SAT and ACT Grammar Review Updated May2021

Ace It Test Prep SAT/ACT Grammar Workbook
The SAT and ACT do not expect you to know every nook and cranny of the English language.
Instead, they assess your knowledge of a small subset of grammatical rules — and once you
master them, you can master the Language Arts* sections of both tests. Below are the 16 most
commonly tested grammatical rules, what they mean, and how to practice them.
*Note: The SAT’s language arts section is called “Writing and Language.” The ACT’s is called
“English.” This guide does not have tips or techniques for the tests’ essay components.
Rule No. 1: Subject–verb agreement
1. What it means:
Consider this simple sentence: “My mother works in a school.”
The subject is “mother” and the verb is “works.” In every sentence, the subject and the verb must
“agree” — or take the same form. This sentence would not be grammatically correct if it read,
“My mother work in a school.”
2. How the tests will try to trick you:
When the subject and verb are placed right next to each other, identifying them and their form is
relatively easy (as in the example above). So the SAT and ACT will attempt to confuse you by
separating them by several (often confusing or unnecessary) words.
For example, consider this sentence: “The collection of short stories — many of them written by
authors in 19th-century England, including Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis — contain some of the
preeminent works of fiction to date.”
Is there an error here? Ask yourself three questions: What is the subject, what is its verb, and do
they agree? (Blue is subject; red is verb.)
The collection of short stories — many of them written by authors in 19th-century England,
including Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis — contain some of the preeminent works of fiction to date.
The subject is “collection.” The verb is “contain.” These do not agree: The verb should be
“contains” because “collection” is singular. Thus, there is an error in this sentence.
Be wary of the tests’ propensity to using singular subjects with plural verbs, or vice-versa. They
love to try to trip you up with pairings like these. Don’t let them!
3. Other things to consider:

• “Each” is singular.
- “Each of the boys is athletic.”
- “Each teacher tests the same material.”
• Gerunds (words ending in “–ing”) are singular
- “Running is my favorite sport.”
- “The coach thought swimming was one of the most effective forms of exercise.”
• Collective nouns (the government, New York City, the town council) are singular.
- “The town council votes on the bicycling ordinance this summer.”
- “The chain of large businesses vows to stop poaching clients from smaller stores.”
• “Neither” and “nor” are singular.
- “Neither the city nor its constituency has an answer to the problem.”
• Use context to decide whether to use singular or plural for words like “athletics,”
“economics,” “statistics,” etc.
4. Tips/strategies:
• Underline the subject and its verb, and draw arrows to connect them. Determine if they
agree, and if not, determine how to make them agree.
• Cross out any prepositional phrases and parenthetical clauses that separate the subject and
its verb. Reread the sentence with the extraneous parts eliminated. Don’t get bogged
down by unnecessarily verbose sentences; focus only on the essentials: the subject and
verb in question.
5. Practice questions: For the following questions, determine if there is an error in the underlined
portion(s); if there is, choose the answer that best fixes it.
1) After driving through five states in a span of 14 hours, Carmen, whose two best friends
accompanied her on this journey up the East Coast — which was completed in a rundown
sedan overpowered by the smell of two lemon air fresheners — were exhausted —
physically and mentally drained.
A. NO CHANGE
B. were exhausted to the point of being physically and mentally drained.
C. was exhausted — physically and mentally drained.
D. were physically and mentally exhausted.
2) Perhaps, the professor told his wide-eyed students on the first day of class, the best way
to learn these complex math equations was not by mindless memorization, but by
consistent practice until it was engrained into their brains. “Learning,” he loved to tell
them, “is a time-consuming endeavor.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. until they were engrained into their brains.
C. until their brains were sufficiently engrained by the equations.
D. until it was, finally and wholly, engrained into their brains.
3) New York, a city with a rich sports history, house two baseball teams, two football teams
(if, of course, you count the Giants, who play their home games in East Rutherford, New
Jersey), two hockey teams, one basketball team, and now two soccer teams — New York
City F.C. recently arrived to the city’s sports scene.
A. NO CHANGE
B. house two baseball teams;
C. house two teams that play baseball, including the Yankees and the Mets,
D. houses two baseball teams,
4) Each of the company’s 1,500 employees — a pool of workers that include the CEO,
COO, and CFO — were qualified to earn a raise after a booming quarter of sales.
A. NO CHANGE
B. that includes; was qualified to earn
C. NO CHANGE; was qualified to earn
D. that includes; NO CHANGE
5) When the coach asked her to select her favorite sport, she had trouble deciding.
“Basketball and soccer have long been my primary interests,” she explained in a written
note, “but recently cross country has jumped up the list.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. has long been my primary interest
C. has long been my primary interests
D. has interested me the most throughout my athletic career
Rule No. 2: Verb tense

1. What it means: All verbs in the sentence must carry the same tense. The tense of the verb must
remain consistent throughout the whole sentence.
Verb tenses:
1) Present
• Simple present: “The team runs every day.”
• Present progressive/continuous: “The team is running right now.”
• Present perfect: “The team has run every day for the past month.”
2) Past
• Simple past: “The team ran for one hour yesterday.”
• Past progressive/continuous: “The team was running yesterday when the storm
rolled in.”
• Past perfect: “The team had run for one hour before the storm rolled in.”
3) Future
• Simple future: “The team will run tomorrow.”
• Future progressive/continuous: “The team will be running tomorrow around 8
a.m.”
• Future perfect: “The team will have run by tomorrow at 9 a.m.”
4) Conditional: This tense usually describes something that would happen if a condition had
been met. “The team would run tomorrow at 7 a.m. if the school were open that early.”
5) Gerund: “The team enjoys running.”
6) Infinitive: “The team enjoys to run.”

• Future (“will + verb”) vs. conditional (“would + verb”): The tests will attempt to confuse
you on the distinctions between the future and conditional tenses. Use the conditional
when there is an “if” condition that did not occur. (Answers are in bold, and conditions
are in italics.)
a. The teacher [will grade/would grade] the papers later today.
b. The deli worker [will open/would open] his own shop if he had the time.
c. When the coach gets to the field, he [will tell/would tell] his players to warm up.
d. If the friends were taking a vacation to Europe, they [will visit/would visit] Spain.
• Gerund (“—ing”) vs. infinitive (“to + verb”): The tests will attempt to confuse you on the
distinctions between gerunds and infinitives. Read the given form and then try the other
to determine which is correct. The answer often depends on the word immediately
preceding the gerund or infinitive. (Answers are in bold.)
a. The school’s primary strength is its ability [motivating/to motivate] teachers.
b. The deli worker said he wants [opening/to open] his own shop one day.
c. [Working/To work] with others is an important skill to develop.
• Simple past vs. past perfect (“had + verb”): The tests will attempt to confuse you on the
distinctions between the past and past perfect tenses. In some cases, both tenses are
correct, but the SAT/ACT will not test you on those. The most important thing to
remember is that, in sentences with two events that occurred in the past, the past perfect
is attached to the verb that occurred first. (Answers are in bold.)
a. They [ordered/had ordered] their food by the time Ron [arrived/had arrived] at
the restaurant.
b. By the time Ron [arrived/had arrived] at the restaurant, they [ordered/had
ordered] their food.
c. The couple already [bought/had bought] the house when the real estate market
[boomed/had boomed].
d. When the real estate market [boomed/had boomed], the couple already
[bought/had bought] the house.
• Present perfect (“has + verb”) vs. past perfect (“had + verb”): The tests will attempt to
confuse you on the distinctions between the present perfect and past perfect tenses. Use
the sentence’s context and other words to determine which is correct. (Answers are in
bold.)
a. The teacher [has graded/had graded] all of the papers when the pizza arrived.
b. The midfielder [has worked out/had worked out] every day so far this month,
including weekends.
c. All of the employees [have met/had met] their sales quota this quarter.
d. All of the employees [have met/had met] their sales quota before the branch
moved offices.
1) After the boy had thrown the tennis ball to his dog for 15 consecutive minutes, a
realization struck him: To play fetch is one of his dog’s favorite activities.
A. NO CHANGE
B. To play fetching
C. Playing fetch
D. To fetch
2) If the star player had arrived on time, his team probably will not have lost its most
important game of the season.
A. NO CHANGE
B. will have
C. would not have
D. would have
3) When the CEO found out one of her employees has been shirking his sales calls, she
became furious.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had been shirking
C. has shirked
D. has been shirked
4) When the chef finally got his own TV show last year, he had been cooking professionally
for 15 years.
A. NO CHANGE
B. has been cooking
C. has cooked
D. cooked
5) Earlier today, the college-bound student bought a laptop, orders her textbook, and will
figure out her class schedule.
A. NO CHANGE
B. ordered; NO CHANGE
C. NO CHANGE; figured out
D. ordered; figured out
Rule No. 3: Antecedent–pronoun agreement
1. What it means: Consider this simple sentence: “When the players arrived at the gym, they
began to practice free throws.”
“They” is the pronoun. “Players” is the antecedent, or the noun that the pronoun replaces. This
sentence would sound strange if it read, “When the players arrived at the gym, the players began
to practice free throws.”
The pronoun and antecedent must always match.
Here is a table with all of the pronouns:
Singular pronouns Plural pronouns

People He or she They
People, possessive His or her Their
Things It They
Things, possessive Its (not It’s) Their

• “They” vs. “It”: Remember that singular proper nouns like “the city council,” “the
government,” and “the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill” are replaced with
“it” rather than “they.”
a. When the city council finally voted, it was worn out from hours of arguing.
b. When the city council members finally voted, they were worn out from hours of
arguing.
• “One” and “You”: If the sentence has the pronoun “one” or “you” in the first half of the
sentence, make sure to repeat it in the latter half.
a. If you run five miles every day, you will become fit.
b. If one goes to the movies, one will likely spend more than $10.
• “Its” vs. “It’s”: “Its” is the plural form of the singular pronoun “it.” “It’s” means “It is.”
a. When the university opened its doors in the early 20th century, only 1,000
students were enrolled.
b. When you spend a long time at the beach, it’s imperative to wear sunscreen.
• Pronoun clarity: The tests will often give you a vague or ambiguous pronoun and ask you
how to best fix the sentence. Consider the following sentence:
Joshua wanted to give Rob his computer later that day, but he was out of town.
To whom do the pronouns “his” and “he” refer? Joshua or Rob? The test will ask you
how to best correct a sentence like this, and often the answer is to replace the pronouns
with the noun:
Joshua wanted to give Rob Joshua’s computer later that day, but Rob was out of town.
That sentence, while perhaps a bit awkward, is more precise and tells the reader exactly
whose computer it is.
1) When the Environmental Protection Agency investigated the company’s data, they found
several violations of emissions quotas.
A. NO CHANGE
B. it
C. he
D. she
2) Once you cross the river, one will take a right onto the wooded path to find the marked
trail.
A. NO CHANGE
B. she
C. they
D. you
3) The president’s administration wanted it’s policies to be enacted immediately.
A. NO CHANGE
B. it is
C. their
D. its
4) The school employed some of the district’s best teachers, so its no wonder its students
had the highest test scores in the state.
A. NO CHANGE
B. it’s; it’s
C. it’s; NO CHANGE
D. it’s; it is
5) When Nicole told Summer that Harry Potter was her favorite book series, she offered to
lend her the seventh book to read.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Summer; Nicole
C. she; Summer
D. Nicole; her
Rule No. 4: Pronoun case

1. What it means:
This rule is simply about distinguishing between subjects and objects and their associated
pronouns. A subject is the noun performing the action in a sentence. An object is the noun
receiving the action in a sentence.
Consider the following sentence: “Joel gave his employees the day off on Friday.”
The subject is Joel, the person doing the action. The object is “his employees,” the people
receiving the action.
Subjects and objects have different pronouns, both singular and plural:
Singular subject pronouns:

• I
• You
• He/She
• Who
Plural subject pronouns:

• We
• You
• They
• Who
Singular object pronouns:

• Me
• You
• Him/Her
• Whom
Plural object pronouns:

