SAT Grammar Rules and Vocabulary Packet, Cheat Sheet of Grammar and Composition

Download SAT Grammar Rules and Vocabulary Packet and more Cheat Sheet Grammar and Composition in PDF only on Docsity! SAT Grammar Rules and Vocabulary Packet The wr iting section of the SAT is extremely repetitive. The test makers ask the same gramm ar mistakes on every test. Master these grammar rules and feel confident on test day. Subject-Verb Agreement The most common grammar mistake that students are tested on is subject-verb agreement. Here is an example: The committee, made up of several women, are deciding on the school budget next week. No error. A B C D E The mistake is choice “C”. The subject of this sentence is “committee”, which is singular and therefore needs a singular verb. “Is” should replace “are” in this sentence. This sentence contains a clause. The clause is the fragment of the sentence between the two commas, and it separates the subject from the verb. Therefore, you are tricked to think that the verb (“are”) should agree with “women”. In this case, read the sentence and eliminate the clause, so that the subject and the verb come directly after each other. By doing this, you will be able to tell if the subject does not agree with the verb. Here is a second example: We enjoyed the brilliant sunshine of the beach so much that day that when A B we left there was only one couple and one lifeguard still there. No error. C D E The mistake is in choice “C”. “One couple and one lifeguard” is an example of a compound subject. A compound subject is when there is more than one person in the subject. A compound subject must always go with a plural verb. “Was” is a singular verb; “were” is a plural verb and should be used instead. SAT Grammar Rules Packet Subject-Pronoun Agreement Another grammar mistake they ask about constantly is subject-pronoun agreement. This is a lot easier to understand than it sounds. An example will help you understand exactly what to look out for: A smart tennis player such as Samantha is someone who knows how to A B move around the court, can hit winners at the net, and controls their emotions. No error. C D E The mistake is in choice D. “Their” is a plural pronoun. The antecedent, and subject in the sentence, “player”, is singular. Instead of using “their”, the sentence should have used “her” as the pronoun. Parallel Sentence Structure A third grammar concept that is commonly tested on the SAT writing section is called parallel sentence structure. Here is an example of a sentence with a mistake in parallel sentence structure. In a survey of the school’s fifth graders, playing in gym class, painting in art A class, participating in science labs and lunch time were all mentioned repeatedly as B C favorite activities in school. No error. D E In this sentence, “lunch time” should be changed to “eating lunch.” Each of the items that the fifth graders mentioned start with an “-ing” word. This is called parallel sentence structure. Each item in a series should be written in the same grammatical form. Subject/Object of Sentence This is an important grammar rule, because it consistently appears on the SAT. The teacher asked Harry and I if we could, due to the upcoming A B exams, attend her review class after school. No error. C D E The mistake in this sentence is choice “A”. In this sentence, “Harry and I” is the object of the sentence, which means “Harry and I” should be changed to “Harry and me”. If this was the subject of the sentence, then “Harry and I” would be correct Unclear Pronouns An unclear pronoun refers to a pronoun found in a sentence where it is unclear as to what the pronoun is referring to. Sarah and Karen were enjoying the hike up the mountain until she felt ill and they A B C had to turn back for home. No error. D E The mistake in this sentence is choice “C” because it is unclear as to whether the pronoun “she” is referring to Sarah or Karen. Words that go together Here are some words that always go together: When you use preoccupation, you always use with: “He has a preoccupation with something.” When you use inconsistent, you always use with: “His words were inconsistent with something.” When you use regarded, you always use as: “She was regarded as the best.” When you use between, you always use and: “She was making a choice between this and this.” When you use either, you always use or. When you use neither, you always use nor. When you use each, you always use its. SAT Grammar Rules Packet SAT Vocabulary Words Word Type Definition 1 abhor v detest, hate 2 abridge v shorten, condense, reduce 3 