SHSAT Revising/Editing

What R/E actually tests

Revising/Editing tests whether you can recognize and fix problems in standard written English. The questions come in two forms:

• Standalone sentences: A single sentence with one problem (a misplaced modifier, a comma splice, a subject-verb agreement issue). You choose the answer choice that fixes it without introducing new problems.
• In-passage sentences: Short passages where you evaluate specific sentences in context, considering not just grammar but also paragraph coherence and effective writing choices.

The rules that matter most

Subject-verb agreement

Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. Common traps:

• Subject obscured by intervening phrase: "The box of apples [is/are] on the table." Singular subject (box), so singular verb (is).
• Indefinite pronouns: "Everyone [is/are] welcome." Everyone is singular, so is.
• Neither/nor and either/or: Verb agrees with the closer subject. "Neither the coach nor the players [is/are] satisfied." Players is closer and plural, so are.
• Collective nouns: "The team [is/are] practicing." Singular when treated as a unit (is); plural when emphasizing individual members (rare).

Parallel construction

Items in a list or comparison must have the same grammatical structure. Look for lists joined by "and," "or," or "not only...but also":

• Wrong: "She enjoys reading, hiking, and to swim." (Two gerunds + infinitive)
• Right: "She enjoys reading, hiking, and swimming." (Three gerunds)

The same rule applies to comparisons: "Hiking is more fun than to swim" should be "Hiking is more fun than swimming."

Modifier placement

Modifying phrases should be placed close to what they modify. Dangling and misplaced modifiers are heavily tested:

• Dangling modifier: "Walking down the street, the rain started." The rain wasn't walking. Fix: "Walking down the street, I felt the rain start."
• Misplaced modifier: "She only ate vegetables on Tuesdays." Did she eat ONLY vegetables on Tuesdays, or did she eat vegetables ONLY on Tuesdays? Move "only" to clarify.

Comma splices, fragments, and run-ons

Three related errors:

• Comma splice: Two independent clauses joined only by a comma. "It was raining, we went inside." Fix with period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.
• Fragment: An incomplete sentence. "While walking down the street." Add an independent clause to complete it.
• Run-on: Two independent clauses jammed together without punctuation. "It was raining we went inside." Fix the same way as a comma splice.

Pronoun-antecedent agreement

Pronouns must agree in number and clarity with their antecedents (the noun they refer to). Common errors:

• "Each student should bring [their/his or her] book." Each is singular, so technically "his or her" — though in modern usage, "their" is increasingly accepted. The SHSAT tends to test the more conservative usage.
• "When the boy met the man, he was nervous." Who was nervous? Unclear pronoun reference. Fix by replacing the ambiguous pronoun.

Paragraph coherence and transitions

In-passage questions sometimes ask about effective transitions, sentence order within a paragraph, or where to add a new sentence. Two principles:

• Transitions match the relationship: "However" signals contrast, "therefore" signals cause-effect, "in addition" signals continuation. Pick the word that matches the logical relationship between sentences, not just one that sounds smooth.
• Sentence order follows logic: A paragraph typically opens with a topic sentence, develops with specifics, and may close with a synthesis. Sentences that interrupt this flow signal a reorganization opportunity.

A focused R/E prep plan (3 weeks)

• Week 1: Comprehensive grammar review using a prep book's grammar chapter. Take notes on rules you didn't already know. Do 20 practice R/E questions per day.
• Week 2: Targeted practice on weak areas identified from week 1. Spend extra time on whichever rule categories produced the most errors.
• Week 3: Mixed practice. Full R/E subsections from practice tests. Aim for 80%+ accuracy on the easier questions and 60%+ on the harder ones.

After 3 weeks of focused R/E work, most students see measurable improvement on this subsection. The skill transfers — once you can recognize parallelism errors in test questions, you start recognizing them in your own writing too.