SAT Prep · Cheat Sheet
| Rule | Example | |
| Singular subject → singular verb | "The list IS long" (not "are") | |
| Plural subject → plural verb | "The students WERE quiet" | |
| Intervening phrase: cross it out | "The team [of players] IS ready" — ignore "of players" | |
| Collective nouns (team, committee, jury) | Singular in American English: "The committee HAS decided" | |
| Neither...nor / Either...or | Verb agrees with the closer subject: "Neither the teachers nor the principal WAS..." | |
| Rule | Example | |
| "Each," "every," "neither," "either" | Singular: "Each student brings HIS OR HER notebook" | |
| Collective noun antecedent | Singular: "The team achieved ITS goal" | |
| its vs. it's | "its" = possessive (no apostrophe); "it's" = it is | |
| their vs. they're vs. there | their (possessive) / they're (they are) / there (location) | |
| your vs. you're | your (possessive) / you're (you are) | |
| Type | Problem | Fix |
| Dangling modifier | The modifying phrase doesn't describe the right noun | Move the subject to immediately follow the modifier |
| Misplaced modifier | The modifier is too far from what it modifies | Place modifier immediately next to modified word |
| "Running down the street, the trees..." | Trees can't run | "Running down the street, I saw the trees..." |
| Rule | Example | |
| Items in a list must match | "She likes running, swimming, and BIKING" (not "to bike") | |
| Comparisons must match | "He prefers hiking to SWIMMING" (not "swim") | |
| Verb forms must match | "She studied, slept, and ATE" (not "eating") | |
| Rule | Correct Use | |
| Semicolon | Joins two INDEPENDENT CLAUSES; both sides must stand alone | |
| Colon | Introduces list or explanation; must follow INDEPENDENT CLAUSE | |
| Comma splice (wrong) | Never use only a comma to join two independent clauses | |
| FANBOYS | Comma + (for/and/nor/but/or/yet/so) joins two independent clauses | |
| Em dash | Creates a side comment; sentence must work if content between dashes is removed | |
| Apostrophe | Possession OR contraction; NEVER for simple plurals | |
| Category | Words | |
| Addition | Furthermore, Moreover, Additionally, Also, Similarly | |
| Contrast | However, Nevertheless, Yet, In contrast, On the other hand, Although | |
| Cause-Effect | Therefore, Thus, As a result, Consequently, Hence | |
| Example | For example, For instance, Specifically, To illustrate | |
| Concession | Admittedly, Of course, It is true that, Granted |
Aligned to the College Board Digital SAT specifications.
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