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SAT Grammar Rules and
Vocabulary Packet
The writing section of the SAT is extremely repetitive. The test makers ask the same
grammar mistakes on every test. Master these grammar rules and feel confident on
test day.
Subject-Verb Agreement
The most common grammar mistake that students are tested on is subject-verb agreement. Here is an example: The committee, made up of several women, are deciding on the school budget next week. No error. A B C D E The mistake is choice “C”. The subject of this sentence is “committee”, which is singular and therefore needs a singular verb. “Is” should replace “are” in this sentence. This sentence contains a clause. The clause is the fragment of the sentence between the two commas, and it separates the subject from the verb. Therefore, you are tricked to think that the verb (“are”) should agree with “women”. In this case, read the sentence and eliminate the clause, so that the subject and the verb come directly after each other. By doing this, you will be able to tell if the subject does not agree with the verb. Here is a second example: We enjoyed the brilliant sunshine of the beach so much that day that when A B we left there was only one couple and one lifeguard still there. No error. C D E The mistake is in choice “C”. “One couple and one lifeguard” is an example of a compound subject. A compound subject is when there is more than one person in the subject. A compound subject must always go with a plural verb. “Was” is a singular verb; “were” is a plural verb and should be used instead.
SAT Grammar Rules Packet Subject-Pronoun Agreement Another grammar mistake they ask about constantly is subject-pronoun agreement. This is a lot easier to understand than it sounds. An example will help you understand exactly what to look out for: A smart tennis player such as Samantha is someone who knows how to A B move around the court, can hit winners at the net, and controls their emotions. No error. C D E The mistake is in choice D. “Their” is a plural pronoun. The antecedent, and subject in the sentence, “player”, is singular. Instead of using “their”, the sentence should have used “her” as the pronoun. Parallel Sentence Structure A third grammar concept that is commonly tested on the SAT writing section is called parallel sentence structure. Here is an example of a sentence with a mistake in parallel sentence structure. In a survey of the school’s fifth graders, playing in gym class, painting in art A class, participating in science labs and lunch time were all mentioned repeatedly as B C favorite activities in school. No error. D E In this sentence, “lunch time” should be changed to “eating lunch.” Each of the items that the fifth graders mentioned start with an “-ing” word. This is called parallel sentence structure. Each item in a series should be written in the same grammatical form. Subject/Object of Sentence This is an important grammar rule, because it consistently appears on the SAT. The teacher asked Harry and I if we could, due to the upcoming A B exams, attend her review class after school. No error. C D E The mistake in this sentence is choice “A”. In this sentence, “Harry and I” is the object of the sentence, which means “Harry and I” should be changed to “Harry and me”. If this was the subject of the sentence, then “Harry and I” would be correct
SAT Grammar Rules Packet Diction Error Another grammar concept that is repeatedly asked on the SAT is called diction. Diction basically means word choice. Here is a sentence that contains a diction error: When the opera finally came to a conclusion at nine, we still had not eaten dinner A and wanted to decide quick what type of food everyone would be happy with. No error. B C D E The mistake here is in choice B. “Quickly” should be used instead of “quick.” If a verb, such as decide, is used in a sentence, an adverb is needed to describe how somebody is going to decide. “Quickly” is an adverb. Adverbs very frequently end in “-ly.” In this example, an adjective, “quick,” was used in a place where an adverb should have been. This is a common mistake used on the SAT that students should really look out for. A second type of diction error is when a slang type of expression is used instead of a more formal type of expression. Since there is some gray area between what is considered slang and what is considered formal, the SAT tends to stick to fairly cut and dry examples. Here is a sentence with an error of this type: The reason for the poor attendance at today’s annual party is because the weather has been A B C highly unpredictable all week. No error. D E The mistake here is in choice C. The phrase “is because” is not grammatically correct in this sentence. The word “because” should not be used after the word “reason.” Instead, the phrase “is that” should be used. Proper Number Agreement The writing section of the SAT will frequently test students on number agreement. This means that if a sentence has a plural subject then any phrases that describe the subject must be plural as well. Here is an example: The travel tour through Italy is intended for families A B C with a young child. No error. D E The mistake here is in choice D because the noun in the second part of the sentence, “families,” is plural and the phrase “with a young child” is singular. The phrase “with young children” should be used instead.
