{"id":59475,"date":"2020-07-17T16:46:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T16:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/?p=59475"},"modified":"2026-09-16T12:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T16:55:07","slug":"act-sat-verbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/act-sat-verbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Verbs on the SAT and ACT: The 2 Rules You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verbs on the SAT and ACT: The 2 Rules You Need to Know<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Bonus Material: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" data-sumome-listbuilder-id=\"ca66ff60-ed82-4124-9274-51e156348ebd\">PrepMaven\u2019s Verbs Worksheet with FREE Practice Questions<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verbs are the second most heavily-tested grammar concept on the ACT and SAT.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This makes sense&#8211;we use verbs all the time in both conversation and writing! <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What&#8217;s more, verbs are an essential component of complete sentences, which have a lot to do with how we use punctuation in the English language.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As simple and useful as they may seem, however, verbs can appear in unfamiliar and challenging ways on ACT English and SAT Reading &amp; Writing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To succeed on ACT and SAT Verbs questions, it&#8217;s essential to know 2 verbs usage rules <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">apply a key strategy. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, we discuss <\/span><b>both<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We also give you access to our <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" data-sumome-listbuilder-id=\"ca66ff60-ed82-4124-9274-51e156348ebd\">free verbs worksheet<\/a><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">, which includes additional guided examples, practice questions, and more. Grab it below.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff;\" data-sumome-listbuilder-id=\"ca66ff60-ed82-4124-9274-51e156348ebd\"><button class=\"btn\" style=\"background-color: orange;\">Download Verbs Worksheet<\/button><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s what we cover in this post:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#where\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Where You&#8217;ll Find Verbs Questions on Either Test<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#nutshell\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Verbs in a Nutshell<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#rules\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">The 2 Verbs Usage Rules You Need to Know<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#strategy\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Verbs Questions Strategy<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#examples\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Guided Examples<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#next\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Bonus: PrepMaven&#8217;s Verbs Worksheet<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"where\"><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Where You&#8217;ll Find Verbs Questions on Either Test<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both the SAT and ACT directly test students&#8217; knowledge of English conventions on the following 2 sections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">ACT English<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">SAT Reading &amp; Writing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students can thus expect to find Verbs questions on either of these sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the number of Verbs questions you&#8217;ll find on ACT English or SAT Reading &amp; Writing aren&#8217;t set in stone, we&#8217;ve analyzed data from officially released SAT and ACT practice tests and come up with the following estimates of Verbs questions on each test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><mark style=\"background-color:#ff6900\" class=\"has-inline-color has-white-color\">Verbs Questions on the ACT<\/mark><\/span><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><mark style=\"background-color:#ff6900\" class=\"has-inline-color has-white-color\">Verbs Questions on the SAT<\/mark><\/span><\/th><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">5-11<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4-6<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep in mind that ACT English has nearly twice as many questions as SAT Reading &amp; Writing, with 75 questions to be completed in 45 minutes. <a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-reading-writing-strategies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAT Reading &amp; Writing<\/a> only has 54 questions, to be completed in 64 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowledge of verbs can help out students on another section of the test: the <a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/should-i-take-the-sat-act-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">optional essay portion<\/span><\/a> of the ACT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the ACT essay doesn&#8217;t directly test your ability to use verbs correctly, essay graders do assess each student&#8217;s ability to use proper English conventions. Proficiency in proper punctuation, verbs usage, and transition words\u00a0can be beneficial for a <a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/preparing\/high-sat-essay-score\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">higher ACT essay score<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do you know you&#8217;re dealing with a Verbs question on ACT English or SAT Reading &amp; Writing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In general, you&#8217;ll see different tenses and forms of verbs in the answer choices, as in this example from an SAT practice test (#1):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"94\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.34-PM-300x94.png\" alt=\"ACT\/SAT Grammar Rules_Verbs_Example\" class=\"wp-image-59481\" style=\"aspect-ratio:3.1914893617021276;width:300px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.34-PM-300x94.png 300w, https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.34-PM.png 332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"173\" height=\"127\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.52-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-59482\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3603603603603605;width:151px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ll use this question in the <a href=\"#examples\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">guided example portion<\/span><\/a> of this post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"nutshell\"><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Verbs in a Nutshell<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is a verb?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A verb is a word in the English language that expresses action, occurrence, or state of being. Verbs are an essential component of clauses, a string of words that includes a subject and a verb.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ACT-and-SAT-Grammar-Rules_-Verbs-1.png\" alt=\"ACT and SAT Grammar Rules_ Verbs (1)\" class=\"wp-image-59486\" style=\"aspect-ratio:2.2666666666666666;width:680px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ACT-and-SAT-Grammar-Rules_-Verbs-1.png 680w, https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ACT-and-SAT-Grammar-Rules_-Verbs-1-300x132.