Welcome to Fiveable's deep dive into sentence structure! This is the first of three guides that goes straight into the nitty-gritty of Standard English Conventions as part of the SAT Writing and Language section.

Compared to the other SAT Language Sections, Standard English Conventions is more on the technical side. In order to be successful, you should familiarize yourself with the rules and the standards of written English. Let's get into it! 💫

✍🏼 SAT Writing and Language: Sentence Structure

But wait...what is sentence structure all about? Your job for this part of the SAT Writing and Language section is to recognize and correct sentence formation, as well as inappropriate shifts in sentence construction. We've broken this down into six subsections for you!

🌉 Sentence Boundaries

🌰 What the College Board says: Recognizing and correcting grammatically incomplete sentences that aren’t rhetorically effective

⭐ What It Basically Means: You'd want to know what makes a sentence complete or incomplete.

🤔 What You Need to Remember:

• A typical sentence has (1) a subject (something, usually a noun/pronoun, that performs or describes an action), (2) a predicate (usually a verb expressing the action by the subject), and (3) a complete thought.

  • Ex. I always wake up in the morning to catch a glimpse of Uncle Jimmy's cows.

• A fragment usually is missing at least ONE of (1), (2), and (3).

  • Ex. Uncle Jimmy's cows (missing predicate)

  • Ex. To catch a glimpse of his cows (missing subject)

  • Ex. Always waking up in the morning (incomplete thought)

• With punctuation, you can complete sentences with periods (.), exclamation points (!), or question marks (?). Exclamation marks indicate strong emotion and question marks are used to signify that the sentence is a question.

  • Ex. Have you seen the sequel to Boss Baby?

  • Ex. I hate pineapple on pizza!

  • Ex. It is frustrating how the SAT is coming up very soon.

• You can also end sentences in semicolons (;) if the next clause is still connected to the original sentence.

  • Ex. I heard the San Diego Zoo is among the most popular zoos in the world; it is said to have more than 500 animals and 20 shops.

• You CANNOT end fragments in periods (.). You can only end them in commas (,) especially if they are at the front of the sentence.

  • Wrong: Too exhausted to talk. Jimmy drifted off to sleep.

  • Correct: Too exhausted to talk, Jimmy drifted off to sleep.

• However, beware of comma splices, which can occur if you incorrectly identify independent clauses (complete sentences) as a sentence fragment. (We will go deeper into this later!) Essentially, you cannot use a comma to connect two distinct thoughts that could stand alone as separate sentences. (This is also known as a run-on sentence).

  • Wrong (comma splice example): "I went for a walk, it was a beautiful day."

🙌 Subordination and Coordination

🌰 What the College Board says: Recognizing and correcting problems in how major parts of sentences are related

⭐ What It Basically Means: You'd want to know your different subordinating and coordinating conjunctions and how they relate in a sentence!

🤔 What You Need to Remember:

• A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb.

• An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone on its own. It is essentially a complete sentence.

  • Ex. Wetlands are becoming less and less prevalent over time.

• A dependent clause, on the other, is a clause that CANNOT stand alone, almost like a fragment. In other words, it doesn't make sense if you hear it in a conversation (hint: its like a cliffhanger)

  • Ex. Although she enjoys ravioli

  • Ex. Because Kanye West delayed the launch of 'Donda'

• Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together.

  • Ex. bored yet hungry

  • Ex. My mom loves watching NASCAR events, but my dad prefers watching figure skating championships.

• Coordinating conjunctions join equally important ideas together (aka phrases or two independent clauses).

  • Ex. Will we find you near the pier or by the beach? (two phrases)

  • Ex. People can have differing opinions, but there are always opportunities for everyone to unite and find commonalities. (two independent clauses)

• Subordinating conjunctions combine a dependent clause and an independent clause.

