1.1 Sentence-Level Editing

Introduction: Why Sentence-Level Editing Matters on the SHSAT

Sentence-level editing questions on the NYC SHSAT require you to identify and correct errors in grammar, usage, and sentence structure. Unlike reading comprehension questions, which focus on the overall meaning of a passage, sentence-level editing questions assess your mastery of standard written English. To succeed on these questions, you must move beyond relying on what "sounds right" and instead apply systematic grammatical rules.

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Subject-Verb Agreement

The foundational rule of subject-verb agreement is simple: a singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb. However, the SHSAT uses specific structures to hide the subject and trick your ear.

1. Intervening Phrases

The test writers will place prepositional phrases or parenthetical expressions between the subject and the verb. These phrases do not change the number of the subject. Common intervening phrases include:

• along with
• as well as
• in addition to
• together with
• accompanied by

Incorrect: The captain, along with his crew members, are navigating the ship. Correct: The captain, along with his crew members, is navigating the ship. Explanation: The subject is the singular "captain." The plural phrase "along with his crew members" is parenthetical and should be ignored.

2. Compound Subjects Joined by Or or Nor

When two subjects are joined by or, nor, either... or, or neither... nor, the verb must agree with the subject that is closest to it.

• Neither the players nor the coach is ready. (The singular "coach" is closest to the verb, so it is singular.)
• Neither the coach nor the players are ready. (The plural "players" is closest to the verb, so it is plural.)

3. Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific person or thing. The SHSAT frequently tests your knowledge of whether these pronouns are singular or plural.

• Always Singular: each, every, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, somebody, anybody, nobody, either, neither, one.
• Always Plural: several, few, both, many.
• Variable (depends on context): some, any, all, most, none.

Incorrect: Each of the students have completed the exam. Correct: Each of the students has completed the exam. Explanation: "Each" is singular, so it requires the singular verb "has."

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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent—the noun it replaces—in both gender and number.

1. Singular Indefinite Pronouns

Because words like everyone, each, and anybody are grammatically singular, any pronouns referring back to them must also be singular.

• Incorrect: Everyone must bring their own pencil to the testing room.
• Correct: Everyone must bring his or her own pencil to the testing room. Note: While the singular "their" is common in casual speech, formal writing on the SHSAT prefers "his or her" or rephrasing the sentence to make the subject plural (e.g., "All students must bring their own pencils").

2. Pronoun Reference Errors

Pronouns must clearly point to a single, unambiguous antecedent.

• Ambiguous Reference: Marcus told Jeremy that he had won the scholarship. (Who won? Marcus or Jeremy? "He" is ambiguous.)
• Clear Correction: Marcus said that Jeremy had won the scholarship. or Marcus told Jeremy, "You won the scholarship."

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Verb Tense Consistency

Unnecessary shifts in verb tense confuse the reader and disrupt the chronological flow of a passage. On the SHSAT, you must ensure that all verbs in a sentence or paragraph maintain a consistent tense unless there is a logical reason to shift.

• Incorrect: The scientist looked through the microscope and starts to take notes. (Shifts from past "looked" to present "starts".)
• Correct: The scientist looked through the microscope and started to take notes. (Consistent past tense.)

When describing two past actions where one occurred before the other, use the past perfect tense (had + past participle) for the earlier action.

• Correct: By the time the train arrived, we had waited on the platform for forty minutes.

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Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that describe or provide detail about another part of the sentence. To avoid confusion, a modifier must be placed adjacent to the noun it describes.

1. Misplaced Modifiers

A misplaced modifier is positioned too far from the word it describes, making the sentence sound ridiculous or incorrect.

• Incorrect: We saw a herd of wild elephants driving down the highway. (Are the elephants driving?)
• Correct: Driving down the highway, we saw a herd of wild elephants.

2. Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier occurs when the word being described is completely missing from the sentence. This usually happens at the beginning of a sentence.

• Incorrect: Walking to school, the wind blew my umbrella away. (Was the wind walking to school?)
• Correct: As I was walking to school, the wind blew my umbrella away.
• Correct: Walking to school, I lost my umbrella to the wind.

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Parallel Structure

Parallelism means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This applies to items in a list, phrases in a series, and comparisons.

1. Series and Lists

All items in a list must use the same grammatical form (e.g., all gerunds, all infinitives, or all nouns).

• Incorrect: She enjoys reading, swimming, and to play tennis.
• Correct: She enjoys reading, swimming, and playing tennis.

2. Correlative Conjunctions

When using paired conjunctions like either... or, neither... nor, not only... but also, the grammatical structures that follow both parts must match.

• Incorrect: He not only bought a new laptop but also a printer.
• Correct: He bought not only a new laptop but also a printer. (Both follow the verb "bought" and are nouns.)
• Correct: He not only bought a new laptop but also acquired a printer. (Both are verb phrases.)

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Active vs. Passive Voice

In the active voice, the subject performs the action. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action, and the performer of the action is either placed in a prepositional phrase or omitted entirely.

• Active: The mayor signed the historic bill into law. (Subject "mayor" performs the action "signed".)
• Passive: The historic bill was signed into law by the mayor. (Subject "bill" receives the action.)

While passive voice is grammatically correct, the SHSAT ELA section strongly favors active voice because it is more direct, concise, and engaging. If a question asks you to revise a passive sentence, look for the option that converts it to the active voice without changing the meaning.