Best DSAT Lessons - "Form, Structure, and Sense"

Relevance in the Digital SAT

• Falls under "Standard English Conventions" alongside "Boundaries" questions.
• "Form, Structure, and Sense" and "Boundaries" questions appear intermixed based on complexity.
• In a single module, you'll encounter 2-4 "Form, Structure, and Sense" questions.
• Across the full test, 5–8 questions are expected, ~13% of the whole Reading and Writing section.

What This Skill Assesses

It evaluates your ability to apply grammatical rules effectively, ensuring clarity and precision in written communication; It focuses on these Standard English conventions:

• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Verb Forms
• Plural and Possessive Nouns
• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
• Subject-Modifier Placement

📍 What are "Form, Structure, and Sense" Questions?

➥ Key Insight

Since proper grammar ensures clarity in essays, reports, and workplace communication, "Form, Structure, and Sense" skill is fundamental for clear communication and accurate writing, which is important not only for academics but also for professional work.

➥ Structure of a "Form, Structure, and Sense" Question

Each "Form, Structure, and Sense" question consists of:

1. A short text (usually 1-2 sentences) containing a blank.
2. A fixed prompt:"Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?"

➥ What "Form, Structure, and Sense" Questions Test

1. Subject-Verb Agreement
A singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject requires a plural verb.

2. Verb Forms
Ensuring verbs are in their proper tense and form.

3. Plural and Possessive Nouns
Using plural and possessive nouns correctly to convey the intended meaning.

4. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
The pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number.

5. Subject-Modifier Placement
The subject should be placed after the comma, and make sure the modifier matches its subject logically.

➥ A "Form, Structure, and Sense" Question Example

Text:
When ______ premiered in June 1995 as part of the collection Voices of the Future, the sculptures infused dynamic energy into the quiet halls of the Boston Public Library.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Choices:
A) it
B) they
C) that
D) this

📚 "Subject-Verb Agreement" in the Digital SAT

⭐️ Basic Definition

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match the subject in number (singular/plural) and person (first/second/third). In other words, a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. This rule is essential for clear and logical sentence construction.

⭐️⭐️ 12 Rules of "Subject-verb agreement" in Digital SAT

1. Person & Number Matching

The verb must match the subject's person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural). For a quick reference, consider the table below:

2. Compound Subjects Joined by "and"

When the subject is composed of two or more nouns connected by and, treat it as plural, unless the phrase acts as a single unit.

• Example (plural): "Tom and Jerry argue constantly."
• Example (single): "Mac and cheese is my favorite dish."

3. Compound Subjects Joined by "or/nor/but"

Verb matches the closest noun.

• Example (plural): "Either the manager or the employees are responsible for the error."
• Example (single): "Neither the players nor the coach was prepared for the delay."
• Example (single): "Not only the students but also the teacher was surprised by the results."

4. Multiple Main Verbs

When a sentence contains more than one main verb, every verb must agree with the subject.

• Example: "The boy runs and jumps during recess."

5. Mass Nouns (Uncountable)

Always singular. Includes abstract concepts, materials, and fields of study.

• Example (single): "The news is disappointing."
• Example (single): "Swimming requires stamina."
• Example (single): "Economics is an inexact science."

6. Collective Nouns

Collective nouns represent a group of individuals or items. Depending on whether the group acts as one unit or as separate individuals, the verb may be singular or plural.

✰✰ As a general rule in Digital SAT, unless context clearly demands a plural interpretation, treat collective nouns as singular.

• Example (single): "The committee has reached its decision"
• Example (plural): "The team are still debating their strategies." ("their strategies" hints at individuals)

7. Indefinite Pronouns

• The words "each" and "every" count as singular when they're used as the subject, even if they're followed by multiple nouns.
• Some indefinite pronouns and nouns will be singular or plural depending on the object of the prepositional phrase.

• Example (plural): "Some photos were lost during the move."
• Example (plural): "none of the options satisfy all requirements."
• Example (single): "Most of the air in this area has been polluted."
• Example (single): "If anyone calls, tell them I'm not at home."
• Example (single): "Everyone has been assigned appropriate tasks."

