Spark Notes Sat Book

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The SAT Reloaded

IN 1926, WHEN A SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS SAT DOWN to take the first SAT, the letters S-A-T stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test. Back then, everybody thought the SAT could accurately predict each persons innate intelligence. The test was supposedly uncoachable, making preparation of any kind unnecessary. In 1994, the people who write the SAT backed off of the claim that the test measures aptitude and began to call it the Standardized Assessment Test. Slowly, quietly, even the words Standardized Assessment Test fell out of use. In 1996, the SA T people sought to clear up the confusion in a press release that declared, once and for all, SAT is not an initialism; it does not stand for anything. So there you have it, straight from the source:
The SAT stands for nothing.

But that hasnt stopped the test. Now the SAT has undergone the most extensive changes in its 75-year history. A whole new Writing section has been added to the test, analogies have been cut, tougher math concepts have been added, quantitative comparisons are gone, and the entire test is now scored on a scale of 2400 instead of the infamous 1600. How do you prepare for this radically new test disguised under a familiar old meaningless name? Read this book. A ll the facts, strategies, and study methods you need to meet and beat the new SAT lie between these two covers.
The New SAT

Like many people in Americas image-obsessed culture, the old SAT didnt think it was up to snuff. So it went under the knife, Michael Jacksonstyle. A nip here, a tuck thereand wham!youve got a whole new test. The SAT doctors performed four major surgeries to make the old test new:
The SAT Extreme Makeover

P RO CED URE STUFF A D D ED STUF F CUT STUF F K EP T
T he Ve rba l F a c e Lift
Sho rt Re ading Co m p ; nam e A na lo gies cha nge d to C ritic al Rea ding
Eve ry th in g else
T he M a th N os e Job
A lgebra II co n ten t
Q ua ntitat iv e C o m p aris o ns
Eve ry th in g else
T he T ran s plan t
Writin g A ll ne w se ctio n, wi th an A ll ne w s ect io n ess ay a nd m ultip le -ch o ice que stio ns o n gram m ar
A ll se ctio n
n ew
S AT E n la rge me n t 4 5 m inu te s lon ger; per fe ct 1 60 0 no lo n ger a A b ette r s ho t S u rge ry: Le n gth an d sco re n o w 2 40 0 perfec t s co re at 1 6 0 0 S c or e
Thats the summary of the changes to the test. Heres a little more detail about what the test looks like now that the bandages are off.
Just the Facts

The new SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes long. It covers three major topicsCritical Reading, Math, and Writingdivided into seven timed sections. Each section is graded on a scale from 200800, and a perfect score is a 2400.
The New Critical Reading Section

The former SAT Verbal section has been replaced and renamed Critical Reading.
70 minutes long. Those 70 minutes are divided into three timed sections: two 25minute sections and one 20-minute section. Three types of questions. The Critical Reading section contains Sentence Completions, Reading Comprehension questions about short paragraphs (100 words), and Reading Comprehension questions about longer passages (500800 words). Critica l Reading Skills. Unlike the old Verbal section, which was essentially a glorified vocabulary test, the Critical Reading section really does test critical reading skills.
The New Math Section

Here are the basic facts of the new SAT Math section. 70 minutes long. The section is divided into two 25-minute sections and one 20minute section. Quantitative Comparisons have been cut. The Math section contains the standard multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions. New math topics. Math questions cover topics in basic numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. The algebra in the new SAT now includes a bunch of topics from Algebra II.
The New W riting Section

The Writing section is the one everybodys talking about. An essay! Grammar! Aaargh! But, actually, its just as beatable as every other part of the new SAT. 50 minutes long. There will be 25 minutes to write an essay and 35 minutes for three different types of multiple-choice questions. One essay topic. For the essay, youll have to take and justify a stance on a broad topic. You wont have a choice of topics. Multiple-choice questions. The Writing section contains three types of multiplechoice questions: Identifying Sentence Errors, Improving Sentences, and Improving Paragraphs. Writing skills. The essay and the multiple-choice questions test both your writing skills and your understanding of grammar and language usage.
The Experimental Section

The new SAT also contains a 25-minute experimental section. It doesnt count toward your final score. Its in there just so that the test-makers can try out some of their new questions on you. We know what youre thinking: It would be nice if you could figure out which one was the experimental section and, since it doesnt count toward your score, just blow it off during the test. You cant do that. The experimental section looks exactly like one of the other test sections. Unfortunately, you need to treat every single section of the test as if it counts.
Know the Score

This heading sounds like the title of a lame test-prep book. But you do need to know how the questions you get right and wrong impact your overall SAT score. Lets say you take the new SA T. You get some questions right and some questions wrong, and then you end up with some odd-looking score like 2150. How did you get from there to here? Through a two-step process. First, the SAT calculates whats called the raw score . Then, based on everyones results, the scorers work out a curve, feed your raw score into a computer, and out pops your scaled score. Heres some more detail on what each score means and how the raw and scaled scores relate to each other.
The Raw Score

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There are only three ways to answer every multiple-choice question on the SAT. Your raw score is affected differently depending on which of the following three things you do on each question: Get it right: You get 1 raw point. Get it wrong: You lose .25 of a point. Leave it blank: You get 0 points.
That means your raw score for each section of the test equals the number of questions you answer correctly minus the one quarter of the questions you answer incorrectly.
These are the fundamentals of the raw score. There are, however, a few quirks and exceptions to the raw score calculation for each of the three major sections on the new SAT. We cover those quirks in the chapters dedicated to each major section: Writing, Critical Reading, and Math.
The Scaled Score

The scaled score takes your raw score and converts it into 200800 points for each section. Since the new SAT has three sections of equal weight, 2400 is the perfect scaled score on the new SAT. The scaled score follows a curve like the standard bell curve, but it is shifted a little so that more students get 800s than get 200s. The average score on the three sections of the test is a little over 500. So the average score on the new SAT is about 1520. The practice tests at the end of this book come with a chart that shows you how to translate your raw score into a scaled score.
SAT Scores and College Admissions

Time for a little perspective. Your SAT scores are important, but theyre not the only part of your application that a college considers. Colleges also look at high school grades, course load, extracurricular activities, application essays, letters of recommendation, SAT II tests, and Advanced Placement tests. If youve got stellar grades, excellent extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation that compare your leadership abilities to George Washingtons, mediocre SAT scores wont destroy your chances of acceptance. Similarly, excellent SAT scores wont secure you a spot in a top-ranked school if you took easy classes, wrote lame application essays, and didnt participate in any extracurricular activities. A college is more likely to admit an exciting, vibrant, well-rounded student with lots of extracurriculars than a kid who scored 50 points higher on the SAT but did no extracurriculars and shows no leadership skills. To sum up, theres no question that an SAT score above a colleges average will help your chances, while below-average scores will hurt. This is especially true at larger schools, where admissions committees have less time to devote to each individual application. Big schools are more likely to use SAT scores as a cutoff to whittle down their applicant pool before taking a good hard look at entire applications.
The New PSAT: Coming Soon(er)

The PSAT is also undergoing changes, and these will take effect even earlier than the changes to the SA T. The first new SAT will be given in March 2005, whereas the first new PSAT will be given in October 2004. Some of the changes coming to the new PSAT are identical to those for the new SAT. Some are not. Heres a summary: The Verbal section is renamed Critical Reading. It is the same length in time as the Verbal in the current PSAT (50 minutes divided into two 25-minute sections). Analogies are eliminated and short reading comprehension questions added. The length of the Math section is unchanged50 minutes divided into two 25minute sections. Quantitative Comparison questions are cut, and two additional
grid-in questions are added. (Dont worry if you dont know what a grid-in is; we cover that later.) The Math section includes some new and more difficult material. The PSAT already has a Writing section, so there isnt such a big change there. There is one 30-minute section. The new PSA T features multiple-choice questions in the Writing section, just like the old PSAT. The new PSAT, however, does not contain a scored essay, though it gives high schools the option of letting students write an essay for practice.
The long and short of it is that you can definitely use this book to prepare for the PSAT. Just ignore the essay part of the Writing section. Many important scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarships, use PSAT scores as a way to evaluate students. That means the PSAT can be a very important part of your college application. If youre interested in finding out more about possible scholarships in general, or the National Merit Scholarship in particular, you should talk to your high school counselor.
The New SAT and SAT IIs

The SAT IIs are not affected by the change in the SAT, with one exception. The current SAT II Writing test will be eliminated in March 2005, when students take the new SAT for the first time. This makes sense. The new SAT Writing section is based closely on the SAT II Writing test, so why should you have to take the same test twice? Otherwise, every other SAT II test will remain the same, and many colleges will still require you to take three different SAT IIs.
The New SAT FAQ

Over the years at SparkNotes, weve read thousands of questions from students about the SAT. In the last few months, a flood of questions about the new SAT has overwhelmed us and threatened to drown the entire staff. To put a stop to this madness, weve compiled the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions students have about the new SAT.
Why do I have to take the SAT at all?

Admit it. Youve asked yourself this question. Everyone has. Well, theres a quick and easy answer to that one:
Colleges make you.

If you want to go to college, you pretty much have to take the SAT (or the ACT; we cover that in this FAQ too). But why do colleges put you through this ordeal? Why do they require you to take the SAT? Two reasons: 1. Colleges consider the SAT a standard by which they can eva luate students from high schools across the country. Imagine youre a university admissions officer considering the applications of two students, Justin and Ben. Both of these students have A averages, but Justin goes to Grade-Inflation High, whereas Ben goes to Impossible Polytechnic. How are you, the admissions officer, supposed to know that Bens A is so much better than Justins? Thats where the SAT comes in. Ben and Justin may go to different high schools, but when they take the SAT, theyre taking the same standardized test. So colleges can use the SAT as a tool to measure all students against each other without worrying about differences in their schools. 2. Colleges have considered SAT scores valuable in predicting how students will perform in the first semester of college. This reason is much more controversial. A ton of data has been thrown back and forth over the years about whether the SAT can effectively predict first semester grades, but the truth is, nobody knows. What we cant understand is why anyone cares so much about predicting first semester grades. Sure, theyre important, but shouldnt the focus be
on grades throughout all four years of college? And nobody claimed that the old SAT could (or that the new SAT will) predict college grades over all four years.
Why did they change the SAT?

The official line is that the College Board, the organization behind the SAT, made the change to the new SA T for three reasons: 1. To better align the SAT to the curricula of high schools. 2. To provide a third measurewriting skillsthat will help colleges make better admissions decisions. 3. To reinforce the importance of writing in education. Okay, beautiful. Now, theres a fourth reason why the C ollege Board switched from the old SAT to the new SAT: 1. They had to. Heres what happened: The University of California system of schools began to criticize the old SAT because it focused more on memorization of vocabulary than on actual writing or reading skills. The University of California is the biggest client of the College Board. If the University of California had switched to another test, say the ACT, the SAT and all the money it brings in to the College Board might have slowly disappeared. Well, you know what happened next. The old SA T became the new SAT, which does indeed focus much more on reading and writing skills.
Whats the ACT?
Weve mentioned the ACT a couple of times now, but havent discussed it in detail. Heres the detail. The ACT is a competitor of the SA T. Many people have argued that the ACT is actually a better test than the SA T, and, in fact, most of the changes made to create the new SAT actually made the SAT more like the ACT. While the SAT dominates the national discussion of standardized tests for college admission, only slightly fewer students take the ACT each year than take the SA T. An increasing number of colleges around the country have begun to accept ACT scores from applicants, either in addition to SAT scores or instead of them. In general, colleges on the east and west coasts accept the SAT, while colleges in the middle of the country accept just the AC T, or both tests. B ut dont just assume the colleges youre applying to fit the general mold. Be certain which schools youre considering applying to require (or prefer) the SA T or the ACT. To decide which test is right for you, you should do two things: 1. Find out whether the colleges to which your e applying require one test rather than the other test. Confirm this by speaking to representatives from the college. 2. If it doesnt matter which test you take, decide which test is better suited to your skills and will likely result in a better score. To do this, take one SA T practice test and one ACT practice test, and compare the results both in terms of how well you score and how suited you feel to the skills that the test tests. If youd like more information on the ACT, check out SparkNotes: The New ACT.
Whats a good score on the new SAT?
Theres no one good score on the SAT. A good score is different for different people. Think back to why you take the SAT. Because colleges make you. So a good score is a score that gets you into the college of your choice. Want to go to Yale? You have to shoot for at least a 2100. Interested in UCLA? Youre probably looking for a 1900 or higher. Only
concerned about athletic eligibility? Youre looking to score more in the 1200 to 1300 range. An average score on the new SAT is somewhere around a 1520. Having score goals and sticking to them is crucial for the new SA T. Why? Because your strategy for taking the test will differ depending on what score you need. So do some research. Check out the projected average new SAT scores of the schools you want to attend. Talk to a guidance counselor at your school. Get a clear sense of what your goals are, and then use this book to go after them.
Should I take the old SAT or the new SAT? Or both?

New things make people nervous. And the new SA T makes some people really nervous. In fact, in order to avoid taking the new SAT, many students in the class of 2006 are considering jumping the gun and taking the SAT in the first semester of their junior year instead of waiting for the spring of 2005. We understand the temptation. On the old SAT, students know what to expect. They know what the curve is like, what the questions are like, and above all, they dont have to spend extra time worrying about the Writing section and the essay. But while we understand the allure of the old SAT, we still wouldnt recommend taking the SAT in your junior year just to avoid the new SAT. Heres why: Colleges may require the new SAT. Colleges will want to see your writing scores. A lso, admissions offices will crave a standard, and itll be the new standard. Theyll probably want to see your score on a scale of 2400, not the outdated 1600. Colleges may secretly, even subconsciously, prefer the new SAT. Heres the message youre sending if your application includes an old SA T score instead of a new one: I chickened out. Maybe the school has no official or even unofficial policy about requiring you to take the new SAT, but why risk looking like a wuss? You may not know all the ma th in time. Some schools dont teach all the math covered even by the old SAT until the end of junior year. So its possible if you take the test in the first semester, youll be dealing with some concepts you havent learned yet.
Will the new SAT give some students an unfair advantage?

This ones tough to answer. The new SATs changes are so significant that its difficult for anyone to map out all of the new tests ramifications. The changes may have unintended consequences, and people wont even agree on what they are for years, if ever. That we guarantee. For now, heres a stab at what we think might happen and who might benefit: Math Whizzes vs. Litera ry Sta rs: Since the new SAT includes a new Writing section, its likely that students with stronger verbal skills will score proportionally higher than they would have on the old SAT. Meet Kid Math. Shes the fastest number-slinger this side of the Mississippi but a bit of a bumbler when it comes to words. She got a 400 Verbal, 800 Math on the old SAT. On the new SAT, she will likely get roughly a 400 Critical Reading, 400 Writing, and 800 Math, for a total score of 1600. (Were assuming Verbal scores will translate similarly to Writing and Critical Reading scores.) Now imagine Kid Verbal, who got an 800 Verbal and 400 Math on the old SA T. He could anticipate an 800 Critical Reading, 800 Writing, and 400 Math on the new SAT, for a total of 2000. A huge difference in total score, right? True, but these big differences look much bigger than they really are. Most college admission officers look at your individual scores on each test section. If theyre looking for a math whiz, Kid Math still has the advantage. To sum it all up: If anyone gains an advantage from the new SAT, itll be the literary stars, but we dont think that advantage will have much impact on actual college admissions. The lit stars might have higher SAT scores to brag about at college, but thatll just make them bigger losers.
Guys vs. Girls: The SA T has almost always failed to predict accurately how women will do in college. Girls generally perform better than guys in their first year at college, but guys generally outperform girls on the SAT. The new SAT may begin to turn the tables. Girls have generally outperformed boys on the SAT II Writing test, so the inclusion of a Writing section on the new SAT may balance out overall scores. This may have some very slight effect on college admissions. Its possible that evening out the gender gap will help a few more girls get into colleges, but once again, we dont think this is going to change the admissions landscape very much. Socioeconomic and Racial Issues: The SAT was meant to purely test aptitude, or at least that was the intention from the start. It was intended to be unbiased with regard to background or education. Then they started using words like regatta , which nobody in the world knew except a bunch of rich kids in yacht clubs. Test-takers from poorer families and from African-American and Latino families have generally underperformed on the SAT. We just cant see how the new SAT could possibly resolve this problem. Its two most significant changesthe addition of the Writing section and tougher mathlook like theyll only exacerbate the scoring gap. The SA T II Writing test has the second largest score gap between whites and Asians, and African-Americans and Latinos. And many schools in underprivileged communities in which African-Americans and Latinos make up the majority may not have the funding or the resources to teach high school juniors the algebra II math material that the new SAT covers.
These are just our predictions. Weve thought long and hard about these issues, but well be the first to admit that we cant imagine all of the consequences of the new SAT. And since all of these predictions are so speculative, theres no use worrying too much about any of this. Why? Two reasons: Theres not much you can do about it. You can definitely still prepare for the test and boost your score.
When should I take the new SAT?

Most students take the SAT for the first time in the spring of their junior yearthat means either in March or in May. Depending on their scores, many students then decide to take the test again in the first semester of their senior year. If youre planning to take the test a second time, make sure you take it early enough so that your scores will reach colleges before the application deadline passes. If youre taking the test senior year, you should take it in either October or November to be certain nothing goes awry. The December date is often too late. So check with the schools to which you are applying and make sure that youre on track to take the test by the correct date.
Will the new SAT cost more?

A s much as it pains us to say it, yes. It cost $28.50 to register for the old SAT. For the new SAT, itll cost about 12 bucks more. Why the rise in cost? To cover the expenses of hiring all those teachers to grade all the new SAT essays. The SAT does offer a fee waiver program to help students who might have difficulty meeting the fee requirements for the SAT. To find out if youre eligible for the fee waiver program, talk to your high school counselor.
How do I register?
There are two ways to register for the test: online or by mail. To register online, go to the website www.collegeboard.com and follow the directions there. Just know that you cant register online if youre under 13 years old, if you want to take the test on a Sunday
(as opposed to a Saturday), or if youre planning on taking the test in Kenya. Were not making this up. To register by mail, youll first have to pick up an SAT Registration Bulletin from your school counselors office. In this packet youll find a registration form and a return envelope. Complete the form and send it in the return envelope along with the proper payment (in check or money order).
How can I raise my score on the new SAT?

Now thats a helluva question. Heres a helluva answer: Use this book.
The Discipline of Discipline

BACK IN THE DA Y, THE SAT CLAIMED TO BE IMPERVIOUS to studying, coaching, or preparation of any sort. Now the same people who write the test offer their own test-prep books. How times have changed. The message is clear. You can prepare for the SAT. And the more you prepare, the more youll boost your score. Thats good news because it means your score and your future are in your own hands. But its going to be tough to sit down and train for the SAT when youve got countless diversions tempting you at all times. And studying for the SAT isnt like studying for school: Theres no teacher to scold you or give you a D. Getting yourself to do the work is up to you. But there are ways to make yourself more disciplined.
Set a Target Score

Concrete goals are better than vague hopes. Heres a vague hope: I want to do really well on the SAT. Okay. Go study everything. In contrast, heres a concrete goal: I want to raise my score on the SAT Math section by 40 points. If you want to raise your score on the SA T Math section by 40 points, you have to take the following three steps: Study the particular math concepts that give you trouble. Leave fewer questions blank. Pick up your pace.
Concrete goals allow you to come up with a specific plan. This will make the time you spend preparing for the SAT much more efficient, leaving you more time to enjoy your life. When setting a target score, be honest and realistic. Base your target score on the range the schools you want to go to will expect. A good target score should be 50100 points above the average for those schools. You can also gauge your target score by your first practice test. If you score a 500 on the Math section of the first practice test, dont set your target score at 750. Youll just get frustrated and you wont know where to focus your preparation time. Instead, your target should be about 50 points higher on each section than your score on your first practice test. That may not seem like much, but 50 points on each section of the test will raise your total score by 150 points! The target score you choose plays a major role in your test-taking strategy. We explain how target scores affect strategy in SAT Strategies (on page ).
If You Reach Your Target Score . . .

Give yourself a cookie or, if youre a health freak, a carrot. But just because youve hit your target score doesnt mean you should stop working. In fact, you should view reaching your target score as proof that you can do better than that score: Set a new target 50100 points above your original, pick up your pace a little bit, and skip fewer questions. Slow and steady wins the race and beats the test. By working to improve bit by bit, youll integrate your knowledge of how to take the test and the subjects the test covers without burning out. If you can handle working just a little faster without becoming careless and losing points, your score will certainly go up. If you meet your new target score again, rinse and repeat.
Schedule Your SAT Study Time

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You should treat your SAT prep time like you would every other set-in-stone extracurricular activity you pursue. We know studying for the SAT will never be as thrilling as soccer practice, the school newspaper, student government, or actually, anything else at all. Thats precisely why you need to schedule a set time for SAT studying. Once youve scheduled your SAT time, studying wont seem like an evil intruder robbing you of an otherwise happy life. You can schedule your life around the time youve set aside to study. Its also a good idea to set up a place to study. This means somewhere quiet and out of the way, where televisions, computers, friends, siblings, and other distractors do not thrive. You may even drag yourself into the nearest public library. Point is, do whatever it takes to find a time and place to fit the SAT into your life.
Use Your Parents

The SAT gives you the chance to use your parents nagging to your own advantage. If you really dont think you can force yourself to study on your own, make your study schedule public and ask your parents to enforce it. It may sound like a brutal last resort, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Study with Your Friends

Studying for the SAT with friends will make studying more bearable, so youre more likely to do it. And with a friend, you can work on tough concepts together, compare strategies, and occasionally gossip. Working with another person can help your memory too, since youre less likely to space out without realizing it.
Study Now or Perish Later

If you dont study for the SAT now, you wont get the score you want on the test. Then youll have to take it again, and then youll have to study and panic at the same time. Back before we got involved with SparkNotes, we were both professional boxers. Our coach used to tell us, Son(s), you gotta get in, get hit, and get out. Thats just what you want to do to the SAT. Get in the habit of studying furiously, hit the SAT hard on test day, and get out of there with the score you want. Then you wont have to think about the SAT ever again. No rematch. NEVER.
SparkNotes Online Test Prep
You didnt think SparkNotes would forget about the Web, did you? The internet access card thats bound into this book comes with a code that grants you access to SparkNotes Online Test Prep for the SA T. SparkNotes SAT website provides the following features: An essay grading service that offers a grade and analysis for the essay questions contained in this book. SparkNotes will grade your first essay for free. The three practice tests in this book, backed by diagnostic software that immediately analyzes your results and directs your study for efficiency and effectiveness. The entire book, fully searchable, with all the latest updates to keep you up to speed.
In addition to the SA T, SparkNotes Online Test Prep also covers the ACT and the most popular SAT II tests. And once youve bought this book, you can get access to the test prep for any of those other tests for $4.95, about ten dollars less than it would cost you to buy the book.
The Ten SAT Commandments

Our ten SAT commandments may seem obvious, but breaking any of them can undermine an otherwise perfect preparation and testing strategy. The Commandments are about the basics, the simple fundamental SAT laws that you need to get right before you learn all the test-preparation and strategy stuff that fills up the rest of this book. Here they are: 1. Thou shalt go to the correct test center.
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2. Thou 3. Thou 4. Thou 5. Thou 6. Thou 7. Thou 8. Thou 9. Thou 10. Thou
shalt bring lots of no. 2 pencils. shalt check your calculator batteries. shalt be careful filling in your answers. shalt know the instructions for each section. shalt use your test booklet as scratch paper. shalt answer easy questions first. shalt avoid carelessness. shalt bring bread and water. shalt relax!
1. Thou shalt go to the correct test center.

When you register for the SAT, youll register to take the test at a particular test center. Make sure you go to the correct center on test day. If you go to the wrong one, youll be put on a standby list, just like at the airport. If any free seats remain, youll be able to take the test. But if not, you wont. (Yes, people really do make these kind of errors: Ben, coauthor of this fine book, actually managed to go to the wrong test center for his SAT. There were two test centers in his hometown, and he went to the wrong one. He got lucky and got a standby seat.)
2. Thou shalt bring lots of no. 2 pencils.

Zero pencils is not enough. One pencil is not enough. Two pencils is not enough because pencils break easily, and you dont want to waste time sharpening. Three pencils, minimum, is enough. But why stop there? Bring five. Bring ten! You could always share them with your desperate, broken-penciled friends.
3. Thou shalt check your calculator batteries.

True, the chances are low that your calculator will give out on you during the test. But do you really want to take that chance? Think of the embarrassment. Think of your brutally lower math scores. Think of Justins cousin Jeff, whose calculator died mid-SAT, forcing him to abandon his score sheet and to retake the test on the day of his sisters college graduation. This particular type of SAT tragedy can be avoided. Get a new calculator, or get new batteries.
4. Thou shalt be careful filling in your answers.

The SAT scoring computer is an unintelligent merciless machine. It has no soul. If you answered a question correctly, but somehow made a mistake in marking your answer grid, the computer will mark that question wrong. If you manage to skip question 5, but put the answer to question 6 in row 5, and the answer to question 7 in row 6, and so on, thereby throwing off your answers for an entire section . . . well, thats why humans invented the word catastrophe. Its amazing how often this happens under the time pressures of the SA T. But theres a foolproof method to ensure it doesnt happen to you: Talk to yourself. As you fill in the answer sheet, say to yourself: number 23, B; number 24, E; number 25, A. But do it quietly. You dont want to give your answers to the entire room.
5. Thou shalt know the instructions for each section.

The SAT is a timed test, and every second counts. Why waste time reading the instructions when you can know them inside out before the test? Just know what they say and what you have to do for each type of question on the test. Then you can skip right over them on the real test.
6. Thou shalt use your test booklet as scratch paper.

For some reason, certain students seem to think they have to keep their test booklets clean and pretty. You dont. When you finish taking the SAT, your test booklet is thrown away, recycled, and used to make egg cartons. So write all over that thing. Cross out answer choices. Mark questions you want to skip and come back to. Underline important statements. Draw sketches. Write equations. Thinking through problems, especially math problems, is easier when you have something to look at.
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But, because the SAT is a timed test, and since your work doesnt matter, theres no reason to do more work than necessary to solve a problem. Speed matters on the SAT, so dont try to impress the test with excellent work. Do only what you have to do to ensure that you get the right answer.
7. Thou shalt answer easy questions first.

Youre allowed to skip around within any timed section on the test. So if youre in the first Critical Reading section of the test, you could skip between Sentence Completions, short Reading Comps, and long Reading Comps. And since all questions, easy or hard, are worth the same number of points regardless of difficulty, it makes sense to answer the questions you find easier first and save the more time-consuming, difficult questions for later. This way youll be sure to accumulate as many points as possible. Youll also make sure that youve at least glanced at every question on the test and arent giving away points. While taking seven minutes to solve a particularly nasty Sentence Completion may feel like a moral victory, its quite possible that you could have used that same time to answer three other short Reading C omp questions. Do not be scared to skip a question thats giving you a lot of troublejust remember to mark it so you can come back to it if you have time at the end.
8. Thou shalt avoid carelessness.

There are actually two kinds of carelessness: The Fast and the Faithless. Both can cost you precious points on the SA T. Heres a bit more detail about each.
The Fast
The first type of carelessness comes from moving too fast. In speeding through the test, you make yourself vulnerable to misinterpreting the question, overlooking one of the answer choices, or simply making a mathematical or logical mistake. The SAT is filled with traps that prey on the speedy.
The Faithless
The second type of carelessness results from lack of confidence. Lots of students are so nervous about the SAT that they lose faith in themselves as soon as they encounter a tough question. They just assume they wont be able to get the correct answer. Never assume you wont be able to answer a question without looking at it and giving it a moments thought.
9. Thou shalt bring bread and water.

The old SAT was a long, exhausting test, and the new SAT is even longer and probably more exhausting. Youll feel like a prisoner, stripped of your freedom for almost half a day, but that doesnt mean you cant bring something along to eat and drink. You definitely cant be swigging back Gatorade during the test itself, but you will have a few breaks in between sections so you can do stuff like go to the bathroom, eat an apple, and chug down some high-octane SAT protein powder or whatever concoction you create to give yourself energy. Just be sure to bring some fuel to power you throughout the test.
10. Thou shalt relax!

The SAT is almost always portrayed as a harrowing, life-ruining stressfest. Countless magazine articles depict helpless teenagers holding their heads in panic, sweat pouring down their foreheads as they take the test. That does not have to be you. That shouldnt be you. One of the best things you can do to chill out before the test is take the night before it off completely. That might sound crazy, but if youve spent weeks or even months in advance preparing for the test, you dont have to cram or panic. Youve done all that you can do to ready yourself for the SA T and nothing you do the night before will likely make any difference. So take it easy. Go see a movie or get together with friends. Clearing your head before the test will put you in a strong position to take it on with confidence early the next morning.
SAT Strategies
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IMAGINE TWO CHILDREN PLAYING TAG IN A DEEP, DARK forest. Whos gonna win, a speed demon from the big city who doesnt know his way around and keeps tripping and falling? or a slower-footed tyke who grew up in the forest and knows every root, twist, and cranny of the forest? Heres the point: Knowing the landscape can be very helpful. If the SATs the forest, youll have to know the nooks and crannies of the test. Thats why we wrote this chapter.
To Guess or Not to Guess?

Should you guess on the SAT? The answer lies deep within this fake SAT question:
Yo u a re ta king a tes t. O n a partic ula r que stio n, th o ug h, th ere h as bee n a prin ting er ro r. T he que stio n wasn t p rinted at a ll ! B u t th e five an swers ha ve bee n prin ted . O ne o f the five ans wers is right , but yo u do nt kno w wh ic h o ne . If y o u rando m ly g ues s and pick a n ans wer, whats th e p ro babili ty yo ull cho o se the r ight an swer?
This question describes what happens when you guess blindly on any SA T question. If you have five possible answer choices and choose one at random, you have a 20 percent chance of choosing the right one. In other words, if you were to randomly pick an answer on five of these multiple-choice questions without even looking at the answer choices, youd probably get one question right for every five guesses you made. Now think back to the .25 of a point taken from your raw score for each wrong answer. This penalty isnt some random number. Its strategically designed to eliminate any gain you might get from guessing randomly. If you guess randomly on five questions, getting one right and four wrong (as probability states you will), your raw points for those five questions will work out to 1 right answer = 1 raw point 4 wrong answers (.25 points per wrong answer) = 1 raw point
This adds up to a grand total of 0 raw points. So guessings a waste of time, right? WRONG. Read on.
The Grand Rule of Guessing

Guessings a waste of time if youre guessing among five answer choices. But theres no rule saying you have to guess among five answer choices. If you know how to guess wisely, how to eliminate answer choices before guessing, the game changes. Take the following Sentence Completion question:
In G ree k m ytho lo gy , Ha des , th e rea lm o f the de ad , is g uarded by - -- - do g. (A ) an anthro po m o rphic (B ) a san guinary (C ) a ses quipe dalian (D) a delicio us (E) a sen te ntio u s
We used this example because we thought you may not know the meanings of the words anthropomorphic , sanguinary, sesquipedalian , or sententious. A ll four of these words are more obscure than the vocabulary that usually appears on the SAT. But you probably do know the meaning of delicious and can tell immediately that it does not fit correctly into the sentence (a delicious dog?). True, you still dont know the right answer. All youve done is eliminate one answer choice. But once youve eliminated delicious as a possible answer, you only have to guess between four rather than five choices. If you guess among these four choices, youll get one question right for every three you get wrong.
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1 right answer = 1 raw point 3 wrong answers (.25 points per wrong answer) = .75 raw points
This adds up to a grand total of .25 raw points. In other words, if you can eliminate just one answer as definitely wrong, the odds of guessing shift to your favor. And every point or fraction of a point you can jam into your raw score is worthwhile. A ll this explanation adds up to The Grand Rule of Guessing:
If you can eliminate even one answer choice on a question, always guess.
Guessing Wisely Is Partial Credit

Some students out there have a thing against guessing. They have this feeling that guessing is cheating. They think guessing rewards people who dont know the answer and are just playing games with the SAT. If youre one of those students, get over it. First, by not guessing youre hurting your own test scores. Second, guessing intelligently is just a form of partial credit. Well use the example of the Sentence C ompletion question about the dog guarding Hades to make this point. Most people taking the test will only know the word delicious and will only be able to throw out that word as a possible answer, leaving them with a one in four chance of guessing correctly. But lets say that you knew that sententious means given to pompous moralizing and that no hound spouting pompous moral axioms would be guarding the gateway to the Greek underworld. Now, when you look at this question, you can throw out both delicious and sententious as answer choices, leaving you with a one in three chance of getting the question right if you guess. Your extra knowledge gives you better odds of getting this question right, just as extra knowledge should.
Grid-Ins and Guessing

Theres no penalty on grid-in Math questions. If you guess and get one wrong, you wont lose any points. But, and this is a big but, the odds of randomly guessing the right 1 answer on a grid-in is around / 14400. Even without the guessing penalty, these low odds mean that if you have no idea what the answer to a grid-in question is, theres not much value in taking a wild guess. If you have worked out a grid-in problem, and have an answer, grid it in. Even if youre unsure of the answer, gridding it in cant hurt.
Eliminating Answers
The SAT is almost entirely a multiple-choice test. And multiple-choice questions are particularly vulnerable to good strategy. Why? On every SAT question, the answer is always right there in front of you. Its just hidden among a bunch of wrong answers. Your job is to select the right answer. Taking the SAT is often just that simple: Youll read a question, come up with an answer, look at the answer choices, and bingoyoull find the answer. But sometimes youll read a question and just not know how to proceed. Maybe the problem is that you dont understand the vocabulary words or got stuck on the math or cant spot the grammar error. Whenever that happens, you should not just assume the question is impossible and skip it. Instead, first try to eliminate answer choices until youve either found the right answer or put yourself in a good position to guess by cutting at least one choice. The strategies for eliminating answers vary by question type. The specific strategies that we explain for each question type later in this book are designed to tailor and sharpen your answer-eliminating skills to every kind of question you face on the new SAT. For now, remember that just because you dont know how to answer a question right away doesnt mean you wont be able to figure it out.
SAT Traps
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SAT traps are those tricky answer choices that seem right but are actually wrong. The SAT knows youre going to be a little nervous when you take the test. Heres how nervous people take tests like the SAT: They cruise through the test until they encounter a question that they cant answer immediately. They think, Oh, Ill just peek down at the answers to see if Im on the right track. . . . Bang! An SA T trap lures them into an answer that seems right at a quick glance but is actually incorrect.
To detect SAT traps, the first step is to know theyre out there. The second is to understand that unless you approach the answer choices with a plan, you will fall prey to their nasty tricks. This means that unless youve made a conscious decision to eliminate answers, you shouldnt even look at the answers until youve got your own answer. And if you are eliminating answers, recognize that traps are probably hiding in several of the answer choices, trying to trick you. Once you can spot the traps in a question, you can eliminate them, which tips the guessing odds in your favor. An SAT trap can be many things, but it will never be the right answer. What makes SAT traps feel correct even though theyre wrong? That depends on which section of the test youre taking.
Math Traps: The Right Wrong Answers

Math traps look right because theyre the answers youre most likely to get if you make a simple mistake. The SAT writers have been working on math tests for a long time, and they know exactly how students will flub a question. So the SAT puts the most common wrong answers in the answer choices. Then, when students make a mistake and see their wrong answer sitting there like a great big friendly affirmation, theyre likely to choose that answer rather than check their work and look for another. Heres an example SA T math question:
If q = 4 , what is 3 d (4 3 q ) in term s o f d ? (A ) 24 d (B ) 5 d (C ) 0 (D) 1 2 d 12 (E) 2 4 d
The right answer to this question is A. But, as is often the case on SAT math questions, each of the wrong answers is a trap. Heres why: If you substituted in the 4 to get 3d ( 4 1 2) = 3 d ( 8) and then did some gnarly thing where you thought you could subtract 8 from 3d , youd get an answer of 5 d , answer B. If you substituted in the 4 and forgot to multiply it by 3, youd get 3 d (4 4 ) = 3 d ( 0) = 0 , answer C. If you forgot about the 4 in (4 3 q ), youd get 12 d 12, answer D. If you did all the math correctly, but then forgot about the minus sign, youd get 24 d , answer E.
And if you were confused from the beginning, desperate to answer something, anything, and you peeked at the answer choices to get a clue, it wouldnt be very hard to convince yourself (in your state of panicked desperation) that any of the answers could be correct.
Critical Reading Traps: Spurious Associations

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SAT traps thrive on Sentence Completion and Reading Comprehension questions. These traps carry out their trickery through spurious association. (Spurious means false; it just sounds cooler.) Spurious association traps make it seem as if they fit into the question by associating themselves with a feeling or idea in the question. But theyre really just fakes. An example will make this easier to grasp:
O n Hallo wee n n ig ht, five -ye a r o ld Dilbe rt wa s -- - - to dis co v er th a t he ha d rec eived m o re ca ndy than ev er b efo re . (A ) te rrif ied (B ) delighted (C ) no npluss ed (D) distra ught (E) fa m is hed
The answer is B. But if you were speeding through the test and saw that the sentence was about Halloween, you may have just figured itd be natural for five-year-old Dilbert to end up terrified , A. Or, if you saw the reference to candy, you might think of hunger, which would lead you to famished , E. The words in the answer choices seem to make sense because they have some association with incidental facts in the question. To a nervous test-taker grasping for right answers fast, these can look mighty sweet. You may also have noticed that while its likely that on a Math question, all the wrong answers are traps of some sort or another, on Critical Reading questions, only one or two of the answer choices will be traps.
Writing Traps: Dont Exist
And now for some good news: The Writing section doesnt have any SAT traps. The multiple-choice questions and the essay section dont accommodate the kind of misleading answer choices on which SAT traps thrive. Take this example, from an Improving Paragraphs SAT Writing section question:
Which o f the fo llo wing is the be st wa y to re vise the und erline d p o rt io n o f s entenc e 2 , rep rin te d b elo w? Sixty- o ne pe rc ent o f adul ts s uffe r fro m o bes ity, b ut a ro und 3 ,0 0 0 p eop le die eve ry ye ar f ro m dis eas es dire c tly re lat ed to it . (A ) suffe r f ro m o be sity, bu t a ro und (B ) suffe r, fro m o bes ity bu t aro und (C ) suffe r f ro m o be sity, an d (D) suffe r f ro m o be sity, a ltho ug h (E) suffe r f ro m o be sity s ince
Writing section multiple-choice questions test grammar. In grammar theres only right and wrong. In other words, no traps.
Your Target Score and Pacing Strategy

Your target score greatly impacts your overall strategy on the new SAT. A student looking to score a 700 or higher on a section of the SAT needs to work very differently from someone whos hoping for a 500. The student targeting a 700 has to answer almost every question on the testhe or she must work quickly and make very few careless mistakes. But students shooting for a 500 dont have to answer every question on the test. In fact, those students shouldnt even try to answer every question. Because students looking for a 500 can afford to leave a bunch of questions blank, they can pick and choose which questions to answer, and they can spend more time on the questions they do answer and make sure they get those questions right.
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The chart below shows approximately how many questions you can afford to leave blank in a section of the testWriting, Critical Reading, or Mathbased on your target score.
T a rge t Sc o re N u m ber You Sh ou ld Le a v e B la n k
7 50 8 00 7 00 - 75 0 6 50 - 70 0 6 00 6 50 5 50 6 00 5 00 5 50 4 50 5 00 4 00 4 50
0 0 1 1 3 2 5 4 8 7 1 2
1 0 1 6
1 4 2 0
This chart is just a guideline. Why? Because we dont know all your quirky test-taking traitshow careless you can be, how nervous you get, how fast you work, and so on. But you do know your own particular pitfalls, and you can figure out how to overcome them. We dont just mean that you can say, Well, I dont think Im great at Improving Sentences questions or I think I sometimes get confused by geometry. We mean you can specifically identify each and every one of your weaknesses: I really seem to have trouble with Sentence Completions in which the two blanks are supposed to be filled by words that disagree or Wow, circles and triangles are giving me tons of trouble. And once youve pinpointed a weakness, then you can fire up the most powerful SAT preparation technique of them all: turning practice tests into the ultimate SAT personal trainer.
The SAT Personal Trainer

THE NEW SAT, LIKE THE OLD SAT, IS A CONFORMIST. From the first administration of the new SAT until the end of time (or the next SAT overhaul), each version of the test will ask the same number of questions about the same topics. The Math questions will cover the same concepts. The Critical Reading questions will test the same comprehension skills in the same ways. The Writing multiple choice will cover the same few rules of grammar, and the essays will always ask very broad questions. Obviously, no two SATs are exactly the same. Individual questions will never repeat from test to test. But the subjects that the questions test, and the way in which the questions test those subjects, will stay constant. Now heres the twist. Tons of people go to the gym, but to get the best results, you need a personal trainer. A trainer tells you what youre doing wrong and what you need to do to target certain areas of your body that need the most work. Using practice tests to diagnose your weaknesses turns each practice test you take into your SAT personal trainer. Sound too simple? Thats probably because everyone takes practice tests. But very few students actually study their practice test results, and its studying the tests thats crucial. To prove our point, weve got a case study: Meet Molly Bloom.
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The Practice Test As Personal Trainer

One day, an eleventh-grader named Molly Bloom sits down at the desk in her room and takes a new SA T practice test. Lets say she takes the entire test and gets only one question wrong. Molly checks her answers and then jumps up from her chair and does a little dance, shimmying to the tune of her own triumph. B ut after her euphoria passes, she begins to wonder which question she got wrong and returns to her chair. She discovers that it was a math question about parabolas. Molly looks over the question and realizes that she had misidentified the vertex of the parabola. Since she got the question wrong, she studies up on her coordinate geometry. She rereads all the material she needs to know on parabolas, including what causes a parabolas vertex to shift from the origin. All this takes her about ten minutes, after which she vows never to make another mistake on an SAT question involving parabolas.
Analyzing Molly Bloom

A ll Molly did was study a question she got wrong until she understood why she got it wrong and what she should have done to get it right. So whats the big deal? This: Molly answered the question incorrectly because she didnt understand the topic parabolas that it was testing. The practice test pointed out her weakness in the clearest way possible. She got the question wrong. Molly wasnt content just to see the correct answer and get on with her life. She wanted to understand how and why she got the question wrong and what she should have done or needed to know to get it right. So she stopped her dance party, spent some time studying the question, improved her understanding of parabola graphs, and nailed down the concepts she needed to know. If Molly were to take that same test again, she definitely would not get that question wrong. True, Molly never will see that exact question again. But remember, the SAT is a standardized test, a conformist. When Molly taught herself about parabolas and their graphs, she learned not just how to answer the question she got wrong but all the similar parabola questions that are bound to show up on the real SAT she eventually takes. Every practice test precisely targets your weaknesses. You only get questions wrong when your knowledge of whatever that question tests is weak. B y studying the results of her practice test and then figuring out why she got her one question wrong, Molly used the practice test to identify her weakness and overcome it.
Molly and You

Molly has it easy. She took a practice test and got only one question wrong. Fewer than 1 percent of all people who take the new SAT will be so lucky. So, what if you take a practice test and get fifteen questions wrong, and your errors span a number of different topics in Math, Critical Reading, and Writing? You should do exactly what Molly did. Take your test and study it. Identify every question you got wrong, figure out why you got it wrong, and then teach yourself what you should have done to get the question right. If you got fifteen questions wrong, itll take a bit of time to study your mistakes. But if you invest that time and study your practice test properly, you will avoid future mistakes and guarantee yourself better scores. So to make this method work, set aside two blocks of time when you take a practice test: the first to take the test, the second to study your results .
SparkNotes Practice Tests Make It Easy

The practice tests in our books were specifically designed to help you study your practice tests. Every explanation of every question in our practice tests has a heading that gives you all the information you need to help you pinpoint your weaknesses. Each question is categorized by its major subject, such as geometry, by specific subject, such as circles, and by difficulty level.
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Instead of just showing you how to solve one question, our explanations help you focus on your broader testing tendencies and adjust your strategies accordingly.
The Practice of Taking a Practice Test

Our Molly Bloom example shows why studying practice tests is such a powerful SAT prep tool. Now we explain, step by step, exactly how to do it yourself.
Control Your Environment

You should do everything in your power to make every practice test you take feel like the real SAT. The more your practice resembles the real thing, the more helpful it is. Take a timed test. Dont give yourself any extra time. Be more strict with yourself than the meanest proctor you can imagine. Dont even give yourself time off for bathroom breaks. If you have to go to the bathroom, let the clock keep running. Thats whatll happen on the real SAT. Take the test in a single sitting. Training yourself to endure hours of test-taking is part of your preparation. Take the test without distractions. Dont take the practice test in a room with lots of people walking through it. Go to a library, your bedroom, an empty classroomanywhere quiet.
Youll probably find these rules annoying and restrictive, and youll be tempted to break them. Maybe you could take the practice test in front of the TV? Or just with music playing? Sure, you could do that. No one will ever know. But we promise you that your results wont be as accurate as they will be if you simulate the real SAT experience as closely as possible.
Scoring Your Practice Test

A fter you take your practice test, score it and see how you did. However, when you do your scoring, dont just tally up your raw score. As part of your scoring, you should also keep a list of every question you got wrong and every question you skipped. This list will be your guide when you study your test.
How to Study Your Practice Test

A fter grading your test, you should have a list of the questions you answered incorrectly or skipped. Studying your test involves using this list and examining each question you answered incorrectly, figuring out why you got the question wrong and understanding what you could have done to get the question right.
Whyd You Get It Wrong?

