9
Reason Prep’s SAT Grammar Diagnostic Test
You won’t find “SAT style” questions on this diagnostic
test – if you want to know your current
grammar score, try a real practice section instead.
These questions test your knowledge of SAT
grammar rules in a relatively straightforward way. Use
this test to determine which rules and
grammar topics you are familiar with and which rules
and topics you need to review.
Though you should use this test to analyze your
weaknesses, don’t ignore your strengths. Simply
use this diagnostic as a starting point for your study
plan.
Directions: Take the test untimed. Check your
answers, either with the included answer sheet or
the answer explanation videos. Circle the problems
you got wrong and highlight the topics you
had trouble with. View the relevant videos of the SAT
Grammar Bootcamp and SAT Grammar
Tactics series. Then start practicing with real SATs.
Circle or underline the error in the sentence and
suggest a correction.
1. Students who major in chemistry is able to get a
good job after college.
2. The representative of the people are responsible
for listening to the concerns of the
public.
3. Each student who is taking classes are required to
buy textbooks.
4. Either Mary or John are responsible for this
disaster.
5. After the holidays have passed and the buying
season ends is the newly formed
committee and the CEO going to decide which
departments get cut and which stay.
6. While Bobby looked for his car keys.
7. When the huge explosion echoed through the
valley, everyone looking to see where it
came from.
8. The new player wanted to prove his value to the
team but sitting on the bench for nearly
the entire season.
9. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and now has
transitioned into a life of philanthropy.
10. In an effort to clean up the lake, a new committee
created by a joint commission.
11. The new theory answers the original problem but
also comes along with their own
weaknesses.
12. Every student should bring their book to class.
13. The workers in the new factory want stock options
in addition to a raise in his or her
salary.
14. The pack of dogs was severely dehydrated, but
they somehow managed to make it
through the harsh heat wave.
15. The last chapter is when the main character and
the villain fight the final battle.
16. Medical doctors which pick a specialty often make
more money than those who go into
general practice.
17. The notarized letter should be delivered directly to
Mr. Franklin or myself.
18. Watching TV and texting his friends, Martin’s
attention drifted from the task at hand –
homework!
19. After going to the bathroom outside and not in the
house, John praised his puppy.
20. Wondering how to handle the negotiations, I
decide to do a bit more research before I left
the office.
21. More than forty years after the moon landing
captures the world’s imagination, humanity
has still not sent manned missions to other planets.
22. Since last January I am working as a bank teller.
23. After Sally won the debate, she has been elected
President in 2002.
24. The regional director is responsible for motivating
the sales staff, devising new sales
strategies, and to ensure that all projects come in
under budget.
25. Mr. Wilson decided to cancel the final exam and
making us do a project instead.
26. The new regulations are not only expensive but
also they are ineffective.
27. Robin’s dream job is to write for the New York
Times, he wouldn’t mind working for
other newspapers though.
28. The first step is to determine what you want, then
you have to come up with a plan to
accomplish those goals.
29. If you don’t learn how to think for yourself, you
will always be dependent to others for
your opinions.
30. The general of the opposing army has the
tendency of extending his troops too far beyond
their supply lines.
31. When comparing Robert Jordan’s books to George 48. The hasty composed essay won top honors;
R. R. Martin, it’s obvious that the two perhaps the competition wasn’t as fierce as I
authors have different storytelling philosophies. had thought.
32. Sergio’s music is better reviewed than Alex’s, but I 49. Even after we downloaded his favorite music, the
still think Alex’s tunes are best. grouchy old man was still rudely.
33. The brothers spent their allowance to purchase 50. The two companies have agreed establishing a
ingredients being needed for the joint venture.
production of a birthday cake for their mother. 51. I was touched by my town’s effort restoring my
34. The legislator couldn’t lie himself out of this mess childhood home to its former glory.
because of the police’s evidence, 52. We spent all day watching the first season of the
which was strong enough to convict him easily. show; my friends and me have never
35. Even though there was no moonlight, Bigfoot was laughed as hard as we did watching those episodes.
easily seen by the investigators. 53. My dad’s boss gave my siblings and I tickets to the
36. Asbestos was used as a fireproofing material in concert.
high-rise buildings, which is now known 54. Between you and I, that painting looks like a
to cause lung cancer. complete mess; I hope he doesn’t think it’s
37. After his amazing performance, the tournament good!
winner that went on to get million dollar 55. My professor was such a wonderful teacher that I
endorsement deals but eventually fell from grace felt more smarter after each lecture.
after allegations of steroid use. 56. If one is to get a job in the music industry, you
38. I found my wallet returning to where we had have to be willing to make sacrifices.
originally set up camp. 57. The new center’s skill set complimented the skills
39. The evidence against the defendant was of his linemates.
overwhelming, and the jury found him innocent,
much to the surprise of the public.
40. Luigi didn’t want to be late for the party; but his
good intentions were foiled by the traffic
jam.
41. The cries for justice were so insistent and the
corrupt leaders couldn’t ignore them any
longer.
42. The essay is not only a grand indictment of the
government’s policies, it is also a fine
piece of writing.
43. Mr. Brown and Mr. Jiggsby have loaned his son
nearly a million dollars to start a
business.
44. The billionaire earned much praise after donating
half of his wealth to charities, and this
has caused many other wealthy individuals to follow
suit.
45. I fought against the committee’s decision with all
my energy, but they are still moving
forward with the plan.
46. It’s quite funny to think that I and my four
brothers became a lawyer after college.
47. These beautifully maintained national parks are a
place for all of us to return to nature
and breathe some fresh air.
 ANSWER KEY
Each section of questions is labeled with the
appropriate error – watch the videos from the SAT
Grammar Bootcamp and SAT Grammar Tactics series
if you got the questions wrong and/or don’t
understand the rule.
While some changes to the sentences are more than
suggestions, some errors can be fixed in multiple
ways. The correction I give may not be the only
possible change.
If you’d like to see me work through these problems,
check out the Video Answer Explanations
on the Reason Prep website. (Go to the “Grammar
Diagnostic” page.)
Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Students who major in chemistry is are able to get a
good job after college.
