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SAT

Course: SAT > Unit 5

Lesson 2: Inside the SAT Writing and Language Test
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SAT
About the SAT Writing and Language Test
Inside the SAT Writing and Language Test
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Writing and Language Test: Standard English Conventions

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Details about Standard English Conventions on the Writing and Language Test.

Standard English Conventions

On the SAT Writing & Language Test, you will encounter questions that will ask you to interact with and revise passages in different ways. Standard English Conventions questions ask you to make sentences consistent with standard grammar, usage, and punctuation conventions.
A note on the images in this article: all Writing and Language Test items will be associated with a passage, but the full passages are not included here, only excerpts. Each question pictured is just one example of how items in that category can look.

Some sub-topics within Standard English Conventions:

Sentence Structure — These questions focus on editing text to correct problems in sentence formation and inappropriate shifts in construction within and between sentences.
  • Sentence Formation questions will ask you to correct problems with sentences, including issues with modifier placement, parallel structure, sentence boundaries, and subordination and coordination.
Image of a Standard English Convention question and corresponding multiple choice.
The excerpt of the passage reads: "As a result, librarians must now be proficient curators of electronic information, compiling, 6 catalog, [end underline] and updating these collections."
The question says: 6. A) NO CHANGE B) librarians cataloging, C) to catalog, D) cataloging,
  • Inappropriate Shifts in Construction questions will ask you to correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense, voice, and mood.
Excerpt of an Inappropriate Shifts in Construction question.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "But some fruits do not respond as well to 1-MCP as others 28 did, [end underline] and some even respond adversely."
The corresponding question says:
28. A) NO CHANGE B) do, C) have, D) will,
Conventions of Usage — These questions focus on editing text to ensure conformity to the conventions of standard written English usage.
  • Pronouns and Agreement questions will ask you to correct errors in pronoun use and agreement.
Image of a Conventions of Usage question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "Scientists have long known that soot particles facilitate melting by darkening snow and ice, limiting 19 it's [end underline] ability to reflect the Sun's rays."
The corresponding question reads: 19. A) NO CHANGE B) its C) there D) their
  • Frequently Confused Words questions will ask you to recognize and correct instances in which a word or phrase is confused with another (e.g., accept/except, allusion/illusion).
Image of a Frequently Confused Words question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "Brice Russ of Ohio State University, for example, has employed software to sort through postings on one social media 30 cite in search of [end underline] particular words and phrases of interest . . . "
The corresponding question reads: 30. A) NO CHANGE B) site in search of C) sight in search for D) cite in search for
  • Logical Comparison questions will ask you to correct cases in which unlike terms are compared.
Image of a Logical Comparison question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "Some people buy organic food because they believe organically grown crops are more nutritious and safer for consumption than 12 the people who purchase [end underline] their conventionally grown counterparts, which are usually produced with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers."
The corresponding question reads: 12. A) NO CHANGE B) the purchase of C) purchasing D) DELETE the underlined portion.
  • Conventional Expression questions will ask you to correct cases in which a given expression is inconsistent with standard written English.
Image of a Conventional Expression question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "Nutritionists consider Greek yogurt to be a healthy food: it is an excellent source of calcium and protein, serves 7 to be [end underline] a digestive aid . . ."
The corresponding question says: 7. A) NO CHANGE B) as C) like D) for
Conventions of Punctuation — These questions focus on editing text to ensure conformity to the conventions of standard written English punctuation.
  • Within-Sentence Punctuation questions will ask you to correct inappropriate uses of colons, semicolons, and dashes.
Image of a Conventions of Punctuation question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "The spaces are usually stocked with standard office 26 equipment, such as [end underline] photocopiers, printers, and fax machines."
The corresponding question says:
26. A) NO CHANGE B) equippment, such as: C) equipment such as: D) equipment, such as,
  • Possessive Nouns and Pronouns questions will ask you to correct inappropriate uses of possessive nouns and pronouns as well as differentiate between possessive and plural forms.
Image of a Possessive Nouns and Pronouns question and corresponding multiple choice.
The text excerpt reads: "was one of 14 it's tiniest; [end underline] the Thorne Miniature Rooms.
The corresponding question reads: 14. A) NO CHANGE B) its tiniest; C) its tiniest: D) it's tiniest,
  • Items in a Series questions will ask you to correct inappropriate uses of punctuation (commas and semicolons) to separate items in a series.
Image of an Items in a Series question and corresponding multiple choice.
The text excerpt reads: "Yogurt manufacturers, food 4 scientists; and [end underline] government officials are also working together to develop additional solutions for reusing whey."
The corresponding question says: 4. A) NO CHANGE B) scientists: and C) scientists, and D) scientists, and,
  • Nonrestrictive and Parenthetical Elements questions will ask you to correctly use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive and parenthetical sentence elements as well as recognize and correct cases in which restrictive or essential sentence elements are inappropriately set off with punctuation.
Image of a Nonrestrictive and Parenthetical Elements question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt reads: "But Jason 15 Box, an associate professor of geology at Ohio State [end underline] believes that another factor ..."
The corresponding question says: 15. A) NO CHANGE B) Box an associate professor of geology at Ohio State, C) Box, an associate professor of geology at Ohio State, D) Box, an associate professor of geology, at Ohio State
  • Unnecessary Punctuation questions will ask you to correct cases in which unnecessary punctuation appears in a sentence.
Image of an Unnecessary Punctuation question and corresponding multiple choice.
The relevant text excerpt says: "A recent study by two professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Christ Wilmers and James Estes, 27 suggests, that [end underline] kelp"
The corresponding question says: 27. A) NO CHANGE B) suggests--that C) suggests, "that D) suggests that
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Attributions

This article was adapted from the following sources:
“Test Specifications for the Redesigned SAT” from The College Board.
“SAT Practice Tests” from The College Board.

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