There are four reasons why you might have gotten an individual question wrong: 1. You thought you solved the answer correctly, but you actually didnt. 2. You managed to eliminate some answer choices and then guessed among the remaining answers. Sadly, you guessed wrong. 3. You knew the answer but made a careless error. 4. You left it blank. You should know which of these reasons applies to each question you got wrong. Once you figure out why you got a question wrong, you need to figure out what you could have done to get the question right.
Reason 1: Lack of Knowledge

A question answered incorrectly for reason 1 pinpoints a weakness in your knowledge. Discovering this kind of error gives you an opportunity to fill the void in your knowledge and eliminate future errors on the same question type. For example, if the question you got wrong refers to factoring quadratics, dont just work out how to factor that one quadratic. Take the chance to go over the fundamental
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techniques that allow you to factor all quadratics. Additionally, this enables you to see when a quadratic exists in an equation (those suckers can be hard to find sometimes when the SA T tries to disguise them). Remember, you will not see a question exactly like the question you got wrong. But you probably will see a question that covers the same topic as the practice question. For that reason, when you get a question wrong, dont just figure out the right answer to the question. Study the broader topic that the question tests.
Reason 2: Guessing Wrong

If you guessed wrong, review your guessing strategy. Did you guess smartly? Could you have eliminated more answers? If yes, why didnt you? B y thinking in a critical way about the decisions you made while taking the practice test, you can train yourself to make quicker, more decisive, and better decisions. If you took a guess and chose the incorrect answer, dont let that discourage you from guessing. If you eliminated at least one answer, you followed the right strategy by guessing even if you got the question wrong.
Reason 3: Carelessness
Here it might be tempting to say to yourself, Oh, I made a careless error, and assure yourself you wont do that again. Unacceptable! You made that careless mistake for a reason, and you should figure out why. Getting a question wrong because you didnt know the answer reveals a weakness in your knowledge about the test. Making a careless mistake represents a weakness in your test-taking method . To overcome this weakness, you need to approach it in the same critical way you would approach a lack of knowledge. Study your mistake. Retrace your thought process on the problem and pinpoint the origin of your carelessness: Were you rushing? Did you fall for an SAT trap? If you pin down your mistake, you are much less likely to repeat it.
Reason 4: Leaving the Question Blank

Its also a good idea to study the questions you left blank on the test, since those questions constitute a reservoir of lost points. A blank answer results from either 1. A total inability to answer a question, or 2. A lack of time. If you were totally unable to answer a question, learn the material or at least try to identify a way you could have eliminated an answer choice in order to turn the guessing odds in your favor. If you left an answer blank because of time constraints, look over the question and see whether you think you could have answered it correctly. If you could have, then you know you need to speed up as much as possible without making more careless errors. If you couldnt have answered it correctly, then youve just identified a weakness waiting to be overcome. Ready to overcome your new SAT weaknesses? Well start with the Writing section.
Meet the Writing Section

WERE NOT GOING TO DEBATE WHETHER OR NOT THE SA T should include an essay, or why some people may think its unfair. Were just going to accept it as a fact of standardized testing life and get on with helping you meet and beat it. Heres what we do in this chapter: Review what the SAT Writing section covers and how its scored. Explain the specific test-taking strategies youll need to beat the Writing sections essay and multiple-choice questions. Take a very close look at the SAT essay, complete with our Universal SAT Template and sample essays.
Got it? Good. Lets go.
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The PSAT and SAT II Connection

The fear and mystery surrounding the SAT Writing section is overblown. Its new, they say. But actually, it isnt. Its just an old test put in a new place. All of the multiple-choice question types are derived from the PSAT, which nearly everyone studying for the SAT has already taken. And the entire section, including the essay, is really just a slightly shorter version of the SAT II Writing test that many students have had to take for years. Most colleges require students to take the SAT II Writing test in order to apply, but once the new SAT launches, the SA T II Writing test will be discontinued forever. So the big scary new Writing section is really just a recycled rehash of other standardized tests. That should help put your panic in check.
What the Writing Section Tests

Just like the SAT II Writing test, the new SAT Writing section has two major parts: 1. An Essay Question 2. Multiple-Choice Questions The essay gives you 25 minutes to take a position on a broad topic and back it up with examples. One question. One answer. The multiple-choice section feels more like a typical, standardized test. Youll have 25 minutes to answer questions covering proper grammar and language usage. These questions are broken down into the following types: Identifying Sentence Errors Improving Sentences Improving Paragraphs
What the Writing Section Actually Tests

Writing skills and grammar? While that may sound pretty broad and frightening, the truth about what the Writing section tests is not so extreme. First, remember that the essay section is only 25 minutes long. Nobody will expect you to write a perfect and inspired piece of work in less than half an hour. In fact, the essay-graders mostly want to see that you can understand a topic and take a position. And thats pretty much it. This chapter tells you the ingredients youll need for every SAT essay and provides a Universal SAT Essay Template that gives you a model essay pattern to follow. The multiple-choice questions all test grammar. This chapter contains a crash course in the grammar that the SAT Writing section tests. As youll soon learn, you definitely dont need to be a trained grammarian to do well on the Writing section. You dont have to know any technical grammar terms at all. You simply need to know the basic rules of grammar that the SAT tends to test again and again. By learning the rules, youll train your ear to recognize where errors lurk in sentences and paragraphs, and how to fix them. The multiple-choice section does not test stuff like spelling or vocabulary. However, using proper spelling and appropriate vocabulary is very important on the SAT essay, since the SAT essay-graders consider your overall command of language when scoring your work. The multiple-choice questions, combined with the essay, make up the entire new SAT Writing section. We explain each multiple-choice question type and the essay in great detail later on in the chapter.
How to Score . . . the Writing Section

The best score you can get on the Writing section is a scaled score of 800. As with the Math and Critical Reading sections, this scaled score is derived by taking a raw score and placing it into a scoring curve. But thats where the similarities end.
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In addition to the scaled 200800 score, youll receive two subscores: one for the multiple choice that is graded on a scale of 2080, and another for the essay that is graded on a scale of 212.
The Multiple-Choice Raw Score and Subscore

The multiple-choice raw score is calculated just as you would expect. You get one point for 1 each right answer, zero points for each answer left blank, and theres the /4 point guessing penalty for each wrong answer. The guessing penalty really should be called a wrong-answer penalty. The SAT does not penalize you for making educated guesses. An educated guess is a guess you make after eliminating at least one wrong answer choice. The SAT does penalize you for totally random guessing. Your multiple-choice raw score in equation form looks like this: This raw score is then used in two ways: (1) Its combined with your essay raw score to calculate your overall scaled score for the Writing section; and (2) its used to calculate your scaled subscore for the multiple-choice section.
The Essay Raw Score and Subscore

The raw score and subscore for the Essay are the same thing. That makes it simple. Heres how it works. Two human graders grade your essay. Each one gives your essay a grade between 16 (with 1 being the worst). They then combine the two grades so your essay as a whole receives a score anywhere between 212.
The Overall Scaled Writing Score

The overall Writing score, which ranges between 200 and 800, is determined by taking your raw scores for the multiple-choice section and the essay, combining them into a total raw score, and then putting them into the scaled score. Sounds simple enough, except for one odd thing: B efore your essay raw score is added to your multiple-choice raw score, its multiplied by an undisclosed fixed number, n : It might sound odd to inject a mystery number into the equation, but its no mystery to the SAT. They carefully select that number to ensure that the essay has the precise weight in your final raw score that the SAT wants: Just over 40 percent of your total raw score.
Indisputable Fact: 40% Is Not 100%

Despite all the panic and pandemonium about it, the new SAT essay only counts for 40 percent of your Writing score. That means its worth a bit more than 10 percent of the entire SAT. A lot of people (and test-prep courses) will probably spend all their time fixated on the Essay section. But the cold, hard, factual stats prove that spending a disproportionate amount of time fixated on the essay is not the best way to structure your SAT studying time. Since the multiple-choice questions count toward more than half your writing score, and since theyre easier to practice and predict, you should spend at least as much time preparing for those as you do for the essay.
Beat the Essay

A GREAT SA T ESSAY AND A GREA T ESSAY ARE not the same thing. Truly great essays take hours or even days to plan, research, and write. The SAT essay cant take more than 25 minutes. That means youve got to write an essay that convinces your grader of your genius in less time than it takes to watch The Simpsons, right? Wrong. The SAT knows that 25 minutes isnt enough time for anyone, anywhere, to write a genius essay. Forget genius. Forget about trying to write an essay that changes the world. When the SAT says to you, Heres 25 minutes, write an essay, what theyre saying between the lines is: Write a standard essay that does exactly what we want. To give the SAT what it wants, you need to have a very firm essay-writing strategy in place before you sit down to take the test. You then need to apply that strategy to whatever question the SAT essay poses. In this chapter, we teach you a strategy for writing a great SAT essay that works every time, on any topic. It all starts with fast food.
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The Fast Food Essay

One of the best things about fast food is not just that its quick, but that its consistent. Walk into a McDonalds in Tosserdorf, Germany, and a Big Mac is still a robust, comforting B ig Mac, just like at home. What makes fast food so consistent? Restaurants like McDonalds use the same ingredients and preparation methods at every location. In this chapter, we show you how to apply the concept behind fast food to the process of writing the SAT essay. That way you can write a top-notch SAT essay every time. To make it happen, you need to know three key things, just like all the fast food chains: Know your customers. Know your ingredients. Know how to put the ingredients together.
Know Your Customers

A fter you finish taking the SAT, your essay is scanned into a computer, uploaded to a secure website, and graded on computer screens at remote locations by essay-graders. These essay-graders are either English teachers or writing teachers who have been hired and trained to grade SAT essays by the company that makes the SAT. Every essay is actually read by two graders. Each grader is instructed to spend no more than three minutes reading an essay before giving it a score on a scale of 16. The two grades are then added together to make up your entire essay subscore, which ranges from 212. (If two graders come to wildly different scores for an essay, like a 2 and a 5, a third grader is brought in.) So the essay graders are your customers. You want to give them an essay that tastes just like what theyre expecting. How are you supposed to know what theyre expecting? You can learn exactly what SA T essay-graders expect by looking at two very important guidelines: the actual SAT essay directions and the grading criteria that the SAT gives the graders.
The SAT Essay Directions

The first thing you should not do when writing your SAT essay is read the directions. Dont waste your time on the real test. Instead, read the directions now and make sure you understand them.
Di re ct io ns: C o ns id er ca re ful ly the fo l lo win g e xc erp t and the ass ignm en t belo w i t. T h en plan an d wri te an es sa y that e xplains y o ur idea s as persu asive ly as p o ss ib le . K ee p in m ind th at th e s upp o rt y o u pro videb o th reas o ns an d exam p le swill help m a ke yo u r view c o nvinc ing to the re ade r. Yo u ha ve twe nty- five m inutes to plan an d write an es say o n the to p ic assign ed be lo w. DO N O T WRIT E O N A NOT HER T O PIC . A N E SSA Y ON A NOT HER TO PIC IS NOT A C CEPT ABL E. T he ess ay is ass igned to g iv e yo u an o ppo rtunity to sho w ho w we ll yo u ca n w rite . Yo u s ho u ld, the refo re , take ca re to ex pre ss yo u r tho ugh ts o n th e to pic clea rly a nd effect ively. H o w we ll yo u w ri te is m uch m o re im po r ta nt than ho w m u ch yo u write , but to co ver the to pic ad equ ate ly yo u will pro bab ly ne ed to write m o re th an o ne p ara graph . B e sp ec ific .
Yo ur es sa y m u st be w r it te n o n the l in es pro vide d o n yo ur a nsw er sh eet . Yo u wil l rece iv e no o th er pa pe r o n wh ic h to w rite . Yo u w il l find that y o u hav e eno u gh spa ce if yo u write o n e very lin e , av o id w id e m a rg ins , an d k eep y o ur h andw riting to a rea so n able siz e. It is im po r ta nt to r em em b er that wh at yo u w ri te w ill be rea d by so m e o ne who is no t fa m ilia r wi th yo ur ha ndw ri ting . T ry to w ri te o r p rint s o tha t what yo u a re w ri ting is
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legible to the read e r.
Weve translated these directions into a list of Dos and Donts to make all the rules easier to grasp:
DO D O N T
Wr ite o n ly d irec te d.
on
th e
given
topic
a s Wr ite o n a to pic th at rela te s vagu ely to th e o ne given .
T ake a c le ar po sitio n o n the to pic.
T ake a wis hy- was hy po sitio n o r t ry to a rgu e two side s.
Wr ite pe rs uas iv ely g ra der .
to
c o nvinc e
th e Wr ite c r eat ively o r o rn ate ly jus t to s ho w o ff.
Inc lu de re as o ns a nd s uppo rt yo u r po s itio n.
ex am ples
that Includ e exa m ples no t d irec tly re la ted to yo ur p o sitio n.
Wr ite wi th c o rrec t gram m a r a nd spe lling. F o rg et to pro o f y our wo rk fo r s pellin g an d g ram m a r m is ta ke s.
Wr ite as c le a r ly a s p o ss ible.
U s e to o m a ny fan cy v o c abula ry w o rd s o r o verly lo n g sen te nce s.
Wr ite sp ecif ic a lly a nd co ncrete ly.
B e v agu e o r us e gen eraliz atio n s.
Wr ite m o re th an o ne p ara graph .
P ut m o re q uality .
im po rt anc e
on
le ngth
than
on
Wr ite o n ly o n the give n line d pape r.
M a ke y our ha ndwri ting to o la rg e o r yo ull s acrifice s pac e.
Wr ite as nea tly as po ssible in prin t o r Wr ite in c urs ive if yo u c an prin t. P rint is m uc h c ursive. e asie r to re ad.
The Graders Instructions

The graders must refer to a set-in-stone list of criteria when evaluating each essay and deciding what grade (1 through 6) it deserves. The following chart is our explanation of the grading criteria that the SAT gives the graders.
S c or e D e script io n o f Ess a y
A 6 ess ay is sup erio r and de m o ns trates a st ro ng and cons is te nt c o m m and o f th e lang uag e thro ugho ut the entire es say , with at m o st a fe w s m all erro rs. A 6 es sa y: sh o ws a firm grasp o f c ritic al th in king and take s a po werfu l and inte re stin g po sitio n on the to pic su ppo rts a nd dev elo ps its po sitio n with a ppro pria te a nd ins ightfu l exa m ples , argu m ents, a nd ev id enc e is tightly o rga nize d a nd fo c us ed, wi th a sm o o th a nd co h erent p ro g re ssio n o f idea s
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dem o nstra te s a fac il ity wi th lan guag e thro ug h the u se o f descriptive an d ap pro pria te vo cab ulary us es inte ll igen t var iatio n in sen te nce st ructur e co ntains, at m o s t, a fe w e r ro rs in gra m m a r , spe lling, and pu nctua tio n.
A 5 es say is s trong and dem o nstrates a ge ner al ly co nsisten t c o m m an d o f lang uag e thro ug ho u t th e e ntire es say , wi th no m o re th an a few sign ifican t flaw s an d e rro rs . A 5 e ss ay: sh o ws well-de ve lo p ed critica l think in g s kills by tak ing a so lid po s itio n o n th e to pic su ppo rts a nd dev elo ps its po s itio n o n th e to pic with app ro pria te exa m ples , argu m ents, a nd ev id enc e is o rgan iz ed a nd fo c use d and features a c o heren t p ro gre ss io n o f ideas dem o nstra te s c o m pe ten ce with lan gua ge thro ug ho u t by using a ppro priat e vo cabulary us es v arie d s enten ce structur e co ntains fe w erro rs in g ram m a r, s pell in g, a nd pun ctuatio n.
A 4 e ssay is co mpetent a nd dem o nstra te s a ba sic c omman d o f the lang uag e thro ugh o ut the e ntire ess ay. A 4 e ss ay: sho ws adequa te critica l think in g s kill b y tak in g a po sitio n o n th e to pic and su ppo rting tha t po s itio n with g ene ral ly appro p ria te e xam p le s, a rgum e nts, an d ev id enc e is m o stly o rga nized an d fo cu se d, with a p ro gress io n o f id eas that is m o stly co heren t de m o ns trates in co n sistent f ac il i ty wi th lang uag e a nd use s m o stly a ppro priat e vo cabulary u ses so m e va riatio n in se ntenc e structur e co ntains so m e e rro rs in g ra m ma r, spe lling , a nd pun ctuatio n.
A 3 es say s ho ws dev eloping co mpetenc e a nd co n tains on e o r mo re o f th e fo llo win g: so m e cri tica l think in g s kills, a s d em o ns trated by its po s it io n o n the to pic inade qua te su ppo rt o r de velo p m ent o f its p o sitio n b ase d o n de ficie ncies in ex am ples , a rgum e nts , or ev idenc e p re sen te d laps es in o rg aniza tio n an d fo c us, in cluding idea s tha t a re no t a lwa ys co herent a cap acity fo r co mpeten t u se o f lang uag e, with o c cas io nal use o f va gue o r inap pro pria te vo cab ulary o nly m ino r va ria tio n in s entenc e s t ructur e a va rie ty o f e r ro rs in g ram m a r , sp elling , an d p unc tua tio n .
A 2 ess ay is se rious ly flaw e d a nd dem o nstrate s a poo r comma nd o f the lang uag e thro ugh o ut the en ti re es sa y. A 2 e ssa y co n ta ins o ne or more o f th e fo llo wing : po o r cri tica l th in king skills a s sho wn by an in co nsistent o r un cle a r p o sitio n o n the to pic in suffic ie nt sup po rt fo r the po s itio n o n the to pic as a re sult o f faulty o r no nex is te nt e xam p le s, a rgum en ts , an d ev id enc e wea k o rga niza tio n and fo cu s, includ in g ide as tha t are fre que nt ly inco herent po o r lan gua ge sk ills th ro u gh us e o f lim ited o r wro ng vo cabulary er ro rs in se nte nc e s t ructur e er ro rs in gram m a r , spe lling, punc tu at io n, an d o th er ru le s o f w r it ing th at m ak e the m ea ning hard to un derstan d
A 1 ess ay is p rofou ndly flawe d and de mo nstrates a v ery poor c omman d o f th e lang uag e thro ug hou t the en ti re e ssa y. A 1 e ssa y co n ta ins one or more o f th e fo llo win g: no po sitio n o n the to pic, o r a lm o st n o suppo rt o r de velo p m ent o f th e p o sitio n po o r o rgan iz atio n a nd fo c us that m a kes the ess ay inco herent n um ero us vo c abu la ry e rro rs
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fu ndam e ntal er ro rs in se nte nc e st ructur e er ro rs in gram m a r, sp elling , and pun ctuatio n tha t m ake pa rts o f the es sa y un in te ll igible .
Es sa ys wri tte n o n a to pic o th er th an th e o ne ass igned wil l rec eive a sc o re o f ze ro .
Know Your Ingredients

To write a tasty SA T essay, youve got to know the necessary ingredients: The different grades of 16 are based on the quality of your essay in four fundamental categories. 1. Positioning: The strength and clarity of your stance on the given topic. 2. Examples: The relevance and development of the examples you use to support your argument. 3. Organization: The organization of each of your paragraphs and of your essay overall. 4. Command of La nguage: Sentence construction, grammar, and word choice. Now you know your customers, and you know what they want. Well spend the rest of this chapter teaching you precisely how to give it to them.
1. Positioning
SAT essay topics are always broad. Really, really, really broad. Were talking the big questions of life broad. A typical SAT essay topic gives you a statement that addresses ideas like the concept of justice, the definition of success , the importance of learning from
mistakes.
The broad nature of SAT topics means youll never be forced to write about topical or controversial issues of politics, culture, or society (unless you want to; well talk about whether you should want to a little later). But the broadness of the topics also means that with a little thought you can come up with plenty of examples to support your position on the topic. Philosophers take years to write tomes on the topics of justice or success . On the SAT, you get 25 minutes. Given these time constraints, the key to writing a great SAT essay is taking a strong position on an extremely broad topic. You need to select your position strategically. A solid position on two strategies: Rephrase the prompt. Choose your position.
Its time to learn how to take a stand. Heres a sample topic:

C o nside r th e fo l lo wing statem e n t an d a ss ig nm ent. T h en wr ite an es say a s dire c te d . T he res no s ucc ess like fai lu re . A s signm ent: Wr ite an ess ay in wh ich yo u a gre e o r disa g re e with th e s ta te m ent a bo ve . Re me m be r to ba ck up yo ur po sitio n with s pec ific e xam p le s fro m p erso n al ex perienc e , cu rren t e ven ts , histo ry, l ite ra tu re , o r any o the r disc ip line . Yo u r es say s hould be s pec ific.
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Rephrase the Prompt

Rephrase the prompt in your own words and make it more specific. If you rephrase the statement There is no success like failure, you might come up with a sentence like Failure can lead to success by teaching important lessons that help us avoid repeating mistakes in the future. In addition to narrowing down the focus of the broad original topic, putting the SA T essay question in your own words makes it easier for you to take a position confidently, since youll be proving your own statement rather than the more obscure version put forth by the SA T.
Choose Your Position

Agree or disagree. When you choose an argument for a paper in school, you often have to strain yourself to look for something original, something subtle. Not here. Not on the 25minute fast food essay. Once youve rephrased the topic, agree with it or disagree. Its that simple. You may have qualms or otherwise sophisticated thoughts at this point. You may be thinking, I could argue the agree side pretty well, but Im not sure that I 100 percent believe in the agree side because. . . . Drop those thoughts. Remember, youre not going to have a week to write this essay. You need to keep it simple. Agree or disagree, then come up with the examples that support your simple stand.
2. Examples
To make an SAT essay really shine, youve got to load it up with excellent examples. Just coming up with any three examples that fit a basic position on a broad topic is not gonna cut it. But there are two things that do make excellent SAT examples stand out from the crowd: Specific examples Variety of examples
Specific Examples
Good examples discuss specific events, dates, or measurable changes over time. Another way to put this is, you have to be able to talk about things that have happened in detail. Lets say youre trying to think of examples to support the position that learning the lessons taught by failure is a sure route to success. Perhaps you come up with the example of the American army during the Revolutionary War, which learned from its failures in the early years of the war how it needed to fight the British. Awesome! Thats a potentially great example. To make it actually great, though, you have to be able to say more than just, The American army learned from its mistakes and then defeated the British Redcoats. You need to be specific: Give dates, mention people, battles, tactics. If you use the experience of the American Army in the Revolutionary War as an example, you might mention the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially granted the Americans independence and gave the United States all lands east of the Mississippi River. Just as bricks hold up a building, such detailed facts support an argument. There are literally millions of good, potential examples for every position you might choose. You need to choose examples that you know a lot about in order to be specific. Knowing a lot about an example means you know more than just the basic facts. You need to be able to use all the detailed facts about your example, such as dates and events, to show how your example proves your argument. Knowing that the Americans defeated the British in 1783 is the start of a great example, but you must show specifically how the American victory proves the argument that theres no success like failure. What failures on the part of the British government and army led to the A mericans success? (Morale issues, leadership differences, inadequate soldiers and supplies, the B attle of Yorktown, and so on.) The one-two punch of a solid example and details that use the example to prove your argument make the difference between a good SAT essay example and a great one.
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Variety of Examples
The other crucial thing about SAT essay examples is how much ground they cover. Sure, you could come up with three examples from your personal life about how you learned from failure. But youre much more likely to impress the grader and write a better essay if you use a broad range of examples from different areas: history, art, politics, literature, science, and so on. That means when your e thinking up examples, you should consider as wide a variety as possible, as long as all of your examples remain closely tied to proving your argument. To prove the position that theres no success like failure, you might choose one example from history, literature, and business or current events. Here are three examples that you might choose from those three areas: History: The Americans victory over the British in the Revolutionary War. Literature: Dickenss success in writing about the working class based on his years spent in poverty as a child laborer. Business or Current Events: The JetBlue airline succeeding by learning from the mistakes of its competitors.
A broad array of examples like those will provide a more solid and defensible position than three examples drawn from personal experience or from just one or two areas. A NOTE ON T RU THFU LNES S IN E X AM PLES The SAT essay tests how well you write. The examples you choose to support your argument and your development of those examples is a big part of how well you write. But theres no SAT rule or law that says that the examples you use to support your arguments have to be true. That does not mean you should make up examples from history or bend facts into falsehoods. Instead, it means you can take examples drawn from your personal experience or your own knowledge and present them as examples from current events, art, literature, business, or almost any other topic. For instance, lets say your Aunt Edna started a business selling chocolate-covered pretzels on the street in New York City. She started the business because she noticed that her friends and neighbors were sick and tired of the dull, flavorless New York City pretzels offered at other stands, many of which had gone out of business due to lack of demand. Her chocolate-covered pretzel business became a success based on her competitors failures. Turn that example into an article you recently read in your local newspaper, and youve transformed your personal knowledge into a much more credible and impressive example about success and failure in business. Its certainly better to use universal examples based on facts and events that your grader might recognize. If youre in a bind, however, remember that you can bend the truth a bit and use your personal knowledge and experience to generate examples that prove your argument.
3. Organization
No matter what topic you end up writing about, the organization of your essay should be the same. Thats right, the same. If youre asked to write about whether theres no success like failure or about the merits of the phrase progress always comes at a cost, the structure of your essay should be almost identical. The SAT is looking for those standard ingredients, and the structure wer e about to explain will make sure those ingredients stand out in your essay. So whats this magical essay structure? Well, its back to the trusty fast food analogy: A good SA T essay is a lot like a triple-decker burger.
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No matter what the topic is, what you feel about it, or which examples you choose, you should always follow this five-paragraph structure on your SAT essay. The first and last paragraphs are your essays introduction and conclusion; each of the middle three paragraphs discusses an example that supports and illustrates your argument. Thats it. Just as important as the organization of your entire essay is the organization within each of the five paragraphs. Lets take a closer look at each paragraph next.
The Top Bun: Introduction

The introduction to an SA T essay has to do three things: Grab the graders attention. Explain your position on the topic clearly and concisely. Transition the grader smoothly into your three examples.
To accomplish these three goals, you need three to four sentences in your introduction. These three to four sentences will convey your thesis statement and the overall map of your essay to the grader. T HE TH ESIS STATEM ENT: The thesis statement is the first sentence of your essay. It identifies where you stand on the topic and should pull the grader into the essay. A good thesis statement is strong, clear, and definitive. A good thesis statement for the essay topic, Theres no success like failure, is
Le arning fro m th e le sso ns ta ugh t by failu re is a sure ro ute to suc ce ss.
This thesis statement conveys the writers position on the topic boldly and clearly. In only a few words, it carves out the position that the essay will take on the very broad, vague topic: learning from failure yields success. T HE E SS AY SU M M ARY: A fter the thesis statement, the rest of the first paragraph should serve as a kind of summary of the examples you will use to support your position on the topic. Explain and describe your three examples to make it clear how they fit into your argument. Its usually best to give each example its own sentence. Heres an example:
T h e U nited States o f A m eric a c an be se en as a suc ces s th at em e rge d fro m failure : by
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lea rning fro m the wea kne ss es o f th e A rtic le s o f C onfede ra tion , the fo und in g fathers we re able to c rea te the Cons titution , th e d o cu m ent o n whic h A me ric a is built. Go o gle Inc. , th e p o pu la r Interne t s earch en gine, is ano the r exa m ple o f a s ucc ess that a ro se fro m lea rning fro m failu re , tho ug h in th is ca se Go o gle le a rn ed fro m the fai lu re s o f its co m petito rs . A no the r exa m ple tha t sh o ws ho w s ucc ess c an arise fro m fa ilu re is the s to ry o f R od Jo h nso n, who s ta rted a rec ruit in g fi rm tha t ro se o ut o f the ashe s o f Jo hnso ns pe rs o na l ex perie nce o f being la id o ff.
Three sentences, three examples. The grader knows exactly what to expect from your essay now and is ready to dive in.
The Meat: Three-Example Paragraphs

Each of your three-example paragraphs should follow this basic format: Four to five sentences long. The first sentence should be the topic sentence, which serves as the thesis statement of the paragraph. It explains what your example is and places it within the context of your argument. The next three to four sentences are for developing your example. In these sentences you show through specific, concrete discussion of facts and situations just how your example supports your essay thesis statement.
For now were just going to show you one meat paragraph. As we continue through the chapter, youll see several more, some that are good, some that are bad. This one is good:
T h e U nited States , the firs t g re a t dem o cracy o f the m o de rn wo r ld, is a ls o o ne o f the be st e xam p le s o f a su cce ss ac hiev ed by studying and lea rning f ro m e a rlie r fai lu re s. A fte r just five ye a rs o f l iv in g unde r th e A rtic les of C onfede ra tion , which es ta b lis hed the U nited States o f A m e rica a s a sing le co untry fo r the fi rs t tim e , the sta tes re a liz ed th a t th ey ne ede d a n ew do cum ent and a new , m o re p o wer ful go vernm en t. In 1 7 8 6 , the A nn apo lis co nventio n wa s c o nv ene d. T he resu lt , th re e y ea rs late r , was th e C ons titution , which crea te d a m o re po we rful c ent ral go vernm en t whi le a ls o m a in ta in in g the integ r ity o f the states . B y le arn in g fro m the fai lure o f the A r tic les , th e fo un ding fa the rs c rea te d the fo un din g doc um en t o f a co untry that h as be co m e bo th the m o s t po we rful c o un try in the wo rld and a be aco n o f de m ocrac y.
The best meat paragraphs on the SA T essay are specific. The SATs essay directions say it loud and clear: Be specific. In its topic sentence, this paragraph states that the United States is one of the great examples of a success achieved by studying and learning from failures. It then uses the specific example of the Articles of Confederation, the Annapolis convention, and the Constitution to prove its position. Its specific throughout and even includes a few dates. Transitions Between Meat Paragraphs: Your first meat paragraph dives right into its thesis statement, but the second and third meat paragraphs need transitions. The simplest way to build these transitions is to use words like another and finally. That means your second meat paragraph should start with a transitional phrase such as, Another example . . . A slightly more sophisticated way to build transitions is to choose examples from different sources, such as from history and business. If the first paragraph is about a political instance of learning from failure and the second is from business, make that fact your transition: As in politics, learning from failure is a means to gaining success in business as well. Take the case of. . . .
The Bottom Bun: Conclusion

The conclusion of your essay should accomplish two main goals: Recap your argument while broadening it a bit.
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Expand your position. Look to the future.
To accomplish these two goals, your conclusion should contain three to four sentences. RE CA P Y OU R A RG U M ENT: The recap is a one-sentence summary of what youve already argued. As in the thesis statement, the recap should be straightforward, bold, and declarative. By broadening your argument, we mean that you should attempt to link your specific examples to wider fields, such as politics, business, and art. Heres a recap example:
T h e e xam p le s o f th e C ons titu tion , Ro d J oh nso n, an d G oo gle m ak e it clea r tha t in the rea lm s o f p o litics and b usine ss, the grea te st s ucc ess es arise fro m ca reful c o ns idera tio ns o f the les so n s o f failu re .
E XP AND ON YOU R P OS ITI ON: The last two or three sentences of the essay should take the argument you just recapped and push it a little further. One of the best ways to push your argument further is to look to the future and think about what would happen if the position that youve taken in your essay could be applied on a broader scale. Heres an example:
Fa ilu re is o ften see n as em ba rrass ing, s o m ething to be de nied and hidd en. B ut as the ex am ples o f the U .S. Constitut io n , Go o gle, and Ro d J o hn so n pro ve , if a n individu al, o rga nizatio n, o r eve n a na tio n is stro n g e no ugh to face and study its failu re , the n tha t failu re can bec o m e a po wer ful tea che r. A s the ex am ples o f histo ry an d bu sines s de m o ns trate , if ev e ry o ne ha d the c ourage an d ins ight to v iew failur e a s a s urefire way to le a rn f ro m m istak es, s uc ces s wo uld be ea sier to ac hieve .
The bottom bun wraps up the entire SAT essay. And there you have it! If you follow the template we just provided, and break down the essay into its core ingredients, your SAT essay will be strong, clear, and easy to write.
The Universal SAT Essay Template

To make sure you really get the essay organization, the following chart sums it all up. Heres the SA T essay outline you should use, no matter what topic you get or what position you take:
L e n gth P u rpo se
T he I n troduc tio n
T hes is S ta te m ent
1 s entenc e De sc ribe yo ur a rgu m ent c le a r ly a nd co n cisely.
E ssa y Sum m a ry
3 s enten ces
L ay o ut the th re e e xam p le s yo u will use to s upp o rt yo ur thes is state m ent .
E x a m ple P a ra gra ph 1
T opic Se nte nce
1 s entenc e De sc ribe yo ur ex am ple and fit it into the co nte xt o f yo ur o verall thes is s ta te m ent .
E xam p le
3 4
U s e s pec ific fac ts to s ho w ho w yo ur e xam p le su ppo rts
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D eve lo pm ent
s enten ces
y o ur a rg um ent . B e a s spe cific as p o ss ib le .
T opic Se nte nce
1 s entenc e De sc ribe yo ur ex am ple and fit it into the co nte xt o f yo ur o verall the sis. P ro vide a t ra nsit io n fro m the p revio u s e xam p le pa ra g raph. 3 4 s enten ces
E xam p le D eve lo pm ent
U s e s pec ific fac ts to s ho w ho w yo ur e xam p le su ppo rts y o ur a rg um ent . B e a s spe cific as p o ss ib le .
T opic Se nte nce
1 s entenc e De sc ribe yo ur ex am ple and fit it into the co nte xt o f yo ur o verall the sis. P ro vide a t ra nsit io n fro m the p revio u s p ara gr aph . 3 4 s enten ces
E xam p le D eve lo pm ent
U s e s pec ific fac ts to s ho w ho w yo ur e xam p le su ppo rts y o ur a rg um ent . B e a s spe cific as p o ss ib le .
T he Conc lu s io n
R eca p
1 s entenc e S um m ariz e y o ur a rgu me nt an d ex am ples , and link th e e xam p le s to b ro ade r thing s like po litics , histo ry , a rt, o r b usine ss. Yo u r 2 3 s enten ces
B ro a den A rgu m ent
E xpa nd yo ur p o sitio n by c o ntem plating wh at wo uld h appe n in the wo rld if peo ple (o r n atio ns, o r bus in ess es) fo llo wed the a rgum e nt yo u m ake in you r es say .
4. Command of Language
Taking a clear position and defending it with solid, detailed examples is a strong start to a successful SAT essay. But the SAT-graders also care about the mechanics of your writing, which we call your command of language. Think of your command of language as your fast food essays Special Sauceits the sprinkling of perfect word choice, grammar, sentence structure, and spelling that must ooze through your entire essay. A n SAT essay with a clear position and strong examples wont get a perfect score without the Special Sauce, so pay close attention to these three facets of your essay (the actual SAT essaygrading guidelines mention them specifically): Variation in sentence structure Word choice Grammar and spelling
Sentence Structure
Se ntenc e s truc tu re is ve ry im po rta nt . Senten ce st ru ctu re , if d o ne wel l , can ke ep yo u r read e rs en gag ed a nd help m a ke yo u r e ssa y e xcitin g a nd e asie r to read . S enten ce structu re , if it is m o no to no us a nd unc hanging, c an m ake y o ur e ssa y s o un d bo rin g a nd un so p histic ated. S en ten ce st ru ctu re is im po r ta nt o n the SA T e ssa y. S entenc e st ru ctu re is
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als o im po rtant in es sa ys yo u w ri te fo r s cho o l.
Did you notice how dull that entire last paragraph became after the first two sentences? Thats because every one of those sentences not only started in the same way but also all had the same straight-ahead plodding rhythm. Now go back and look at the earlier sample meat paragraph on the Constitution . Notice how the various sentences start differently and also have different internal rhythms. These variations in sentence structure keep the writing vibrant and interesting. Focus on changing the structure of your sentences as you write the essay. You dont have to invert every clause, but you should be careful not to let a few sentences in a row follow the same exact structure. Youve got to mix it up. Heres the boring first paragraph of this section rewritten with varied sentence structure:
Se ntenc e struc tu re is very im p o rta n t. V arying th e s truc tu re o f y o ur sen ten ces k eep s yo u r read e r en gage d and m ak es yo u r writ in g e asie r to rea d and m o re exc it ing. M o n o to no us an d re petitive se ntenc e struc tu re c an m ake y o ur e ss ay so und bo ring a nd un so p histic ated. M ix ing u p y o ur s enten ce stru ctu re is c ruc ia l o n th e SA T es say its also im po rta nt to co n sider w hen w riting ess ay s fo r sch oo l.
Much easier to read and far less repetitive, right? T RAN SI TIO N BE TWE EN SE NTENCE S One great way to vary your sentence structure while increasing the logical flow of your essay is to use transitions. Transitions are the words that provide the context necessary to help readers understand the flow of your argument. Theyre words, phrases, or sentences that take readers gently by the hand, leading them through your essay. Here are some different kinds of transitions you can use to spice up your sentence structure: Showing Contrast: Katie likes pink nail polish. In contrast, she thinks red nail
polish looks trashy. Elaborating: I love sneaking into movies. Even more than that, I love trying to steal candy while Im there. Providing an Exa mple: If you save up your money, you can afford pricey items. For example, Patrick saved up his allowance and eventually purchased a sports car. Showing Results: Manuel ingested nothing but soda and burgers every day for a month. As a result, he gained ten pounds. Showing Sequence: The police arrested Bob at the party. Soon after , his college applications were all rejected, and eventually Bob drifted into a life of crime.
O VERL Y COM PLE X SE NTENCE S Sometimes students think writing long complicated sentences will impress teachers. Maybe, but it wont impress SAT essay-graders. Keep your sentences short and simple. Complex sentences are difficult to understand, and your SAT essays should be as clear and easy to read as possible. We could fill an entire book with rules about creating simple and succinct prose. Instead, we give you two handy rules to simplify the sentences that you write on the SAT essay: 1. Never write a sentence that contains more than three commas. Try to avoid sentences with more than two commas. (Unless you need to include a list.) 2. Never write a sentence that takes up more than three lines of SAT-essay paper. Those rules are certainly not foolproof, but abiding by them will keep you from filling your SAT essay with overly complex sentences and will ultimately make your essay easier to understand.
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Word Choice
When students see that word choice plays a part in their essay score, they think it means that they have to use tons of sophisticated vocabulary words in order to score well. That belief is wrong and potentially damaging to your SAT essay score. If you strain to put big fancy words into your essay, youre bound to end up misusing those words. And misusing a sophisticated word is a worse offense than not using one at all. Word choice doesnt mean that you have to go for the big word every time. It means you should go for the proper word, the best word, the word that makes your essay as clear as possible. Lets look at part of the paragraph about the Constitution :
T h e U nited States , the firs t g re a t dem o cracy o f the m o de rn wo r ld, is a ls o o ne o f the be st e xam p le s o f a su cce ss ac hiev ed by studying and lea rning f ro m e a rlie r fai lu re s. A fte r just five ye a rs o f l iv in g unde r th e A rtic les of C onfede ra tion , which es ta b lis hed the U nited States o f A m e rica a s a sing le co untry fo r the fi rs t tim e , the sta tes re a liz ed th a t th ey ne ede d a n ew do cum ent and a new , m o re p o wer ful go vernm en t. In 1 7 8 6 , the A nn apo lis co nventio n wa s c o nv ene d. T he resu lt , th re e y ea rs la te r , was the C ons titution , which crea te d a m o re po we rful c ent ral go vernm en t whi le a ls o m a in ta in in g the integ r ity o f the states . B y le arn in g fro m the fai lure o f the A r tic les , th e fo un ding fa the rs c rea te d the fo un din g doc um en t o f a co untry that h as be co m e bo th the m o s t po we rful c o un try in the wo rld and a be aco n o f de m ocrac y.
This is 6-level writing, but it isnt teeming with five-syllable words. What the passage does is use every single word correctly. When it does reach for an uncommon word, like beacon , it uses the word appropriately and effectively. Now thats good word choice. So dont try to use a word unless you know what it means. Dont go throwing around tough words in the hope that youre going to use it correctly and impress your reader. The likelihood is that youre going to use the word incorrectly and give the grader a bad impression. Instead, keep it simple and stick to words you know well.
Grammar and Spelling

