english sat

Rules for Specific Punctuation Marks

  • Colon Rules:

    • Requires an independent clause before the colon.

    • Requires an expanding thought after the colon.

  • Period Rules:

    • Requires an independent clause before the period.

    • Requires an independent clause after the period.

  • Semicolon Rules:

    • Used in a semicolon list.

    • Requires an independent clause before the semicolon and an independent clause after the semicolon.

  • Comma + FANBOYS Rules:

    • Requires an independent clause before the comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) and an independent clause after.

  • Isolated Comma Rules:

    • Used in a comma list.

    • Attaches a non-essential element to the sentence.

  • Dash Rules:

    • Attaches a non-essential element to the sentence (when surrounding internal non-essential information, it must be paired as a dash sandwich).

    • Functions as the exact same thing as a colon (requires an independent clause before and an expanding thought after).

Grammatical Shortcuts and Concepts

  • Title Name: A standard shortcut category to check during punctuation analysis.

  • Dashes: A standard shortcut category to check during non-essential or expansion analysis.

  • Question Marks: A standard shortcut category to evaluate direct versus indirect sentence structures.

  • Transition Placement: A critical concept requiring evaluation of how transitions link sentences or clauses based on punctuation placement.

Punctuation Priority List (CPIN)

  • 1. Colon (C): Evaluated first in order of priority.

  • 2. Period, Semicolon, Comma + FANBOYS (P): Evaluated second; all three of these options perform equivalent structural work by separating two independent clauses.

  • 3. Isolated Comma (I): Evaluated third for attaching non-essential elements or forming lists.

  • 4. No Punctuation (N): Evaluated fourth when no punctuation is grammatically required.

Step-by-Step Punctuation Process

  • Step 1: Look at the answer choices first

    • Begin the question analysis by reviewing the answer choices before reading the passage.

  • Step 2: Plan out all steps just from the answer choices

    • Use the differences among the answer choices to determine exactly what to search for in the passage.

  • Step 3: Search for key structural components in the passage

    • Identify the main subject and main verb of the sentence.

    • Apply the Comma Jumping technique: Start reading at the beginning of the sentence and, as soon as additional/non-essential information is encountered, jump immediately to the next comma to bypass the non-essential content.

  • Step 4: Confirm complete structural comprehension

    • Ensure a 100% complete understanding of the entire sentence structure before selecting the final answer choice.