This guide covers punctuation, which is arguably easier: it doesn't involve any critical thinking.
These questions test your ability to use punctuation correctly to organize and share your ideas.
Simple, right?
However, incorrect answer choices can look deceptively correct. This is done deliberately to test your understanding of the rules and your ability to spot subtle errors.
Below, you'll learn the basic rules of punctuation, plus some tips to avoid falling into these traps.
Concepts
The SAT primarily tests your knowledge of 6 punctuation marks:
- Period (.)
- Semicolons (;)
- Colons (:)
- Commas (,)
- Dashes (—)
- Parentheses (())
Punctuation marks are used to separate sentences, clauses, phrases, and words.
- They are also used to indicate pauses, emphasis, and tone. This usage is not the focus of the dSAT, however.
Punctuation is an important part of writing. It helps make writing clear, concise, and easy to read. When punctuation is used correctly, it improves the overall readability of a text.
The use of punctuation is defined by a set of rules. For example, separating a sentence from a word requires a different mark than separating a sentence from a sentence. As a result, to use punctuation properly, we must first know how to differentiate between clauses.
Conjunction
Conjunctions are words used to connect clauses (so basically transitions).
There are 3 types of conjunctions (Coordinating, Subordinating, Correlative). However, the dSAT only focuses on the first 2:
- Coordinating Conjunctions consist of FANBOYS (“for”, “and”, “nor”, “but”, “or”, “yet”, and “so”).
Example
Most e-readers interfere with intuitive navigation of a text and inhibit people from mapping the journey in their minds.
- Subordinating Conjunctions can signal a cause-and-effect relationship, a contrast, or some other kind of relationship between the clauses.
Example
The brain essentially regards letters as physical objects because it does not really have another way of understanding them.
Independent Clause
Even though the dSAT doesn't test your ability to identify a statement as either a sentence or a non-sentence, it is still a crucial skill to have.
A sentence is made of at least a subject and a predicate.
- The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about. It can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
- The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells what the subject is doing or what is being done to it. It always includes a verb.
Example
The athlete runs.
- “The athlete” is the subject.
- “Runs” is the predicate. In this case, it only contains a verb.
Because it can stand alone, a sentence is also known as an Independent Clause. An independent clause usually ends with a period or a semicolon.
Example
The athlete runs.
The athlete runs;
A comma can't be used to separate 2 independent clauses. Doing this causes a comma splice error.
Incorrect (comma splice)
E-ink is easy on the eyes because it reflects ambient light just like a paper book, computer screens shine light directly into people's faces.
Note that a statement's meaning has nothing to do with whether it is a sentence or not. Although the following statement doesn't make sense out of context, it is still a sentence.
Example
All of them went to the store.
Dependent Clause
Dependent clauses are clauses that can't stand alone like a sentence. Instead, they must go with a sentence to add more information to it.
Example
As far as our brains are concerned
This tells us how our brains view the subject. However, it does not make sense on its own and needs to be attached to an independent clause to get its meaning.
Example
As far as our brains are concerned, text is a tangible part of the physical world we inhabit.
There are 2 types of dependent clauses:
- Essential Clauses are dependent clauses that provide necessary information about the noun or pronoun they modify. This means the clause is necessary to the meaning of the sentence.
Example
The astronaut who first walked on the Moon was Neil Armstrong.
- Essential clauses should not be separated from the sentence.
- Non-essential Clauses provide additional information about the noun they modify. This information is not necessary to understand the meaning of the sentence, but it can add interest or detail.
Example
Recent surveys suggest that although most people still prefer paper—especially when reading intensively—attitudes are changing.
- Non-essential clauses must be separated from the sentence by commas, dashes, or parentheses.
Below are a few ways a dependent clause can start.
Relative Clause
Dependent clauses are typically introduced by relative pronouns, such as “who”, “which”, or “that”.
Example
Students who read the texts on computers performed a little worse than those who read on paper.
