SAT/ACT English Tips!

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  1. What is a full sentence?
    1. There are 3 ways to separate 2 full sentences
      1. Semicolon ;
      2. Period .
      3. ,and | ,but |,or |FANBOYS
  2. Subject verb agreement
    1. Singular subject—singular verb
      1. The student tries to succeed.
    2. Ignore prepositional phrases when matching subject and verb
      1. The carton of boxes weigh 20 twenty pounds.
      2. The apple and the orange taste/tastes good.
      3. The group of exceptional athletes have/has achieved success this year.
      4. Either a pen or a pencil help/helps in writing.
  3. Comma usage
    1. Use commas to offset by the way statements.
      1. Judah, one of my ACT students, lives in Teaneck.
    2. Do not use commas for herself | itself | himself
      1. Jessica, a student from Bergenfield, helped me with my homework.
      2. Alan enjoys algebra, the study of numbers and variables.
      3. The lawyer John Smith handles many cases in Hackensack.
      4. Samantha, herself, knows right from wrong.
    3. Lists
      1. I need to buy apples, oranges, and grapes.
  4. Nominative and Objective case pronouns
    1. Who is there to pick him up?
    2. To who should I address the letter?
    3. He enjoys teasing she, but he also likes helping he.
  5. Parallel structure
    1. Sarah enjoys the music of Chopin more than Beethoven.
    2. Yael enjoys swimming, running, and to practice yoga.
    3. To trust ones instinct is often being misguided.
  6. Past, Present, and Future tense verbs
    1. She has danced.
    2. She had danced.
    3. She danced.
    4. The economy has improved since 2009, and the markets now face volatility.
    5. Donald Trump had pondered running for President since 2008, and he now runs a successful campaign.
    6. The economy has suffered several recessions before 1930.
  7. Parsimony-Use as few words as possible-choose the simplest answer
    1. Susan had her family volunteer each year at the food bank, helping poor people annually.
    2. The physically demanding task was strenuous.
  8. Possessive
    1. Girl’s room
    2. Girls’ rooms
    3. Girls’ room
    4. Girl’s rooms
  9. Contractions vs. Possessive
    1. They’re
    2. It’s
    3. Its
    4. Its’
    5. Their
    6. She’s