Grammar Rules For The SAT Writing section
- Irregular verb forms list - click here
- Phrases starting with "regarded" - are always followed by "as"
The town of Concord is regarded as a desirable place to live.
- Phrases with the word preoccupied or preoccupation - these two words are always followed by "with". My little brother is preoccupied with trucks.
- Paragraphs must have sentences that all relate to the same thought or idea.
- Using the reflexive pronouns "myself", "yourself", "himself", etc: If you say, please contact Mary and myself if you have any questions, then leave out "Mary and", please contact myself, you realize this should be "me" not "myself". These pronouns are always the object of a sentence, not the subject, you would never say "Mary and myself are the captains." You do say "I see myself in the mirror", so when the subject and object are the same. And you can use it for emphasis" "I painted it myself.".
- Neither and nor always go together, and so do either and or. You may never use neither with or or either with nor.
- Watch out for a lack of parallelism in sentences. You can say "I like to bike and to swim" Or you can say "I like biking and swimming", but you can't say I like biking and to swim.