Although a digital text has a length—which is sometimes represented with a scroll or progress bar—it has no obvious shape or thickness.
Clauses that start with “that” are almost always essential (like this one).
Example
Jaejeung Kim and his colleagues have designed an innovative and unreleased interface that makes iBooks seem primitive.
Exception
Magazines are now useless and impossible to understand for digital natives—that is, for people who have been interacting with digital technologies from a very early age.
Subordinate Clause
A dependent clause can also be introduced by a subordinating conjunction.
Example
Because it does not really have another way of understanding them, the brain essentially regards letters as physical objects.
Notice that when you remove the conjunction, the phrase becomes an independent clause.
When the independent clause comes before the subordinate clause, the comma is unnecessary. This construction will appear in passages, but you will not be tested on it; just know that it is acceptable.
Example
The brain essentially regards letters as physical objects because it does not really have another way of understanding them.
Prepositional Clause
Some dependent clauses also start with prepositions, which are words that describe time or location.
Example
We did not invent writing until relatively recently in our evolutionary history.
Appositive
An appositive is a noun or pronoun—often with modifiers—set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it.
Example
John Kennedy, the popular US president, was known for his eloquent and inspirational speeches.
Participial Phrase
A participle is an adjective form of a verb. Every verb has two participles: the Present Participle (-ing) and the Past Participle (usually formed by adding -ed).
A participial phrase is a phrase that begins with a participle.
Example
Depending on the model of the device, glare, pixilation and flickers can tire the eyes.
Compared with paper, screens may drain more of our mental resources while we are reading and make it a little harder to remember what we read when we are done.
Just keep in mind that not every word ending in -ing is a verb. A lot of students have mistaken this for a sentence:
Fragment
Polls and consumer reports indicating that modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper
Because “indicating” looks like a verb, most people think this is a sentence. However, it is actually a fragment.
Punctuation Rules
To reiterate, the SAT primarily tests your knowledge of 6 punctuation marks:
- Period (.)
- Semicolons (;)
- Colons (:)
- Commas (,)
- Dashes (—)
- Parentheses (())
Periods
Periods are used to join sentences (or independent clauses).
Example
When it comes to intensively reading long pieces of plain text, paper and ink may still have the advantage. Text is not the only way to read, however.
Without the period, the result is a run-on sentence, which is not acceptable:
Incorrect (run-on)
When it comes to intensively reading long pieces of plain text, paper and ink may still have the advantage text is not the only way to read, however.
Semicolons
Like periods, semicolons are used to join sentences. When used this way, the two are interchangeable for the purpose of the SAT.
Example
When it comes to intensively reading long pieces of plain text, paper and ink may still have the advantage; text is not the only way to read, however.
In addition, semicolons can be used to separate list items, especially when the items are long or already contain a comma.
Example
In the end, the meal Mabel and Harry shared was first-rate: the bread and cabbage dish complemented the goulash exquisitely; the chocolate croquembouche was divine; and the conversation was lively and amicable.
Colons
Colons are used to introduce an explanation, a result of the previous clause, or a list.
- Explanation:
Example
A proof assistant can have some drawbacks: It often complains that it does not understand the definitions, axioms or reasoning steps entered by the mathematician.
- Here, the clause before the colon states that a proof assistant has drawbacks, and the clause after it explains what the drawbacks are.
- List:
Example
When the first farmers arrived in Europe from Turkey about 8,000 years ago, three large groups of hunter-gatherers thrived across Europe: the Iberians, the Oberkassel, and the Sidelkino.
- Result:
Example
The economic reforms led to an unprecedented increase in foreign investments: a 35% rise in foreign direct investment was recorded within the first quarter.
The clause that appears before a colon must be an independent clause. However, the clause after it can be either independent or dependent.
Example
Mathematicians are grappling with the latest transformative force: artificial intelligence.