8. Sentences Starting with "There..." or "Here..."

The verb should agree with the noun that immediately follows.

• Example (plural): "Here are the documents you requested."
• Example (plural): "There are three keys and a wallet in the bag."
• Example (single): "Here comes the bus and its passengers."

9. Noun Pairs with "a pair of"

"A pair of + plural noun" take a singular verb, since the subject is technically the singular word "pair".

• Example (single): "A pair of shoes was left in the hallway."
• Example (single): "This pair of glasses is expensive."

10. Titles, brands, and named works

Titles, brands, and named works function as singular entities. Ignore plural nouns within them—the verb must always be singular.

• Example (single): "The Avengers is my favorite Marvel movie."
• Example (single): "The New York Times publishes breaking news."

11. Gerunds and Gerund Phrases

Gerunds (–ing forms functioning as nouns) always take singular verbs, even if the action involves multiple people or things.

• Example (single): "Her constant complaining annoys the team."
• Example (single): "Playing video games makes him happy."

12. When Referring to a Word or Phrase Itself

When referring to a word, phrase, or sentence as a linguistic object (rather than its literal meaning), treat it as singular.

• Example (single): "'Cats' is a plural noun."
• Example (single): "'Early to bed and early to rise' is a famous proverb."

⭐️⭐️⭐️ How the SAT Increases Difficulty and Corresponding Strategies

➥ 1. Add additional information between the subject and verb, making the sentence become "bulky."

(Non-Essential Elements covered in detail is available on "Boundaries" lesson page)

• Strategy: "Bare-bones sentence extraction method"

  • Find out all non-essential elements (prepositional phrases, adverbial phrases, appositives, parentheticals, clauses, participial phrases, etc.)
  • Cross out all non-essential elements to isolate the [core subject] + [verb], leaving only the simplest "who did what" structure.

• Example:
  "The scientist, along with her team, published a groundbreaking study in Nature last week after months of research."

Remove extras:

1. along with her team → Prepositional phrase (not the subject).
2. a groundbreaking → Adjective (modifier, non-essential).
3. in Nature → Prepositional phrase (adverbial, non-essential).
4. last week → Adverbial phrase (non-essential).
5. after months of research → Adverbial clause (non-essential).

Minimal core:
"The scientist published a study."
(Can be further reduced to "The scientist published.", but retaining the object adds clarity.)

✰✰ Note: The subject of a sentence will never appear inside a prepositional phrase.

➥ 2. Reverse the order of the subject and verb, changing it to [verb] + [subject].

• A prepositional phrase appears at the beginning of a sentence and the subject will follow the verb.

  • Example: "On the wall hangs a portrait."

• Rare cases without a preposition.

  • Example: "So delicious were the candies that everyone asked for seconds.

• Strategy: Reorder to standard structure.

• After reorder:

  • "A portrait hangs on the wall."
  • "The candies were so delicious. (that everyone...)" (here, "that everyone..." can be crossed out to simplify the sentence.)

⚡️ Tip: Always identify the true subject before selecting the verb form.

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📚 "Verb Forms" in the Digital SAT

⭐️ SAT Tips & Advice for "Verb forms"

Verbs can appear in various forms. They can exhibit different tenses and aspects and can also be active or passive. Additionally, there are modal verbs, auxiliary verbs, and numerous other classifications to consider. The intricate rules governing these various verb forms can be quite complex.(If you need help, we have also included a summary table at the end for you to check.)

➥ You've likely encountered all of these verb forms in your regular studies and use them instinctively in your daily life. This ability develops naturally, rather than through memorizing numerous grammar rules.

Examples:

• "She runs every morning." (simple present)
• "They are running in the park right now." (present continuous)

✰✰ For native English speakers, it's often easier to sense what sounds or feels right than to grasp the intricacies of the various verb forms. When preparing for the digital SAT, it is more beneficial to focus on key strategies and practicing instead of dedicating too much time to these grammatical aspects.

⭐️⭐️ Keep Verb Tense Consistency: Context is Everything!

