Quirk of the day

SAT Writing

Be Careful The questions in this section are NOT arranged in order of

difficulty.

3 sections in the grammar section Error identification Improving sentences Improving paragraphs

Today’s focus: Error ID

Example of an error ID question4. The union insisted on an increase in their  members’  starting pay,

A B C

and threatened to call a strike if the company refused to meet the

D

demand. No error.

E

A. B. C. D. E.

Error-Identification Categories 1) Subject-Verb Agreement 2) Verb Tense 3) Pronoun Case 4) Antecedent Pronoun (Pronoun Agreement) 5) Adjective vs. Adverb 6) Parallelism 7) Prepositions 8) Faulty Comparisons 9) Comparatives vs. Superlatives 10) Double negatives/Double positives 11) Word Pairs 12) Noun Agreement 13) Relative Pronouns 14) Coordinating Conjunctions 15) Usage 16) Redundancy

1) Subject-Verb Agreement

A. Subject – Parenthetical clause – Verb

Whenever you encounter a parenthetical clause (a clause set off by commas), look for and circle the subject-verb agreement

Galaxies, far from being randomly scattered throughout the galaxy, appears to be distributed in bubble-shaped patterns.

Appear changes to appears

B. Subject – Prepositional phrase – Verb

A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition (in the box, under the table, over the hill, etc.). Very often these will be inserted between subjects and verbs to distract from subject-verb disagreements.

Changes in the balance of trade seems remote from everyday concerns, but they can drastically affect how we spend our money.

If you don’t see an error the first time you read a sentence, try circling the subject and verb to see if they match.

Seems changes to seem

C. Prepositional Phrase –Verb – Subject

When prepositional phrase is placed first, make sure you identify the complete subject: very often compound subjects (two singular nouns joined by "and") will be used in this construction, which often appears at the end of the Error-Identification section.  

Along the Loup Canal in Nebraska extends many lakes, parks, and trails owned and operated by the Loup power district.

Along the Loup Canal in Nebraska extends a park and lake owned an operated by the Loup power district.

Extend for both because the subject is plural 

D. There is/There are & There has/There have

There is/has = Singular noun

There are/have = Plural noun

There has been many questions raised about the handling of the company’s finances.

Has changes to had

E. Neither/Nor + Verb

Neither (Singular Noun) Nor (Singular Noun) = Singular Verb

Good = Neither the book nor the pencil is sitting on the table.

Bad = Neither the book nor the pencil are sitting on the table.

F. Important Oddities“Group” nouns (school, city, country, jury, etc.) = singular.

Each & Every = Singular

A number of = Plural  The number of = Singular

Gerunds when used as subjects (Running is difficult) = Singular.

It is also permissible to use both what and whether as subjects; both are singular. 

"Whether computers are intelligent is a subject of much debate among experts.”

Practice time

Question #1The students in the back row of the amphitheater are much less likely to

enjoy a panorama of the production. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #2Neither the Republican party nor the Democrat party are immune to error,

rather both are prone to make mistakes based purely on the fact that they are

comprised of humans. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

E

DC

Question #3Tomatoes, despite being mistaken for a vegetable, is one of the most

prominent selling fruits of the decade. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #4Television viewers claim that the number of scenes depicting alcohol

consumption have increased dramatically over  the last decade. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

EDC

Question #5The union insisted on an increase in their members’ starting pay, and

threatened to call a strike if the company refused to meet the demand. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #6Electing candidates for president have been one of the greatest privileges

of democracy in our nation. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #7What most people perceive as offense are usually just miscommunication

between two parties.  No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #8A number of the congregation gather for meetings every Thursday in the

chapel on the veranda. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

2) Verb Tense

A. Tense Consistency

Sentences that start in the past should generally stay in the past; sentences that start in the present should generally stay in the present.

Since serious drama unaccompanied by music was forbidden in all but two London theatres during the eighteenth century, Queen’s theatre quickly becoming  an opera house.

