Learn the English rules tested by these digital SAT grammar questions, complete with detailed examples.
"Form, Structure, and Sense" questions on the digital SAT challenge students to master the art of editing, ensuring texts comply with established norms like subject-verb concord and uniform verb tense. These questions require a sophisticated grasp of the English language rules.
The question pushes students to deconstruct sentences into parts of speech, reconcile subjects and verbs, and differentiate between different verb conjugations. There's a lot of ground covered here, so let's start with an example.
Form, Structure and Sense questions are phrased as "Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?", but don't get them confused with Boundaries questions, which test mostly punctuations.
The Hubble Telescope, launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, is a significant part of human space exploration history. Making critical observations of distant galaxies, ______ transformed our understanding of the universe.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) the Hubble Telescope, with its advanced instruments,
B) with its advanced instruments, the Hubble Telescope
C) there is the Hubble Telescope, which with its advanced instruments
D) having advanced instruments, the Hubble Telescope
Start by reading the question and focus on the phrase before and after the blank. This example question tests your knowledge of sentence structure, particularly the correct placement of modifiers. A common error in sentence construction is the dangling modifier, where the descriptive phrase doesn't clearly or logically connect to the word it's supposed to be modifying.
Mini Question
Which of the following errors occurs when a descriptive phrase does not clearly refer to the word it modifies?
A) Run-on sentence
B) Dangling modifier
C) Sentence fragment
The next step is to identify the modifying phrase, which is usually at the beginning of the sentence.
Mini Question
Which part of the sentence is the modifier that needs a correct subject to follow?
A) The Hubble Telescope
B) launched into low Earth orbit in 1990
C) Making critical observations of distant galaxies
Next, understand what that modifier is describing. The important thing to remember here is that the modifier is providing additional information about a specific noun in the sentence.
Mini Question
In the original sentence, what should the phrase "Making critical observations of distant galaxies" modify?
A) observations
B) galaxies
C) the Hubble Telescope
The modifying phrase should directly lead into the noun it's describing, without any unnecessary interruption. This ensures clarity, as the reader understands exactly what's being described without having to guess or reread the sentence.
Go through each choice and consider if it positions the modifier directly before the appropriate noun. Eliminate choices where there's a disconnect (these are your dangling modifiers).
Mini Question
Which option maintains the clearest connection between the modifier and its intended subject?
A) "the Hubble Telescope, with its advanced instruments,"
B) "with its advanced instruments, the Hubble Telescope"
C) "having advanced instruments, the Hubble Telescope"
Here are 7 common grammar rules tested on form, structure, and sense questions.
The verb must agree with its subject in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
Correct: The cat jumps onto the sofa.
Incorrect: The cat jump onto the sofa.
Maintain the same verb tense throughout a sentence or related sentences to ensure clear chronological context.
Correct: She walked to the store and bought milk.
Incorrect: She walked to the store and buys milk.
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person.
Correct: Every student should do their homework.
Incorrect: Every student should do his homework. (Incorrect in cases requiring gender-inclusivity.)
When listing items or actions, they should follow the same grammatical format.
Correct: She likes running, swimming, and biking.
Incorrect: She likes running, to swim, and biking.
Coordination and subordination join sentences in a way that gives them the correct logical relation to each other.
Correct: Jane couldn't take the bus, so she called a taxi.
Incorrect: Jane couldn't take the bus, and she called a taxi. (The sentences need to show cause and effect.)
Subjective pronouns act as the subject of the sentence (I, you, he, she, it, we, they). Objective pronouns act as the object of a verb or preposition (me, you, him, her, it, us, them).
Correct: He gave the book to me.
Incorrect: He gave the book to I.
Show possession with either an apostrophe or by using the word "of".
Correct: That is Sarah's book.
Incorrect: That is the book of Sarah.
These are the top 3 mistakes students run into with this question type.
A complete sentence requires at least a subject and a verb. Avoid fragments that lack one of these elements.
Example: Ran fast.
Corrected: The dog ran fast.
Two independent clauses cannot be joined without proper punctuation or a conjunction.
Example: I went home I felt tired.
Corrected: I went home; I felt tired.
Place words or phrases as close as possible to the words they modify to avoid confusion.
Example: Wearing a jacket, the dog was walked by the man. (It implies the dog is wearing a jacket.)
Corrected: The man wearing a jacket walked the dog.
Now that you've mastered this question type, it's time to test your skills
Take a Free Digital SAT Practice Test