SAT Form, Structure, and Sense
Pick the grammatically correct verb, pronoun, or modifier.
How to score it
- For verbs, find the real subject (ignore the words in between) and match number + tense.
- For pronouns, find the antecedent and match it.
- For modifiers, the thing being described must sit right next to the modifier.
Common traps
- Subject–verb agreement broken by a long phrase between them.
- Pronoun that doesn't match its antecedent.
- Dangling or misplaced modifier.
The 1 question type, with real examples
Conforms to conventions (grammar)
“Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?”
Archaeologist Zahi Hawass has spent decades excavating sites throughout Egypt, uncovering artifacts that shed light on ancient Egyptian civilization. His most famous discovery occurred in 2010, when he and his team located the tomb of two royal ______ the find included jewelry, pottery, and perfectly preserved mummies.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- Achildren
- Bchildren; since
- Cchildren:✓
- Dchildren,
Choice C is correct. A colon is used here to introduce an explanation or elaboration of what came before. The first clause sets up the discovery of the tomb, and what follows the colon specifies what the find included.
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