Standard English Conventions

Just because the test uses a phrase, doesn't mean it has an official meaning.

You don’t need to take a red pen to your SAT booklet like a professional editor. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

A Standard English Convention sounds like the worst “Con” anyone could go to. Instead of celebrating comics, games, anime, fantasy, or other creative outlet, you’d have people dressing up as grammar rules. And no one could have fun with any costumes, because everyone has to follow the narrow rules of the Convention. Thankfully, no such convention exists.

Unfortunately, Standard English Conventions are something anyone taking the SAT needs to worry about. If you take an official or practice PSAT or SAT, whoever you are and wherever you live and whenever you take it, you’ll see a question about “the Conventions of Standard English.” In fact, you will see this exact question 8 to 10 times: “Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?”

Now imagine if you glazed over that question on reading it there what will happen when you read …