➥ 1. When reading the text, pay attention to which tense the author is using (even if there are some words you do not recognize, this will not affect confirming the tense). Generally speaking, it's sufficient to maintain tense consistency (most SAT "Verb" questions focus on this), unless there is a valid reason, such as the presence of time markers, transition words indicating a change in time, or the occurrence of "If Clauses."

Examples:

• "They crashed out in the group stage last year, so they have been training hard since the first quarter of this year to get to the semi-finals." (maintaining consistency)

➥ 2. When describing general phenomena or discussing literary works, the "simple present tense" is generally used.

Examples:

• "In Shakespeare's plays, the themes of love and betrayal are explored."

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Simplify complex sentence structures

(specific methods can be found in the "Subject-Verb Agreement" part)

➥ 1. Identify the correct subject corresponding to the verb.

➥ 2. Clarify the main verb and other verbs. In the actual Digital SAT, the omission of helping verbs, such as passive voice, is a tricky point of assessment

Examples:

• Incorrect: "The concert, which was put off last Friday, successfully held today."
• Correct: "The concert, which was put off last Friday, was successfully held today."

➥ 3. Correctly use infinitives("to + verb" form), bare infinitives("verb + object" form), and gerunds("-ing" form).

Examples:

• "He threatened to report their behaviour to the principle."
• "She noticed him run away from the house."
• "Although she asked him to stop, he went on tapping his pen on the table."

Summary Table*

📚 "Plurals and Possessives" in the Digital SAT

⭐️ How to Form Plurals

➥ Regular Plural nouns

• Add "-s" to most nouns (songs, cups, computers)
• Add "-es" to nouns ending in "-s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z" (buses, churches, addresses)
• Change "-y" to "-i" and add "-es" for nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant (candy → candies, city → cities)
• Add "-s" to nouns ending in "-y" preceded by a vowel (days, monkeys, plays)
• Add "-s" to most nouns ending in "-o" (photos, videos)
• Add "-es" to some nouns ending in "-o" (heroes, tomatoes)
• Change "-f" or "-fe" to "-ves" for some nouns (leaf → leaves, knife → knives)

➥ Irregular Plural nouns

• Maintain same form for singular and plural (sheep, species, series)
• Change spelling in plural form (man → men, woman → women, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice)
• Add "-en" or "-ren" for some irregular plurals (child → children, ox → oxen)
• Retain original plural forms for some borrowed nouns (criterion → criteria, cactus → cacti)

➥ Compound Nouns

• Make the second noun plural when the compound noun directly consists of two nouns (tea leaves, coal mines, office workers)
• Make the first noun plural when the compound noun consists of two nouns joined by "of/in/-" (mothers-in-law, passers-by, rules of thumb, commanders-in-chief )

⭐️⭐️ How to Form Possessives

➥ Singular Noun Possessives

• Add apostrophe and leter 's' ('s), for example: laught at John's joke, in boss's office,
• Only use apostrophe (') for some classical and religious names ending in 's', for example: Jesus' teachings, Moses' laws, Socrates' philosophy

➥ Plural Noun Possessives

• Add apostrophe after letter 's' for plural nouns ending in 's', for example: the students' books, cats' toys
• Add apostrophe and leter 's' ('s) to plural nouns not ending in 's', for example: children's food, women's fitting room)
• Add possessive form to the last noun in plural compound nouns, for example: the editor-in-chief's article, sister-in-law's birthday

➥ Possessive Pronouns

• Never use an apostrophe. (your, my, her, his, its, their, our)
• "Yours, ours, theirs, mine, whose, etc." are in the same category.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ SAT Tips & Advice for "Plurals and Possessives"

The Digital SAT questions in this category mainly come in two types:

➥ Type 1: The four options look quite similar where they are mainly punctuated differently with apostrophes.

How to solve:

• Ask: "Should the Noun Be Possessive?"
• Put an "of" in front of the noun, and stick it after the noun or phrase in the sentence that follows it to see if it makes sense.

Example: The ______ color are red.

