sat grammar rules 3 rd q. 2014. agreement – 1/8 the # of a word indicates whether it is singular...

SAT Grammar Rules

3rd Q. 2014

Agreement – 1/8

The # of a word indicates whether it is singular or plural. The subject and verb of a sentence must agree in #. Single sub. needs a single verb & plural sub. needs a plural verb. This is called subject/verb agreement.

Sub./Verb Agreement – 1/9

Single:

The child wonders what is under the Christmas tree.

The sub. is the singular n. “child”. Therefore, a singular verb takes an “s” at the end.


Plural:

The books fell off the desk with a loud clatter. Plural nouns take an “s” while plural verbs do

not.


Verbs only agree w/ the subject. Words that come in between the sub. and

verb do not matter when figuring out agreement.

Kalani, along with other students, agrees that we need to change the dress code.*


Remember, for compound sub., the verb will be plural.

Kalani and Kaleo are visiting. However, if the compound sub. is considered

1 unit, then you use a singular verb.

Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite food.


When the parts of a compound sub. are joined by or/nor, then you need to look at the sub. (noun or pronoun) that is, physically, closest to it.

Either the clerks or their manager is taking inventory.*

Sub./Verb Agreement - 1/16

Some indefinite pronouns are always singular, and some are always plural. Some may be either depending on how they are used in the sentence.

Sub./Verb Agreement – 1/16 cont.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns:

another either neither other

anybody everybody nobody somebody

anyone everyone no one someone

anything everything nothing something

each much one Each of the cabins has a fire place. Everyone likes chocolate.


Plural Indefinite Pronouns:

both few many several Many of the ships are here today. Both of us need rest after the flight.


Questionable Indefinite Pronouns: They are singular when referring to things

that can’t be counted & plural for things that can be counted.

all enough most plenty

any more none some Some of the scenery is ready. Plenty of athletes are competing.

Pronouns – Nominative – 1/22

People often become confused when dealing w/ the pred. nominative form if it’s at the end of the sentence.

Remember, if the pronoun is talking about the sub. of the sentence, then you use the nom. form.

The teacher is she.*

Pronouns – Objective – 1/23

Objective p.n. are either a direct object (directly receiving the action), and indirect object (a word that comes between a transitive verb & the direct object), or an object of the prep.

1. My parents visited me. (d.o.)

2. Kalani gave her a pair of socks as a gift. (i.o.)

3. This present is for me. (o.p.)

Pronouns – Objective – 1/24

Remember that an objective p.n. cannot be used as part of the subject.

“My friend and me went to the movies.”

This is incorrect, it should be, “My friend and I went to the movies.”

Problem Pronouns – Usage – 1/27

Who is the nominative case (sub. or pred. nom. of the sentence).

Whom is the objective case (d.o., i.o., o.p.).

Who is going to the dance? (sub.)

The teacher is who? (pred. nom.)

To whom am I speaking to? (o.p.)

Whom is he irritating now? (d.o.)


Remember that a comparison can be made using a clause that begins w/ than or as; however, the ending of the sentence might be omitted. If that is the case, then add the missing word to see which p.n. is correct.

He is taller than (her/she).*


Pronouns ending in –self or –selves shouldn’t be used alone; their antecedents should be there as well.

Wrong: Kalani and myself went to the beach.

Correct: Kalani and I went to the beach.

Correct: I did the project myself.*


Hisself & theirselves are incorrect usage. Don’t ever use them.


When do you use his, her, their…? When you have a singular indefinite p.n.,

you need to use a singular p.n. (i.e. everyone & his/hers).

When you have a plural indefinite p.n., you need to use a plural p.n. (i.e. both & their).

Everyone should bring his/her own lunch.

Several people brought their own lunches.

Problem Pronouns – Ambiguous*2/3 An ambiguous p.n. reference means that

p.n. could be talking about more than one noun.

Ambiguous: Remove the wrappers from the boxes and then discard them. (Are you talking about the boxes or wrappers?)

Clear: Discard the wrappers after you remove them from the boxes.

Verbs – Irregular – 2/4

Irregular verbs are important to know simply because of the usage.

Remember, a verb is irregular if you cannot just add an –ed to make it past tense.

Reg. verb: walk = walked

Irregular verb.: swim = swam

Verbs – Irregular – 2/5

To make it trickier, irregular verbs can change again when you had a helping verb (i.e. has) to it:

swim = swam = has swum

Verbs Tenses – Problems – 2/6

When speaking/writing about 2 past actions, & one has happened before the other, use the past perfect tense (had + verb) to talk about the action that happened first.

The student believed he had eaten that particular piece of chicken before.

Verbs Tenses – Problems – 2/7

Use having w/ the 1st verb to show that one action was completed before the other (& both happened in the past).

Having finished his final early, Kalani fell asleep at his desk and missed the release bell.

Verbs Tenses – Shift Problems – 2/10 Always use the same tense to express 2 or

more actions that occur at the same time. Never shift tenses within or between

sentences unless you need to clarify the meaning of the sentence.*

Verbs Tenses – Shift Problems – 2/11 Wrong: Lao Mao moved to Maui in 1912, and

he eventually becomes an America citizen in 1920.

Correct: Lao Mao moved to Maui in 1912, and he eventually became an America citizen in 1920.*

Modifiers and Comparisons – 2/12

Adj. describes nouns and pronouns. Many end w/ -ous, -cal, & ing.

