Mastering SAT & ACT Grammar:

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule of grammar.In its simplest form, singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.Interrupting phrases can make it tricky to identify the true subject.When sentences begin with 'there' or 'here', look for the true subject that follows.Compound subjects connected by 'and' are plural, while those connected by 'or' agree with the nearest subject.Collective nouns can be either singular or plural, depending on context.Let's practice with some common test examples.Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in both number and person.In this example, 'their' is plural but refers to 'each student' which is singular. We should use 'his or her' instead.Let's examine the three main types of pronouns: subjective, objective, and possessive.One common confusion is between 'who' and 'whom'. Here's how to distinguish them:Another common confusion is between 'me' and 'I'. Let's look at some examples:Finally, let's address ambiguous pronoun references. These can create confusion in your writing.Let's look at how these concepts appear in test questions. Remember, collective nouns like 'team' are singular and require singular pronouns.Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for similar elements in a sentence.In this example, 'typing' and 'filing' are gerunds, but 'to answer' is an infinitive. This breaks parallel structure.Correlative conjunctions like 'not only/but also' require parallel elements on both sides.The corrected version maintains parallel structure with adjectives on both sides: 'talented' and 'dedicated'.A dangling modifier occurs when the introductory phrase doesn't clearly modify the subject of the main clause.In the incorrect version, it sounds like the tree was walking down the street. Let's fix that by clearly stating who was walking.On standardized tests, parallel structure questions often appear in this format.Look at the options carefully. Option B maintains parallel structure using infinitives throughout the list.Let's review the key points about parallel structure and modifiers.Remember these rules to improve your writing and ace those standardized tests!