Becoming changes to became

B. Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

Any sentence that includes a date in the past or mentions a historical period should always contain a verb in the Simple Past (went, walk, etc), NOT in the Present Perfect (has gone, has walked, etc). 

During the nineteenth century, Charles Dickens has become (became)one of the most famous British novelists.

Has become ------ became

However, sentences containing ‘Since’ and ‘For’ require the Present Perfect

(e.g., I have gone to this school since 2005; I have gone to this school for five years).

C. Would vs. WillWill and Would get switched with one another; if "will" is underlined, stick in "would" and vice-versa

Would = past tense

Will = present & future tense

William Shakespeare, who will become the greatest English dramatist, was born in 1564.

Will ------ would

-Do NOT use would have in a clause that begins with if: 

If he would have arrived (had arrived) at 5pm, I would have been very happy.

D. Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Gerunds and Infinitives are switched with one another

Infinitive replaced with gerund: Though she was one of the few women of her time gaining international prominence, Clara Barton would not have described herself as a proponent of women's rights.

Gerund replaced with infinitive: Laryngitis causes the vocal cords and surrounding tissue to swell, thus preventing the vocal cords to move freely.

E. Past Participle vs. Simple Past

In these questions, the simple past rather than the past participle will be incorrectly paired with a form of the verb “To Have.”

My little brother has grew  two inches during the past year.

Grew ----- grown

F. Past Perfect

Past Perfect = Had + Past Participle

ex: I had seen

When a sentence contains two actions or events that occurred in the past, the action that occurred first should be in the past perfect

The phrase ‘by the time’ is usually a tip-off that the past perfect is required.

By the time it adjourned, the committee made several important decisions.

1st action: The committee made several important decisions

2nd action: The committee adjourned

Made ---- had made

G. The Subjunctive

Subject involves expressions of suggestion and necessity. The main change in the present subjunctive is in from 3rd person singular form of the verb to a plural:

Indicative (normal): He arrives home at 5pm.

Subjunctive: It is necessary that he arrive home at 5pm.

The past subjunctive involves hypothetical circumstances; it includes the verb were, regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural. 

If he were to arrive at 5pm, I would be very happy.

Practice time

Question #1By the time we finished eating dinner the check was brought to the

table.  No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

E

DC

Question #2If the student was to study more, the teacher would be elated. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B EDC

Question #3The Olympic games were held in England this year, where athletes

from all over the world come to compete. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #4It is vital that everyone studies at least one hour a week in preparation for

the SAT exam. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #5When I asked the teacher for an explanation, she said she had already

spoke with me about it. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #6Jayden Smith, son of the famous actor Will Smith, would probably be as

great of an actor as his father in the years to come.  No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

EDC

Question #7When I first joined the church choir I was nervous because I had never sung

in public before. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

E

DC

Question #8In most cultures it is considered rude interrupting a teacher when they are

giving a lecture. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

E

DC

Question #9I loved the opera since I was a young girl but I have never seen one in person.

No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

E

DC

Question #10In the 1800’s many people had relocated to cities due to the jobs provided

by the industrial revolution. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

3) Pronoun Case

Trick: What goes for singular, goes for plural

After two weeks, the teacher finally gave Robert and I back our report.

I ---- me

Would you say, ‘The teacher gave I back my report?’ Obviously not. So you wouldn’t say ‘the teacher gave Robert and I back our report’ either.

PronounsSubject Pronouns tested on the SAT: 

I He/SheWe They 

Object Pronouns tested on the SAT:

MeHim/HerUsThem 

Any pronoun that follows a preposition must be an object pronoun 

Important: Between you and me, NOT Between you and I 

Question #1After the game on Saturday me and John are going to the mall to buy shoes

for him.  No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #2Jane is going with Christina and I to the park this afternoon, but we were

wanting to take her brother instead because he is less annoying.  No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

EDC

Question #3After we had decided to buy her a puppy it was discovered that she

had already been given one by her mother. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

Question #4I’d like to say, on behalf of the entire class and I, that we prefer not to

have any homework for the rest of the year. No error.

A. B. C. D. E.

What is this an example of?

