Writing Section Cram Sheet

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Hello, people, this is what I had been experimenting with in the QAS's.
I hope that this list of grammatical patterns below would be some kind of help.
Please do try out this cram sheet. These rules had been embedded in my head and I used them for my past two real tests.</p>

<p>While I intend to help other CC'ers, I am looking for some feedback from others as well. I enthusiastically welcome people who would like to correct me.</p>

<p>====================================================
Grammatical Patterns </p>

<p>(Subject) + (present progressive) as a complete sentence
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Subject) + (Relative Pronoun) + (verb base form) as a complete sentence<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Subject) + comma + (pronoun) + (verb)
Example 1: The proposal, it met with fierce opposition.
Example 2: The cars, they were expensive.<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Subject) + and + (verb)
Sam, and plays golf.<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>More + (adjective + er)
More + (comparative adjective)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Two present participles (verb base form + -ing) in one modifier
*The present participles must not be part of a prepositional phrase.
*The –ing forms must not be gerunds.<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>More + (adjective or adverb) + compared to<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Non-parallel structure<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Either-and<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Neither-or<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(If) + (would have) in the same clause<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Relative pronoun trying to modify a verb phrase
Example: Ben donated 100 dollars to a nearby orphanage, which was very generous of him.
Incorrect</p>

<p>Not only + and (also)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Different than<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Two adjectives grouped together without a comma
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Verb) + (adjective)
In context, the adjective is trying to modify a verb.<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Neither+(singular)+nor+(singular)=(plural)
Either+(singular)+or+(singular)=(plural)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Independent clause); (Dependent clause)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Dependent Clause); (Dependent Clause)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Dependent Clause); (Independent Clause)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Because + reason (why) in the same sentence<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Inasmuch or insofar
Incorrect</p>

<p>Capable to + (verb base form)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Barely<br>
Hardly + (negative)
Scarcely
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Preposition) + (subject pronoun case)
Example: For we, the SAT is hard.<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(IC) + (comma) + (however) + (IC)
(IC) + (comma) + (moreover) + (IC)
(IC) + (comma) + (therefore) + (IC)
(IC) + (comma) + (thus) + (IC)
(IC) + (comma) + (in addition) + (IC)<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Independent Clause) + (comma) + (Independent Clause)
Comma Splice<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>Both + but also
Both + also
Both + but
Both + with
Both + plus
Incorrect</p>

<p>Plus
Incorrect</p>

<p>(Object pronoun case) + (gerund)
Example: There is no point for him trying<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>No longer + but
Incorrect</p>

<p>At once A but B
At once A while B
At once A although B<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>When + (present participle) + (noun phrase)
Incorrect</p>

<p>Being that/Being as<br>
Incorrect</p>

<p>It is/was (subject) + (Relative Pronoun) + (Verb)
Example 1: It is Mr. Brown who had mown the lawn earlier.
Just say: Mr. Brown had mown the lawn earlier.
Example 2: It was Julius Caesar who emerged victorious from the triumvirate of Rome.
Just say: Julius Caesar emerged victorious from the triumvirate of Rome.
Generally Incorrect</p>

<p>This (referring to a verb phrase)<br>
Generally Incorrect</p>

<p>Being<br>
Generally Incorrect</p>

<p>What<br>
Generally Incorrect</p>

<p>There<br>
Generally Incorrect</p>

<p>Since + (present perfect)<br>
Correct</p>

<p>Until + (past perfect)<br>
Correct</p>

<p>(Possessive) + (gerund)
Correct</p>

<p>If + had<br>
Correct</p>

<p>If + were<br>
Correct</p>

<p>So + that<br>
Correct</p>

<p>So + as to<br>
Correct</p>

<p>Capable of (present participle)
Correct</p>

<p>From A to B
Correct</p>

<p>Not only + but also
Not just + but also
Correct</p>

<p>Between A and B
Correct </p>

<p>Both A and B<br>
Correct</p>

<p>Neither A nor B
Correct</p>

<p>Either A or B<br>
Correct</p>

<p>At once A and B
Correct</p>

<p>(When) + (subject) + (preterite), (past perfect) or (preterite)
Correct</p>

<p>No longer + than<br>
Correct</p>

<p>Just as + so<br>
Correct</p>

<p>(Verb tense) + (noun phrase, optional) + by + (present participle)<br>
Correct</p>