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verbs are also an essential component of complete sentences, which require a subject, a verb, and the complete expression of an idea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each verb also comes in a variety of&nbsp;<em>tenses&nbsp;<\/em>and&nbsp;<em>forms<\/em>, depending on its usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Verb tense<\/strong><\/span>: the &#8216;time zone&#8217; of a verb, indicating\u00a0<em>when\u00a0<\/em>this action, occurrence, or state of being is happening<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Verb form<\/strong><\/span>: changes depending upon the <em>subject<\/em> of the verb<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the purposes of the SAT and ACT, you will not have to memorize every single verb tense for every single verb you know! In general, however, it&#8217;s wise to be familiar with the following frequently tested tenses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>past\u00a0<\/strong>(indicating an occurrence that has already happened) &#8211;>\u00a0<em>I studied.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>present\u00a0<\/strong>(indicating an occurrence that is happening now) &#8211;>\u00a0<em>I study<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>future\u00a0<\/strong>(indicating an occurrence that will happen) &#8211;>\u00a0<em>I will study.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s also essential to be familiar with how verbs change their form depending on the subject with which they are associated. We call this <em>subject-verb agreement<\/em>, which we discuss at length in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"rules\"><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">The 2 Verbs Usage Rules You Need to Know<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ACT English and SAT Reading &amp; Writing are only interested in students&#8217; familiarity with the following 2 concepts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Verb tense<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Subject-verb agreement<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s all! We&#8217;ll discuss the 2 verbs usage rules associated with these concepts now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Rule #1: Verb tense must remain consistent<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In general, the tense of the verb in question must match the tense of the surrounding context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That context might mean the sentence itself. It could also mean a\u00a0<em>part\u00a0<\/em>of a sentence or the paragraph as a whole. This is why it is so important to read carefully for context when encountering any Verbs question on ACT English or SAT Reading &amp; Writing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, if a sentence begins with the phrase &#8220;In 1989,&#8221; we can assume that the tense of that sentence will be in the <em>past<\/em>, given that 1989 is a year that has already occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a paragraph is discussing an ongoing condition, such as &#8220;modern businesses&#8217; efforts to maximize workplace efficiency,&#8221; we can assume that the tense of this paragraph will be, for the most part, in the&nbsp;<em>present<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key is to mine your context for clues that indicate what the tense standard is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some examples of those verb tense clues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Another verb in that tense in context (i.e., &#8220;studied,&#8221; &#8220;will walk,&#8221; or &#8220;breathes&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A time clue (i.e., &#8220;In 1989,&#8221; &#8220;last year,&#8221; or &#8220;in the coming decade&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A transition word or phrase (i.e., &#8220;meanwhile,&#8221; &#8220;lastly,&#8221; or &#8220;at first&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Rule #2: Verbs must match their subjects<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the heart of subject-verb agreement: verbs must match their subjects!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what do we mean by &#8220;match&#8221;? Verbs must match their subjects in&nbsp;<em>form<\/em>. Here&#8217;s what that generally breaks down to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A plural noun must have a plural verb<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A singular noun must have a singular verb<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A plural noun is a noun that indicates more than&nbsp;<em>one&nbsp;<\/em>of some thing, idea, or individual:&nbsp;<em>horses, children, mosses.<\/em> A singular noun indicates that there is only&nbsp;<em>one&nbsp;<\/em>of some thing, idea, or individual:&nbsp;<em>horse, child, moss<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, even though we don&#8217;t always think of verbs in terms of their singularity or plurality, a verb will change form depending on whether its noun is plural or singular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a look at the following examples to see this in action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>horses run<\/strong> across the field.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>horse runs<\/strong> across the field.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These <strong>mosses are<\/strong> hard to identify.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This <strong>moss is<\/strong> hard to identify.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first two examples, the plural noun (<em>horses<\/em>) matches the plural verb (<em>run<\/em>), while the singular noun (<em>horse<\/em>) matches the singular verb (<em>runs<\/em>).&nbsp;<em>Run&nbsp;<\/em>and&nbsp;<em>runs&nbsp;<\/em>are different verb forms. In the second two examples, the plural noun (<em>mosses<\/em>) matches the plural verb&nbsp;<em>(are<\/em>), while the singular noun (<em>moss<\/em>) matches the singular verb (<em>is<\/em>).&nbsp;<em>Are&nbsp;<\/em>and <em>is&nbsp;<\/em>are different verb forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s a table that contains sample English verbs in plural and singular form (tenses vary). Notice how, in general, singular verbs often end in an <em>s<\/em> (although this does not apply to every tense), while plural verbs do not end in an&nbsp;<em>s<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Plural Verbs<\/span><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Singular Verbs<\/span><\/th><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">are<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">is<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">were<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">was<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">have<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">has<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">want<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">wants<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">speak<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">speaks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">teach<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">teaches<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">pursue<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">pursues<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">cultivate<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">cultivates<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">say<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">says<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">believe<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">believes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, our ears are pretty good at &#8220;hearing&#8221; when agreement is off. Notice, for example, how &#8220;wrong&#8221; these phrases sound when you read them out loud or in your head:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Horses runs across the field.