  • Ex. Joaquin studied Japanese so he can do a study abroad program in the Far East next semester. (Joaquin studied Japanese = independent clause; so he can. . . = dependent clause)

  • Ex. Unless the church can find 50 more donors, it will shut down next month. (Unless the church. . . = dependent clause; it will shut down. . . = independent clause)

• Here's a list of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions using the acronym FANBOYS:

• Here is a list of subordinating conjunctions (if you see these at the beginning of a clause, it's a subordinating clause):

❗ Sample Question: Unless he transferred to a new school, Jeremy struggled with finding friends.

(A) NO CHANGE

(B) Although

(C) Because

(D) Even though

ANSWER: (C) Because. "Unless" gives more of an ultimatum-like vibe (has a consequence). "Although" and "Even though" (similar meanings) do not fit the outcome of Jeremy's situation as he struggled due to his transfer. "Because" is the most appropriate, as it connects Jeremy's evident struggle to his transfer to a new school.

⛓️ Parallel Structure

🌰 What the College Board says: Recognizing and correcting problems with parallelism

⭐ What It Basically Means: When looking at items in groups, make sure to keep them consistent. This is the key idea of parallelism in grammar.

🤔 What You Need to Remember:

• You know how parallel lines go in the same direction? That's the same idea with parallel structure: keeping the format similar throughout the entire sentence.

  • Ex. I like drinking milk tea, singing Taylor Swift songs, and collecting pins. (-ing ___, -ing ___, and -ing ___)

  • Ex. I want to dance, to ride horses, and to take photos. (to ___, to ___, and to ___).

❗ Sample Question: To win at Scrabble, I suggest that you focus on spelling longer words, reach the "double" or "triple" bonuses, and using all your rare consonants.

(A) NO CHANGE

(B) reaches

(C) reaching 

(D) to reach

ANSWER: (C) reaching. Remember, stay consistent!

• Parallel structure with verbs: Keep them within the same verb tense!

  • Ex. He enlisted into the army, trained diligently, and fought against the enemies of the nation.

  • Ex. By donating to UNICEF, we can support those in need, keep the organization running, and make plentiful use of our money!

• Parallel structure in groups/pairs: Follow your instincts!

  • Ex. You shouldn't give up neither your life nor your effort for a futile cause.

  • Ex. Contemporary critics view Romeo's love for Juliet as something that is as shallow as a pond.

  • Ex. The police found both the illegal paraphernalia and the missing individuals.

  • Ex. Dean Johnson's favorite activities range from judo to kayaking.

  • Ex. Crazily, my sister wants to not only go rock climbing but also go cliff diving.

🗺️ Modifier Placement

🌰 What the College Board says: Recognizing and correcting problems with modifier placement, including dangling and misplaced modifiers

⭐ What It Basically Means: Beware of dangling and misplaced modifiers. Know what your pronouns are referring to and be sure to clearly indicate them. Your goal is to minimize any confusion or ambiguity.

🤔 What You Need to Remember:

• CLARITY! CLARITY! CLARITY!

• You know that awkward feeling when you read a sentence that doesn't make any sense the first time around and try to understand what the writer was saying?

  • Ex. Crushed and brutally pulverized, the chef grabbed the ground pepper from within the mortar.

• Tricky, right? "Crushed and brutally pulverized" refers to the mortar and yet, the sentence makes it seem like the chef was the one being pulverized. That's an example of a dangling modifier.

• You want your modifiers (the phrase describing something) to be as close as possible to the object they are describing.

❗ Sample Question: After being caught in the act, the on-site reporters excitedly snapped photos of the malevolent vandals.

(A) NO CHANGE

(B) the on-site reporters and the malevolent vandals ran.

(C) the malevolent vandals ran away from the excited on-site reporters.

(D) the photos of the malevolent vandals were snapped by on-site reporters.

ANSWER: (C). Ask yourself, "Who was caught in the act?" The vandals! (Not the on-site reporters. Not the photos.) Remember, you want your modifier to be as close as possible to what it's describing.

🔊 Shifts in Verb Tense, Mood, and Voice

🌰 What the College Board says: changing inappropriately from past to present tense

⭐ What It Basically Means: Stay consistent with your verb tenses.