Consequently, constructions like these will always be wrong:
Incorrect
Mathematicians are grappling with the latest transformative force such as: artificial intelligence.
Mathematicians are grappling with the latest transformative force including: artificial intelligence.
Commas
Commas can be used to link dependent clauses to independent clauses.
Example
As digital texts and technologies become more prevalent, we gain new and more mobile ways of reading.
- Sometimes, if the independent clause comes first, a comma is not necessary. However, this will not be tested on the exam.
Commas can also work with coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) to link 2 independent clauses.
Example
E-ink is easy on the eyes because it reflects ambient light just like a paper book, but computer screens shine light directly into people's faces.
- This construction is interchangeable with a period or a semicolon (Comma + FANBOYS = Period = Semicolon).
In a list with 3 or more items, the items are separated with commas.
Example
When the first farmers arrived in Europe from Turkey about 8,000 years ago, three large groups of hunter-gatherers thrived across Europe: the Iberians, the Oberkassel, and the Sidelkino.
- The last comma in the list is not required. This is known as the Oxford comma, and it is the only scenario where Comma + FANBOYS ≠ Period.
Example
When the first farmers arrived in Europe from Turkey about 8,000 years ago, three large groups of hunter-gatherers thrived across Europe: the Iberians, the Oberkassel and the Sidelkino.
- If the list only has 2 items, no commas should be used.
Incorrect
Surveys indicate that screens and e-readers interfere with two other important aspects of navigating texts: serendipity, and a sense of control.
Commas are also used to separate non-essential clauses from the rest of the sentence.
Example
Surveys and consumer reports also suggest that the sensory experiences typically associated with reading, especially tactile experiences, matter to people more than one might assume.
Dashes & Parentheses
Like commas, dashes and parentheses can be used to separate dependent clauses from independent clauses.
Example
Surveys and consumer reports also suggest that the sensory experiences typically associated with reading—especially tactile experiences—matter to people more than one might assume.
Surveys and consumer reports also suggest that the sensory experiences typically associated with reading (especially tactile experiences) matter to people more than one might assume.
For the purpose of the SAT, two commas, two dashes, and two parentheses are interchangeable, except for transitions, where only commas are acceptable.
Example
The book that I read last night - which was about a young woman who travels to a faraway land - was very exciting.
The book that I read last night (which was about a young woman who travels to a faraway land) was very exciting.
The book that I read last night, which was about a young woman who travels to a faraway land, was very exciting.
Exception (incorrect)
Before 1992, most studies concluded that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper. Studies published since the early 1990s (however) have produced more inconsistent results.
In addition, a dash can be used in place of a colon to introduce an explanation or a list.
Example
We often think of reading as a cerebral activity concerned with the abstract—thoughts and ideas, tone and themes, metaphors and motifs.
We often think of reading as a cerebral activity concerned with the abstract: thoughts and ideas, tone and themes, metaphors and motifs.
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Common Punctuation Traps on the SAT
In this section, we'll go through the motifs the test uses to check your punctuation knowledge, along with ways to overcome them.
Comma + FANBOYS = Period = Semicolon
Because there can only be 1 correct answer, if at least 2 of these constructions appear in the answer choices, you can eliminate all of them.
SAT Punctuation Example: Comma + FANBOYS Elimination
From afar, African American fiber artist Bisa Butler’s portraits look like paintings, their depictions of human faces, bodies, and clothing so intricate that it seems only a fine brush could have rendered them. When viewed up close, however, the portraits reveal themselves to be _____ stitching barely visible among the thousands of pieces of printed, microcut fabric.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Commas Around Names and Relative Clauses
Oftentimes, you will be asked whether to put commas around names (in other words, whether they are essential or non-essential). Both options are grammatically acceptable, so the answer depends solely on context.
Example
Writers, who tend to procrastinate, should not be given open deadlines.
Writers who tend to procrastinate should not be given open deadlines.
This sentence works both ways because its meaning changes with the structure. The first construction suggests that all writers tend to procrastinate. The second implies that only some writers procrastinate.
