Conquer SAT Grammar
Sentence Structure
The Bones of a Sentence
Every complete sentence is built on a simple foundation: a subject and a predicate. Think of them as the two essential parts of a story. The subject is the main character—the who or what the sentence is about. The predicate is the action or description—what the subject is doing or what is being said about it.
The cat (subject) slept (predicate).
My friend from Ohio (subject) is a talented musician (predicate).
The subject is often a noun or pronoun. The predicate always contains a verb. Finding the verb first can help you locate the subject. Ask yourself, "Who or what is doing the action?" The answer is your subject. Everything else, starting with the verb, is the predicate.
Building with Clauses
Once you have a subject and a predicate, you have a clause. Clauses are the building blocks for more complex sentences. There are two main types: independent and dependent.
An independent clause expresses a complete thought. It can stand on its own as a full sentence. It has a subject and a predicate and makes sense by itself.
- She passed the test.
- The new park opens tomorrow.
A dependent clause, on the other hand, is an incomplete thought. It also has a subject and a predicate, but it starts with a word (like because, although, since, when, if) that makes it unable to stand alone. It needs to be attached to an independent clause to form a complete sentence.
Because she studied diligently... (What happened?)
When the new park opens... (What will we do?)
To make sense, a dependent clause must join an independent clause.
Because she studied diligently, she passed the test.
We will have a picnic when the new park opens.
Common Sentence Errors
Understanding clauses is key to spotting two of the most common errors on the SAT: sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
Fragment
noun
An incomplete sentence that is punctuated as if it were a complete sentence.
A sentence fragment is a piece of a sentence that's been disconnected from its independent clause. Often, it's just a dependent clause left by itself.
Fragment: Although he bought a ticket. This is an incomplete thought. What happened although he bought a ticket?
Complete Sentence: Although he bought a ticket, he couldn't get into the concert.
A run-on sentence is the opposite problem. It occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined together without the right connection. They just keep going without a proper break.
Run-on: The experiment was successful the team celebrated. Here we have two complete thoughts smashed together: (1) The experiment was successful. (2) The team celebrated.
Complete Sentences: The experiment was successful. The team celebrated.
| Error Type | Example | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Fragment | Because the store was closed. | Because the store was closed, we went home. |
| Run-on | She loves to read he prefers to watch movies. | She loves to read. He prefers to watch movies. |
Spotting these errors is a matter of checking each sentence for one complete idea. If it's missing something, it might be a fragment. If it has too many ideas run together, it's a run-on.
In the sentence, "Despite the rain, the determined team won the championship," what is the simple subject?
Which of the following is a dependent clause?
Mastering subjects, predicates, and clauses allows you to build sentences that are clear, correct, and effective. This is a core skill for both writing and editing.