On the test
Usually questions 15 to 21 of each Reading and Writing module (27 questions per module, 2 modules). Conventions questions are sorted by difficulty, not by rule.
11 to 15 questions in the whole test (about 7 in each module). Usually questions 15 to 21 of each module.
How I approached it
A small story from Aime
I think about Form, Structure, and Sense like a phone charger and a socket. The plug must match the socket, or nothing works. If the plug has two pins and the socket wants three, you can push as hard as you like and it will not fit. So when I look at a sentence, I do not ask whether it sounds nice. I ask what must match what. Does the verb match the subject? Does the pronoun match the thing it replaces? Does the describing phrase match the thing it describes? On the SAT, these questions have one correct plug for the socket. Find the socket first, then check which choice has the right plug.
Many students feel these questions are about having a good ear for English. They are not. They are about matching, and matching can be learned with a few clear steps.
What is inside this part
Choosing the verb form that matches its subject and fits the time of the sentence.
Subject-verb agreement · Tense and time clues · Finite and non-finite verbs
Choosing the pronoun that matches the noun it replaces in number, person and case.
Pronoun-noun agreement · Subject and object case · its, it's, their, there, they're
Choosing between a plural, a singular possessive and a plural possessive.
Apostrophe with one owner · Apostrophe after the s for many owners · Plurals with no apostrophe
Placing a describing phrase next to the noun it describes.
Dangling modifiers · Misplaced modifiers · Opening phrases
How to know a question is from this part
A sentence with a blank where the four choices are different forms of the same word, or short phrases with the same meaning.
- The question says: 'Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?'
- The choices are forms like is, are, was, has been, or their, it, they, its
- The choices are girl's, girls', girls, or girls's
- The text begins with an -ing or -ed phrase and the choices begin with different nouns
- The choices are not about commas or semicolons (that is Boundaries)
The lesson
1. What this skill is
Form, Structure, and Sense questions ask you to choose the word or phrase that makes a sentence follow the rules of Standard English. The question says: 'Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?'
The choices are different forms of the same word or small phrases. For example: is, are, was, has been.
Four kinds of question sit inside this skill: verbs, pronouns, plurals and possessives, and modifiers. We will learn each one.
2. Verbs: matching the subject
A verb must agree with its subject in number. A singular subject (one thing) takes a singular verb: The student studies. A plural subject (more than one thing) takes a plural verb: The students study.
Find the true subject by crossing out phrases that start with of, in, along with, as well as, or which. The subject is never inside those phrases.
Examples: The box of oranges is heavy. (subject is box.) The collection, which includes coins from five countries, is on display. (subject is collection.)
With 'not only ... but also' or 'either ... or', the verb agrees with the noun CLOSEST to it. Not only the teacher but also the students are excited.
Words like each, every, neither, either and one are singular. Neither of the plans was approved.
The box of oranges ______ heavy. Choices: A) are B) were C) is D) have been
Show the steps
- Cross out the phrase 'of oranges'.
- What remains: The box ______ heavy.
- Box is singular, so the verb must be singular.
- C, is, is the only singular choice.
C
3. Verbs: tense and form
The tense must fit the time clues in the text. Look for words like yesterday, now, by the time, already, since 2010, next week.
Simple past (planted) for a finished action. Present perfect (have planted) for an action that connects to now. Past perfect (had planted) for an action completed before another past action. Future (will plant) for later.
A sentence needs one main (finite) verb. Words like to plant, planting and planted-as-a-describing-word are not main verbs on their own.
Yesterday, the team ______ the final match in Huye. Choices: A) wins B) has won C) will win D) won
Show the steps
- Yesterday is a clear time clue for the past.
- A is present, C is future.
- B, has won, links the past to now and does not go with yesterday.
- D, won.
D
4. Pronouns
A pronoun (it, they, he, she, their, its, me, him, them) takes the place of a noun. It must match that noun in number and person. A company is singular, so use it or its. Students are plural, so use they or their.
Case: use I, he, she, they, we when they are the subject. Use me, him, her, them, us when they are the object, including after words like between, to and for. Between you and me, not between you and I.
Its means belongs to it. It's means it is. Their means belongs to them. There is a place. They're means they are.
The pronoun must clearly point to one noun. If it could point to two, the sentence is unclear.
The girls forgot ______ umbrellas at school. Choices: A) there B) they're C) their D) its
Show the steps
- Girls is plural, and the umbrellas belong to them.
- I need a plural belonging word.
- There is a place, they're means they are, and its is singular.
- C, their.
C
5. Plurals and possessives
Plural means more than one. Most plurals add s: girls. Possessive means belonging to, and uses an apostrophe.
One owner: add apostrophe and s: the girl's bag (one girl). Many owners ending in s: add the apostrophe after the s: the girls' bags (more than one girl).
Plurals never take an apostrophe. Wrong: The girl's are late. Right: The girls are late.
Look at the other words for clues. 'Three ______ bags' shows more than one girl, so girls'. 'The ______ bag was heavy' shows one, so girl's.
Irregular plurals: children's, women's, people's.
The two ______ houses stand side by side on the hill. Choices: A) neighbors B) neighbor's C) neighbors' D) neighbors's
Show the steps
- Two shows there are several neighbors.
- The houses belong to them, so I need a possessive.
- Several owners ending in s take the apostrophe after the s.
- C, neighbors'.
C
6. Modifiers
A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something. A phrase at the start of a sentence, such as 'Walking along the shore at sunset,' must be followed by the person or thing it describes. If the next word names something else, it is a dangling or misplaced modifier.
Test: Ask 'who is walking?' The answer must be the first noun after the comma.
Wrong: Walking along the shore, the waves looked golden. (waves did not walk.) Right: Walking along the shore, Chantal watched the waves turn gold.
Keep describing words close to what they describe. Wrong: She almost ate all the rice, when she meant she ate part of it.
Tired after the long walk, ______ Choices: A) the bed looked inviting to Eric. B) Eric fell asleep quickly. C) a rest was needed by Eric. D) sleep came quickly.
Show the steps
- Ask: who is tired? Eric.
- The first noun after the comma must be Eric.
- A starts with the bed, C with a rest, D with sleep.
- B starts with Eric.
B
7. The method
Step 1. Look at the choices. Are they verb forms, pronouns, apostrophe forms, or full phrases? That tells you which type of question this is.
Step 2. Find the socket: the subject for a verb, the noun for a pronoun, the number of owners for a possessive, the person described for a modifier.
Step 3. Cross out the choices that do not match. Test every choice.
Step 4. Read the final sentence aloud in your head to check.
8. Common traps
Trap 1: A close noun that is not the subject, such as 'coins' in 'The collection of coins is'.
Trap 2: Choosing the plural because a plural word sits next to the verb. Look for the real subject.
Trap 3: Using a verb that matches the sound, not the subject.
Trap 4: Adding an apostrophe to a plain plural.
Trap 5: A good-sounding phrase that describes the wrong noun.
See it
- 1Look at the choices to see the type
- 2Find what must be matched: subject, noun, owner or person described
- 3Cross out phrases between the subject and the verb
- 4Test each choice against the match
- 5Read the whole sentence to check
| Kind | What must match | Quick check |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs | Subject (and time clues) | Cross out of, in, along with, which phrases |
| Pronouns | The noun it replaces | Count: one or more than one? Subject or object? |
| Plurals and possessives | Number of owners | Plural has no apostrophe; owners need one |
| Modifiers | The first noun after the comma | Ask: who or what is doing the action? |
- the girl's bag
- the teacher's desk
- the company's office
- the girls' bags
- the teachers' desks
- the companies' offices
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