SAT Intensive Course Grammar Lesson 1 Friday, July 8, 2011

Grammar Strategies and Types of Questions

Pages 305-311 in Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition

VERBS Common Errors

1. Subject/Verb Agreement A singular subject must have a singular verb; a plural subject must have a plural verb. Look for the subject of the sentence and determine whether it is singular or plural. If you see a preposition, ignore the nouns or pronouns in the prepositional phrase. Consider crossing out the prepositional phrase so that it does not distract you from the subject of the sentence.

A group of students were studying for the test.

This sentence is incorrect. The subject is "group," which is singular. Ignore the prepositional phrase "of students" and use a verb that agrees with the subject of the sentence. Any modifying phrase or clause that comes between the subject and the verb must be ignored when determining subject/verb agreement.

The football player, in addition to the rest of the team, were awarded a trophy.

This sentence is incorrect. The subject is "football player," which is singular. The verb is "were," which is plural. Ignore the phrase between the subject and the verb and correct the number of the verb.

The following sentence has a dependent clause between the subject and the verb:

The song that they are playing in all the clubs are my favorite.

This sentence is incorrect because the singular subject, "song," does not agree with the plural verb, "are." Ignore the words that come between the subject and the verb to correct the sentence. When subjects in a sentence are linked by "either/or" or "neither/nor," the subject that is closer to the verb will determine the number of the verb. The following sentences demonstrate subject/verb agreement in this type of structure:

Either the dogs or the cat has knocked over the vase. Either the cat or the dogs have knocked over the vase.

Consider crossing off all the words from "either" to "or" (or "neither" to "nor") to help you determine the number of the subject.

Neither my brothers nor my sister are coming to the show.

This sentence is incorrect. Since "sister" is closer to the verb and is singular, the verb must be singular.

Tricky Nouns Collective nouns describe a group of people but are considered singular: The family is The jury is The group is The team is The audience is The congregation is The Czech Republic (or any other country) is The following pronouns also take the singular verbs: Either is Neither is None is Each is Anyone is No one is Everyone is

In-Class Practice 1: Subject-Verb Agreement 1. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator ____ going to have to make a decision. is are 2. ______ my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance? Is Are 3. Some of the votes __________ to have been miscounted. seem seems 4. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring _____ more than just a nuisance. are is 5. Everyone selected to serve on this jury _____ to be willing to give up a lot of time. have has 6. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, _________ a formidable opponent on the basketball court. presents present 7. He seems to forget that there __________ things to be done before he can graduate. are is 8. There _______ to be some people left in that town after yesterday's flood. have has

9. Some of the grain __________ to be contaminated. appear appears 10. Three-quarters of the students __________ against the tuition hike. is are 11. Three-quarters of the student body __________ against the tuition hike. is are 12. A high percentage of the population _________ voting for the new school. is are 13. A high percentage of the people _________ voting for the new school. was were

In-Class Practice 2: Subject-Verb Agreement 1. Carlos is the only one of those students who __________ lived up to the potential described in the yearbook. has have 2. The International Club, as well as the Choral Society and the Rowing Club, __________ to submit a new constitution. need needs 3. One of my best friends _____________ an extra on Seinfeld this week. are is

4. Not only the students but also their instructor ________ been called to the principal's office. have has 5. Most of the milk _____ gone bad. Six gallons of milk _______ still in the refrigerator. has ---- are have ---- is 6. Each and every student and instructor in this building __________ for a new facility by next year. hope hopes 7. The students and instructors each ________for a new facility by next year. hopes hope 8. Rice and beans, my favorite dish, __________ me of my native Puerto Rico. remind reminds 9. A large number of voters still ___________ along straight-party lines. votes vote 10. Four years _______ a long time to spend away from your friends and family. are is 11. Politics __________ sometimes a dirty business. are is 12. To an outsider, the economics of this country ________ to be in disarray. seem seems

SAT Practice Questions - Sentence Correction - Subject - Verb Agreement Error Discussion Forum 1. a) b) c) d) e) The number of high school drop-outs are increasing at an alarming rate in most of the schools in northern areas of California. The number of high school drop-outs are increasing at The amount of high school drop-outs are increasing at The number of high school drop-outs is increasing in The number of high school drop-outs are increasing with The number of high school drop-outs is increasing at