acclaim v approval, praise 4 accoutrements n equipment, provisions 5 adept adj skilled at 6 adroit adj skillful, adept 7 adulation n praise, respect, worship 8 adversity n misfortune, hardship 9 aesthetic adj artistic, beautiful, elegant 10 affable adj friendly, kind 11 ambiguous adj unclear, confusing 12 ambivalent adj undecided 13 ambivalent adj undecided, unsure 14 ameliorate v improve, make positive strides 15 amiable adj friendly, agreeable 16 amicable adj friendly 17 anachronistic adj misdated, having an error in time 18 antagonistic adj hostile, opposed 19 apathy n not caring 20 ardor adj passion, dedication 21 arrogant adj insulting, overconfident 22 articulate adj well-spoken, ability to speak well 23 assiduous adj hard-working, tireless 24 astute adj mentally sharp, skilled 25 audacious adj bold, daring, unafraid 26 augment v add to, increase 27 aversion n hatred, dislike 28 belligerent adj hostile, harsh 29 benevolent adj generous 30 benevolent adj kind , generous 31 benign adj harmless, mild 32 berate v yell at, scold 33 bereft adj without, deprived of 34 candor n honesty, truthfulness 35 capricious adj indecisive, fickle 36 carping adj finding fault in something 37 castigate v to punish 38 castigate v criticize, chastise, condemn 39 caustic adj harsh, bitter, severe 40 censure v criticize, reprimand, blame 41 charlatan n phony, fraud, imposter 42 circumspect adj careful, cautious 43 cogent adj logical, rational, convincing 44 coherent adj clear, easy to understand 45 compliant adj agreeable, yielding, submissive 46 conciliatory adj always giving in, making peace 47 concise adj brief, to the point 48 confounded v confused 49 congenial adj pleasant 50 contempt n defiance 51 conundrum n riddle, problem 52 convoluted adj intricate, involved 53 cordial adj gracious, kind 54 crass adj crude, unrefined, having bad manners 55 curtail v shorten, reduce 56 dearth n scarcity, shortage 57 decorous adj proper, polite, well-mannered 58 decry v degrade, humiliate 59 demonstrative adj characterized by the open expression of emotion 60 denigrate v to put down verbally, criticize 61 destitute adj extremely poor 62 devious adj sneaky, tricky SAT Vocabulary Words 63 digress v to stray away from a main topic in writing or speaking 64 dilemma n difficulty, difficult situation 65 diligent adj hard-working 66 disavow v to deny knowledge or responsibility of 67 discern v be aware, detect, comprehend 68 discerning adj observant, having an awareness of 69 discretion n cautious, having good judgment 70 disparage v belittle, show disrespect for, say unkind things about 71 disreputable adj shameful, disgraceful 72 divisive adj creating division or separation 73 dogged adj stubborn, persistent 74 dogmatic adj stubborn, absolutely sure 75 dubious adj doubtful, skeptical, questionable 76 dupe v to deceive a person 77 eccentric adj odd, strange 78 ecstatic adj very happy 79 elated adj overjoyed, very happy 80 eloquent adj well-spoken 81 embellish v to make beautiful by decorating; to add fictitious details to a story 82 emulate v try to be like, imitate 83 enervated v exhausted, weakened 84 enervating adj exhausting 85 enhance v improve 86 enigma n puzzle 87 enigmatic adj puzzling, strange 88 enmity n hatred, dislike 89 ephemeral adj existing for a short time, fleeting 90 eradicate v erase, remove 91 erratic adj odd, inconsistent 92 erroneous adj mistaken, derived from error 93 euphoric adj happy, overjoyed 94 evanescent adj fleeting, passing, short-lived 95 exacerbate v make something worse, anger, incite 96 extol v to praise highly 97 extravagant adj excessive, extreme 98 extroverted adj outgoing, sociable 99 fastidious adj meticulous, fussy 100 fervent adj passionate, intense 101 fickle adj indecisive 102 florid adj showy, ornate 103 flourish v thrive, bloom grow 104 fortuitous adj lucky, happening by chance in a positive way 105 frivolous adj unimportant 106 frugal adj thrifty, cheap, not spending much 107 galvanize v stimulate, energize, stir up 108 genial adj kind, pleasant 109 gregarious adj outgoing, sociable 110 hackneyed adj over familiar due to overuse; trite 111 haughty adj arrogant, overbearing 112 hedonist n one who is devoted to seeking pleasure 113 heinous adj horrible, disgusting 114 humble adj simple, modest 115 impetuous adj hasty 116 innocuous adj harmless, having no adverse effects 117 insipid adj dull, uninteresting, boring 118 insolent adj rude, disrespectful, snobby 119 interminable adj endless 120 intransigent adj stubborn 121 intrepid adj brave, fearless 122 introverted v shy, keeping to yourself 123 invigorated v energized