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Study Guide
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Grammar Rules Every Selective Entry Student Must Know

Grammar is not just one section of the SEHS exam - it runs through everything. Strong grammar boosts your Reading Comprehension answers, makes your Verbal Reasoning responses precise, and is essential for high marks in Writing. Students who master these rules have a measurable advantage across all three sections.

Here are the grammar rules most commonly tested in the Victorian selective entry exam, each with an example, a common mistake, and a quick tip to lock it in.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

The Rule

The verb must agree in number with its subject. A singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject takes a plural verb.

Correct: The box of chocolates was on the table.
Incorrect: The box of chocolates were on the table.
Quick tip: Ignore the words between the subject and verb. "Box" is the subject, not "chocolates." Strip the sentence down: "The box... was on the table."

2. Tense Consistency

The Rule

Stay in the same tense within a sentence or paragraph unless there is a genuine reason to shift (such as referring to a different time period).

Correct: She walked to the shop and bought a newspaper.
Incorrect: She walked to the shop and buys a newspaper.
Quick tip: Before submitting any writing piece, read through once checking only verb tenses. Circle every verb and confirm they match.

3. Pronoun Reference

The Rule

Every pronoun (he, she, it, they, this, which) must clearly refer to a specific noun. If a reader has to guess which noun the pronoun replaces, the sentence is unclear.

Correct: Sarah told Emily that Emily needed to leave early.
Unclear: Sarah told Emily that she needed to leave early. (Who is "she"?)
Quick tip: If you use "they," "it," or "this," check that the reader can instantly identify what you are referring to. When in doubt, use the noun again.

4. Comma Splices

The Rule

You cannot join two complete sentences with just a comma. Use a full stop, a semicolon, or a conjunction (and, but, so, yet).

Correct: The alarm rang, and the students rushed outside.
Incorrect: The alarm rang, the students rushed outside.
Quick tip: If both sides of a comma could stand alone as sentences, you have a comma splice. Add a conjunction or replace the comma with a full stop.

5. Run-On Sentences

The Rule

Two or more complete thoughts cannot be fused together without punctuation or a connecting word.

Correct: The rain stopped. We went outside to play.
Incorrect: The rain stopped we went outside to play.
Quick tip: Read your sentence aloud. If you naturally pause in the middle, you probably need punctuation there.

6. Apostrophes - Possession vs Plurals

The Rule

Apostrophes show possession (the dog's bone) or contraction (don't = do not). They never make a word plural.

Correct: The students' bags were left in the corridor. (Multiple students own the bags.)
Incorrect: The student's were waiting outside. (Apostrophe used to make a plural - wrong.)
Quick tip: If you are making a word plural, just add "s" - no apostrophe. If something belongs to someone, add "'s" (or "s'" for plurals ending in s).

7. Semicolons

The Rule

A semicolon joins two closely related complete sentences without a conjunction. Both sides must be able to stand alone.

Correct: The test was difficult; however, most students finished on time.
Incorrect: The test was difficult; and challenging. ("And challenging" is not a complete sentence.)
Quick tip: If you can replace the semicolon with a full stop and both sentences still work, the semicolon is correct.

8. Parallel Structure

The Rule

Items in a list or comparison must follow the same grammatical pattern.

Correct: She enjoys reading, swimming and painting.
Incorrect: She enjoys reading, to swim and painting.
Quick tip: Check every list in your writing. Are all items in the same form? All nouns, all verbs ending in -ing, or all infinitives (to + verb)?

9. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

The Rule

A describing phrase must sit next to the word it describes. If it is in the wrong place, the meaning changes or becomes absurd.

Correct: Running quickly, the athlete crossed the finish line.
Incorrect: Running quickly, the finish line was crossed. (The finish line was not running.)
Quick tip: After every opening phrase (before the comma), check: does the subject immediately after the comma perform that action? If not, rewrite it.

10. Active vs Passive Voice

The Rule

In active voice, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action. Active voice is usually clearer and stronger.

Active (preferred): The teacher marked the essays.
Passive (weaker): The essays were marked by the teacher.
Quick tip: If your sentence includes "was... by" or "were... by," it is passive. Rewrite it so the doer of the action comes first.

11. Commonly Confused Words

The Rule

Certain word pairs trip students up repeatedly in the exam. Know the difference and use them correctly.

Key pairs:
  • their / there / they're - possession / place / "they are"
  • its / it's - possession / "it is"
  • affect / effect - verb (to influence) / noun (the result)
  • then / than - time / comparison
  • who / whom - subject / object
Quick tip: For "it's" vs "its" - try replacing with "it is." If it works, use "it's." If not, use "its."

12. Sentence Fragments

The Rule

Every sentence needs a subject and a verb and must express a complete thought. A fragment is an incomplete sentence disguised with a capital letter and full stop.

Correct: Because the bus was late, we missed the assembly.
Fragment: Because the bus was late. (No main clause - what happened?)
Quick tip: If a sentence starts with "because," "although," "when" or "if," check that it has a second part. These words create dependent clauses that cannot stand alone.

How Grammar Boosts Your Exam Scores

Grammar knowledge feeds into multiple SEHS exam sections:

The Writing Connection

In the SEHS Writing section, grammar feeds into multiple scoring criteria: Sentence Variety, Cohesion and Voice, and Vocabulary Precision. A student who avoids comma splices, uses semicolons correctly, and maintains tense consistency is already scoring higher than most peers. Try the SK Writing Lab to see how grammar impacts your writing scores in real time.

How to Practise Grammar Effectively

  1. Learn one rule at a time - do not try to memorise all 12 at once. Focus on one rule per day.
  2. Find the errors in your own writing - go back to old essays and circle every grammar mistake you can find.
  3. Read quality writing - newspapers, non-fiction books and well-written articles help you internalise correct grammar naturally.
  4. Practise under timed conditions - use our Grammar Practice tool to drill rules in exam-like conditions.
  5. Take the diagnostic first - our SK Diagnostic - Free identifies which grammar areas need the most attention.

Test Your Grammar Knowledge

Take the SK Diagnostic - Free to identify your grammar strengths and weaknesses across all SEHS exam sections.

Take the SK Diagnostic - Free

Grammar is not about memorising rules for the sake of it. It is about communicating clearly, precisely and confidently - exactly what the SEHS exam rewards. Master these 12 rules and you will see the difference in every section of the test.

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