• Us
• You
• Them
• Whom
The tests will test your knowledge of the differences between the two types of pronouns.
(Correct answers in bold.)
• I vs. me:
a. My dad and I/me went to the movies.
b. When we got to the movies, the attendant gave my dad and I/me tickets.
• We vs. us
a. Soon, we/us were watching the previews.
b. Before the movie began, the attendant gave the other moviegoers and we/us
popcorn for free.
• He/she vs. him/her
a. Joshua and she/her met at the library.
b. The musician gave out a copy of his album to he/him and his friends.
• They vs. them
a. When the students found out the game was canceled, they/them retreated to their
dorms.
b. Soon, the students found out the refunds would be given to the season
ticketholders and they/them in a couple of days.
• Who vs. whom: “Who” replaces I/you/he/she/they, while “whom” replaces
me/you/him/her/them.
a. Who/whom wrote this book?
b. By who/whom was this book written?
3. Tips/strategies
• If you are confused about which pronoun to use, try to make all subjects and objects
singular by crossing out the other noun attached to “and.”
My dad and I/me went to the movies.
When we got to the movies, the attendant gave my dad and I/me tickets.
Joshua and she/her met at the library.
The musician gave out a copy of his album to he/him and his friends.
Soon, the students found out the refunds would be given to the season ticketholders and
they/them in a couple of days.
• If you have a preposition (to, toward, between, about), then always use an object
pronoun.
1) Although the store’s new policy would allow she and her friends to buy a laptop at fifty
percent of it’s original cost, she still didn’t have enough money.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; its; NO CHANGE
C. her and her friends; its; NO CHANGE
D. her and her friends; NO CHANGE; they
2) The actors’ question of whom was at the center of the movie’s plot was the biggest
mystery entering production; indeed, the director had given they and their coworkers
little clue who was going to be the star.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; NO CHANGE; whom
C. who; them and their coworkers; whom
D. who; them and their coworkers; NO CHANGE
3) When we arrived for the museum tour, Joshua, our guide, offered the others and us
headphones for more information that he said him and his co-guide would not be using.
A. NO CHANGE
B. others and we; he and his co-guide
C. NO CHANGE; he and his co-guide
D. others and we; NO CHANGE
4) The restaurant said it would give a $15 gift card to my mom and me if we won trivia that
night.
A. NO CHANGE
B. my mom and I
C. my mom and us
D. we
5) The celebrity and him met at a ritzy party in Chicago.
A. NO CHANGE
B. they
C. celebrity and friends
D. celebrity and he
Rule No. 5: Noun agreement
1. What it means: This rule is simply about making sure the noun(s) in the first half of the
sentence agree with the noun(s) in the second half. They must have the same number; singular
with singular and plural with plural. For example:
Tim and Jim want to be teachers.
“Teachers” is plural because it is referring to two people, Tim and Jim. This sentence would not
be correct if it read, “Tim and Jim want to be a teacher.”
2. How the tests will try to trick you: Mostly, they will try to trip you up with noun pairings that
do not agree.
After they graduated, Evan, Lincoln, and Joseph became a businessman.
This should instead read, “After they graduated, Evan, Lincoln, and Joseph became
businessmen.”
Meanwhile, Ethan continued to pursue his dream to become lawyers.
This should instead read, “Meanwhile, Ethan continued to pursue his dream to become a
lawyer.”
3. Tips/strategies: Circle the nouns and determine whether they agree.

1) Since their childhood, the girls wanted to, more than anything, make it big as a
businesswoman.
A. NO CHANGE
B. as a woman in business
C. as businesswomen
D. as a business women
2) When the brothers got to college, they pursued different career paths: One wanted to
become doctors, while the other studied engineering.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to become a doctor
C. to become physicians
D. to earn degrees in biology
3) As the founder of the nascent company, Tricia and her college roommate owned 100
percent of their stock.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; its
C. founders; NO CHANGE
D. founders; its
Rule No. 6: Parallel structure
1. What it means: Parallel structure is a sentence structure characterized by all words or groups of
words following the same pattern. It ensures that words or groups of words have equal
importance and that the sentence reads smoothly and clearly. The sentence below follows
parallel structure:
Joshua likes to bike, to swim, and to eat.
The sentence below does not follow parallel structure:
Joshua likes to bike, to swim, and eating.
For a sentence to follow parallel structure (and all sentences need to), all words or groups of
words must follow the same pattern. In the first sentence, they do: “to bike,” “to swim,” and “to
eat” are all infinitives. In the second sentence, they do not: “to bike” and “to swim” are
infinitives, while “eating” is a gerund.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests love parallel structure questions. The two main
types of parallel structure questions involve lists and conjunctions/word pairs.
• Lists: The tests will give you a sentence that contains a list with an error (or not) with
parallel structure.
Professor Smith, the biology instructor, has said that to succeed in his course, students
must attend every class, must remain attentive during lectures, and take strong notes.
This sentence does not follow parallel structure. The “must” in front of “remain” should
be eliminated, or a “must” should be added in front of “take,” to make it parallel.
The high school student, like many around her age, enjoys playing sports, going to the
beach, and she enjoys reading and writing.
This sentence does not follow parallel structure. “She enjoys” should be eliminated from
the final part of the list.
• Conjunctions/word pairs: The tests will give you a conjunction (and, but, or, yet, so, for,
etc.) or word pair, and your mission is to make sure that the words on either side of the
conjunction/word pair follow parallel structure. Some common word pairs are:
Neither X nor Y
Both X and Y
Not only X but also Y
Either X or Y
The surfing lessons, taken daily with a qualified instructor, will increase your confidence
in the ocean and improvement will be observed in your skills on the board.
The second half of the sentence—the part after “and”—does not follow parallel structure.
It should read, “improve your skills on the board.”
The iPhone can not only recognize your fingerprint to unlock the home screen but also it
can be used to look up that day’s weather.
This sentence does not follow parallel structure, because the words on each side of the
word pair (not only…but also) do not follow the same structure. It should read, “The
iPhone can not only recognize your fingerprint to unlock the home screen but also look
up that day’s weather.”
3. Tips/strategies: Find out what type of pattern the sentence follows and make sure all parts of the
sentence follow that same pattern. Find where the pattern begins (for the above example it began
after “The surfing lessons will”) and read each part separately.
• “The surfing lessons will increase your confidence in the ocean.”
• “The surfing lessons will improvement will be observed in your skills on the board.”
• When separated, it is even more clear that the second part of the sentence does not follow
parallel structure.
1) The instructor showed us how to sketch the face, add in shading, and the use of
perspective was also demonstrated.
A. NO CHANGE
B. use perspective
C. the demonstration of perspective was also used
D. she also demonstrated the use of perspective
2) The confident coach told the media that not only would his players win their next game,
but also that the game wouldn’t even be close: He predicted a 20-point blowout.
A. NO CHANGE
B. but also that the closeness of the game wouldn’t be in question
C. but also that his players wouldn’t even be close
D. but also that the media predicted a 20-point blowout
3) Of all of his hobbies—among them, playing basketball, to fish, and watching TV with
friends and family—it was clear he had a favorite.
A. NO CHANGE
B. among them, to playing basketball, to fish, and to watch TV with friends and
family
C. among them, playing basketball, fishing, and watching TV with friends and
family
D. among them, to play basketball, fishing, and to watch TV with friends and family
4) Both working from home and commuting to the office have benefits.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to work from home and commuting to the office
C. working from home and to go on a commute to the office
D. working from home but not to commute to the office
5) In many classic novels, the main character undergoes some major change, engages in
witty dialogue throughout the story, and he or she learns a lesson by the end.
A. NO CHANGE
B. he and/or she learns a lesson by the end
C. by the end he or she learns a lesson
D. learns a lesson by the end
Rule No. 7: Commas and conjunctions
1. What it means: Two independent clauses must be joined by a comma and conjunction.
An independent clause is a complete thought with a subject and verb that could stand
alone as a sentence. Take, for instance, the following sentence:
The desert is hot in the day, it is cold at night.
This sentence is not grammatically correct. The two clauses (“The desert is hot in the
day” and “It is cold at night”) are both independent, so they must be joined by a comma
and conjunction. The comma in this sentence is known as a “comma splice” because it is
not accompanied by a conjunction. To fix this sentence, simply add a conjunction:
The desert is hot in the day, but it is cold at night.
There are two types of conjunctions: coordinating and subordinating.
1) Coordinating (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so): join independent clauses
• remember FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
• The desert is hot in the day, but it is cold at night.
2) Subordinating (before, after, because, since, when, while, although, until): join
independent clauses by making one of them dependent
• A sentence with a subordinating conjunction requires a comma if the
dependent clause comes first.
- Because the desert is so hot, it has few traditional plants.
• A sentence with a subordinating conjunction does not require a comma if
the independent clause comes first.
- The desert has few traditional plants because it is so hot.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will give you sentences with comma
splices that require conjunctions, or they will give you an incorrect conjunction that you
must change.
• Comma splice: Soccer is a fun sport, it is filled with action.
- The sentence needs a conjunction. In this case, “because” would join the
two clauses by making the second one dependent. The corrected sentence
would read: “Soccer is a fun sport because it is filled with action.” Notice
that the comma disappears because the independent clause comes first.
• Incorrect conjunction: Soccer is a fun sport, but it is filled with action.
- This sentence has the incorrect conjunction “but,” which denotes that the
clauses contrast; in this case, however, the clauses do not contrast, so
another conjunction (like “because”) is necessary.
3. Tips/strategies:
• To determine whether a clause is dependent or independent, read it by itself and
see if it can stand alone as its own sentence.
4. Practice questions: For the following questions, determine if there is an error in the
underlined portion(s); if there is, choose the answer that best fixes it.
1) Some people prefer natural peanut butter, the kind you have to stir to mix the oil
and peanuts, others like store-bought Jif.
A. NO CHANGE
B. peanuts, but others
C. peanuts others
D. peanuts, so others
2) The final exam, which was administered on the last day of class, was extremely
difficult, and surprisingly the average score was an A.
A. NO CHANGE
B. difficult, while
C. difficult because
D. difficult, but
3) Because the professor forgot to make enough copies of the exam she had to
improvise a plan at the last second.
A. NO CHANGE
B. exam, but she had
C. exam, she had
D. exam, while she had
4) The team missed its flight to the first away game of the season, because the tickets
had the wrong time on them.
A. NO CHANGE
B. season, and because
C. season because
D. season, or because
5) The new dress code was universally dubbed too rigid by students, although many
administrators did not share this sentiment.
A. NO CHANGE
B. students, and
C. students, for
D. students because
Rule No. 8: Dangling participles
1. What it means: A dangling participle is a phrase at the beginning of a sentence that does
not correctly modify the subject. Take, for example, the following sentence:
While walking down the road, the big red truck caught the boy’s eye.
At first glance, it may not seem this sentence contains an error. In fact, in normal
conversation you probably hear several dangling participles every day. But the SAT and
ACT love these types of questions, so let’s take a closer look.
The participle—which is essentially a phrase that describes or modifies a subject—is