Adv. describes verbs, adj., & other adv. They often have an –ly ending that is added to the end of an adj.


Positive degree means the adj./adv. is describing 1 person, place, group, thing, idea, or action. It stands alone.

Adj.: strong (1 syllable)

beautiful (2 syllables)

Adv.: calmly


Comparative degree is used to compare 2 things.

Adj.: stronger (+ “er” to a 1 syllable word)*

more beautiful (+ “more” to a 2 syllable

word)**

Adv.: more calmly (always add “more”)


Superlative degree is used to compare 3 or + things.

Adj.: strongest (+ “est” to a 1 syllable word)*

most beautiful (+ “most” to a 2 syllable

word)**

Adv.: most calmly (always add “most”)

Using Comparisons Correctly – 2/20 Double comparisons are incorrect; you never

use more/most when the word already ends with –er/-est.

Wrong: Your last paper was more clearer.

Correct: Your last paper was clearer.

Using Comparisons Correctly – 2/21 Watch out for illogical comparisons. The

word other or else is used to compare an individual member of a group with the rest of the group.

Wrong: Chinese is more difficult to learn than any language.

Correct: Chinese is more difficult to learn than any other language.

Special Modifier Problems – 2/24

A double negative occurs when 2 or more neg. words are used to express a single neg. idea.

Wrong: Kaleo didn’t do nothing wrong.

Correct: Kaleo didn’t do anything wrong.

Or

Correct: Kaleo did nothing wrong.

Special Modifier Problems* - 2/25

The words hardly, barely, & scarcely already function as neg. & should not be used with other neg. words.

Wrong: There wasn’t hardly a student left.

Correct: There was hardly a student left.

Capitalization Rules – 2/26

1. Capitalize proper n. & adj. China & Chinese food

2. Capitalize the names and initials, as well as titles and abbreviations, that are used with a personal name.

Dr. V. Ululani Laepaÿa Mr. Michael-Randy Keone Laepaÿa Jr.


3. Cap. a kinship name when it is used before a proper n. or when it is used alone in place of a name.

They met Aunty Kim at the mall. I need to give the present to Mom.


4. Cap. the names of races, languages, nationalities, tribes, and religions, and any n. or adj. derived from these names.

Asian Italian Hebrew Apache


5. Cap. all words referring to God, the Holy Family, other deities, and religious scriptures.

God Buddha The Talmud The Gospel


6. Cap. the p.n.* I and the interjection O. Why, O God, am I forsaken?

7. Cap. The named of parts of the world, political divisions, topographical names, and the names of specific structures and public places.

California Democrats London Bridge Grand Canyon


8. Cap. the names of sections of the country but not of directions of the compass.

Kalani and Kaleo went to school on the East Coast, but often drive south during their breaks.

9. Cap. proper adj. derived fr. names of sections of the country, but not adj. made from directional words.

A Northern state vs. the southern most city.


10. Cap. the names of stars, planets, galaxies, constellations, and other heavenly bodies except sun and moon.

Polaris Mars Orion Andromeda Nebula Haley’s Comet


11. Cap. the names of ships, trains, automobiles, airplanes, and spacecrafts.

Hokuleÿa Boeing 727 Toyota Camry Challenger

4th Q. Grammar cont. Capitalization Rules - 3/1012. Cap. the names of historical events, people,

and documents. American Revolution The Enlightenment Magna Carta

13. Cap. the names of organizations and institutions.

Kamehameha School Toys-for-Tots


14. Cap. the abbreviations of B.C., A.D., A.M., and P.M.

88 B.C. until 100 A.D. From 11:45 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.

15. Cap. the names of awards and special events.

Nobel Peace Prize Special Olympics


16. Cap. freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior when they refer to specific classes.

Soph. English Senior Prom

17. Cap. the brand name of a product but not the common noun that follows it.

A Prada bag.


18. Cap. the titles of specific, numbered, & lang. courses, but not the genl. names of school subjects.

I have English followed by Psychology 101. I find math cumbersome.19. Cap. the 1st word of every sentence, of every

line of most poetry, & of a direct quotation. As she cried, she yelled out, “Go away!”


20. Cap. the 1st word in the greeting of a letter & the title & name of the person you are writing to. Cap. only the 1st word of the closing sentiment.

Dear Dr. Lau Yours truly


21. Cap. the 1st, last, and all important words in titles; don’t cap. conjunctions, articles, or prep. w/ fewer than 5 letters.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Capitalization Rules – don’ts – 3/281. Do not capitalize prefixes such as pro-, pre-,

post-, ex-, and anti- when they are used in compound words.

ex-President Clinton

2. Titles used alone shouldn’t be cap. unless they refer to a person in a uniquely important position or used in direct address.

Call a doctor. The President is here.

Capitalization Rules – don’ts – 3/313. Don’t cap. a kinship name when it is

preceded by an article or a possessive word. He just became a father. I took a message for my aunty.

4. Don’t cap. the words god and goddess when they refer to the deities of ancient mythology.*

The Greek goddess of the rainbow was named Iris.

sat grammar rules 3 rd q. 2014. agreement – 1/8 the # of a word indicates whether it is singular...

Documents

singular verb

single verb plural

transitive verb

plural indefinite pronouns

pronouns objective

subjectverb agreement

singular indefinite

plural verbs