Chapter 10 · English Grammar

SAT / TOEFL Grammar

Advanced ⏱ 45–55 minutes 🎓 Competitive & Beyond

What you will be able to do

  • Apply Standard Written English conventions
  • Fix pronoun case and agreement errors
  • Correct verb tense, mood and subject-verb agreement
  • Place modifiers correctly and keep structures parallel
  • Use SAT/TOEFL punctuation (comma, semicolon, colon, dash)
Builds on / Related chapters
Grade 12 · Advanced Transformation & Synthesis Grade 12 · Subjunctive Mood Grade 11 · Parallelism

1 Quick Introduction

English

The SAT Writing & Language section and TOEFL Structure questions test Standard Written English — the formal, edited grammar of academic America. They reward a precise eye for agreement, modifiers, parallelism and punctuation, and a preference for the clearest, most concise correct option. This chapter targets exactly those conventions.

हिन्दी

SAT Writing & Language खंड और TOEFL Structure प्रश्न Standard Written English जाँचते हैं — अकादमिक अमेरिका का औपचारिक, संपादित व्याकरण। ये agreement, modifiers, parallelism और punctuation के लिए सटीक दृष्टि, तथा सबसे स्पष्ट, सबसे संक्षिप्त सही विकल्प की वरीयता को पुरस्कृत करते हैं। यह अध्याय ठीक इन्हीं conventions को लक्षित करता है।

2 A Real-Life Situation

Imagine this

A classic SAT modifier item:

Q: Walking to school, the rain began to fall on Maria.
Better: As Maria was walking to school, the rain began to fall.

Why this form? The original dangles — 'Walking to school' wrongly attaches to 'the rain'. SAT loves modifier-placement questions; the correct answer makes the modifier clearly describe the right noun (Maria).

3 The Grammar Rule

Rule & Formula
ConventionWatch for
Pronouncase, agreement, clear reference
Verbtense, mood, agreement
Modifierplacement; no dangling
Parallelismmatching forms in a series
Punctuationcomma, semicolon, colon, dash
Choose the CLEAREST, most CONCISE, grammatically correct option
Each student must bring his or her (not 'their', strict SWE) own laptop.

4 Pronouns, Verbs & Agreement (SAT Writing)

Pronoun rules SAT tests:

  • Case: subject (I, he, who) vs object (me, him, whom) — between you and me; to whom it concerns.
  • Agreement: a pronoun matches its antecedent in number — The company increased its profits (not 'their').
  • Clear reference: avoid ambiguous 'it'/'they' with no clear noun.

Verb rules:

  • Subject-verb agreement: find the real subject across intervening phrases — The list of names is long.
  • Tense consistency and the right sequence.
  • Mood: subjunctive after demand/suggest and in unreal conditions — If I were…; I suggest that he go.

TOEFL Structure adds 'incomplete sentence' items — pick the option that supplies the missing subject, verb or connector to make a complete, grammatical sentence.

Visual — Pronouns, Verbs & Agreement (SAT Writing)
Find the real subject across the phraseThe list of names is long.subject = 'list' (singular), not 'names'
1
Worked Example
Choose: The team celebrated ___ victory. (its / their)
Solution

its — a singular collective noun (SWE) takes 'its'.

2
Worked Example
Choose: To ___ should I address the letter? (who / whom)
Solution

whom — object of the preposition 'to'.

Key Points

  • Pronoun case (who/whom, I/me), agreement and clear reference
  • Find the real subject for verb agreement; keep tense consistent
  • Use the subjunctive after demand/suggest and in unreal conditions

5 Modifiers, Parallelism & Punctuation

Modifier placement: a modifier must sit next to the word it describes. SAT tests both misplaced and dangling modifiers:

  • ✗ Running late, the bus was missed. → ✓ Running late, I missed the bus.

Parallelism: items in a series or comparison must share the same form — She likes reading, writing, and editing (all gerunds).