“While walking down the road.” The subject it modifies is “the big red truck.” Is this
correct?
No. The “big red truck” was, of course, not walking down the road; the boy was. So in
this sentence, the participle is dangling because it does not modify the correct subject. To
fix the sentence, we should write:
While walking down the road, the boy saw the big red truck.
In this sentence, the participle (“While walking down the road”) modifies the correct
subject (“the boy”).
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will attach a variety of dangling participles
to a variety of subjects.
3. Tips/strategies: Identify the participle and the subject it modifies in the given sentence
(underlining or circling them might help). Is the participle modifying the correct subject?
If not, determine how to best fix the sentence.
1) Being one of the new kids at school, the teacher allowed Joseph to sit wherever he
wanted in the classroom.
A. NO CHANGE
B. As one of the new kids at school, Joseph was allowed to sit wherever he
wanted in the classroom.
C. Being one of the new kids at school, Joseph and the teacher were allowed
to sit wherever they wanted in the classroom.
D. The teacher, being one of the new kids at school, allowed Joseph to sit
wherever he wanted in the classroom.
2) As one of the leading causes of lung cancer, an op-ed in the newspaper argued
that smoking should be outlawed.
A. NO CHANGE
B. smoking should be outlawed, argued an op-ed in the newspaper.
C. an op-ed in the newspaper argued for the outlawing of smoking.
D. the newspaper argued in an op-ed that smoking should be outlawed.
3) Running on the beach, the dolphin jumping out of the ocean captured the
woman’s attention.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the dolphin, capturing the woman’s attention, jumped out of the ocean.
C. the woman’s attention was captured by the dolphin jumping out of the
ocean.
D. the woman saw a dolphin jump out of the ocean.
4) Studying for their final exam, the time passed quickly for the two students.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Studying for their final exam, the time, for the two students, passed
quickly.
C. Studying for their final exam, the two students realized time was passing
quickly.
D. Studying for their final exam, the two students’ time passed quickly.
5) Not wanting to ostracize any voters in her constituency, the politician chose to
temper the emotion and language in her forthcoming speech.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the politician’s speech would contain tempered emotion and language.
C. the politician chose her speech to be more tempered in terms of emotion
and language.
D. the speech, of which the politician would be tempering the language and
emotion, was forthcoming.
Rule No. 9: Relative pronouns
1. What it means: Relative pronouns are used to join two clauses or connect a clause or
phrase to a noun or pronoun. Consider the following sentence:
The title game, which was attended by thousands of people, drew record ratings on
television.
The relative pronoun in this sentence is “which.” It takes the place of “game” and allows
the writer to include more information about the game without adding another sentence.
(“The title game drew record ratings on television. The title game was attended by
thousands of people.”)
The relative pronouns you need to know for the SAT are:
• which
• that
• who
• whom
• when
• where
Here are some rules about them to remember:

• Which vs. that: “Which” is preceded by a comma or dash and typically includes
nonessential but instructive information. “That” is not preceded by a comma and
is often used to help describe something. Consider the following sentences:
The tool, which had helped me finish the project, was now missing.
The tool that had helped me finish the project was now missing.
In the first sentence, you could remove the part offset by commas and the
sentence would still make sense. The second sentence, though, refers to a specific
tool. When you are unsure whether to use “which” or “that,” ask yourself if the
phrase attached to it is preceded by a comma or a dash and is essential to the
meaning of the sentence.
• Who vs. whom: “Who” replaces I/you/he/she/they, while “whom” replaces

me/you/him/her/them.
Who is your teacher? He is my teacher.

To whom will you report in the morning? I will report to him.
• When vs. where: “When” is used for time, while “where” is used for place. In
everyday language, these are often misused:
We live in an era where it’s possible to access information quickly.
This sentence is incorrect. “Where” should be replaced by “when” because “era”

refers to a time period.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will mostly try to trip you up on which vs.
that, who vs. whom, and where vs. when. Follow the guidelines above to make sure you
know which to use.
3. Tips/strategies:
• For which vs. that, ask yourself two questions: Is the phrase offset by a comma or
a dash? Is the phrase essential to the meaning of the sentence? Try reading the
sentence without the phrase and then with it to determine which relative pronoun
to use.
• For who vs. whom, ask yourself if the relative pronoun should be replaced by
I/you/he/she/they (who) or me/you/him/her/them (whom).
• For when vs. where, ask yourself if the noun refers to a time (when) or place
(where).
1) The CEO, with whom most people were very friendly, was suddenly and
inexplicably fired last week.
A. NO CHANGE
B. with who most people
C. whom with most people
D. whom most people with
2) For the upcoming exam, Sam made sure to bring his newly dubbed lucky pencil,
that had helped him earn an A on his last test.
A. NO CHANGE
B. that helped him
C. which had helped him
D. that which helped him
3) In North Carolina, when the changing of the seasons is noticeable and borderline
tangible, the leaves begin to change colors and fall right as the final days of
summer wind down.
A. NO CHANGE
B. where the changing
C. which the changing
D. which has the changing
4) The students made sure to never forget their agendas which their teacher had
gifted them on the first day of school.
A. NO CHANGE
B. , that their teacher
C. that their teacher
D. when their teacher
5) The notebook—that had been missing for several weeks—finally turned up after a
thorough search of the classroom.
A. NO CHANGE
B. that’d been
C. that which had been
D. which had been
Rule No. 10: Adjective-adverb confusion
1. What it means: Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Adverbs—words that usually
end in “-ly”—modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Consider the following
sentence:
Sarah plays softball fearless.
This sentence is grammatically incorrect. The sentence is describing the way Sarah plays
softball—or modifying the verb “plays.” Thus, it requires an adverb rather than an
adjective. The correct sentence is:
Sarah plays softball fearlessly.
You could also modify the sentence by describing what type of softball player Sarah is—
or modifying the noun “softball player.” That sentence would be:
Sarah is a fearless softball player.
Ask yourself: What word is the adjective/adverb describing? If it’s a noun or pronoun,
use an adjective. If it’s a verb, adjective, or other adverb, use an adverb.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will use an adverb where an adjective
should be used, and vice-versa.
3. Tips/strategies: Ask yourself: What word is the adjective/adverb describing? If it’s a

noun or pronoun, use an adjective. If it’s a verb, adjective, or other adverb, use an adverb.
1) Juan wanted to take the typing class as an elective because he knew for a career in
software engineering he’d have to be able to type quick.
A. NO CHANGE
B. typing quick
C. type quickly
D. typing quickly
2) The incredibly taxing soccer practice left many players out of breath.
A. NO CHANGE
B. incredible taxing
C. incredible and taxing
D. incredibly taxingly
3) The rapid approaching deadline had many students scrambling to finish their
projects that they’d put off for months.
A. NO CHANGE
B. rapidly approaching
C. rapidly approach
D. rapid approach
4) The presentations—that constituted half of the students’ final grades—were
supposed to be casual and overwhelmingly improvisational.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; casually and overwhelmingly improvisational
C. which constituted; casually and overwhelmingly improvisational
D. which constituted; NO CHANGE
5) The department store was offering a surprising consumer-friendly sale on
watches.
A. NO CHANGE
B. surprisingly
C. surprise
D. surprisingly and
Rule No. 11: Erroneous comparisons
1. What it means: Compare like objects. Consider the following sentence:
Da Vinci’s paintings were more three-dimensional than painters before him.

This sentence is grammatically incorrect because it is comparing “Da Vinci’s paintings”
to “painters.” A correct sentence would be:
Da Vinci’s paintings were more three-dimensional than those of painters before

him.
or
Da Vinci’s paintings were more three-dimensional than paintings of artists before

him.
On the tests, make sure you are comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will mostly try to confuse you on people-
to-people comparisons and thing-to-thing comparisons.
3. Tips/strategies: Find the two things that the sentence is comparing and make sure they
are the same object.
1) The company’s water bottle was much more durable than the only competing
brand.
A. NO CHANGE
B. than the competing brands’.
C. than the competing brand’s.
D. than the competing water bottle brands.
2) The old phone’s exterior designs were just as elaborate as the new phone, but still
people opted to buy the fresher option.
A. NO CHANGE
B. as that of the new phone
C. as the new phone’s
D. as the new phones exterior designs
3) The car’s gas mileage was as efficient as any other small coupe on the market.
A. NO CHANGE
B. as that of any other small coupe
C. as those of any other small coupe
D. as any other small coupes’
4) The soccer players were just as strong as the football team.
A. NO CHANGE
B. as strong as the football players.
C. as strong as those teams that played football.
D. as strong as that on the football team.
5) The textbook was as informative and well-written as any book the class had read.
A. NO CHANGE
B. as that of any book
C. as any book of texts
D. as books
Rule No. 12: Comparatives and superlatives
1. What it means: Use the correct adjective form when comparing things. When comparing
two things, use “more” or the adjective ending in “-er.” When comparing two or more
things, use “most” or the adjective ending in “-est.” Consider the sentence:
After taking the math and science exams, students determined that the math was the
longer but the science was the hardest.
Since the sentence is comparing two things—a math and science exam—the adjectives
should take the “-er” form. The first one—“longer”—does; but the second one—
“hardest”—does not. To correct this error, simply change it to “harder.”
After taking the math and science exams, students determined that the math was the
longer but the science was the harder.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will use incorrect adjective forms based on
the number of things the sentence is comparing.
3. Tips/strategies: When comparing two things, use “more” or the adjective ending in “-
er.” When comparing two or more things, use “most” or the adjective ending in “-est.”
1) When she was deciding which type of car to buy, Sam read customer reviews that
said the Toyota SUV was the roomier but the Honda Accord was the most
economical.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; more economical
C. most roomy; NO CHANGE
D. more roomy; NO CHANGE
2) Of the three flavors of ice cream, vanilla was the safest, rocky road the sweetest,
and mint chocolate chip the better.
A. NO CHANGE
B. safer; sweeter; NO CHANGE
C. NO CHANGE; NO CHANGE; best
D. more safe; sweeter; NO CHANGE
3) The newspapers varied significantly in style: the national paper was the more
encompassing, the regional paper was the most prolific, and the small town paper
was the better local source.
A. NO CHANGE
B. most encompassing; NO CHANGE; NO CHANGE
C. NO CHANGE; more prolific; best
D. most encompassing; NO CHANGE; best
Rule No. 13: Word pairs
1. What it means: There are several pairs of words that nearly always accompany each
other:
• Either…or: I would like either ice cream or cake at the birthday party.
• Neither…nor: Neither the teacher nor the principal was amused by the student’s
behavior.
• Both…and…: Both Joshua and his employee love to kayak.
• Between…and …: Between basketball and soccer, the latter is my favorite sport.
• Not only…but also…: The new car came with not only a sleek speaker system but
also a GPS.
• As…as: The movies was as inspiring as the book.
• More/less…than: More than 50,000 people attended the football game.
• Such/so…that: The new rules were designed such that game flow would be
enhanced.
Important note: When deciding whether to use “less than” or “fewer than,” determine
what those phrases are referring to. If it’s a singular or abstract noun, use “less than.” If
it’s a plural noun, use “fewer than.”
Joseph had less than one mile to go on his 15-mile run.
The teacher had fewer than five pencils after her students left for the day.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will pair the wrong words with each other.
3. Tips/strategies: Become familiar with the word pairs and read the sentence to yourself to
see if it makes sense and sounds correct. These word pairs are so engrained into our
vocabulary that more often than not you will be able to spot an error right away.
1) Neither the coach or the player was enthused about talking to reporters after the
game they had just narrowly lost.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Either; nor
C. NO CHANGE; nor
D. Either; NO CHANGE
2) The new TV show, which aired during primetime hours, still attracted less
viewers than analysts expected.
A. NO CHANGE
B. fewer viewers than
C. less watchers than
D. the most viewers
3) The new company decided to go public so that investors would take notice.
A. NO CHANGE
B. such that
Rule No. 14: Usage errors
1. What it means: Even though it’s rarely tested, this usage error is important to know:
• Circumvent vs. circumnavigate
The company circumvented the regulations by using a little-known rule.
The couple circumnavigated the globe on their trip.
Rule No. 15: Redundancy and wordiness
1. What it means: Avoid being redundant and too wordy. Always choose the shortest
sentence that is still grammatically correct.
2. How the tests will try to trick you: The tests will use redundant phrases and complicate
sentences with an overflow of words.
3. Tips/strategies: Always choose the simplest, clearest sentence that is grammatically

correct.
1) In spite of being a leader in the community, the company’s CEO was caught
illegally trespassing last week.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; trespassing
C. Although he was; NO CHANGE
D. Although he was; trespassing
2) The scientists, being that they were researchers at heart, published the study with
the purpose of educating the public.
A. NO CHANGE
B. who; NO CHANGE
C. who; to educate
D. NO CHANGE; to educate
3) The two sides, despite their past history, decided to jointly cooperate at the project
work site, which was in close proximity to a new real estate development.
A. NO CHANGE
B. history; cooperate; near
C. NO CHANGE; NO CHANGE; near
D. history; cooperate; NO CHANGE
4) The rising increase of home prices around the city failed to affect only those
people who had the ability to afford them.
A. NO CHANGE
B. NO CHANGE; could
C. increase; could
D. increase; NO CHANGE
5) The teacher said, in view of the fact that everyone turned in their homework on
time, which he regarded as a(n) essential requirement of the class, that his
students would have an added bonus of 15 extra minutes of recess.
A. NO CHANGE
B. because; requirement; an extra 15 minutes
C. because; NO CHANGE; NO CHANGE
D. NO CHANGE; requirement; NO CHANGE
Rule No. 16: Idioms
1. What it means: The tests will expect you to know a range of common idioms. Here are
some of them:
• identical with
• in contrast to
• independent from
• indifferent towards
• modeled after
• (no) more...than/(no)
• less...than
• more than ever
• neither...nor
• not only...but also
• not so much...as
• prohibits X from doing Y
• potential to
• regard as
• regardless
• responsible for
• resulting in
• retroactive to
• so X as to be Y
• so (adjective) that
• subscribe to
• such...as
• the same to X as to Y
• to contrast X with Y
• to mistake X for Y
• to result in
• to sacrifice X for Y
• range from X to Y
2. How the tests will try to trick you: These idioms will often appear as preposition in
questions on the tests.
3. Tips/strategies: Study these idioms.
Rule 1: Subject-verb agreement

