SAT subjunctive

Since this is a wish would it be were?

If our wide receiver was/were a little faster, he would be more open in the secondary

Were, because it’s a counterfactual.

Can you also explain this

Data from radio telescopes

a) same
B) correct: suggest that the universe is even older than astronomers previously believed
C) (what I picked) suggests that the universe is even older than astronomers previously believed

Why is data plural? Thank you.

B. Data is a plural noun (singular is datum). Therefore, data suggest.

I have another question.

“Being a full time student did not appeal to Kyra as much as taking an internship, which would allow her to earn money and to learn about the professional world.”

No error is correct I thought I thought was an error because shouldn’t it JUST be learn

Either one would be fine. So there’s no error in the original.

Also, I think SAT tends to be very strict about parallel construction, so they would definitely not view “to earn … and to learn” as incorrect.

When I’m writing my essay, do I spell out “thirty percent” or write 30 %

@avneety Either is acceptable (we usually omit the space between “30” and “%.”).

With this exception. In non-technical material, always write a number as a word if it begins a sentence.

@WasatchWriter is correct, of course, but it doesn’t matter on the SAT. 30% or thirty percent are both fine on the test, even as sentence starters.

Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto, datum, data…
@avneety Sigh. Why use non-CB materials with questionable questions and misleading explanations?

The CB would (almost) never base an SAT question on something debatable - for example, if there is no agreement on a given issue among grammar experts and sources.

Singular form: datum, criterium, agendum.

Plural form: data, criteria, agenda.
“Agendum” is completely out of circulation, and “agenda” is unquestionably singular.
“Criteria” as singular is incorrect (so far), but many people avoid using “criterium” so as not to sound higfallutin.
“Datum” is used in academic writing, but in the everyday language “data” is widely accepted as both singular and plural.

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1854268-need-solutions-save-time-use-google.html: simple google search “data singular plural” would lead to the answer in no time.

Criterion.

Whoops. X( :^o
I guess that’s my personal reason to not use “criterion”. :smiley:

Could not help but add a bit more noise to this thread:
Singular: forum
Plural: fora/forums