Agreement and clear pronoun reference
Find the grammatical subject and antecedent instead of matching a verb or pronoun to the nearest noun.
What you will tackle
- Maintain subject–verb number agreement
- Maintain pronoun–antecedent agreement
- Use clear reference and appropriate pronoun case in ACT usage contexts
Ignore intervening phrases when finding number
‘The collection of maps is valuable’ agrees with collection, not maps. In a question or inverted sentence, locate the actual subject after the verb if necessary. A pronoun must clearly identify its antecedent; if two nouns are plausible antecedents, rewriting can be clearer than changing a pronoun alone.
Case follows grammatical function
A subject takes a subject form such as she or they; an object takes her or them. In ‘between Amir and me’, both people are objects of the preposition. For a compound, temporarily remove the other noun to test the form. Use language that fits the context, including established singular they where appropriate.
Build your notes, then practise
Work on paper before opening an explanation. Guided tasks provide a starting point; independent tasks remove the scaffolding; application tasks ask you to justify a method or interpretation in context.
Guided practice
Guided 1
Choose and explain: ‘The collection of maps, including recent additions, is/are available.’ ‘The researchers revised their/its methods.’
Show a starting hint
Find the head noun rather than the closest noun.
Compare with the explained answer
- Collection is singular; the prepositional and supplementary phrases do not change it.
- Researchers is plural and is the antecedent of their.
- Use is and their.
Answer / response criteria: is; their.
Independent practice
Independent 1
Correct ‘The package of letters were missing’ and ‘The tutor spoke to Maya and I.’ Clarify ‘When Nia met Lea, she was worried’ without guessing who was worried.
Compare with the explained answer
- Package is singular, so use was.
- The preposition to needs object me, not subject I.
- The last sentence is ambiguous; ask which person is intended or replace she with the intended name.
Answer / response criteria: ‘The package of letters was missing.’ ‘The tutor spoke to Maya and me.’ The worried person's identity needs clarification.
Application practice
Application 1
Revise a report in which a committee and its members are both discussed: ‘The committee issued a decision after they spoke privately.’ Give a version unambiguously referring to the members' discussion.
Compare with the explained answer
- The plural they could be read as loosely referring to the committee or to unnamed members.
- Name the members explicitly.
- Keep the later committee action as the main clause.
Answer / response criteria: ‘After the committee members spoke privately, the committee issued its decision.’
What can you explain now?
Revise a report in which a committee and its members are both discussed: ‘The committee issued a decision after they spoke privately.’ Give a version unambiguously referring to the members' discussion.
Compare with the explanation
‘After the committee members spoke privately, the committee issued its decision.’
Explain the reasoning before comparing. This review records your self-assessment rather than an official score or mastery decision.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Source and review status
Core coverage follows the detailed SAT skills in Appendix B of the September 2026 framework. The conditional School Day Essay is separate. The framework is maintained rather than issued as an annual subject syllabus.
Original teaching and explained self-check practice are available. Independent subject-specialist review and difficulty calibration remain pending; this is not an exam-board endorsement or a mastery certificate.
Official source specification / guide