Verb Tense Selection on the SAT
How to Find the Clue and Pick the Right Tense Every Time
Master sentence structure, punctuation, and clarity with repeatable rules.
Guard the Sentence Core
Identify the subject and verb, then make sure punctuation does not split them or add extra ideas.
- Find the subject + verb first. That is the sentence core.
- Only add commas around extra information, never inside the core.
- Re-read the sentence without the modifier to test clarity.
Why Verb Tense Selection Matters on the SAT
Among all the question types on the SAT Reading and Writing section, verb tense questions rank as some of the most predictable. They follow a clear pattern: the passage contains a clue about when something happens, and your job is to pick the verb form that matches that timing. Once you learn to recognize these clues, verb tense questions become some of the easiest points you can earn on the entire test.
The problem? Most students try to answer these by ear. They read the choices, pick whichever one "sounds right," and move on. That works sometimes, but the SAT is designed to make wrong answers sound perfectly natural. The good news is that you don't need to memorize complicated grammar tables. You need one skill: finding the time signal. This post will teach you exactly how.
The Core Idea: Tense Must Match Time
Every verb tense tells the reader when something happens. The SAT tests whether you can pick the tense that fits the time context a passage establishes. That's it. You don't need to know every tense in English, you need to recognize a handful of them and connect each one to the right situation.
Here are the six tenses the SAT cares about most:
- Simple present (walks, studies, writes), for habits, facts, and ongoing situations happening now.
- Simple past (walked, studied, wrote), for completed actions in a finished time period.
- Simple future (will walk, will study, will write), for actions that haven't happened yet.
- Present perfect (has walked, have studied), for actions that started in the past and connect to the present.
- Past perfect (had walked, had studied), for actions completed before another past event.
- Present progressive (is walking, are studying), for actions happening right now or in the current period.
You don't need to memorize these labels. What matters is that you can look at a sentence, find the clue that tells you when, and pick the verb form that fits.
The Biggest Misconception
Many students believe that verb tense should stay the same throughout a passage. This is wrong, and the SAT knows students think this way, which is why they design wrong answers to exploit it. Tenses should shift when the time frame shifts. A passage might describe a historical event in simple past, then shift to present tense to discuss its current relevance. Both tenses are correct, each one matches its own time context.
The rule isn't "keep tenses consistent." The rule is every tense must be justified by its context.
Your 3-Step Strategy for SAT Verb Tense Questions
When you see a question with an underlined verb and four tense options, follow this process:
- Read the full sentence AND the sentence before or after it. The clue is almost never in the underlined sentence alone. The SAT hides time signals in surrounding context on purpose.
- Find the time signal. Look for dates (in 2018), time words (now, then, since, before, currently, recently, every year), or other verbs whose tense is already established and not underlined.
- Match the tense to the signal. Pick the answer choice whose tense aligns with the time context you just identified.
That's it. Find the clue, match the tense. Let's practice.
Practice Verb Tense Selection with SAT-Style Questions
Work through these five questions from easiest to hardest. For each one, try to identify the time signal before you look at the answer choices.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Key Takeaways for Verb Tense Selection
- Find the time signal first, then choose the tense. The correct answer is always justified by context clues in surrounding sentences, never by what "sounds right" to your ear.
- "Since" and "for" almost always point to present perfect (has/have + past participle) when the action connects to the present.
- "By the time" and "before" almost always point to past perfect (had + past participle) when you need to show one past event happened before another.
- Match tense to other verbs in the passage. If surrounding verbs are in present tense describing a current situation, your answer should usually be present tense too.
Conclusion: The Core Rule for Verb Tense Selection
Verb tense questions reward careful reading, not grammar expertise. Train yourself to pause, find the time signal, and match, and these become some of the most reliable points on the entire SAT Reading and Writing section. The pattern is always the same: the passage tells you when, and you pick the verb that fits.
Remember: Don't trust your ear, trust the clue. Find the time signal, match the tense, and move on with confidence.