2. The representative of the people are is responsible
for listening to the concerns of the public.
3. Each student who is taking classes are is required to
buy textbooks.
4. Either Mary or John are is responsible for this
disaster.
5. After the holidays have passed and the buying
season ends is are the newly formed
committee and the CEO going to decide which
departments get cut and which stay.
Fragments
6. While Bobby looked for his car keys., I sat on the
front porch waiting for him.
7. When the huge explosion echoed through the
valley, everyone looking looked to see
where it came from.
8. The new player wanted to prove his value to the
team but sitting sat on the bench for
nearly the entire season.
9. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and now has
transitioned into a life of philanthropy.
10. In an effort to clean up the lake, a new committee
was created by a joint commission.
Pronoun Agreement
11. The new theory answers the original problem but
also comes along with their its own weaknesses.
12. Every student should bring their his or her book to
class.
13. The workers in the new factory want stock options
in addition to a raise in their his or her salary.
14. The pack of dogs was severely dehydrated, but
they it somehow managed to make it through the
harsh heat wave.
15. In Tthe last chapter is when the main character
and the villain fight the final battle.
16. Medical doctors which who pick a specialty often
make more money than those who go into general
practice.
17. The notarized letter should be delivered directly to
Mr. Franklin or myself me .
Dangling Modifier
18. As Martin Watching watched TV and texting
texted his friends, Martin’s his attention
drifted from the task at hand – homework!
19. After going to the bathroom outside and not in the
house, John praised his puppy the
puppy was praised by John.
Tense
20. Wondering how to handle the negotiations, I
decided to do a bit more research before I
left the office.
21. More than forty years after the moon landing
captures captured the world’s imagination,
humanity has still not sent manned missions to other
planets.
22. Since last January I am have been working as a
bank teller.
23. After Sally won the debate, she has been was
elected President in 2002.
Parallelism
24. The regional director is responsible for motivating
the sales staff, devising new sales
strategies, and to ensure ensuring that all projects
come in under budget.
25. Mr. Wilson decided to cancel the final exam and
making made us do a project instead.
26. The new regulations are not only expensive but
also they are ineffective.
Comma Splice
27. Robin’s dream job is to write for the New York
Times, but he wouldn’t mind working for other
newspapers though.
28. The first step is to determine what you want,; then
you have to come up with a plan to accomplish those
goals.
Idiom
29. If you don’t learn how to think for yourself, you
will always be dependent to on others for your
opinions.
30. The general of the opposing army has the
tendency of extending to extend his troops too far
beyond their supply lines.
Comparisons
31. When comparing Robert Jordan’s books to George
R. R. Martin’s books, it’s obvious that the two authors
have different storytelling philosophies.
32. Sergio’s music is better reviewed than Alex’s, but I
still think Alex’s tunes are best better.
Wordiness
33. The brothers spent their allowance to purchase
ingredients being needed for the
production of a for a birthday cake for their mother.
34. The legislator couldn’t lie himself out of this mess
because of the police’s evidence,
which was strong enough to convict him easily.
35. Even though there was no moonlight, Bigfoot was Case
easily seen by the investigators the 52. We spent all day watching the first season of the
investigators easily saw Bigfoot. show; my friends and me I have never
Improper Modification/Subordination laughed as hard as we did watching those episodes.
36. Asbestos was used as a fireproofing material in 53. My dad’s boss gave my siblings and I me tickets to
high-rise buildings, which and is now the concert.
known to cause lung cancer. 54. Between you and I me , that painting looks like a
37. After his amazing performance, the tournament complete mess; I hope he doesn’t think
winner that went on to get million dollar it’s good!
endorsement deals but eventually fell from grace Redundant
after allegations of steroid use. 55. My professor was such a wonderful teacher that I
38. I found my wallet returning when I returned to felt more smarter after each lecture.
where we had originally set up camp. Pronoun Consistency
Coordination 56. If one is to get a job in the music industry, you
39. The evidence against the defendant was have one has to be willing to make
overwhelming, and but the jury found him sacrifices.
innocent, much to the surprise of the public. Diction
40. Luigi didn’t want to be late for the party; but his 57. The new center’s skill set complimented
good intentions were foiled by the traffic complemented the skills of his linemates.
jam.
Word Pair
41. The cries for justice were so insistent and that the
corrupt leaders couldn’t ignore them
any longer.
42. The essay is not only a grand indictment of the
government’s policies, it is but also a fine
piece of writing.
Ambiguous/Dummy Pronouns
43. Mr. Brown and Mr. Jiggsby have loaned his Mr.
Brown’s son nearly a million dollars to
start a business.
44. The billionaire earned much praise after donating
half of his wealth to charities, and this
generosity has caused many other wealthy individuals
to follow suit.
45. I fought against the committee’s decision with all
my energy, but they are the committee
is still moving forward with the plan.
Noun Agreement
46. It’s quite funny to think that I and my four
brothers became a lawyer lawyers after
college.
47. These beautifully maintained national parks are a
place places for all of us to return to
nature and breathe some fresh air.
Adjective/Adverb
48. The hasty hastily composed essay won top honors;
perhaps the competition wasn’t as
fierce as I had thought.
49. Even after we downloaded his favorite music, the
grouchy old man was still rudely rude.
Verb Form
50. The two companies have agreed establishing to
establish a joint venture.
51. I was touched by my town’s effort restoring to
restore my childhood home to its former
glory.
 Vocabulary Exercise B. Circle the best synonym for the underlined word
below.
A. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from
the list below 1. Sons are traditionally expected to emulate their
fathers.
amicable banal circumspect
aesthetic adulterate assuage a. control b. obey c. imitate
asylum audacious analogous
condone crude daunting 2. The interior is an eclectic mix of reclaimed wooden
apathetic antithesis digress floors and antique furnishings.
adulation caveat
a. varied b. odd c. expensive
1. Before you make your final decision, you might
want to consider the caveat in this agreement. 3. Because the waters are halcyon, today is a good
2. Filled with repetitive tasks, Jose’s job can only be day for a boat trip.
described as banal.
a. undisturbed b. violent c. stormy
3. After I caught Manuel stealing from my store, I
became more circumspect of his actions while he was 4. The diva’s distant and haughty behavior made
working. some forget just how talented she was.

