{"id":7698,"date":"2016-11-03T16:47:54","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T23:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/sat\/?p=7698"},"modified":"2018-07-21T07:28:43","modified_gmt":"2018-07-21T14:28:43","slug":"sat-writing-verb-tense-mood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/sat\/sat-writing-verb-tense-mood\/","title":{"rendered":"SAT Writing: Verb Tense & Mood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Verb errors can take several\u00a0forms on the SAT. Here, we’ll examine two of these — tense error and mood errors — and which\u00a0clue words can help you identify and correct them. What SAT grammar rules<\/a> do you need to know about verb tense?<\/span>
\n <\/p>\n

\n
\"sat
fosco lucarelli<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Tense Errors<\/h2>\n

You’re probably familiar with the three main tenses — past, present, and future. However, you may not be as comfortable with the various forms of this trio, and knowing when to use them can be surprisingly tricky. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you need a refresher on the tenses, check out our grammar guide to verb tenses<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The SAT Writing test uses certain words and phrases to clue you into which tense should be used in each problem. One of the easiest ways to check for tense errors is to look at the other verbs in the sentence or in the sentences around the underlined portion. If everything else is in a certain tense, it is likely, although not guaranteed, that the selected verb should also be in that tense. <\/span><\/p>\n

When faced with a choice between perfect tenses and regular tenses, though, you\u2019ll have to dig a little deeper. For example, if you have to choose between using the regular past tense or the past perfect, look for the words \u201cbefore<\/em>\u201d or \u201cuntil<\/em>\u201d. These words indicate that something began and\u00a0ended sometime in the past, which is the definition of past perfect tense. Words like \u201csince<\/em>\u201d or \u201cafter<\/em>\u201d should point you in the direction of present perfect, meaning something began in the past but is still happening. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Example (regular past tense):<\/strong> James <\/span>drank<\/b> three cups of coffee this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Example (past perfect tense): <\/strong>Before<\/b> he got to work this morning, James <\/span>had drunk<\/b> three cups of coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mood Errors<\/h2>\n

Mood-based questions appear much more rarely than those focused on verb tense, but it’s still a good idea to become familiar with them since they can be a little tricky.<\/p>\n

There are three main types of mood in English: <\/span>indicative, imperative, <\/strong>and subjunctive<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most sentences are in indicative mood, which is the standard, information-sharing mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> The humidity is making my hair frizzy today.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Imperative mood is specific to sentences that instruct someone to do something.<\/span><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Go brush the dog.<\/span><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> George, don\u2019t do that.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Subjunctive mood is the one that confuses most people. It only comes into play when a sentence is talking about something hypothetical, counter-to-fact, or wishful. Keep an eye out for the words \u201cif<\/em>\u201d, \u201cwould have<\/em>\u201d, \u201cshould have<\/em>\u201d, \u201cwish<\/em>\u201d, etc. They tell you that subjunctive mood is potentially being tested.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common errors the SAT makes with subjunctive mood involve the verb \u201cto be<\/em>\u201d. Where you would normally use \u201cwas<\/em>\u201d, for example, subjunctive mood uses \u201cwere<\/em>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> If I were<\/strong> you. <\/span><\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> \u201cIf I was you\u201d is incorrect, no matter what Meghan Trainor says!<\/span><\/p>\n

Subjunctive mood also uses the verb \u201cto be<\/em>\u201d in its basic form when you might not expect it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> The teacher asked that we be<\/strong> in our seats before the bell rang. <\/span>
\nBecause the above example is discussing a situation in the future that has not yet occurred, we use the word \u201cbe<\/em>\u201d instead of any other form of the verb. These instances of the subjunctive mood tend to feel pretty natural, so they don\u2019t stand out as much as uses of \u201cwere<\/em>\u201d do.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And there you have the essentials of verb tense and mood errors on the SAT. These and subject-verb agreement<\/a>\u00a0errors are pretty common on the SAT, so when in doubt, check the verbs!<\/p>\n

Check out Magoosh’s expert advice for even more SAT Writing and Language practice<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this article, we explain what verb tense and mood errors appear on the SAT and which words can help you spot them and correct them. Check it out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[24916],"class_list":["post-7698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSAT Writing: Verb Tense & Mood - Magoosh Blog | SAT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this article, we explain what verb tense and mood errors appear on the SAT and which words can help you spot them and correct them. 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