2. Many senior leaders now believe that the disagreement in Congress over education issues decrease the possibility for significant action being taken this year to combat the rising cost of higher education. a) b) c) d) e) issues decrease the possibility for significant action being taken issue decrease the chances of action being undertaken issues decreases the possibility of significant action being undertaken issues decrease the possibility of taking significant action issues decreases the possibility that significant action will be taken

3. The unprecedented rise in negative attitudes toward foreigners indicates that the country is becoming less tolerant, and therefore the opportunities are ripe for extremists to take advantage of this situation and propagate their radical views. a) b) c) d) e) in negative attitudes towards foreigners indicates that of negative attitude towards foreigners indicates in negative attitude towards foreigners indicate of negative attitude toward foreigners indicates in negative attitude towards foreigner indicates

4. Not everybody is successful in politics since politics demand contacts in high places, sound financial backing and an unblemished image. a) b) c) d) e) Not everybody is successful in politics since politics demand contacts in high places Not everybody is successful in politics since politics demands contacts in high places Not every one is successful in politics since it demand contacts in high places Not everybody is successful in politics because politics demands contact in high places Not every one is very successful in politics because it requires contact in high places

5. Even in the modern day world, despite all the scientific accomplishments, everyone are awestruck by nature's tricks that baffle the human mind and leave everybody gaping at its grandeur. a. b. c. d. e. everyone are awe-struck by nature's tricks that baffle the human mind everyone are awe-struck by the tricks of nature that perplex the human mind everyone is awe-struck by nature's tricks that baffle the human mind everybody is awe-struck by nature's tricks which baffle the human mind everyone is awe-struck and baffled by the nature's tricks

6. The audience were amazed and bewildered at the speed and dexterity with which the magician performed various tricks at the local circus. a. The audience were amazed and bewildered at the speed and dexterity with which b. The audience was amazed and bewildered by the speed and dexterity of c. The audience were amazed and bewildered by the speediness and dexterity with which d. The audience was amazed and bewildered at the speed and dexterity with which e. The audience were amazed and bewildered by the speed and dexterity of

7. Other than influenza, measles were considered to be responsible for the maximum number of deaths in the Unites States in 1957 and 1958. a. b. c. d. e. Other than influenza, measles were considered to be responsible Besides influenza, measles were considered responsible Other than influenza, measles is considered to be responsible Apart from influenza, measles were held to be responsible Other than influenza, measles was considered to be responsible

Additional Practice from Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition Pg. 414 Questions 16, 20, 23 Pg. 504 Questions 5, 7, 8, 19, 28 Pg. 571 Question 28 Pg. 645 Question 11, 14, 17, 28

VERBS Common Errors (continued)

2. Verb tense must be parallel in structure Parallel Structure is one of the most commonly-tested items on the SAT Writing section and comes in a variety of forms and questions. Basically, the idea of parallel structure is simple: the structure of one part of a sentence should match the structure of the others. This is important because in everyday writing, non-parallel structure leads to unclear, ambiguous, or downright confusing speech. On the SAT, parallel structure must also be maintained. For example, the following sentence is incorrect due to structural error: I like to eat, play volleyball, surf, and also I can sing. The structure of the sentence is "I like to verb + verb..." but the last element of the list does not fit ("also I can sing.") Here is another incorrectly-written sentence: Reading is my favorite hobby even though to play baseball is America's. The two verbs "reading" and "to play" are of different forms, so they should at least match. The sentence should read: Reading is my favorite hobby even though playing baseball is America's. How about the following example of mid-sentence parallel structure error? Doesn't he understand that knowing how to throw, catch, and how to tackle are fundamentals of football? Obviously, the "how to" in the middle of the sentence is unnecessary in regards to the parallel structure requirements. In-Class Practice 3: Verb Parallelism: Correct the following sentences 1. Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle. 2. The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner. 3. The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low. 4. The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game. 5. The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (hint: passive) 8