4. We couldn’t decide between the two tiles because a. naughty b. arrogant

they were analogous to one another. c. careless

5. I need you to stay on subject and not digress. 5. Before the fight started, many sports analysts
considered him as a formidable opponent to the
6. For an introvert like Mario, it’s very daunting to reigning champ.
speak in front of a large crowd.
a. fearless b. underdog
7. The two parties settled their quarrel in an amicable c. intimidating
way.
6. Voters are leery of politicians who promise to
8. The adulation and applause from the crowd made change the country overnight.
the former president smile.
a. guarded b. supportive
9. The Paleolithic period was also termed as the Old c. true
Stone Age because of the use of crude tools in hunting
and gathering food. 7. He is so loquacious that he can talk for three
minutes without pausing.
10. What right-minded person would condone an act
of abuse? a. friendly b. chatty
c. inattentive
11. The man who is seeking asylum swears he will be
killed if he’s deported back to his home country. 8. The valedictorian delivered a laconic speech,
compared to the salutatorian’s lengthy one.
12. Since Isabel has a strong aesthetic sense, we
decided to hire her as our landscaper. a. concise b. humorous
c. long
13. Sometimes, it seems as though we live in an
apathetic world filled with uncaring people. 9. As vile as robbers are, no criminal is more nefarious
than a killer.
14. While Lydia’s business plan was risky and
audacious, it promised great rewards if successful. a. dangerous b. punishable
c. evil
15. Aspirin will help to assuage your headache.
10. My uncle’s antique car is pristine and still has all
its original parts.

a. unchanged b. improved
c. overhauled
11. He was arrested a year ago on spurious illegal
drugs charges.

a. proven b. bogus
c. indefinite

12. The news anchor seemed stoic while listening to

reports on the massive flooding in Texas.

a. attentive b. detached
c. emotional

13. She has suffered through some difficult times but

it’s her sublime faith that keeps her strong.

a. solemn b. low-key
c. awe-inspiring

14. Isn’t it superfluous to own 20 pairs of shoes when

you only use 5 pairs?

a. unnecessary b. abundant c.
arrogant

15. My sister made sure her favorite color, pink, was

ubiquitous at her wedding.

a. visible b. pervasive
c. scarce