A. bird's wings
B. birds wings
C. bird's wings'
D. birds wings'

Solution:

• We notice that two nouns, "bird" and "wings", need to be determined if they should be possessive.
• First, deal with the "bird" vs. "bird's": put an "of" in front of "bird" and stick it after "wings", then we have "wings of bird". Obviously it makes sense, so it is correct as "bird's".
• Second, deal with the "wings" vs. "wings'": put an "of" in front of "wings" and stick it after "color", then we have "color of wings". It also makes sense, so it is correct as "wings'".
  Thus, option C (bird's wings') is the final answer.

➥ Type 2: The four options contain both singular possessives and plural possessives.

How to solve:

• Ask: "Should the Possessive Noun Be Plural or Singular?"
• You need to correctly understand the meaning of the text, know which noun corresponds to the possessives given in the options. Pay attention to the pronoun agreement.
• Be adept at using the "Bare-bones sentence extraction method" (refer back to 'Subject-verb agreement' for details), break complex long sentences into smaller parts, and focus on analyzing the portion you need.

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📚 "Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement" in the Digital SAT

⭐️ Basic Definition of "Pronoun-antecedent agreement"

Pronoun-antecedent agreement means that pronouns (words used in place of nouns) must match their antecedents (the words they refer to) in both number and gender.

Example: Jessica forgot her book at home.

• Antecedent: "Jessica"
• Pronoun: "her"

✰✰ On the actual Digital SAT, you will never be asked to choose between a gender-specific pronoun ("he" or "she") and the singular non-gendered pronoun "they" when referring to one individual.

➥ What is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun, such as "he", "she", "it", "them", "those", "ourselves", and so on. Pronouns refer to people, things, concepts, or places, and they may act as subjects or objects within sentences. Typically, a pronoun refers back (or sometimes forward) to an antecedent, thus helping to avoid unnecessary repetition of nouns.

Pronouns are divided into many types, all of which appear often in academic and daily English. We will not detail all categories here; if needed, please search for more specific explanations online.

➥ What is an Antecedent?

An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to in a sentence or passage—essentially, the word the pronoun "points to." Generally, the antecedent appears before the pronoun, but sometimes it comes after.

✰✰ A standard pattern features a pronoun clearly referencing a nearby antecedent in simple sentence structures. However, Digital SAT questions on "pronoun-antecedent agreement" often challenge you with more complex scenarios taken from real passages. Mastering these cases is key to answering such questions correctly.

⭐️⭐️ SAT Tips & Advice for "Pronoun-antecedent agreement"

1. Antecedent Is Distant from Its Pronoun

Sometimes, a phrase or clause separates the pronoun from its antecedent, making the connection less obvious.

Example:
The coach, along with the team members, prepared their ✖ strategy carefully.

Correction: The phrase "team members" comes between "coach" and "their." But the real subject is the singular noun "coach," so the pronoun should be singular ("his or her"), not plural ("their").

2. Multiple Nouns Before the Pronoun

When several nouns come before a pronoun, it can be tricky to identify the correct antecedent.

Example:
The gray wolf, formerly abundant in many forests and plains, has seen their ✖ numbers dwindle in much of the historic eastern range.

Correction: Although the plural "forests and plains" appears close to the pronoun, the proper antecedent is the singular "gray wolf," so the pronoun should be the singular "its" instead of "their."

3. Pronoun Precedes Its Antecedent

Occasionally, a pronoun comes before the antecedent, which is less ordinary but important to recognize.

Example:
Although it ✖ may not be typically linked with high intelligence, crows have demonstrated remarkable problem-solving abilities.

Correction: The pronoun "it" appears before the real antecedent, "crows," a plural noun, so the correct pronoun should be "they" rather than "it."

4. Indefinite Pronoun as Antecedent

Indefinite pronouns like "someone", "each", and "none" refer to non-specific persons or things. Some are always singular, some always plural, and some may be either, depending on context.
(See the "Subject-Verb Agreement" section for details.)

Example:
Each of the boxes had something in them ✖.

Correction: The true antecedent, "Each of the boxes," is singular—recall that words like "each" and "every" are always singular—so the correct pronoun is the singular "it."

