Tip #15: Conventions of Standard English - Principle 2: Know your possessives & follow 1) Poss Adj? 2) Plural or singular?

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Strategies:
What is modified?
“The movement” is being modified by “Despite … early years,”
It must be a poss adj
So B & D are omitted
 Singular or plural?
”the movement..” is singular
So C is omitted

1. Possessive Adjective vs. Contraction

Passage (58 words):
The nonprofit organization released _______ annual report yesterday, highlighting a 30% increase in community outreach programs. Critics praised the transparency of the data but questioned whether the metrics accurately reflect long-term impact.
 
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. its
B. it’s
C. their
D. they’re
Answer: A ("its" modifies "organization" [singular].)
Strategy:

• Step 1: Identify the noun (organization = singular).
• Step 2: Eliminate contractions (it’s/they’re) and plural (their).

 
2. Singular "One"
Passage (55 words):
To master classical piano, practice schedule must include scales, arpeggios, and repertoire drills. A 2023 study found that consistency matters more than duration, even if _______ limited to an hour daily.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. ones
B. one’s
C. their
D. your
Answer: B ("one’s" is the singular possessive.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: "Master" implies singular one.
• Step 2: "Schedule" needs a possessive → one’s (not your/their).

3. Collective Noun (Singular/Plural)
Passage (60 words):
The committee submitted _______ final recommendation after months of debate. Some members dissented, arguing that the process overlooked key stakeholders, but the chair insisted the decision was unanimous.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. its
B. their
C. it’s
D. they’re
Answer: A ("committee" as a unit = singular its.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: Collective noun acting as one → singular.
• Step 2: "Members" later is a distractor; focus on the subject (committee).

 

1. Reflexive Pronoun

Passage (52 words):
The actor immersed _______ in the role by living as the character for six months. Critics hailed the performance as transformative, though some questioned the extreme method.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. himself
B. herself
C. themselves
D. itself
Answer: A ("actor" is singular; default to gendered himself unless context specifies otherwise.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: Singular subject → eliminate themselves.
• Step 2: No gender context → SAT defaults to himself.

5. Ambiguous Antecedent
Passage (62 words):
When a student submits _______ essay late, _______ risks a penalty unless they request an extension in advance. Professors often emphasize this policy during the first week of class.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. their, they
B. his or her, he or she
C. its, it
D. your, you
Answer: A (SAT now accepts they/their for singular antecedents.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: "Student" is singular but gender-neutral.
• Step 2: "They/their" is preferred over his or her on the SAT.

Post-Task Assessments

1. Quick Drill:
   • The team celebrated _______ victory with a parade, though _______ exhausted from the season.
     • A. its, it’s
     • B. their, they’re
     • C. its, they’re
     • D. their, its
       Answer: C ("team" = singular its; members = plural they’re.)
2. Error Analysis:
   • Incorrect: Every participant must bring _______ own laptop, but _______ welcome to share notes.
     • Wrong: his or her, he or she (overly wordy for SAT).
     • Correct: their, they (singular they is standard).

Key Reflections

1. One Blank Only: SAT never tests multiple blanks in grammar questions.
2. Contractions: It’s/they’re always include verbs (it is/they are).
3. Collective Nouns: Singular unless members act separately (team → its; team members → their).
4. Singular "They": Now standard for gender-neutral antecedents.

Pro Tip: For reflexives, if the subject’s gender is unspecified, the SAT will:

• Use themselves only if the antecedent is plural.
• Default to himself in older questions but now accepts themselves for singular.

Principle 3: Trace Referents Strategically
Core Rules:

1. Subject/Object Agreement: Match pronouns to their antecedents in number (singular/plural) and function (subject/object).
2. Reflexives: Use -self pronouns only if the subject acts on itself (They hurt themselves).
3. Demonstratives: This/that = singular; these/those = plural.
4. Possessives: Distinguish plural nouns (students) from possessive nouns (students’).

