sat grammar tips and tricks

STP, Lauren Whitemore

• eliminating two answers that are exactly the same

• in this example, eliminate A and C because a semicolon and period work the same way

• if you see a semicolon in the text

• it can also serve as a comma that can separate list items

• in the example, whitmore said “i see a semicolon in the text so im going to immediately pick the semicolon”

• when the description comes before the name

• aluminum oxide is the name and they are describing it as a compound

  • since the description came (compound) before aluminum oxide (the name), you dont need any commas there

• answer is D

• using majority rules for apostrophes

• “im looking for two phrases that are the same”

  • C and D have the apostrophe before the S so its gonna be C or D

its D because its singular

• if only one separates two complete sentences, it is probably the answer

• Option C is the only one that separatesthe two sentences

  • watch out for the comma and fanboys too

• if u see a dash, pick the dash

• see a dash in the text, pick the answer choice with the dash

• when you are on module 2, #20/#21 and u see an -ing

• if u see an -ing verb, pick it

  • they’re probably using it to separate a non-essential clause

• when u have verbs as ur answers (pronoun trick)

• is —> he is

• are —> they are

• have been —> they have been

• were —> they were

• “is” is the only singular one

answer A

• when u have a blank right after first comma and ur answers say the same thing in different way

  • deals with lead in question (they describe the subject without introducing the subject)

• subject needs to be the very first thing after the comma

  • subject must also match the lead in

• the subject assess films, so can critics assess films?

  • yes, the answer is A

• most arduous hack

• when u have a punctuation/transition hybrid question

• two-step approach

  • what kind of punction u need

  • where the transition word needs to go

• gets rid of the transition word completely in the answer choices (so cross out however)

• the sentence with the blank is a complete sentence ("Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly)

• is the next sentence a complete sentence?

  • if yes then u need a period, semicolon

• A and B both have semicolons

“doesn’t make such decision single-handely” makes it sound like this sentence is contradicintg the sentence before it so answer is A

• u want the contrast word in the same sentence

#2

• if u see a transition word in the answer choices and there is no punctuation mark, get rid of that answer choice right away

  • cross out D, u always need a punctuation mark