A few grammar or spelling mistakes sprinkled throughout your essay will not destroy your score. The SAT understands that youre bound to make minor mistakes in a rushed 25minute essay. Graders are instructed to look out for patterns of errors. If a grader sees that your punctuation is consistently wrong, that your spelling of familiar words is often incorrect, or that you write run-on sentences again and again, thats when your score will suffer. You need to be able to write solid grammatical sentences to score well on the essay. As for learning the grammar, well, youre in luck. We cover all the important grammar you need to know in Beat Identifying Sentence Errors and Beat Improving Sentences.
Know How to Put the Ingredients Together

B y now you know all of the ingredients you should use and the template you should follow to write a great SAT essay. Next you need to learn the writing process that will empower you to put it all together into a top-score-worthy essay every time. Follow the five steps we describe next and youll be on your way to a 6.
Five Steps to a 6
S te p 1 U nd ers ta nd th e to pic a nd take a po sitio n . 1 m in ute 2 3 m inu tes 3 4 m inu tes
S te p 2
B rainsto rm e xam p le s .
S te p 3
C reate an o utlin e .
S te p 4
Write the es sa y.
1 5 m inutes
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S te p 5
Pro o f the es sa y.
2 m in utes
Step 1: Understand the topic and take a position. (1 minute)

The first thing you must do before you can even think about your essay is read the topic very carefully. Heres the sample topic we will use throughout this section:
C o nside r th e fo l lo wing statem e n t an d a ss ig nm ent. T h en wr ite an es say a s dire c te d . T heres no s ucc ess like failu re . A s signm ent: Wr ite an ess ay in wh ich yo u a gre e o r disa g re e with th e s ta te m ent a bo ve . Re me m be r to ba ck up yo ur po sitio n with s pec ific e xam p le s fro m p erso n al ex perienc e , cu rren t e ven ts , histo ry, l ite ra tu re , o r any o the r disc ip line . Yo u r es say s hould be s pec ific.
Make sure you understand the topic thoroughly by making it your own. To do that, use the two strategies we discussed in the Ingredients section: Rephrase the Prompt. Failure can lead to success by teaching important lessons that help us avoid repeating mistakes in the future. Choose Your Position. (In our example, we agree with the topic.)
Thats it. One step down, four more to go.
Step 2: Brainstorm examples. (23 minutes)

Your position is that you agree with the statement that failure can lead to success by teaching important lessons that help us avoid repeating mistakes in the future. Terrific. Brainstorming, or thinking up examples to support your position, is the crucial next step. Plenty of SAT-takers will succumb to the temptation to plunge straight from Step 1 into writing the essay (Step 4). Skipping the brainstorming session will leave you with an opinion on the topic but with no clearly thought-out examples to prove your point. Youll write the first thing that comes to mind, and your essay will probably derail. So even though you feel the time pressure, dont skip brainstorming. Brainstorming seems simple. You just close your eyes and scrunch up your face and THINK REALLY HARD until you come up with some examples. But, in practice, brainstorming while staring at a blank page under time pressure can be intimidating and frustrating. To make brainstorming less daunting and more productive, weve got two strategies to suggest: B R AI NS TORM BY C AT EG ORY The best examples you can generate to support your SAT essay topic will come from a variety of sources such as science, history, politics, art, literature, business, and personal experience. So, brainstorm a list split up by category. Heres the list we brainstormed for the topic, Theres no success like failure.
C urren t Ev e n ts F ailu re o f 9 /1 1 sec urity le d to the c rea tio n o f Ho m eland Se curity .
S c ie nce
B abies lea rn to w alk o nly afte r trying and fail in g tim e and ag ain .
H istor y
c ant think o f o ne
P oli tic s
T he US Con stitutio n was wr it te n o nly afte r the fai lu re o f the A r tic le s
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o f Con fe derat io n .
C ant think o f o ne.
A rt
L ite ra tu re
J am es J oy ce be cam e a write r o nly afte r fai lin g as a singe r.
P ers on a l E x per ie nce
R o d Jo h nso n (yo ur un cle) rea lized the nee d fo r a p la cem e nt ag enc y in So uth C a ro lina a ft e r ge tt ing la id o ff.
B u sin e ss
G o ogle watche d the fa ilu re s o f its co m p etito rs a nd lea rne d to im pro v e its In te rne t bus in ess m o del and tech no logy .
Lets say you took three minutes and came up with a list of eight categories like ours, and you got examples for five of them. Thats still great. That means your next step is to choose the top three of your five potential examples. PRE P ARE AHE AD OF TIM E If you want to put in the time, you could also do some brainstorming ahead of time. Brainstorming ahead of time can be a great method, because it gives you time to do more than just brainstorm. You can actually prepare examples for each of the seven categories weve brainstormed above in our chart. You could, for instance, read up about various scientists, learning about their successes, their failures, the impact of their discoveries (positive and negative), and memorize dates, events, and other facts. The risk inherent in planning ahead is that you can get stuck with a topic on the SA T in which all your knowledge about scientists just isnt applicable. But while this is somewhat of a risk, since the SAT essay topics are so broad, you can often massage your examples to fit. Preparing ahead of time will pay off if you develop a few examples that you know a lot about for the essay. But it could backfire if it winds up that you absolutely cannot use the examples you prepared. Then youll have to resort to thinking up examples on the spot. If you dont want to risk wasting time preparing ahead of time, dont. Its up to you. CH OO SE YOU R T OP THR EE When you go through your brainstormed and pre-prepared examples to decide which three you should actually use, you need to keep three things in mind: 1. Which examples can you be most specific about? 2. Which examples will give your essay the broadest range? 3. Which examples are not controversial? The first two reasons are pretty straightforward: Specificity and variety in your examples will help you write the strongest essay. The point about controversy is a bit more subtle. Staying away from very controversial examples ensures that you wont accidentally offend or annoy your grader, who might then be more inclined to lower your grade. For instance, the 9/11 example from our brainstormed list should be cut. The event just is too full of unresolved issues to serve as a suitable essay topic, and the last thing you want to do is upset or offend anyone. Heres another example. Lets say that youre not so certain if that story about James Joyce being a singer is even really true, and that you think lots of people might go for the babies walking example. That would mean you decide to keep the examples about the Constitution , Google, and the story of Rod Johnson. What if instead of referring to Rod Johnson as your enterprising uncle, you portray him as a businessman you read about in an esteemed publication recently? Transform your personal experience and make it seem like an actual example from current events. The SAT essay graders care much more about how well you write and how intelligently you can use examples to back up your position
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than they care about the truth of what you say in examples drawn from personal experience. That means youve narrowed down your brainstormed topics to the top three. Next up: Outlining.
Step 3: Create an outline. (34 minutes)

A fter brainstorming comes the essay writing step that students tend to dread mostwriting an outline. So were here to encourage you to embrace the outline. Love the outline! Live the outline! At the very least, write the outline. On fast food essays like the SAT essay, which rewards standard conformity much more than it does creativity, organizing your ideas in outline form and then sticking to that outline is crucial. Though you may feel that youre wasting your time, we guarantee that the four or five minutes that you invest in writing an outline will definitely be paid back when you write the essay. W RITI NG THE OU TL INE Since your outline is a kind of bare-bones map of your essay, the outline should follow our Universal SAT Essay Template. Heres a summary of the template:
P ARAGRAP H P URP O SE WH A T I T SH O ULD CO N TAI N
Intro duc tio n
T hes is sta te m ent; sta te ex am ples
Exa m ple 1
T opic s entenc e fo r exa m ple 1 ; ex pla in exa m ple 1
Exa m ple 2
Exa m ple 3
C o nc lusio n
T hes is rep hrase d in a bro ad er wa y; a lo o k into the futu re
A s you write the outline, remember that conveying your ideas clearly matters at this stage. Your outline need not be articulate or even comprehensible to anyone other than you. Your outline must contain all the essential raw material that will become your thesis statement, topic sentences, and concluding statement when you write your essay. A s you sketch out your outline, consider where you want each example to go. We suggest that you put what you consider to be your strongest example first, followed by the second strongest, and then the least strong. We suggest this because the essay is a timed section, and if for some reason you run out of time and can only fit two example paragraphs between your intro and conclusion, they might as well be your best two examples. Heres a sample outline weve written based on the topic and examples we have already discussed. Notice that weve placed our examples in strongest to weakest order starting in paragraph 2.
P ARAGRAP H I N TRO D UCTIO N 1 : F ailu re c an le ad to s ucc es s tea ching les son s, lea rning m istak es. T hre e exa m ple s: (1 ) U S C o ns titutio n an d A rt ic le s fai lure , (2 ) fail ed do t-c o m s lead to m o re su cce ss ful o nline bus in ess es , (3 ) g uy who s ta rted su cce ssful re c ru it ing bus in ess a fter g et ting la id o ff.
P ARAGRAP H 2 : U S C o ns titu tio n de velo p ed by study ing the failu re s o f prev io us E XAM P LE 1 (B EST) d o cu m ent, A rticles o f C o nfe deratio n. B y study in g failure s U S b eca m e true re vo lutio na ry de m o crac y. 3 : G o ogle studied co m p etito rs st ruggles , cam e up with b ette r ( N EXT tec hno lo gical s o lutio n a nd better bus ines s m o del. Sinc e fa ilu re
P ARAGRAP H E XAM P LE 2
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B EST)
is g o o d teac her , intel lige nt c o m pa nies lo o k e verywh er e , ev en in rivals , to lea rn and e vo lve .
fo r
fa ilu re
P ARAGRAP H E XAM P LE 3 B EST)
4 : J o hn so n found ed jo b pla cem e nt age ncy ba sed o n difficultie s ( N EXT finding a n ew jo b afte r ge tting la id o ff. S tud ie d h is fa i lure , fo u nd pro blem s lay with s ys tem , no t wi th him .
P ARAGRAP H C O N CLUSI O N
5 : F ailu re o ften see n as em ba rras sing. P eo p le try to hide it . B u t if y o u o r s o ciety ta ke re spo nsibility fo r it , stud y i t, histo ry s ho ws failu re lea ds to s uc ces s fo r eve ry o ne .
Your outline does not have to be written in complete sentences. Notice how in the example above we drop verbs and write in a note-taking style. Feel free to write just enough to convey to yourself what you need to be able to follow during the actual writing of your essay. Once you have the outline down on paper, writing the essay becomes more a job of polishing language and ideas than creating them from scratch.
Step 4: Write the essay. (15 minutes)

Writing the essay consists of filling out your ideas by following your outline and plugging in whats missing. That adds up to only about ten more sentences than what youve jotted down in your outline, which should already contain a basic version of your thesis statement, one topic sentence for each of your three examples, and a conclusion statement that ties everything together. A ll together your essay should be about fifteen to twenty sentences long. A s you write, keep these three facets of your essay in mind: Organization Development Clarity
Following your outline will make sure you stick to the Universal SAT Essay Template. That means organization shouldnt be a problem. A s far as development goes, you should make sure that every sentence in the essay serves the greater goal of proving your thesis statement as well as the more immediate purpose of building on the supporting examples you present in the intro and in each example paragraphs topic sentence. You should also make sure that you are specific with your examples: give dates, describe events in detail, and so on. B y clarity, we mean the simplicity of the language that you use. That involves spelling and grammar, but it also means focusing on varying sentence length and structure as well as including a few well-placed vocabulary words that you definitely know how to use correctly. Do not break from your outline. Never pause for a digression or drop in a fact or detail thats not entirely relevant to your essays thesis statement. Youre serving fast food, and fast food always sticks to the core ingredients and the universal recipe. I F YOU RU N OU T OF TIM E If youre running out of time before finishing the intro, all three example paragraphs, and the conclusion, theres still hope. Heres what you should do: Drop one of your example paragraphs. You can still get a decent score, possibly a 4 or 5, with just two. Three examples is definitely the strongest and safest way to go, but if you just cant get through three, take your two best examples and go with them. Just be sure to include an introduction and a conclusion in every SAT essay. T HE FINI SHED E SSA Y: OU R EX AMP LE Here is an example of a complete SAT essay. Its based strictly on the outline we built in step 3 of our Five Steps to a 6, with a focus on clear simple language and the occasional drop of special sauce.
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Le arning th e l es so n s tau ght b y failure is a sure ro ute to suc ces s. T he U nite d S ta te s o f A m e rica ca n b e s een as a suc ces s tha t e m erged fro m failu re : by le a rning fro m the we akne ss es o f the A rticles of Co nfede ration , the fo und in g fathers were abl e to crea te the Cons titution , the do cum e nt o n which A m eric a is buil t. Go o gle Inc ., the po pu la r Inte rn et se a rch eng in e, is ano the r exa m ple o f a suc ces s tha t a ro se fro m l ea rning fro m failu re , tho ugh in this ca se Go o gle le a rned fro m th e fa ilu res o f i ts c o m pe ti to rs . A no the r ex am ple th at s ho ws ho w suc cess can a rise fro m failu re is th e s to ry o f Ro d Jo hns on, who star ted a rec ru iting fi rm that a ro s e fro m J o h ns ons perso nal exp erie nce o f being laid o ff . T he U nited Sta tes, the f irst g re a t de m o crac y o f the m o de rn wo rld , is a lso o n e o f the be st e xam p le s o f a su cce ss ac hiev ed by studying and lea rning f ro m e a rlie r fai lu re s. A fte r just five ye a rs o f l iv in g unde r th e A rtic les of C onfede ra tion , which es ta b lis hed the U nited States o f A m e rica a s a sing le co untry fo r the fi rs t tim e , the sta tes re a liz ed th a t th ey ne ede d a n ew do cum ent and a new , m o re p o wer ful go vernm en t. In 1 7 8 6 , the A nn apo lis co nventio n wa s c o nv ene d. T he resu lt , th re e y ea rs la te r , was the C ons titution , which crea te d a m o re po we rful c ent ral go vernm en t whi le a ls o m a in ta in in g the integ r ity o f the states . B y le arn in g fro m the fai lure o f the A r tic les , th e fo un ding fa the rs c rea te d the fo un din g doc um en t o f a co untry that h as be co m e bo th the m o s t po we rful c o un try in the wo rld and a be aco n o f de m ocrac y. U nlik e the U n ited States , which ha d its fai r s hare o f up s and do wns ov er the yea rs , the Inte rne t s ea rch en gine co m p any , Goo g le , has s uffered f ew s etbac ks sinc e it wen t into b usine ss in the la te 1 9 9 0 s. Go ogle ha s s uc cee ded by s tud ying th e fa ilu res o f o the r co m pan ie s in o rd er to help it inno vate its t ec hno lo gy a nd b usine ss m ode l. Go o gle iden tifie d a nd so lved th e p ro blem o f asses sing th e qua lity o f sea rc h re sults b y using the nu m ber o f link s po inting to a pa ge as an indic ato r o f the nu m ber o f peo ple w ho find the pa ge va lu able. S udde nly, Go o gles se arch re sul ts b ec am e fa r m o re a ccu ra te an d r el iable than tho s e fro m o the r co m p anies , and n o w Go ogle s do m in anc e in th e field o f In te rne t se arch is alm o st abs o lute . T he ex am ple o f Ro d J o hnso ns suc ce ss also sh o ws ho w effe ctiv e lea rn ing fro m m istake s and failu re ca n be . R a th e r than ac ce pt his fa ilu re a fte r be ing laid o ff , J o hnso n de cided to study it. A fte r a m o n th o f res ea rc h , J o hnso n re al iz ed that h is failu re to find a ne w jo b resu lted prim a ri ly fro m the ine ff ic ie nc y o f th e lo c al jo b plac em e nt ag enc ie s, no t fro m his o wn deficienc ie s. A m o nth la te r, J o hnso n crea ted J o hns on Staffing to co rr ec t this we ak nes s in th e jo b plac em ent s ec to r. T o d ay J o hnso n Sta ffing is the la rge st jo b plac em en t age ncy in So u th C aro lina and is in the p ro ce ss o f ex panding in to a natio na l co rp o ra tio n . F ailu re is o ften se en as em b arras sing, so m e thing to b e denie d a nd hidde n. B ut a s the exa m ples o f the U .S . Co nstitu tion , Go o g le , and Ro d J ohn so n p ro v e, if an individu al , o rga nizatio n, o r eve n a na tio n is stro n g e no ugh to face and study its failu re , the n tha t failu re c an b eco m e a p o werful te a che r. T he exa m ples o f histo ry a nd bu sines s de m o ns trate tha t fa ilu re ca n b e the be st c atalyst o f su cce ss , but o nly if p eop le ha ve the co urage to fa ce it hea d o n.
In the Practice Essay section at the end of this chapter, we provide analysis to explain more fully why we think this essay deserves a 6. For now, its time to move on to the final step of our Five Steps to a 6proofing your essay.
Step 5: Proof the essay. (2 minutes)

Proofing your essay means reading through your finished essay to correct mistakes or to clear up words that are difficult to read. If you dont have two minutes after youve finished writing the essay (step 4), spend whatever time you do have left proofing. Read over your essay and search for rough writing, bad transitions, grammatical errors, repetitive sentence structure, and all that special sauce stuff. The SAT explicitly says that handwriting will not
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affect your grade, but you should also be on the lookout for instances in which bad handwriting makes it look as if youve made a grammatical or spelling mistake. If youre running out of time and you have to skip a step, proofing is the step to drop. Proofing is important, but its the only one of the Five Steps to a 6 that isnt absolutely crucial.
Two Sample SAT EssaysUp Close

Below is our sample essay question, which is designed to be as close as possible to an essay question that might appear on the SAT. Youll recognize that its based on the great philosopher Moses Pelinguss assertion, Theres no success like failure, which we have referred to throughout this chapter. This particular essay topic presents you with a very broad idea and then asks you to explain your view and back it up with concrete examples. Not every SAT essay topic will take this form, but every SAT essay question will require you to take a position and defend it with examples. Heres the sample prompt again:
C o nside r ca refu lly the fo llo w ing qu o tatio n a nd the a ssign m ent b elo w i t . T he n p la n a nd wr ite an es say that e xplains yo ur idea s as persu asive ly a s p o ss ib le . K ee p in m ind tha t the s upp o rt yo u pro vide bo th reas o ns and ex am ples w ill he lp m a ke y o ur view co nvinc in g to the re ade r.
T h ere s n o suc cess lik e failu re . Wha t is y o ur v ie w o n the idea that suc ces s can b egin with fa ilure? In a n ess ay, sup po rt yo ur po sitio n us in g an exa m ple (o r e xam ple s) fro m li te ratu re , th e a rts, his to ry, c u r ren t ev ents, po litic s , s cienc e an d te chno lo gy , o r fro m y o ur perso n al exp erie nce o r o b serva tio n.
Below are two different versions of responses to our sample essay question. We provide examples of a 6 essay and a 4 essay, complete with a brief analysis of each essay and how they differ from each other. We evaluate both essays according to three sets of criteria: Our four essential essay ingredients The SAT graders checklist A checklist based on our Universal SAT Essay Template
A s you read both examples, note that we have marked certain sentences and paragraphs to illustrate where and how the essay does or does not abide by our Universal SAT Essay Template.
A 6 Essay
Le arning th e les so ns ta ught by fa ilu re is a s u re ro ute to su cc ess . (T HESIS STAT EM ENT ) T h e U nited States o f A m eric a c an be se en as a suc ces s th at em erge d fro m failure : by lea rning fro m the wea kne ss es o f th e A rtic le s o f C onfede ra tion , the fo und in g fathers we re able to crea te th e C ons titu tion , the do cum e nt on which A m erica is bu ilt . (B E ST SU PPO RT ING EX A MPLE [1 ]) Goo g le Inc., the po p ular Inte rn e t se arch eng in e, is ano the r ex am ple o f a su cc ess that a ro se fro m le a rning fro m fa ilu re , th o ug h in th is c ase Go ogle lea rne d fro m the fai lures o f i ts co mp etito rs. (NEXT BEST S UPPO RT ING E XAM PL E [2 ]) A n o th er ex am ple th a t sho ws ho w suc ces s c an aris e fro m f ai lu re is the sto ry o f R o d J o hnso n, who starte d a rec rui tin g fi rm tha t a ro se fro m J o hn so n s p ers o na l ex perienc e o f
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be in g la id o ff. (NE XT B EST SU PP O RT ING EXA M PLE [3 ]) T he U nited Sta tes, the f irst g re a t de m o crac y o f the m o de rn wo rld , is a lso o n e o f the be st ex am ples o f a suc cess ach ie ved by studying and le arning fro m e arlie r fa ilures . (T O PIC S ENT E NC E FO R EX A MPL E 1 ) A fter jus t five ye a rs o f liv in g u nde r the A r tic le s o f Co nfe deration , wh ic h e stabl ishe d the U nited State s o f A m er ica as a single co u ntry fo r the fi rs t tim e, the sta tes re al iz ed th at they ne ede d a ne w do cum e nt an d a ne w m o re po werfu l go ve rn m ent . In 1 7 8 6 , th e A n nap o lis co nventio n wa s c o nv ene d. T he re sult , three y ea rs la te r , w a s the C onstitu tion , which c reat ed a m o r e po wer ful c ent ra l go vernm e nt while also m ainta ining th e int egr ity o f th e s ta te s. B y le a rning fro m the failu re o f the A r tic les , the fo unding fathers c rea ted the fo und ing d o cu m ent o f a co un try that ha s be co m e bo th the mo st po werfu l c o un try in the wo rld and a be aco n o f de m o crac y. (FO U R DE V ELO PMENT S ENT ENC ES T O SU PPO RT E XA MP LE 1 )
U nlik e the U n ited States , which had its fai r s hare o f up s a nd do wns ov er the yea rs , the Inte rnet s ea rch en gine co m p any, G oo g le In c., has su ffered fe w s etb ac ks since it we nt in to bu sines s in th e la te 1 9 9 0s. (T O P IC SENT ENC E FO R E XA MPL E 2 ) Goo g le ha s su cc eed ed by study ing the fa ilures o f o th er co m panie s in o rder to h elp it inno vate its tech no lo g y a nd bus in ess m o del. Go o gle ide ntif ied and so lv ed th e pro blem o f ass es sing the qua li ty o f s earch resu lts by using th e n um be r o f link s p o inting to a pa ge as an indica to r o f the nu m ber o f peo ple w ho find the pa ge valua ble . Su dde nly, Go o gles se arch resu lts bec am e fa r mo re ac curate and re liab le than th o se fro m o ther c o m pa nies, a nd no w Go o gles do m inan ce in the fie ld o f Inte rnet se arch is alm o s t a bs o lu te . (T HR EE DE V ELO PM ENT SENTE NCES TO SU PPO RT E XAM P LE 2 ) T h e e xam p le o f Ro d Jo h nso ns s uc ces s as an entreprene u r in the re c ru iting field als o s ho ws ho w e ffec tive lea rning f ro m m is ta kes a nd fa ilure can be . (T O PIC SE NT ENC E FO R E XA M PL E 3 ) Rathe r th an acc ept h is fa i lure a fte r be in g la id o ff, J o hnso n de cide d to stud y it. A fte r a m o nth o f res ea rch , J o h nso n rea liz ed tha t his fa ilu re to find a ne w jo b resu lted prim a rily fro m the ine ffic ienc y o f th e lo c al jo b p la cem e nt ag enc ie s, n o t fro m his o wn de ficien cies. A m o nth late r , J o hnso n created J o h ns on S taffin g to co rrec t this we akne ss in the jo b place m ent se c to r . T o day Jo hns on S ta ffing is the la rg est jo b plac em en t age ncy in So u th C aro lina, a nd is in th e p ro ces s o f ex pan ding in to a natio na l co rp o ra tio n . (F O U R DEV E LO PM ENT SENT ENC ES TO SUP PO RT EX A MPL E 3 ) F ailu re is o ften se en as em b arras sing, so m e thing to b e denie d a nd hidde n. B ut a s the exa m ples o f the U .S. C ons titu tion , Go ogle, a nd Ro d J o hnson pro v e, if an individu al, o rga nizatio n, o r eve n a na tio n is stro n g e no ugh to face and study its failu re , the n tha t failu re ca n b eco m e a p o werfu l te ach er . (T H ESIS S T AT EM ENT REP HRA SED IN B ROA DER WA Y T HA T PU SHES IT FU RT HE R) T he exam p le s o f histo ry and b usine ss de mo ns trate tha t failu re ca n be th e bes t ca ta lys t o f s ucc es s, b ut o n ly if pe o ple hav e the c o urag e to fa ce it he ad o n.
W hy This Essay Deserves a 6

First, we need to assess whether this essay contains the four essential ingredients of a great SAT essay. Here they are, just to refresh your memory: 1. Positioning: The strength and clarity of the position on the given topic. 2. Examples: The relevance and development of the examples used to support your argument. 3. Organization: The organization of each paragraph and of the essay overall. 4. Command of La nguage: Sentence construction, grammar, and word choice. This essay serves up all four SAT essay ingredients. It takes a very strong and clear stance on the topic in the first sentence and sticks to it from start to finish. It uses three examples from a very diverse array of disciplinesfrom Internet technology to history and politics to a profile of an entrepreneurand it never veers from using these examples to support the
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thesis statements position. The organization of the essay follows our Universal SAT Essay Template perfectly, both at the paragraph level (topic sentences and development sentences) and at the overall essay level (intro, three meaty example paragraphs, a strong conclusion). The command of language remains solid throughout. The writer does not take risks with unfamiliar vocabulary but instead chooses a few out of the ordinary words like beacon , deficiencies, and innovate that sprinkle just the right amount of special sauce throughout the essay. Sentence structure varies often, making the entire essay more interesting and engaging to the grader. Finally, no significant grammar errors disrupt the overall excellence of this SAT essay. Heres a quick-reference chart that takes a closer look at this 6 essay based on the actual SATs evaluation criteria for graders and based on our Universal SAT Essay Template.
S AT CRI TE RI A FO R 6 ESS AYS YES NO? OR
C o ns is te ntly ex ce llen t, wi th a t m o s t a fe w m ino r e rro rs .
YE S
T ake s a c lear p o sitio n o n the to pic an d u ses ins ightfu l re le van t exa m ples to YE S b ack it up .
S ho ws s tro n g o verall o rga nizatio n and p ara g raph de velo p m ent.
YE S
D em o ns trates a su perio r c o m m an d o f lang uage , a s s ho wn s enten ce structu re a nd wo rd cho ic e .
by v arie d YE S
O U R UN I VERSA L SAT ESSA Y T EM P LAT E C RI TER I A
YES NO?
OR
T hes is s ta te m ent in fi rs t s entenc e o f pa ra g raph 1 .
YE S
T hre e exa m ples lis te d in pa ra g ra ph 1 in o rd e r fro m be st to wo rs t.
YE S
T opic se ntenc e fo r e xa mp le in pa rag ra ph 2 .
YE S
3 4 de velo pm ent s entenc es to suppo rt pa ra g ra ph 2 s exa m ple.
YE S
T opic se ntenc e fo r e xa mp le in pa rag ra ph 3 .
YE S
3 4 de velo pm ent s enten ces to suppo rt pa ra g ra ph 3 s exa m ple.
YE S
T opic se ntenc e fo r e xa mp le in pa rag ra ph 4 . 3 4 de velo pm ent s entenc es to suppo rt pa ra g ra ph 4 s exa m ple.
YE S
YE S
C o nc lusio n parag ra ph co n ta in s re phrase d the sis sta tem en t.
YE S
A bou t 1 5 sente nc es to ta l.
YE S
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A 4 Essay
Fa ilu re ca n s o m etim es le ad to su cc ess . (T HESIS STAT EM ENT ) M any Intern et co m m erce bu sines ses h ave lea rne d fro m the te rrib le fai lu re s o f th e d o t- co m bo o m and bus t, a nd to da y a re in m u ch st ro nge r m o re s ucc ess fu l po s itio ns than they we re ju st a fe w y ears ag o . (SU PP O RT ING EXA M PLE [1 ]). A n o ther e xam p le pro v in g tha t fa ilu re so m e tim es lea ds to suc ces s is tha t o f A rno ld A rn ie Wagn er, a h eav y m eta l d rum m e r who lea rned to play the drum s in a be tte r d iffe re n t style a fte r a c ripp ling ca r ac c iden t alm o st k illed him a nd his ba nd. (SU P PO RT ING EX A MPLE [2 ]) No t al l Inte rn et bus ines ses va nishe d wh en th e d o t- co m bo o m we nt bus ts o m e pick ed up the piec es, le a rn ed fro m th ei r m is ta kes , an d m o ved o n.T he In te rn et bo o m w as go o d to o nline sho ppe rs bu t no t so grea t to o nline bus in ess es. S ho ppers re aped the be nefits o f a ll kinds o f great d ea ls and o nline p ro m o tio n s, wh ile e- co m m e rce b usine sse s did th em se lv es in. So m e Internet c o m pa nies re a liz ed th e m is ta kes o the rs we re m aking , su ch as o fferin g to o dee p disco unts and no t cha rging fo r sh ip ping, a nd th ey no w hav e be nefite d b y no t s uffe ring th e sam e p itfa lls . O nly the fa i lu re o f o th e r bu sines s m ade this ha ppe n. (FO U R DEV ELO PM ENT SE NT ENC ES TO SU PPOR T E XA MP LE 1 ) A rn o ld A rn ie Wa gner is o ne o f th e be st drum m ers a liv e to da y. (NO T OPIC SE NT EN CE T O SUPPO RT EXA M PLE 2 ) Hes sure luck y to be alive! A rn ie lo s t his right a rm in a ca r c ra sh just a s his ban d D a rk nes s Falls was b eginning to estab lish s ucc ess . Ra the r than give up a nd fa il wi th h is o ne arm , Wa gne r to o k th e p ro b le m o n co urage o us ly and de cides to v ie w it as an o p po rtu nity to ch ang e h is drum m ing style. He ha s a s pec ia l drum kit des ig ned fo r him, c o m ple te with elec t ro nic p eda ls co ntro lled by fo o t, which lead s h im to a ne w s tyle and his b and to ev en g re ater he igh ts o f suc ce ss. (FIV E DE V ELO PM ENT SENTE NCES TO SU PPO RT E XAM P LE 2 ) F ai lu re do esn t h ave to end there . O ften peo ple a nd bus in ess es us e o thers fai lures o r eve n the ir o wn to lea rn fro m m is ta kes a nd try no t to re pea t th em . Pro o f? To day A rnie Wag ner is st il l o n to p o f the drum m ing wo r ld , and m an y o nlin e b usine ss es co ntinu e to thriv e. (T H ESIS ST AT EM ENT T OU C HED O N, BUT NOT REPHRA SE D IN B RO A DER WA Y T HA T P USHE S IT FU RT HE R) T he ex am ples o f his to ry and bus ines s d em o nstrat e tha t failu re ca n be th e bes t ca ta lys t o f s ucc es s, bu t o nly if pe o ple hav e the c o urag e to fa ce it he ad o n.
W hy This Essay Deserves a 4

This essay does an adequate job serving up all four SAT essay ingredients. Its competent overall but not exceptional. Thats the key difference between 4 essays and 6 essays. The 4s are like average students: They do the work the night before, turn it in, and get back a passing grade that keeps their parents off their back. The 6s are above excellent students: They do their homework days in advance, turn it in early, and impress teachers with the superior quality of their work. More specifically, this 4 essay takes a stance on the topic in the first sentence and sticks to it, but the stance is not resoundingly clear from the start: Failure can sometimes lead to success. The thesis statement is vague and makes the essays positioning wishy-washy, which makes it weaker overall than the 6 essays unwavering stance. It does use examples to support its position, but its examples are not as sophisticated or as varied as the examples in the 6 essay. Theyre also not linked together with transitions and occasionally veer slightly off topic. The organization of the essay follows our Universal SAT Essay Template closely, but not perfectly. For starters, it contains only two examples. Though not disastrous, including only two examples limits the breadth of your support. It also makes the strength and quality of your examples all the more crucial, since having only two will make the grader scrutinize them more closely than if your support were spread over three examples.
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A t the sentence level, this essay does include a thesis statement and a topic sentence in the first example paragraph, but the structure begins to derail at the beginning of the second example paragraph. The writer introduces the drummer Arnie Wagner, but not in a way that is directly related to proving the thesis statement. The paragraph meanders toward a topic sentence, but never regains a sure footing. The conclusion refers back to the thesis statement in broad terms (Failure doesnt have to end there), but it does not tie the essay together as well as the broadening conclusion found in the 6 essay. The command of language remains acceptable throughout. Compared to the 6 essay, this 4 essay contains significantly more spelling and grammar errors, most notably the jarring tense shift in paragraph 3. The entire passage is written in the past tense, but suddenly shifts into the present tense with the sentence that begins, He has a special drum kit. . . . This essay also features repetitive sentence structure that makes it a much duller read than the 6. The 4 contains no special sauce whatsoever, another contributing factor to its average quality overall. Heres a closer look at this 4 essay based on the SATs evaluation criteria for graders and based on our Universal SAT Essay Template. Pay special attention to the difference in criteria for 4 essays and 6 essays, and to the deficiencies in the 4 essay as compared to the 6 (the NOs in the YES/NO column). The 4 essays NOs pinpoint its weaknesses, which we just discussed.
S AT CRI TE RI A FO R 4 ESS AYS Y ES O R NO?
C o ns is te ntly so lid, with a t l eas t se ve ral m ino r e rro rs and a fe w mo re s e rio u s Y ES w eak nes ses o r m is ta kes .
A ddres ses the to pic prese nted ade qua te ly .
Y ES
U ses e xamp le s to su ppo rt a p o sitio n o n the to pic .
Y ES
S ho ws a cceptable o rgan iz at io n and de velop m ent thro ug ho u t.
Y ES
C o m pe ten t but no t co nsisten t co m m a nd o f la ngu age , with sev era l e r ro rs in Y ES g ra m m a r an d u sa ge and o nly s lig ht se ntenc e v ar ia tio n .
O U R UN I VERSA L SAT ESSA Y T EM P LAT E C RI TE RI A
Y ES O R NO?
T hes is s ta te m ent in fi rs t s entenc e o f pa ra g raph 1 .
Y ES
T hre e exa m ples lis te d in pa ra g ra ph 1 in o rd e r fro m be st to wo rs t.
NO
Y ES
Y ES
NO
NO
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NO
NO
C o nc lusio n parag ra ph co n ta in s re phrase d the sis sta tem en t.
Y ES
A bou t 1 5 sente nc es to ta l.
Y ES
Beat Identifying Sentence Errors

IDENTIFYING SENTENCE ERRORS ARE TRUE TO THEIR name: On these questions, you simply find the errors in the sentences. You dont have to fix the error, name the error, or love the error. You just have to find it. Simple.
The Directions
Here are the SATs directions for Identifying Sentence Errors. Memorize them now to avoid having to read them and waste time when you take the actual test.
Di re ct io ns: T h e fo llo wing sen ten ces tes t y o ur kn o wledg e o f gra m m ar , usa ge, dict io n (cho ic e o f wo rds ), a nd idio m . So m e se ntenc es are co r rec t . No sen ten ce co ntains m o re th an o ne e rro r. Y o u will find th a t th e e rro r , if the re is o ne , is u nde rl in ed and let te re d. Elem e n ts o f the sen te nce tha t a re no t unde rl ined wi ll no t be c han ged. In cho o sing an swe rs , fo llo w the re quir em ents o f s ta nda rd w r it te n Eng lish . If th ere is an er ro r, s elec t the o n e u nde rlined pa rt that m u st be c hang ed to m a ke the se nte nce c o r re ct an d fill in the co rres po nd in g o val o n yo ur an swer she et . If the re is n o e rro r , f il l in ans we r o val E .
These directions are models of clarity. But there are two subtle points that are important to understand. First, the phrase follow the requirements of standard written English means you must use the rules that govern formal writing rather than the rules that govern the way you talk. That means, Hello, how are you? instead of Whats up? Second, the directions tell you that some of the actual questions are completely correct. Thats what answer choice E is all about. Students tend to find these questions especially tough. When they cant find any errors, theyre not sure if theyre missing something or if the sentence really is perfect. Well, we did a little snooping around through the SAT II Writing and discovered that about one-fifth of the Identifying Sentence Errors questions on the test will be answer E. We expect that ratio to more or less carry over to the new SAT Writing section. That means you dont need to be alarmed if you cant find an error. That will happen in about one out of every five questions.
Four Steps and Seven Screw-Ups

Heres a sample Identifying Sentence Error question:
45
T he cro wd,
which
cla m o re d ap pea r,
fo r
the
play e rs
to
wer e
unusually
ro wdy fo r
a typic ally res e rv ed
au dienc e
No er ro r
Thats all it is: A sentence with a bunch of scattered lines. Above one of those lines is an error that youve got to pick out and then identify as A, B, C, D, or E. Nearly every error on Identifying Sentence Errors questions will be traceable to one of seven major grammatical mistakes. We call these the Seven Deadly Screw-Ups: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Pronouns Subject-Verb Agreement Tenses Parallelism Adverbs and Adjectives Gerunds . Idioms, Wrong Words, and Double Negatives
In the next section, we take a much closer look at each of the seven grammar pitfalls, complete with examples of each. First we want to show you the four-step method weve developed to help you pick out where the Seven Deadly Screw-Ups lie in every Identifying Sentence Errors question you face. Heres a chart of the four steps. An explanation of each step follows.
S te p 1 Rea d the s enten ce an d try to hea r the sc rew - up .
S te p 2
Elim ina te u nder lin ed ch o ices that yo u kn o w are c o r re ct .
S te p 3
C he ck fo r sc re w-u ps am o ng th e rem a in in g cho ic es.
S te p 4
If al l e lse fai ls , go wi th E .
Step 1: Read the sentence and try to hear the screw-up.
46
Sometimes all youll has to do is read the sentence, and immediately youll just hear the problem. Itll scream off the page and into your ear. If that happens, great. But dont expect that to happen all the time, since using your ear only works if its well trained. Having a good ear for bad grammar is not something everybody has naturally. Its kind of like having a good ear for music. Some people magically have perfect pitch from birth, but most people must work at developing their sense of musical pitch over time. Were going to assume that, like us, youve not been born with the gift of an ear for perfect grammar. Even if you feel like youve got grammar safely under control, we suggest that you dont just go with your ear. Plenty of grammar that sounds right to us based on everyday speech is actually wrong. So dont trust your untrained ear. Instead, well help you train your ear to become more sensitive to the Seven Deadly Screw-Ups. The key to sharpening your sensitivity to formal grammatical errors is learning what the mistakes are in detail and then simply picking them out whenever you hear and see them. Step 1 may therefore be tough for you at first, but once youve studied this entire chapter and trained your ear, youll be more attuned to scanning for screw-ups right away. If you cant pick out the screw-up immediately after reading the sentence, always move on to step 2.
Step 2: Eliminate underlined choices that you know are correct.

Just because you cant see or hear an error doesnt mean it isnt there. Thats the tricky part of Identifying Sentence Errors questions. Before deciding that E is the choice for you, go through a process of elimination. Take a look at each underlined part and eliminate those that you know are correct. For example, say you read the example sentence on page once and didnt hear a problem. You would then go through the sentence again, crossing off the error-free underlined parts. Which that might be wrong. Youre not sure, so keep the answer choice for now. Were also could be wrong. There might be a subject-verb agreement problem. Keep it. Rowdy for you feel sure theres nothing wrong with that. Eliminate answer choice C by crossing it out in your test booklet. A typically reserved audience is a grammatically flawless phrase. Cross out D in your test booklet. Now youre down to A and B, and its time to move to step 3. Keep E for the moment, since youre not yet sure whether the sentence is truly error-free.
Step 3: Check for screw-ups among the remaining answer choices.

Look at your two remaining choices, A and B. Answer choice A is which . Sometimes which is mistakenly used instead of that, but here, which is the correct choice. You can eliminate A. What about B? Were is a verb. Subject-verb agreement problems are commonly tested on this section of the test. What is the subject of were? The crowd . Standing between the subject and the verb is the clause, which clamored for the players to appear . Ignore that clause for the moment to test whether the subject matches up with the verb. When you eliminate the phrase, you get the crowd were . That doesnt match. The crowd is a singular subject, and were is a plural verb. So B is the correct answer.
Step 4: If all else fails, go with E.