A B

ED

C

4) Antecedent-Pronoun 

An antecedent is a noun that a pronoun refers to. 

In the sentence, “Jamie picked up the ball and threw

it,” the ball is the antecedent and it is the pronoun.

One and You

You goes with You

One goes with One

If one wants to avoid insect invasions, you should refrain from leaving crumbs lying on your floor. 

You ----- one

Singular vs. PluralSingular nouns are referred to by singular pronouns; plural nouns are referred to

by plural pronouns.

Any singular noun referring to a person: 

He or She/His or Her

Any singular noun referring to a thing: 

It/Its

Any plural noun referring to person or thing: 

They/Their

Ex: A person who wishes to become an Olympic-caliber athlete must devote virtually all of their (his or

her) time to training. 

BUT: People who wish to become an Olympic-caliber athlete must devote virtually all of their time to

training.

Missing Antecedent

Sometimes you will have a pronoun without an antecedent, look out for these! If this happens choose the pronoun because it should instead be the antecedent.

Because of extreme weather conditions, starvation exists in some countries where they must struggle to stay alive.

They ---- people

In the report released by the committee, it stated that the significant budget cuts would be necessary for the following year.

What report???

(The report released by the committee stated that significant budget cuts would be necessary for the following year).

Ambiguous Antecedent

Sometimes the pronoun will be vague and could refer to either antecedent. It should be replaced with the specific antecedent.

Afraid that they would be late to the party, Jenny and Kate decided to take her car rather than walk.

Who is the her the sentence is referring to? Jenny or Kate?

Antecedents = Nouns or Gerunds OnlyDo it = Wrong

Do so = Right 

Activists who defend endangered species from poaching do it  on the grounds that such animals, once gone, are irreplaceable. 

Do it ---- Do so

What does ‘it’ refer to in this sentence? Defending endangered species. But since the word ‘defending’ doesn’t actually appear in the sentence, ‘it’ has no real antecedent.

Important:

For both Subject-Verb Agreement and Pronoun Agreement, be on the lookout for collective nouns such as group, committee, company, jury, city, agency, team, etc. These nouns are always considered singular, and it is not uncommon for the SAT to pair them with plural verbs and pronouns. Whenever one of these words appears, you should immediately be suspicious.

IT = BAD (most likely). If the word “it” is underlined, it’s most likely wrong. Check its antecedent immediately.

5) Adjective vs. Adverb

Adjectives modify nouns (The good boy; The loud noise, etc.)

Adverbs modify verbs and adjectives and usually end in –ly: He speaks slowly; She runs quickly, etc. 

On the SAT, adverbs and adjectives are switched only with one another. If an adjective is underlined, stick in the adverb; if an adverb is underlined, stick in the adjective.

Ex: The patient recovered quick although he had been very ill earlier in the week.

Ex: Because the man’s clothing seemed oddly, he attracted a number of stares.

6) Parallelism

A. Lists

In any given list, each item should be in the exact same format. Either noun, noun, noun, verb, verb, verb, or gerund, gerund, gerund. Any deviation is incorrect. 

Ex: Susan likes to run, swim, and going (go) horseback riding.

B. Binary (Two-Part) Parallelism

This kind of parallel structure more common on Fixing Sentences, but (somewhat easier) versions of it do show up on Error-IDs pretty regularly. 

The construction on one side of a conjunction must match the construction on the other side of the conjunction as closely as possible. If one side contains  noun + of + noun, the other must contain noun + of + noun; if one side contains a gerund, the other must contain a gerund, etc.

Ex: The researchers called for strict enforcement of existing tobacco regulations as well as investigating (an investigation of) teenagers’ motivations for smoking.

7) Prepositions

Certain expressions always require certain prepositions. For example, one has a familiarity with something, not a familiarity in something.

Because they are idiomatic, preposition questions must be done by ear; there is no way to anticipate what preposition will appear on a given test.

Ex: A familiarity in (with) Latin is useful for anyone who wishes to pursue serious study of a modern romance language.