SAT Writing and Language: All Error Types and Rules
The SAT Writing and Language section (44 questions in 35 minutes on paper; combined with Reading in the digital format) tests a finite set of grammar and rhetoric rules. Mastering all of them is achievable. The complete error type taxonomy: (1) Punctuation: commas (incorrect comma splice vs. correct subordinate clause comma), semicolons (only between two independent clauses), colons (only after a complete independent clause, before a list or elaboration), dashes (same usage as parentheses — can enclose non-essential information), apostrophes (possessives: noun's vs. plural nouns' vs. it's [contraction] vs. its [possessive]). (2) Subject-verb agreement: the verb must agree with its subject, not with a nearby noun. 'The collection of artifacts [is/are]...' — subject is 'collection' (singular) → 'is.' Collective nouns (team, committee, group) are singular in American English. (3) Pronoun-antecedent agreement: pronouns must agree in number with their antecedent. 'Everyone should bring [his/her/their] own materials' — with indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone, anyone, each), contemporary SAT accepts 'their' as singular. (4) Parallelism: items in a list or comparison must use the same grammatical form. 'She likes swimming, hiking, and to run' — should be 'swimming, hiking, and running.' (5) Modifier placement: a modifier must be placed adjacent to what it modifies. 'Walking to school, the clouds gathered' — the subject of 'walking' must be the grammatical subject of the main clause. (6) Tense consistency: use consistent verb tense within a passage unless there is a logical reason to change. (7) Concision/redundancy: the correct answer is the most concise grammatically correct option.