Again, remember that about one-fifth of answers to Identifying Sentence Errors questions are E, no error. Sometimes youll read the sentence, eliminate the error-free underlined parts, and find that youve crossed out every single underlined part. If this happens, dont second-guess yourself. Dont force yourself to find an error where none exists. Mark it E.
The Seven Deadly Screw-Ups

The same types of grammar errors pop up again and again on Identifying Sentence Errors questions. Our list of Seven Deadly Screw-Ups tells you what kinds of errors to look and listen for, but you also need to know precisely what each one means. Below we provide a bit more background and plenty of examples to help make sure youve got each screw-up squared away in your head.
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A word of advice: When going through the examples below, read them out loud to yourself. Hearing what sounds right and what sounds wrong can help burn these grammar rules into your brain. Also, we know from experience that its easy to space out while studying grammar. Talking out loud will help keep you focused. Ready to get familiar?
Screw-Up 1: Pronouns
Pronoun errors are the most common type of screw-up found on Identifying Sentence Errors questions. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns (words for people, places, and things)words like she, her, hers, he, him, his, they, their, it, its, that, and which. Lets look at this sentence:
Ernie fe lt b et te r afte r p la ying ai r gu ita r .
A pronoun is a word you would use to replace the noun Ernie:

He fel t bett e r af te r play in g a ir gui ta r.
Hearing pronoun problems might take a little practice, because people often use pronouns incorrectly in casual speech. So even if a particular pronoun sounds correct, double-check it to make sure it follows all the rules governing pronoun use. Here are those rules:
Pronoun Agreement
Pronoun agreement is by far the most frequently tested pronoun rule in Identifying Sentence Errors questions. Heres what its all about. Pronouns must agree in number with the noun. If the noun is plural, the pronoun must be plural; if the noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular. This sounds straightforward enough, but spotting errors in pronoun agreement on the test can be tricky because we make errors of pronoun agreement so frequently in speech. We tend to say things like Yo, somebody lost their shoe! instead of Yo, somebody lost his shoe! You might avoid saying somebody lost his shoe because you dont want to exclude women by saying his , and its cumbersome to write somebody lost his or her shoe. People attempt to solve these problems with the gender-neutral their . So if you see it on the test, youll know its an error. Their might be gender-neutral, but its plural, and plural pronouns cannot ever replace singular nouns. Since this error is so common in everyday speech and therefore sounds correct to many peoples ears, you can be sure youll see a few questions on it on the test. The deceptively correct sound of many pronoun agreement errors serves as a good reminder of how dangerous it is to just trust your ear. Often what sounds right is dead wrong. The sentence below is incorrect because the pronoun and the noun dont agree in number:
Every studen t
at the pa rty
tried
to lo o k
the ir
b est
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This sentence begins with the singular noun student, so the pronoun must be singular too. Their is plural and therefore wrong in this sentence. The pronoun and noun also wont agree if the noun is plural and the pronoun is singular:
Ev en th o ug h
so m e po ss ess the fle xibility to pu t th e i r le gs
o ver
the ir
hea ds,
v ary
in
his h er
or
ability
m o st p eop le
to ac hieve
this fe a t
No er ro r
In this sentence, the problem is with C, the phrase his or her . Those pronouns refer to the plural noun people, but his or her is singular, because that pesky or makes it one or the other. This is a case in which their is correct, and his or her is incorrect. Another kind of pronoun agreement question just tests to see if youre paying attention. On questions like the one below, youll get into trouble if youre reading quickly and fail to make sure that the pronoun matches up with the noun it replaces:
Fo r
th e ro b ber t rying to de cide be twe en po ten tial ge taway
cars , eve ry
up fo r
c o ns id eratio n h as
thei r
ow n
s et of
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car
adva ntage s.
No e rro r
In this sentence, the pronoun their replaces the noun car . This is incorrect, because car is singular, and their is plural. If you were reading carelessly, however, you might assume that since the first part of the sentence contains the plural noun cars, the plural pronoun their is correct. Always be sure youre inspecting each pronoun carefully.
Pronoun Case
Were about to get on your case. The case of a word refers to the function that a word performs in a sentence. The most important thing for you to understand in reference to pronoun case is the subjective and objective case. Huh? Exactly. Let us explain. A word is the subject of a sentence if it is the main noun that performs the verb. The object of a sentence is the noun toward which, or upon which, the verb is being directed. Look at this sentence:
Sa m k is sed J ess .
Sam is the subject, since he performed the kiss, and Jess is the object, since she received the kiss. When a pronoun replaces a noun, that pronoun must match the nouns case. This is important because pronouns actually have different forms, depending on their cases.
S u bj ec tiv e C a se P r onoun s O b jec tive Ca s e P ron oun s
me
y ou
y ou
h e, s he, it
h im , h e r , it
we
us
the y
them
w ho
wh o m
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In the example sentence, you would replace the subject, Sam, with the subject pronoun, he, and the object, Jess , with the object pronoun, her . He kissed her . The SAT Writing section often tests your knowledge of pronoun case in a tricky way. Youll get phrases like her and her cats or him and his friends. They try to confuse you with these phrases by including two pronouns, each of which is doing separate things. They want you to reason that if one pronoun is in a certain case, then the other pronoun should be in the same case, right? Noooo. For example:
He r
and
he r fr iend
lik e to s tay in th ei r ho te l ro o m a nd
drink ro o t be er
when eve r
th ey take a t rip
No er ro r
This sample has a plural subject: Her and her friend . You know her and her friend is the subject since they are the ones who do the liking in the sentencethey perform the verb (drink). In this sentence, the first her is a pronoun and should be in the subjective case, not the objective case. Dont worry if this all feels too technical for you. If you can grasp this kind of grammatical complexity after a few tries, then youre in great shape. But whether you know the grammar or not, there is a strategy that can help you decide if a pronoun is in the proper case. When you have a compound subject like her and her friend , throw out each side of the phrase and try it out in the sentencejust remember to make the verb singular, since it stops being plural when you throw out one half of the subject. If you follow this method, youll get two sentences, which would begin in the following ways:
He r like s to s tay . . .
He r fr ie nd l ik es to s ta y . . .
You should immediately be able to hear that the first sentence is wrong and the second one is right. Suddenly it seems obvious that the first part of the original sentence should read:
Sh e and he r fr iend l ik e to stay . . .
T HE CU RIOU S CA SES OF ME AND I
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The SAT particularly likes to test you on phrases such as John and me or the ghost in the graveyard and I, because many people dont know when to use me and when to use I. Heres a quick True/False question for you: Its always more proper to use Itrue or false? FALSE. Often me is the right word to use. Read the following example:
T here usua lly
is
a haz e of
blue
s m o ke
J e ss e and I
surro und in g
in C h em la b, es pec ia lly whe n we
m ix
to ge the r ch em ica ls o f
unk no wn o rigin
No erro r
In this example, B is incorrect, since it should read Jesse and me. So how can you tell when to use I and when to use me? Its got nothing to do with formality or propriety. Me is used as an object of a preposition. I is used as the subject (or part of the subject) of a sentence. Give that ball to me. The dog and I sped down the lane. Its often hard to tell when to use I and when to use me. One of the best ways to tell is to cut out some of the surrounding words. For example, in the sentence above, if you cut out Jesse and from the sentence, you get the phrase smoke surrounding I . Though we told you not to rely on your ear exclusively, examples like this one dont require a trained ear to detect the error. Youd never say or write the smoke surrounding I. It should leap off the page and shout out its incorrectness to you. Its always a good idea to double-check your ear. On I/me questions like this example, substitute me for I (or vice versa if the case may be). Here youd get smoke surrounding Jesse and me, which sounds better and checks out correctly if you drop Jesse and to get smoke surrounding me. T HE STR ANG E C ASE S O F ME A ND M Y It can also be tough to depend solely on your ear to try to figure out whether to use me or my . Look at this sentence:
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Whe n it
co m es to
me
study in g fo r m ath te sts, th e
c o nc entra tio n
is m y m iddle
na m e
N o e rro r
A lthough it may sound right, me is actually incorrect in this sentence. The me/my refers to studying. You need a possessive word to indicate that the sentence refers to your study habits. If you use me, the phrase means when it comes to me. The subject of the sentence is not you , its your study habits. Using my gives the sentence the possessive meaning it needs to convey.
Pronoun Shift
This is a bad thing. A sentence should start, continue, and end with the same kind of pronouns. Pronoun shift occurs when the pronoun type changes over the course of the sentence.
Wh en o ne
fi rst b egins
to
arm
its
im po rtant to
wrest le ,
wo rk
on
y our
y o ur
bic eps a ppea r
fo rm id able
endu ra nce and to m ak e
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No er ro r
If you start talking about one, you have to keep talking about one for the duration of the sentence. Therefore, the sentence could read, When one first begins to arm wrestle, its important to work on ones endurance, or, When you first begin to arm wrestle, its important to work on your endurance. But the sentence cannot combine one and you . So C is the correct answer.
Ambiguous Pronouns
A pronoun is called ambiguous when its not absolutely clear what the pronoun refers to. People use ambiguous pronouns all the time when theyre talking. This works out fine in speech, as you can usually make it clear, from context or gestures, what the pronoun refers to. But in writing, you often cant provide that sort of context. Even if the result sounds awkward, you must make sure its absolutely clear what the pronoun refers to. See if you can spot the ambiguous pronoun in the following sentence:
Sarah to ld Em m a tha t
sh e
had
s erio u s
fo o t
o do r
pro blem ,
and that
m e dicated s pray
m ight
h elp.
No e rro r
The pronoun she poses a problem in this sentence. Who has a problem with foot odor, Sarah or Emma? No one knows, because she is ambiguous. Grammatically and logically, she could refer either to Sarah or Emma. Therefore, A is the correct answer.
Comparisons Using Pronouns

Take special notice whenever you see a comparison made using pronouns. When a pronoun is involved in a comparison, it must match the case of the other pronoun involved:
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Im m uch stro n ger tha n
h er
whic h
is g oo d,
bec aus e
it m ean s
Il l do m ina te
this w re stling m atch .
No erro r
In this sentence, I is being compared to her . These two pronouns are in different cases, so one of them must be wrong. Since only her is underlined, it must be wrong, and therefore its the right answer. Another way to approach pronouns in comparisons is to realize that comparisons usually omit words. For example, its grammatically correct to say, Johanna is stronger than Tom , but that phrase is actually an abbreviated version of what youre really saying. The long version is, Johanna is stronger than Tom is . That last is is invisible in the abbreviated version, but you must remember that its there. Lets go back to the wrestling sentence for a sec. As in the Johanna and Tom example, the word is is invisible, but its implied. If you see a comparison using a pronoun and youre not sure if the pronoun is correct, add the implied is . In this case, adding is leaves you with Im much stronger than her is. That sounds wrong, so you know that she is the correct pronoun in this case. Take a look at this similar sentence:
B ro ck Les ner
is
bette r
pro fess io nal wrest le r
tha n
the m
No er ro r
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In this comparison the word are is implied, since in this sentence the pronoun them is plural. Adding are leaves you with Brock Lesner is a better professional wrestler than them are. That sounds dead wrong, so you know that the sentence should read Brock Lesner is a better professional wrestler than they , and that D is the right answer.
Screw-Up 2: Subject-Verb Agreement

The fundamental rule about the grammatical relationships between subjects and verbs is this: If you have a singular subject, you must use a singular verb. If you have a plural subject, you must use a plural verb.
It sounds simple, and usually it is. For example, you know that its incorrect to say candy are good or concerts is fun . However, in a few instances, subject-verb agreement can get hairy. There are four varieties of subject-verb problems the SAT Writing section loves to test: When When When When the subject comes after the verb the subject and verb are separated you have an either/or or neither/nor construction the subject seems plural but isnt
Remember, its not necessary to remember the name of the problemyou certainly dont have to memorize this list. Its only necessary to check subjects and verbs carefully to see if they match up. Knowing the different ways subjects and verbs can go astray will help you check more efficiently.
Subject After the Verb

In most sentences, the subject comes before the verb. The SAT tries to throw you off by giving you a sentence or two in which the subject comes after the verb and the subjectverb match-up is incorrect.
Ev en tho ugh
Esthe r c reat ed a peti tio n to pro test the
c ro w nin g
of
P ro m
ther e is
m a ny s ig n,
peo ple
wh o
re fus ed
to
Q uee n,
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say in g
they
1 9 50 s era
t ra ditio n.
No er ro r
suppo rt th e
The SAT frequently uses this exact formulation, so be wary if you see a comma followed by the word there. In this kind of sentence, its tempting to assume that just because the word there comes before the verb is, there is the subjectbut its not. People is the subject. And since people is plural, the matching verb also must be plural. Is is a singular verb, and therefore incorrect in this sentence. Even when you dont see the red flag of there is, dont just assume that the subject always comes before the verb. Look at the following sentence:
A to p
my su nda e, a co lo ss al
m as s
of
ic e
w hipped crea m
cream ,
and sprin kles ,
sits
two
m aras chino
No e rro r
che rrie s .
Tricky! The answer is D, sits . Because the things doing the sitting are two maraschino cherries (plural subject), you need to use sit (plural verb). The sentence should read Atop
my sundae, a colossal mass of ice cream, whipped cream, and sprinkles, sit two maraschino cherries. Why is this so sneaky? The subject, maraschino cherries, comes after the verb, sits. With all the singular stuff floating aroundone sundae, one mass of ice
cream and whipped creamits easy to assume that the verb should be singular, too. Look out for that kind of backwards construction.
Subject and Verb Are Separated
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One of the SATs most diabolical tricks is to put the subject here and the verb waaaaay over yonder. The test-writers hope that by the time you get to the verb, youll forget the subject and end up baffled.
Sund aes whippe d and ch erries ,
with c rea m
wh ile
goo d
if co nsu m ed
in m o deratio n,
is heino us
if eaten
fo r bre akfas t,
lun ch,
and dinn er.
No erro r
In this sentence, the subject ( sundaes) is at the beginning of the sentence, while the verb ( is) is miles away. When this happens, its helpful to bracket clauses that separate the subject and the verb so you can still see how the subject and verb should relate. If you ignore the phrase here (while good if consumed in moderation), youre left with sundaes is heinous . Thats grammatically heinous. So C is the right answer.
Neither/Nor and Either/Or

In neither/nor and either/or constructions, youre always talking about two things, so its tempting to assume that you always need a plural verb. But if the two things being discussed are singular, you need a singular verb. For example, its correct to say, Neither Jason nor Sandra acts well, because if you broke the components of the sentence in two, you would get Jason acts well and Sandra acts well. Its incorrect to say, Neither Jason or Sandra act well, because if you break that sentence into its components, you get Jason act well and Sandra act well. It can be hard to hear this error, so be sure to check subject-verb match-ups carefully when you see a sentence like this one:
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Ne ithe r
K ylie
n or
J a so n
m e asu re
up to
C a rrie
Even though the sentence mentions two people (Jason and Kylie) who dont measure up to Carrie, both of those people are singular nouns. Therefore, the verb must be singular. Measure is a plural verb, when it should be a singular one, so C is the answer.
Tricky Singular Subjects that Seem Plural

There are a bunch of confusing subjects out there that are singular but masquerade as plural. Its easy to get tripped up by these singular subjects and mistakenly match them with plural verbs. Here are the leading culprits:
a nybo dy eith e r aud ie nce no bo dy
a nyo ne
gro up
ea ch
no ne
A m eric a
num be r
ev ery bo d y
no one
a m o un t
neithe r
ev ery o ne
In this sentence, for example, nobody seems plural:
O f all o f the
s tud ents
in
my
clas s,
ev en me
no bo dy , no t
are
e xcited a bo u t
th e ne w teac her
No er ro r
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Nobody is always a singular noun, so it needs to be matched with a singular verb. The answer is C. The sentence should read, Of all the students in my class, nobody, not even me, is excited about the new teacher . Look carefully at all seemingly plural subjects to
make sure theyre not singular subjects masquerading as plural ones. Be particularly careful with phrases like as well as, along with , and in addition to . Like the neither/nor construction, these phrases can trick you into thinking they require a plural verb.
T he hitte r,
lea do ff
as as
well
the hitte r ,
clea nup
are
getting
so m e
go od
hits
to nigh t
No e rro r
The actual subject here is leadoff hitter . Since leadoff hitter is a singular subject, the verb must be singular, too. The presence of the phrase as well as does not make the subject plural. Even though there are two hitters doing well, the leadoff hitter is the only subject of this sentence. B is the answer; the sentence should read, The leadoff hitter, as well as the cleanup hitter, is getting some good hits tonight. If the sentence used an and instead of an as well as , so that it read, The leadoff hitter and the cleanup hitter are getting some good hits tonight, then are would be correct. Its that as well as construction that changes things.
Screw-Up 3: Tenses
Identifying Sentence Errors questions test your knowledge of three common causes of tense errors. We explain each type in detail below. Annoying verbs Illogical tense switches The conditional
Very Annoying Verbs

V ery annoying verbs never sound quite right in any tenselike to lie, to swim,or to drink . When do you lay and when do you lie? When do you swim and when have you swum? When did you drank and why are you drunk? Forget that last one.
Yo u LIE do wn fo r a nap .
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Yo u LA Y so m ething do wn o n the table .
Yo u LA Y do wn yes te rda y. Yo u SWIM ac ro s s th e English Ch ann el. Yo u SWAM acro s s the A tlantic O ce an la st y ear . Yo u had SWU M ac ro ss the bathtub as a c hild . Yo u DRINK a g la ss o f w ater ev e ry m o rn in g . Yo u DRANK a glas s o f wa te r yes te rd ay . Yo u have D RU NK thre e gal lo ns o f water this we ek .
Youll probably see one question that will test your knowledge of a confusing verb like to lie. Look at this sentence, for example:
On
Sa tu rda y afte rn o o n , I
la id
in the s un
fo r an ho ur
, wo rking
on my
ta n
N o e rro r
B is the correct answer here, because laid is not the correct tense in the context of this sentence. The past tense of to lie is lay, so the sentence should read I lay in the sun. Unfortunately, theres no easy memory trick to help you remember when to use which verb form. The only solution is to learn and memorize. To simplify that task, were providing a table of difficult verbs in infinitive, simple past, and past participle forms. You dont have to know those technical terms, but its well worth your time to look at the list below and learn as many of these as you can:
I n fin itive Simp le P a s t P a st P a r tic ip le
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a rise
aro se
a rise n
b eco m e
bec am e
be co me
b egin
beg an
be gun
b lo w
blew
blo w n
b re ak
bro ke
bro k en
c hoo se
cho se
c ho s en
come
cam e
come
d iv e
dived /do ve
div ed
do
did
do ne
d ra w
drew
draw n
d rink
drank
drun k
d rive
dro ve
driven
d ro wn
dro wne d
dro wn ed
d well
dwelt/dw e lle d
dw elt/dwe ll ed
e at
ate
e ate n
fall
fe ll
falle n
fight
fo ught
fo ug ht
flee
fled
fle d
flin g
flung
flu ng
fly
flew
flo wn
fo rget
fo rgo t
fo rgo tte n
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freez e
fro ze
fro zen
g et
go t
go tten
g iv e
gav e
giv en
go
went
go ne
g ro w
grew
gro wn
h ang (a thing )
hung
hu ng
h ang (a perso n )
han ged
ha nge d
k no w
kne w
k no wn
lay
la id
laid
lea d
le d
led
lie (to rec l in e)
la y
lain
lie (te ll fib s)
lied
lied
p ut
put
pu t
r ide
ro de
r id den
r ing
ra ng
rung
r ise
ro se
r is en
run
ra n
run
s ee
saw
s een
s et
set
s et
s hine
sho ne/shine d
s hon e
s hak e
sho o k
s hak en
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s hrin k
shran k
s hru nk
s hut
shu t
s hut
s ing
san g
s ung
s ink
san k
s unk
s it
sat
s at
s pea k
spo ke
s pok en
s prin g
spran g
s pru ng
s ting
stung
s tun g
s tr ive
stro v e/st rive d
s tr iv en/st rive d
s wea r
swo re
s wo re
s wim
swam
s wum
s wing
swun g
s wung
tak e
to o k
take n
tea r
to re
to rn
thro w
th re w
thro wn
w ake
wo ke /wa ken
wa ked /wo ken
w ear
wo re
wo rn
w rite
wro te
wr itten
Tense Switch
You dont always need to use the same tense throughout a sentence. For example, you can say:
I use d to ea t c ho c o late bars e xc lu sively , bu t af te r g o ing thro ug h a c o nv ersio n ex perienc e la st ye a r , I ha ve bro ad ene d m y ran ge and no w e at g um m y can dy, to o .
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This sentence has several tense switches, but theyre logical and correct: The sentence uses past tense when it refers to the past and present tense when it talks about the present, and the progression from past to present makes sense. The SAT gives you a sentence or two with incorrect tense switches. Heres an example:
At poo ls
s wim m in g
last s um m er , the hea t
wil l bro ugh t
h ave
hund re ds and ev en
tho us ands o f peo ple
to
bathe
in ch lo rine infested
wate rs .
No er ro r
This sentence begins by talking about the past (last summer), but then uses the phrase will have brought, which refers to the future. The phrase will have brought doesnt fit because it suggests something continuing from the present to the future, whereas the sentence should be rooted entirely in the past. Therefore, B is the correct answer. Always be sure that the sentences tenses match the time frame (past, present, or future) in which the subject is discussed.
The Conditional
Your parents are supposed to give you un conditional love, meaning they love you even though you refuse to be seen in public with them. So it stands to reason that the conditional is a verb form used to describe something uncertain, or dependent on something else. Conditional sentences are often characterized by the presence of the word if . The conditional requires a different conjugation of some verb forms, most notably the verb to be. For example, in the past tense, youd write, I was a good student and got good grades. In the present tense, youd write, I am a good student and get good grades. Thats all fine and familiar so far, right? The conditional is different, however. In the conditional, youd write, If I were a good student, I would get good grades. To conquer conditionals on the SAT, look out for the word if and memorize this simple formula to use the correct conjugation: If . . . were . . . would. Heres an example:
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If I
wa s
to s ee a
m o v ie
with Mo m a nd Da d, I
wo uld
r isk
my
reputa tio n.
No e rro r
Was may sound right to you on first reading this sentence, but when in doubt, remember the formula. Was violates the formula and therefore is incorrect. The sentence should read, If I were to see a movie with Mom and Dad, I would risk my reputation. A is the right
answer.
Screw-Up 4: Parallelism
Parallel lines line up neatly with each other, right? Parallelism in writing means that the different components of a sentence start, continue, and end in the same way. Its especially common to find errors of parallelism in sentences that list actions or items. When you see a list of any sort, be on the alert for an error in parallelism. In the question below, for example, the activities are not presented in the same format, which means there is a parallelism error.
J ac k like d
nev er
ba th in g do g
the
fe eding
the llam a s , or
to r id e
h is p erso n al
ro l le r c o as te r
No e rro r
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A gerund is a funny word for something you already know well: A verb in its -ing form. B iking , parking , walking , talking all gerunds. The list of verbs in the example above starts out with two gerunds (bathing, feeding ) and then switches to an infinitive (to ride). An infinitive is the to form of the verb. To run and to hide are two infinitive verb forms. The sentence above begins with gerund verb forms and must continue with gerunds all the way through for it to have proper parallel structure. C is the correct answer. Some parallelism errors occur at the end of phrases. The sentence below is incorrect because its two halves dont end in a similar way:
T he steak
is definite ly
the en tr e
bes t
on m en u
the
, and
th e cla m ch o wde r
is th e
b est ap petiz er
No er ro r
The best appetizer where? In the nation? In the world? Because the first part of the sentence specifies on the menu , the second part of the sentence must also be specific. In corrected form, this sentence would read: The steak is definitely the best entre on the menu, and the clam chowder is the best appetizer in the world.
Screw-Up 5: Adverbs and Adjectives

Adverbs are often confused with adjectives, especially when used in comparisons. Below weve broken down the key adverb pitfalls you should look out for.
Confusing Adverbs with Adjectives

Adverbs are words used to describe verbs or other adverbs. Adverbs often end in ly (breathlessly, angrily). For example, if youre describing how you ate your spaghetti dinner, youre describing a verb (eating), so you need to use an adverb. You could say something like:
I ate m y sp aghe tti q uickly .
Adjectives are words used to describe nouns. Again, take the spaghetti examplebut this time, suppose that instead of describing the process of eating, youre describing the actual
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dinner. Since youre describing a noun (dinner), you need to use an adjective. You could say something like, I ate my delicious spaghetti. People often confuse adverbs with adjectives, especially in speech. We say things like, I ate my dinner quick. Wrong! Because youre describing an action, you must use an adverb like quickly. One very frequently confused adjective/adverb pair is well and good . Well is an adverb, and good is an adjective, so one cant be substituted for the other.
T his
pap ers
go in g pret ty
g o od
, altho ug h Im su re no t
Ill
be do n e
o n tim e
No er ro r
A paper cant go pretty good; it can only go pretty well. In order to describe the verb going , you have to use an adverb like well instead of the adjective good . The SAT usually tests adverb/adjective confusion by giving you a sentence that uses an adjective when it should use an adverb.
No m atte r
h ow
carefu l
k ites a re flo wn, they
o ften
get tang le d
in t re es .
N o e rro r
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In this sentence, the adjective careful is used improperly to describe the verb flown. Because a verb is being described, careful should be carefully. The following sentence has a similar problem:
T he fas cina ting TV
sp ecial
sho w s
ho w
quic k
the h ung ry tige r
can d evo ur
its
prey .
No er ro r
This sentence uses the adjective quick to describe the verb devour ; the adverb quickly is the right word to use, so B contains the error in this sentence. Notice that in this sentence, the adjective, quick, is separated from the verb, devour , by three words. Sniffing out the improper use of an adjective can be difficult when the verb being described is not directly next to the adjective. If you see an adjective youre not sure about, dont be fooled by distracting phrases like the hungry tiger . Just check to see what the adjective is describing. If its describing a verb, youll know its an error.
Adverb or Adjective Misuse in Comparisons

When you see a comparison or an implied comparison, check to make sure all of the adverbs and adjectives are used correctly. If youre comparing two things, you need to use whats known as a comparative modifier. Forget that term. Just remember that when comparing two items, use a word that ends in er, like smarter, better, faster . Only when comparing three or more things can you use a superlative modifier like smartest, best,
fastest.
The SAT will probably test your knowledge of this rule by giving you a question in which a superlative modifier is used incorrectly. Look at the following example:
Of
the two
I d rive
I like
th e Lam b o rghini
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c ars
Diablo
be st
No e rro r
This sentence contains a comparison between two cars. B ecause only two things are being compared, best is the wrong word. Only when comparing three or more things can you use words like best. You could figure this out by phrasing the comparison in a different way. You wouldnt say, I like my Lamborghini Diablo best than my Civic ; youd say, I like my Lamborghini Diablo better than my Civic . This rephrasing also works if youre puzzling over a sentence that compares three or more items. You wouldnt say, After trying skydiving, hula-dancing, and pineapple-eating, I decided that I liked hula-dancing less , because that sentence does not explain if you liked hula-dancing less than you liked skydiving, or less than you liked pineapple-eating, or less than you liked both. What you would say is, After
trying skydiving, hula-dancing, and pineapple-eating, I decided that I liked hula-dancing least. The superlative modifier least makes it clear that hula-dancing was the most
disagreeable of all three activities. Heres a chart of some adjectives with their common comparative and superlative modifier forms.
A dje c tive Com pa ra tive M od ifie r S u per la t ive M od ifie r
fas t
fa ste r
fas te st
b ig
bigger
b ig ges t
h ealthy
hea lthie r
h ealthies t
to u gh
to u ghe r
to ug hes t
s m art
sm arte r
s m arte s t
g oo d
bette r
b est
few
fe we r
fewe st
d iffe re nt
m o re d iffe re nt
m o st diffe re nt
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lux urio us
m o re lux urio u s
m o st luxu rio u s
Screw-Up 6: Gerunds
A s we said in step 4 a gerund is a verb form that ends in ing , such as prancing, divulging, stuffing, and so on. Your understanding of gerunds will usually be tested by questions that use the infinitive to ___ form, such as to prance, to divulge, and to stuff.
In m y fam ily
, T ha nks giving dinne r us ually c au ses two o r
m o re fam ily m em bers
to enga ge in
a sc re am ing m atch ,
thus p re ven ting
the m e al
to be co m p le te d
No erro r
In this example, the problematic phrase is preventing the meal to be completed . This phrase should read thus preventing the meal from being completed, changing the infinitive to be to the conjugated form, being . That change preserves the parallel structure with the gerund preventing in the last clause. Heres another example:
To kee p
y o ur e ngine
runn in g
in the g oo d
freez in g co ld
is
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way
to ke ep th e ca rs
in te rio r
wa rm an d c o zy .
No er ro r
In this sentence, the infinitive verb to keep should be switched to the gerund keeping to match the gerund verb running in the same clause.
Screw-Up 7: Idioms, Wrong Words, and Double Negatives

Heres a twist that should make you happy: Idiom errors are easy to spot because they sound dead wrong. Oh yeah, you should know what an idiom is before we get in too deep here. Actually in too deep is an idioma form of speech that is unique to itself, has its own grammatical construction, and is usually pretty hard to understand just on its own. That makes it pretty easy to see why theres no set rule at all about idiom errors. You have to be able to read a sentence and think, That sounds wrong, based on your familiarity with idiomatic expressions in American English. Usually its a prepositional phrase thats off. For example:
Jo a n Riv ers
re cen tly m o v ed
to a
b ra ndnew
apa rtm en t
in
1 08 th
stre e t
No er ro r
Here, the answer is C, because in American English we say, She lives on this street rather than She lives in this street. There is no specific rule that explains why we use the word on ; its just something you probably know from years of English-speaking. The following is a list of proper usage of idioms that often appear on the SAT Writing: He cant abide by the no-spitting rule. Winona accused me of stealing.
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I agreed to eat the rotten broccoli. I apologized for losing the hamsters in the heating vent. She applied for another credit card. My mother pretends to approve of my boyfriend. She argued with the bouncer. I arrived at work at noon. You believe in ghosts. I cant be blamed for your problems. Do you care about me and my problems? Hes in charge of grocery shopping. Nothing compares to you. What is there to complain about? He can always count on his mommy. Ice cream consists of milk, fat, and sugar. I depend on no one. Thats where cats differ from dogs. Its terrible to discriminate against chimpanzees. I have a plan to escape from high school. Theres no excuse for your awful behavior. You cant hide from your past. It was all hed hoped for . I must insist upon it. Its impossible to object to her intelligent arguments. I refuse to participate in this discussion. Pray for me. Protect me from evil. Provide me with plenty of food, shelter, and Skittles. She stayed home to recover from the flu. I rely on myself. She stared at his ridiculous haircut. He subscribes to several trashy magazines. I succeeded in seducing him. Wait for me! Work with me , people!
Occasionally, the idiomatic association between words can affect the entire sentence in a sort of cascade of idioms. Take the following example:
Wh ile the
principa l
o f the high sch oo l
is
re lat iv ely laid
bac k, th e v ic e princ ip a l
is o fte n
acc use d
to be
to o h arsh
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with th e s tu den ts .
No er ro r
The answer to this question is D because the word accused must take the preposition of rather than to. Idiomatically, the preposition of must be followed by a gerund rather than an infinitive, so the verb to be is incorrect. The sentence should read:
While the pr incipa l o f the high sc ho o l is re la tive ly la id bac k, the vice principa l is o ften ac cus ed o f being to o harsh with the s tu dents.
W rong Words
There are tons of frequently confused words in the English language, and while its impossible to predict which ones the SAT will throw at you, it is possible to learn the difference between these pairs of words. Weve broken down wrong words into categories: words that sound the same but mean different things (like allusion and illusion), made-up words and phrases (like should of), tricky contractions (like its and its), and words commonly and incorrectly used as synonyms (like disinterested and uninterested ). W O RDS T HAT SOU ND T HE SA M E BU T M EA N DIF F ERE NT THING S In the following list, youll find homonyms, such as dying and dyeing . Homonyms are words that sound the same or similar when spoken aloud but are spelled differently and have different meaning. Since the word die sounds exactly the same as the word dye, it can be hard to remember which spelling means expire and which means color . The words in this list sound pretty much the same and are therefore often set as traps to confuse you on the SAT. Theyre not all full-on homonyms, but they all sound alike enough to make certain questions on the SAT Writing section extra tough: A L LU SIO N/ILL US ION An allusion is a reference to something.
Jo hnno s ess ay wa s litte r ed wi th c o ns picuo us allusions to Sh akespe are and Sp ens er.
An illusion is a deception or unreal image.

B y clev er us e o f h is na pkin, J aso n c re ated the illus io n that h ed ea te n h is ro tten bro c co li.
A L TERN ATE/ ALTER NATI VE An alternate is a substitute.

Whe n E vie w as o us te d a ft e r the vo ting sca nda l, the al te rn ate to o k h er plac e o n the stud ent c o un cil.
An alternative is a choice between two or more things.
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T h e S imp sons pro vide s an alte rn a tiv e to m in dless , po o rly w ritte n sitc o m s.
APP RA I SE/ APPRI SE To appraise is to figure out the value of something.

A fte r app ra is in g the d ra w in g, R ich ard info rm ed C y nth ia tha t he r h o us e w as wo rth le ss .
To apprise is to give someone information.

In a n urg ent unde rto ne , Do n ald apprise d m e o f th e w o rriso m e s itua tio n.
B RE AT H/ BRE ATHE Breath and breathe cannot be used interchangeably. Breath is a noun, and breathe is a verb. That little e on the end makes all the difference. A breath (noun) is the lungful of air you inhale every few seconds.
Elen a to o k a deep b re ath a nd ju m ped o ff the diving bo ard.
To breathe (verb) is the act of taking in that lungful of air.

I can t b re athe ! gas ped M a rio , c lu tc hing at h is th ro at .
C ONS CI ENCE /CO NSCI OU S/C ONS CIENTI OUS A conscience is a sense of right and wrong.
A fte r he ro bbe d th e s to re , Pino c chio s co nscienc e started to bo ther him .
To be conscious is to be awake and alert.

Su ddenly, M ar ie bec am e co nsc io us th at s he was n o t alo n e in the ro o m .
To be conscientious is to be dutiful and hardworking.

Co nsc ie ntio us C ed ric co m pleted his cho re s and then did his ho m e wo rk.
DE SE RT/DE SSE RT A desert is a place with sand and camels.

T h e c arto o n figu re pu lled h im s el f ac ro s s th e d ese rt , c a lling o u t fo r wa te r .
A dessert is something sweet that you eat after dinner.

M y favo rite d ess er t is c o o k ie d o ugh ic e c re am .
E F FECT/A FFE CT Theres a good chance youll see this pair on the test, because the SAT knows that differentiating between effect and affect drives students crazy. Effect is usually a noun. The effect is the result of something.
Study in g had a ve ry p o sitiv e e ffec t o n m y sc o re.
Affect is usually a verb. To affect something is to change it or influence it.
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M y high SA T sco re po sitive ly a ffec te d the o u tc o m e o f m y c o lle ge app lic atio n s.
The extra tricky part is that effect can also be a verb, and affect can also be a noun. In those instances, effect means to cause and affect means a sense of being alive or vital. Here are two examples.
T h e s tu den ts m a rc hing o utside the Sup re m e C o urt a re ho p in g to effe ct c han ge.
T h e m u m my stand in g s ile ntly ag ainst the wa ll appe ars to ha ve no a ffect .
E MI NENT /I M MI NE NT An eminent person is one who is well known and highly regarded.
T h e e min ent autho r d is guise d him self wi th a b e re t an d d a rk glass es.
An imminent event is one that is just about to happen.

Whe n the pap arazz is a r riva l se em ed immine nt , the c eleb rit ies duc ked o u t the ba ck en tranc e .
L OS E/L OOSE To lose something is to misplace it or shake it off.

M iche l t ried to los e th e hideo u s shirt h is girlfr iend ha d given him fo r C hris tm a s.
Loose means movable, unfastened, or promiscuous.

T h e loose ch air leg sn appe d o ff, a nd Do u g fell to th e f lo o r .
PR I NCIP AL/PR INCI PLE The principal is the person who calls the shots in your high school.
Principa l Skinn er ru les Sp ringfield E le m enta ry Sch o o l with an i ro n fist, ye t h e st il l lives
with h is m o the r.
A principle is a value, or standard.

Ed ward, a bo y o f prin ciple , refuse d to ch eat o n th e tes t.
S T ATIO NA RY/ STATI ONE RY Stationary means immobile.

T h e s ca re cro w rem a in ed sta tio nary in the f ie ld .
Stationery is the paper you get for Christmas from your aunt.
Na tha niel w ro te th ank -yo u no tes o n c usto m statio nery .
I M AG I NA RY W ORD S A ND PH RA SES Here is a list of some words and phrases that dont actually exist but still tend to be used in writing. These mistakes happen mainly because they are the phonetic, or sounded out, spellings of words and phrases we use in speech. For example, the phrase should of (a grammatically incorrect phrase) sounds like the way we pronounce should have or shouldve, which is why it creeps into peoples writing. A LOT/ ALOT
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Despite widespread usage, the word alot does not exist. It is never grammatically correct. A lways use the phrase a lot instead.
He nri ate a lot o f br ie w ith h is b re ad .
C OU LDVE /COU LD OF Couldve is the contraction of could have. People sometimes write could of when they mean couldve or could have. Unfortunately, like alot, could of is not a real phrase. Never use it.
B ritne y cou ld ha ve go ne o n the date, but s he cla im ed to hav e a p rio r e nga gem e nt.
REG ARD LES S /IR REG A RDLES S This is an easy one because the word irregardless does not exist. Always use regardless.
Re gardles s o f w hethe r y o ur ph ysics teac he r u ses fake wo rds l ik e i r reg a rdless , yo u
sh ould no t.
S HOU LD VE/ SHOU LD OF Should of does not exist.

A rno ld sh ould hav e do n e his S pan is h ho m e wo rk.
S UPP OSE D TO /SU PPOSE T O Suppose to falls in the category of made-up phrases. Its often used in place of supposed to because when were talking, we say suppose to instead of the grammatically correct supposed to.
A c co rding to the v et, C hr is tina is su pposed to bru sh he r pit bulls tee th o n ce a m o n th.
U SE D T O/U SE TO Use to (you guessed it) is made-up. The correct spelling is used to.
A lex us ed to play che ck ers w ith A ntho n y.
C ONTR ACTI ON C ONFU S ION Look deep within your soul. Do you write its sometimes and its at other times, with little regard for which its/its is which? If you do, stop it. I T S/IT S Its and its are very different. Its is a possessive pronoun. Its is a contraction of it is . Its understandable why people confuse the two words. The most common way to show possession is to add an apostrophe and an s (Dorothys braids, the tornados wrath, Totos bark ), which is perhaps the reason people frequently write its when they should write its they know they want to show possession, so they pick the word with the apostrophe and the s. To avoid making a mistake, when you see the word its , check to make sure that if you substituted it is for the its, the sentence would still make sense. To sum up: its signals possession, while its is a contraction of it is.
T h is day- o ld so d a has los t its fiz z .
Its a sha m e th at this glass o f so d a was left o ut o vernigh t.
T HE I R/THE Y RE /THE RE
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Another bunch of very confusing words. Its too bad, but their, theyre, and there are not interchangeable. Heres how to distinguish them:
Their is a possessive pronoun.
T hey los t th ei r he a rts in M a ss ach use tts.
Theyre is the contraction of they are.
T hey re th e ugliest co u ple in a ll o f B o s to n .
There means over yonder.
Loo k ! T h ere the y g o !
W H OSE/W HOS Whose is possessive, while whos is a contraction of who is.

A n na- Nico le, w hos e C alifo rnia ro ll I jus t a te , is lo o k in g a t m e w ith ha tred .
Who s res po ns ible fo r the thef t an d in ges tio n o f m y C alifo rnia ro ll?
Y OU R/Y OU RE Your is possessive. Youre is a contraction of you are.

Yo ur fly is unz ipped . Yo ure ge tt ing sleep y.
W HI CH WO RD W HE N? Below is a list of words people oftenbut incorrectlyuse interchangeably. NU M BER/ AM OU NT Use number when referring to a group of things that can be counted.
Fa ith co nce aled a numb er o f g um m y be ars in va rio us p o ck ets o f he r jean s .
Use amount when referring to something that cannot be counted.

Fa ith d rank a c erta in amou nt o f sod a eve ry da y.
F EWE R/L E SS Use fewer when referring to items that can be counted.
Ya nni c o m plaine d th at he ha d re c eive d few e r p res ents th an his siste r d id.
Use less when referring to items that cannot be counted.
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Ya nnis parents ex plained that b eca use they lo v ed him les s tha n the y lo ved his sis ter , they ga ve him few e r pres ents .
AG G RA VATE/ I RR ITATE When screaming in frustration, we often say things like, Thats so aggravating! However, this is incorrect usage. Aggravate is not synonymous with irritate. To aggravate is to make a condition worse.
B e ttys sk in co nditio n w as ag gra vated by h er c o ns tan t su nbathing .
To irritate is to annoy.
A e is ha en jo y s irr it at in g h er s is te r by jabbing h er in the leg d uring lo ng c ar rid es .
F AMOU S /I NF AM OU S A s you probably know, a famous person is someone like Julia Roberts or Tom Cruise.
T h e famo us yo ung ac to r m ade h is wa y up th e re d c arpe t.
An infamous person or thing, however, is something different. Infamous means notorious famous, yes, but famous in a bad way.
T h e infamo us pirate wa s kno wn the wo rld o v er fo r his c ruel esc ap ades .
DI SINTE RESTED/U NI NT E RESTED Even reputable daily newspapers occasionally confuse disinterested with uninterested . Disinterest suggests impartiality.
Na dine and No ra ne ed a disinter ested thi rd pa rty to ref e re e th ei r a rgum en t.
In contrast, an uninterested person is one who is bored.