⭐️ "Subject-modifier placement" Rule

When a sentence begins with an introductory/descriptive phrase (modifier) and it's not immediately clear who or what the phrase is describing, the noun(subject) it refers to must come right after the comma. This keeps the sentence clear and grammatically correct.

Example:
✖: "*Despite practicing every day, the team didn't pick him."（Is the team the one who's keeping practicing? Nope!）

✓: "*Despite practicing every day, he failed to make the team." (Now it's clear who's practicing every day.)

✰✰ In real digital SAT, "subject-modifier placement" questions always appear in a pattern-modifiers appearing at the start of a sentence, separated by a comma.

⭐️⭐️ SAT Tips & Advice for "Subject-modifier placement"

1. Determine whether the modifier logically matches the subject

If you feel uncertain, you can start with the four options and check each one to see whether the modifier logically matches the subject provided in the option and if it makes sense.
For example, when the modifier is "Having finished lunch...", a subject that cannot eat, such as "the weather," is clearly incorrect.

2. Make sure the subject of the modifier is placed immediately after the comma.

No matter how long the sentence is, the subject must come immediately after the comma of modifier.

3. Beware Possessive Nouns in the Subject.

Possessive nouns, such as "John's" and "their", often look like nouns, but in grammar, they are functioning as adjectives. The word they possess is the actual subject.

Example:

"Walking down the street, John's hat ✖ blew off."

Correction: The hat cannot walk, so take "John's hat" as the subject of the modifier, "Walking down the street", is wrong. "Walking down the street, John saw his hat blow off." is correct as we can clearly figure out "John" is the one walking.

4. Pronouns like "it" are Usually Not the Correct Options.

Modifying components usually have a clear object that they describe. Since "it" is too vague as a referent, you should carefully consider whether it is really appropriate when choosing to use it.

Example:

"Inspired by ancient philosophies and refined over centuries, __________"

A). the practice transformed approaches to mental well-being.
B). it was the practice transforming approaches to mental well-being.

Correction: option A is the better choice. "the practice" is something that can logically be described as "being inspired and refined". However, "it" in option B doesn't clearly refer to any specific person or thing. As a result, the sentence becomes unclear and contains a dangling modifier.

➥ How to identify "Subject-Verb Agreement" questions?

• different choices contain singular and plural forms of the same verb

Example:
A). predicts
B). predict
C). has predicted
D). had been predicted

If you don't see this difference among the choices, then the question doesn't deal with subject-verb agreement.

➥ How to identify "Verb Forms" questions?

• different choices use different verb tenses (past/present/future)
• some choices add or remove helping verbs

Example:
A). showed
B). is showing
C). would show
D). has shown

If you don't see one or both of these differences among the choices, then the question doesn't deal with verb forms.

➥ How to identify "Plural and Possessive Nouns" questions?

• the choices add or remove apostrophes (')
• the choices change the placement of apostrophes (')

Example:
A). it's two protagonists
B). its two protagonist's
C). it's two protagonist's
D). its two protagonists

If you don't see one or both of these features, then the question likely doesn't deal with plurals and possessives.

➥ How to identify "Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement" questions?

• one choice uses a singular pronoun (like "it") while another choice uses a plural pronoun (like "they")
• a pronoun outside the blank refers to a noun contained within the choices

Example:
A). finding it
B). to find them
C). finding them
D). have found it

If you don't notice either of these features, then the question doesn't deal with pronoun-antecedent agreement.

➥ How to identify "Subject-Modifier Placement" questions?

• the blank is longer than a few words
• the choices rearrange words or phrases into different orders

Example:
A). many researchers have focused on the study but
B). the study has gained attention of the researchers who
C). the attention of many researchers has been on the study; they
D). there are many researchers have focused on the study, but they

If you don't see one or both of these features, then the question likely doesn't deal with subject-modifier placement.

📌 In real Digital SAT, a single "Form, Structure, and Sense" question may require you to apply two or more grammar rules simultaneously-meaning you'll need both mastery and flexibility in your approach.