The simplest way to decide is to cross the name out and see whether the sentence still makes sense without it. If it does, the commas are required; if it doesn't, the commas are unnecessary.
Let's look at an example:
SAT Punctuation Example: Commas Around a Title
Harper Lee was an American novelist known for her writing of courage, compassion and justice. Her best seller _____ sold over 40 million copies worldwide and is considered a classic of American literature.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Let's try another one:
SAT Punctuation Example: Essential Names
The city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, continues to be studied by archaeologists. Unfortunately, as _____ attest, archaeological excavations have disrupted ash deposits at the site, causing valuable information about the eruption to be lost.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Even when you are sure the name is essential, you should still check whether a comma is needed for any other reason:
SAT Punctuation Example: Essential Names Followed by a Non-essential Clause
The city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, continues to be studied by archaeologists. Unfortunately, as _____ two prominent figures in the study of volcanic eruptions, attest, archaeological excavations have disrupted ash deposits at the site, causing valuable information about the eruption to be lost.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Note: across the 4 official practice tests, no commas tends to be the right answer for these questions.
Dependent Clause Placement
Most students think of the Writing section as the giveaway section. Consequently, they tend to be a little careless and skim through the questions to save time for the dreaded Reading section. The College Board has a way to punish this behavior, as seen in this question:
SAT Punctuation Example: Dependent Clause Placement (VisiCalc)
The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin’s VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all calculations that were dependent on these _____ to VisiCalc’s release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand, a process that could take days.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
If you only pay attention to the blank, the sentence reads “…calculations that were dependent on these adjustments prior to VisiCalc’s release…”, and (A) seems like the perfect option. However, it is actually the wrong answer.
To approach this type of question, determine the type of clause before and after the blank, then choose the right punctuation mark. Here, the 2 clauses are:
- “The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin’s VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all calculations that were dependent on these adjustments.”
- “Prior to VisiCalc’s release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand, a process that could take days.”
Both of the clauses are independent. Therefore, a period is needed. (C) is the correct answer.
Let's look at another example:
SAT Punctuation Example: Dependent Clause Placement (The Hay Wain)
John Constable’s painting The Hay Wain depicted a serene countryside with lush green meadows and trickling _____ the essence of tranquility as the viewer’s eyes wandered across the canvas, transporting them to a place of peaceful contemplation, and basking in the artist’s skillful portrayal of nature’s beauty.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Again, let's look at the clauses before and after the blank:
- “John Constable’s painting The Hay Wain depicted a serene countryside with lush green meadows and trickling streams,”
- “capturing the essence of tranquility as the viewer's eyes wandered across the canvas,”
- “transporting them to a place of peaceful contemplation, basking in the artist's skillful portrayal of nature's beauty.”
This time, the first clause is independent while the second clause is dependent (in fact, it is a list). Therefore, (B) is the right answer.
Transition Placement
The dSAT might also ask you to identify what punctuation should surround a transition. Consider the following question:
SAT Punctuation Example: Transition Placement (Gil Scott-Heron)
Journalists have dubbed Gil Scott-Heron the “godfather of rap”, a title that has appeared in hundreds of articles about him since the 1990s. Scott-Heron himself resisted the godfather _____ feeling that it didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the broader African American blues music tradition as well as “bluesologist,” the moniker he preferred.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Similar to dependent clause placement questions, determine the type of clause before and after the blank, then choose the right punctuation mark.
- If one of the clauses is dependent or not a complete thought, the transition is used non-essentially and must be surrounded by commas (“, however,”).
- If both clauses are independent:
- If their relationship matches the transition (Additive, Adversative, Causal), the transition links the 2 clauses and must be set off by a period or semicolon and end with a comma (“; however,”).
- Otherwise, the transition links the sentence before the blank to the sentence before that. Therefore, the transition must be set off by a comma and end with a period or semicolon (“, however;”).