🤔 What You Need to Remember:

• For 90% of the time, you will be asked to check a sentence for tense inconsistencies. In other words, does the tense used help the sentence make sense to the reader?

• Past vs. Present Tense: Present tense refers to actions, events, or situations that are currently happening, ongoing, or habitual. It can also be to describe the future. Past tense refers to actions, events, or situations that have already occurred or are considered completed in the past. To be able to easily identify which is which, look for any hints through timestamps.

  • Ex. Yesterday, aunt Rosa shopped for souvenirs in downtown San Francisco. (this is past tense.)

  • Ex. Scientists sanctioned by the UN recently stated that in terms of climate change, the world will be in a dire place by 2040. (this is present tense.)

❗ Sample Question: Back in his day, Grampa Joad pulled out the weeds and chop down trees in his backyard.

(A) NO CHANGE

(B) chopping

(C) will chop

(D) chopped

ANSWER: (D) chopped. There are two ways to approach this question, and both are correct! You can treat this one as a parallel structure question…OR notice the "back in his day" hint, which indicates that Grampa's actions happened way back in the past!

• Indicative Mood (your classic action) vs. Conditional Mood (a “what if” action): The indicative mood is common in everyday communication and it is made to make factual statements, express certainty, provide information, or ask questions. For the most part, when a verb is in the indicative mood, it is presented as a straightforward declaration or assertion. The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical situations, events, or actions. The verb in the conditional mood is often accompanied by an "if" clause.

  • Ex. The drink might explode if you shake the bottle. (Conditional)

  • Ex. When he shook the bottle, the drink exploded. (Indicative; past tense)

• Active vs. Passive Voice: On the SAT, we always want to use the active voice. Active voice is shorter, more concise, and more straightforward. This can be helpful if you are stuck on a particular question. Sometimes, the shortest answer is the correct answer.

  • Passive: The drink was served by the waitress.

  • Active: The waitress served the drink.

• NOTE: the active vs. passive voice rule is oftentimes independent from the goal of identifying the correct verb tense. Don't avoid the passive voice like the plague if it turns out to be the right answer when it comes to verb tense consistency!

  • Ex. The emcee presented the plaque at the ceremony and the guest was beyond excited to receive it. (this sentence is in the past tense so use "was")

🔢 Shifts in Pronoun Person and Number  

🌰 What the College Board says: changing inappropriately from second person “you” to third person “one”

⭐ What It Basically Means: Keep track of what the pronouns refer to, and don't mix up your numbers.

🤔 What You Need to Remember:

• Don't get thrown off by collective nouns that usually indicate groups. Collective nouns are more commonly used in the singular form

  • Ex. The orangutan at the Los Angeles Zoo shoved a bunch of bananas down its throat and gnawed it aggressively. (it refers to a bunch of bananas, not the bananas themselves!)

  • Ex. The Jamesons saw a pack of wolves and admired it from afar. (Again, it refers to pack, not the wolves.)

• Remember the first-person (I/me, we/our), second-person (you), and third-person (they/them, he/him, she/her, it/its) pronoun series.

  • Ex. Fifteen college students were randomly assigned to form groups within themselves. (not himself, herself, theirselves, or ourselves)

❗ Sample Question: Agatha and her classmates followed her teacher outside the wet laboratory right after the smoke alarm went off.

(A) NO CHANGE

(B) our

(C) its

(D) their

ANSWER: (D) their. We have a plural subject (Agatha and her classmates), so it makes sense to use a plural pronoun (which eliminates choice A and C). Since "I" wasn't mentioned, we can't use choice B. That leaves us choice D!

🤓 SAT Sentence Structure: Conclusion

...aaaaaand that's a wrap! Remember to really take the time to digest these six rules and how to apply them to practice questions. Once you're ready, move onto our deep dive into conventions of usage for the SAT Writing and Language section. You got this! 🍀