This top 10 list gives some of the most common grammatical patterns on the SAT as well as some general strategies to keep in mind. Here’s the second half of the Top 10 Tips for SAT Writing, pt 1.

6. Make sure your modifiers are placed correctly. -  The modifier that typically shows up on the SAT writing section is located at the beginning of the sentence and is followed by a comma.  A modifier is a dependent clause (cannot stand on its own as a sentence) that must be directly followed by the noun it describes.  Here is an example of a modifier used correctly:

Running through the forest, the boy tripped on a branch.

The modifier “running through the forest” describes the noun that directly follows, “the boy.”

Here is an example of a modifier used incorrectly:

Running through the forest, the branch was tripped on by the boy.

The placement of words indicates that the branch is running through the forest, when we know it is in fact the boy who is running.

7. Keep verb tense consistent. - Generally you want to keep all the verbs in a sentence in the same tense on the SAT writing section.  If you are working on improving a writing passage, usually you can refer to the sentences around the one in question and keep the tense the same. However, there will be cases in which different clauses refer to different time periods and different tenses are appropriate.  When dealing with verb tense and only one verb, remember to look for clue words in the sentence that indicate when the action took place.

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During your SAT review, make sure to familiarize yourself with each section and some of the types of questions that show up over and over again.  As you do your SAT prep and SAT practice tests, keep this helpful information in mind and you will be on the road to acing the SAT!

The good news about the multiple choice part of the SAT writing section is that the same twenty or thirty grammatical concepts are tested over and over.  The more you practice, the more familiar you will become with these patterns.  This top 10 list gives some of the most common grammatical patterns on the SAT as well as some general strategies to keep in mind.

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1. Keep it simple! - The number one thing to keep in mind is that you want to pick the answer that is the most concise and simple, while still grammatically correct.  I throw in “while still grammatically correct” because following grammar rules means that the best answer choice is not always the shortest one.  If an answer choice seems wordy or overly elaborate, it’s probably wrong.

2. Don’t be redundant. - If something has already been stated or implied, there is no need to state it again.  For example, if a man’s name is included in a sentence, there’s no need for a phrase stating that he is a man.  The reader can infer this without the extra words.  Similarly, pronouns should not be thrown in that serve no purpose.

3. Look for parallel structure. - Parallelism shows up often in the writing section.  A sentence that is parallel contains phrases that match each other in structure.  For example, if the first item in a series of three contains a verb in present tense form, the other two items should also be verbs in present tense form.  This applies to all different types of speech.

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