6. The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs. SAMPLE PROBLEMS INVOLVING PARALLELISM FROM RELEASED SAT/PSAT's: (Note: All sentences are given as originally written. The elements that should be made parallel are underlined.) 1. Social scientists agree that a system for exchanging goods and services is not only present but also of necessity in all societies. 2. It is far easier to ride a bicycle than explaining in words exactly how a bicycle is ridden. 3. Each time Caroline turns on her computer, she has to enter a company code, then her initials, and then enters a passwords before she can begin working. 4. Surface mining is is safer, quicker, and cheaper than deep mining, but the greater is its toll in human misery. (The second sentence should begin with "its toll in human misery....") 5. Toni Morrison was honored by Harvard University not only as a great novelist but also she wrote eloquently of the history of African American culture. (The writer contrasts a phrase and a sentence. It should be a phrase to a phrase or a sentence to a sentence.) 6. The spirit of the honor code to which each student subscribes requires academic honesty, respectful behavior, and it demands responsibility in action. 7. Today the primary role of advertising may be to appeal and persuade rather than what it once did educating and informing. (The latter part should be "to educate and inform.") 8. Readers of the novice writer's recent book have said that it is at once frustrating because of its chaotic structure but its originality is still a delight. (Note that the two underlined phrases don't match. Perhaps change the second one to "delightful because of its originality.)

Additional Practice from Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition Pg. 414 Questions 7, 17, 21, 34 Pg. 504 Questions 31 Pg. 571 Question 14 Pg. 645 Question 3, 5, 23, 25

VERBS Common Errors (continued)

3. Verb tense The College Board likes to test you on your knowledge of verb tenses, both in your use of different tenses and your ability to recognize incorrect conjugations and tense switches of verbs. You should look out for a few simple errors to avoid tense issues: a) Conjugation Errors b) Tense Errors c) Formation Errors Incorrect Conjugations: When you use a verb, you conjugate it so that it matches the subject appropriately. For example: I go to the pool. In this sentence, "go" is the verb and "I" is the subject. What if we conjugated the verb incorrectly? It could read like: I goes to the pool. Now, the meaning of the sentence has been obfuscated to the point that it barely sounds like English. Such incorrect conjugations are blatant if they feature commonly-used words, but sometimes conjugations are not so obvious. For example: I lay down and sleep every night. Since you do it "every night," you should conjugate the verb in the present tense. However, "lay" is actually the incorrect conjugation of the verb. The sentence should read: I lie down and sleep every night. There are many such verbs in the English language (we call them irregular verbs) and we cannot possibly cover each and every one of them. Here is a good reference list http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/verbs.htm

Tense Errors: You should also make sure that the tense of a verb being used matches the context. For example, you would not write: Yesterday I go to the beach. Since the tense is obviously past ("Yesterday"), you should have "went" to the beach. Even though "go" is the appropriate conjugation for the present tense, it does not match the tense of the context. Here's a not-so-obvious example: Last Monday I will have bought at least four bushels of corn.

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Since "will have brought" is the past perfect tense (indicating that the action will take place in the future, ironically) and the words "Last Monday" indicate that it should be in the past tense, there is a tense error.

Were and Would: Here is a simple construction to remember: When you make a sentence using a condition, you must use the "were... would" construction. Here's an example: If I was a rich man, I would buy everyone a new car. Even though the sentence sounds correct, it is not. The sentence is conditional upon being a "rich man," and so the verb "to be" must be conjugated as "were." The correct sentence is: If I were a rich man, I would buy everyone a new car. A trick for telling whether to use the subjunctive mood would be that the term "were" is used in a "what if or if only sentences. If I were a doughnut, I would eat my self. If I were a magician, I would turn everyone into chocolate.

In-Class Practice 4: Verb Tense 1. When Carol (call) ___________ last night, I (watch) ___________ my favorite show on television.

2. I (work) ___________ for this company for more than thirty years, and I intend to stay here until I retire!

3. Sharon (love) ___________ to travel. She (go) ___________ abroad almost every summer. Next year, she plans to go to Peru.

4. Thomas is an author. He (write) ___________ mystery novels and travel memoirs. He (write) ___________ since he was twenty-eight. Altogether, he (write) ___________ seven novels, three collections of short stories and a book of poetry.

5. We were late because we had some car problems. By the time we (get) ___________ to the train station, Susan (wait) ___________ for us for more than two hours.

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6. Sam (try) ___________ to change a light bulb when he (slip) ___________ and (fell) ___________ .

