The Technical Conventions of Standard Written English on the SAT and ACT

Why Native English Speakers Should Rethink Their Approach to Conventions of Standard Written English on the ACT and SAT

When preparing for the English section of the ACT or the Reading and Writing modules of the SAT, native and fluent English speakers might feel confident relying on their language instincts. However, almost all of them take the language for granted – not intentionally (or even consciously), but as a byproduct of familiarity with a language that they have always spoken. By contrast, grammar questions on the ACT and SAT assess technical conventions of standard written English. Here’s why challenging your assumptions will be crucial to your success in this area of the test.

1. The Test Isn’t About What “Sounds Right”

The ACT and SAT test precise rules of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure – not just what “sounds right”; the tests require the correct application of formal English conventions. For example, native speakers may struggle with the following:

• Comma splices: Many fluent speakers might not notice incorrectly connected sentences, like “She loves painting, she goes to art school.” This error can be revised by using a semicolon or adding a conjunction (“She loves painting, so she goes to art school.”).
• Misplaced modifiers: In conversation, context often helps clarify meaning, but standardized tests demand precision. In the sentence “Running down the street, the ice cream fell out of her hand,” recognizing that the modifier (“Running down the street”) should be clearly linked to the correct noun is critical to choosing the grammatically correct answer. The sentence should be revised to something like “Running down the street, she dropped her ice cream.”

2. Overlooked Details: Common Errors for Native Speakers

Fluent English speakers often have habits that mask specific grammatical mistakes. Here are some examples of issues native speakers might miss:

• Subject-verb agreement in complex sentences: A phrase like “Each of the students have submitted their projects” might sound correct to a native speaker because “students” suggests plurality. However, the true subject is “each,” which is singular, so the correct form is “Each of the students has submitted their project.”
• Pronoun agreement: Hopefully, you noticed a second error in the sentence above. If the subject “each” is singular, we also need to refer to one student at a time with the pronoun that follows. Our final, completely correct sentence should read “Each of the students has submitted his or her project.” While our usage in this case is certainly shifting societally to include non-binary gender identities, it hasn’t quite made its way to the SAT and ACT yet, so you should expect to stick to traditional technical conventions on the tests.
• Ambiguous pronouns: Native speakers may not realize that a pronoun could be unclear when there are multiple possible antecedents. For instance, in the sentence “When Jane met Sarah, she said she was late,” it’s not clear whom “she” refers to. The SAT and ACT will test your ability to identify and fix this ambiguity by specifying the subject (e.g., “When Jane met Sarah, Jane said Sarah was late.”).

3. Understanding Punctuation Nuances

Fluent speakers often use punctuation for rhythm or personal style in informal writing, but the SAT and ACT require a thorough understanding of standard conventions:

• Colons and Semicolons: Most students’ last formal punctuation lesson was so long ago that they were probably too young to take on subtle forms of punctuation to connect two independent clauses. I don’t blame them: I see journalists and published authors alike use semicolons when they should use colons and editors fail to fix those mistakes; therefore, if professionals get it wrong, it stands to reason that high school students would, too. (It is, however, possible to learn how to use these forms of punctuation. Notice that I just correctly used a colon AND a semicolon in the same sentence!)
• Apostrophes: Possessive forms and contractions can sometimes trip up fluent speakers. The difference between “the teachers’ lounge” (lounge belonging to multiple teachers) and “the teacher’s lounge” (lounge belonging to one teacher) can be subtle but impactful: in conversation, there’s no change in how each version sounds despite the difference in meaning, but test takers need to be especially aware of these situations in their writing and on the test.

4. Avoiding Over-Reliance on Intuition

Relying on instinct alone can lead to errors, especially with nuanced grammar rules that aren’t always reinforced through daily usage. Native speakers may fall into these traps:

• Redundancy: Phrases like “return back,” “free gift,” or “end result” are needlessly repetitive–and therefore errors–but may not stand out as such to a fluent speaker accustomed to casual phrasing. This is one of the hallmark differences between conversational English and the formal conventions tested on the ACT and SAT.
• Confusing homophones: Even fluent speakers might miss subtle distinctions between words like “affect” and “effect,” especially under test pressure. I’ve seen particularly well-spoken students choose the phrasing “should of” instead of “should have”, just because the difference between the sound of the words and the words themselves didn’t occur to them in the moment.

5. Tips for Improving Your Conventions Skills

To prepare effectively for these questions, native and fluent speakers should:

• Review detailed grammar rules: Spend time studying areas where your instincts might be misleading. Whenever you solve a grammar -based question on the tests, categorize the grammar rule being tested before you solve it.
• Practice with test-style questions: Familiarize yourself with how the SAT and ACT frame grammar questions and differentiate their answer choices to better understand the conventions they test.
• Analyze explanations for missed questions: Learn from each mistake by reviewing why certain answers are incorrect, even if they initially “sounded” right.

Conclusion

The conventions of standard written English tested on the SAT and ACT are precise, detailed, and sometimes counterintuitive. For native and fluent English speakers, successfully answering these questions means developing an intentional working knowledge of formal grammar rules in order to surpass the “sound it out” method. Rest assured: Mindfish is here to help! Our 1-on-1 ACT and SAT Tutoring Programs will help you master these rules, along with everything else you’ll need to know, before your test. Contact us today to get started!