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Key Concepts in SAT Prep and Grammar

May 24, 2025

Lecture Notes on SAT Prep Course and Subject-Verb Agreement

Introduction to the SAT Prep Course

  • The presenter improved their SAT score from 1180 on the PSAT to 1590 on the SAT.
  • The course is a free digital SAT prep course aimed at improving scores in about 18 hours.
  • A shorter 7-hour version is available for students with less time.
  • The course is designed to be completed in order, covering additional training for reading and writing.
  • Encouragement to like and subscribe to the course.

Guide on Writing Questions for the SAT

Subject-Verb Agreement

  • A basic rule: Subject and verb must agree in number (singular or plural).
    • Example 1: "The dog barks loudly" (singular subject and verb).
    • Example 2: "The dogs bark loudly" (plural subject and verb).
  • He/They Test: Helps determine if a verb is singular or plural.
    • "He barks" - singular
    • "They bark" - plural
  • Application Example:
    • Sentence: "Her writing blank honored before."
    • Analysis: "Writing" is singular, therefore verb "has been" fits as it is singular.

Indefinite Pronouns

  • Indefinite pronouns like everyone, someone, no one, take singular verbs.
    • Example 1: "Everyone has their own opinion."
    • Example 2: "No one knows the answer."

Compound Subjects

  • Two subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb.
    • Example 1: "John and Sarah are going to the party."
    • Example 2: "Apples and oranges are fruits."

Collective Nouns

  • Represent a group but can take singular or plural verbs based on context.
    • Example 1 (Singular): "The team is practicing for the game."
    • Example 2 (Plural): "The team are in disagreement."

Intervening Phrases

  • Phrases between subject and verb don't affect agreement.
    • Example 1: "The cat, along with its kittens, sits by the window."
    • Example 2: "The boys, as well as their friends, are playing soccer."

Practice Question Example

  • Sentence: "Landing on one of the good spaces allows a player to skip ahead."
    • Analysis: "Landing" is singular, therefore "allows" is the correct verb.

Conclusion

  • Importance of understanding subject-verb agreement for the SAT.
  • Use practices like the He/They Test to check verb agreement.
  • Recognizing singular and plural verbs can aid in grammar comprehension.

These notes summarize the lecture's main ideas on subject-verb agreement as applicable to the SAT, including various examples and practice questions to illustrate the concepts discussed.

Full transcript