No ra is co m p le te ly un in te res te d in he a rin g Nadine s o pinio ns .
Double Negatives
A double negative is a phrase that uses two negative words instead of one. Double negatives are used very effectively by people like Tony SopranoI dont take nothin from nobodybut your score on the Writing section will get whacked if you fall prey to their tough-guy allure. Youll probably be adept at spotting double negatives such as I dont take nothin from nobody, but the SAT may try to trick you into missing a double negative by using words that count as negatives but dont sound like it, such as hardly , barely, or scarcely. If you see any of these kinds of words paired with another negative (dont, cant, wont), its an error.
K atie
c ant sc arce ly
stan d to wea r he r
g ym na stic s
le o ta rd
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witho ut
und erwea r
u nde rn eath
No er ro r
In this example, cant is obviously a negative word, but scarcely is also negative, so the two cannot be used together. A is the correct answer.
Beat Improving Sentences

THE SAT WRITING SEC TION DOESNT MESS AROUND. For Identifying Sentence Errors you had to identify errors in sentences. Care to guess what you have to do for Sentence Improvement questions? Thats right: You have to improve sentences. Improving Sentences questions consist of a single sentence with one underlined word or phrase. Your mission with that underlined portion of the sentence is twofold. First, you have to figure out if theres a problem with the underlined part. Then, if there is a problem, you have to decide which answer choice fixes the problem. Sometimesone-fifth of the time, in factno error will exist.
The Directions
You know the drill. Learn the directions now so you dont have to waste time reading them when you take the actual SAT.
Di re ct io ns: T he fo llo wing s entenc es test c o r re ctnes s and effe c tiv ene ss o f e xpres sio n. In ch oo s in g a nswe rs , fo llo w the requi rem en ts o f stan dard w r itten English ; tha t is , p ay attent io n to gram m a r , c ho ice o f wo rds , s enten ce co nstru ctio n , an d punc tu atio n. In e ac h o f the fo llo wing sen te nce s, pa rt o f the s entenc e o r the ent ire se nte nce is un derlin ed . B e nea th ea ch sen te nce yo u wi ll find f iv e wa ys o f ph ra sing th e u nde rl in ed pa rt . C h o ice A re pea ts the o r ig in al ; the o th e r fo ur a re diffe ren t. C hoo se th e ans wer that b est exp res se s the m e aning o f the o riginal sen te nce . If y o u think th e o rigina l is b ette r tha n any o f the a lterna tives , cho o se it; o the rwis e cho o se o ne o f the o th ers. Yo u r c ho ice sh o uld p ro d uce th e m o st effe ctiv e se ntenc ec lea r a nd prec is e , w itho ut awkwa rd nes s o r am b ig uity .
Notice that once again, the SAT wants you to follow the rules of standard written English when youre answering these questions. The rules of standard spoken English arent accepted here, so a lot of English thats passable in speech will be considered incorrect on Improving Sentences questions. A lso notice that because answer choice A is always the same as the original sentence, you never need to waste time reading answer choice A. So, unless you think the sentence contains no error, skip directly to B.
An Example to Sample
Heres what an Improving Sentences question looks like:
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J e nna wa s awarde d the m ed al no t fo r her aca dem ic suc ce ss o r h er sk ill o n the s o cc er fie ld , but fo r h e r be ing a par tic ipa nt in gym clas s. (A ) but fo r h e r be in g a p ar tic ipa nt in gym clas s (B ) th e r ea so n be in g fo r her p a rticipa tio n in g ym class (C ) th e r ea so n wa s her p ar tic ipat ing in g ym class (D) but fo r h e r be in g par tic ipa tio n- wi ll ing in gym clas s (E) but fo r h e r pa rtic ipat io n in gy m c la ss
The Good News . . . and the Good News

On this section, as on the other sections, grammar terminology is not tested. Neither is spelling. Mastering this section does not require you to memorize a huge amount of material or learn a ton of new concepts. Youll see questions on the passive voice, run-on sentences, and misplaced modifiers. Youll probably also encounter a few questions on parallelism, conjunctions, fragments, and gerunds. Although some of the material in this chapter is new, youll notice that the SAT tests many of the same grammar rules in this section that we already covered back in the Identifying Sentence Errors chapter.
An Eight-Step Strategy
A ll the self-help books these days have a twelve-step process to kick the habit. Improving Sentences are four steps easier to handle. Here are the eight steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read the sentence and try to hear the problem. If you find an error, eliminate A. Before you look at the answer choices, figure out how to fix the error. Find the correction that most closely matches yours. If no correction matches, eliminate answers that repeat the error or contain new errors. 6. If youre still stumped, reach into your bag of tricks (more on those soon). 7. Plug your answer back into the sentence to check it. 8. If youre still stumpedcut, guess, and run. A lright, now its time to put that exciting eight-step process into action. Below youll see a sample problem that we solve with the eight-step method, explaining each of the steps along the way:
J e nna wa s awarde d the m ed al n o t fo r her aca dem ic su cce ss o r h er s ki ll o n the s o cc er fie ld , but fo r h e r be ing a par tic ipa nt in gym clas s. (A ) but fo r h e r be in g a p ar tic ipa nt in gym clas s (B ) th e r ea so n be in g fo r her p a rticipa tio n in g ym class (C ) th e r ea so n wa s her p ar tic ipat ing in g ym class (D) but fo r h e r be in g par tic ipa tio n- wi ll ing in gym clas s (E) but fo r h e r pa rtic ipat io n in gy m c la ss
Step 1: Read the sentence and try to hear the problem.

A s we have discussed, relying on your ear exclusively is risky on the SA T Writing section. The writers of the SA T know most students will listen for what sounds right to them, but often what sounds right is actually wrong. Thats because using just your ear most often means youre using spoken English as your guide. Remember that this section of the SAT tests your knowledge of standard written English. In this chapter, we reinforce your understanding of the rules of standard written English. Knowing the rules gives you a strong foundation against which to check the signals your ear gives you that something in the sentence is wrong. In the sample sentence above, you might immediately notice the combined problem of wordiness and faulty parallelismthe
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phrase but for her being a participant should be rewritten in a more compact form in which all the different components of the sentence align, or flow together, correctly (more on parallelism below). Even if you dont come up with the specific term wordiness , you might have the sense that something about the underlined part is vague and a bit convoluted. Its fine if you cant think of the exact term that describes the problem. A general sense that something is wrong will go a long way. Just detecting the presence of an error allows you to cut answer choice A, which tips the guessing odds in your favor. More on that in step 2.
Step 2: If you find an error, eliminate A.

If youre certain that theres an error somewhere in the underlined part of the sentence, you can eliminate A since A always repeats the underlined part word for word . Again, you wont need to know the exact term for the error in order to eliminate A. The fine art of A elimination gives you a great advantage on Improving Sentences questions. Heres why: Cutting A means something more than just one down, four to go. Even if the other four answers look like gibberish to you, cutting A gives you the green light to guess. A s we explain in the introduction to this book, the SA T does not contain a guessing penalty. The test is set up to discourage totally random guessing, but to reward educated guessing. If you can eliminate even one answer choice, the answer you choose becomes an educated guesstipping the odds in your favor.
Step 3: Before you look at the answer choices, figure out how to fix the error.
Once youve figured out the problem in the underlined part of the sentence, say to yourself (silentlyyou dont want to reveal your genius to other test-takers in the room): This would be a better sentence if it read something like Jenna was awarded the medal not for her academic success or her skill on the soccer field, but for participating in gym class. That version conveys the right information, but doesnt take up unnecessary space. Have you ever noticed that if you repeat a normal, everyday word like house over and over it starts to seem odd? Thats exactly what the answer choices of Improving Sentences questions will do to you. If you go right to the answer choices and read through them one by one, by the time you get to C, the answers will all sound equally confusing and wrong. A lways approach the answer choices with a plan, which is what you think sounds correct. If you start looking at the answer choices with no idea of what youre looking for, its possible all the answers will sound funny and incorrect.
Step 4: Find the correction that most closely matches yours.
Lets say your correction reads, Jenna was awarded the medal not for her academic success or her skill on the soccer field, but for participating in gym class . Now look at the remaining answer choices and see which one most closely matches your correction:
(A ) but fo r h e r be in g a p ar tic ipa nt in gym clas s (B ) th e r ea so n be in g fo r her p a rticipa tio n in g ym class (C ) th e r ea so n wa s her p ar tic ipat ing in g ym class (D) but fo r h e r be in g par tic ipa tio n- wi ll ing in g ym class (E) but fo r h e r pa rtic ipat io n in gy m c la ss
E looks most like the answer you came up with before looking. Its not exactly like your prepared answerit uses her participation instead of for participatingbut its very close. Rarely will an answer choice exactly match the one you generated on your own, which is fine. The purpose of preparing your own answer first is not to find an exact match in the answer choices but to have an idea of what is correct before you start reading the choices. If you find an answer that matches yours, awesome. Onward to the next question. Sometimes, though, you may not be totally sure whether any of the answer choices matches yours closely enough. In that case, move to step 5.
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Step 5: If no correction matches, eliminate answers that repeat the error or contain new errors.
Youll usually see a few answer choices that actually repeat the mistake. Others might fix the original mistake, but in the process add a new error to the mix. Suppose you werent certain that E matched your prepared answer closely enough. In that case, you would read through the answer choices and try to determine if they repeated the first mistake or contained a new one. Answer choice B has a problem similar to that of the original sentence. It says, the reason being , which is a wordy phrase. Meanwhile, C creates a new problem: the word participating is a gerund but should be a noun. D repeats the original mistake, repeating the phrase but for her being ; it also introduces a new problem by using the strange phrase participation-willing . Only E neither repeats the original problem nor contains a new one.
Step 6: If still stumped, reach into your bag of tricks.
Since youve already got E as a pretty solid answer from step 5, theres no need to delve into the bag of Improving Sentences tricks just yet. So were going to skip step 6 for now and go right to step 7. At the end of the chapter is a section on which tricks to use to beat Improving Sentences questions when youre in a pinch.
Step 7: Plug your answer back into the sentence to check it.
Plug the answer back into the sentence to check how well it works.
J e nna wa s awarde d the m ed al no t fo r her aca dem ic suc ce ss o r h er sk ill o n the s o cc er fie ld , but fo r h e r pa rt icipat io n in gy m c la ss .
Sounds good. Sounds right.
Step 8: If youre still stumpedcut, guess, and run.
If you cant decide on an answer choice to improve the sentences error, youve got two choices. First, if youre able to cut at least one answer choice, you should always guess. If youve got a strong hunch that the sentence contains an error but you just cant pinpoint it, cut A and guess. The guess odds tip in your favor if you can eliminate at least one choice, so dont worry about choosing randomly from among the four remaining choices: B, C, D, or E. If you dont know for sure if the sentence contains an error and youve got no clue which answer choice might solve the error, you should leave the question blank and move on to another question you can answer confidently and quickly. Every minute counts. Dont beat yourself up over an extra tough question. Use either of the strategies described in step 7 and move on pronto.
Common Grammar Errors

Just like Identifying Sentence Errors questions, Improving Sentences questions cover the same grammar over and over. In fact, there are five recurring errors on Improving Sentences questions. We call them the Big Five.
The Big Five

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Passive voice Run-on sentences Misplaced modifiers Parallelism Wordiness
We cover all of the Big Five below in more detail. Learn to spot all five and youll be well on your way to beating Identifying Sentence Errors with ease.
1. Passive Voice
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In sentences that use the active voice, the subject does the action. For example, in the sentence My dog ate a bunch of grass, you immediately know who ate a bunch of grass: the dog. The passive voice, in contrast, identifies the performer of the action late, or even never. For example, the sentence A bunch of grass was eaten leaves the reader unsure of who or what did the eating. Writers tend to avoid using the passive voice because it creates weak, wordy sentences. So, how do you know if you are dealing with a case of the passives? Usually, youll spot these words: is , was, were, are (or any other version of the verb to be) and the word by. If you see these words, ask yourself, Whats the action and whos doing it? If the person (or entity) committing the action appears only at the end of the sentence, or doesnt appear at all, youve got a passive voice whispering bland nothings in your ear.
A fte r T im m y dro pp ed h is filthy s o c ks in th e ha m per, th e o ffens iv e g arm e n t was was hed b y his lo ng- suffering fathe r . (A ) th e o ffens ive garm en t was wa she d b y his lo ng- sufferin g fathe r (B ) his lo ng- suffe ring fathe r w ash ed th e o ffen sive ga rm e n t (C ) th e w ash in g o f th e o ffen sive ga rm e nt to o k plac e by his lo ng- su fferin g fathe r (D) lo ng- suffering , th e o ffen sive ga rm e nt was w ash ed by his fa th er (E) he left the o ffens ive garm en t fo r his lo ng- suffe ring fa ther w ho wash ed it
Here we see passive voice rearing its horrendous head. Theres a was , a by, and the fact that you dont know until the last word of this sentence who washed Timmys socks. The phrase was washed suggests that someone or something did the cleaninga parent, a washing machine, a river in Egypt. The point is, you dont know how the socks got washed. In order to fix the passive voice, the performer of the action must get a place of prominence in the sentence and clear up what theyre doing. In the example above, the correct answer must make clear that Timmys father did the load of laundry. Both answers B and E fix the passive voice problem, but E is wordy and redundant, so B is the right answer.
2. Run-On Sentences
A run-on sentence results when two complete sentences get jammed together. Run-ons usually sound breathless, as if an excited child is telling a story. Heres an example of a run-on sentence:
I walke d into th e p et sto re a nd as ked th e c lerk if sh e h ad any talking parro ts , this m ad e her ro ll he r eye s.
The best way to test if a sentence is a run-on is to split the sentence in two and see if both halves of the sentence could function alone:
I walke d into th e p et sto re and asked the clerk if sh e had any talking pa rro ts . T his m ad e her ro ll he r eye s.
Because each half of this sentence is complete on its own, the two halves cannot be joined together with a comma. Here are three ways to fix run-on sentences in Improving Sentences questions: Method 1: Use a semicolon. Method 2: Add a conjunction. Method 3: Make the clauses relate clearly.
M ETH OD 1: U SE A SEM IC OLO N
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One of the most common remedies youll find on the SAT is a semicolon. A semicolon (;) signals that both sides of the sentence are grammatically separate but closely related to one another.
I walke d into th e p et sto re a nd as ked th e c lerk if sh e h ad any talking parro ts ; this m ad e her ro ll he r eye s.
M ETH OD 2: A DD A C ONJ UNCT I ON Another method for correcting run-on sentences is adding conjunctions. Suppose you see this run-on sentence:
In h er inc red ib le e agerne ss to che e r he r te am to victo ry , A m y the c hee rl ead er ha s lo st he r vo ic e, the refo re h e r pe rfo rm anc e a t the gam e s is a s ilen t o ne .
If you add the conjunction and :

In h er inc red ib le e agerne ss to che e r he r te am to victo ry , A m y the c hee rl ead er ha s lo st he r vo ic e a nd the refo re h er pe rfo rm anc e a t the gam e s is a s ilen t o ne .
The run-on disappears. M ETH OD 3: M AK E T HE CLAU SES RE L ATE CL E ARL Y Sometimes sentences contain strange relationships among clauses that can obscure the meaning of the sentence. (A clause is just a bunch of words with a subject and a predicate). Heres an example:
T h e s tu den t co uncil a ttem p ted to lu re pe o ple to the da nce w ith free fo o d, m o st p eo ple attende d the f ield ho ck ey ga m e.
This sentence suggests that despite the student councils efforts, people didnt go to the dance because they went to the field hockey game. You can correct this run-on sentence by adding a word that makes this relationship clear:
A ltho ug h the stud ent c o unc il attem p te d to lu re peo ple to th e d anc e with f re e fo o d, m o s t peo ple atten ded the fie ld ho cke y gam e .
Okay, time for a real example:

T h e po lic e rep rim a nde d e veryo n e a t the gradu atio n pa rty , they didnt see m ve ry sy m pathe tic to the fac t tha t it was o u r sen io r yea r. (A ) at the gradu atio n p arty , the y did nt se em v ery sym p ath etic to th e fac t th a t i t was o ur s enio r yea r (B ) at the g ra dua tio n party , se em ingly th e fac t tha t it wa s o ur se nio r ye ar did n o t m ake them sy m pathe tic (C ) at th e g ra duat io n party w i th o ut be in g s ym pa th etic to the fac t th at it wa s o ur sen io r yea r (D) at the g ra dua tio n pa rty the y didnt, d esp ite th e fac t th a t i t was o ur sen io r y ea r, see m v ery s ym pa th etic (E) at the gradu atio n pa rty; the y d id nt se em v ery s ymp ath etic to th e fac t th a t i t was o ur s enio r yea r
A classic run-on. The two parts could easily stand alone:

T h e po lic e rep rim ande d e ve ryo n e a t the gradu at io n pa rty. T h ey didnt see m ve ry sy m pathe tic to the fac t tha t it was o u r sen io r yea r.
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Remember, the SAT usually fixes run-ons by exchanging the comma for a semicolon. In this case, E, which uses the semicolon method, is the correct answer. Notice that you could have corrected the question above by turning the second half into a subordinate clause:
Sinc e the y re p rim an ded ev eryo n e a t th e gra dua tio n pa rty , the po lice didn t s ee m ve ry sy m pathe tic to the fac t tha t it was o u r sen io r yea r.
A lternatively, you could have inserted the word and between the two clauses:
T h e po lic e re p rim an ded ev eryo n e a t th e par ty , and they d id nt see m v ery s ym pa th etic to the fac t th at it was o u r se nio r ye a r .
The majority of Improving Sentence questions dealing with run-ons will require you to use one of the three methods weve discussed to fix the sentence.
3. Misplaced Modifiers
A modifying phrase is a phrase that explains or describes a word. In standard written English, modifiers usually appear right next to the word they explain or describe. When modifiers are placed far away from the word they describe, the sentence becomes confusing because its often unclear which word the modifying phrase is referring to, as in the following sentence:
Ea ting six ch ees ebu rg ers, na use a o ve rwh elm ed J a ne.
This sentence is problematic. We can logically infer that Jane was doing the eating, but because the modifying phrase (Eating six cheeseburger s) is so far from the word its intended to modify (Jane), figuring out the meaning of the sentence takes a lot of work. It could very well seem as if nausea rather than Jane is being described. Therefore, the meaning of the sentence could be that nausea ate six cheeseburger fries. The sentence as-is does not convey the meaning the writer intended. When you see a modifier followed by a comma, make sure the word that the modifier describes comes right after the comma. A corrected version of this sentence could read:
A fte r ea ting six ch ees ebu rge rs , J a ne was o verwhe lm e d w ith nau sea .
The phrase eating six cheeseburgers describes what Jane is doing, so Janes name should come right after the phrase. Another way to correct the sentence:
Na use a o verwhe lm e d J an e after she at e six ch ees ebu rge rs .
Now take a look at this sample question:

Ha ving a bargain pr ice , M a rc el s natch ed up the des ig ner jea ns r ig ht awa y . (A ) Having a b arg ain pric e , M a rce l sn atche d u p the d esign er jean s. (B ) M arcel who has a b argain pr ic e , s natche d up th e des ig ner jea ns. (C ) T he jean s b argain pr ic e le d to M arce ls sn atc hing them up. (D) Due to the ir b a rgain pr ic e , M a rce l sn atche d up th e d esign er jea ns. (E) B as ed o n their ba rga in p rice , th e jea ns we re sn atche d u p right away by M a rc el .
The misplaced modifier in this sentence confuses the meaning of sentence. A s it is, it sounds like Marcel has a bargain price, but he certainly isnt for sale. That means you can cut A right away, since it just preserves the underlined portion of the sentence. Cut B since it also identifies Marcel as the object with the bargain price. C uses the possessive
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awkwardly and uses them incorrectly to refer to the bargain price. E looks better, but the phrase the jeans were snatched up uses the passive voice. D is the correct answer. In D, the phrase bargain price modifies designer jeans rather than Marcel. The correct answer solves another problem with the original sentence, which is the phrase having a bargain price.Having does not clearly express the relationship between the jeans and Marcels purchase. In the correct answer, the phrase due to suggests that Marcel bought the designer jeans because they had a bargain price.
4. Parallelism
We covered parallelism in the Identifying Sentence Errors chapter, but we give it another brief review, since its also likely to show up in Improving Sentences questions. In every sentence, all of the different components must start, continue, and end in the same, or parallel, way. Its especially common to find errors of parallelism in sentences that list actions or items. In the example below, the pool rules are not presented in the same format, which means there is a parallelism error.
In the po o l a re a , the re is no spitting, n o runn in g, and do nt to s s yo ur h alf- ea ten ca ndy b ars in the wate r .
The first two forbidden pool activities end in ing (- ing words are called gerunds), and because of that, the third forbidden thing must also end in ing . If you start with gerunds, you must continue with gerunds all the way through a list.
In the po o l area , ther e is no spitting , no run ning, an d n o to ss ing yo ur h alf- ea ten ca ndy b ars in the wate r .
Heres a sample Improving Sentences parallelism question:

T h e u nlim ite d sho p ping spree a llo wed Ra che l to raid the dep ar tm en t sto re a nd she co uld eat e verything in the c afe . (A ) and s he co u ld e at (B ) as well a s ea ting (C ) so sh e co u ld ea t (D) and a m ea l (E) and to eat
The description of the shopping sprees powers begins with an infinitive, to raid . Therefore, on the other side of that and , we should find another infinitive. Instead, the original sentence contains the phrase she could eat, which is not parallel. E, the correct answer, balances both sides of the equation by substituting to eat. In its corrected form, the sentence is made nicely parallel and balanced by the two infinitives:
T h e u nlim ited sho pping spre e al lo wed Rac hel to ra id the de pa rtm e n t sto re and to e a t ev erything in the ca fe .
5. Wordiness
Wordiness means using more words than you absolutely need. Its the crime you commit when youve only gotten four pages written of a six-page paper and its 1 a.m. the night before the papers due. Its all that meaningless redundant junk you write in a desperate attempt to fill up space. Heres an example from a paper Justin wrote senior year: The history of nineteenth-century France is one marked by great periods of continuity and change. Heres what Justins got: Wordy meaninglessness with only the vague sheen of insight. Wordiness often comes hand in hand with the passive voice, as in Justins weak example (is one marked by). Other times wordiness shows up on its own. Heres an example:
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Pier re o b serve d the dine rs an d m o tels o f m iddle A m erica, and th ese a re sights th at are dep ic te d in his t ren dy pa in tings . (A ) th ese a re sigh ts that a re d epicted (B ) th e d epictio n o f thes e sights is (C ) th ese s ig hts h aving be en depicted (D) his dep ic tio n o f the se sigh ts (E) dep ic te d the se sigh ts
This sentence is both wordy and passive. The underlined part could be said in half the space, and you could remove a few words without changing the meaning of the sentence at all. For example: Pierre observed the diners and motels of middle America, and these sights are depicted in his trendy paintings. But even in that succinct version, the passive voice remains: The underlined phrase does not make it clear that Pierre depicted the sights. The phrase sights that are depicted makes it sound like a disembodied hand put paint on canvas. If you encountered this question on the test, you could immediately eliminate A if you realized there was a problem to begin with. Both B and C repeat the original mistakes. They are wordy and they avoid identifying Pierre as the performer of the action. A nswer choice D looks much better; its short and there are no red-flag phrases or words, such as having been or is, that suggest the passive voice. Suppose you suspect that D is the right answer; if you plug it back into the sentence, as you should always do, you get, Pierre
observed the diners and motels of middle America, and his depiction of these sights in his trendy paintings . This newly created sentence is actually a fragment, and therefore
grammatically unacceptable. So you come to E: brief, clear, to the point, and entirely devoid of the passive voice. Does it check out? Pierre observed the diners and motels of middle America, and depicted these sights in his trendy paintings. Yes. E avoids wordiness, names Pierre as the performer of the action, and is a grammatically correct sentence.
The Little Three

In addition to the Big Five, youll likely see a question once in a while that deals with one of these three concepts: 1. Conjunctions 2. Fragments 3. Coordination and subordination We call these the Little Three, and below we explain them all.
1. Conjunctions
Conjunctions are connecting words such as and , but, that, and or . They help link two parts of a sentence together. Suppose you have two sentences:
A b ig ail ju m ped o ff h er ho rs e . Sh e the n do ve into a po o l o f d eep wa ter .
A conjunction such as and enables you to connect the two halves of the sentence:
A b ig ail ju m ped o ff h er ho rs e a nd in to a p o o l o f dee p water.
Improving Sentences questions test you on conjunctions by including sentences in which the conjunction makes the sentence illogical or clunky.
Nick wro te a no ve l an d it d epicts the li fe o f a so m ewha t in spi rin g rec o rd s to re c le rk .
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(A ) and it de picts (B ) being the de pic tio n o f (C ) it depic ts (D) th at de picts (E) and de pictin g in it
The right answer is D. In this sentence, the conjunction that expresses the function of the novel more smoothly than the clunky phrase and it does.
2. Fragments
Fragments are almost the opposite of run-on sentences. Run-on sentences have clauses squashed together and joined incorrectly. Fragments have no independent clause and therefore are incomplete sentences.
T h e h unc hba ck vice p rinc ip al g ro wling a t s tu den ts in th e m a in o ffic e . (A ) T he hunch back vice principa l g ro wlin g (B ) T he hunch back vice principa l hav ing gro wled (C ) Gro wling , th e hun chba ck vic e p rinc ip al (D) It is the hun chb ack v ic e- princ ip al (E) T he hunch back vice principa l g ro wls
In this sentence, the clause lacks a proper verb for the subject (the hunchback vice principal). The sentence would be complete if it read, The hunchback vice principal growling at terrified students was notorious for his brutal tactics . Notice though that the answer choices dont fix the fragment that way. Instead, the correct answer, E, takes away the problem of expectation altogether. When you read The hunchback vice principal growls at terrified students , you dont expect the sentence to continue. He growls and thats the end of the story.
3. Coordination and Subordination

Bad coordination happens in gym class when you trip over your own feet or crash into someone else on the field. Bad coordination in a sentence happens when two clauses are joined together with a word that makes their relationship confusing.
Jo hn m ad e T -s hirts fo r th e swim team , but h e des ig ned the lo go s h im s elf. (A ) but h e des ig ned the lo go s h im s elf (B ) ho we ver, he d esign ed th e lo go s him se lf (C ) and he d esign ed th e lo go s h im s elf (D) since h e des ig ned the lo gos h im s elf (E) and ye t, he des igned the lo go s him self
The sentences makes it clear that John creates his own T-shirts. He also designs logos for the T-shirts. So should the word but express the relationship between these two activities? No, because the two activities are closely related. The word but would make sense only if the sentence said something like John made T-shirts, but other than that he sat around playing video games all day. The word but suggests a contrast, a change in the direction of the sentence. If you get to the middle of a sentence and it takes an unexpected turn, look for a coordination error. In this question, you can eliminate B because the word however is also a bad choice when joining these two clauses. It expresses the same kind of contrasting relationship as does the word but. You can eliminate E for the same reason. Answer D isnt quite as bad as B and E, but John made T-shirts for the swim team, since he designed the logos himself doesnt make that much sense. John doesnt make T-shirts because he designs the logos, he makes T-shirts and designs the logos, which is exactly what C says. Bingo.
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We thought it would be helpful to put together a list of conjunctions and split them up based on whether they suggest contrast or no contrast. Contrast conjunction words like but require the meaning of the sentence to change direction. For example, I would go to school, but I dont feel well. Noncontrast conjunction words like and keep the sentence flowing in the same direction. For example, After school I will practice piano and eat a snack. Heres a chart to help you learn the most important contrast and non contrast conjunction words.
N o nc on tr a st Co n ju nc tion s Con tra st Con jun c tion s
a nd
but
b eca use
th o ug h
s ince
altho ug h
so
while
thu s
ra th er
the re fo re
instea d
unle ss
de spite
ho w eve r
ne verth el ess
no twith stand in g
Subordination problems happen when there are two subordinate clauses and no main clause. You dont need to know what that jargon means. Instead, you just need to know subordination problems tend to occur when sentences contain more than one of the conjunction words listed above. If you see one clause that starts with although , because , if , since , or so that, and then another clause that starts with one of these words, youll hear the subordination problem loud and clear:
B e cau se T e ddy tho u ght h is first date w ith M a r ia we n t we ll , so that he cal led he r eve ry da y fo r the n ext w eek . (A ) so th at h e c alled he r eve ry da y fo r the n ext w e ek (B ) alth o ugh h e c alled her eve ry da y fo r the n ext w eek (C ) bec aus e he ca lled he r ev e ry d ay fo r the nex t wee k (D) he ca lled he r ev e ry d ay fo r the nex t wee k (E) and he c alle d her e ve ry da y fo r the ne xt we ek
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You dont need to know that this sentence is an example of bad subordination. Just notice that the two parts of the sentence dont go together. Why dont they fit together? Because theres something strange about the middle of the sentence. You hit the comma, and then the sentence takes an unexpected turn. The first part of the sentence sets you up: Since Teddy thought his first date with Maria went well, you expect something along the lines of he invited her out again or he kissed her on her front porch , right? Instead, you get the phrase so that. That just sounds incorrect and doesnt make a lot of sense. Knowing the sentence contains an error allows you to eliminate A. In B, the word although gives you exactly the same sort of problem that plagues the original sentence. Same with C, because. He thought the date went well because he called her every day the next week? No. That doesnt make sense. In E, the word and doesnt go with the although that starts the sentence. Plug D back into the sentence to make sure it fits: Because Teddy thought his first date with Maria went well, he called her every day for the next week. Lookin good. A s we emphasized a few times already, relying on your ear and on what sounds right is dangerous on the SAT. The SAT wants you to trust your ear and go with what you think might sound right in conversation or casual English. Remember that the SAT is anything but casual and that Improving Sentences questions test standard written English, not the same English you speak with friends or family. That makes learning the rules and familiarizing yourself with these words all the more important.
Cheap Tricks
We put the Cheap Tricks at the end of this chapter because you should use them only in Cases of Desperation. Only two Cases of Desperation on Improving Sentences questions merit resorting to Cheap Tricks: You cant eliminate even one answer choice. Youve eliminated all but two answer choices and find yourself wasting time agonizing over which answer choice is correct.
Before we discuss each Cheap Trick, we must add a further warning: Do not apply the Cheap Tricks blindly. Cheap Tricks can improve your odds of correctly answering a question on which youre stumped, but they arent foolproof. Cheap Tricks will help you get a higher percentage of questions right. They wont help you get every question right. That said, lets break open our bag of Cheap Tricks and get started. 1. 2. 3. 4. Go with the shortest answer. Cut answer choices that change the meaning of the sentence. Cut answer choices that begin with words ending in - ing. Get your A in gear.
Heres an example to show you how and when to use Cheap Tricks:
B rents co wb o y ha t lo oks p re tty silly, see in g as ho w he lives in New Yo rk C ity . (A ) see in g as ho w he lives in New Yo rk C ity (B ) since h e live s in Ne w Y o rk C ity (C ) co n sidering him living in N ew Yo rk C ity (D) see in g tha t he l iv es in New Yo rk C i ty (E) afte r a ll he do esn t l ive in th e We st
Start off by applying our eight-step strategy (see page ) for Improving Sentences questions to this example. So, lets say you give step 1 a whirl (Read the sentence and try to hear the problem) and you hear something funny about the phrase seeing as how . You cant immediately think of a solution, but step 2 tells you that if you find an error, you can
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eliminate A. Steps 3 and 4 require you to have some hunch about how to fix the error, but in this example youre hunchless. That means you should skip to step 5 and eliminate any answer choices that repeat the error. In this case, that means eliminating answer choice D, which repeats the awkward word seeing . Lets say you now find yourself stuck. B, C, and E look equally good to you. Its time to bring on the cheap tricks.
Cheap Trick 1: Go with the shortest answer.

Well make this quick. When you find yourself staring blankly at two or three answer choices, go with the shorter answer choice. The SAT likes to keep the right answers concise. In the example about Brents goofy cowboy hat, B is not only the right answer, its nice and short: since he lives in New York City .
Cheap Trick 2: Cut answer choices that meaning of the sentence.
change the
Be suspicious of answer choices that tweak the meaning of the sentence. E is the obvious suspect in the sample question: after all he doesnt live in the West. Sure, theres a better reason than the Cheap Trick to eliminate E: If you substitute E into the original sentence, you get Brents cowboy hat looks pretty silly, after all he doesnt live in the West, which is a run-on sentence. But if you didnt spot the run-on, and were in a panic, you could have eliminated E anyway, thanks to Cheap Trick 2. The sentence initially had to do with New York, and how ridiculous one looks sporting a cowboy hat there. E brings up the West new territory. Remember, the directions explicitly instruct you to choose the answer that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence, so an answer choice that messes with the original meaning should be eliminated.
Cheap Trick 3: Cut answer choices that begin with words ending in ing.
More often than not, gerunds (words ending in ing) do not appear in correct answer choices. If you apply this trick to the goofy hat example, you can eliminate answer C considering him living in New York CIty . In cases like this one, - ing words are often awkward. If you read the sentence and have no idea which answer choice is right, get rid of the one with a word like considering .
Cheap Trick 4: Get your A in gear

Its worth reiterating that about one-fifth of the answers on this section will be Ano error. Students tend to freak out when they cant find errors, and they pick some random B, C, D, or E rather than go with A. A is not your enemy. In fact, A can be very helpful when youre in a bind on Improving Sentences questions. Heres why: Cutting A tips the guessing odds in your favor. That means if youre unsure how to fix the error in a sentence, but youre certain it contains some error, you can always cut A and guess with confidence.
Beat Improving Paragraphs

IMPROVING PARAGRAPHS QUESTIONS ARE THE toughest and most time-consuming multiple-choice questions youll face on the new SAT Writing section. They require you to read a series of paragraphs, determine their weaknesses, and then pick the answer choice that solves the problems best. The difficulty of these questions raises two important points: pacing and training.
Pacing
Students tend to think they have to spend the most time on the toughest questions. Thats definitely not the best strategy, since you get the same credit for easy and difficult questions. On the PSAT and the SAT II Writing test, for example, you can skip ALL of the Improving Paragraphs questions and still score a 670. Were definitely not suggesting you skip the entire Improving Paragraphs section. Were suggesting that you not dedicate a disproportionate amount of time and energy to these especially tough questions, since theyll likely not amount to more than 15 or 20 percent of your score on the SAT Writing
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section, which is less than 10 percent of your entire score. Just as you should not spend much more time on difficult SAT questions than you do on easier ones, you should avoid spending more time than necessary preparing for Improving Paragraphs.
Training
The time you do devote to preparing for Improving Paragraphs questions is certainly not a waste. Think of it as a tough training routine for the rest of the Writing section. By the time you can identify a problem with a series of paragraphs, you will have mastered the skills you need to beat each of the other question types: Identifying Sentence Errors, Improving Sentences, and even the Essay. It might be helpful to think of all four parts of the new SAT Writing section as building blocks that teach you the skills you need to beat each successive question type. Even though the questions dont come in this order, thinking about how they relate can help make your preparation more cohesive and effective. Understanding how the parts fit together will give you a greater mastery of the entire section. To sum up: Identifying Sentence Errors teaches you how to improve sentences. Improving Sentences teaches you how to improve paragraphs. Improving Paragraphs shows you how to write an essay.
Directions
Here are the official directions for Improving Paragraphs:
Di re ct io ns: E ach o f the fo llo win g p assag es is a n e arly d raf t o f a n e ss ay. S o m e parts o f the pas sa ges n eed to be re w ri tten . R ead e ach pa ss age an d ans wer the qu est io ns that fo l lo w. So m e ques tio n s are a bo u t pa rt icula r s entenc es o r pa rts o f se nte nc es and ask y ou to im pro ve se ntenc e s truc tu re an d wo rd cho ice . O ther q ues tio ns refer to par ts o f th e e ss ay o r the en tire e ssa y and as k yo u to co ns ider o rga nizatio n a nd dev elo pm e nt. In m a king you r d ecis io ns, fo llo w the co nventio ns o f s tan dard writ ten En glis h. A fte r yo u h ave cho se n you r ans wer , fil l in the co rres po n din g ova l o n yo ur a nswe r she et .
Heres a quick translation of what these directions mean: Improving Paragraphs questions present you with a rough draft of an essay. Some questions will ask you to fix or combine individual sentences, and some will address the essay as a whole.
The Paragraphs
The SAT describes the passages in Improving Paragraphs questions as rough drafts of essays. Each passage usually contains three paragraphs of about five sentences each. So all together youre dealing with about 15 sentences per Improving Paragraphs passage. The SATs description of the passages as first drafts means that the passages contain simple sentence construction and a straightforward writing style. It also means that the essays are filled with errors of style, clarity, wordiness, and poor organization. Its your job to find and fix those errors. Our section on the SA T Essay tells you just what you need to know to write great SAT paragraphs and to avoid the errors youll have to fix in Improving Paragraphs questions (see page ).
The Questions
Youll come across four different types of Improving Paragraphs questions. Though the specifics of each question are crucial to understand, its just as important to know that all four types of question share one general rule: Unlike Identifying Sentence Errors and Improving Sentences, Improving Paragraphs questions do not focus on grammar . Heres what they do focus on:
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Style Organization Syntax Clarity No Grammar!
This makes sense because Improving Paragraphs questions take a broader view on writing. These questions also focus on an entire passage of writing, not just on one sentence. Therefore, Improving Paragraphs questions usually approach problems at the paragraph or sentence level, which means the big picture tends to matter most. They definitely cover sentence improvement, but they do that within the context of the overall thrust or purpose of the paragraph. Here are the four different types of Improving Paragraphs questions plus a quick explanation of each. We go over them all up close, including examples, later in the chapter.
1. Sentence Revision Questions

Sentence Revision questions, the most common question type in this section, require you to change and improve an entire sentence or a portion of one. Revision questions ask you to pick a word that should be added to clarify the meaning of a particular sentence or to choose a multiple-choice answer that would most effectively revise a flawed phrase.
2. Sentence Addition Questions

Sentence Addition questions ask you which sentences or phrases should be added to the passage in order create a smoother transition or to clarify meaning. These questions require you to take into account the meaning of the overall passage and how the paragraphs transition into or relate to one another.
3. Sentence Combination Questions

Sentence Combination questions present you with two sentences and ask you to pick the best way to join them. A semicolon? A conjunction? Which conjunction? The skills you picked up in our section on Conjunctions, Coordination and Subordination and the chart of conjunction words will be particularly useful on Sentence Combination questions.
4. Essay Analysis Questions

Essay Analysis questions require you to take a deeper, more critical look at the essay. They ask you to pick the sentence that best sums up the essay or to identify how a particular sentence functions within the essay as a whole. These questions test your understanding of the mechanics of essays, which means how essays are built from the ground up. We cover everything you need to know about essays for the SAT in our chapter on the new SAT essay (see page ).
Improving Paragraphs in Five Steps

There are five standard steps for dealing with all four of the Improving Paragraphs question types. Each type has its own particular quirks. First we give you the standard steps, then we go over each individual question type to explain the quirks.
Step 1: Read and outline the entire passage quickly.

This first step never varies, and you only have to do it once for every passage: Before looking at the questions, read and outline the entire passage very quickly. When we say quickly, we mean quickly. It shouldnt take you more than two minutes to read the passage and write down a quick sketch of what the paragraphs contain. The outline we advise you to write is really just a very sketchy road map of the passage. As you read each paragraph, sum up its purpose in a few words and write that summation next to the actual paragraph in your test booklet. Heres a quick sample of a paragraph and how we would outline it:
Do lp hin s c an c o m munica te by u sing a series o f c lick in g and shrieking so u nds . Re sea rc he rs o ff the co as t o f Flo r id a h ave un derta ken rese a rch to try to de co d e thes e
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so und s and c o m e up with a co m pre hen sive do lp hin lan gua ge. S o far the yve m an aged to t ra nslate o ve r 1 0 0 phras es d o lphins us e to c o m mun ic ate.
This paragraph is all about dolphins, but more specifically about research on dolphin communication. Our outline entry for this paragraph would read something like, Florida dolphin research100 phrases. Just enough to cover the key facts and purpose of the passage. A s you read and outline, youre going to blaze by a lot of errors. Dont waste your time trying to fix them or even marking them. Since the passage has more sentences than the questions can possibly cover, its a waste of time to examine each sentence carefully. You wont be asked about every single sentence, so let the questions guide you to the sentences you need to examine for problems. On this first quick read-through, your main goal is to understand the purpose of the passage and to see how its paragraphs relate. The outline sketch you build along the way will make navigating back through the passage a breeze.
Step 2: Read the question.

Read the first question, but remember not to look at the answer choices yet.
Step 3: Reread the context sentences.

Context sentences are the sentences before and after the sentence mentioned in the question. Your quick read-through of the passage will give you a general understanding of its subject. But to answer most Improving Paragraphs questions, you need to go back to the relevant part of the passage and reread the sentence mentioned in the question more carefully. Its also crucial to read the context sentences. In fact, sometimes the context can help you rewrite the sentence. For example, read the two sentences around this problematic sentence:
He r m o th e r to ld E m ily to m a ke th e bed. A no the r cho re he r m o ther to ld her to do was to tak e o ut the ga rb age . Em i ly reluc tan tly co m plie d .
Here, the first and second sentences convey similar information. The second sentence is wordy and awkward, however, while the first sentence is clean and concise. You can use the first sentence as a model for the revision of the second sentence.
Step 4: Make your own revision.