Punctuation (heavily tested):

  • Comma: after an introductory element; around non-essential information; in a list. Don't create a comma splice.
  • Semicolon: joins two independent clauses (= a period).
  • Colon: introduces a list or explanation after a complete clause.
  • Dash: sets off an emphatic non-essential element (like commas or parentheses).
  • Apostrophe: possession (its vs it's; students' vs student's).

SAT also tests concision — when two options are correct, choose the shorter, non-redundant one.

1
Worked Example
Fix the parallelism: The job requires speed, accuracy, and being careful.
Solution

The job requires speed, accuracy, and care. — three nouns.

2
Worked Example
Punctuate: She had one goal ___ to win.
Solution

a colon: 'She had one goal: to win.'

Key Points

  • Place modifiers next to the word they describe; avoid dangling
  • Keep series and comparisons parallel
  • Punctuation: comma (intro/non-essential/list), semicolon (clauses), colon (list), apostrophe (its/it's); prefer concision

6 Vocabulary Builder

WordMeaningहिन्दी
Standard Written Englishformal, edited grammarमानक लिखित अंग्रेज़ी
Antecedentthe noun a pronoun refers toपूर्ववर्ती संज्ञा
Modifiera describing word/phraseविशेषक
Parallelismmatching grammatical formsसमानांतरता
Concisionsaying much in few wordsसंक्षिप्तता
✎ Vocabulary Quick Test0 / 1
Q.When two options are both correct, SAT prefers the one that is:
Explanation: SAT rewards the clearest, most concise correct option.

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ IncorrectThe company increased their profits. (SWE)
✓ CorrectThe company increased its profits.
A singular collective noun takes 'its' in Standard Written English.
✗ IncorrectBetween you and I
✓ CorrectBetween you and me
Object of a preposition → 'me'.
✗ IncorrectIts a great idea.
✓ CorrectIt's a great idea.
'It's' = it is; 'its' = possessive.
✗ IncorrectRunning late, the bus was missed.
✓ CorrectRunning late, I missed the bus.
Fix the dangling modifier.

8 Practice Exercises

Fill in the BlanksLevel 1
Choose the correct option (Standard Written English).
  1. The committee made ______ decision. (its / their)
  2. To ______ did you give it? (who / whom)
  3. ______ a good plan. (Its / It's)
  4. The list of items ______ ready. (is / are)
  5. Neither of the options ______ acceptable. (is / are)
Answer Key
  1. its
  2. whom
  3. It's
  4. is
  5. is
Fill in the BlanksLevel 2
Fix the modifier, parallelism or punctuation.
  1. Walking home, the storm grew worse. (fix dangling)
  2. She is talented, hardworking, and has ambition. (parallel)
  3. It was late, we went home. (fix comma splice)
  4. He had one wish; to travel. (colon vs semicolon)
  5. The dog wagged it's tail. (its/it's)
Answer Key
  1. Walking home, I noticed the storm grow worse.
  2. She is talented, hardworking, and ambitious.
  3. It was late, so we went home. (or: It was late; we went home.)
  4. He had one wish: to travel.
  5. The dog wagged its tail.
Error Detection
  1. Each student must bring their laptop. (strict SWE)
  2. The data shows a clear trend. (formal)
  3. Who did you give the book to? (formal)
  4. She likes to read, writing, and to draw.
Answer Key
  1. Each student must bring his or her laptop. (error: their)
  2. The data show a clear trend. (error: shows)
  3. Whom did you give the book to? / To whom did you give the book? (error: Who)
  4. She likes to read, to write, and to draw. (error: parallelism)
Sentence Correction
  1. Between he and I, the secret was safe.
  2. Having studied hard, the exam was easy for her.
  3. The report was clear, concise, and it was persuasive.
Answer Key
  1. Between him and me, the secret was safe.
  2. Having studied hard, she found the exam easy.
  3. The report was clear, concise, and persuasive.
Rearrange the Words
  1. its / increased / the / company / profits
  2. win / goal / one / had / she / to / :
  3. late / I / running / missed / the / bus
Answer Key
  1. The company increased its profits.
  2. She had one goal: to win.
  3. Running late, I missed the bus.
Match the Following
Column AColumn B
1. semicolona. possession / contraction
2. colonb. joins two clauses
3. dashc. introduces a list/explanation
4. apostrophed. emphatic aside
Answer Key
semicolon → joins two clausescolon → introduces a list/explanationdash → emphatic asideapostrophe → possession / contraction

