Identifying Sentence
Errors
- Grammar
SAT Prep
Ms. Amorin
What does the “IDENTIFYING
ERRORS” Section of the
SAT consist of?
 A sentence that has four words or phrases
underlined and lettered.
 There is usually something grammatically
incorrect with one of the underlined
words or phrases.
 Students are to identify the error and
select the letter answer choice of the error.
 If the sentence is correct the way it is
written, choose ‘E’- No Error (20%)
How is the “Identifying Errors”
section formatted?
Common Grammatical Errors
found in the Identifying Errors
section---- Sentence structure
 Subject/verb agreement
 Pronoun
 Preposition
 Misplaced Modifier
 Parallelism
Strategy # 1
 Carefully read straight through the sentence to
get a feel for how it sounds, what it is about,
and if everything makes grammatical sense.
 Do not just assume that “it sounds right”
 Think of proper grammar!!!
Strategy # 2
 Go down the list of common errors because it
will most likely be one of them.
 Ask yourself, “Is the verb used correct?”…..
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Sentence structure
Subject/ verb agreement
Pronoun
Preposition
Misplaced Modifier
Parallelism
Strategy # 3- Eliminating
Extras
 “Trim the fat”
 A sentence will often contain extraneous
phrases that can distract you from the “meat” of
the sentence
 Focus on the most important part: the subject
and verb
 Read the sentence matching the subjects to
the verbs that are underlined (likely the error),
then tackle the other answer choices
Example for “Eliminating Extras” and
Focusing on the “Subject & Verb”
Math, developed over 2,000 years ago, have been a favorite of
A
B
C
teachers and school children alike for generations. No error
D
E
Here’s how to crack it!
 Trim the fat.
 What’s the subject of the sentence?
Math (no error with subject)
 Then look at the verb: developed and have been
 Math developed ….. Correct!
 Math have been……. Incorrect!
Math is singular so it needs a singular verb- Math has been…
 Therefore, ‘B’ is the answer choice

Subject- verb agreement
 Simple rule:

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Singular subject with singular verb
Plural subject with plural verb
If you are given a singular subject (he, she,
it), then your verb must be singular (is,
has, was)
The verb is the person or thing that is
doing the action
Subject- verb agreement
example:
The answers given by the commission
A
appears to contradict the earlier
B
C
testimony of its members. No error
D
E
At first glance, the sentence appears correct.
What is the subject of the sentence? Answers (a plural subject)
What is the verb of the sentence? Appears
Answers is plural, Appears is singular
Read as (trimming the fat)---- The answers appears???
Wrong! Choice B
Subject- verb agreement (cont…)
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Do all the nouns/ subjects agree with their
verbs?
Some animals, such as the hedgehog,
A
appear quite timid but they can become
B
C
fierce enemies when they perceive a threat
to their baby. No error
D
E
What’s the subject?
Do the verbs match?
Answer= D
Strategy # 4
 Analyze the underlined words or
phrases
 What part of speech are they?
 Do they correctly coincide with the
rest of the sentence?
 Are they grammatically correct?
Pronoun Errors
*Object PRONOUNS*
 Singular
Me
You
Him
Her
It
Whom
Plural
Us
You
Them
Them
Them
Whom
Pronoun Errors
*Subject PRONOUNS*
 Singular
I
You
He
She
It
Who
Plural
We
You
They
They
They
Who
Pronoun Errors example
The safety check of the new vehicle,
A
including an inspection of the brakes and
B
wheel alignment, was performed by he
C
D
and the mechanic. No error
E
Answer = D (him)
Pronoun Errors example
Even with a calculator, you must have a
A
basic understanding of mathematics if
B
one expects to solve complex problems
C
correctly. No error
D
E
Answer =
C
Preposition errors
 Prepositions are words that link noun,
pronouns, and phrases to other words in a
sentence.
 PREPOSITIONS that are commonly misused in
sentences are:
about, above, across, after, against, among,
around, at before, beside, between, beyond,
with, by, down, during, for, from, in, out, into, to,
through, throughout, over, like

(Yankee Doodle song)
Preposition errors
 about, above, across, after, against, among, around,
at before, beside, between, beyond, with, by, down,
during, for, from, in, out, into, to, through,
throughout, over, like
 I saw a good film in TV.
 Dan was present in the wedding.
 They arrived to Paris without any issues.
 I went to Barcelona for visit a client.
 I always gain weight at Christmas.
Preposition error example
After seeing Andy fall into the crocodile pit,
A
B
his girlfriend admitted that she was
C
worried for him. No error
D
E
Answer = D
Preposition example
Mary was excited for Paul who completed
A
B
his goal of swimming across the English
C
D
Channel last spring. No error
E
Answer = E
Misplaced Modifiers
 A modifier is a descriptive word or
phrase inserted in a sentence to
add height to the thing it modifies.
 Ex.) Because she was a talented poet,
April could write great music.
 Because she was a talented poet is
modifying a phrase in the sentence
 It describes a characteristic of April
Misplaced Modifiers errors
 Ex.) Every time he goes to the bathroom outside, John
praises his new puppy for being good.
 Who’s going to the bathroom outside?
 It’s John?!?!?
 Noooo!! It’s supposed to be the puppy!!!
 The descriptive phrase every time he goes outside needs
to be near puppy for the sentence to say what it means.
 Note: Be careful with sentences that begin with a
descriptive phrase followed by a comma. Make sure what
comes after the comma is the person or thing being
modified.
 Correct sentence: Every time he goes outside, the puppy
is praised by John for being good.
Misplaced Modifiers example
As one of the most delicious
A
Italian restaurants in town, the
B
eggplant rollatini at Lorenzo’s
C
D
is highly recommended. No error
E
Answer = C
Parallelism
 In grammar, parallelism is a balance of two or
more similar words, phrases, or clauses.
 The application of parallelism in sentence
construction can sometimes improve writing
style, clearness, and readability.
 Basically, the wording of the sentence "flows"
logically
 Fix to make the sentence parallel!
 Ex.) For homework, the teacher assigned ten
multiple choice questions, one short essay, and
students were to complete a crossword puzzle.
Parallelism
 Ex.) Not parallel- The new restaurant has fresh
food, reasonable prices, and service that is fast.
 Parallel- The new restaurant has fresh food,
reasonable prices, and fast service.
 Not parallel- The children were arguing in the
lobby, talked during the movie, and complained on
the ride home.
 Parallel- The children argued in the lobby, talked
during the movie, and complained on the ride home.
 Not parallel-
Every morning, I have to feed the dog
and bringing in the mail.
 Parallel- Every morning, I have to feed the dog and
bring in the mail.
Parallelism- Correct these sentences to make them parallel.
 Our neighbors spend a lot of time shopping,
visiting friends, and they go to the movies.
 My aunt is selfish, impatient, and she is not a
kind person.
 Aimee is laughing, answering the telephone,
and she works on the computer.
 Laura usually either braids her hair or is
putting it up in a French twist.
Parallelism example
As a new member of the secret
A
society, George was required to shine
B
C
the senior members' shoes, to carry
their books, and never revealing the
D
identities of the other members. No error
E
PRACTICE!!! Identifying
errors :)
It is likely that the opening of the
convention center, previously set for
A
B
July 1, would be postponed because of
C
D
the bricklayers' strike. No error
E