Form, Structure, and Sense
Use agreement, parallelism, modifiers, pronouns, and tense to keep sentence form aligned with meaning.
核心知识
Every sentence has a built-in logic: subjects must match their verbs, pronouns must point to clear antecedents, modifiers must sit next to what they describe, and parallel ideas must wear the same grammatical outfit. "Form, Structure, and Sense" questions test whether you can keep all these moving parts aligned so the sentence says exactly what it means.
深入理解
Most grammar errors on the SAT boil down to one problem: something in the sentence doesn't match something else. A singular subject gets paired with a plural verb. A modifier floats away from the word it's supposed to describe. Two items in a list use different grammatical forms. A pronoun could refer to more than one noun.
These questions rarely test obscure rules. They test whether you can spot a mismatch — and pick the option that fixes it without creating a new one.
The SAT tests nine main skills in this area:
- Agreement — subjects with verbs, pronouns with antecedents, noun forms with intended meaning
- Consistency — verb tense stays steady, comparisons compare like with like, parallel items stay parallel
- Clarity — modifiers land next to what they modify, pronoun references are unambiguous, restrictive elements are properly placed
For every question, the core strategy is the same: find the grammatical relationship being tested, identify what needs to match, and pick the answer that makes the match clean.
知识点教程
9Maintain subject–verb agreement (including with intervening phrases/clauses).
Match the verb to the true subject, not the nearest noun.
Use correct verb tense and verb form; keep tense consistent within a sentence.
Pick the verb tense that matches the time frame and sequence.
Use correct noun forms (plural vs possessive) as required by meaning.
Choose plural, singular possessive, or plural possessive forms based on meaning.
Maintain pronoun agreement and clear antecedents.
Make pronouns agree in number and point clearly to one antecedent.
Place modifiers correctly; avoid dangling or misplaced modifiers.
Place modifiers next to the words they describe.
Ensure parallel structure in lists, comparisons, and paired constructions.
Match the grammatical form of items in lists, comparisons, and paired constructions.
Properly incorporate restrictive elements (e.g., restrictive appositives/clauses).
Use commas only around nonrestrictive information.
Preserve intended meaning by avoiding ambiguity and illogical shifts.
Choose wording that keeps the sentence's intended meaning unchanged.
Avoid illogical comparisons and unclear relationships between ideas.
Compare equivalent things and make the logical relationship clear.