A s in the other multiple-choice sections, its important to generate your own answer before you read the answer choices. The wrong answers are SAT traps placed there to confuse you, so dont fall blindly into their clutches. Generate your own answer in your head before reading the actual answers. If you read the example about Emily and her chores, and modeled your revision on that successful first sentence, you might come up with
He r m o the r a ls o to ld Em ily to take o u t th e ga rbag e .
Step 5: Read every answer and pick the one that comes closest to your answer.
Here are the answer choices:
(A ) A no the r cho re h er m o the r to ld he r to do wa s to take o ut the garba ge . (B ) Her m o the r add it io na lly as ked he r to d o the c ho re o f taking o ut the garba ge. (C ) A lso , tak e o ut the ga rb age , he r m o th e r as ked . (D) T hen , he r m o the r to ld Em i ly to ta ke o ut the g a rbage . (E) She als o a sk ed Em ily to ta ke o u t th e g a rbag e.
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D comes closest to the revision you prepared before you looked at the answer choices, so that should be your choice. Lets sum up all five steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read and outline the entire passage. Read the question. Reread the context sentences. Make up your own answer first. Read every answer and pick the one that comes closest to your answer.
These fives steps apply to all four question types: Sentence Revision, Sentence Addition, Sentence Combination, and Essay A nalysis. Each question type does have its own particular quirks, including one important exception, so next we take you through each type up close.
Sentence RevisionUp Close

The SAT asks you to revise sentences for a bunch of reasons. Most often the problem is awkward language that obscures the meaning of the sentence. The SAT poses these questions in a variety of ways. Here are some examples:
Which o f the fo llo wing is the c le a rest v e rsio n o f the un der lin ed po rtio n o f sen te nce 2 ?
In the co n te xt o f the third p a ra graph , sen ten ce 9 c o uld be m ade mo re pre c ise by ad ding which o f the fo llo wing wo rds afte r T hat ? T h e p hrase th is thing in sen te nce 5 is m ade m o s t spe cific in w hich o f the fo llo wing revisio n s?
Which is th e bes t wo rd o r phras e to ad d afte r T he mo vie the ate r in o rder to co nne ct se ntenc e 3 (rep rin te d b elo w) to the res t o f the fi rst p a ra gr aph?
On Improving Paragraphs questions like these, clarity is key. The SAT hates sentence structure that lacks specificity or could be interpreted in more than one way. Your goal on Sentence Revision questions is always to suggest alternatives that make problematic sentences clearer, simpler, and more specific. Finally, on some Sentence Revision questions, you may be able to skip step 3 (reread the context sentences). While we think its always a good idea to look at the context sentences, if youre pressed for time, you could just revise the sentences blindly. Heres an example of a paragraph with a Sentence Revision question that follows. Read the paragraph and the question, and then well explain how to get the correct answer using our five-step method:
(1 ) O be sity is a big p ro ble m in th e U nited S tates . (2 ) Sixty-o ne pe rce nt of adults suffe r
fro m it , but a ro und 300 ,000 p eop le die eve ry ye ar from d is eas es dire ctly rela ted to ob esity. (3 ) O bes ity is re la ted to diab ete s, high blood press ure, an d ge ttin g h ea rt dise as e.
1 . Which o f the fo llo wing is the bes t way to rev is e the u nde rlin ed po r tio n o f sen te nce 2 , rep rinted be lo w? Sixty- o ne p erc ent o f ad ults suffer f ro m it , but a ro und 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 peo ple die eve ry ye ar fro m dise ase s dire ct ly re lat ed to o bes ity. (A ) suffe r fro m i t, b ut a ro un d
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(B ) suffe r, fro m i t b ut a ro un d (C ) suffe r fro m i t, a nd (D) suffe r fro m i t, a ltho u gh (E) suffe r be cau se o f it , but a ro und
Follow our five-step method: Read the passage and mark down something like obesity, 61% adults, 300,000 dead per year (step 1). Read the question (step 2). Go back and read the context sentences quickly (step 3). Now come up with your own answer (step 4).
A t this point you may have spotted the conjunction error in the sentence. Since theres no contrast between the first half of the sentence and the second half, the conjunction word after the comma should be a noncontrast word like and, so, or therefore. Once you have an idea of the possible answer worked out on your own, read the answers and try to find a match (step 5). Happily, youve struck gold with choice C, which uses the conjunction to improve the sentence.
Sentence AdditionUp Close

The purpose of adding a sentence is usually to smooth over a rough transition from paragraph to paragraph. Transitions are words, phrases, or entire sentences that give the reader the context necessary to understand the flow of your ideas in an essay. Theyre like training wheels for readers. Transitions take readers gently by the hand, leading them through a piece of writing. When you see a Sentence Addition question and are preparing your own answer, think how best to improve the transition between the paragraphs or sentences. Here are two examples of the ways the SA T phrases Sentence Addition questions:
Which o f the fo llo w ing se nte nce s sho uld be add ed afte r se ntenc e 7 in o rde r to l in k the se co nd paragrap h to the re st o f the e ssa y?
Which o f the fo llo wing se ntenc es sho uld be ins erted at the beg in ning o f th e thi rd pa ra gra ph, b efo re s enten ce 1 0 ?
Be especially careful with questions like the second example above, which ask you to insert a sentence at the beginning of a paragraph. Sentences that begin paragraphs are usually topic sentences. A topic sentence tells the reader the subject or purpose of the paragraph. Topic sentences are crucial parts of the essay as a whole because they determine how each paragraph functions and fits in the context of the entire essay. To understand the context for these sentences, you have to do more than just read the sentence before and the sentence after. You have to understand how the paragraph relates to the previous entire paragraph. If youve followed step 1, youll have at your fingertips an outline of what each paragraph does. You can follow your outline to assess how one paragraph relates to another. Then you can write a possible topic sentence and examine how your sentence contradicts, modifies, or agrees with the main idea of the previous paragraph. Heres a Sentence Addition question based on the sample obesity essay:
(1 ) Sixty- one pe rc ent o f adu lts su ffer f ro m it, b ut arou nd 300 ,00 0 people d ie e very yea r fro m dise ase s dire c tly re la te d to obe sity . (2 ) O bes ity is rela ted to diab etes , h ig h b lo od
pres sure , a nd ge tt in g h ear t dis eas e.
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1 . Which o f the fo llo w ing s entenc es sh ould be in serted at th e b eginn in g o f the ne xt pa ra gra ph, b efo re s enten ce 2 ? (A ) o bes ity is o nly a pro blem fo r th e e lde rly (B ) o bes ity is a serio us p ro b le m tha t affec ts h undred s o f tho usan ds o f p eop le . (C ) o bes ity ca n cau se ca nce r (D) o bes ity ha s no kno wn cure (E) o bes ity is no t n ec ess arily an inhe ri te d co n ditio n
Follow our five-step method: Youve already read and outlined this passage, so you can skip straight to Step 2. Read the question but not the answer choices (step 2). The paragraph in this example lacks a topic sentence, so the question is asking you to supply one. Go back and read the context sentences quickly (step 3). A quick glance back at the passage and your outline reveals that the paragraph is about obesity, the huge numbers of people who suffer from it, and the diseases that result from it. Now come up with your own answer (step 4).You might generate a topic sentence that says something like, Obesity is a very serious condition, or some similar broad phrase that presents obesity as serious business. Step 5 tells you to check the answer choices. B does exactly what your topic sentence didit presents obesity as a grave problem that affects many people. So B is the correct answer.
Sentence CombinationUp Close

Some questions ask you to combine two or three sentences. Context often doesnt play a role in answering this type of question, so you can skip step 3, which tells you to go back and read the context sentences. You should still read and outline the passage (step 1) and read the question without looking at the answer choices (step 2). Just skip ahead to steps 4 and 5, which tell you to generate your own answer (step 4) and then check it against the answer choices (step 5). There are two ways the SAT tends to ask Sentence C ombination questions:
Which o f the fo llo wing is the b est way to c o m bine an d re vise se ntenc es 5 and 6 ?
Ho w sho uld th e unde rlined po rtio ns o f s enten ces 4 an d 5 , which a re rep r in te d b elo w , be revis ed so that the two sen te nce s co m b in e into o ne?
Only rarely will Sentence C ombination questions require you to consider a sentencess context. Heres one example that does:
In o rder to v ary the rep e ti tiv e s entenc e s truc tu re o f the se nte nce s in the firs t pa ra gra ph, h o w sho uld sen ten ces 8 a nd 9 be co mbined?
On questions like this one, you must look back at the relevant paragraph to familiarize yourself with the repetitive sentence structure that the question addresses. All of this adds up to a lot of time invested in one question, so you may consider leaving questions like this blank or skipping them and returning after spending your precious time on easier questions that dont require context analysis.
How to Combine Sentences
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Most often youll combine sentences by using a comma and a conjunction (a conjunction is a connecting word like and , but, or so). You can also combine sentences using semicolons and colons. We explain all of the different combination methods below.
Comma and Conjunction

Say the question asks you to combine these two sentences:
Sh e flush ed he r eng age m ent r ing do wn the to ile t. T he plum be r go t it b ack fo r h e r.
If you combine these two sentences through the power of a comma and a conjunction, you get
Sh e flush ed he r eng age m ent r ing do wn the to ile t, b ut the plum be r go t it b ack fo r h e r.
Just be careful that the conjunction you choose makes sense. The revision below is grammatically correct, but logically flawed:
Sh e flush ed he r eng agem e nt rin g do wn the to ilet , be cau se the plum be r go t it ba ck fo r he r.
The word because does not make sense, since it suggests that the woman in question flushed her ring down the toilet a second time as a result of the plumber initially retrieving it. Words like because, despite, and therefore indicate whether one-half of the sentence goes with the flow of the other half of the sentence. We call these words contrast words and noncontrast words, and we include a complete chart of the ones you need to know in our Critical Reading section on page .
Semicolon
If two sentences are closely related, you can combine them with a semicolon. Say you begin with these two sentences:
M arga ret rec en tly m e t he r fu tu re m o the r-in- law . P ro b le m s ens ued im m ediately .
The combination with a semicolon looks like this:

M arga ret rec en tly m e t he r fu tu re m o the r-in- law ; p ro b le m s ens ued im m ediately .
Expressing a Logical Relationship (Use the Answers!)

Remember how we said one type of Improving Paragraphs question requires an exception to the five-step strategy? This is it. Some Sentence Combination questions ask you to combine two sentences in a way that makes their logical relationship clearer. By logical relationship we mean the way the two sentences interact. On logical relationship questions, the answer choices can do a lot of the tough work for you, so you should read the answers first, before coming up with your own. That just means you should do step 4 by reading the answers first and then creating your own answer. A quick scan of the answers will make it clear what kind of possible logical relationship the test-writers see between the two sentences. Your job is then to pick the answer choice with the most perfect grammar and the most sensible logical relationship. Heres an example:
T o va ry the pa tte rn o f sen te nce s in the fi rs t pa rag rap h, wh ic h o f th e fo l lo wing is the be st wa y to co m bine se nte nce s 2 and 3 (rep rinted be lo w)?
M y sister ea ts nas ty c ottag e che ese a nd grape s for lu nch . I ea t fresh tac os.
(A ) While m y siste r e ats n asty co ttage ch ees e and grape s fo r lun ch, f re sh taco s a re what Im e a ting . (B ) In co ntras t to m y sister e a tin g n asty co ttage ch ees e and grape s fo r lu nch, I will
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be ea ting fres h ta co s . (C ) M y s is te r was ea ting nas ty co ttage c hees e and grape s fo r lunc h, I was ea ting fres h tac o s. (D) M y sister ea ts na sty co t ta ge ch ees e and g rape s fo r lu nch an d I a m n o t th e sam e bec aus e I eat fresh tac o s. (E) U nlik e m y sister, who eats na sty c o tta ge che es e a nd grape s fo r lu nch , I eat f resh ta co s .
To find your answer look for two things: Contrast or no contrast? Is the answer choice grammatically correct?
First, whats the relationship between the two sentences? The speaker establishes a contrast between her sisters eating habits and her own. Now lets go through the answer choices. B y using the word while, A does a good job of expressing the relationship, but it has a parallelism error. It begins by saying my sister eats, so the second half of the sentence should say I eat (not Im eating ) in order for both halves of the sentence to match up. B also does a good job with the logical relationship, but it has a tense problem; the sister is eating in the present tense, but the speaker is eating sometime in the future. This changes the original meaning of the two sentences, in which both people are eating at the same time. Answer choice C doesnt express the logical relationship at all and is also a run-on sentence. A nswer choice D expresses the relationship but is awkward and wordy because of the phrase and I am not the same. That leaves answer choice E, which expresses the basic logical relationship between the two sentences, and does it grammatically.
Essay AnalysisUp Close

The SAT refers to the paragraphs on Improving Paragraphs questions as essays and passages. We call them essays for the sake of simplicity, but the SAT refers to them both ways on the test. Essay Analysis questions often cover the essay as a whole. These questions require you to assess aspects of the entire essay, such as its main idea. Other Essay Analysis questions pinpoint a sentence or two and ask you to evaluate aspects of the writers technique. Sometimes youll find that you dont even need to glance back to the essay to answer the question correctly. In this case, the question is usually referring back to the essay as a whole. On Essay Analysis questions that dont treat the passage as a whole, you probably will need to go back and reread a few sentences. This question asks about the entire passage:
Which s entenc e bes t su m m ariz es th e m a in ide a o f the pa ssa ge?
In step 1 we suggest that you read the essay quickly and outline it in a flash. Now you can see how helpful that quick read and outline will be on questions like the one above. Instead of going back and fishing through the passage, you can use your own outline to refresh your memory of the essays content and organization. You will also find that writing out these quick notes reinforces the main idea anyway, which will probably already be in your head. The following is a different variety of Essay Analysis question that also requires you to analyze the entire essay:
T h e w rite r use s all o f the fo llo wing te chn iq ues E XC EPT : (A ) using c onc re te ex am ples (B ) using a n a nec do te to il lu strate h is th esis
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(C ) disco unting th ose wh o d is ag ree w ith his o pinio n (D) statin g a nd th en disp ro v in g a the o ry (E) m aking refe renc e to a wo rk o f fic tio n
This type of question does not allow you to prepare your own answer. You have to go right to the answer choices. Before you do that, however, make a big circle around the word EXCEPT. Thats the key word in this question. The question asks you to eliminate all the techniques that the writer actually uses and to pick the one the writer does not use. To answer the question, you can refer back to the essay or you can use the outline you sketched in your first read of the essay. From there, you should try to eliminate answers as you verify that the writer does indeed use the technique in the answer choice. The correct answer will be the technique that the writer does not use, thanks to the EXCEPT in the question. Now that you know how to approach tough questions like this one, keep in mind that it may make most sense to skip very demanding questions like this one. The SAT rewards students who correctly answer as many questions as possible. The SAT doesnt value a difficult question like the one above any more than it values the easiest question on the entire test. If you get stuck on a tough Essay Analysis question, feel free to move on to a question you can answer more quickly and confidently.
Analyzing a Single Sentence

Some analysis questions ask you to analyze one specific sentence. The best way to beat this type of Essay Analysis question is to go back to the essay and read the context sentencesthe sentences before and after the sentence in the question. Heres an example for you:
T h e p rim ary purpo se o f s enten ce 4 is to (A ) sug ges t a hyp o thetic al s itua tio n (B ) ask the read e r to q ues tio n the us efulnes s o f thea te r (C ) le t th e w ri te r app ea r m o des t (D) co n tradict a wid e ly h eld ass um ptio n abo ut thea te r (E) re vea l th e w rite rs co nfu sio n ab o ut the atr ical p ro duc tio n s
To determine what sentence 4 does, head back to the paragraph that contains it and read sentences 3, 4, and 5. Then, before looking at the answer choices, decide what you think sentence 4s primary purpose is in the paragraph. If youre having trouble making up your own answer to this kind of question, use the answer choices. Pay attention to the language each answer choice uses. Some of them may strike you as obviously wrong. Maybe the author is a braggart who doesnt sound modest at all; or perhaps shes revealing her mastery of theatrical productions, not her confusion . She could be clearly supporting a widely held assumption , not contradicting it. If you can make those determinations right away, cut those choices. That way you can eliminate the answers that you know are incorrect and raise your odds of selecting the correct answer from the two or three choices that remain. Heres another kind of single-sentence Essay Analysis question:
T h e w rite r co u ld b est im pro v e sen te nce 8 by (A ) adm itting th e flaws in his th eo ry (B ) giving co n crete exa m ples (C ) exp la in in g h is o wn o pinio n (D) bring in g up new pro ble ms (E) exp la in in g m o dern th eate r
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For this type of question, you can prepare your own answer first. Before you do, you need to follow step 3 and reread the context sentences. That means you should glance back at sentences 7, 8, and 9 to see if you can determine the problem with sentence 8 before you look at the answer choices. Next, come up with your own answer and take a look at the actual answer choices (step 4). Once youve got an answer in mind, you can look at the actual answer choices and start eliminating choices that you determine must be incorrect (step 5). Often you can cut answers that seem too broad, farfetched, or ambitious. For example, do you think this writer could explain all of modern theater in sentence 8? No way. Cutting answer choices like that makes selecting the choice most like your own answer much easier, since fewer total choices remain.
A Sample Improving Paragraphs Essay

Below is a sample essay followed by six typical SAT Improving Paragraphs questions. We also provide an explanation of how we applied our five-step strategy to answer each question correctly. Take a shot at answering the questions yourself using the five steps before you look at our answers and explanations. Heres the sample essay:
(1 ) In on e sce ne in a s hort story I rec ent ly rea d , th e main c harac te r goes b ack in time an d h app ens to bring a few gold piece s b ack to the prese nt with him . (2 ) T he gold piec es tu rn out to b e inc red ib ly va lu able . (3 ) T his sho rt story rem inde d me of the ba seb all ca rd c ollec ting c raz e , it be in g a n in te res ting face t of A me rica n p op cultur e . (4 )
B u ying and sa ving bas eb all ca rds mea ns sp end in g v ery li ttle mon ey on so meth in g tha t might tu rn out to be worth b ig b uck s in the futu re .
(5 ) M y dad collected ba seb all ca rds whe n h e wa s a kid, a nd no one ba ck th en thou ght they d b e worth an yth in g. (6 ) So meone like my da d u sed u p h is a llowa nce e very we ek ju st be cau se he w an te d to col lect a ll o f h is fav or ite playe rs R oy Camp ane lla, in my dad s c ase . (7 ) B y ded ic atin g the bulk of h is we ekly in come to a dding play e r af te r play er to his collect ion, my fathe r dec la red h is de dica tion to the pla ye rs . (8 ) B ase ball is a highly profitable sp ort , an d so bas eba ll card co llec ting ha s bec ome on e. (9 ) Eve ry one ha s hea rd of on e bas eba ll c ard in its o rig in a l w rapp in g c omman ding an a bsu rdly high price , a nd now ev eryone is pos itive that h is o r he r s hoeb ox filled w ith old bas eb all ca rds c ontains at le ast o ne ca rd worth mil lion s. (1 0 ) B ut if my dad had tha t on e card, h e w ont kno w it. (1 1 ) Way be fo re he rea lized it, his mo th e r ha d g otten rid o f them.
1 . Which s entenc e bes t su m m ariz es th e m a in ide a o f the pa ssa ge? (A ) sen te nce 1 (B ) sen te nce 2 (C ) sen te nce 3 (D) sen te nce 4 (E) sen te nce 7
2 . In c o ntex t, w hich re visio n do e s se nte nce 3 m o st ne ed? (A ) A dd In point of fac t at the be ginning . (B ) Delete the p hra se s hor t story . (C ) Delete the wo rd s it b eing . (D) Replac e th e co m m a wi th a da sh . (E) Replac e re min ded with rem inds .
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3 . Which o f th e fo llo win g s entenc es sho uld be ad ded befo re s entenc e 5 , a t the be ginning o f the s eco nd parag ra ph? (A ) B ut there w e re peo ple who didnt c o lle ct ba se ball ca rd s with m o ne y in m ind. (B ) C lear ly , ea rly cap ital ism is a go o d idea . (C ) In the co llec ting wo r ld, ev e ryo ne h as a diffe ren t sto ry . (D) Let m e rela te to yo u m y o wn fa th ers plan to m ake m o ney . (E) So m e pa stim e s hav e bene fits yo u cant disc ern at firs t.
4 . Which o f th e fo llo wing be st revise s sen te nce 8 , which is re p ro duc ed belo w ?
B a seb all is a highly profitab le spo rt , and so ba seb all ca rd collect ing has be come on e.
(A ) (as it is no w ) (B ) Gro win g to be m o re a nd m o r e like th e s po rt that m ak es i ts ex is te nce p o ss ib le has be en ba seb all ca rd c o lle cting . (C ) T hey s ay tha t bas eba ll is no w a high ly pro fitable in dus try, as is this o th er pas tim e. (D) Like th e s po rt itse lf , bas eba ll c a rd c o l le ct in g ha s bec o m e a high ly pro f itab le in dus try. (E) A t last, lik e the h ig hly p ro fi ta ble in dust ry o f bas eb all, b ase ball c ard c o lle c tin g is who lly cha nged .
5 . O f the fo llo wing , which bes t re v ises the und erl ined pa rt o f sen ten ce 1 0 , w h ic h is rep ro du ced be lo w?
B u t if my d ad ha d tha t one c ard, he wo nt kno w it .

(A ) card , the y w o uld nev er rea lize it. (B ) card ; h e w o uld nev er rea lize i t. (C ) card , h o w co u ld he rea lize i t? (D) card , m y d ad wo nt e ver rea lize it. (E) cardhe n eve r re al iz ed it.
6 . In the co ntext o f th e p arag raph , which is th e b est rev is io n o f se ntenc e 1 1 , wh ic h is rep ro du ced be lo w?
Way be fo re he rea lize d it , h is mother h ad go tten rid of the m .

(A ) (as it is no w ) (B ) Yea rs be fo re his ca rd s bec am e valua ble, h is m o the r had g o tten rid o f th em . (C ) Yea rs befo re h e h as re a liz ed abo u t the c ard s, his m o ther ha s g o tten rid o f the m . (D) It wa s yea rs be fo re he rea lize d abo u t th e ca rds that his m o th e r go t rid o f them . (E) His m o th er ge ts r id o f th e c a rds ye ars befo re he re a liz es ab o ut the m .
Answers and Explanations

Before you answer any of these questions, remember to follow our five-step strategy for Improving Paragraphs questions. Here are the five steps once again: Step Step Step Step 1: Read and outline the entire passage. 2: Read the question. 3: Reread the context sentences. 4: Make up your own answer first.
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Step 5: Read every answer and pick the one that comes closest to your answer.
You can often skip some of the five steps in our strategy plan, but having the five steps in mind will give you a plan of attack for each question. You can then pick and choose which steps to use to answer the question at hand. Below is a detailed discussion of each sample question and answer about the essay above.
1. The correct answer is D

This is an Essay Analysis question that asks you about the essay as a whole. The first step you should always take on Improving Paragraphs questions is to read the entire passage and outline it quickly. Heres an example of how we would outline the passage. 1. bball card collecting / American culture / cheap cards now valuable 2. Dads cards = dedication / bball card collecting now profitable business, not just hobby 3. Collections can be worth lots of $$$. Dads collection junked by mom. Notice that you dont have to write in complete sentences or spell out every word. Instead, do whatever it takes to make jotting down your outline as efficient and helpful as possible. Only you have to be able to understand what your outline says. A fter reading the essay once and jotting down an outline sketch like ours, you should read the first question (step 2). To answer this question as efficiently as possible, skip step 3. Since the question does not refer to one specific sentence, it doesnt make sense to reread context sentences. Step 4 does still apply to this passage, which means you should next come up with your own version of the main idea. Use the quick outline youve jotted down to help determine the main idea of the passage. Is it just about baseball? Is it just about baseball card collecting? Try to narrow down the main idea to a more focused statement. For example, the most accurate description of this passages main idea might be something like, This passage is about how baseball card collecting evolved from being just a hobby to becoming a big business. You should then check your answer against the possible main idea sentences that the question directs you to assess specifically in the answer choices (step 5). Your version of the main idea doesnt have to be as thorough as the one we suggested abovesomething like this will do just fine: Collecting baseball cards can turn out to be very profitable. Thats just enough of a sketch to give you an idea of what youre looking for as you go back and check out the possible main idea sentences. Now lets take a closer look at those. A: Sentence 1 reads, In one scene in a short story I recently read, the main character goes back in time and happens to bring a few gold pieces back to the present with him. That deals with the anecdote the writer uses to introduce his main ideaits too specific to be the main idea sentence. Eliminate it. B: Sentence 2 reads, The gold pieces turn out to be incredibly valuable. This is even more specific than the first sentence, so it also cannot be the correct expression of the essays main idea. You can also eliminate B. C: Sentence 3 reads, This short story reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, it being an interesting facet of American pop culture. This sounds closerit mentions baseball card collecting, which is part of the main idea of the essay. However, it sounds like a transition between the anecdote and the main thrust of the essay, rather than a summation of the overall main idea. Leave it for now, since it sounds better than the first two. D: Sentence 4 reads, Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. This sentence sounds very much like the main idea you generated on your ownit talks about card collecting, and it also mentions the idea that you can make money on card collecting.
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Sentence 4 is a better choice than sentence 3, which is a transition sentence and is not specific enough about the business side of baseball card collecting. Look at E, just to be sure its not a better answer choice than D. By dedicating the bulk of
his weekly income to adding player after player to his collection, my father declared his dedication to the players. E is too specific. The passages main point is not to explain the
initial reason that kids take up card collecting; its to explain what happens years after the collection is begun. D is the correct answer.
2. The correct answer is C.

Here we have a typical Sentence Revision question. Sentence 3 reads, This short story
reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, it being an interesting facet of American pop culture. Youve read and outlined the essay (step 1), and you know what sentence the
question covers (step 2), so now youre up to step 3. Rereading the context sentences is crucial on this question. Heres why: If you make the changes suggested by answer choice A, you get, In point of fact, this short story reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, it being an interesting facet of American pop culture. Out of context, this change seems to fix the sentence just fine, except that it ends up a bit wordy. If you look at it in context, however, you can see that adding in point of fact is illogical: The gold pieces turn
out to be incredibly valuable. In point of fact, this short story reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, it being an interesting facet of American pop culture. The phrase in point of fact signals that the writer is about to elaborate on a point that he or she started
to make in the last sentence, but sentence 3 is actually a departure from sentence 2, not an elaboration on it. You can eliminate A. If you had skipped step 3 and just dove right in, you probably would have chosen A and moved on not knowing you had fallen into an SAT trap. You always want to have your own fix in mind (step 4) as you review the answer choices in Sentence Revision questions. Ask yourself which part of the sentence sounds off or incorrect? The first half of the sentence looks and sounds perfect: This reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze. The tail end of the sentence also looks spotless: an interesting facet of American pop culture. The problem lies in the faulty phrase it being , which joins the two halves of the sentence. The correct answer must do something to remedy that awkward link. One suggestion you could keep in mind as your answer might be, This reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, an interesting facet of American pop culture, or This reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, which was an interesting facet of American pop culture. Step 5 requires you to compare your answer with the answer choices given in the question. If you make the changes suggested by B, you get, This reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, it being an interesting facet of American pop culture. Removing the phrase short story just makes the word this vague. It does not improve the sentence. C gives you This reminded me of the baseball card collecting craze, an interesting facet of American pop culture. C is the correct answer choice because it removes the unnecessary it being phrase without making the sentence ungrammatical. The SAT loves concise solid sentences, so its no surprise that C is the most compact and concise answer choice here. Notice also that C is a perfect match for the first of the two solutions that we suggested you plant in your head before reviewing the answer choices. Once you have a strong idea of the solution to a Sentence Revision question, finding the answer is often just a matter of plucking a match from the actual answer choices. Lets check out D and E as well, just to be sure. D gives you This reminded me of the baseball card collecting crazean interesting facet of American pop culture. A dash is usually used to signal an abrupt transition or a new thought. Here, the phrase that comes after the comma is an elaboration on the baseball card collecting phase, not a transition or a new thought, so a dash is inappropriate. Finally, Es changes: This reminds me of the baseball card collecting craze, it being an interesting facet of American pop culture. This revision doesnt really help or harm the sentence. So now youre at a crossroads. C is a better answer choice than E because it
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makes a needed revision to the sentence, whereas E just avoids making things worse. C it is.
3. The correct answer is A.

This is a Sentence Addition question that requires a firm grasp of the context sentences, so the best strategy to take on this question is to skip to step 3. Read sentences 4 and 5: (4)
Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. (5) My dad collected baseball cards when he was a kid, and no one back then thought theyd be worth anything.
Remember, the correct answer to Sentence Addition questions is almost always the one that smooths out a rough transition. If you can generate your own transitional sentence and then see which answer choice matches it, great (steps 4 and 5). If not, try out the suggested sentences and see which one works. A. Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that
might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. But there were people who didnt collect baseball cards with money in mind. My dad collected baseball cards when he was a kid, and no one back then thought theyd be worth anything. A is the correct answer. It
provides a smooth transition between the specific story of the writers father and the idea that people can profit from their card collections. Even if you were able to pick out A as the correct answer right away, its helpful to understand why the other answer choices dont work. Often the difference between the right answer and each of the four other wrong answers is slight, and having an acute sense of the subtle differences the SAT likes to test can help you avoid SAT traps and boost your score. B. Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that
might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. Clearly, early capitalism is a good idea. My dad collected baseball cards when he was a kid, and no one back then thought theyd be worth anything. This solution is passable, with the exception of the phrase early capitalism , which is meaningless. Also, it doesnt tie together the two sentences, as A does. C. Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. In the collecting world, everyone has a different story. My dad collected baseball cards when he was a kid, and no one back then thought theyd be worth anything. This new sentence is okay, but its more vague than the
correct answer, and once again it doesnt do a good job of knitting together sentences 4 and 5. Also, the phrase collecting world is a little ambiguous. The passage is about baseball card collecting, not collecting in general. D. Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that
might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. Let me relate to you my own fathers plan to make money. My dad collected baseball cards when he was a kid, and no one back then thought theyd be worth anything. Ds main problem is its tone. The writer takes a
relaxed, chummy tone throughout this essay, and this new sentence has a serious tone that clashes with the rest of the prose. You can detect this inappropriate tone shift in phrases like Let me relate to you and in words like father , which contrasts sharply with the word choice in sentence 5, which uses the words dad and kid . D is inappropriately formal and should be eliminated. E. Buying and saving baseball cards means spending very little money on something that
might turn out to be worth big bucks in the future. Some pastimes have benefits you cant discern at first. My dad collected baseball cards when he was a kid, and no one back then thought theyd be worth anything. E relates almost entirely to sentence 5, without referring
back to sentence 4 at all, whereas the correct answer refers to both 4 and 5 equally.
4. The correct answer is D.

This is another typical Sentence Revision question. Here the main problem is the vague phrase has become one, which disrupts the logical clarity of the sentence. Once you detect that problem, you can prepare your own answer (step 4) and then look for an answer choice that clears up the sentence in a way most similar to your own solution (step 5).
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A lso, once you see that the sentence needs improvement, you can eliminate A, which keeps the sentence as it is. B is grammatically incorrect. It contains a misplaced modifier, baseball collecting , and also suffers from awkward inconsistent use of tenses (growing to be, has been ). C starts and ends with unacceptably vague language. They say is a weak, muddled phrase. The clause after the comma, as is this pastime, is even more vague and unclear. The correct answer must be much clearer and more direct than C is. D is the correct answer. It clears up that vague phrase has become one. The one is referred to specifically as a highly profitable industry. E sounds strangely overblown. The original sentence does not claim that baseball card collecting is wholly changed , as if a vast transformation has taken place, so neither should the revised version.
5. The correct answer is D.

This Sentence Revision question asks you to revise a specific, underlined part of a sentence. Context sentences are irrelevant on these kinds of questions, so you can skip straight to step 4 and come up with your own solution to the problems in the underlined portion. The main problem is tense. The first half of the sentence sets up a conditional sequence, but the verb is simple past tense: if my dad had and wont know it dont fit together correctly. Of the answers, only A and D solve this tense problem. But A introduces a new problem by creating a mismatched pronoun. The plural they cannot act as a pronoun for the singular my dad. That means choice D must be the right answer.
6. The correct answer is B.

Another Sentence Revision question. The problem with the initial sentence is the overly vague phrase way before he realized it. Look at the sentence in context (step 3): (9)
Everyone has heard of one baseball card in its original wrapping commanding an absurdly high price, and now everyone is positive that his or her shoebox full of old baseball cards contains at least one card worth millions. (10) But if my dad had that one card, he wont know it. (11) Way before he realized it, his mother had gotten rid of them. Your revision must replace the vague phrase way before he realized it with a more specific
phrase about realizing that his cards could be worth something. The point here is to bring out the emphasis on the cards increased value, which is the point here, not the mans realization. B is the correct answer. It replaces way before he realized it with the more specific phrase years before his cards became valuable , which replaces the vague word way with years and stresses the cards increase in value rather than the mans realization. If you didnt see that B was correct immediately, you could have eliminated wrong answers. Answer A can be eliminated, since you know the sentence is not perfect. C has a tense problem. Since everything in the sentence is happening in the past tense, he has realized should be he realized , and has gotten rid of them should be got rid of them. D is awkward and difficult to follow. E has a tense problem, like C ( his mother gets rid should be his mother got rid). She got rid of the cards in the past, not in the present. Cutting A, C, D, and E leaves B, which is the best answer.
Meet the Critical Reading section

SAT VERBAL IS DEA D. KAPUT. Gone the way of the Dodo and the Sega Dreamcast. Or so the SAT wants you to believe. Actually, its more accurate to say that most of the former SAT Verbal section is just wearing a fake mustache and traveling under an assumed name: Critical Reading. The new Critical Reading section has all the familiar sentence completion and long reading questions as the section formerly known as SAT Verbal, but now analogies have been cut, and new short reading questions have been added.
Verbal vs. Critical Reading

In this corner, the Verbal section! In that corner, the Critical Reading section! Heres a table that compares the new Critical Reading section and the old Verbal section.
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O ld Ve r ba l
N e w Cr it ic a l Re a din g
A n a logie s
YES
NO
S e n ten ce Co mp le t ion
YES
Y ES
L on g Re a d in g P a ssa ge s
YES
Y ES
S h ort Re a din g P a s sa g e s
NO
Y ES
Memorizing a list of tough vocabulary words and outwitting analogies went a long way toward getting you a good score on the old SAT Verbal section. That kind of preparation just wont cut it on the new Critical Reading section. Vocabulary still plays an important role on the test, but its role has changed. Questions no longer exclusively focus on vocabulary. Questions that do include tough vocab do so within the context of a sentence or a paragraph that provides clues to what the word means. The emphasis on vocabulary in context on the new SAT makes excellent critical reading skills all the more important. Learning to read critically can help you answer questions correctly even when the meaning of certain words escapes you, and that could vastly improve your score on this section. So, while you should still study vocab (and weve got a list of the toughest words and techniques on how to remember them at the end of this section), you should also build up your reading muscles. And theres only one way to build up your musclesexercise.
The Need to Read

The best way to prepare for the Critical Reading section is to read. From the moment you read this sentence until the day you take the SAT, you should carve time out of your life to read. Read magazines. Read newspapers. Read books. You already know how to read. But for the new SAT, you have to read critically , and thats a different skill. You need to develop an eye and an ear for the kinds of things the Critical Reading section tests: Main idea:What is the main subject of the passage? Argument: What position does the author take on the subject? What is the main purpose of the passage? Tone: What is the authors attitude or feelings toward the subject? Technique: What rhetorical devices (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.) does the author use to convey his or her tone, main ideas, and argument?
In our chapter The Long of It, we offer tips on how to turn ordinary reading into productive Critical Reading preparation. We show you how to train your critical reading muscles so that when the SA T comes around, all youll have to do is flex.
Basic Facts
The Critical Reading section contains three timed sections. We explain each of these in detail, complete with strategies and plenty of examples, later in this chapter. Here are the three core sections that make up the new SAT Critical Reading section: Sentence Completions: Single sentences with one or two blanks. Short Reading: Single passages with two questions each; dual passages with four questions each Long Rea ding: Single passages with about eight questions each; dual passages with about thirteen questions each
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How to Score . . . Critical Reading

Just like Math and Writing, Critical Reading maxes out at a scaled score of 800. Also like Math and Writing, in order to get a scaled score, you first have to get a raw score. The Critical Reading raw score follows the standard SA T rule of 1 point for each right 1 answer, 0 points for each answer left blank, and a / 4 point penalty for each wrong answer: A lso, remember that because every single Critical Reading question follows the standard SAT scoring system, the basic guessing rules always apply. If you can eliminate just one answer on any question in the Critical Reading Section, always guess.
Meet Sentence Completions

SENTENCE COMPLETIONS ARE NOT ONLY ABOUT knowing vocabulary. Sentence Completions (which we call SCs) are as much about understanding whats going on in the sentence as they are about knowing the vocab necessary to complete the blanks. In fact, if you know how to analyze the sentence surrounding the blank, youll be able to figure out the answers without knowing the vocab at all. Showing you how to do that is what this chapter is all about.
Sentence Completion Instructions

You know the drill. Read and learn the instructions for SCs before you show up to take the test.
Ea ch se nte nce b elo w h as o ne o r two blan ks, e ach b lan k in dicat in g tha t so m e th in g h as be en o m itted . B en eath th e sen ten ce a re five wo rd s o r se ts o f wo rds labe le d A th ro ugh E . C h oo s e the wo rd o r set o f w o rd s tha t, whe n ins e rted in the se nte nce , bes t fi ts the m ea ning o f the se ntenc e as a who le . Exam p le :
M ed ie val kingd o m s did no t b eco m e co nstitut io nal rep ublics o v ernight ; o n the co n tra ry , the cha nge wa s -- -- . (A ) unpo pular (B ) une xpe cte d (C ) adv antage o us (D) suffic ie nt (E) gradua l
C o rrec t A nsw er: E
What the Instructions Dont Say

The directions for SCs are pretty clear. You need to read a sentence and select the answer choice that best completes the sentence. That means you need to find the answer choice that is the best of all the possible choices, not just an answer choice that can complete the sentence. The SC directions do include a mention of that subtle, yet crucial, fact, but they leave out three other key facts. Here are the three key facts and why you need to know them:
K EY F ACT W H AT I T I S W H Y I TS I M P ORTAN T
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A lm o s t ev ery SC co ntains all the Yo u c an use the co n te xt o f the se ntenc e info rm a tio n yo u ne ed to define the to figu re o ut wha t the m is sing wo rd s wo rd th at fits in the bla nk . m ea n. Yo u d o nt nee d to lo ok at th e ans wer c ho ic es fi rst . the Yo u wo nt be able to lo ok a t gra m m ar to try to figu re o ut the righ t ans wer . O nly m ea nin g m atte rs .
Ev ery ans wer c ho ice m a kes se ntenc e gra m m at ic al ly c o rrec t.
SC s app ear in o rder o f diff ic ul ty with in a t im e d s ec tio n. T he first th i rd is eas y, the sec o nd third m o d era te ly difficul t , and the las t th i rd diffic u lt.
If a que stio n is eas y o r m o derate , yo u ca n us ually t rust yo ur fi rst inst in cts. If yo u re o n a d iffic ult q ues tio n, t ake a se co nd to lo o k ou t fo r SA T trick e ry befo re m o ving o n.
How SCs Work: A Bunch of Parts

Every sentence is built out of a bunch of parts. The most important parts you need to know to beat SCs are clauses and conjunctions. Clauses: The parts of a sentence that contain a noun and a verb. Every complete sentence must contain at least one clause, and every clause should convey one idea. SCs always present you with compound sentences, which means they contain more than one clause. In compound sentences, clauses can either support or contrast each other. Clauses that support each other contain a consistent flow of ideas with no opposition within the sentence. For example, this sentence contains two clauses that support each other: The test was easy, so I aced it. Clauses that contrast each other contain a flow of ideas that oppose each other. For example, this sentence contains clauses that contrast each other: The test was easy, but I failed it. Conjunctions: Words that join clauses, like so and but in the previous examples, are called conjunctions. Conjunctions are important on SC questions because they often reveal how a sentences clauses relate to each other. Knowing how clauses relate enables you to determine what kind of word(s) you need to fill in the blanks. In the sentence, The test was easy, but I failed it, the conjunction but indicates that the two clauses contrastalthough you would expect that the writer of this sentence would pass an easy test, the conjunction but signals a contrast, which sets up the unexpected idea that the writer of this sentence failed the test.
SC Electricity
One of the simplest ways to understand how sentences work is to imagine them as electrical ciruits. Lets talk very basic electricity for a few minutes. Heres how electricity works: An electric current flows along a path called a circuit, which carries the current from one point to another. A long the way, switches at certain key points of the circuit tell the current which way the flow should go. Think of every sentence as a circuit. The clauses are the current and the conjunctions are the switches that direct the flow of the sentence. sentence = circuit clauses = current conjunctions = switches
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Some sentences flow in one direction from start to finish. An example of a sentence in which the clauses flow one way is, Sarah slept until noon and was wired all night. The two clauses, Sarah slept until noon and was wired all night, are joined by the conjunction and , a switch that tells you that the two clauses support each other. If someone sleeps until noon, youd expect them to be wired all night; the and in this sentence signals that youre expectations will be met. Other conjunctions signal a contrast between the clauses that make up a sentence. For example, in the sentence, Sarah slept until noon but was still tired by nine p.m., the conjunction but serves as a switch that signals a contrast, or opposition, between the two clauses in the sentence. Youd expect that Sarah would have trouble falling asleep, since she slept until noon; that but signals that youre expectations will not be met in this case.
SCs: A Five-Step Method

Weve developed a five-step method based on our electricity model to help you find the answer choice that best fills in the blank(s). Here are the five steps, complete with an explanation of each: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Spot the Switch Go with the Flow Fill in the Blank Compare Your Answer to the Answer Choices Plug It In
Step 1: Spot the Switch

A s we discussed, every electrical current flows along a path with one or more switches that direct which way the flow goes. Most SC sentences contain conjunction words that function like switches, pointing the meaning of the sentence in different directions. Some examples of these words include so , however , thus , and although . We call these words switches. The first thing you should do on every SC you come across is search for the switch. Not every sentence contains a switch, but many do. To make switch-spotting as easy as possible, here is a list of the switch words that most commonly appear on the SAT. There are two types of switches: one-way and two-way:
O n e -W a y Sw itc h e s
a nd
be ca use
s in ce
so
th ere fo re
thus
T w o-W a y Sw i tc he s
a ltho ugh
bu t
d esp ite
ho we ver
ins tea d
nev erthe le ss
n o twiths ta nding
ra ther
th o ugh
un le ss
while
Step 2: Go with the Flow

Every switch word can tell you which way the flow of the sentence goes. A one-way switch points out a one-way sentence. A two-way switch points out a two-way sentence. One-way sentences contain no contrast, which means they flow in one direction. All parts of the sentence support the main idea of the sentence. Two-wa y sentences contain a break in the flow of the sentence that makes one part of the sentence contrast with another part. Often the contrast comes after a comma or semicolon that divides the sentence.
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Examples will make all of this much easier to see and understand.
One-Way Switches
Heres an example of an SC question that contains a one-way switch. Try to pick out the switch on your own before you read the explanation that follows.
Sinc e the sc ie nt is ts yea rs o f rese a rch fina lly co n firm e d h is theo r ies, e veryo ne -- -him .
The switch in this sentence is since . Its a one-way switch, so it tells you that the sentences flow goes one way. And knowing that the sentence is one-way allows you to figure out how the sentence works. The part of the sentence before the comma says that a scientist did a ton of research that finally confirmed his original theories. The part after the comma, which contains the blank, describes the reaction to the scientists research and theories. Because the sentence is one-way, the word in the blank must support the idea that the scientists years of hard work have finally paid off. Now that youve used the rest of the sentence to clue you into what the blank might mean, you can begin to come up with your own possible answers to fill in the blank. Ask yourself what people would do in that circumstance? Theyd probably do something like congratulate or cheer the scientist since his research paid off, right? Exactly.
Two-Way Switches
A two-way switch indicates that the sentence contains a contrast and therefore flows two ways. Heres an almost identical version of the sentence you just saw. Only one word has been changed.
A ltho ug h the s cientists y ears o f rese a rch fina lly co nfi rm ed his the o r ie s, ev eryo n e -- -him .
Once youve spotted the switch word although , you can use it to determine how the blank goes with the flow. The two-way switch word although indicates a contrast, so the blank must not support the idea of the scientists research finally paying off. Once youve figured out which way the flow goes, you need to find the answer choice that goes with the flow of the sentence. Rather than cheer or congratulate the scientist, in this version of the sentence everyone must do something like criticize or reject the scientist.
No Switches
Not every sentence contains a switch. But whether theres a switch in a sentence or not, its still vital that you figure out if the sentence flows one way or two ways. And, luckily enough, theres a simple rule about sentences that dont have any switch words:
A sentence without a switch will be one-way unless that sentence describes a change over time.
S E NT ENCE S DES CRI BING A CH ANG E O VER TIM E Theres one type of sentence that doesnt contain a switch word but can still flow two ways. These are sentences that compare two different periods of time. For example,
O nc e a - -- - m o v ie di recto r , M ic ke y C ars o n en ded his lif e a p aupe r una ble to fina nce the m aking o f his o wn film s.
Though this sentence does not contain a switch, it contains a two-way flow because it conveys an unexpected change over time. The main idea of the sentence focuses on a contrast: that Mickey Carson died a pauper even though he was once a ---- movie director. Words that you might come up with to go with the two-way flow of the sentence may include successful, rich , celebrated all adjectives that contrast with the idea of a movie director who died in poverty.
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If you cant find a switch word in a sentence, first check to see if the sentence describes a change over time. If it does, youve got a two-way sentence. If it doesnt, youve got a one-way sentence. Once youve determined that, come up with words that go with the flow as we just did in the previous example.
Following the Flow

