Grammar and Sentence Structure: In the Writing and Language section, focus on improving sentence structure, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and checking punctuation. You’ll often be asked to fix errors in these areas.

Common Grammar Rules to Remember

• Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensure the subject and verb agree in number (singular/plural).
  • • Example: “The dogs run quickly” (correct) vs. “The dogs runs quickly” (incorrect).
• Punctuation: Be mindful of commas, semicolons, and apostrophes.
  • • Example: “The teacher, who had a lot of experience, explained the concept well” (correct use of commas).
• Sentence Fragments: A complete sentence needs at least a subject and a verb.
  • • Example: “Because the storm was severe” (incorrect, this is a fragment) vs. “Because the storm was severe, we canceled the event” (correct).

Improving Clarity and Style: Sometimes, you’ll need to rewrite sentences to improve clarity or to make them more concise.

Example:

Original Sentence: “The team, after the long day of practice, decided to take a break for a while.”

• This sentence could be made more concise by removing unnecessary words: “After a long day of practice, the team decided to take a break.”

Question: Which of the following is the most concise way to rephrase the sentence above?

A) After the long day of practice, the team decided to take a break.

B) The team, after practice, decided to take a break for a while.

C) The team decided to take a break after a long day of practice.

D) The team decided, after the long practice day, to take a break.

Answer: C) The team decided to take a break after a long day of practice.

Explanation: This version is more concise without changing the meaning.