Choose verbs, pronouns, and word forms that fit the sentence.
Goal: choose verbs, pronouns, and word forms that fit the sentence.
Help: do all of this alone or with your family. You do not need a tutor or teacher. The Forms score your answers, and the answer key explains every choice.
How it works: work down the page in order. When you reach a Stop here line, you are done for that day.
Get these ready:
Why it is built this way: a major review of study methods rated practice testing and spacing your study over time as the two most useful methods.
| When | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting 1 | Try First Check, Part 1, then Game 1 | 30 minutes |
| Sitting 2, two or three days later | Replay Game 1, then Parts 2 to 4, then Game 2 | 30 minutes |
| Sitting 3, about a week after Sitting 1 | Replay Game 2, then Game 3, Part 5, and the Exit Check | 30 minutes |
| Return day, one to two weeks later | Replay one game, then retake the Exit Check | 15 minutes |
A family member can read each sentence out loud with each choice and ask, "What is the subject? Is it one thing or more than one?"
Answer all 5 questions before you read anything below. Mark how sure you are on each one. It is fine to miss some, because trying first helps you remember the answers later. When you submit, choose View score and read why each answer is right or wrong. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
Got 5 out of 5? Skip Part 1 and go to Game 1.
A verb question asks whether the verb, or the form of a word, fits the rest of the sentence. Three checks cover most questions.
Find the subject. Cross out any phrase that starts with a word such as of, in, on, or for. Then match: one thing takes is, was, has; more than one takes are, were, have.
| Sentence | Subject | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| The box of photographs ____ in the attic. | box (one) | is |
| The boxes in the attic ____ old. | boxes (more than one) | are |
| There ____ several reasons. | reasons (more than one) | are |
| Time clue | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yesterday, last year, in 2020 | Past | Kai walked to the park. |
| every day, usually | Present | Kai walks to the park. |
| tomorrow, next week | Future | Kai will walk to the park. |
| by the time, before something earlier | Had plus a past form | The movie had started. |
Some verbs change in the past. After has, have, or had, use the past participle: thrown, risen, broken, begun, taken, written.
| Trap | What it means |
|---|---|
| Agreement | The verb does not match the subject. |
| Tense | The verb shows the wrong time. |
| Verb form | The wrong form of an irregular verb. |
| Pronoun | The wrong pronoun, or a pronoun that does not match. |
| Apostrophe | The apostrophe is missing, misplaced, or added where it does not belong. |
| Modifier | An opening phrase that does not describe the right person or thing. |
| Parallel structure | A list where one item does not match the others. |
Question. The pile of leaves ______ growing taller by the hour.
| Step | What you think |
|---|---|
| Find the subject. | "Pile of leaves." Cross out "of leaves." |
| Count it. | Pile is one thing. |
Your turn: which verb goes with one thing, is or are? Then check the Worked Example section of the answer key.
Name the subject, then decide whether it takes a singular verb (is, was, has) or a plural verb (are, were, have). Ignore the phrase that starts with a word such as of, in, or on. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Replay Game 1 and try to beat your score.
Three more kinds of word-form questions come up often: pronouns, modifiers, and lists.
| Pair | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| its / it's | Its shows belonging. It's means it is. | The dog wagged its tail. It's a friendly dog. |
| their / they're / there | Their shows belonging. They're means they are. There points to a place. | They're proud of their work. It is over there. |
| I / me | Use I when you could say it alone as the subject. Use me as the object. | My sister and I painted the fence. Dad drove my sister and me. |
| A group name | One group takes one pronoun: its. | The committee announced its decision. |
An opening phrase describes the first noun after the comma. That noun must be the person or thing the phrase is about.
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| Walking along the beach, the waves splashed my feet. | Walking along the beach, I felt the waves splash my feet. |
Every item in a list should have the same form: run, stretch, and clean. Not run, stretch, and cleaning.
Question. The coach asked us to run laps, stretch, and ______ the equipment.
| Step | What you think |
|---|---|
| Look at the other items. | Run, stretch. Both are base verbs. |
Your turn: which word matches run and stretch? Then check the answer key.
These are original practice questions. The Form asks how sure you are on each one, scores your answers, and explains every choice.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
Prefer paper? Open the printable module doc and answer there.
Read the explanation for every choice, including the questions you got right. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker. For each question you missed or rated 1 or 2, add a row on the My Mistakes tab. Each explanation names the sticking point to choose. Leave the Trap column blank for now.
Read the sentence, then name the kind of error or say it is correct. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Replay Game 2 and try to beat your score.
Choose the word that makes the sentence correct. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Word bank: is, are, was, were, its, has, have, taken, begun
With a family member or friend: Take turns reading a sentence out loud with each word. The other person says which one sounds right and names the subject to prove it.
| Sticking point | Domain | Skill | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbs and word forms | Standard English Conventions | Form, Structure, and Sense | Easy |
No account, or the Question Bank will not open? Use the Practice link for that sticking point in Part 2, or the Khan Academy SAT Reading and Writing course.
Answer all 5 questions without your notes. When you submit, choose View score and read why each answer is right or wrong. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker. Add any question you missed to the My Mistakes tab.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
4 or 5 right: you are ready for your return day. 3 or fewer right: replay Game 3 and reread Parts 1 and 2 before your return day.
Set your return date. Pick a date one to two weeks from today. Write it on the Next Step tab of your tracker and on your calendar.
4 or 5 right: go to Module 7. 3 or fewer right: open the help for the questions you missed, then retake the Exit Check in a few days.
When you can, use the Student Question Bank: Standard English Conventions, Form, Structure, and Sense, Medium. Answer 10 questions in 10 minutes. Add each miss to My Mistakes.