Back to the example. Let's look at the clauses around the blank:
- “Scott-Heron himself resisted the godfather nickname.”
- “feeling that it didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the broader African American blues music tradition as well as ‘bluesologist,’ the moniker he preferred”
Since the latter is dependent, the transition is used non-essentially in the middle of an independent clause and must be surrounded by commas. (C) is the correct answer.
Let's look at another example:
SAT Punctuation Example: Transition Placement (Golden Orb-Weaver)
To humans, it does not appear that the golden orb-weaver spider uses camouflage to capture its _____ the brightly colored arachnid seems to wait conspicuously in the center of its large circular web for insects to approach. Researcher Po Peng of the University of Melbourne has explained that the spider’s distinctive coloration may in fact be part of its appeal.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
Again, let's look at the clauses around the blank:
- “To humans, it does not appear that the golden orb-weaver spider uses camouflage to capture its prey.”
- “The brightly colored arachnid seems to wait conspicuously in the center of its large circular web for insects to approach.”
These clauses are both independent, and the second one gives an alternative to the hunting method used by the golden orb-weaver spider in the first, which is what “rather” means. Therefore, the word goes at the start of the second sentence and joins the 2 clauses. (D) is the correct answer.
Another one:
SAT Punctuation Example: Transition Placement (Neoclassical Period)
During the English neoclassical period (1660-1789), many writers imitated the epic poetry and satires of ancient Greece and Rome. They were not the first in England to adopt the literary modes of classical _____ some of the most prominent figures of the earlier Renaissance period were also influenced by ancient Greek and Roman literature.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
You probably get the gist of it by now:
- “They were not the first in England to adopt the literary modes of classical antiquity.”
- “Some of the most prominent figures of the earlier Renaissance period were also influenced by ancient Greek and Roman literature.”
These clauses are both independent, but they don't have opposite meanings like the transition “however” suggests. If we go back to the first sentence of the passage, we can see that it contradicts the sentence before the blank:
- “…many writers imitated the epic poetry and satires of ancient Greece and Rome.”
- “They were not the first in England to adopt the literary modes of classical antiquity.”
Therefore, the transition is placed at the end of the sentence before the blank. (C) is the correct answer.
Distracting Transition
Another trap is using a transition in the answer choices to distract you from the right answer. Remember that a transition is non-essential: the passage is better with it, but it is grammatically acceptable without it. Here is an example:
SAT Punctuation Example: Distracting Transition
Over twenty years ago, in a landmark experiment in the psychology of choice, professor Sheena Iyengar set up a jam-tasting booth at a grocery store. The number of jams available for tasting _____ some shoppers had twenty-four different options, others only six. Interestingly, the shoppers with fewer jams to choose from purchased more jam.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Select an answer to enable Submit
You might be tempted to choose between (C) and (D) because the transition “while” correctly expresses the relationship between the 2 independent clauses after the blank:
- “some shoppers had twenty-four different options”
- “others only six”
The problem is that the clauses before and after the blank are both independent, but none of the choices with “while” uses the right punctuation mark to separate 2 independent clauses. Hence, we can eliminate (C) and (D) (and even (B), because you cannot use a comma to join 2 independent clauses). (A) is the correct answer.
To double-check, notice that the clause after the blank (“some shoppers had twenty-four different options, others only six”) is an explanation of the one before (“The number of jams available for tasting varied”). A colon, as used in (A), correctly expresses this relationship.
Summary
In this guide, we've covered a lot of grammar concepts: conjunctions (remember FANBOYS—you should be able to list them by now—and subordinating conjunctions, which are not FANBOYS), plus how to tell independent clauses from dependent ones and why that difference matters.
After walking through the rules of the 6 punctuation marks the SAT tests most, we discussed several methods to avoid the common traps set by the test makers.
Ready to put these rules into practice? Try our free SAT Boundaries practice questions.
Next up: SAT grammar rules
