Grade: Grade 6 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Conventions Practice SAT: StandardEnglishConventions ACT: English

Timed Drill

Learn

Practicing under timed conditions is essential for test success. On standardized tests, you need to answer questions both correctly AND quickly. This lesson will help you develop the speed and confidence to perform well under time pressure.

Why Timed Practice Matters

  • Build automaticity: With practice, grammar rules become second nature
  • Manage test anxiety: Familiarity with time pressure reduces stress on test day
  • Identify weak spots: Timed practice reveals which question types slow you down
  • Develop pacing skills: Learn how much time to spend on each question

Target Pace for Grade 6

As a 6th grader building toward SAT/ACT readiness, aim for:

  • 45-60 seconds per question for conventions questions
  • Don't spend more than 90 seconds on any single question
  • If stuck, make your best guess and move on

Timed Drill Strategy

  1. Read the sentence quickly - get the overall meaning
  2. Identify the question type - punctuation, agreement, pronoun, or modifier?
  3. Apply the relevant rule - trust your training
  4. Eliminate wrong answers - narrow down your choices
  5. Select and move on - don't second-guess yourself

Examples

Here are two examples showing how to work through questions efficiently.

Example 1: Quick Approach

The team of scientists have discovered a new species.

Step 1 (5 sec): Read - scientists discovered something

Step 2 (5 sec): Identify - subject-verb agreement (words between subject and verb)

Step 3 (10 sec): Apply rule - "team" is the subject (singular), needs "has"

Step 4 (5 sec): Answer - Change to "has discovered"

Total time: ~25 seconds

Example 2: Quick Approach

We visited Paris, Rome, and we also went to London.

Step 1 (5 sec): Read - list of cities visited

Step 2 (5 sec): Identify - parallel structure in a list

Step 3 (10 sec): Apply rule - items in list should match in form

Step 4 (5 sec): Answer - Change to just "London" to match Paris and Rome

Total time: ~25 seconds

Practice

Instructions: Set a timer for 8 minutes. Complete all 10 questions. Mark any you skip and return to them if time allows.

Ready? Set your timer for 8 minutes and begin!

1. Neither the principal nor the teachers was / were aware of the schedule change.

2. The library's / s' new computer lab opens next week.

3. Running through the hallway, / ; the student dropped his books.

4. Each of the contestants has / have practiced for months.

5. The report was written by Marcus and I / me.

6. Exhausted from the long hike, the campsite was a welcome sight / we were relieved to reach the campsite.

7. The recipe calls for three ingredients: / , flour, sugar, and eggs.

8. The committee has / have reached its decision.

9. My sister is taller than me / I.

10. The box of supplies, which arrived yesterday, / ; which arrived yesterday; contains everything we need.

Stop! Record your time and check your answers below.

Check Your Understanding

Answer Key

  1. were - With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject ("teachers" is plural)
  2. 's - Singular possessive for "library"
  3. , (comma) - Introductory participial phrase needs a comma
  4. has - "Each" is singular, so the verb is singular
  5. me - Object of the preposition "by" requires object pronoun
  6. we were relieved to reach the campsite - "We" were exhausted, not the campsite
  7. : (colon) - Introduces a list after a complete sentence
  8. has - "Committee" is a collective noun acting as a unit (singular)
  9. I - Complete the comparison: "taller than I [am]" - subject pronoun needed
  10. , which arrived yesterday, (commas) - Nonessential clause set off by commas

Score Your Performance

  • 10 correct in under 6 minutes: Excellent! You're working efficiently.
  • 8-9 correct in under 8 minutes: Good progress. Review missed questions.
  • 6-7 correct: Solid foundation. Practice the question types you missed.
  • Below 6 correct: Review the grammar rules before doing more timed practice.

Track Your Time

Record how long you took: ______ minutes

If you took longer than 8 minutes, practice identifying question types faster.

Next Steps

  • Try this drill again in a few days to see your improvement
  • Focus extra practice on question types that slowed you down
  • Move on to Review Mistakes to learn how to analyze your errors
  • Gradually decrease your target time as you improve