There is certainly no one formula to ace the SAT Reading and Writing section. However, one aspect that certainly helps students is understanding standard English conventions–comprehending sentence structures, identifying the use of punctuations, and understanding the grammar behind sentences, can help students do well on the SAT exam.

In this piece, we discuss some of the most important grammar rules that are tested on the SAT Reading and Writing section. Apart from the rules, we will also discuss, by means of certain examples, how those rules can be applied to solve questions with accuracy and efficiency. Let’s begin with rule number 1.

1. Subject Verb agreement

Before we delve deeper into this rule, let’s understand what subjects and verbs in a sentence are.

The ‘subject’ of a sentence is that part of the sentence that names the person or the thing that is spoken about. Verb is generally defined as the word used to describe an action, state, or an occurrence.

The ‘Subject Verb Agreement’ rule warrants that, in a sentence, the subject of the sentence must agree with the verb in number. So, singular subjects must use singular verbs while plural subjects must use plural verbs.

Have a look at two sentences below:

1. Harry has worked on this project.

2. Harry and Amanda have worked on the project.

3. Harry works hard each day to meet the deadline.

4. Harry and Amanda work hard each day to meet the deadline.

In the first sentence, the subject is Harry. And because the subject is singular, the verb used is a singular ‘has.’ In the second sentence, however, the subjects are Harry and Amanda, and, hence, a plural verb ‘have’ has been used.

Download the complete list of 9 Grammar rules to ace the SAT Reading and Writing section.