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Boost your SAT Writing and Language test performance with smart strategies and key tips. Learn to pace yourself, identify key information, and tackle grammar rules effectively. Take control of your test-taking experience.
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SAT Writing and Language Test The Evidence-Based Writing and Language Test
General Information • 1 section with 4 passages • 35 minutes long • 11 questions per passage, with 44 questions total
1. Take Your Time Most students will have no trouble finishing the SAT Writing and Language test. Although your fellow test takers may be rushing along, do not get caught up in that. If you are going to edit well, you must be very thorough.
2. Pace Yourself to Finish When Time is Called • It is much more likely that you will pick up on a grammar issue, if you look carefully one at a time as opposed to rushing to the end just so that you can go back and double-check your work. • You have nearly 8:45 minutes per passage. • Pace yourself as you go so you don’t go too quickly or too slowly.
3. Underline and Circle Key Information as You Read Long Questions • Take advantage of the fact that you can write all over the test. • Underline and circle anything that seems especially important as you read through the questions. • Also, circle anything that sounds “off” as you read. It probably won’t be “No Change” if what you circled is part of a question.
4. Try to “Hear” as You Read by Silently Mouthing Things • This will help you pick up on things like • Pauses for punctuation • Parallel phrasing • Proper idiom usage • HEARING the words will help you notice if it “sounds” right. • Be careful: informal language and style are not correct on the SAT.
5. Think About the Meaning • Focus not only on looking for minor grammar errors but also consider how you can make the meaning of what is written as LOGICAL as possible. • The SAT Writing and Language test is more about editing than just proofreading. • Look at the “big picture.”
6. Consider Relevant Context • Consider the context surrounding potential grammar errors: • Logical transitions • Tense agreement • Tone consistency • Sometimes you might need to read beyond what is underlined so that your answer will be consistent with what follows. • When in doubt: take the time to check it out.
7. Consider Reading the Passage Through Once Before Answering the Questions • With nearly 9 minutes and a little under one minute per question, you should have plenty of time to complete the test. • Consider reading through the passage once, before you answer individual questions. • Look for: • Overall flow • Meaning • This makes more sense than finishing early and possibly missing questions you could have answered correctly.
8. Try to Create Your Own Answer Before Looking as the Choices • Try to create your own answer before looking at the choices. • Coming up with an answer first, puts you in control, rather than allowing the test to control you. • You can narrow your thoughts before looking at the choices.
9. Do Not Hesitate to Come Back to Questions • Skip a question and go on to the next one. • While you are working through other questions, an answer may come to you. • Look at the problem question one more time with fresh eyes. The answer may seem easier to find the second time around.
10. Use Similarities Among the Answers to Eliminate Choices If you have an SAT Writing and Language question with choices like these: • A) Additionally • B) Also • C) In contrast • D) Moreover • Additionally, also and moreover are similar in meaning. Since they can’t all be correct, they are all wrong. In contrast must be the correct choice.
11. If you must guess, be smart about it • There is no penalty for guessing • Fill in every question • The SAT will often have a few of same answer choices in a row. Do not avoid picking an answer because you used it once before. • “No Change” has just as much of a chance as any other option. • Once you have made a thoughtful choice, DO NOT SECOND GUESS
12. Realize That These Are Grammar Rules, Not Merely Grammar Preferences • Teachers that insist you use formal third person voice in essays or marked off points for starting sentences with “but” or “because” are instituting their own style preferences. • SAT DOES NOT DO THIS. • Any issue you encounter will be a clear grammatical or structural error.
13. Give the SAT the Benefit of the Doubt • The test does not have tricks or gimmicks • For example, Don’t just pick all short answers. • Or A is more likely to be correct than D (Someone told you this.) NO • If you pick an answer because it represents well-written English you will be right.
SAT Grammar Review • Sentence Basics • Wordiness • Parallelism • Modifier Placement • Logical Comparisons • Coordination and Subordination • Singular and Plural Agreement • Diction (Proper Wording) • Punctuation • Commas • Semicolons • Colons • Dashes • Apostrophes • Quantitative Graph Analysis
SAT Grammar Review • A sentence expresses a complete thought with both a subject and a predicate. • Who won the game? • The sky is falling. • Don went to see the latest movie at the theater last night. • A sentence fragment expresses an incomplete thought: • Need the latest results from the survey • To my house • A cup of coffee with my breakfast • Fixed fragments: • YOU Need the latest results from the survey • GO To my house • I LIKE A cup of coffee with my breakfast
SAT Grammar ReviewSentence Basics • A run-on sentence consists of two or more complete sentences that are not joined together with appropriate punctuation or transitions. • Dan worked diligently on his computer his son read a book. • You don’t take out the trash, I will be very angry. • The forecast was for a tornado, we headed to the basement. • It was a long time ago, an ocean covered what is now a modern city. • Possible ways to fix above run-ons: • Dan worked diligently on his computer whilehis son read a book. • If youdon’t take out the trash, I will be very angry. • The forecast was for a tornado; we headed to the basement. • A long time ago, an ocean covered what is now a modern city.
SAT Grammar ReviewWordiness • Quality writing demands clear descriptions, but a longer sentence is not necessarily a better one. • Repetitive and irrelevant wording must be removed.
SAT Grammar ReviewParallelism • Excellent writing requires more than just the necessary information. • The information must be presented in a way that is consistent, flowing and parallel.
SAT Grammar ReviewModifier Placement • Place descriptions in logical spots in the sentence so that the object of the discussion is clear. • Clarify vague or dangling modifiers.
SAT Grammar ReviewLogical Comparisons • Make sure that the sentence compares the correct number and types of things so that the comparison is logical.
SAT Grammar ReviewCoordination and Subordination • Parts of sentences must coordinate and subordinate. • Parts of sentences must be joined by logical connecting words.
SAT Grammar ReviewVerb Tense and Use • Basic Conjugation Patterns
SAT Grammar ReviewSingular and Plural Agreement • Matching subjects and verbs would be easy if they were always placed next to one another. • On the SAT determining the correct numbering agreement among nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs can be challenging. • Find the subject first. • Remember • Singular subjects take verbs with an s – The boy runs. • Plural subject take verbs with NO s – The boys run.
SAT Grammar ReviewDiction (Proper Wording) • The SAT will assess your ability to distinguish between commonly confused words and to recognize proper idiomatic expressions.
SAT Grammar ReviewDiction (Proper Wording) continued I would have NOT I would of Lay the pillow down before you lie down.
Quantitative Graph Analysis • Determine whether the following claims are supported or not supported based upon the information in the graph. • The majority of the U.S. population is under 40 years old. • It is about three times as likely that a randomly selected U.S. citizen is in his or her 40s or 50s as it is that he or she is in his or her 60s or 70s. • Women represent a slight minority of the overall U.S. population.
Quantitative Graph Analysis • Automotive speed and fuel economy, when considering speeds between 55 and 80 miles per hour, have an inverse relationship. • An increase in wind speed causes a proportional decrease in fuel efficiency because of an increase in wind resistance and friction. • A car like the one tested by researchers who made this graph will likely have a fuel efficiency of approximately 22 miles per gallon at a speed of approximately 77 miles per hour.