Unclear Pronouns An unclear pronoun refers to a pronoun found in a sentence where it is unclear as to what the pronoun is referring to. Sarah and Karen were enjoying the hike up the mountain until she felt ill and they A B C had to turn back for home. No error. D E The mistake in this sentence is choice “C” because it is unclear as to whether the pronoun “she” is referring to Sarah or Karen. Words that go together Here are some words that always go together: When you use preoccupation , you always use with : “He has a preoccupation with something.” When you use inconsistent , you always use with : “His words were inconsistent with something.” When you use regarded , you always use as : “She was regarded as the best.” When you use between , you always use and : “She was making a choice between this and this.” When you use either , you always use or. When you use neither , you always use nor. When you use each , you always use its. SAT Grammar Rules Packet
SAT Vocabulary Words 63 digress v to stray away from a main topic in writing or speaking 64 dilemma n difficulty, difficult situation 65 diligent adj hard-working 66 disavow v to deny knowledge or responsibility of 67 discern v be aware, detect, comprehend 68 discerning adj observant, having an awareness of 69 discretion n cautious, having good judgment 70 disparage v belittle, show disrespect for, say unkind things about 71 disreputable adj shameful, disgraceful 72 divisive adj creating division or separation 73 dogged adj stubborn, persistent 74 dogmatic adj stubborn, absolutely sure 75 dubious adj doubtful, skeptical, questionable 76 dupe v to deceive a person 77 eccentric adj odd, strange 78 ecstatic adj very happy 79 elated adj overjoyed, very happy 80 eloquent adj well-spoken 81 embellish v to make beautiful by decorating; to add fictitious details to a story 82 emulate v try to be like, imitate 83 enervated v exhausted, weakened 84 enervating adj exhausting 85 enhance v improve 86 enigma n puzzle 87 enigmatic adj puzzling, strange 88 enmity n hatred, dislike 89 ephemeral adj existing for a short time, fleeting 90 eradicate v erase, remove 91 erratic adj odd, inconsistent 92 erroneous adj mistaken, derived from error 93 euphoric adj happy, overjoyed 94 evanescent adj fleeting, passing, short-lived 95 exacerbate v make something worse, anger, incite 96 extol v to praise highly 97 extravagant adj excessive, extreme 98 extroverted adj outgoing, sociable 99 fastidious adj meticulous, fussy 100 fervent adj passionate, intense 101 fickle adj indecisive 102 florid adj showy, ornate 103 flourish v thrive, bloom grow 104 fortuitous adj lucky, happening by chance in a positive way 105 frivolous adj unimportant 106 frugal adj thrifty, cheap, not spending much 107 galvanize v stimulate, energize, stir up 108 genial adj kind, pleasant 109 gregarious adj outgoing, sociable 110 hackneyed adj over familiar due to overuse; trite 111 haughty adj arrogant, overbearing 112 hedonist n one who is devoted to seeking pleasure 113 heinous adj horrible, disgusting 114 humble adj simple, modest 115 impetuous adj hasty 116 innocuous adj harmless, having no adverse effects 117 insipid adj dull, uninteresting, boring 118 insolent adj rude, disrespectful, snobby 119 interminable adj endless 120 intransigent adj stubborn 121 intrepid adj brave, fearless 122 introverted v shy, keeping to yourself 123 invigorated v energized
SAT Vocabulary Words 124 irreproachable adj unable to blame, innocent 125 irresolute adj undecided, uncertain 126 labyrinth n maze 127 lavish adj extravagant, overly generous 128 loathing n hatred, disgust 129 lucid adj clear, logical, thought through 130 machinations n schemes, plots 131 maxim n a general truth or principle; adage or saying 132 meager adj poor, insufficient 133 meticulous adj very careful, paying attention to details 134 misanthrope n anti-social person 135 mitigate v ease, soothe, soften 136 morose adj gloomy, sad 137 munificent adj generous 138 naïve adj simple, inexperienced 139 naïve adj simple-minded, trusting 140 notorious adj well-known, usually for a bad quality or reason 141 obdurate adj stubborn 142 obscure adj clouded, vague 143 obstinate adj stubborn 144 obtuse adj simple-minded, stupid 145 ominous adj threatening 146 opulent adj wealthy, rich, luxurious 147 ornate adj very fancy, decorated 148 ostentatious adj showy, flaunting 149 pacific adj peaceful, calm 150 pallid adj lacking color, pale 151 paragon n model of excellence, shining example 152 parsimony n stingy frugal 153 penitent adj being sorry for what you did, contrite 154 penurious adj stingy, cheap 155 peripheral adj not central, not very important 156 perplexed v confused 157 perseverant adj determined to finish, not to give up 158 persevered v held on, endured, kept at it 159 perspective adj aware of 160 perspicacious adj mentally insightful, wise, shrewd 161 philanthropist n generous person 162 placid adj peaceful, calm 163 poignant adj profoundly moving or touching 164 pompous adj arrogant 165 pretentious adj showy, conceited 166 prodigy n one with exceptional talents or powers 167 profound adj great, intense 168 prudent adj careful, wise 169 pugnacious adj hostile, harsh, wanting to fight 170 punctilious adj exact, strict, formal 171 quandary n a state of perplexity or uncertainty; a predicament 172 querulous adj inclined to complain 173 raconteur n storyteller, narrator 174 radiant adj beaming, shining, beautiful 175 ravenous adj hungry, starving 176 recluse n loner, hermit 177 reclusive adj living or being alone 178 refined adj polite, well-bred 179 reproach v blame, scold 180 reputable adj respectable, honorable 181 resolute adj determined 182 resolution n a course of action decided upon