9 Micro Quiz

✎ Quick Check — 5 questions0 / 5
Q1.'The committee voted to change ___ policy.'
Explanation: Singular collective noun → 'its' (SWE).
Q2.'To ___ are you speaking?'
Explanation: Object of 'to' → 'whom'.
Q3.'___ raining outside.'
Explanation: 'It's' = it is.
Q4.Which has a dangling modifier?
Explanation: The fox wasn't walking.
Q5.Which is parallel?
Explanation: All gerunds.

10 Reading Practice

SAT-style revision (errors and the standard-English corrections):

1. The jury reached (their) verdict. → (their → its)
2. To (who) shall I speak? → (who → whom)
3. Tired and hungry, (the food was eaten quickly). → (→ we ate the food quickly)
4. The plan is bold, ambitious, and (it inspires). → (it inspires → inspiring)
5. He had one rule (;) honesty above all. → (; → :)

Comprehension Questions
  1. Why is 'its' correct in number 1?
  2. What error does number 3 illustrate, and how is it fixed?
  3. Why a colon in number 5?
Answer Key
  1. 'jury' as a single body takes the singular possessive 'its' in Standard Written English.
  2. A dangling modifier — 'Tired and hungry' must describe the people: 'we ate the food quickly'.
  3. A colon introduces the explanation 'honesty above all' after a complete clause.

11 Speaking, Writing & Daily Use

Say these aloud
  • The company increased its market share.
  • To whom should I send this?
  • Running late, I missed the train.
  • She is creative, diligent, and reliable.
  • He had one goal: to succeed.
Write five Standard-Written-English sentences demonstrating: correct pronoun case, collective-noun agreement, a fixed dangling modifier, parallel structure, and a colon/semicolon.
Example: Between you and me, it's true. The team won its match. Walking in, I saw the mess. She reads, writes, and edits. There was one rule: be honest.

12 Challenge Zone

🔥 Higher-Level Questions — 30 / 3
Q1.Choose the best (concise + correct) version: 'Due to the fact that it was raining, we, as a result, stayed inside.'
Explanation: Concise and correct: 'Because it was raining, we stayed inside.'
Q2.Fix the agreement: 'Neither the manager nor the employees ___ satisfied.'
Explanation: With 'nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject 'employees' → 'were'.
Q3.Which punctuation is correct? 'I have three goals ___ to learn, to grow, and to lead.'
Explanation: A colon introduces the list after a complete clause.

13 Chapter Mind Map

Mind Map
        SAT / TOEFL GRAMMAR
                |
   +------------+------------+
   |                         |
 PRONOUN/VERB           MODIFIER/PUNCT.
 case (who/whom)        placement (no dangle)
 agreement (its)        parallelism (series)
 tense/mood (subjunctive) comma/semicolon/
 find real subject       colon/dash/apostrophe
                        + CONCISION

14 One-Minute Revision

Remember these

  • Standard Written English: choose the clearest, most concise correct option
  • Pronouns: case (who/whom), agreement (its for collective nouns), clear reference
  • Verbs: find the real subject; keep tense consistent; use the subjunctive
  • Place modifiers next to the word they describe; keep series parallel
  • Punctuation: comma, semicolon (clauses), colon (list), apostrophe (its/it's); prefer concision