Do you like fast-paced action, superstars, course, (23) have its own rivals — and
and budding rivalries? Then the NBA might neither the league nor the everyday NBA fan
be for you. The NBA, or National (24) are complaining about the fierce play. It
Basketball Association, (1) boast seems that the growing popularity and
burgeoning popularity, especially among the intensity of the 21st-century NBA (25) is
millennial generation, which (2) are here to stay. Hard at work (26) are the minds
composed of people ages 18 to 35. Why? (3) of league officials to keep it that way.
Here’s a few reasons.
One, baseball, a sport that your uncles 1. A. NO CHANGE
happily (4) reminds you is “America’s B. have boasted
pastime,” (5) are becoming too slow, C. boasts
according to a study. “The games (6) use to D. had boast
be a lot faster,” said one fan. Slow-moving 2. A. NO CHANGE
baseball could (7) allow another, faster sport B. is
to (8) be able to fill their spot. That’s where C. has been
basketball (9) enter the picture. With (10) D. have been
it’s fast-paced, up-and-down style of play, 3. A. NO CHANGE
basketball (11) is much more entertaining B. Here’ll be
than baseball. C. Here is
Next, the NBA (12) are a league driven D. Here are
by star players. The NBA — whether it’s 4. A. NO CHANGE
through the big superstars like LeBron B. will reminds
James, Stephen Curry, and Russell C. remind
Westbrook or the up-and-coming players D. have remind
like Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, and 5. A. NO CHANGE
Giannis Antetokounmpo — (13) offer an B. is
exciting array of talent. “The stars are what C. will be
(14) makes the league,” said a fan. “That’s D. have been
why attending NBA games (15) are so fun.” 6. A. NO CHANGE
Finally, there (16) is rivalries brewing all B. have used
over the league. Everyone (17) know the C. used
classic Lakers-Celtics rivalries of the NBA’s D. will used
heyday, but there are some current ones 7. A. NO CHANGE
building as well. One of the league’s most B. allows
popular teams (18) are Golden State, a squad C. have allow
that (19) has some of the biggest stars in the D. has allowed
game and is about to play Houston in the
Western Conference finals, a highly
anticipated matchup that (20) continue to 8. A. NO CHANGE
build hype. Over on the other coast, the B. be able to fill its
Boston Celtics, led by their unflappable C. be able to fill, or totally take, their
coach Brad Stevens—“nothing (21) seem to D. fill its
faze him,” said Gordon Hayward, one of his 9. A. NO CHANGE
players—are taking on LeBron James’ B. can enters
Cleveland Cavaliers in a series that (22) are C. enters
not short on aggressive play. Each team, of D. will enters
10. A. NO CHANGE 21. A. NO CHANGE
B. its B. could seem
C. its’ C. will have seemed
D. their D. seems
B. are B. is
C. is not C. will not have been
D. have been D. have been
B. was B. has
C. is C. have played
D. is not D. have played against
B. have offered B. will have been
C. could had offer C. is
D. offers D. have been
B. make B. has been
C. will have make C. have been
D. has made D. are
B. could has been B. is
C. is C. has been
D. have been D. none of the above
16. A. NO CHANGE 27. Suppose the writer’s goal had been to
B. has been persuade you to watch the NBA. Does
C. are this essay accomplish that goal?
D. will have been A. Yes, the author uses passionate
17. A. NO CHANGE language to urge the reader to watch the
B. knows NBA.
C. have not known B. Yes, the author outlines the main
D. could have known reasons why the NBA has become so
18. A. NO CHANGE popular and includes fan insight.
B. have been C. No, the author consistently uses a
C. is negative tone about the NBA.
D. have not been D. No, the author does not support his
claims about the NBA with any
evidence.
19. A. NO CHANGE Rule 2: Verb tense
B. have
C. have had The World Cup kicks off this week, and
D. will have had thousands of American fans (1) were still
20. A. NO CHANGE undecided about which team to (2) have
B. continues to build rooted for. That’s because back in October,
C. continue to grow for the first time in thirty-two years, the
D. have continued to build United States men’s national team (3) fail to
qualify for the world’s biggest tournament, to victory. Only one question (24) would
which (4) took place every four summers. remained: Who (25) was your team?
(This year’s (5) will have been in Russia.)
To most Americans—ardent and casual 1. A. NO CHANGE
fans alike—the team’s failure to qualify is B. are
both disappointing and confusing. How, we C. have been
(6) asked, can a nation of over 300 million D. will have been
people not qualify for the World Cup? There 2. A. NO CHANGE
(7) are several theories, including a broken B. has rooted for
youth system and the dominance of other, C. rooted for
non-soccer sports—but no matter what you D. root for
think, the reality (8) hit hard every day: The 3. A. NO CHANGE
Americans (9) have not been playing in the B. failed
World Cup this year. C. will have failed
So who should we root for this summer? D. would have failed
[B] There (10) was a bevy of strong 4. A. NO CHANGE
candidates (11) to vie for our loyalty. [C] B. had taken place
The usual powers, like Spain and Brazil, C. takes place
(12) are always safe bets if you (13) had D. will have taken place
preferred beautiful, fun soccer with no 5. A. NO CHANGE
shortage of highlights (and (14) enjoy B. are
winning). Argentina and Portugal, C. is
meanwhile, (15) lacked the overall D. would be
chemistry and success of the top-tier teams 6. A. NO CHANGE
but (16) will have had two of the sport’s B. ask
greatest players in Lionel Messi and C. would have asked
Cristiano Ronaldo, respectively. [D] In any D. will asked
given game, either player (17) could score a 7. A. NO CHANGE
hat trick and completely take over. The B. is
Icelanders (18) were sure to be a fan favorite C. would be
because of their underdog charm and viral D. would have been
Viking clap. [A] And finally, there is 8. A. NO CHANGE
Iceland, the smallest country to ever (19) B. has hits
have qualified for the World Cup when it C. have hit
(20) punches its ticket to the tournament in D. hits
October 2017. 9. A. NO CHANGE
These are, of course, just a sampling of B. should not have been
the thirty-two teams that (21) would C. can not have been
D. are not playing
10. A. NO CHANGE
B. is
compete for soccer’s ultimate prize this C. are
summer. Fans from around the world (22) D. has been
have gathered around their TVs, (23) met up 11. A. NO CHANGE
at restaurants, and cheer their home country B. vying
C. to have vied
D. will have vying B. will meet up
12. A. NO CHANGE C. would meet up
B. is D. meet up
C. will be 24. A. NO CHANGE
D. will have been B. remains
13. A. NO CHANGE C. have remained
B. prefer D. will have remained
C. preferred 25. A. NO CHANGE
D. have prefer B. have been
14. A. NO CHANGE C. is
B. enjoys D. are
C. have enjoy 26. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
D. has enjoyed to persuade you to root for a
15. A. NO CHANGE particular team in this summer’s
B. would have lacked World Cup. Does this essay
C. lack accomplish that goal?
D. would lack A. Yes, the author uses strong
16. A. NO CHANGE language and imagery to convince
B. have you to root for Argentina.
C. had B. Yes, the author uses figurative
D. might have had language and other literary devices
17. A. NO CHANGE to urge you to root for Spain.
B. could have C. No, the author does not establish
C. could has a clear opinion about who to root for
D. could have not but rather gives the reader several
18. A. NO CHANGE teams to consider.
B. are D. No, the author thinks that since
C. was the United States didn’t qualify for
D. is the World Cup, the tournament is not
19. A. NO CHANGE worth watching.
B. qualified 27. For the sake of the logic and
C. would have qualified coherence of this essay, sentence [A]
D. will have qualified (“And finally…October 2017”)
20. A. NO CHANGE should be placed:
B. will punch A. where it is now
C. have punched B. after sentence [B]
D. punched C. after sentence [C]
21. A. NO CHANGE D. after sentence [D]
B. compete
C. will compete Rule 3: Pronoun-antecedent
D. competed agreement
22. A. NO CHANGE
B. will gather
(1) Its about to be that time of year again,
C. gather
the yearly lull of the sports calendar that hits
D. would gather
every summer. After the World Cup
23. A. NO CHANGE
concludes in mid-July and each country’s
fans, currently hunkered down in Russia, D. It’s
pack (2) its bags to travel back to (3) their 2. A. NO CHANGE
homes across the world, the only major sport B. their
that will seem to be playing on TVs across C. his
America—and may be already since the D. her
United States men’s national team did not 3. A. NO CHANGE
qualify for the tournament, one of (4) their B. its
biggest failures to date—is baseball. C. they
Long known as America’s pastime, (5) it D. one’s
is typically the sport of the summer. The 4. A. NO CHANGE
baseball calendar, which (6) run from April B. its
to October (and sometimes early C. his
November), is structured such that (7) it D. one’s
dominate the summer months, when 5. A. NO CHANGE
basketball, hockey, soccer (aside from the B. they
World Cup), and football are all on (8) its C. baseball
breaks. (9) It’s no wonder that baseball has D. its
become synonymous with summer. 6. A. NO CHANGE
(10) One is familiar with it. [B] You go B. have ran
to the ballpark with (11) his friends, buy a C. have run
hot dog, and watch a game under the sun. D. runs
[C] If (12) one is lucky enough to live in one 7. A. NO CHANGE
of the nearly 30 cities that have a Major B. it dominates
League Baseball (MLB) team, you can see C. the sport dominates
the sport played at (13) their highest level. If D. the sport dominate
you aren’t, however, fear not: there (14) is 8. A. NO CHANGE
minor league teams all over the country. [A] B. their
Then you do it again the next day. C. the sport’s
[D] So far this season, the usual D. the sports’
contenders are thriving. The Yankees, Red 9. A. NO CHANGE
Sox, and defending champion Astros are all B. Its
at or near the top of (15) their respective C. Its’
divisions (the Yankees and Red Sox both D. It will be
play in the American League East, and (16) 10. A. NO CHANGE
it have traded spots for first and second B. She
place for most of the year). [E] Behind (17) C. He
its typical haul of top free agents throughout D. You
the offseason, the Yankees and Red Sox are
reinvigorating (18) their fierce (19) rivalry.
It has been around for decades. Come 11. A. NO CHANGE
October, (20) one may be watching (21) B. her
they compete deep into the playoffs. (24) C. your
D. their
B. It could be B. you
C. It will be C. she
D. he D. after sentence [D]
13. A. NO CHANGE 23. If the writer deleted sentence [E]
B. your (“Behind its typical haul…rivalry.”)
C. its from the passage, it would primarily
D. one’s lose:
14. A. NO CHANGE A. a detailed account of the rivalry
B. could be between the Yankees and Red Sox
C. isn’t B. an opinion that the rivalry
D. are between the Yankees and Red Sox is
15. A. NO CHANGE the fiercest in all of sports
B. its C. information that the Yankees and
C. the team’s Red Sox spend big in the offseason
D. your D. an argument that if the Yankees
16. A. NO CHANGE and Red Sox didn’t spend big in the
B. they offseason, they wouldn’t be rivals
C. you 24. The writer wants to end the passage
D. one with a final sentence that ties back to
17. A. NO CHANGE her central point. Which choice best
B. it’s accomplishes that goal?
C. their A. Leave the final sentence as is
D. its’ B. That’s why baseball is better than
18. A. NO CHANGE other sports.
B. it’s C. That hypothetical matchup
C. its probably won’t happen unless the
D. its’ Yankees improve their pitching.
19. Which choice most effectively D. That possibility, however, is still
combines the underlined portions? months away: The sport of the
A. NO CHANGE summer is just beginning.
B. rivalry, it 25. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
C. rivalry, which to argue that the rivalry between
D. rivalry, in which Yankees and Red Sox is the best in
20. A. NO CHANGE sports. Does this essay accomplish
B. you that goal?
C. she A. Yes, the author uses passionate
D. he language to describe the rivalry.
21. A. NO CHANGE B. Yes, the author cites detailed
B. those statistics to bolster her argument.
C. them C. No, the passage is mainly about
D. the teams baseball as the sport of the summer.
22. For the sake of the logic and D. No, the author doesn’t mention
coherence of this essay, sentence [A] the rivalry.
(“Then you do it again the next day”)
should be placed: Rule 4: Pronoun case
A. where is it now
B. after sentence [B]
A few days ago, my family and (1) me
C. after sentence [C]
went to the movies. When (2) we arrived at
the theater, the attendant gave my mom, my C. we
dad, my sister, and (3) I our tickets and told D. us
(4) we to head to theater 5 on the left. On the 2. A. NO CHANGE
walk there, (5) I noticed a sign in the corner B. us
of my eye: Two-for-one popcorn until 2 C. he
p.m. I checked my watch: 1:34. We were D. they
good to go. 3. A. NO CHANGE
My parents had to use the restroom, B. us
though, so my dad told (6) me and my sister C. me
to go ahead and order. We were to meet (7) D. them
he and my mom at the front of theater 5 4. A. NO CHANGE
when we got the popcorn. So my sister and B. us
(8) me walked over to the counter and C. they
ordered two large bags of it. After (9) her D. him
and (10) me paid the cashier, another 5. A. NO CHANGE
employee poured the buttery popcorn into B. me
two flimsy paper bags, which barely stayed C. they
together, and asked, “(11) Who are these D. we
for?” I nodded at him, and he handed a bag 6. A. NO CHANGE
to both my sister and (12) I. Then (13) her B. I
and (14) I headed to the correct theater. C. them
“(15) Whom is the star of this movie?” D. us
my mom asked as we walked into the 7. A. NO CHANGE
theater. My sister, while all of (16) us B. them
listened attentively, then went into a long C. her
explanation: Apparently at the start of D. him
filming the actors themselves didn’t know to 8. A. NO CHANGE
(17) who the star role belonged. Their B. us
question of (18) whom was at the center of C. I
the movie’s plot was the biggest mystery D. we
entering production; indeed, the director had 9. A. NO CHANGE
given (19) they and their coworkers little B. she
clue (20) who was going to be cast in the C. we
lead role. It all sounded kind of confusing to D. they
(21) I. But I trusted (22) she and her movie 10. A. NO CHANGE
knowledge more than my own. B. them
It ended up being a pretty good movie. C. us
Four-and-a-half stars, my dad proclaimed D. I
walking out of the theater. ((23) Him and his
friends had started a practice of announcing
their specific approval of cinema upon the
movie’s conclusion. (24) Whom started that 11. A. NO CHANGE
hobby, (25) I don’t know.) B. Whom
C. To whom
1. A. NO CHANGE D. Whose
B. I 12. A. NO CHANGE
B. her B. They
C. me C. He
D. us D. We
B. she B. Who
C. we C. For whom
D. us D. To whom
B. me B. me
C. us C. they
D. him D. he
15. A. NO CHANGE 26. If the writer deleted the final two
B. To whom sentences from the passage, it would
C. Him primarily lose:
D. Who A. a dramatic, poignant ending that
16. A. NO CHANGE emphasizes the theme of the passage
B. them B. a serious appraisal of the movie
C. we and its merits
D. her C. a somewhat humorous
17. A. NO CHANGE explanation for why the narrator’s
B. whom father announces movie ratings
C. him D. a stark contrast to the tone of the
D. them rest of the passage
18. A. NO CHANGE
B. who
C. we
D. her
19. A. NO CHANGE
B. she
C. them
D. he
20. A. NO CHANGE
B. whom
C. to whom
D. her
21. A. NO CHANGE
B. him
C. they
D. me
Rule 5: Noun agreement