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The moss stick to the tree.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mary deliver the book to her friend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cross-contamination are common.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These all sound &#8220;wrong&#8221; to our ears because the agreement is incorrect. You can apply the same test to verb and subject combinations on the ACT or SAT, and eliminate those that clearly don&#8217;t sound &#8220;right.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Other Tips<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a few other considerations to keep in mind as you prepare to tackle Verbs questions on both the ACT and the SAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Be concise<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both ACT English and SAT Reading &amp; Writing care about your ability to write concisely. This means using as few words as possible to make a point or express an idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of this, in general, long verb phrases like <em>I would have been studying&nbsp;<\/em>or&nbsp;<em>They will be studying&nbsp;<\/em>are very rarely correct. The same goes for verbs ending in -ing <em>(<\/em><em>studying, walking,<\/em> breathing). Prioritize the <em>shortest&nbsp;<\/em>verb choice in your elimination strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask yourself: <em>is this the most concise way to express this idea?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Be active<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is possible to craft sentences in active voice or passive voice. We won&#8217;t go too far into this concept in this post, but it&#8217;s important to note that both the ACT and the SAT reward students who think in&nbsp;<em>active voice<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Active voice constructions tend to be more concise than passive voice constructions. They use fewer words and they have the added benefit of, well, sounding much more active than their passive voice alternative!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some examples that prove this point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Active voice<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Mary delivered the textbooks to her friend on Tuesday.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Passive voice<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>The textbooks were delivered by Mary to her friend on Tuesday<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notice how the passive voice construction here uses&nbsp;<em>more words&nbsp;<\/em>and makes the direct object (<em>textbooks<\/em>) the subject, as opposed to&nbsp;<em>Mary<\/em>, who is the one&nbsp;<em>delivering&nbsp;<\/em>those books. Active voice constructions make the actual subject the focus of the sentence, and often result in a simpler verb or verb phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When navigating Verbs questions on the SAT or ACT, be on the lookout for active voice. This will often mean prioritizing the most concise expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Watch out for &#8220;being&#8221;<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you see the word\u00a0<em>being\u00a0<\/em>in the answer choices, it is likely incorrect. It is very difficult to use this specific verb in a way that is both concise and active!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Get rid of excess words<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SAT and ACT&nbsp;<em>love&nbsp;<\/em>cramming in a bunch of words between a subject and a verb, to make it all the more confusing for a student to identify the appropriate subject and test for agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s a good example of that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The committee&#8217;s&nbsp;decision to allocate extensive funds to water treatment strategies was significant.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this sentence, the subject is&nbsp;<em>decision<\/em> and the verb is <em>was<\/em>. Notice how many words appear between these two parts of speech, however, making it fairly difficult to identify the appropriate noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can be helpful here to cross off this excess verbiage to make things more clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The committee&#8217;s&nbsp;decision <del>to allocate extensive funds to water treatment strategies<\/del> was significant.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"strategy\"><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Verbs Questions Strategy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have a very simple, memorable strategy students can use when approaching a Verbs question on ACT English or SAT Reading &amp; Writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you see a Verbs question, follow these 4 steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Identify the tense of the surrounding context<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Identify the noun of the verb in question, if necessary<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Eliminate rule-breakers<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Plug in your final choice<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is possible to encounter Verbs questions that strictly concern tense or only focus on agreement. However, it is very common for either test to incorporate <em>both concepts&nbsp;<\/em>in one question!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s why we encourage students to check for both tense and agreement on every Verbs question they encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ll apply this 4-step strategy to 2 example questions from officially released practice tests in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll also be able to apply this strategy to the 10 practice questions in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our free Verbs worksheet!