7. Everyday I (wake) ___________ up at 6 o'clock, (eat) ___________ breakfast at 7 o'clock and (leave) ___________ for work at 8 o'clock. However, this morning I (get) ___________ up at 6:30, (skip) ___________ breakfast and (leave) ___________ for work late because I (forget) ___________ to set my alarm.

8. Right now, Jim (read) ___________ the newspaper and Kathy (make) ___________ dinner. Last night at this time, they (do) ___________ the same thing. She (cook) ___________ and he (read) ___________ the newspaper. Tomorrow at this time, they (do, also) ___________ the same thing. She (prepare) ___________ dinner and he (read) ___________ . They are very predictable people!

9. By this time next summer, you (complete) ___________ your studies and (find) ___________ a job. I, on the other hand, (accomplish, not) ___________ anything. I (study, still) ___________ and you (work) ___________ in some new high paying job.

10. The students (be, usually) ___________ taught by Mrs. Monty. However, this week they (be) ___________ taught by Mr. Tanzer.

11. Jane talks on the phone. Bob has been talking on the phone for an hour. Mary is talking on the phone. Who is not necessarily on the phone now?

12. I'm going to make dinner for Frank. I'm making dinner for Judy. I'll make dinner for Mary. I make dinner for Ted. I will be making dinner for Tony. Who are you offering to make dinner for?

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13. Jane left when Tim arrived. Bob left when Tim had arrived. Tim arrived when Mary was leaving. John had left when Tim arrived. After Tim arrived, Frank left. Who did not run into Tim?

14. Jane is talking in class. Bob always talks in class. Mary is always talking in class. Whose action bothers you?

15. Jane never left Jamestown. Bob has never left Jamestown. Who is still alive?

Additional Practice from Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition Pg. 414 Questions 25 Pg. 504 Questions 13, 14, 23, 25, 32 Pg. 571 Question 12, 19, 31 Pg. 645 Question 22

Nouns/Pronouns Common Errors

Standardized examinations test knowledge of nouns using several methods: a. b. c. d. e. collective nouns in subject/verb agreement errors countable and uncountable nouns in subject/verb agreement errors nouns as antecedents in errors in pronoun/antecedent agreement consistency of noun forms in errors of parallelism errors in pronoun choice with gerunds

A noun is a person, place, or thing. Nouns may be common (musician, city, guitar) or proper (Elvis, New York, Stratocaster). Nouns can be subjects or objects. Bob ate the cookie. "Bob" is the subject: he ate. "Cookie" is the object: it was eaten.

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Bob gave the cake to Sam. "Bob" is the subject: he gave. "Cake" is the direct object: it was given. "Sam" is the indirect object: the cake was given to him.

Some nouns are countable (one guitar, two guitars, three guitars), and others are uncountable (one music? two musics? No.) The difference between countable and uncountable nouns is important in distinguishing between the usage of "number" and "amount." Collective nouns describe groups and some can take singular or plural verbs and pronouns depending on context. These are a few common collective nouns: team jury class flock police herd

When a collective noun is performing an action as a single unit, use singular verbs and singular pronouns to refer back to the noun. The class is going on a field trip with its teacher. The class is going as a unit. The whole class has a teacher. When the individual members of a collective noun are acting individually within the group, use plural verbs and pronouns to refer back to the noun. The class are taking their books with them. The individual members are taking individual books.

Certain forms of verbs can act as nouns. A gerund is a verb ending in "-ing" that acts as a noun. I like swimming, hiking, and dancing. An infinitive is the base form of a verb combined with "to." An infinitive can act as a noun. I like to swim, to hike, and to dance. 1. Nouns/Pronouns must Agree Alma and Christie both found jobs as a lifeguard for the summer. Problem: lifeguard is singular but jobs is plural. Alma and Christie cant both be one lifeguard. Alma and Christie both found jobs as lifeguards for the summer.

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Regardless of their impact on the environment, plastic (A) (B) will not be banned because of the benefits it provides in everyday life. No Error (C) (D) (E) When you see their in choice (A), start searching for a plural noun with which it could match. Here, you see that no such noun exists. The sentence incorrectly attempts to match their with the singular noun plastic. Thus choice (A) is incorrect.

That the system has flaws is beyond dispute, but their (A) (B) (C) improvement is not the topic of our current discussion. No Error (D) (E) Choice (C) forces you to ask Whats improvement?. Answering this question shows you that the sentence incorrectly attempts to link system and their.