22. A. NO CHANGE
B. her The high school (1) runners laced up both
C. they of his (2) shoe, slapped his left (3) leg, then
D. them his (4) right’s, and toed the starting line. He
23. A. NO CHANGE was ready for the race.
As (5) elite runners, Joey had been C. right
through this same routine countless times D. writes
before—has to be over 100, he thought to 5. A. NO CHANGE
(6) him—but (7) they still gave him B. the elite runners
goosebumps every time. The pre-race C. a elite runner
adrenaline, as his coach, who was a (8) D. an elite runner
weathermen previously, always liked to say, 6. A. NO CHANGE
was the “storm before the storm.” It was key B. himself
for (9) him and his teammates, Joey knew, C. themselves
to become (10) a calm sailor out at sea, to D. he
manage (11) his energy for the actual race 7. A. NO CHANGE
(12) themselves. B. them
Their nervous energies (13) were soon C. it
released, however, with the sound of the D. it’s
start. As the (14) dozen of (15) runners 8. A. NO CHANGE
sprinted out of the gates and jockeyed for B. weatherman
position, Joey looked for (16) a profitable C. meteorologists
spot to settle in to his pace. As (17) aspiring D. weather station men
doctors, Joey understood the value of 9. A. NO CHANGE
patience and (18) their many virtues. After a B. he
frantic first 60 seconds of the race, the dust C. his
settled, and (19) each and every (20) runners D. them
found solace in the comforting rhythm of 10. A. NO CHANGE
putting one foot in front of the other. B. a calm sailors
Soon, though, that tranquility wore off, as C. calm sailor’s
paces increased and (21) heart pounded D. calm sailors
faster. Joey, as was custom, was out in front, 11. A. NO CHANGE
the closest runner 100 meters behind. He B. they’re
crossed the finish line in first, again. C. their
D. its
12. A. NO CHANGE
1. A. NO CHANGE B. itself
B. runner’s C. themselve’s
C. runners’ D. ourselves
D. runner 13. A. NO CHANGE
2. A. NO CHANGE B. was
B. shoes C. is
C. shoe’s D. had been
D. shoes’