<p>Of + (present participle)<br>
Correct</p>

<p>Like + (noun phrase)<br>
Correct</p>

<p>As + (verb phrase)<br>
Correct</p>

<p>(Infinitive) + is + (Infinitive)
Example: To undertake a highly risky military mission is to commit a suicide<br>
Correct</p>

<p>(Preposition) + (object pronoun case)
Example: For us, the SAT is easy.<br>
Correct</p>

2

<p>Great job! thanks!</p>

3

<p>where were you when i was prepping for the Nov. SAT</p>

<p>darn! lol!
great job though</p>

4

<p>this seems to be very helpful !!
Thanks a lot</p>

5

<p>bring up my post pls?</p>

6

<p>Hey I love this! Bang!</p>

7

<p>so have anyone found any errors in my list?</p>

8

<p>"so have anyone found any errors in my list? "</p>

<p>i found one error:
“So has anyone found any errors in my list”</p>

<p>lol! sorry for pointing that out… umm i dont think so… but then again im not amazing t grammar</p>

<p>wait… is it has??</p>

9

<p>LOL you don’t have to be sorry
that was ironic. I laughed too hahaha</p>

<p>and yes anyone is a singular pronoun haha</p>

10

<p><a href=“Subject”>quote</a> + (present progressive) as a complete sentence
Incorrect

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What exactly do you mean here? When you say “present progressive,” are you referring to a verb phrase in that tense or to a present participle that would ordinarily be used in forming the tense? If it’s the latter, you are correct. Here are two examples:</p>

<p>Correct: He is eating.</p>

<p>Incorrect: He eating.</p>

11

<p>Yes I was referring to such cases as “He eating.”</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>Actually, this can be correct. Adjectives can function cumulatively, in which case no comma is used; or they can function coordinately, in which case a comma or commas must be used. There is some more complicated theory in defining which case applies, but the easiest and mostly accurate test is to determine whether the adjectives’ order can be changed without changing the meaning or resulting in awkwardness: if it can, the adjectives are coordinate and should be separated by commas.</p>

<p>However, this is unlikely to appear on the SAT, though it might on the ACT.</p>

13

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</p>

<p>What’s wrong with these words?</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Could you clarify this? “When running, we look tired,” for example, is correct.</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>The use of an expletive pronoun in that way is, indeed, often awkward and unnecessarily wordy. It is, thus, unlikely to appear in a correct answer to an Improving Sentences question, but it should not be marked wrong on the Identifying Errors questions.</p>

15

<p>

</p>

<p>“Being” is incorrect when, as a participle, it mis-modifies a noun phrase (e.g., “Being hungry, it was clear to use that we had to eat”) or when, as a gerund, it is preceded by a non-possessive noun-modifier (e.g., “Him being here made me happy”). “what” and “there,” however, are not generally incorrect as far as I can see.</p>

16

<p>@SakataGintoki
Your cram sheet is fantastic!!! It is the best source to improve one’s WR MC.
Thanks for it.</p>

17

<p>^ not really lol
Silverturtle has pointed out some problems so I will add that later on to my cram sheet and re-post it.
I sincerely thank you, silverturtle, for pointing out some exceptions or other counterexamples that undermine the consistency of the pattern. I have realized that in some cases they may not work, and some patterns work only in the Improving Sentences sub-section, so I will add notes to those patterns as well.</p>

18

<p>As for the When + present participle + noun phrase, I had seen questions that recurred in a very similar structure. I will not copy the sentence verbatim but will attempt to reproduce the structure:</p>

<p>Mr. Sakata, along with his fellow researchers, has introduced his latest gadget, a vacuum cleaner that sucks dust when pressing a button.</p>

<p>The error occurs at “when pressing a button” because it is unclear which entity is pressing a button. Still, I do not know how to distill thid kind of error into a work-able equation that applies to all sentences having this kind of errors.</p>

19

<p>

</p>

<p>This error could fall under the general advice that all participles must clearly modify a noun.</p>

20

<p>modify a noun… or a pronoun? All right, then. Thank you for your constructive critique. Anything else?</p>