 
1. Subject Pronoun Agreement
Passage (62 words):
The migration patterns of monarch butterflies, which span thousands of miles across North America, fascinate scientists because _______ defy traditional insect behavior. Recent tracking studies reveal that individual butterflies rely on a combination of genetic programming and environmental cues to navigate.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. they
B. it
C. this
D. that
Answer: A ("they" refers to plural "monarch butterflies.")
Strategy:

• Step 1: Antecedent = "monarch butterflies" (plural).
• Step 2: Eliminate singular pronouns (it/this/that).

2. Reflexive Pronoun
Passage (58 words):
During the experiment, the robots programmed to perform complex surgeries demonstrated that _______ could adjust to unexpected complications without human intervention. This capability, once thought impossible for machines, marks a breakthrough in autonomous medical technology
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. itself
B. themselves
C. them
D. it
Answer: B ("themselves" matches plural "robots" and reflects self-action.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: Subject = "robots" (plural).
• Step 2: Reflexive needed (adjust to complications implies self-action).

3. Demonstrative Pronoun
Passage (60 words):
Medieval alchemists sought to transform base metals into gold, a pursuit rooted in both mysticism and early chemistry. _______ were often secretive about their methods, fearing theft or persecution, yet their experiments laid the groundwork for modern metallurgy.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
 
A. This
B. That
C. These
D. Those
Answer: D ("Those" refers to plural "alchemists" and emphasizes historical distance.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: Antecedent = "alchemists" (plural).
• Step 2: Those implies temporal separation (medieval vs. modern).

4. Possessive Noun
Passage (65 words):
The debate over standardized testing often centers on _______ impact on student creativity. While proponents argue that tests provide accountability, critics contend that they prioritize rote memorization over critical thinking skills.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. their
B. its
C. it’s
D. the tests
Answer: B ("its" refers to singular "standardized testing.")
Strategy:

• Step 1: Antecedent = "testing" (singular).
• Step 2: Possessive needed → its (not it’s or plural their).

5. Ambiguous Antecedent
Passage (70 words):
When the orchestra performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, _______ interpretation of the final movement was praised for its emotional intensity. Critics noted that the conductor’s decision to use a slower tempo heightened the sense of triumph.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. their
B. its
C. his
D. the musicians’
Answer: B ("its" refers to singular "orchestra" as a collective unit.)
Strategy:

• Step 1: Collective noun = singular (orchestra).
• Step 2: SAT prefers singular pronouns for collective nouns acting as one.

Final Takeaways

1. Punctuation Pairs: Track both ends of clauses. If it starts with a comma/dash, it must close with one.
2. Colons: Use for full-sentence explanations or lists.
3. Semicolons: Link equal clauses or divide complex lists.
4. Dashes: Reserve for dramatic non-essentials.

Pro Tip: For MCQs with long answer choices, students should:

• Read around the blank to identify clause boundaries.
• Eliminate options with mismatched punctuation (e.g., a dash opener with no closer).

Post-Task Assessments

1. Quick Drill:
   • The jury reached _______ verdict after deliberating for ten hours.
     • A. their
     • B. its
     • C. it’s
     • D. the jurors’
       Answer: B ("jury" as a unit = singular its.)
2. Error Analysis:
   • Incorrect: Every applicant must submit _______ materials by the deadline.
     • Wrong: his or her (outdated for SAT).
     • Correct: their (singular they).

Key Reflections

1. One Blank Only: SAT grammar questions never test multiple blanks.
2. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement:
   • Singular subjects (team, jury) → it/its.
   • Plural subjects (members, players) → they/their.
3. Reflexives: Only use if the subject acts on itself (The cat groomed itself).
4. Demonstratives:
   • This/that = singular.
   • These/those = plural + distance.

Pro Tip: For collective nouns, ask: Is the group acting as one? If yes, use singular (its).


Final Challenge Question
Passage (75 words):
The discovery of microbial life in Antarctica’s subglacial lakes has revolutionized astrobiology, as _______ suggests that organisms can survive in extreme environments analogous to those on Mars. Scientists caution, however, that further research is needed to determine whether these microbes are truly indigenous or were introduced by human activity.
A. they
B. it
C. this
D. such a finding
Answer: B ("it" refers to singular "discovery.")
Strategy:

• Step 1: Subject = "discovery" (singular).
• Step 2: They/this would incorrectly refer to "microbes" or the whole clause.