B. legs B. twelve
C. leg’s C. more than a dozens
D. legs’ D. dozens
B. rites B. runner
C. runner’s
D. runners’
16. A. NO CHANGE
B. an advantageous
C. a detrimental
D. a fortunate
17. A. NO CHANGE
B. aspiring doctor’s
C. an aspiring doctor
D. aspiring doctors’
18. A. NO CHANGE
B. they’re
C. its
D. there
19. A. NO CHANGE
B. each, every
C. both each and every
D. every
20. A. NO CHANGE
B. runner’s
C. runners’
D. runner
21. A. NO CHANGE
B. hearts
C. its hearts
D. heart’s
22. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
to discuss the science behind
running. Does this essay accomplish
that goal?
A. Yes, the author explores the
causes and effects of pre-race
adrenaline in significant detail.
B. Yes, the author uses one runner as
a case study to discuss the physical
challenges presented by long-
distance running.
C. No, the author writes about the Rule 6: Parallel structure
progression of a race, focusing on a
single runner. The United (1) State’s women’s national
D. No, the author mocks the science soccer team (USWNT) just won (2) its (3)
behind the sport with a sarcastic unique fourth World Cup, and second in a
tone. row. The Americans, playing in France, tore
through (4) its group (beating Thailand by a
record score 13-0), held on against some
tough European competition in the
elimination rounds, and (5) they dispatched 3. A. NO CHANGE
the Netherlands in the final, 2-0. It was B. unprecedented
especially impressive because the teams the C. rare
Americans faced on the field weren’t their D. sole
only opponents and (6) it was also 4. A. NO CHANGE
impressive because no team had ever won B. our
back-to-back World Cups, the quadrennial C. their
tournaments (7) held every four years. D. her
[B] Not only did the U.S. players face 5. A. NO CHANGE
stiff competition on the field, but (8) also B. they beat
intense scrutiny off the field was a factor as C. dispatched
well. (9) On the one hand, whether it was D. they won against
their celebrations, their uncompromising 6. A. NO CHANGE
playing style, or (10) their use of their B. also it was impressive
platform to speak up about issues outside of C. it was impressive as well
soccer, it seemed that every move the D. because
Americans made (11) were analyzed to the 7. A. NO CHANGE
fullest. [A] It was Morgan (12) whom B. DELETE the underlined portion.
celebrated her goal against England in the C. held not next year but three years
semifinals by running to her teammates and after that
(13) she pretended to sip a glass of tea. [C] D. held like they do the Olympics
Among the most vocal players (14) were 8. A. NO CHANGE
Megan Rapinoe, the enthusiastic captain B. they also faced intense scrutiny
who won the (15) tournaments Golden Boot off of it
Award as its top goal scorer, and Alex C. also the scrutiny they faced off
Morgan, (16) who is 30 years old. the field was intense as well
[D] In the end, though, none of that D. also a factor was the intense
distracted the U.S. from its ultimate mission scrutiny they faced off the field
(17); winning the World Cup. Behind goals 9. A. NO CHANGE
from Rapinoe and (18) Rose Lavelle scored B. On the other hand
as well, the Americans fought off a C. Nevertheless
determined Netherlands squad in the final. D. DELETE the underlined portion
(19) Upon the hearing of the final whistle, and begin the sentence with a capital
the U.S. women’s soccer team had shown letter.
fans across the globe how to stay cool under 10. A. NO CHANGE
pressure, (20) fight for what you believe in, B. they used their platform to speak
and how to celebrate your successes in style. up about issues outside of soccer
C. the fact that their use of their
1. A. NO CHANGE platform was to speak up about
B. State issues outside of soccer
C. States’s D. their platform that they spoke up
D. States about issues outside of soccer on
B. their B. had been
C. our C. was
D. her D. were then
12. A. NO CHANGE 21. For the sake of the logic and
B. who coherence of this essay, sentence [A]
C. whose (“It was Morgan…sip a glass of
D. who’s tea.”) should be placed:
13. A. NO CHANGE A. where is it now
B. she had pretended B. after sentence [B]
C. pretending C. after sentence [C]
D. pretending by faking to D. after sentence [D]
14. A. NO CHANGE 22. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
B. has been to give a brief overview of the U.S.
C. had been women’s national soccer team’s
D. was success at the World Cup, on and off
15. A. NO CHANGE the field. Does this essay accomplish
B. tournament that goal?
C. tournaments’ A. Yes, the author focuses on the
D. tournament’s team’s success winning a fourth
16. Given that all of the following are World Cup and overcoming the
true, which choice gives the most adversity they faced off the field.
relevant detail that follows the B. Yes, the author gives an incisive
pattern used previously in the tactical breakdown of each of the
sentence? team’s wins.
A. NO CHANGE C. No, the author focuses only on the
B. whose nickname is “Baby Horse” team’s success on the field.
C. who was frequently roughed up D. No, the author focuses on the
by opposing defenders team’s shortcomings.
D. the charismatic forward who won
the Silver Boot Award as the second-
leading scorer
17. A. NO CHANGE
B. :
C. , which was to
D. —of
18. A. NO CHANGE
B. it’s
C. Rose Lavelle
D. its’
19. A. NO CHANGE
B. By the end of the World Cup
C. Upon hearing the whistle Rule 7: Commas and conjunctions
signifying the game was over
D. Upon the final whistle The other day I was watching the men’s
20. A. NO CHANGE Wimbledon final (1), but I am a huge tennis
B. fighting for what you believe in fan. It was a hot afternoon (2), I had the A/C
C. to fight for what you believe in on high and the windows closed. The match
D. how to fight for what you believe pitted Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
in against each other. Because I (3) appreciate
greatness I was looking forward to (4) watch D. yet
it. 2. A. NO CHANGE
The match started (5) auspiciously. B. since I
Djokovic went on the offensive, hitting C. because I
forehands with tremendous vigor (6), D. , so I
Federer responded each time with his 3. A. NO CHANGE
trademark backhand (7), it was very fun to B. appreciate greatness,
watch. (8) Until Djokovic looked like he C. think greatness is an admirable
was exerting intense effort on every point trait
(9), Federer gracefully glided around the D. understand what it takes to be the
court with apparent ease. (10) In addition, it best, at the top of your game,
was Djokovic who won the first set in a 4. A. NO CHANGE
tiebreak. Federer did not appear upset, (11) B. watching it
so he had been in this situation many times C. viewing the spectacle that was
before. sure to grace our eyes
Federer dominated the second set. He D. watch
was in control throughout (12), Djokovic 5. A. NO CHANGE
looked gassed. (13) After winning the set B. forebodingly
(14) 6-1 Federer appeared ready to head C. inauspiciously
home a champion. D. boringly
The match, (15) however, was not yet 6. A. NO CHANGE
over. Djokovic pulled out another tiebreak B. because Federer
to win the third set, (16) yet he led 2-1 going C. , while Federer
into the fourth. Federer reasserted control D. , for Federer
during the fourth set (17), he won it 6-4. 7. A. NO CHANGE
(18) Although the score was (19) tied, the B. DELETE the underlined portion.
winner of the fifth and final set would be C. , but it
crowned as Wimbledon champion. D. , so it
Djokovic took an early lead in the fifth, 8. A. NO CHANGE
(20) nor Federer stormed back. The score B. Because
was tied 6-6 (21), that meant they would C. While
keep playing until one player earned a two- D. Before
point lead. The players went back and forth 9. A. NO CHANGE
(22) until the score was tied 12-12. A new B. , so Federer
Wimbledon rule stated that the players C. , although Federer
would play a tiebreaker to determine the D. , since Federer
winner (23), it was all down to this. 10. A. NO CHANGE
Like he had in the two previous B. However
tiebreaks, Djokovic dominated. (24) Before C. On the other hand
he finally won, he fell to his knees in D. Also
celebration. Just like that, the match was 11. A. NO CHANGE
over (25), Federer was gracious in defeat. B. and
C. although
1. A. NO CHANGE D. for
B. , when 12. A. NO CHANGE
C. because B. , and Djokovic
C. , nor Djokovic 24. A. NO CHANGE
D. , after Djokovic B. During
13. A. NO CHANGE C. After
B. Before D. While
C. While 25. A. NO CHANGE
D. Until B. , nor Federer
14. A. NO CHANGE C. , because Federer
B. 6-1 because Federer D. , and Federer
C. 6-1, Federer 26. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
D. 6-1 while Federer to compare and discuss Federer’s
15. A. NO CHANGE and Djokovic’s accomplishments
B. also throughout their career. Does this
C. for example essay accomplish that goal?
D. in addition A. Yes, the author focuses on the
16. A. NO CHANGE number of grand slam titles each
B. so player has won and concludes
C. while Federer has had the better career.
D. because B. Yes, the author compares the
17. A. NO CHANGE players across several categories to
B. , yet determine who has had the more
C. , although impressive career.
D. , and C. No, the author focuses on one
18. A. NO CHANGE match, the Wimbledon final,
B. Since between Federer and Djokovic—not
C. Until their entire careers.
D. While D. No, the author mostly discusses
19. A. NO CHANGE his own experience with playing
B. tied tennis and only mentions Federer
C. tied; and Djokovic in passing.
D. all knotted up
20. A. NO CHANGE
B. however
C. since
D. but
21. A. NO CHANGE
B. , since that
C. , so that
D. , but that Rule 8: Dangling participles
22. A. NO CHANGE
B. while As a lover of all things summer, (1) the
C. nor beach really appealed to Josh (2) he packed
D. for up his car and headed east. Upon arriving at
23. A. NO CHANGE the beach, (3) a large flock of seagulls
B. , so it was greeted him. “Good morning!” they seemed
C. , because it was to exclaim. (4) (The waves looked pretty
D. , until it was good today, Josh thought to himself.) After
picking a spot and applying sunscreen, (5) C. so he
Josh headed for the water. D. , until he
(6) Cool and clear, Josh felt the water as 3. A. NO CHANGE
soon as he stepped in. The waves were a B. greeting him were a large flock of
little choppy, but they were manageable, (7) seagulls
for after Josh got acquainted with the water, C. a large flock of seagulls said hello
he walked back on shore to grab his to him
surfboard. Light and agile, (8) the board was D. he was greeted by a large flock of
one of (9) Joshs’ closest companions, (10) seagulls
bringing it with him every beach trip. Ready 4. A. NO CHANGE
to surf, (11) Josh carried his board into the B. Did I forget anything? Joshua
water. asked himself.
Riding his first wave of the day, (12) a C. I better put on some sunscreen,
feeling of pure happiness came over Josh. Josh thought to himself.
The coolness of the water, the salty ocean D. That or they were just hungry,
breeze, the warm (13) sun, these all made Josh thought to himself.
him feel (14) remarkable content. Surfing 5. A. NO CHANGE
for several hours, (15) the time passed B. the water called out to Josh
quickly for Josh. C. the water beckoned
Tired, (16) Josh returned to shore. D. the seagulls returned
Pulling the book “Ishmael” out of his bag, 6. A. NO CHANGE
(17) images and words soon populated B. Josh felt the cool and clear water
Josh’s mind. (18) “Ishmael” is a critically as soon as he stepped in.
acclaimed philosophical novel with a strong C. Cool and clear, the water was felt
environmental message. Reading on the by Joshua as soon as he stepped in.
beach, the sun shining and breeze blowing D. Cool and clear, Joshua ran back to
softly, (19) his eyelids began to feel heavier shore because he didn’t like cold
and heavier. He fell asleep. water.
(20) Waking up about twenty minutes 7. A. NO CHANGE
later, the sun shone in his eyes. A successful B. , so
day at the beach, Josh thought to himself. He C. , while
got to surf, read, (21) and to nap under the D. because
sun. Driving home, (22) storm clouds 8. A. NO CHANGE
formed overhead, and (23) soon the wetness B. Josh
of raindrops was felt everywhere. C. the water
D. the sand
9. A. NO CHANGE
B. Josh
1. A. NO CHANGE C. Josh’s
B. the beach was really enjoyable to D. Joshs
Josh 10. A. NO CHANGE
C. Josh really enjoyed the beach B. which he brought it with him
D. Josh was indifferent about the C. and he brought it with him
beach D. that he brought it with him
B. , so he B. he carried
C. the board was carried by Joshua B. the heaviness of his eyelids began
D. the board went to take effect
12. A. NO CHANGE C. Josh began to feel his eyelids
B. pure happiness was the feeling become heavy
Josh felt right then D. Josh’s eyelids were felt by him
C. the sentiment of pure happiness becoming heavier
and joy fell over Josh’s entire being 20. A. NO CHANGE
D. Josh felt pure happiness B. The sun, twenty minutes later,
13. A. NO CHANGE caused Josh to unopen his eyes and
B. sun— then he woke up.
C. sun; C. Twenty minutes later, he woke
D. sun. up.
14. A. NO CHANGE D. Waking up a while later from the
B. hugely sun, Josh woke up.
C. remarkably 21. A. NO CHANGE
D. remarkabley B. and napped
15. A. NO CHANGE C. and napping
B. the time flew by D. and nap
C. in no time it was already sundown 22. A. NO CHANGE
D. Josh passed the time quickly B. the car witnessed the appearance
16. A. NO CHANGE of storm clouds
B. the board was carried by Josh C. Josh saw storm clouds form
back to shore overhead
C. the shore beckoned for Josh to D. storm clouds appeared
come back to it 23. A. NO CHANGE
D. the sand and the sun wore out B. soon it started raining
Josh C. soon, just like the waves at the
17. A. NO CHANGE beach, everything was wet
B. Josh began to read D. soon water began falling from the
C. beautiful environmental imagery clouds overhead
sprang from the deep recesses of
Josh’s mind
D. the book was enjoyable to Josh
18. The writer is considering deleting
this sentence. Should the writer make
this change?
A. Yes, because “Ishmael” is not an Rule 9: Relative pronouns
inherently philosophical novel.
B. Yes, because it introduces Tom Brady, the quarterback (1) whom
information unnecessary to the led the New England Patriots to Super Bowl
passage. glory time and again, shocked the league
C. No, because it tells the reader when he signed with the Tampa Bay
what types of books Josh likes. Buccaneers. The move—(2) that was
D. No, because the description of completed in mid-March—came as a
“Ishmael” is apt. surprise for several reasons, especially to
19. A. NO CHANGE Patriots fans, (3) who considered Brady an
icon. In New England, (4) when Brady spent B. who
20 years as a Patriot, grown men and women C. which
wept when Brady announced on Twitter, (5) D. he
which is a popular social media platform, 2. A. NO CHANGE
that he would be leaving. B. it
Joshua Platt was one of those men. Platt, C. that’s
(6) who lives in Florida but is from New D. which
England, recently bought a life-size cutout 3. A. NO CHANGE
of Brady, (7) that now adorns his living B. whom
room wall, to commemorate his time as a C. they
Patriot. “It’s just so heartbreaking,” Platt D. them
said through tears on the front porch of his 4. A. NO CHANGE
Florida home, (8) when a Patriots flag waves B. at which
proudly, “to know he’ll never put on the red, C. where
blue, and silver again.” D. whereupon
(9) Indeed, Brady will now (10) clothe 5. A. NO CHANGE
himself in the red and white of the B. that
Buccaneers, (11) whom play in Tampa Bay C. that’s
(12) which is a much smaller football D. it
market (13) then New England. Brady, for 6. A. NO CHANGE
his part, seems (14) clear. “I’m going to give B. whom
it everything I’ve got,” wrote Brady, (15) C. he
who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots. D. that
Buccaneers fans, to (16) whom Brady’s 7. A. NO CHANGE
arrival was seemingly too good to be true, B. it
new, will surely welcome Brady. Tampa C. which
Bay finished last season 7-9 (17) a record D. the cutout
which placed them third their division, (18) 8. A. NO CHANGE
that is the NFC South. The Buccaneers, (19) B. which
they last won a Super Bowl in the early C. at which
2000s, do have a strong young receiving D. where
(20) athletic group (21) that is among the 9. A. NO CHANGE
most exciting in the league. Their division, B. Therefore
(22) therefore, will be one of the toughest in C. Thus
the league, as the Saints, Falcons, and D. Additionally
Panthers all have legitimate playoff (23) 10. A. NO CHANGE
aspirations. B. cloth himself in
Regardless, Brady, (24) whom was the C. don
king of New England, will no longer be D. pull over
playing there. “I wish him luck; I really do,” 11. A. NO CHANGE
said Platt, using a handkerchief to wipe B. who
away tears (25) that were running down his C. they
face. “Sundays just aren’t going to be the D. the team that
same this year.” 12. A. NO CHANGE
B. , which
1. A. NO CHANGE C. that
D. , that B. who
13. A. NO CHANGE C. he
B. followed by D. when
C. because of 25. A. NO CHANGE
D. than B. which
14. A. NO CHANGE C. they
B. lackadaisical D. who
C. unfazed
D. straightforward
15. A. NO CHANGE
B. whom
C. he
D. which
16. A. NO CHANGE
B. whom
C. them
D. they
17. A. NO CHANGE
B. , a record that
C. , a record whom
D. , it
18. A. NO CHANGE
B. which
C. it
D. they play
19. A. NO CHANGE
B. whom
C. who
D. it
20. A. NO CHANGE
B. corps
C. group of athletes
D. teammates
21. A. NO CHANGE
B. which
C. who Rule 10: Adjective-adverb
D. whom confusion
22. A. NO CHANGE
B. thus
Liverpool, (1) that is a city in northwest
C. also
England, is home to a (2) famously soccer
D. however
team, (3) and that soccer team is called
23. A. NO CHANGE
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool residents, known
B. aspiring dreams
(4) global as “Scousers,” take great pride in
C. losses
their football club, (5) that has been one of
D. hopeful successes
the most (6) winningly successful in
24. A. NO CHANGE
England and all of Europe. There is one
trophy, (7) also, that has (8) hidden from the C. and it is known as Liverpool F.C
(9) teams’ grasp for three decades, one D. which, the soccer team, is called
trophy that the supporters (10) want really Liverpool F.C.
badly more than (11) any other; the English 4. A. NO CHANGE
Premier League championship. B. globally
Up until nearly all world soccer was C. globally worldwide
halted due to concerns over spreading D. global worldwide
Covid-19, the team seemed on its way to 5. A. NO CHANGE
ending the 30-year wait. Led by its (12) B. they
emotionally and determined coach Jürgen C. it
Klopp, “the Reds” stood 25 points clear of D. which
second place at the top of the EPL table. 6. A. NO CHANGE
With a (13) stout defense, a (14) reliably B. winning and successful
midfield, and a prolific set of strikers, C. successful
Liverpool won 27 of its first 29 games in the D. successfully winning
league, an (15) unquestionably remarkable 7. A. NO CHANGE
achievement (16) which made them the talk B. additionally
of soccer worldwide. C. however
The defense, anchored by the (17) D. furthermore
durable and unflinching center back Virgil 8. A. NO CHANGE
Van Dijk and supplemented by the (18) B. navigated
speedily backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and C. been hidden
Andy Robertson, has only allowed 21 goals D. eluded
so far this season. Jordan Henderson, the 9. A. NO CHANGE
(19) resolute team captain, leads an (20) B. team’s
unbelievable versatile midfield that supports C. teams
not only the defenders (21) and also the D. teams’s
potent (22) corps of strikers—Mohamed 10. A. NO CHANGE
Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané, B. desire greatly
(23) whom have scored 38 combined goals. C. covet
Will this be the year that Liverpool ends D. significantly pine for
its (24) longingly wait for EPL glory? Only 11. A. NO CHANGE
time will tell. (25) For now, the Scousers B. any other:
will think back on their (26) tremendously C. any other,
season so far. D. any other.
B. it is a city in northwest England B. emotionally determined
C. a city in northwest England C. determinedly emotional
D. which is known as a city in D. emotional and determined
northwest England 13. A. NO CHANGE
2. A. NO CHANGE B. good
B. famously well-known C. exceptionally fantastic
C. famously popular D. porous
D. famous 14. A. NO CHANGE
3. A. NO CHANGE B. reliable
B. Liverpool F.C. C. unreliably
D. dependably B. successfully tremendous
15. A. NO CHANGE C. tremendously successfully
B. unquestionably remarkably D. tremendous
C. unquestionable and remarkable
D. remarkably unquestionable
16. A. NO CHANGE
B. it
C. and which
D. that
17. A. NO CHANGE
B. durably unflinching
C. unflinchingly durable
D. durably unflinchingly
18. A. NO CHANGE
B. speedily fast
C. speedy
D. speedily quick
19. A. NO CHANGE
B. resolutely
C. resolutely strong
D. resolutely determined
20. A. NO CHANGE
B. unbelievable yet versatile
C. versatilely unbelievable
D. unbelievably versatile
21. A. NO CHANGE
B. but also
C. but it also
D. that also
22. A. NO CHANGE
B. core of strikers;
C. corps of strikers;
D. core of strikers.
23. A. NO CHANGE
B. they
C. who Rule 11: Erroneous comparisons
D. the players
24. A. NO CHANGE With hundreds of millions of copies sold,
B. long (1) J.K. Rowling has penned one of the best-
C. longingly extended selling book series of all-time, Harry Potter.
D. longingly frustrating The seven-book series, which (2) chronicles
25. A. NO CHANGE the journey of a boy wizard throughout
B. Therefore seven years at Hogwarts, (3) that is a school
C. However of magic, was (4) (and is) widely read
D. Nevertheless among kids and adults alike. (5) However,
26. A. NO CHANGE children appreciate the adventure and magic
of the books, (6) adults enjoy (7) that of its greater than (24) other popular book series,
themes of good versus evil, light versus dark and its magic endures forever.
(8) (at nearly 900 pages, the fifth book is the
longest in the series). 1. A. NO CHANGE
The friendship among Harry Potter (the B. J.K. Rowling has written one of
main character), Ron Weasley (his the best-selling book series of all-
redheaded best friend), and Hermione (9) time, Harry Potter.
Granger, their extremely well-read voice of C. one of the best-selling book series
reason, is one of the book’s most endearing of all-time is Harry Potter, and it was
aspects. Harry’s fame in the wizarding written by J.K. Rowling
world is much greater (10) than Ron and D. Harry Potter, written by J.K.
Hermione, but that doesn’t seem to bother Rowling, is one of the best-selling
them. Hermione’s intelligence—shaped by book series of all-time.
reading hundreds of books (11); is as 2. A. NO CHANGE
valuable a trait (12) as any of Harry’s as it B. maps
saves the trio from (13) mountainous C. enhances
daunting situations. While Ron’s smarts pale D. obstructs
in comparison (14) to Hermione, his courage 3. A. NO CHANGE
and blunt nature help Harry navigate his B. a school of magic
many crises. In the first (15) three book’s, C. a magical school filled with
readers are introduced to these characters witches and wizards
and more as Harry begins his journey at D. DELETE the underlined portion
Hogwarts. In the next four, (16) Rowling the 4. The writer is considering deleting the
author develops a complex plot and reveals underlined parenthetical aside.
several earth-shattering surprises. Together, Should the write delete this portion?
they create an epic saga read around the A. Yes, because it creates a
world: The series’ reach is as global as (17) grammatically incorrect
those of any other. sentence.
Another draw to readers was Rowling’s B. Yes, because it introduces
creation of the wizard sport Quidditch, (18) unnecessary information that
it involved wizards flying around on brooms blurs the focus of the paragraph.
to throw a ball through hoops. In this way, C. No, because it is a concise way
many “Muggles” (Rowling’s word for to indicate that Harry Potter is
humans) have compared the sport to still widely read today.
basketball. Quidditch’s intensity is matched D. No, because it offers concrete
by (19) basketballs, and the teamwork evidence of Harry Potter’s current
required in Quidditch is similar to (20) those readership.
required in basketball, as well. (21) On the 5. A. NO CHANGE
other hand, basketball’s rulebook—(22) B. While
which to, us seem relatively C. Although,
straightforward—is nothing compared (23) D. Nevertheless,
to Quidditch, which has no shortage of long, 6. The writer is considering adding the
Byzantine rules. following true descriptive clause at
All in all, Harry Potter has become one of this point in the paragraph.
most read book series in history for good —of which there are seven—
reason. The series’ universal appeal is
A. Yes, because it is essential C. to Hermiones
information. D. to Hermione’s
B. Yes, because the number seven is 15. A. NO CHANGE
a commonly reoccurring theme in B. three books’
Harry Potter C. three books
C. No, because the number of books D. three written works of literature
in the series is irrelevant. 16. A. NO CHANGE
D. No, because the information is B. , the author;
stated earlier in the paragraph. C. ; the author,
7. A. NO CHANGE D. DELETE the underlined portion
B. its as that information has already been
C. its’ stated in the passage.
D. their 17. A. NO CHANGE
8. A. NO CHANGE B. that of any other
B. (the fourth book is about Harry’s C. those, of any other
participation in the heralded D. any other
Triwizard Tournament) 18. A. NO CHANGE
C. (and some doses of humor B. that involved
perhaps lost on younger eyes and C. which involved
ears) D. the sport involved
D. (J.K. Rowling is from England) 19. A. NO CHANGE
9. A. NO CHANGE B. the intensity for which basketball
B. (their extremely well-read voice requires
of reason) C. basketballs’
C. their extremely well-read voice of D. basketball’s
reason 20. A. NO CHANGE
D. who has been their extremely B. that required
well-read voice of reason C. it required
10. A. NO CHANGE D. which required
B. those of Ron and Hermione 21. A. NO CHANGE
C. that of Ron and Hermione B. Therefore,
D. Ron and Hermiones C. While
11. A. NO CHANGE D. Furthermore,
B. , is 22. A. NO CHANGE
C. —is B. which, to us, seems
D. : is C. which to us seem
12. A. NO CHANGE D. which, to us seems,
B. as any of Harrys’ 23. A. NO CHANGE
C. as any of Harrys B. those of Quidditch
D. as those of Harrys’ C. Quidditch’s
13. A. NO CHANGE D. Qudditchs
B. countless 24. A. NO CHANGE
C. a few B. those of other
D. about four C. that of other
14. A. NO CHANGE D. DELETE the underlined portion.
B. to it of Hermione
25. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
to write an in-depth analysis of the
wizard sport Quidditch. Would this
essay accomplish that goal?
A. Yes, because the penultimate
paragraph compares Quidditch to
basketball.
B. Yes, because the rules and
strategies of Quidditch are explained
in detail from multiple points of
view.
C. No, because the essay focuses on
the series as a whole and only briefly
discusses Quidditch.
D. No, because the essay never
mentions Quidditch.
Rule 12: Comparatives and