On all SCs, if the sentence flows one way, ask yourself what main idea of the sentence the blank must support. If the sentence flows two ways, ask yourself which idea the blank must contrast. Here are some examples to test your ability to pick out the switch, follow the flow, and figure out which answer choices go with the flow.
De spite the v io lently h a rsh wea the r c o nd itio ns , th e h ik e rs - -- - and m ad e i t ba ck to thei r ba se ca m p. Wh ats the swi tch?
de spite
Wh ic h way do e s th e flo w go?
tw o w ays
Wh at id ea do e s the blank su ppo rt o r co ntras ts wi th the v io le n tly ha rsh weathe r c o ntrast? co nditio n s
In this sentence, the switch word despite makes it clear that whatever fits into the blank has to contrast with the violently harsh weather conditions. That means the sentence flows two ways. Now ask yourself what kind of word would go with the flow. The switch word despite tells you that theres a contrast in the sentence, which means the campers do make it back despite the harsh weather. Ask yourself what the campers would have to do to make it back despite threatening weather. They would have to endure or survive, right? Thats the kind of word you would need to find among the answer choices. Now try this example:
A lex grew up n ear the be ach , so he - -- - ho w to surf a t a ve ry yo u ng age . Wh ats the swi tch?
so
o ne way
Wh at idea d o es the blan k suppo rt o r c o nt ra st?
s uppo rts g re w u p n ear the b eac h
The switch word so in this example indicates that the sentence flows one way. That means all parts of the sentence must support the ideas that the sentence expresses. The word that fills in the blank must fit with the common conception of people who grow up by the beach. Ask yourself what their relationship to surfing would be at a young age. Would they learn to surf at a young age? Or know about surfing at a young age? Probably. That means you need to look for words like learned and knew in the answer choices. That would make the completed sentence read something like, Alex grew up near the beach, so he learned
how to surf at a very young age.
Step 3: Fill in the Blank

You might have noticed that we havent included the answer choices in our examples. We did that by design. Why? Because you should try to come up with your own answer to fill in the blank or blanks in an SC before looking at the answer choices. That way you wont fall prey to SAT traps that the test may have planted among the answer choices. Coming up with your own answer first
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will also force you to stick with step 1 and step 2, which will prevent you from speeding along and making careless errors. The answer that you generate to fill in the blank or blanks can be either a single word or a quick description of the type of word that you think should go in the blank. Lets go back to a previous example, now with answer choices.
De spite the v io lently h a rsh wea the r c o nd itio ns , th e h ik e rs - -- - and m ad e i t ba ck to thei r ba se ca m p. (A ) surre nde re d (B ) wo n (C ) suc cee ded (D) co llaps ed (E) eva cua te d Wh ats the swi tch?
de spite
tw o w ays
Wh at id ea do e s the blank su ppo rt o r co ntras ts wi th the v io le n tly ha rsh weathe r c o ntrast? co nditio n s
In step 2, we determined that the switch word despite indicates that the sentence flows two ways. That means the word in the blank must contrast with the idea of the violently harsh weather conditions. Ask yourself what the hikers would have to do despite the violently harsh weather conditions to make it back to camp. What word pops into your head? Managed ? Survived ? Endured? All of those choices are great. They go with the flow of the sentence and convey the idea of the hikers making it back despite the harsh weather. Now on to step 4.
Step 4: Compare Your Answer to the Answer Choices

Once youve used the information in the sentence to build your own answer, then you should go to the answer choices and look for a choice that matches yours. In the example about the hikers, you can throw out surrendered , collapsed , and evacuated , because none of them even come close to your own answers. That leaves you to choose between succeeded and won . Which is the better answer? Step 5 will help determine that.
Step 5: Plug It In
When youve got a new electrical device like a microwave or a TV, theres only one way to test whether it works: Plug it in. Same goes for testing out answer choices on all SCs. A lways plug in the answer choice (or choices) youve selected to make sure your choice works in the sentence. In the last example, we were trying to decide between won and succeeded . Plug both words in to determine which one fits best into the sentence.
De spite the vio lently h a rsh weathe r co n ditio ns , th e h ik ers w on and m ade it bac k to thei r ba se ca m p.
De spite the v io len tly ha rs h we a ther c o nd itio ns , th e h ik ers suc ce ede d a nd m ade it b ack to the ir b ase c am p.
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A fter plugging the two words in, succeeded seems like the better choice. The hikers werent playing a game or involved in an contest, so the idea of having won something is inappropriate here. You probably didnt have much trouble deciding between won and succeeded in this example. You may even be thinking that this plugging in step is a waste of time. Its not. Never skip step 5. Always plug in to check your answer choice.
If Vocabs Got You Down
Sentence Completions arent all about vocab. But they are somewhat about vocab. And if you dont know the words huddling in those answer choices, things can get tough. But there are ways to attack SCs even if you dont know what all the words in the answer choices mean. In fact, the first few steps for handling SCs with tough vocab are exactly the same as those for SCs with vocab you know: 1. Spot the Switch 2. Go with the Flow 3. Fill in the Blank If you follow our five-step method, you shouldnt even look at the answer choices until after youve gone through the first three steps and figured out your own answer or phrase to fill in the blank. By ignoring the answer choices at first and instead focusing on the sentence, you eliminate the possibility that youll be intimidated by hard vocabulary. This is important because its always worthwhile to at least try to answer each SC. Why? Because once youve analyzed the sentence and have your own answer to fill the blank, it becomes much easier to eliminate answer choices, even if you dont completely know what they mean. So, lets say youve gone through the first three steps. Youve spotted the switches, if there are any. Youve figured out the flow and how the blank fits into it. Youve come up with your own answer. Then you go to the answer choices and realize you dont really know what they mean. What do you do? What tool can possibly save you from this mess? Word Charge.
Word Charge
Sentence Completion vocab words can often be broken down into one of two categories: positive or negative. Thats Word Charge. Nice happy words have a positive charge; dark unhappy words have a negative charge. Word Charge is important on SC s for two reasons: 1. The Word Charge of the blank and the word that fills the blank must be the same. For example, a negative answer choice can never fill a blank that needs a positive word. 2. Even when you dont know the exact meaning of a word, youll often have a sense of its charge. These two reasons add up to one great big fact: You can use Word Charge to sort through SC answer choices with tough vocab even if you dont know the exact meaning of the words. Below is a list of tough words to give you a chance to test out your sense of Word Charge. C over up the column all the way on the right and try to guess each words charge.
W or d Your G u e ss a t I ts C h a rge Ac tu a l Ch a rge
ins id io us
neg ativ e
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d ia bo lical
neg ativ e
e ffe rves ce nt
po s itive
t rucule nt
neg ativ e
v iv ac io us
Po s itive
Finding W ord Charge: Word Roots

English has been developing as a language for a long time. It keeps getting bigger and bigger and adding new words. New words are made out of old words or out of parts of old words. These building blocks are called word roots. When youre looking for the Word Charge of a word you dont know, look within the word for roots of other words whose meanings you do know. The best place to look for word roots is in the prefix the first 1 to 5 letters of a word. Different roots have different basic meanings. For example, take the word disconsolate . You might not know this word. But you probably do have an idea of what the word consolation means. Ever heard of a consolation prize? Thats the prize that game shows give to the losers. Its usually a board game of the show theyre on or a gift certificate for a haircut. Its meant to console them for losing. Even if you dont know the word consolation , you might know the word console , which lies at the root of the big scary word disconsolate . Console means to provide comfort in a time of sorrow or loss. The prefix dis- before - consolate means not. Put it all together and you can make a solid guess that disconsolate means not consoled or grieving due to loss. Learning even just a few key building blocks of words and what they mean can be extremely helpful in determining Word Charge. We provide a list of word roots that most commonly appear in SAT vocab in our chapter on new SAT Vocab (page ).
Word Charge in Action

Okay, enough explanation. Time for an example:
T h e E ast Co as t Ham s ta z was a te rrible rap gro up in th e e a r ly 9 0 s ; its m us ic wa s dul l an d its ly rics - -- - . (A ) grandilo qu ent (B ) m agn anim o us (C ) trucu le nt (D) fa tuo us (E) trenc han t
Now answer this question step by step using our five-step SC method. 1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence does not contain a switch. Theres no word in the sentence that signals that the blank must support or contrast with the main ideas expressed in the sentence. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW So, theres no switch, and a quick read-through of the sentence shows that it isnt about a change over time. This sentence must therefore flow one-way. The blank, which describes the Hamstaz lyrics, must therefore support the other ideas in the sentence:
Wh ats the swi tch? no n e
o ne wa y
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Wh at idea do es th e b la nk suppo rt o r sup po rts T h e E ast C o as t Ha m sta z was a te rribl e c o ntrast? ra p gro up
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Now you know that the blank, which describes the lyrics of the rap group, supports the idea of the East Coast Hamstaz being a terrible rap group. Ask yourself: Self, what must the lyrics of the Hamstaz have been like if the Hamstaz were a terrible rap group? The lyrics must have been bad .
T h e E ast C o as t Ham s ta z was a te rr ible rap an d R&B gro up in the ea rly 9 0 s ; its m us ic was d ull an d its ly rics b ad.
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R C HOI CES So far, youve breezed through this one. Time to take a look at the answer choices and find the one that matches up with bad.
(A ) grandilo qu ent (B ) m agn anim o us (C ) trucu le nt (D) fa tuo us (E) trenc han t
What the . . . ? Which of these tough vocab words matches up with bad ? Okay, keep cool. Dont give up just because the answer choices are filled with difficult vocabulary. Instead, use Word Charge. In fact, youve already begun the Word Charge process. When you came up with your own answer for the blank in step 3, you also came up with the charge for the blank. The word that you thought should fill the blank was bad , which has a negative charge. That means you already know you need to find a negative word among the answer choices. Take a run down the list and try to cut words that you think are positive based on their word roots or other clues you can decipher. Lets see: A, grandiloquent, sounds like a combination of grand and eloquent, both positive words. Cut it. B, magnanimous, sounds like magnificent. C ut B too. Lets say thats as far as you can get with Word Charge. Stop there, and take a look at how far youve come. B y eliminating two answer choices, youve tipped the guessing odds strongly in your favor, without knowing the meaning of any of the answer choices. Sos the moral of the Word Charge story is, Word Charge may not always get you the correct answer, but it will help your score by making you a better guesser. 5 . P LU G IT IN The last step is always to test-drive your answer choice by plugging it back in to the original sentence. In this example, youve used Word Charge to eliminate two answers, leaving you with three that seem to have the negative charge you need:
T h e E ast C o as t Ham s ta z was a te rr ible rap an d R &B gro up in the ea rly 9 0 s ; its m usic was d ull an d its ly rics b ad. (A ) grandilo qu ent (C U T ) (B ) m agn anim o us (CUT ) (C ) trucu le nt (D) fa tuo us (E) trenc han t
When youre faced with three words with charges you think you know, but with meanings you dont know at all, plugging in wont help. If thats the case, as in this example, the best thing you can do is pick any remaining answer immediately knowing that youve used Word
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Charge to tip the guessing odds in your favor. When you do have a sense of what the words mean, plug the answer you think is best back into the sentence to make sure it works. The correct answer to this question is D, fatuous, which means weak, silly, or foolish.
If Vocabs Got You Down
Sentence Completions arent all about vocab. But they are somewhat about vocab. And if you dont know the words huddling in those answer choices, things can get tough. But there are ways to attack SCs even if you dont know what all the words in the answer choices mean. In fact, the first few steps for handling SCs with tough vocab are exactly the same as those for SCs with vocab you know: 1. Spot the Switch 2. Go with the Flow 3. Fill in the Blank If you follow our five-step method, you shouldnt even look at the answer choices until after youve gone through the first three steps and figured out your own answer or phrase to fill in the blank. By ignoring the answer choices at first and instead focusing on the sentence, you eliminate the possibility that youll be intimidated by hard vocabulary. This is important because its always worthwhile to at least try to answer each SC. Why? Because once youve analyzed the sentence and have your own answer to fill the blank, it becomes much easier to eliminate answer choices, even if you dont completely know what they mean. So, lets say youve gone through the first three steps. Youve spotted the switches, if there are any. Youve figured out the flow and how the blank fits into it. Youve come up with your own answer. Then you go to the answer choices and realize you dont really know what they mean. What do you do? What tool can possibly save you from this mess? Word Charge.
Word Charge
Sentence Completion vocab words can often be broken down into one of two categories: positive or negative. Thats Word Charge. Nice happy words have a positive charge; dark unhappy words have a negative charge. Word Charge is important on SC s for two reasons: 1. The Word Charge of the blank and the word that fills the blank must be the same. For example, a negative answer choice can never fill a blank that needs a positive word. 2. Even when you dont know the exact meaning of a word, youll often have a sense of its charge. These two reasons add up to one great big fact: You can use Word Charge to sort through SC answer choices with tough vocab even if you dont know the exact meaning of the words. Below is a list of tough words to give you a chance to test out your sense of Word Charge. C over up the column all the way on the right and try to guess each words charge.
W or d Your G u e ss a t I ts C h a rge Ac tu a l Ch a rge
ins id io us
neg ativ e
d ia bo lical
neg ativ e
118
e ffe rves ce nt
po s itive
t rucule nt
neg ativ e
v iv ac io us
Po s itive
Finding W ord Charge: Word Roots

English has been developing as a language for a long time. It keeps getting bigger and bigger and adding new words. New words are made out of old words or out of parts of old words. These building blocks are called word roots. When youre looking for the Word Charge of a word you dont know, look within the word for roots of other words whose meanings you do know. The best place to look for word roots is in the prefix the first 1 to 5 letters of a word. Different roots have different basic meanings. For example, take the word disconsolate . You might not know this word. But you probably do have an idea of what the word consolation means. Ever heard of a consolation prize? Thats the prize that game shows give to the losers. Its usually a board game of the show theyre on or a gift certificate for a haircut. Its meant to console them for losing. Even if you dont know the word consolation , you might know the word console , which lies at the root of the big scary word disconsolate . Console means to provide comfort in a time of sorrow or loss. The prefix dis- before - consolate means not. Put it all together and you can make a solid guess that disconsolate means not consoled or grieving due to loss. Learning even just a few key building blocks of words and what they mean can be extremely helpful in determining Word Charge. We provide a list of word roots that most commonly appear in SAT vocab in our chapter on new SAT Vocab (page ).
Word Charge in Action

Okay, enough explanation. Time for an example:
T h e E ast Co as t Ham s ta z was a te rrible rap gro up in th e e a r ly 9 0 s ; its m us ic wa s dul l an d its ly rics - -- - . (A ) grandilo qu ent (B ) m agn anim o us (C ) trucu le nt (D) fa tuo us (E) trenc han t
Now answer this question step by step using our five-step SC method. 1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence does not contain a switch. Theres no word in the sentence that signals that the blank must support or contrast with the main ideas expressed in the sentence. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW So, theres no switch, and a quick read-through of the sentence shows that it isnt about a change over time. This sentence must therefore flow one-way. The blank, which describes the Hamstaz lyrics, must therefore support the other ideas in the sentence:
Wh ats the swi tch? no n e
o ne wa y
Wh at idea do es th e b la nk suppo rt o r sup po rts T h e E ast C o as t Ha m sta z was a te rribl e
119
c o ntrast?
ra p gro up
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Now you know that the blank, which describes the lyrics of the rap group, supports the idea of the East Coast Hamstaz being a terrible rap group. Ask yourself: Self, what must the lyrics of the Hamstaz have been like if the Hamstaz were a terrible rap group? The lyrics must have been bad .
T h e E ast C o as t Ham s ta z was a te rr ible rap an d R &B gro up in the ea rly 9 0 s ; its m usic was d ull an d its ly rics b ad.
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R C HOI CES So far, youve breezed through this one. Time to take a look at the answer choices and find the one that matches up with bad.
(A ) gra ndilo qu ent (B ) m agn anim o us (C ) trucu le nt (D) fa tuo us (E) trenc han t
What the . . . ? Which of these tough vocab words matches up with bad ? Okay, keep cool. Dont give up just because the answer choices are filled with difficult vocabulary. Instead, use Word Charge. In fact, youve already begun the Word Charge process. When you came up with your own answer for the blank in step 3, you also came up with the charge for the blank. The word that you thought should fill the blank was bad , which has a negative charge. That means you already know you need to find a negative word among the answer choices. Take a run down the list and try to cut words that you think are positive based on their word roots or other clues you can decipher. Lets see: A, grandiloquent, sounds like a combination of grand and eloquent, both positive words. Cut it. B, magnanimous, sounds like magnificent. C ut B too. Lets say thats as far as you can get with Word Charge. Stop there, and take a look at how far youve come. B y eliminating two answer choices, youve tipped the guessing odds strongly in your favor, without knowing the meaning of any of the answer choices. Sos the moral of the Word Charge story is, Word Charge may not always get you the correct answer, but it will help your score by making you a better guesser. 5 . P LU G IT IN The last step is always to test-drive your answer choice by plugging it back in to the original sentence. In this example, youve used Word Charge to eliminate two answers, leaving you with three that seem to have the negative charge you need:
T h e E ast C o as t Ham s ta z was a te rr ible rap an d R &B gro up in the ea rly 9 0 s ; its m usic was d ull an d its ly rics b ad. (A ) grandilo qu ent (C U T ) (B ) m agn anim o us (CUT ) (C ) trucu le nt (D) fa tuo us (E) trenc han t
When youre faced with three words with charges you think you know, but with meanings you dont know at all, plugging in wont help. If thats the case, as in this example, the best thing you can do is pick any remaining answer immediately knowing that youve used Word Charge to tip the guessing odds in your favor. When you do have a sense of what the
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words mean, plug the answer you think is best back into the sentence to make sure it works. The correct answer to this question is D, fatuous, which means weak, silly, or foolish.
Practice the Process

The best way to get the five-step SC process down cold is to practice. To that end, we give you examples of every type of SC under the sun: one-blankers, two-blankers, one-way, two-way, every single possible combination. There are four different types of SCs. 1. 2. 3. 4. One-Bla nk/One-Way One-Bla nk/Two-Way Two-Blank/One-Way Two-Blank/Two-Way
Through the rest of this chapter we give you examples of each type, sometimes more than one. We then work out each example according to our five-step process.
SC Type 1: One-Blank/One-Way
About a third of the SAT SCs are one-blank/one-way. Thats good news. Theyre the simplest type. B ecause the flow is one way, the blank will agree with the rest of the sentence. One-blank/one-way SCs almost never contain switch words. There are two basic one-blank/one-way varieties: A simple sentence with no switch and with one missing word. A compound sentence with two halves split by a semicolon, colon, or comma. Usually, the first half of these SCs contains the blank, and the second half describes the word that goes in the blank.
Want some examples of what these actually look like? You got em.
Example: Simple Sentence

T h e - - -- wa ves in M aui te rr if ied th e sur fe rs .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains no switch and isnt about a change over time, so it must be oneway. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is one-way, the blank must agree with the rest of the sentence. Well, whats the blank about? It refers to the size of the waves. Meanwhile, the rest of the sentence refers to the fact that the waves terrified the surfers.
Wh ats the swi tch? no ne
o n e way
Wh at idea d o es the blan k suppo rt o r c o nt ra st? Su ppo rts wa ves tha t te rr ify th e su rfe rs
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK You know that the waves have to be the kind of waves that could terrify the surfers. What kind of waves could do that? How about really big waves.
T h e rea lly big wav es in M aui te r ri fie d the s urfe rs .
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R CH OI CES
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Now go to the answer choices and find the one that matches up with the answer you created just from looking at the sentence.
(A ) slig ht (B ) gen tle (C ) trem en do u s (D) ro lling (E) salty
The answer that seems to match really big best is C, tremendous. 5 . P LU G IT IN The last step. Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
T h e tremen dous w ave s in M au i terr ified the su rfe rs .
Works perfectly. Youre done.
Example: Compound Sentence with a Colon

Em p lo yee s were c o ns ta ntly a ma ze d b y the C EO s -- -- s pee ches: S he see m ed unable to pu t to gether a co he re nt s entenc e .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains no switch and isnt about a change over time, so it must be oneway. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is one way, the blank must agree with the rest of the sentence. Whats the blank about? It describes the CEOs speeches. The rest of the sentence also describes the speeches by saying that the CEO seemed unable to put together a coherent sentence.
o ne wa y
Wh at idea do e s the blan k s uppo rt o r sup po rts th e C EO can t put to ge th er a co herent c o ntrast? sen te nce
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is one way, you know that the blank describing the C EOs speeches must support the idea that she cant put together a coherent sentence. In other words, the CEOs speeches must be bad .
Em p lo yee s were c o ns ta ntly a m aze d by th e C EO s bad s pee che s: S he see m ed un able to pu t to gether a co he re nt s entenc e .
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R CH OI CES Now go to the answer choices and find the one that matches up with the answer you created just from looking at the sentence.
(A ) exc elle nt (B ) vo lum ino us (C ) in articu late (D) tim id (E) effic ien t
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So, the CEOs speeches are bad . Which words in the answer choices fit the idea of a bad speech? A and E dont. Theyre positive words. Voluminous means big (based on the root volume). Cut voluminous. That leaves timid and inarticulate. Both of those words are negative, but inarticulate is specifically used for describing a bad speaker. So, inarticulate seems like the best answer. Even if you didnt know the vocab, you still should have been able to use Word Charge to eliminate one, two, or even three of the answer choices. 5 . P LU G IT IN The last step. Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
Em p lo yee s we re c o nstan tly am az ed by th e C EO s in articu la te spe ec hes : She se em ed un able to p ut to gethe r a co h e rent s enten ce .
Example: Compound Sentence with a Comma

M an y peo ple c o ns id er the te am -- -- , unm a tc hed in skil l o r d ete rm ina tio n by an y o th er team in the lea gue .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains no switch and isnt about a change over time, so it must be oneway. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is one-way, the blank must agree with the rest of the sentence. Whats the blank about? How the team is perceived. The rest of the sentence also describes how the team is perceivedas unmatched in skill or determination.
Wh ats the sw itch? no n e
o ne wa y o r sup po rts u nm atche d determ inat io n in skill or
Wh ic h idea c o ntrast?
do e s
th e
blan k
su ppo rt
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is one-way, you know that the blank describing the team must fit with the fact that many people believe that the team is unmatched in skill or determination. In other words, Hector must be extremely good .
M an y p eop le c o ns id er the tea m e xtreme ly go od , u nm atche d in sk ill o r d ete rm ina tio n by a ny o ther tea m in th e le ague .
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R C HOI CES Now go to the answer choices and find the one that matches up with the answer you created just from looking at the sentence.
(A ) m id dlin g (B ) des truc tive (C ) ar tist ic (D) quies cen t (E) in vincible
Youre looking for an answer choice that fits with the phrase extremely good , a very positive word. You should be able to eliminate middling , since it contains the root middle , which is the embodiment of average. You should also be able to eliminate destructive , since its a negative term. That leaves artistic , quiescent, and invincible. Artistic is a positive
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term but has little to do with team sports, the subject of the sentence. Quiescent means quiet and calm, which also does not fit with the sports theme of the sentence. That leaves invincible , which means cannot be defeated, a perfect fit for the idea of an extremely good team. Once again, even if you didnt know all the vocab words, you could have cut several answers using Word Charge, putting you in a stronger position to guess. 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
M an y peo ple c o ns id er the te am in vincible , u nm atch ed in s kill o r dete rm in atio n b y any o the r te am in the le agu e .
This five-step method is quickly making you invincible.
SC Type 2: One-Blank/Two-Way
On these SCs, the blank contrasts with the main idea of another clause in the sentence. Most one-blank/two-way sentences contain a switch that signals the contrast in the sentence. A few examples that convey a change over time will not contain a switch. We provide examples of both.
One-Blank/Two-Way with Switch

C h ristin a c o ns id ere d he r p ra nks -- -- , but he r fo rm e r f rien ds fo u nd h er act io ns an no y ing a nd juve nile .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains the two-way switch but. That means it must be two-way. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is two-way, the blank must contrast with the main ideas expressed in the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence describes how other people found Christinas pranks annoying and juvenile. That means Christinas view of her pranks must contrast or oppose that perspective.
Wh ats the swi tch?
but
two wa ys he r p ra nks wer e an no y in g an d
Wh at id ea d o es th e blan k su ppo rt o r co n tras ts c o ntrast? ju ven ile
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is two-way, you know that the blank describing Christinas view of her pranks must contrast with the common view of her actions, which is that they were annoying and juvenile. So, to contrast annoying and juvenile, maybe Christina thinks that her pranks are funny and playful.
C h ristin a tho ugh t her p ra nks we re funn y a nd play ful , b ut he r fo rm e r fr ie nds fo und h er ac tio n s anno ying an d juv enile.
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R C HOI CES Now go to the answer choices and find which one of them matches up with the answer you created just from looking at the sentence.
(A ) hila rio us (B ) ang ry (C ) co lo s sal
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(D) trite (E) new
Youre looking for an answer choice that fits with the phrase funny and playful, which is positive. You should be able to eliminate angry and trite (corny), since those are both negative. That leaves hilarious, colossal, and new. Hilarious is positive and means extremely funny, so its a very strong choice. Colossal has the same root as colossus and means very big. It doesnt make much sense in a sentence thats about pranks or as a contrast to annoying and juvenile. New is a positive word, but it also doesnt make sense as a contrast to annoying and juvenile. Hilarious is the best choice. Even if you didnt know all the vocab words, you should at least have been able to eliminate angry through Word Charge and new through the context of the sentence. 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
C h ristin a tho ugh t her p ra nks we re hila riou s , bu t he r fo rm e r f riend s fo und he r act io ns an no y ing a nd juve nile .
One-Blank/Two-Way with No Switch

O nc e a (n ) - -- - th eo ry , the n o tio n that the ea rth re vo lve s a ro und th e s un is no w ac ce pte d by virtua lly ev ery o ne .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains no switch. However, the sentence does describe a change over time. Remember: Change-over-time sentences flow two ways even though they contain no switch. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is two-way, the blank must contrast with the ideas expressed in the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence describes how the idea of the earth revolving around the sun is accepted now by virtually everyone. That means the blank must contrast with, or oppose, the idea that the earth revolving around the sun is widely accepted.
Wh ats the swi tch? no ne (ch ang e o ver tim e )
two wa ys o r co n tras ts eve ry o ne acc ept ed by virtua lly
Wh at ide a c o ntrast?
do es
the
b la nk
suppo rt
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is two-way, you know that the blank describing the old view of the theory must contrast with the current widespread acceptance of it. Previously, the theory must have been not believed .
O nc e a(n ) not b el ie ved theo ry , the no tio n tha t the ea r th revo lv es aro un d the s un is no w a cce pted by virtu a lly ev e ryo n e.
(A ) te rrif ic (B ) pleas ant
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(C ) estee m ed (D) belo v ed (E) co n tro ve rs ia l
Youre looking for an answer choice that fits with the phrase not believed , which is negative. Go down the list. Terrific is positive. So is pleasant, esteemed , and beloved . So controversial must be the answer. And it is. You should note, though, that not believed and controversial really dont mean the same thing. Something that is controversial is believed by some people and not by others. Thats the definition of a controversy: Its an argument between two passionate sides. Heres the lesson to learn from this example: When you make up your own answer, you should be flexible with it. If you find an answer choice that matches it exactly, awesome. If you dont, look for an answer choice that matches your answers Word Charge and fits the context of the sentence. 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
O nc e a(n ) con trov ers ia l theo ry, the no tio n th at the ea r th revo lv es aro un d the su n is no w a cce pted by virtu a lly ev e ryo n e.
SC Type 3: Two-Blank/One-Way
Two-blank/one-way sentences sometimes contain switches like and , because, since, so , and therefore. Many two-blank/one-way sentences dont contain any switch at all. Two-blank/one-way sentences come in two basic forms: blanks close together and blanks far apart. With blanks close together, you need to look at the half of the sentence that does not contain the blanks; with blanks far apart, you need to use clues from both halves of the sentence. Thats the key difference between the two kinds of two-blank/one-way SCs. A lso note that with two-blank sentences, you have to take into account how both blanks function in the sentence when youre working on step 2.
Blanks Close Together

T h e - -- - co nditio ns -- -- e ven the intrep id ex plo re r, who nev er ag ain ven tu red o u t in to the tu ndra .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains no switch word and doesnt describe a change over time. That means its one-way. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is one-way, both blanks must support the ideas expressed in the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence describes the explorer as intrepid and then says that even the explorer never again ventured into the tundra. That means the first blank must describe conditions that would convince even a bold explorer never to venture out again.
o ne wa y
Wh at idea do es th e b la nk sup po rt sup po rts e ven th e intre p id ex plo rer nev er went o r co ntras t? in to the tu ndra aga in
The second blank describes what the conditions did to the explorer to convince him never to venture out into the tundra again.
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Wh ats the swi tch?
no ne
o ne wa y
Wh at idea do es th e b la nk sup po rt sup po rts e ven th e intre p id ex plo rer nev er went o r co ntras t? in to the tu ndra aga in
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is two-way, you know that the blanks describing the conditions and what happened to the intrepid explorer must agree with the fact that he never again went out into the tundra. Would the explorer have refused to go back into the tundra if the conditions were nice? That wouldnt make sense. The conditions most have been terrible . And what would terrible conditions have done to the explorer? Scared him, or perhaps even injured him.
T h e ter rible co nditio ns sc ared eve n the int re p id explo re r , an d he nev er ag ain ven tu red o u t in to the tundra .
(A ) des truc tive. .ang e re d (B ) go rgeo us..m o ve d (C ) harsh .. te rrif ied (D) app alling ..env elo pe d (E) seren e ..plea sed
Youre looking for two answer choices that fit with the words terrible and scared , both of which are negative. By Word Charge, you should be able to eliminate B, D, and E, since each of those pairs of words contains at least one word thats positive. Between A, destructive..angered, and C, harsh..terrified , answer C seems much stronger, since terrified is such a close fit with scared . 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
T h e h arsh co nditio n s te rr if ied eve n th e int re p id exp lo re r , an d he nev er ag ain ven tu red o u t in to the tundra .
Blanks Far Apart

C larenc e Eiche n was a - - - - m usician f ro m a v e ry y o ung age, and he b eca m e the m o st - -- tuba p erfo rm e r in th e wo rld du ring the 1 9 8 0 s.
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains the one-way switch and . It must be one-way. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW Since the sentence is one-way, both blanks must agree with the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence describes what sort of musician Eichen became. The first blank is about Eichen being a musician at a very young age.
Wh ats the swi tch?
a nd
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o ne way o r s uppo rts be ca m e th e m o s t -- -- in th e w o rld
do e s
the
blan k
su ppo rt
The second blank describes what sort of performer Clarence became as an adult. The rest of the sentence describes what sort of musician he was as a child.
Wh ats the swi tch?
a nd
o ne way suppo rt o r s uppo rts was a -- -- m us ician fro m a y o un g a ge
do es
the
blank
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK The interesting thing about this sentence is that the two blanks refer to each other. That may make the sentence seem difficult to solve, since each blank stops you from guessing whether the other should be positive or negative. But since the sentence is one-way, you already do know something about the two blanks. Either theyre both positive, or theyre both negative. Either he was great as a boy and great as a man, or he was bad as a boy and bad as a man.
C larenc e Eiche n wa s a grea t m usician fro m a v ery y o ung ag e, an d h e b eca m e the m o s t won derfu l tu ba pe rfo rm e r in the wo rld dur in g the 1 9 8 0 s.
or
C larenc e Eiche n was a bad m us ician fro m a very yo u ng age , and h e b eca m e the m o st awful tu ba pe rfo rm e r in the wo r ld d urin g the 1 9 8 0 s .
4 . C OM PAR E YOU R AN SW ER T O THE A NSW E R CH OI CES Now go to the answer choices and find the one that matches up with the answer you created just from looking at the sentence.
(A ) co m po se d..t re m u lo us (B ) fa m o us ..ac co m plish ed (C ) rigid. .b el lico se (D) calm . .u nsto pp able (E) grave ..hum o ro u s
None of the answer choices have two negatively charged pairs, so you dont have to worry about that. What youre looking for then, is a match for great..wonderful. You can eliminate A, C, and E, since tremulous , rigid , and grave all have negative charge. Now, does it make logical sense to call someone a calm musician? In most situations, it doesnt. So the best match for great..wonderful is famous..accomplished . 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
C larenc e E iche n wa s a famo us m usic ia n f ro m a ve ry yo ung age , an d h e b eca m e the m o s t ac comp lish ed tu ba pe rfo rm e r in the wo rld during th e 1 9 8 0 s.
SC Type 4: Two-Blank/Two-Way
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In two-blank/two-way SC s, one-half of the sentence flows against the other half. This twoway contrast is usually, but not always, marked by the presence of a two-way switch. Below are examples of Two-Blank/Two-Way SCs, with and without switches.
Two-Blank/Two-Way with Switch

Fa ulkne rs u se o f adjec tive -fil led lan gua ge in h is no vels is no w adm ire d as an inim itab le as pec t o f h is u nique style an d a p ro duct o f his l ite ra ry - - -- ; when h is fic tio n was fi rs t pub lish ed, ho we ver , m an y c ri tic s o fte n - -- - his style as ne edles sly o rnate .
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains the two-way switch however . That means its two-way. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW The sentence is two-way, and the blanks each appear in different halves of the sentence. Since its a two-way sentence, the two blanks (and the parts of the sentence before and after the semicolon) must contrast each other. The first blank relates to the source of Faulkners unique style that is now admired. The second blank describes the reaction of early critics of Faulkner who considered his style needlessly ornate.
Wh ats the swi tch?
ho weve r
two ways
Wh at ide a do e s th e s uppo rt o r c o nt ra st?
blank co ntras ts whe n h is fict io n wa s first pu blis hed , cr itics -- - his style as nee dles sly o rn ate .
The second blank describes how the critics reacted to Faulkners style. This is in contrast to modern critics who admire it.
Wh ats the swi tch?
ho weve r
two ways
do e s
th e
blank
sup po rt
o r c o ntra sts ad m ired .
Fau lk ne rs
s ty le
is
n ow
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is two-way, you know that the two blanks must contrast, or oppose, each other. The first half of the sentence tells us that critics now admire Faulkners style, which means the word you need to fill the blank will likely have a positive Word Charge. If the critics admired Faulkners style, what might they have identified as its source? His literary what? How about talent? The second half of the sentence tells us that critics at first considered his literary style needlessly ornate. This indicates that the blank should be filled with a word that has negative Word Charge. How about criticized ?
Fa ulkne rs us e o f in te nse , adjec tive -f illed lang uag e in his no v els is n o w adm ired as an inim itab le as pec t o f h is u niq ue style and a pro d uct o f his lite ra ry talen t ; bu t when his fic tio n wa s fi rs t pub lish ed, m any c ri tics o ften c ri tic ize d h is s ty le a s nee dless ly o rn ate .
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(A ) pro clivi ties ..exto l led (B ) discrim in atio n ..pra ise d (C ) abiliti es. .e xa mine d (D) gen iu s..de c rie d (E) bo m bast..en ligh te ned
Youre looking for one answer choice that fits with the words talent and criticized . The first word is positive, the second negative. You should be able to eliminate B, C, and E, because praised , examined , and enlightened are all relatively common vocab words that are positive, and you want the second word to be negative. That leaves A and D. Deciding between these two is hard, particularly because three of the four words are very difficult vocab words. At worst, you should plug both choices back into the sentence and then guess which one sounds best. At best, youd sense either that genius is more positive than proclivities or that extolled has a positive charge, either of which would mark D as the correct answer. 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
Fa ulkne rs us e o f in te nse , adjec tive -f illed lang uag e in his no v els is n o w adm ired as an inim itab le as pec t o f h is u nique s tyle an d a p ro duct o f his l it e ra ry genius ; bu t when h is fic tio n wa s fi rs t pub lish ed, m any c ri tics o ften de c rie d h is s ty le a s nee dless ly o rna te .
Two-Blank/Two-Way with No Switch

Two-way sentences that do not contain a switch word will compare a change over time.
O nc e c on sidered bad fo r yo u r -- -- , ba thing is no w tho u ght to b e a cruc ia l way o f m ainta ining the -- -- c o nd itio ns that p re ven t plagu es an d epidem ic s. (A ) beh avio r..su perb (B ) re la tio ns ..he lp ful (C ) dev elo pm e nt.. id eal (D) ethics. .unfo r tun ate (E) well- be in g..sa nita ry
1 . S P OT THE SWI T CH This sentence contains no switch, but it does compare a change over time. That means its two-way. 2 . G O WI T H THE FL OW The sentence is two-way, and the blanks are each in different halves of the sentence. That means that the two blanks must contrast with each other. Whats the first blank about? It states that people once considered bathing harmful. This contrasts with the second half of the sentence, which says that bathing is now thought to prevent plagues and epidemics.
two ways
do es
the
b la nk
s uppo rt
o r c o ntra sts with ep id em ics
p reve nt
plag ues
an d
The second blank describes the conditions that prevent plagues and epidemics. It contrasts with the first half of the sentence, which says that people once thought that bathing was bad for your ----.
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Wh ats the swi tch?
no ne
two wa ys co n tras ts wi th bad fo r y o ur - -- -
Wh at idea d o es the blan k suppo rt o r c o nt ra st?
3 . F ILL IN T HE BLA NK Since the sentence is two-way, you know that the two blanks must contrast each other. The blank in the first half of the sentence explains in what way people thought bathing could harm them. This blank is contrasted with the modern thought that bathing prevents plagues and epidemics. In other words, modern people think bathing protects health, while in earlier times, people thought bathing was bad for your health. A s for the second blank, it describes the conditions that prevent plagues and epidemics and contrasts with the idea that bathing harms health. How about bathing creates healthy conditions?
O nc e co nsidered ba d fo r y o ur he a lth , bath ing is n o w tho ugh t to be a c rucial way o f m ainta ining the hea lthy c o nditio ns that p re vent plagu es and e pidem ics .
(A ) beh avio r..su perb (B ) re la tio ns ..he lp ful (C ) dev elo pm e nt.. id eal (D) ethics. .unfo r tun ate (E) well- be in g..sa nita ry
Youre looking for two answer choices that fit with the words health and healthy. A quick look through the answer choices shows one answer that stands out from the rest: E. Wellbeing and sanitary both fit with the idea of health and the need for positive words. 5 . P LU G IT IN Plug the choice you think is the answer back into the sentence.
O nc e co nsidered ba d fo r yo ur we ll- being , bathing is no w tho ugh t to be a cruc ia l way o f m a in ta in in g the s anita ry c o nd itio ns that p re ven t plagu es an d e pidem ics .
And thats it! Youre now ready for any Sentence Completion that the new SAT may throw at you.
Reading Passages: The Long and Short of It

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THE SAT NOW CONTAINS two kinds of critical reading passages (which we call RPs): The familiar long RPsmultiparagraph passages followed by a series of questions. New short RPsbrief one-paragraph passages followed by two questions.
The test also contains dual passages for both long and short RPs that require you to read two passages and answer questions about how they relate. Long and short RP questions account for about two-thirds of the entire SAT Critical Reading section. Explaining what theyre all about and how to beat them accounts for 100 percent of the next three chapters.
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Become a Reading Machine

Whether youre dealing with long or short reading passages, youve got to have critical reading skills. But you cant just study for reading passages as easily as you can for math or grammar. If you dont know how to deal with triangles, you can study the precise rules that apply to all triangles. But if youre having trouble getting through reading passages, its not quite as easy to figure out what to do. So how do you study for reading passages? The answer is simple: Thou shalt read. Read! Read like mad. From this instant until the day you take the SAT, read, read, read. Reeeeeead. But dont read like you watch TV. You need to keep your mind active as you read, look between the lines and think about the mechanics, or the inner workings, of everything you read. For example, 1. Whats the authors main point or purpose? Does the author, for instance, argue that lyrics to pop songs will corrupt Americas youth? 2. How does the authors attitude relate to the point being made? Does the writer talk about pop stars in tones of disgust or of admiration? 3. How does the author use language, sentence structure, and rhetorica l devices, such as similes a nd metaphors? Perhaps the writer is shocked by a pop stars new look and compares her to a siren, a character from Greek mythology who lured men to their dooms. The point here is to train yourself to keep your brain on SAT alert while you read. Dont just coast. If you ask questions about whats going on as you read in your daily life, when the new SAT comes along, the RP questions will just feel like extensions of the reading mastery youve already established.
Slaying the Fire-Breathing Jargon

