SAT Grammar Rules

No matter who you are, or what previous SAT Writing scores you’ve gotten before, it is absolutely possible for you to improve to a 650+ score in the SAT Writing. As a professional SAT tutor, I’ve never met a student who couldn’t get to at least a 650. True, going from a 700 to an 800, for example, is pretty difficult, but getting to a 700 isn’t that hard – trust me. And no college is going to sneeze at a 700 on the SAT Writing!

The first step in reaching such a great score is to know exactly what grammar topics you will be tested on. Since the SAT is a “standardized” test, it’s never going to throw any surprises at you. That means that preparation is half the battle.

I don’t think that now’s the time to go into a comprehensive list of SAT grammar topics, but I’ll show you where to find them later on in this article. For now, it’s important just to trust me when I say that there are only about 12 basic topics you need to master in order to reach a score of 650 on the SAT writing section.

Without a doubt, singular/plural mistakes are THE most common grammar topic in the SAT Writing multiple choice. These can take place when a subject and its verb don’t match singular/plural (like “The dogs runs down the hill”). It can also take place when the wrong pronoun is used (like “He throw the ball.”)

If you’ve ever taken the SAT, you know that the sentences are much more complicated than the examples I just gave; however, it’s easiest to learn these essential grammar rules in simpler situations before trying to transfer them to longer and more difficult questions like the ones you’ll find on the SAT.

So let me give you the three-step process for improving your SAT Writing score by learning grammar rules:

1) Get the right SAT Writing Prep Book, one that will correctly identify the 12 most commonly tested rules on the SAT, so you don’t waste your precious time studying topics that won’t be on the test.

2) Master those grammar rules on their own, in simple situations that help you focus on one rule at a time. The book I listed above does an excellent job of this.

3) When all 12 rules are mastered, move on to practice on real SAT questions (get them from the “Official SAT Study Guide,” written by the makers of the SAT). Practice in both timed and untimed settings. Both are important – timed practice helps deal with pressure, and untimed practice allows you a little more room to think critically and reinforce your lessons.

Most importantly, don’t delay! Time is of the essence when it comes to SAT Writing prep.

If you need motivation, always remind yourself – if you’re not studying, there’s someone else out there that is – and they are going to take your spot at your favorite university!

Good luck!