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff;\" data-sumome-listbuilder-id=\"ca66ff60-ed82-4124-9274-51e156348ebd\"><button class=\"btn\" style=\"background-color: orange;\">Download Verbs Worksheet<\/button><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"examples\"><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Verbs Questions: Guided Examples<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ve already mentioned this first example question, in the first section of this post. This is taken from the CollegeBoard&#8217;s Official SAT Practice Test #1. Find all 10 of the CollegeBoard&#8217;s officially released <a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-free-official-practice-tests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">SAT practice tests here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000080; text-decoration: underline;\">Guided Example #1: SAT Verbs Question<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"94\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.34-PM-300x94.png\" alt=\"ACT\/SAT Grammar Rules_Verbs_Example\" class=\"wp-image-59481\" style=\"aspect-ratio:3.1904761904761907;width:335px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.34-PM-300x94.png 300w, https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.34-PM.png 332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"173\" height=\"127\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-10-at-12.28.52-PM.png\" alt=\"SAT Verbs Question_ACT and SAT Grammar Rules\" class=\"wp-image-59482\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3603603603603605;width:151px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Identify the tense of the surrounding context<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can tell that this is a Verbs question because the answer choices contain different tenses and forms of the verb&nbsp;<em>contain<\/em>. When we read for full context, we find 2 simple present tense verbs: <em>consider&nbsp;<\/em>and&nbsp;<em>is<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We also see that this underlined portion is part of a list, which means that we should follow parallel structure, a concept we discuss further in our <a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/rarely-tested-sat-act-grammar-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">3 Rarely Tested Grammar Rules on the SAT and ACT<\/span><\/a> post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Identify the noun of the verb in question, if necessary<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are discussing Greek yogurt here, referred to as &#8220;it&#8221; in context. This is a singular noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eliminate rule-breakers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can eliminate any answer choices that are not in present tense:&nbsp;<strong>D<\/strong>, which is in the future tense (<em>will contain<\/em>). We can also cross off <strong>B<\/strong>, an <em>-ing<\/em> verb, as the verb tense in context is in simple present, not present participle form (the fancy name for an -ing verb).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parallel structure means that we have to maintain consistency with the verb forms in this list, meaning that the additional\u00a0<em>it <\/em>in answer choice <strong>A <\/strong>is unnecessary. We can eliminate <strong>A<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plug in your final choice<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what our sentence sounds like with&nbsp;<strong>C<\/strong> as the proper choice:&nbsp;<em>Nutritionists consider Greek yogurt to be a healthy food: it is an excellent source of calcium and protein, serves as a digestive aid, and contains few calories in its unsweetened low- and non-fat forms.<\/em> Great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"next\"><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Download PrepMaven&#8217;s Verbs on the ACT\/SAT Worksheet<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you\u2019re primed for additional Verbs practice, which you can get right now for free with our <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" data-sumome-listbuilder-id=\"ca66ff60-ed82-4124-9274-51e156348ebd\">Verbs Worksheet!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"242\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Verbs-on-the-SATACT-300x242.png\" alt=\"Verbs on the SAT\/ACT\" class=\"wp-image-60172\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.2406947890818858;width:500px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Verbs-on-the-SATACT-300x242.png 300w, https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Verbs-on-the-SATACT-768x619.png 768w, https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Verbs-on-the-SATACT.png 807w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With this worksheet, you\u2019ll get:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A recap of the 2 Verbs rules and strategy we discussed in this post<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 more guided examples of questions from official practice tests<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 practice questions with detailed answers\/explanations\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff;\" data-sumome-listbuilder-id=\"ca66ff60-ed82-4124-9274-51e156348ebd\"><button class=\"btn\" style=\"background-color: orange;\">Download Verbs Worksheet<\/button><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Top SAT Posts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/best-sat-tutoring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The 14 Best Online SAT Tutoring Services<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-reading-writing-question-types-strategies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Key Strategy for Every SAT Reading &amp; Writing Question Type<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/preparing\/what-is-a-good-sat-score-2019\/\">What&#8217;s a Good SAT Score for 2026?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/good-sat-score-for-ivy-league\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What&#8217;s a Good SAT Score for the Ivy League?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/best-sat-prep-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The 11 Best SAT Prep Books<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/12C49dJVXd6R1YhOVOJZAwXOUEltC-OwY9bS2mBp1wRU\/edit#heading=h.qt8mnbavejkd\">The 2 Sections of the Digital SAT<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-grammar-rules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAT Grammar Rules for a Perfect Score<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-reading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5 Tips for SAT Reading Questions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/hardest-sat-math-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">25 of the Hardest SAT Math Questions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-score-guide\">Digital SAT Scoring Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/sat-math\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What&#8217;s on the SAT Math Section?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/test-prep\/best-sat-prep-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The 12 Best SAT Prep Courses <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-57269 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2R3A2936-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Kate_Princeton Tutoring_AuthorBio\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\"> Kate<\/h3>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 170px;\">Kate is a graduate of Princeton University. Over the last decade, Kate has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"sg-ai-highlighted-block wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On both the ACT and SAT, verbs appear with relative frequency. An expert discusses the 2 verb usage rules you need to know for both tests!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":59478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[92,93,100,152,159],"class_list":["post-59475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-test-prep","tag-sat","tag-test-prep","tag-act","tag-sat-strategy","tag-act-strategy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Verbs on the SAT and ACT: The 2 Rules You Need to Know<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On both the ACT and SAT, verbs appear with relative frequency. 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