Additional Practice from Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition Pg. 414 Questions 10, 12 Pg. 504 Questions 3, 12, 20 Pg. 571 Questions 1, 22, 23 Pg. 645 Questions 20, 24

2. Pronouns must clearly refer to their Antecedent (the noun they modify) Readers tend to hate vague writing. Why read something when its impossible to figure out what the author means? Im talking about vague and ambiguous pronouns, a pesky error youll often find on SAT Writing questions. First, lets look at a simple example of an ambiguous pronoun: Jessica met with Susie after she had lunch. You might read this sentence and automatically correct the pronoun ambiguity. For some reason, you might think that Jessica had the lunch. Some of you might think Susie had the lunch. The truth is, there is no way of knowing. The pronoun she is ambiguous because it has no clear antecedent: it can refer to either Jessica or Susie. How do we fix this problem? Simple. Just replace the ambiguous pronoun with the noun it should refer to. Lets say the author meant for she to refer to Jessica: Jessica met with Susie after Jessica had lunch.

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If you want to exercise your writing skills a bit, you might make it a bit more elegant by cutting back on these clunky nouns: After having lunch, Jessica met with Susie. That was a simple example. There was no reason why she would refer to either Jessica or Susie. What if the pronoun isnt so obviously ambiguous? What if there seems to be a logical antecedent even though the pronoun is grammatically ambiguous? Check out this example: John gave his little brother a toy for Christmas that he played with constantly. Wouldnt it make sense that he refers to the little brother? The toy is his gift, after all. So, he must refer to the little brother, right? Well, not exactly. Though it makes sense that the little brother played with the gift he received, it is possible that John is just a selfish older brother. Perhaps, after having given the gift, John realizes just how awesome the toy really is, so he hogs it. Notice that, by trying to figure out the correct antecedent of he, Ive wasted a lot of time and energy. We should not have to speculate on the correct antecedent of a pronoun, nor should e have to make up ridiculous stories to justify our choice. In this sentence, he is ambiguous. Period. Heres a possible fix: Johns little brother constantly played with the toy that John gave him for Christmas. Now that weve looked at ambiguous pronouns, lets check out vague pronouns. Unlike ambiguous pronouns, which refer to one of two or more pronouns in a sentence, vague pronouns do not have identifiable antecedents in the sentence. Rather, the antecedent of a vague pronoun is implied, but not stated: They say that a bad cough, if left untreated, can have a detrimental effect on lung function. While you wont raise any eyebrows for using this vague pronoun in everyday speech, the SAT will deem it a grammatical error. When we use the construction they say, we dont really have an antecedent in mind for they. We mean to imply that the thing they say is common knowledge, or that weve heard it somewhere but cannot identify who said it. For the SAT, though, this construction is wrong. To improve it, find a logical antecedent for they and replace the pronoun: Doctors say that a bad cough, if left untreated, can have a detrimental effect on lung function. or Experts say that a bad cough, if left untreated, can have a detrimental effect on lung function. The strategy for catching ambiguous and vague pronouns is simple: every time you see a pronoun, identify its antecedent. If you are stuck between two pronouns, or if you cannot find the logical antecedent in the sentence, then you must fix or identify the problem. Mark the ambiguous pronoun(s) in each sentence: 1. John and Melissa wanted to buy concert tickets, but they were all sold out. 2. There was no way he could have possibly understood her comments. 16

3. Aaron saw it but didnt have time to hit the brakes. He went limping off into the trees after he finally came to a stop. 4. After it scratched at the door to be let in, she poured a bowl of milk. 5. Henry saw that Gina looked sick, so he sent her home. She was thankful her boss was so compassionate. 6. The climb looked easy, but Pedros hands sweated so much he couldnt stay on the rock. Luckily his partner had pulled the slack out of the rope. 7. They all wanted to see the show, but he wouldnt let them in. She was frustrated that they had arrived ten minutes late. 8. Even though Madison is a dog, she doesnt like bones. He tried to give her one, but she refused. 9. She knew she sat on the admissions board, but she still thought her application lacked something. 10. I know you like him, so Ill introduce you tomorrow night.

Additional Practice from Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition Pg. 414 Questions 11, 28 Pg. 504 Questions 9 Pg. 571 Question 10, 25, 26 Pg. 645 Question

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