superlatives
When choosing a college, (1) theirs a lot

to consider. Factors (2) such as: cost,
programs of study, location, and atmosphere
are all important when you are deciding
where to spend (at least) the next four years
of your life.
Perhaps the (3) more important—and students should ask lots of questions to
most often (4) overlooked, aspect of figure out if they can see themselves there
choosing a college is its cost. Students must for four years.
ask themselves (and their families) an
essential question: What is the (5) most that 1. A. NO CHANGE
I can pay for college? Typically, among all B. their is
universities, in-state public schools are C. there’s
going to be the (6) cheaper option, while D. they’re is
private institutions will be the (7) more 2. A. NO CHANGE
expensive. Among the two types of public B. such as
universities, out-of-state schools will be (8) C. such as—
more costly than their in-state counterparts. D. for example:
(9) Therefore, tuition and fees are only part 3. A. NO CHANGE
of the cost of attendance. Students must B. most
factor in room and board, dining, textbooks, C. biggest
and more—(10) that, granted, cost (11) D. largest
fewer than tuition but still compose a 4. A. NO CHANGE
significant part of the cost of attendance— B. overlooked:
into their budget. No matter your situation, C. overlooked;
one thing is clear: Cost is one of the (12) D. overlooked—
more important factors of choosing a 5. A. NO CHANGE
college. B. more
Another thing students must consider is C. highest total amount
whether the college has their intended D. true dollar cost
major. Students who want a (13) broadest 6. A. NO CHANGE
education might choose a liberal arts college B. more cheaper
over a technical university, (14) which C. cheapest
typically emphasizes a (15) more specific D. most cheapest
field of study. (16) On the other hand, most 7. A. NO CHANGE
large public universities like the University B. most
of Florida offer (17) many majors and C. higher in price
minors, while a university like Georgia Tech D. astronomically
has a narrower focus on engineering. 8. A. NO CHANGE
Researching the college’s programs of study B. most
has become (18) the best step in deciding C. higher in price
where to attend. D. astronomically
(19) Initially, students must take into 9. A. NO CHANGE
account the atmosphere of the college. They B. Thus,
will hear parents, teachers, and counselors C. Even though,
recommend finding the (20) hidden “feel” of D. However,
the college to determine whether they will 10. A. NO CHANGE
fit at that school. The only way to find it is B. which, granted,
to visit the university, (21) that is one of the C. that, granted
(22) more critical steps of the three D. they, granted,
discussed in this passage. When visiting the 11. A. NO CHANGE
(23) college, either officially or unofficially, B. cheapest
C. a lower number of dollars C. least
D. less D. best
B. biggest B. college; either
C. most C. college—either
D. least D. college: either
B. broader to compose an essay explaining the
C. more broader main factors in selecting a college.
D. most broadest Would this essay accomplish that
14. A. NO CHANGE goal?
B. they A. Yes, because the essay explains
C. that the college selection process by
D. this type of college focusing on one student and one
15. A. NO CHANGE university.
B. most B. Yes, because the essay outlines
C. least and discusses three of the most
D. bigger important factors—cost, program of
16. A. NO CHANGE study, and atmosphere—that students
B. However, should consider when choosing a
C. While college.
D. For example, C. No, because the essay does not
17. A. NO CHANGE mention any factors about the
B. more than one college selection process.
C. a few D. No, because the essay is mostly
D. less about navigating the first semester of
18. A. NO CHANGE college.
B. a best
C. the better
D. an important
19. A. NO CHANGE
B. Finally,
C. At the start,
D. Despite this,
20. A. NO CHANGE Rule 13: Word pairs

