Grammar Rules
Which word correctly completes the sentence?
Each of the students (was/were) excited for the test.
was
Which word best replaces "happy" in the sentence below for a more precise meaning?
The student felt happy after acing the SAT.
A) Ecstatic
B) Content
C) Pleased
D) Any of the above
D) Any of the above (Each word conveys different shades of "happy," but all are more precise than "happy" alone.)
What is the main idea of a passage?
A) A minor detail
B) The primary point the author is making
C) A supporting example
D) A quote from the text
B) The primary point the author is making. (The main idea is the central message or argument of the passage.)
Choose the best revision for this sentence:
The book was written by the author in 1920.
A) The author wrote the book in 1920.
B) In 1920, the book was written by the author.
C) The book was written in 1920 by the author.
D) The author in 1920 wrote the book.
A) The author wrote the book in 1920. (Active voice makes the sentence clearer and more direct.)
Identify the error in the sentence:
The team are playing well this season.
A) "team" should be "teams"
B) "are" should be "is"
C) "playing" should be "played"
D) No error
B) "are" should be "is." (The word "team" is singular, so it should be "The team is playing well.")
Choose the sentence with correct pronoun usage:
A) Him and I went to the store.
B) She and me finished the project.
C) He and I walked to school together.
He and I walked to school together. (Subject pronouns should be used in the subject position.)
Which sentence correctly uses the word affect?
A) The new law had a significant affect on businesses.
B) The rainy weather can affect my mood.
C) Her speech had a powerful affect on the audience.
B) The rainy weather can affect my mood. ("Affect" is a verb meaning "to influence.")
If a passage describes a scientist conducting an experiment and later explains the results, the structure of the passage is most likely:
A) Cause and Effect
B) Compare and Contrast
C) Chronological
D) Problem and Solution
A) Cause and Effect. (The experiment is the cause, and the results are the effect.)
Choose the sentence with the best word economy (conciseness).
A) The reason why she left early was because she felt very tired.
B) The reason that she left early was that she was very tired.
C) She left early because she was tired.
D) Due to the fact that she was tired, she left early.
C) She left early because she was tired. (Removes unnecessary words like "the reason why" and "very.")
Identify the grammatical mistake:
Each of the students have their own locker.
A) "Each" should be "All"
B) "have" should be "has"
C) "their" should be "his or her"
D) No error
B) "have" should be "has." ("Each" is singular, so the correct verb is "has.")
Which sentence uses correct subject-verb agreement?
A) The group of students are going on a trip.
B) The group of students is going on a trip.
C) The group of students were going on a trip.
The group of students is going on a trip. (The subject "group" is singular.)
Which sentence uses concise language?
A) The reason why she left early was because she felt very tired.
B) She left early because she was tired.
B) She left early because she was tired. (Removes unnecessary words like "the reason why" and "very.")
In an SAT passage, if an author states: "Critics argue that this policy is ineffective, but evidence suggests otherwise," what is their likely purpose?
A) To present an opposing viewpoint
B) To introduce a counterargument
C) To change their opinion
D) To summarize the argument
B) To introduce a counterargument. (The phrase "but evidence suggests otherwise" signals a rebuttal.)
What is the best revision for this sentence?
There are many people who believe that the government should provide free college tuition.
A) Many people believe the government should provide free college tuition.
B) Many people are of the belief that free college tuition should be provided by the government.
C) It is believed by many people that free college tuition should be provided.
D) A belief that many people have is that college tuition should be free.
A) Many people believe the government should provide free college tuition. (It eliminates redundancy and passive voice.)
Identify the error in this sentence:
The novel, along with its sequels, were highly successful.
A) "novel" should be "novels"
B) "were" should be "was"
C) "highly" should be "high"
D) No error
B) "were" should be "was." ("The novel" is the subject, and it is singular, so the verb should be "was.")
Which sentence uses the correct modifier placement?
A) Walking through the park, the birds chirped loudly.
B) The man saw a dog driving down the road.
C) She nearly finished all of her homework.
She nearly finished all of her homework. (Correct modifier placement—"nearly" correctly modifies "finished.")
What is the best word to replace "nice" in this sentence?
The teacher gave the student nice feedback on their essay.
A) Critical
B) Constructive
C) Complimentary
D) Harsh
C) Complimentary (More specific than "nice" in the context of feedback.)
Based on the passage below, what can the reader infer about the character?
"James sighed as he looked at the stack of unpaid bills on the kitchen table. He rubbed his temples and reached for his phone to call his landlord."
A) James is excited about moving.
B) James is experiencing financial difficulties.
C) James is preparing to go on vacation.
D) James is a landlord.
B) James is experiencing financial difficulties. (The unpaid bills and calling the landlord suggest money trouble.)
What is the best transition word for this sentence?
The experiment failed. (However, Therefore, Meanwhile, In contrast), the scientist tried again with a new method.
However. (Shows contrast between failure and trying again.)
Identify the pronoun error in this sentence:
If a student wants to do well, they should study every day.
A) "student" should be "students"
B) "they" should be "he or she"
C) "wants" should be "want"
D) No error
B) "they" should be "he or she." ("Student" is singular, so the pronoun should match in number.)
Identify the error in this sentence:
Neither the teachers nor the principal are responsible for student behavior.
"are" should be "is" – subject-verb agreement
Which word best fits in the blank?
The CEO’s speech was filled with **________** statements that lacked clear evidence._
A) Ambiguous
B) Succinct
C) Tangible
D) Elaborate
A) Ambiguous (Means unclear or vague, which matches the context.)
What is the author's tone in the following passage?
"Despite the overwhelming evidence provided by experts, some still cling to outdated and disproven theories."
A) Neutral
B) Sarcastic
C) Objective
D) Humble
B) Sarcastic. (The phrase "cling to outdated and disproven theories" suggests a dismissive and mocking tone.)
Identify the most logical sentence order for clarity:
2 → 1 → 3. (The logical sequence starts with the chef opening the restaurant, followed by its popularity, and then expansion.)
Identify the idiomatic error in the sentence:
No sooner had the game begun when the rain started.
A) "No sooner" should be "Not sooner"
B) "when" should be "than"
C) "had" should be "has"
D) No error
B) "when" should be "than." (Correct idiom: "No sooner had... than...")