Tip #18​ SAT Writing Principle 5: Know Your VeRB TENSES

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.1. -ing Verbs
Key Rules:

• As main verbs: Must use a "be" auxiliary (am/is/are/was/were)
  • She is running now. (Present continuous)
  • They were studying yesterday. (Past continuous)
• As modifiers: No auxiliary verb needed
  • Running late, she missed the bus. (Participle phrase modifying "she")
  • The girl sitting there is my sister. (Participial phrase modifying "girl")

SAT Example:
The athlete _______ hard for the Olympics when the pandemic disrupted training schedules.
A) training
B) was training
C) to train
D) having trained
Answer: B (Requires auxiliary "was" for past continuous)
Strategy: If -ing verb is alone, it's wrong unless it's clearly modifying something.
2. Infinitives (to + verb)
Key Rules:

1. Compound verbs:
   • She wants to leave early.
2. Subject modifiers:
   • To err is human.
3. Purpose clauses:
   • He studies to improve his grades.

SAT Example:
_______ complete the project on time, the team worked overtime.
A) For
B) To
C) Having
D) Being
Answer: B (Shows purpose)
Strategy: When you see "to" at start, check if it explains why something was done.
3. Present Perfect (has/have + past participle)
Key Rules:

• Action started in past but relevant now:
  • Scientists have discovered new evidence. (Still important)
• Duration up to now:
  • She has lived here since 2010.

SAT Example:
Recent excavations _______ that the ancient city was larger than previously believed.
A) show
B) showed
C) have shown
D) are showing
Answer: C (Discovery affects current understanding)
Strategy: Look for time clues like "recently" or implications that past action matters now.
4. Tense Consistency
Key Rules:

• Keep tenses logical in sequence:
  • When he arrived (past), we had already eaten (past perfect).
• Watch time markers:
  • Last year... → Past tense
  • Next week... → Future tense

SAT Example:
After the lab results came back, the doctor _______ the patient to stop taking the medication immediately.
A) tells
B) told
C) has told
D) will tell
Answer: B (Sequence: past event → past action)
Strategy: Underline time words and check what happened first.
Practice Questions

1. -ing as Verb vs. Modifier:
   The student _______ the textbook when the fire alarm sounded.
   A) reading
   B) was reading
   C) to read
   D) having read

Answer: B (Past continuous action)

1. Infinitive Purpose:
   The mayor proposed new taxes _______ the budget deficit.
   A) reducing
   B) reduces
   C) to reduce
   D) reduced

Answer: C (Shows goal)

1. Present Perfect:
   Archaeologists _______ dozens of artifacts at the site since excavations began.
   A) uncover
   B) uncovered
   C) have uncovered
   D) were uncovering

Answer: C (Emphasizes ongoing discoveries)

1. Tense Consistency:
   By the time the rescue team arrived, the hikers _______ for over twelve hours.
   A) wait
   B) waited
   C) had waited
   D) will wait

Answer: C (Past perfect for action before another past action)
Assessments & Reflections
Common Mistakes:

1. -ing without "be" auxiliary:
   • Wrong: She running every morning.
   • Right: She is running every morning.
2. Infinitive misuse:
   • Wrong: For reduce costs, they fired staff.
   • Right: To reduce costs, they fired staff.
3. Perfect tense confusion:
   • Wrong: She has graduated last year.
   • Right: She graduated last year. (Specific past time)

Pro Tips:

• Modifier alerts: If a verb form (-ing, past participle) starts a sentence, ensure it modifies the subject right after the comma.
  • Exhausted from work, the bed looked inviting. → Wrong (dangling modifier)
  • Exhausted from work, he fell into bed. → Right
• Time markers: Words like "since," "by the time," or "recently" dictate perfect tenses.

Final Drill:
The committee _______ the proposal twice before making a decision, but they still requested more data.
A) reviews
B) reviewed
C) has reviewed
D) will review
Answer: C (Emphasizes repeated action relevant to present)
Strategies for SAT Grammar Questions

1. Verb Tenses:
   • Identify time references (e.g., "yesterday" → simple past; "for years" → present perfect).
   • Past perfect requires a past reference point (e.g., "After they had eaten, we arrived").
2. Parallelism:
   • Lists must match grammatically (e.g., "to eat, dance, and run" ✅ / "eating, dancing, and to run" ❌).
   • Maintain consistent voice (active/passive) and structure (gerunds/infinitives).
3. Modifiers:
   • Dangling modifiers must logically describe the subject (e.g., "Running late, I missed the bus" ✅ / "Running late, the bus left" ❌).
4. Comparatives/Lists:
   • Keep comparatives parallel (e.g., "happier, healthier, and more productive" ✅).
   • Use the Oxford comma (X, Y, and Z).
5. Gerunds/Infinitives:
   • Keep consistent (e.g., "creating jobs, showing humanity" ✅ / "to create jobs, showing humanity" ❌).

Practice Questions
1. Verb Tense:
The company ______ its profits every year since 2010, but last year it ______ a loss.
A) increases / reports
B) has increased / reported
C) increased / has reported
D) is increasing / reports
Answer: B (present perfect for duration + simple past for specific past action).
2. Parallelism:
The coach emphasized stretching before workouts, ______ during cool-downs, and proper hydration.
A) to breathe deeply
B) breathing deeply
C) deep breathing
D) breathe deeply
Answer: B (matches gerund "stretching").
3. Modifiers:
______, the museum’s new exhibit attracted large crowds.
A) Designed by a famous artist
B) Designing a famous artist
C) To design a famous artist
D) It was designed by a famous artist
Answer: A (correctly modifies "the museum’s new exhibit").
4. Comparative List:
The seminar was informative, engaging, and ______.
A) it inspired attendees
B) inspirational
C) to inspire attendees
D) by inspiring
Answer: B (parallel adjectives).


Post-Task Assessment
After practicing, ask:

1. Did I identify time cues for verb tenses?
2. Did I check for parallelism in lists/gerunds/infinitives?
3. Did modifiers logically describe the subject?
4. Did I preserve comparative structures?

Example Reflection:

• "I missed Question 1 because I ignored ‘since 2010’ (present perfect cue). Next time, I’ll underline time references first."
• "I chose ‘to breathe’ in Question 2, breaking parallelism. Now I’ll scan for -ing/-ed consistency."

Final Tips

• Underline clues (time references, list structures).
• Eliminate choices that break parallelism/modifier rules.
• Practice with College Board’s official questions for real SAT patterns.