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SAT (Fall 2023)

Course: SAT (Fall 2023) > Unit 11

Lesson 3: Writing: Grammar

Lists and punctuation | Quick guide

What's on the test?

Tips and strategies

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  • starky tree style avatar for user Vlada K
    Isn't the "worlds" in this case a posssessive noun: "According to the World Economic Forum, the worlds three most populous cities in 2016". Like the cities of the world?
    (6 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user koshyjoicy
    what is the difference between its,it's and its'
    (3 votes)
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    • female robot amelia style avatar for user Johanna
      Khan Academy's Grammar course actually has a video on that topic, so you could search for that if it would help you more.

      "Its" is a possessive pronoun. You can remember that this is the version without any apostrophe because none of the possessive pronouns (my, their, her, your, etc.) use apostrophes. You'd use this word in a sentence like: "When I was looking for my bike, I found that someone had cut its lock."

      "It's" is a contraction. It basically compresses the words "it is", so you use it when the sentence would still make sense if you substituted "it is". You can remember where to put the apostrophe because we always add an apostrophe where we remove letters in a contraction.

      "Its'" is not a word, and we never use it.
      (2 votes)
  • mr pink green style avatar for user Ramen23
    Isn't the second question supposed to be "avoid sugary drinks every day," to maintain parallelism? the other two items in the list end in a different fashion, so i thought that was grammatically incorrect.
    (2 votes)
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    • piceratops ultimate style avatar for user Hecretary Bird
      Parallelism isn't a grammatical rule and it's perfectly fine for it to be violated. Instead, it is a widely followed style choice. So it's not grammatically incorrect. It would be off-putting, but it's not impossible to not be parallel. Perhaps the author believed that using the "-ing" form of the verbs was enough parallelism for him.
      (3 votes)
  • starky seed style avatar for user lolarosegates
    What do horses look like?
    (3 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user leticiaada60
    How do you know when to use the semicolon
    (2 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user jamalware2
    Can a semicolon be used in every sentence ?
    (2 votes)
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    • blobby green style avatar for user dhanushsasank
      No, a semicolon cannot be used in every sentence. Semicolons have specific purposes in punctuation, and their use is governed by certain rules. Here are the primary functions of semicolons:

      1. *Connecting Independent Clauses:** Semicolons can be used to connect two independent clauses (complete sentences) that are closely related in meaning. For example:

      - **Correct
      *: I enjoy hiking; it helps me stay active.
      - *Incorrect*: I enjoy hiking; in the summer.

      2. *Separating Items in a List:** Semicolons can also be used to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas. This is known as the "supercomma" or "serial semicolon." For example:

      - **Correct
      *: The conference attendees included Jane, the marketing manager; John, the CEO; and Sarah, the CFO.

      3. *Clarifying Complex Lists:** Semicolons can help clarify complex lists when the items in the list are long or contain internal punctuation. For example:

      - **Correct
      *: The final exam will cover chapters 1, 2, and 3; appendix A; the supplementary readings; and the online discussion forum.

      Outside of these specific uses, semicolons are not typically used in every sentence. In many cases, a comma or a period is more appropriate for separating sentence elements. It's important to use semicolons judiciously and in accordance with the rules of punctuation to maintain clear and effective communication in your writing.
      (2 votes)
  • starky sapling style avatar for user liya t
    so do just take a Punctuation is required to separate items in a list of three or more. No punctuation is needed for a list of two.
    (2 votes)
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    • piceratops ultimate style avatar for user Hecretary Bird
      You're right! We use commas to separate items that are in lists of 3 or more. For example, if you had 3 favorite foods you could say "My favorite foods are ice cream, turkey sandwiches, and cheesecake".
      For lists of 2, all you need to connect items is "and". You would then say "My favorite foods are ice cream and turkey sandwiches".
      (2 votes)
  • starky seed style avatar for user lolarosegates
    what is a top tip? can I have a top tip please?
    (2 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user odinakaudeozo
    I’m still confused about strong support
    (2 votes)
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