand alone as sentences, a semicolon works. A colon introduces a list, an explanation, or a quotation. The part before a colon must be a complete sentence; the part after doesn't need to be.

Semicolon = two complete sentences. Colon = setup, then payoff (list/explanation).

Parallel Structure Made Simple

Items in a list should share the same grammatical form. 'She likes hiking, swimming, and biking' is parallel. 'She likes hiking, swimming, and to bike' is not. The fix: pick the form once and use it consistently across the whole list.

Modifier Placement Rules

A modifier should sit next to the word it modifies. 'Walking down the street, the trees swayed in the wind' is a dangling modifier — the trees aren't walking. Fix: 'Walking down the street, I noticed the trees swaying.' The modifier 'walking down the street' must touch its real subject (I).

Redundancy and Conciseness

When two answer choices say the same thing, the shorter one usually wins. 'In my personal opinion' is redundant — opinions are personal. 'Final outcome,' 'past history,' 'unexpected surprise' — all redundant. The SAT loves rewarding the cleanest version of a sentence.

When two grammar choices both seem correct, pick the shorter, less wordy one.

Practice SAT Grammar Questions

SAT Clarity has 70+ original grammar questions across every rule the SAT tests, with deep explanations for why each wrong answer is tempting and the rule that catches it. Drill grammar 15 minutes a day for two weeks and you'll see real improvement.