B. well-hid
C. elusive Writing about sports is an interesting job
D. illusive (1) which requires different skills.
21. A. NO CHANGE Sportswriting (2) take many forms, but most
B. it sportswriters are either beat reporters that
C. which follow a (3) team; professional and college,
D. this mostly—(4) or bloggers who observe sports
22. A. NO CHANGE from afar and write about them online. (5) In
B. most today’s increasingly digital media climate,
there are likely (6) less beat reporters than 2. A. NO CHANGE
online bloggers, which means the on-the- B. took
field reporters (7) not only critical but also C. takes
important as ever. D. can takes
Writing about sports, like (8) more jobs, 3. A. NO CHANGE
has both advantages (9) but disadvantages. B. team,
One benefit is that sports reporters get to C. team—
(10) frequent lots of live sporting events, for D. team:
free. They not only get to watch the games, 4. A. NO CHANGE
(11) but they also get to talk to the athletes B. nor
playing in them. (12) They’re job is to C. but also
discover the coaches’ and athletes’ thoughts D. and
and strategies during the game (13) such that 5. A. NO CHANGE
they can convey them to readers. (14) B. Since the NBA is one of the most
However, sportswriters also get to uncover popular leagues to cover,
the motivations and challenges that drive C. There are a lot more computers
different (15) famous athletic sporting icons these days so,
and listen to their stories. D. Since newspapers were read by
[A] Additionally, some reporters tire of the dinosaurs,
hearing the same stock phrases coaches and 6. A. NO CHANGE
players use after every game: “We need to B. a minute number of
play harder and execute better.” [B] (16) Not C. less than
only the free games and access to coaches D. fewer
and players, sportswriting can seem like an 7. A. NO CHANGE
ideal career. [C] (17) Therefore, the field B. as important as ever
has some drawbacks, too. [D] For one, (18) C. either important or critical
sports reporter’s work schedules tend to be D. neither important nor critical
(19) unorthodox, while most people are at 8. A. NO CHANGE
their jobs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., sportswriters B. at least four
typically start their day in the mid-afternoon C. a large, significant amount of
and work late because most games take D. most
place at night. (20) 9. A. NO CHANGE
Neither this essay (21) or any piece of B. but also
writing is going to give you a full picture of C. and
a career in sportswriting. If you are thinking D. and it also has
of entering the field, (22) it is recommended
and suggested to pursue an internship first, 10. A. NO CHANGE
(23) it will give you hands-on experience B. attend
with the job. (24) That people in the industry C. go watch in-person
say, is the best way to determine if D. find themselves in the presence of
sportswriting is a career for you. 11. A. NO CHANGE
B. and they also
1. A. NO CHANGE C. however they also
B. that requires D. or they also
C. it requires 12. A. NO CHANGE
D. of which requires B. There
C. Their C. but also
D. They are D. and
B. so that B. pursue an internship first,
C. in order to that C. first pursue an internship,
D. that D. definitely you should go after
14. A. NO CHANGE internships
B. Therefore, 23. A. NO CHANGE
C. On the other hand, B. they
D. Additionally, C. that
15. A. NO CHANGE D. which
B. popular extraordinary people who 24. A. NO CHANGE
play sports B. That, people in the industry say
C. athletes C. That, people in the industry say,
D. popular athletic heroes D. That, people, in the industry say,
B. Between to write an essay outlining the
C. Either benefits and drawbacks to a career in
D. Neither sportswriting. Would this essay have
17. A. NO CHANGE accomplished that goal?
B. Consequently, A. Yes, because the core of the essay
C. In addition, discusses the advantages and
D. However, disadvantages of sportswriting.
18. A. NO CHANGE B. Yes, because the essay strongly
B. sports reporters’ urges everyone to pursue a career in
C. sports’ reporters sportswriting by emphasizing the
D. sport’s reporter’s advantages.
19. A. NO CHANGE C. No, because the essay discusses
B. unorthodox. neither advantages nor disadvantages
C. unorthodox: to a career in sportswriting.
D. unorthodox, and D. No, because the essay focuses
more on why aspiring sportswriters
should pursue internships.
20. For the sake of the logic and Rule 15: Redundancy and
coherence of this essay, sentence [A] wordiness
(“Additionally…execute better.’”)
should be placed: Hockey players are at home on the (1)
A. where it is now frozen ice. (2) Peering, with open eyes, at
B. after sentence B them glide on ice, as if they are simply out
C. after sentence C for a casual stroll, is one of the (3) more
D. after sentence D underrated wonders of sports, which is filled
21. A. NO CHANGE with otherworldly feats. (4) However in
B. nor
spite of their (5) skills and abilities, hockey C. Peering with open eyes at them
players are often (6) underappreciated. D. Peering at them, with open eyes
Falling somewhere behind basketball, 3. A. NO CHANGE
baseball, and football, professional hockey B. highest underrated
in the U.S. is a (7) cool sport that does not C. most underrated
attract as many viewers (8) as do the D. more underrate
mainstream ones. (9) Their fans, (10) thus, 4. A. NO CHANGE
are zealous, (11) following (12) its favorite B. However, despite,
teams with (13) intense passion. They know C. In spite of however
their team’s (14) statistics and numerical D. Despite
figures almost as deeply as they know (15) 5. A. NO CHANGE
its players. Strike up a conversation with one B. skills
of them and you will experience this C. skills, talents
fandom. D. skills and talents
One of the (16) fiercest, more intense 6. A. NO CHANGE
rivalries in the league is (17) the New York B. misunderstood
Rangers and New Jersey Devils. (18) C. miscalculated
However, the teams are (19) located in close D. incorrectly evaluated
proximity to each other and face off several 7. A. NO CHANGE
times every year, they have grown to loathe B. nice
each other. When these teams (20) occupy C. wonderful
the ice jointly at the same time, they do not D. gripping
forget their (21) past history. (22) Between 8. A. NO CHANGE
other Eastern Conference teams, the Boston B. as
Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins annually C. as did
have success (23) each year, (24) the D. as they do
Western Conference features several title 9. A. NO CHANGE
contenders as well, (25) such as: the B. Its
Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. C. They’re
(26) With the purpose of increasing (27) D. There
the rise of the number of hockey fans, the 10. A. NO CHANGE
National Hockey League, or NHL, has B. additionally
organized special games like the NHL C. however
Winter Classic, which the (28) two opposing D. furthermore
adversaries play on an outdoor rink. Maybe,
with these efforts the league is (29) currently 11. A. NO CHANGE
undertaking today, hockey will get more B. they follow
respect soon. C. following closely
D. followed
12. A. NO CHANGE
1. A. NO CHANGE B. their
B. congealed and frozen C. they’re
C. cold ice D. there
D. ice 13. A. NO CHANGE
2. A. NO CHANGE B. intensity, emotional passion
B. Watching them
C. intense, emotional passion C. per year
D. passion D. DELETE the underlined portion
B. numbers and statistics like them B. despite the Western Conference
C. statistics C. while the Western Conference
D. numerical figures like percentages D. simultaneously the Western
and decimals Conference
B. their B. such as
C. they’re C. such, as:
D. there D. such, as,
B. fiercest, most intensity B. Purposefully to increase
C. fiercest, more intensity C. With the intent of increasing
D. fiercest D. To increase
B. those of the New York Rangers B. the number of hockey fans
and New Jersey Devils C. the rise of hockey fans
C. that of the New York Rangers and D. the growing, rising number of
New Jersey Devils hockey fans
D. that of the New York Rangers and 28. A. NO CHANGE
that of the New Jersey Devils B. two opponents against each other
18. A. NO CHANGE C. teams
B. Since D. collections of players and coaches
C. Due to on opposite sides
D. Nevertheless, 29. A. NO CHANGE
19. A. NO CHANGE B. currently undertaking
B. located to each other closely C. currently undertaking as we speak
C. located in nearness to each other D. undertaking concurrently
D. located near each other 30. Suppose the writer’s goal had been
20. A. NO CHANGE to write an essay that deeply
B. occupy the ice simultaneously analyzes one specific hockey team.
C. play each other Would this essay have accomplished
D. square off on the ice equally that goal?
A. Yes; the essay focuses on the
21. A. NO CHANGE players and culture of the Pittsburgh
B. past history of their rivalry Penguins.
C. past history, which is gone B. Yes; the essay focuses on the day-
D. history to-day operations of the Boston
22. A. NO CHANGE Bruins.
B. Among C. No; the essay focuses on both the
C. Between which Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston
D. However Bruins, not just one team.
23. A. NO CHANGE D. No; the essay does not focus on
B. every year any team and instead gives a brief
overview of the sport.

SAT and ACT Grammar Review Updated May2021

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Ace It Test Prep SAT/ACT Grammar Workbook

Rule No. 1: Subject–verb agreement

Consider this simple sentence: “My mother works in a school.”

2. How the tests will try to trick you:

3. Other things to consider:

Rule No. 2: Verb tense

2. How the tests will try to trick you:

Rule No. 3: Antecedent–pronoun agreement

The pronoun and antecedent must always match.

Here is a table with all of the pronouns:

Singular pronouns Plural pronouns

2. How the tests will try to trick you:

Rule No. 4: Pronoun case

Singular subject pronouns:

Plural subject pronouns:

Singular object pronouns:

Plural object pronouns:

2. How the tests will try to trick you:

My dad and I/me went to the movies.

Joshua and she/her met at the library.

Rule No. 5: Noun agreement

After they graduated, Evan, Lincoln, and Joseph became a businessman.

Meanwhile, Ethan continued to pursue his dream to become lawyers.

3. Tips/strategies: Circle the nouns and determine whether they agree.

Rule No. 6: Parallel structure

Joshua likes to bike, to swim, and to eat.

The sentence below does not follow parallel structure:

Joshua likes to bike, to swim, and eating.

Rule No. 7: Commas and conjunctions

The desert is hot in the day, it is cold at night.

The desert is hot in the day, but it is cold at night.

There are two types of conjunctions: coordinating and subordinating.

Rule No. 8: Dangling participles

The participle—which is essentially a phrase that describes or modifies a subject—is

Rule No. 9: Relative pronouns

Here are some rules about them to remember:

• Who vs. whom: “Who” replaces I/you/he/she/they, while “whom” replaces

Who is your teacher? He is my teacher.

We live in an era where it’s possible to access information quickly.

This sentence is incorrect. “Where” should be replaced by “when” because “era”

Rule No. 10: Adjective-adverb confusion

Sarah plays softball fearless.

Sarah plays softball fearlessly.

Sarah is a fearless softball player.

3. Tips/strategies: Ask yourself: What word is the adjective/adverb describing? If it’s a

Rule No. 11: Erroneous comparisons

1. What it means: Compare like objects. Consider the following sentence:

Da Vinci’s paintings were more three-dimensional than painters before him.

Da Vinci’s paintings were more three-dimensional than those of painters before

Da Vinci’s paintings were more three-dimensional than paintings of artists before

Rule No. 12: Comparatives and superlatives

Rule No. 13: Word pairs

Joseph had less than one mile to go on his 15-mile run.

Rule No. 14: Usage errors

The company circumvented the regulations by using a little-known rule.

The couple circumnavigated the globe on their trip.

Rule No. 15: Redundancy and wordiness

3. Tips/strategies: Always choose the simplest, clearest sentence that is grammatically

Rule No. 16: Idioms

3. Tips/strategies: Study these idioms.