The new SAT includes questions about rhetorical devices on both long and short RPs. Rhetorical devices are terms like simile , metaphor , and personification . Jargons in, so now youve got to figure jargon out. If you think this decision confirms that the new SAT overhaul is really more like The SAT Gone Wild, we dont necessarily disagree. But consider this: Youll have to recognize and analyze rhetorical devices in literature throughout high school and college. Learning these terms now will actually prove useful to your education beyond studying for the SAT. To help you get the most important rhetorical devices down cold, heres a list of the top 25 terms that will most likely appear on the new SAT: AlliterationThe repetition of similar sounds, usually consonants, at the beginning of words. Sweet scented stuff is an example of alliteration. AllusionA reference within a literary work to a historical, literary, or biblical character, place, or event. The following line from Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice contains an allusion to the Greek mythological character Cupid: Come, come, Nerissa; for I long to see quick Cupids post that comes so mannerly. AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds in a sequence of nearby words. The monster spoke in a low mellow tone has assonance in its repetition of the o sound. CaricatureA description or characterization that exaggerates or distorts a characters prominent features, usually for purposes of mockery. A cartoon of Abraham Lincoln with a giant top hat, a very thick beard, and extremely sunken eyes could be considered a caricature. ClichA familiar expression that has been used and reused so many times that its lost its expressive power. Happy as a clam or eyes like a hawk are examples of clichs.
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EpiphanyA sudden, powerful, and often spiritual or life-changing realization that a character experiences in an otherwise ordinary moment. Foresha dowingAn authors deliberate use of hints or suggestions to give a preview of events or themes that do not develop until later in the narrative. Images such as a storm brewing or a crow landing on a fencepost often foreshadow ominous developments in a story. HyperboleAn excessive overstatement or exaggeration of fact. Ive told you that a million times already is a hyperbolic statement. IdiomA common expression that has acquired a meaning that differs from its literal meaning, such as Its raining cats and dogs or That cost me an arm and a leg. ImageryLanguage that brings to mind sensory impressions. Homers description of dawn as rosy-fingered in the Odyssey is an example of his use of imagery. IronyIrony usually emphasizes the contrast between the way things are expected to be and the way they actually are. Heres an example of irony: Medieval people believed that bathing would harm them when in fact not bathing led to the unsanitary conditions that caused the bubonic plague. Isnt it ironic? MetaphorThe comparison of one thing to another that does not use the terms like or as. Metaphors use a form of the verb to be to establish a comparison. A metaphor from Shakespeares Macbeth : Life is but a walking shadow. MotifA recurring structure, contrast, idea, or other device that develops a literary works major ideas. Urban decay is a motif in the novel 1984, which is filled with scenes of a dilapidated, rundown city. Shadows and darkness is a motif in A Tale of Two Cities, a novel that contains many dreary, gloomy scenes and settings. OnomatopoeiaThe use of words such as pop or hiss where the spoken sound resembles the actual sound. The whoosh of the waves at the seashore, and The zoom of the race cars speeding around the track are two examples of onomatopoeia. OxymoronThe association of two terms that seem to contradict each other, as in the expression wise fool or jumbo shrimp. ParadoxA statement that seems contradictory on the surface but often expresses a deeper truth. The comment, All men destroy the things they love is a paradox. PersonificationThe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas. Using the word babbling to describe a brook is an example of personification. PunA play on words that uses the similarity in sound between two words with distinctly different meanings. For example, the title of the play The Importance of Being Earnest is a pun on the word earnest, which means serious or sober, and the name Ernest. Rhetorical QuestionA question asked not to elicit an actual response but to make an impact or call attention to something. Will the world ever see the end of war? is an example of a rhetorical question. SarcasmA verbal tone in which it is obvious from context that the speaker means the opposite of what he or she says. Mom, Id love to see Howard the Duck with you is probably a phrase you would say sarcastically. SimileA comparison of two things that uses the words like or as. Love is like a fire is a simile. SymbolAn object, character, figure, place, or color used to represent an abstract idea or concept. The two roads in Robert Frosts poem The Road Not Taken symbolize the choice between two paths in life. ThemeA fundamental and universal idea explored in a literary work. The struggle to achieve the American Dream is a common theme in twentieth-century American literature.
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ThesisThe central argument that an author tries to make in a literary work. Some might consider J. D. Salingers thesis in The Catcher in the Rye that society often forces people to be phoney. ToneThe authors or narrators attitude toward the story or the subject. The tone of the Declaration of Independence is determined and confident.
RP Size and RP Skill

The difference between short RP questions and long RP questions is not in the questions. The questions are actually quite similar. The differenceprepare to be shockedis in the length of the passages. Short RPs are about 100-words long and are followed by two questions. Long RPs are 500 to 800 words and include anywhere from eight to thirteen questions. So, the questions on long and short RPs are similar, but the passages are of vastly different lengths. What should this mean to you? Two things: 1. Long and short RPs test the same skills: Your ability to understand what an author is trying to say and your ability to evaluate how an author uses language to make his or her points. 2. Your strategy for dealing with long and short RPs has to be different. The vast difference in the length of the passages affects how you should think about reading the passage and how you should deal with the questions after the passage. In the following two chapters, we teach you the strategies you need to meet and beat both long and short RPs.
The Long of It
LONG READING PASSAGES POSE A DOUBLE CHALLENGE: Just like on every other section of the new SAT, you have to know how to deal with each individual question. But you also need a strategy for dealing with the passage. In this chapter, we show you how to deal with all the different types of questions the SAT might throw at you, and we explain the best strategy for how to read and remember the passage.
Instructions for Reading Passages

Heres your first RP exercise:
Ea ch passa ge be lo w is fo llo we d by que stio ns ba sed o n its co n ten t. A nsw er the que stio ns fo llo win g eac h p ass age o n the ba sis o f wha t is sta te d o r im p lied in th a t pa ssa ge and in an y in tro du cto ry m a te ria l tha t m ay be pro v id ed.
What the Instructions Dont Tell You

The instructions gloss over two important facts about reading passages and questions. Here they are: Dont skip over the italicized contextual blurb. Above each passage, youll see an italicized introductory blurb that may offer some contextual information. The introduction looks a lot like instructions, and you know youre usually supposed to not waste time reading instructions that you can memorize long before taking the test. However, the context that the introduction provides will often help you understand the passage. So, read this introduction. Do not skip over it. The order of the questions. The questions following the passage are not ordered by difficulty. That means you should not adjust your pacing strategy on reading passages based on where a particular question appears relative to the other questions. The last few questions wont necessarily be tougher than the first
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few. Instead, RP questions are ordered by what part of the passage they refer to. Questions that test the beginning of the passage appear at the beginning of the group, questions that test the middle appear in the middle, and questions that cover the end appear at the end. General questions that cover the entire passage can appear either at the beginning or the end of the group of questions. General questions wont appear in the middle of the group.
A Sample Passage and Questions

Its tough to talk about long RPs and questions without a sample passage and questions to look at. So, heres a sample passage about Galileo with the italicized introduction. A s you read the passage, note the little numbers to the left. Those numbers count off every five lines of the passage (the 5 means that youre reading the fifth line of the passage, the 10 means youre reading the tenth line, and so on). Questions that ask you to refer to a specific word or section of the passage will include the line numbers of that word or section.
Sample Passage
The following passage discusses the scientific life of Galileo Galilei in reference to the political, religious, artistic, and scientific movements of the age.
Galileo Galilei was born in 1564 into a Europe wracked by cultura l fe rme nt and re ligious strife. The popes of the Roman Catholic Church, powerful in the ir roles as both religious and
Line (5)
secular leaders, had prove n vulne ra ble to the worldly and deca dent spirit of the a ge, and their pe rsona l immorality brought the reputa tion of the papa cy to historic lows. In 1517, Martin Luther, a forme r monk, attacked Ca tholicism for having become too worldly and politically corrupt and for obscuring the fundamenta ls of Christianity with pagan elements. His reforming
(10)
zeal, which appealed to a notion of an original, purified Christianity, set in motion the Protestant Reformation and split European Christia nity in two. In re sponse, Roman Catholicism steeled itself for ba ttle and launched the Counter-Re formation, which emphasized orthodoxy and
(15)
fidelity to the true Church. T he Counter-Re formation reinvigorate d the Church a nd, to some extent, e liminated its excesses. But the Counter-Reformation a lso contributed to the decline of the Italia n Rena issa nce , a revival of arts and le tters that sought to recover and rework the classica l art and
(20)
philosophy of ancie nt Gree ce and Rome. The popes had once been great pa trons of Re naissance arts a nd sciences, but the Counter-Reformation put an end to the Churchs liberal le niency in these areas. Further, the Churchs new emphasis on re ligious orthodoxy would soon clash with the emerging scientific
(25)
revolution. Ga lileo, with his study of astronomy, found himself a t the cente r of this clash.
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Conservative astronomers of Ga lileos time, working without telescopes, ascribed without deviation to the a ncient theory of geocentricity. This theory of astronomy held tha t the earth
(30)
(geo, as in geogra phy or geology) lay a t the cente r of the solar system, orbited by both the sun a nd the other pla nets. Indeed, to the casual obse rver, it seemed common sense that since the sun rose in the morning and set at night, it must ha ve circled a round the ea rth. Ancient authoritie s like Aristotle and
(35)
the Roman astronomer Ptolemy had championed this viewpoint, and the notion a lso coincided with the Catholic Churchs view of the universe , which placed mankind, Gods principal creation, a t the center of the cosmos. Buttressed by common sense , the ancient philosophers, and the Church, the geocentric model of the
(40)
universe seeme d secure in its authority. The Ptole maic theory, however, was not impervious to a ttack. In the 16th century, astronomers strained to make modern observations fit Ptolemys geocentric model of the universe. Incre asingly complex ma thematical systems were necessary to
(45)
reconcile these new observations with Ptolemys system of interlocking orbits. Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, openly questioned the Ptolemaic system and proposed a heliocentric system in which the planetsincluding ea rthorbited the sun (helios). This more mathematically satisfying way of
(50)
a rranging the solar system did not attract many supporte rs a t first, since the available da ta did not ye t support a wholesa le abandonment of Ptolemys system. By the end of the 16th ce ntury, however, astronomers like Johannes Keple r (15711630) had also begun to embrace Copernicuss theory.
(55)
Ultimately, Ga lileos telescope struck a fata l blow to the Ptolemaic system. But, in a se nse, the telescope was also nearly fatal to Ga lileo himself. T he Catholic Church, desperately trying to hold the Protestant heresy at bay, could not acce pt a scientific a ssa ult on its own theories of the universe. The
(60)
pressures of the age set in motion a historic confrontation between religion and science, one which would culmina te in 1633 when the Church put Galileo on tria l, forced him to reca nt his sta te d and published scientific belie fs, and put him under permanent house a rrest.
The Seven Types of RP Questions

The SAT asks seven types of questions about RPs. These seven types of questions are the same for both long RPs and short RPs. So, if youre ready for these seven types, youre ready for every RP question that might appear on the new SA T. Heres a list of the seven RP question types:
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Main Idea Attitude or Tone Specific Information Implied Information Themes and Arguments Technique Words in C ontext
Below, we provide a more thorough explanation of each question type based on sample questions about the Galileo passage above. We provide an explanation of how to answer each question about the Galileo passage that will show you how to answer all questions of that type.
1. Main Idea
Main idea questions test your understanding of the entire passage. They dont include specific quotations from the passage. Instead, they ask broad questions that focus on the passages primary purpose. Unlike themes and arguments questions (question type 5), main idea questions do not concern the authors opinions on the subjectthey just focus on the subject or idea itself. Main idea questions cover things such as Whats the primary purpose of the passage? What main idea is the author trying to convey? Why did the author write it?
A Sample Main Idea Question

Which o f the fo llo wing be st stat es the m ain idea o f the p ass age ? (A ) Scien ce alway s co n flicts w ith re ligio n . (B ) Scien ce is vulne rab le to o utside s o cial fo rce s . (C ) Ide ally , sc ient if ic the o r ie s sho uld reinfo rc e religio u s do c trine . (D) Scien ce o p era te s in a v acu um . (E) A dva nc ed te chn o logy is th e o nly ro ute to go o d scien tific theo ries .
The best way to deal with main idea questions is to come up with a one-sentence summary of the passage. For this passage, you might come up with something like Galileos scientific discoveries in particular, and science in general, were affected by the religious and social forces of the time. Once you have the summary, go to the answer choices. In our example question, the answer that best fits the summary is B. But since the passage takes a long time to discuss Galileos run-ins with the Roman Catholic Church, you might have been tempted by answer A. If youre a bit unsure, a good way to back up your summary is to look at the opening and concluding sentences of the passage, and, if necessary, at the topic sentence of each paragraph (the topic sentence is the first sentence in each paragraph). In the Galileo passage, sentences like the first sentence of this passageGalileo Galilei was born in 1564 into a Europe wracked by cultural ferment and religious divisionsmake it clear that the passage is about a scientist in the midst of cultural and religious upheaval. The passages descriptions of the struggle between the orthodoxy of the Church and the rising scientific revolution help establish the main idea of the passage: that science is vulnerable to outside social forces, B.
2. Attitude or Tone
These questions test whether you understand the authors view on the subject. To answer them correctly, you should write down whether the author is for or against his or her subject as you read the passage. It might also be helpful to jot down a few of the points or examples the writer uses to make his or her argument.
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The differences in the answer choices for this type of question can be slight. For example, you might have to choose between irritated and enraged. Both of these words suggest that the author has negative sentiments about the topic, but the difference lies in the intensity of those feelings. Detecting the words and phrases that convey the intensity of an authors feelings will help you distinguish between different extremes of a similar overall feeling. Determining that a certain topic upsets the author is only the first step. You then need to examine the authors word choice closely to pinpoint the degree of his or her feeling. Is the upset author mildly disturbed? Strongly disapproving? Or enraged? It might help to imagine how the author might sound if he or she read the passage aloud. If you cant come to a firm decision about the intensity of a feeling, remember that even if all you know is whether the authors tone is positive, negative, or neutral, youll almost definitely be able to eliminate at least some answer choices and turn the guessing odds in your favor.
Sample Attitude or Tone Question

T h e a utho rs to n e in this pas sag e can best b e des crib ed as (A ) ana ly tica l (B ) disturb ed (C ) ske ptic al (D) dram at ic (E) re ve rent
It will help you to first decide whether the authors tone is positive, neutral, or negative, and then look at the answers in order to cross off those that dont fit. So, is the Galileo author positive, neutral, or negative? The passage describes an entire time period, covering the different sides, and while it discusses how the Counter-Reformation affected Galileo, it never condemns or praises either the reformation or Galileo. It seeks mainly to describe what happened. So, its a pretty neutral passage, which means you can eliminate B and C, since those answer choices are negative, and E, since reverent (expressing devotion) is extremely positive. That leaves dramatic and analytical. The next step is to ask yourself how the passage would sound if its tone were dramatic : It would be full of highs and lows, exclamations and sudden shifts, and it may lurch all over the emotional spectrum. What about if it were analytical? It would be a little dry, very informational, with few highs and lows and lots of explanation meant to scrutinize all sides of the problem. Based on that description, analytical sounds like the most accurate way to sum up this writers tone in the passage. A is the correct answer.
3. Specific Information
These questions ask about information thats explicitly stated in the passage. On long RPs, specific information questions usually pinpoint parts of the passage via line numbers or a direct quotation. Very often, specific information questions come in the form of NOT or EXCEPT formats in which you have to choose the one wrong answer out of the five answer choices.
A Sample Specific Information Question

Which o f the fo llo wing wa s n ot a re aso n fo r M a r tin Luthe rs a ttac k o n the C a th o lic C h urc h (lines 6 - 9 )? (A ) pag an elem en ts in its prac tice s (B ) th e a m o ra lity o f its lea dersh ip (C ) its ex ces sive atten tio n to piety (D) its co rrupt io n and wo rldlin ess (E) th e p o lit ical in vo lve m ent o f th e po pe s
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Theres no reason to ever try to answer this question type without going back to the passage. Take a brief look at the specific lines that the question addresses (in this example, lines 6-9). Its time well spent. In this passage, lines 6-9 say that Luther attacked the Church for having become too worldly and politically corrupt and for obscuring the fundamentals of Christianity with pagan elements. That takes out A, B, D, and E. so the answer is C.
4. Implied Information
Information is implied when certain facts, statements, or ideas convey the information but dont declare it outright. Think of these as suggestion questions. Implied information questions identify a particular part of the passage and ask you about less obvious information thats between the lines. To find the correct answer, you may have to deduce whats being said or take a leap of logic. Remember that the leaps the SAT requires you to take are never very vast. Even though implied information questions ask you to reach a bit beyond what the passage states explicitly, they do not require you to think far outside the boundaries of the facts and opinions that the passage overtly contains. Often, you can spot implied information questions when you see words like context, inferred , implied , indicated , or suggested . Here is a sample of how the SAT phrases implied information questions.
A Sample Implied Information Question

In the s eco nd paragrap h, the pa ssa ge im plies th at during the Rena is sa nce , the C a tho lic C h urc h (A ) saw litt le c o nflic t betwee n its o wn go a ls a nd th o se o f th e ar ts an d scien ces (B ) pro m o ted th e arts as a wa y to l im i t the so cial inf luenc e o f s cientists (C ) sup po rte d M artin Luthe rs views o n re ligio n and the C hu rc h (D) had lim ited inte ra ctio n w ith the re lig io us affai rs o f co m m o n ers (E) fo cus ed o n sp iri tu ality as o p po s ed to wo rldly m at te rs
For this kind of question, its important to come up with your own answer before looking at the answer choices. Outside of the context of the passage, any one of the answer choices might look acceptable to you. It can also be very helpful to think about the main idea of the passage to help you figure out the implied information. Since the author is trying to support a main idea, the information implied in that support will also be associated with the main idea. This question asks about the Catholic Church during the Renaissance and identifies the second paragraph as the place to look. In that paragraph, it says that during the Renaissance, the Church was a great patron of the arts and sciences. What does this suggest about the Church during that period? How about this: The Church liked the arts and sciences during the Renaissance. Now go through the answer choices and look for a match: A is by far the best fit and the best answer.
5. Themes and Arguments

The main idea of a passage is its overall purpose. Themes are the recurring concepts that an author uses to establish the main idea. Arguments are the specific perspectives and opinions an author expresses on his or her main idea. Themes and arguments questions test your ability to look at particular parts of a passage and identify the underlying feelings they convey about the main idea. Themes and arguments questions often test your ability to put what the passage says, or how the author feels, into your own words. The main idea of a passage might be that the growing rat population is damaging Chicago. Three different themes that an author uses to establish the main idea could be disease, tourism, and city infrastructure. The authors arguments, or specific opinions, could be that the growing rat population has caused the spread of influenza in Chicago, has led to a steep drop in tourism to the city, and threatens to destroy some of the citys most important structures.
A Sample Themes and Arguments Question
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Which o f the fo llo wing be st explains why th e C ath o lic C h urch started the C o un terRe fo rm at io n? (line s 1 3 - 17 ) (A ) to fig ht sc ient if ic heres y (B ) to cle an o ut its o wn ra nks (C ) to re invigo rate a rtists an d intel lec tua ls (D) to elec t a ne w po pe (E) to co unter P ro tes ta nt c hal lenge s
The first thing you should do on this type of question is go back to the passage and then come up with your own answer to the question. Once you have this answer in your head, then look at the answer choices. If you look at the answer choices before going back to the passage, youre much more likely to make a careless error. This question tests whether you can follow the flow of argument within the text. More specifically, it tests your ability to differentiate between the causes and effects of the Counter-Reformation. Answers A, B, and C refer to effects of the Counter-Reformation, not the causes. But if you were to only look at the answers, any one of these choices might look familiar and therefore tempt you. Avoid temptation. Go back to the passage: In 1517, Martin Luther, a former monk, attacked Catholicism for having become too worldly and politically corrupt and for obscuring the fundamentals of Christianity with pagan elements. His reforming zeal . . . set in motion the Protestant Reformation and split European Christianity in two. In response, Roman Catholicism steeled itself for battle and launched the Counter-Reformation, which emphasized orthodoxy and fidelity to the true Church. So, your answer to the question of why the Catholic Church started the C ounter-Reformation would be something like, In response to the Protestants and Martin Luther. Answer choice E is the best fit and the right answer.
6. Technique
Every author uses certain methods to convey his or her ideas. Technique questions require you to identify the specific literary tool or method the author of the passage uses in a specific part of the passage. This makes technique questions the most likely place for literary terms like simile and metaphor to appear. Technique questions can focus on very small units in the passage, such as single words or simple parenthetical statements, or they can target larger units, such as a list, or even the relationship between entire paragraphs. If youre having trouble figuring out why or how an author is using a particular technique, it can often be helpful to take a step back and look at the technique in light of the authors main point or idea. If you know the main idea, you can often use that information to figure out what an author is trying to accomplish in a particular area of a passage.
A Sample Technique Example

T h e a utho rs de sc ript io n o f Galile o s te les co p e a s h aving struc k a fat al b lo w is an ex am ple o f a (n ) (A ) sim ile (B ) m etapho r (C ) perso nifica tio n (D) allu sio n (E) iro ny
This question tests your knowledge of literary termsa new subject on the new SAT. (If youre having trouble with literary terms, take some time to look over our literary terms list at the beginning of the Critical Reading section in this book.) In this question, the
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telescope, an inanimate object, is described as having struck a fatal blow. In other words, its been given human qualities, which is the definition of personification .
7. Words in Context
These questions present a word or short phrase from the passage and then ask about the meaning of that word in the greater context of the passage. Such questions on long RPs include line numbers that direct you to where the words in the question appear in the passage. The majority of words-in-context questions look like this:
T h e w o rd co n te nt (l in e 3 4 ) is clo s est in m e aning to w hich o f the fo llo w in g w o rd s?
Words-in-context questions are a lot like sentence completions, only on these questions, the blank comes in the form of a word in quotes. You should try to ignore that word in quotes and imagine it as a blank. In other words, treat words-in-context questions as if they were Sentence Completions. Why ignore those words in quotes? Because words-in-context questions often have answer choices with words that are indeed correct meanings of the tested word but not the correct meaning of the word as it appears in the passage. For example, the question above might contain answer choices such as satisfied and subject, both of which are correct meanings of the word content. But remember that these questions test the word in context. By approaching the sentence as if it were a sentence completion, youll be forced to consider the context of the word in quotes.
A Sample Words-in-Context Examples

1 . T h e term fe rm e nt in l in e 2 m o st c lo sely m ea ns (A ) alie na tio n (B ) turm o i l (C ) co n so lidatio n (D) dec o m po s itio n (E) stagna tio n
So heres a words-in-context question. Treat it like its a Sentence Completion: Galileo Galilei was born in 1564 into a Europe wracked by cultural ---- and religious strife. The sentence is one-way (there are no switch words), so the blank needs to fit with the ideas of wracked and strife, both of which bring up associations with fighting and chaos. See page for Sentence C ompletion strategy.
Long RP Strategy
B y now you know that long and short RPs differ only in lengththe questions the SAT asks about them test the same skills. Even so, length makes a big difference when it comes to strategy. Following are the steps you should follow to take on long RPs and their questions. Heres a quick list of all the steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. Force Yourself to Focus Read and Outline the Passage First Answer Specific Questions Answer General Questions
Step 1: Force Yourself to Focus

A lmost everyone suffers from DLFD on SAT reading passages: Devastating Loss-of-Focus Disease. You know that hippy phrase, Free your mind and the rest will follow? That phrase is a lie. On the SAT, you have to lock up your mind, put it in solitary confinement, and then expect high scores to follow. You have to focus exclusively on the passage before
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you as if it were the only thing in your life. You must trick your mind into being very excited by this prospect. Say to yourself, I am so excited to read this passage about the history of hot air balloons! This seems like a joke, but were not joking. If you focus on the passage as you would something you really care about, youll understand and remember much more of the passage. Do whatever you can to engage with the passage, even if its about sea snails, and try to channel your manufactured passion into better focus and attention to detail. Thats what will get you higher scores on reading passages. No joke.
Step 2: Read and Outline the Passage

Read the passage first, paying no attention to the answers. Looking at the answer first may seem like a good idea, but in practice its just not possible to keep a load of questions in your head while also trying to read the passage. You should never spend more than five minutes reading a long RP. Read the passage quickly, but dont just skim it. We think strategies like reading only the first and last sentence of each paragraph do more harm than good. Why? Because speed reading the first time around will force you to go back frequently to the passage when you get to the questions, which will cost you time. Instead, read the entire passage and focus intently on the most important parts of every long RP: The introduction, the conclusion, and the first and last sentences of each paragraph. This will ensure that you are not just reading but actively reading.
How to Read the Passage

Dont get bogged down trying to soak up every single fact and detail. Remember, questions that deal with specifics will give you line numbers, so going back to the passage wont be a big deal. You dont have to memorize the passage, you just have to get a solid gist of it. Read the passage with an awareness of the big-picture questions that RP questions will ask you. What is the authors goal in writing the passage? Whats the authors tone? Whats the primary argument that the author makes? What literary techniques does the author use to convey his or her ideas?
Its also a good idea to take a few seconds after each paragraph to summarize for yourself what you just read and jot it down in your test booklet. This will help you retain the content of each passage and trace the overall structure and feel of the passage.
How to Outline an RP
When it comes time to answer questions about an RP, having a rough outline of the passage will be very helpful. When we say you should write an outline, we dont mean a thorough kind of outline with bullet points and roman numerals that youd write for a teacher. We just mean you should keep a rough sketch in the margins of the RP in your test booklet. Heres how: As you read each RP, keep a shorthand written record of your thoughts on the passage as you read through it. Write down the purpose of each paragraph as you go and jot down ideas about the tone, arguments, and techniques you spot along the way. That way, when you finish reading the passage, youll already be armed with answers to some of the questions that you know will show up on the test, such as tone, main idea, themes and arguments, and technique. Underline topic sentences, draw in brackets to mark lists of examples that support the main argument, circle important namesmark anything relating to general themes and ideas, the main idea of each paragraph, and other aspects of the passage that strike you as important. This will reinforce what you read as you read it and give you a road map of the passage to use when you go back to answer specific questions.
Step 3: Answer Specific Questions
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When you finish the passage, go straight to the questions. Specific questions refer to particular line numbers or paragraphs in the passage. We suggest you tackle these questions before the more general questions because those typically require more thought, time, and attention than specific questions. Specific questions refer directly to a word or line(s) in the passage. Before going back to the paragraph, articulate to yourself exactly what the question is asking. Dont look at the answers (this will help you avoid being caught by SAT traps). Next, go to the specified area in the passage and read just the few lines before and after it to get a sense of the context. Come up with your own answer to the question, then go back and find the answer that best matches yours.
Step 4: Answer General Questions

You should be able to answer general questions without looking back at the passage. General questions do not refer to specific locations in the passage. Instead, they ask about broad aspects of the passage such as its main idea, tone, and argument. Often the best way to answer general questions like these is to refer to the outline of the passage you made as you read through it. If youve already jotted down notes in your outline on the purpose of each paragraph, the tone, and the overall argument of the passage, youll be all set to take on general questions with ease. Your ability to answer general tone and main idea questions without looking back at the passage is also a good gauge of how well youre reading the passage. If youre having trouble with these sorts of questions and have to go back to the passage to answer them, you might be speeding through the passage too quickly or focusing too much on specific information.
Challenged to a Dual (Passage)

The new SAT contains one dual passage, which is SAT-speak for two separate passages that are somehow related. When you get to the dual passage, heres what youll see: Italicized introduction Passage 1 Passage 2 Questions on passage 1 Questions on passage 2 Questions that ask you to relate the two passages
The secret to dual passages is: Do not follow this order. Instead, treat each passage separately, with the four-step method we just showed you. That results in the following five-step method for dual RPs: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read the introduction and the first passage. Answer the questions about the first passage only. Read the second passage. Answer the questions about the second passage only. Answer the questions that address both passages together.
Treating the passages separately makes sense for a number of reasons. First, it means that youll be answering the questions on a particular passage when that passage is freshest in your mind. That will save you time, since you wont have to jump back and forth between questions and passages. Second, it means that you wont get so caught up looking for relationships between the two passages that youll lose focus on the individual passages. B y the time youve dealt with the two passages individually, youll have naturally built up a strong enough understanding of each passage to be able to answer the questions that ask you to relate the two passages.
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These relating passages questions usually ask you to compare a variety of aspects of the two passages, such as the main idea of the two passages, individual arguments in each passage, and the tones of each passage. Sometimes questions relating two passages get a bit more creative by asking you to predict how the author of one passage might think about information presented in the other passage.
The Skinny on RP Content

RPs on the new SAT split into two big categories: Nonfiction passages (on everything from science to art to history to literature) Fiction passages excerpted from literary works
Nonfiction Passages
These are the RPs that you expect to see on the SAT. You know, the ones with a bunch of paragraphs about a Native American tribe, the scientist who invented carbon dating, or a famous Civil War battle. These passages are always nonfiction with no distinct narrative voice. That means theyre based on facts and read like newspaper or journal articles. The individual voice or identity of the author does not play much of a role in the discussion or the topic at hand in these passages. None of these passages require you to have any background knowledge in the topics they cover. The passage or passages always contain every bit of information you need to answer the questions correctly. Below, we list a few details about the specific kinds of nonfiction, nonnarrative passages you can expect to encounter on the new SAT. But keep in mind that all of these subcategories test similar skills, namely, how well you can understand and evaluate what the passage contains.
Science Passages
Science passages range from discussions or debates about topics in science to descriptions of scientific events throughout history. For example, science subject matter may include a scientist arguing that genetics affect decisions about where people build their cities, a historian describing the disagreements between physicists in the early twentieth century, or an explanation of the earthworms digestive system. All the science you need to know is presented in the passageyou should not expect to find anything like physics or chemistry formulas in science RPs.
History Passages
History RPs come in two forms: (1) passages taken from history, such as a historical address about an event or situation in society, and (2) passages in which historians write about and interpret history. Questions about history passages tend to focus heavily on your ability to understand the authors argument. History passages also frequently test your understanding of unfamiliar words in context. For example, a question about a passage on the Civil War may ask you to identify the definition of a word like bayonet based on the context of the passage.
Literary Criticism Passages

These passages usually discuss one of the following topics: a particular book or writer, a literary movement or trend, or some overarching literary concept. Questions following literary criticism RPs are almost always about the tone of the passage or the writers point of view or overall opinion. Vocabulary is a dead giveaway of the writers tone and argument in these passages.
Art Passages
Art passages discuss specific pieces of art, trends in art history, or particular artists. Art on the SA T usually means painting, architecture, or music. Art passages might involve the artist speaking about his or her own work, the artist speaking about his or her field in general, a critic discussing a specific work or artist, or a description of some controversy in the art world. Passages about specific artists usually try to locate that artist in the context of broader trends or movements.
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Fiction Passages
Fiction is the wildcard that the new SAT has thrown into the long RP mix. Every Critical Reading section of the new SAT includes one fiction narrative passage. Fiction passages are very different from other RPs on the test, since theyre the product of a writers imagination. Instead of dealing with arguments or big concepts in science, literature, art, and history, fictional narratives require you to deal with characters, emotions, point of view, and literary style. This means you have to think a little differently. As you read a fiction passage, think about why the author chose to write what he or she wrote. Why did the writer choose the images described in the passage? What rhetorical device like similes, metaphors, and personification did the author use? What is the tone? What is the writers relationship to the characters, memories, or events being described? How do the characters feel about each other or about these memories or events? Dont read too deeply into these passages. It wont ask you for a poetic interpretation or an innovative analysis of a passage. It will only ask you questions that you can answer based on whats right in front of you. That makes the best approach to fiction narrative interpreting only what you read directly in the passage. If you feel like youre stretching for an answer, youre probably not on the right track. Stick to the facts and ideas that the passage itself can support.
Hmmm . . . Have I Read This Before?

The reading passages on the old SAT were excerpts from obscure books that no high school student would ever have read. Using oddball sources helped bolster the tests fairness, since almost nobody would have read the books from which the passages were excerpted (unless you had perchance sat down one Saturday to read Anook: Tales of an Eskimo Goat Herder ). So, their decision to use Anook and others like him made sense. The new SAT aims to do a better job than the old SAT of mirroring what students actually learn in school. To encourage high schools to align what they teach, the SAT has now decided to use passages from popular works of literature that high school teachers often assign. The new SAT now includes excerpts from books commonly read in high school, like Animal Farm and The Great Gatsby. Does this mean your Critical Reading score can be dramatically affected by luck? Yes! What can you do in response to this bizarre change? Weve already encouraged you to read as much as you can in anticipation of the SAT, and the change to using popular works as sources only reinforces that advice. Its highly unlikely, however, that youll have just read the book from which the passage you encounter is excerpted. Nobody knows exactly which books the SAT will use as sources for passages, so trying to read as many books as possible wont be an effective way to prepare for this change. The best thing to do is to continue reading and training yourself to read and think critically. Rather than reading only popular fiction, newspapers, or magazines, its probably a good idea to start reading some of the classics commonly studied in high school. You cant read them all, of course, but you can read some of the most popular and important titles, which weve listed below. You can also read summaries and commentary on hundreds of literary classics for free online at SparkNotes.com. Here are the top twenty SparkNotes literature titles:
To Kill a Mockingbird The Great Gatsby The Scarlet Letter The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Lord of the Flies The Catcher in the Rye The Odyssey Frankenstein Great Expectations The Crucible
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A Tale of Two Cities Heart of Darkness 1984 Of Mice and Men Brave New World The Canterbury Tales Things Fall Apart Pride and Prejudice Jane Eyre Fahrenheit 451
The Short of It
SHORT RP QUESTIONS ARE LIKE THE LONG-LOST LITTLE brother of long RPs. Theyre a new addition to the SAT family, but theyve got the same basic makeup as their older, longer siblings. Short RPs test the same skills and cover the same basic categories of science, literature, art, history, and narrative as long RPs. They even have the same instructions as long RPs. But there is one big difference: Theyre shorter. And thats enough to change your whole strategy, because it means you can read short RPs word for word.
What Short RPs Look Like

Short RPs are about 100 words long and are followed by just two questions. Short RP questions are just like long RP questions. Every question fits into one of the seven categories we covered for long RPs: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Main Idea Attitude or Tone Specific Information Implied Information Themes and Arguments Technique Words in C ontext
A Complete Short RP Example

Heres a sample short RP, complete with two questions. Read the passage and the questions straight through. Then well go over strategies for approaching short RPs like this one, including an explanation of how to answer the two questions about this passage using our four-step short RP strategy.
A irplane s a re su ch a c o m mo n fo rm o f tra vel tha t it s e asy to fo rget jus t ho w re cen tly they we re inv ented . T o da y, ev en a pe rs o n in th e m iddle o f no w here wo uld no t be su rp rise d to see a plan e in th e s ky . B ut be fo re the W right b ro the rs f le w thei r pl an e a t K itty Haw k, No r th C a ro lina, in 1 9 1 0 , m o s t sc ie ntis ts th o ug ht flight b y h eav ie r- th an- ai r m ac hines wo uld n eve r be ac hieve d. Ne ver . In fac t, the wo rd a i rplane didnt co m e in to co m m on us age un til a fte r 1 9 4 5 .
1 . T h e refe renc e to the p e rso n in th e m idd le o f no wh ere pr im a rily se rve s to (A ) in tro du ce a new argu m ent (B ) cha llen ge co mm o n beliefs (C ) highlight the lim ita tio n s o f an a cce pted idea (D) ques tio n m o dern m o rals (E) in dicate th e sco pe o f a c hange
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2 . T h e au th o r o f th e pass age wo u ld mo s t likely agree with eac h o f the fo llo wing statem e nts E XC EP T (A ) ai rplan es a re a re la tive ly rece nt inno vatio n (B ) the W right b ro the rs to o k the fi rst a i rplane fligh t (C ) ai r trav e l rem a ins the pr iv ile ge o f the el ite (D) the wo rd ai rpla ne wa s ra re ly us ed in the ea rly tw ent ie th c entu ry (E) ai rplan es ca n be se en alm o s t any where
Short RP Strategy
For long RPs, we advised you to read the entire passage, make a sketchy outline, then check out the questions. We suggested that you follow those steps in that order because itd be impossible to keep an 800-word passage and eight to thirteen questions in your head. But short RPs are short and have just two questions. That means you can comfortably fit the entire passage and the two questions in your head. It also means you dont have to worry about keeping an outline, since youre dealing with only one paragraph. The change in the length of the passage therefore flips your whole strategy on its head: You should read the questions before you read the passage. That way, youll have the exact questions you need to answer in mind as you read the passage. 1. 2. 3. 4. Read the two questions but not the answer choices. Read the passage, with special focus on answering the two questions. Come up with answers for the two questions in your own words. Match your answer to the correct answer.
Now lets see what happens when we apply this method to the two questions from our sample short RP.
Sample Short RP Answers and Explanations

Heres the first question again:
1 . T h e refe renc e to the p e rso n in th e m idd le o f no wh ere pr im a rily se rve s to (A ) in tro du ce a new argu m ent (B ) cha llen ge co mm o n beliefs (C ) highlight the lim ita tio n s o f an a cce pted idea (D) ques tio n m o dern m o rals (E) in dicate th e sco pe o f a c hange
Lets say you ignore our four-step method and read through this passage, skipping step 1. Youd have no clue what the questions are, so youd just breeze by the phrase about the person in the middle of nowhere. Then youd get to the first question and would have to go back to reread the entire sentence containing the person in the middle of nowhere phrase, wasting precious time. Instead, if you had followed step 1 and read the questions first, youd know what you were looking for. Youd then read the passage and keep an eye out for that particular phrase (step 2). Youd notice that the phrase not even a person in the middle of nowhere would be surprised to see a plane in the sky emphasizes how common airplanes are now, and it draws a contrast to a hundred years ago when scientists did not believe such flight was possible. That means the author uses that phrase to point out that today, no one, anywhere would be surprised to see a plane in the sky. Thats your version of the answer to this technique question (step 3). Now take a look at the real answer choices and try to find one that matches yours closely (step 4). E matches almost perfectly. The author uses
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the reference to the person in the middle of nowhere to indicate the scope of the change from the days when airplanes were foreign to almost everyone. Now, for the second question from the sample passage:
2 . T h e au th o r o f th e pass age wo u ld mo s t likely agree with eac h o f the fo llo wing statem e nts E XC EP T (A ) ai rplan es a re a re la tive ly rece nt inno vatio n (B ) the W right b ro the rs to o k the fi rst a i rplane fligh t (C ) ai r trav e l rem a ins the pr iv ile ge o f the el ite (D) the wo rd ai rplan e wa s ra re ly us ed in the ea rly tw ent ie th c entu ry (E) ai rplan es ca n be se en alm o s t any where
Reading the questions first (step 1) can save you lots of time on EXCEPT questions. This themes and arguments question asks you to find the statement that the author would not agree with, so as you read the passage with the question in mind, you can check off the statements that the passage confirms as you read. Notice that on EXCEPT questions like this one, you have to read the answer choices first as well, since the question alone does not give you enough information to work with as you read the passage (step 2). Using this method will actually allow you to skip step 3 and 4, since the answer will be the only unchecked answer choice that remains after youve read the passage and checked off the statements with which the author would agree. The authors main argument in this passage is that air travel has become entirely commonplace even though the invention of flight only happened one hundred years ago. You can knock out A, since the author would certainly agree that air travel is a recent invention. Check off B since the author references the Wright brothers famous first flight directly in the passage. D and E can get checks too, because they cover material that the author clearly supports in the passage: that airplanes can be seen even in the middle of nowhere and that the word airplane only came into common usage recently. Only C stands out as directly against the authors main theme and argument: rather than remaining exclusively for the wealthy, air travel can now be enjoyed by almost anyone. A fter having read the passage and checked off answer choices as you read, only C would remain, and thats the correct answer.
Challenged to a (Short) Dual

Dual short RPs present you with two 100-word passages, and then four questions. The first question deals with the first passage, the second covers the second passage, and the last two questions cover the relationship between the passages. A s with the long dual passage, you should treat each short dual passage individually: 1. Read the questions about the first passage, and then read the first passage. 2. Come up with your own answer and compare it to the actual answer choices in the question about the first passage. 3. Read the questions about the second passage, then read the second passage. Think about how the second passage relates to the first. 4. Come up with your own answer and compare it to the actual answer choices in the question(s) about the second passage. 5. Answer the questions that address both passages together. B y the time you get to step 5, youll be so familiar with the passages that you wont have to look back at them to answer the two questions that ask you to relate them.
Sample Short Dual RP

Here are two related brief passages followed by four questions: two that treat the passages together and two that treat them individually.
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Fe w things in life a re as rewa rd ing and fulfil ling as o w ning a p et. Whethe r its a do g , ca t, bird , o r fish , th e a ppe al is the s am eye ars o f fun and un con ditio na l lo ve . Ind eed , pe ts ca n ac tu ally sat isfy m an y o f the things peo ple c ra ve m o st: c o m pan io nsh ip , co m m unica tio n , lo y al ty , a nd plenty o f a m use m ent . Pe rhap s tha ts w hy p ets a re so po pular a m o ng the e lde rly and pe o ple who live alo ne . A s hu m an re la tio n ships g ro w m o re co m plex with eac h new tec hno lo gical gadg et, the s im p le bo nd b etween a pet a nd its o wn er o ffe rs a ref re shing a nd co m fo rting rep r ieve . In a dditio n to p ro tes ting re pre hen sible p rac tic es l ike fu r t ra pping and an im a l testing , a nim a l rig hts g ro ups ha ve beg un to a ttack o wners o f c ats a nd dog s fo r kee ping an im a ls im p riso n ed in the ho m e . F in ally , the se g ro ups have sta rted to m ak e the justified co m pariso n o f o wning a pe t to ke eping a do m esticated an im a l l ik e a s hee p o r a co w. B o th pe t o wne rs hip and do m esticatio n o f a nim a ls stem f ro m the sa m e c ruel so urce : hu m an selfis hne ss . No anim al s ho u ld be ke pt co nfin ed so lely fo r th e b ene fit o f hu m an be in gs, w hether tha t ben efit c o m es in the fo rm o f m e at, le athe r , o r the co m p anio nship o f a p et.
Sample Dual Short RP Questions and Explanations

1 . Ho w m ight yo u su m u p the a uth o rs m a in idea in th e fi rs t pa ssa ge? (A ) O wning a pet is c ru e l an d unfair. (B ) Pets sho uld always b e le ash ed. (C ) Pet o wnersh ip ha s pro fo und rewa rds . (D) Pet o wnersh ip is te chn o lo gica lly ad van ced . (E) Pets nee d new fo rm s o f co m m u nicatio n.
2 . T h e w o rd re p rehen sible in th e s ec o nd pa ss age m os t ne arly m ea ns (A ) dem o ralizing (B ) in vigo rat in g (C ) re sto ra tive (D) disgrac efu l (E) delightfu l
3 . B a sed o n info rm atio n in thes e two pa ss ages , the au tho rs dis agree ab o ut wh ethe r (A ) anim als sh o uld be ke pt as p ets (B ) pets are ben eficia l fo r hum a ns (C ) fur trapp in g s hou ld b e illega l (D) ken nel c o nd itio ns sho u ld be refo rm ed (E) hum an b eings a re inhe re ntly se lf ish
4 . Which wo rds a m o ng the pairs belo w bes t des cribe th e to n e o f th e fi rs t pas sa ge and o f the s eco nd pas sage, res pec tive ly ? (A ) ala rm e d and dis enga ged (B ) enthus ia stic a nd cr itica l (C ) des po n dent and ex ube ra nt (D) elated and e ne rvated (E) wary and disa ppro ving
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Explanations
1. C Main Idea
Step 1 tells y ou to read this question before reading the first passage, since its specifically about the first passage. You then know to think about coming up with your own quick description of the main idea of the first passage as you read. This author strongly supports pet ownership because it rewards pet owners with years of fun and love. So, thats your answer to describe main idea of the passage. Now take a look at the actual answer choices and look for a descrip tio n of the passages main idea that comes closest to y our description of the joy s of pet ownership s (step 2). A is out because it describes having a pet as cruel and unfair. B, D, and E are all SAT traps because each mentions somethin g vaguely mentioned in the passage (leashes, technological innovations, and communication), but none captures the main idea. Only C matches the answer you generated to describe the main idea: Owning a pet brings profound, or deep, rewards to pet owners. C is the correct answer. 2. D Words-in-Contex t
Step 3 tells y ou to read the question(s) about the second passage before readin g the second passage. Youd then know to pay close attention as you read the passage to the sentence with the word reprehensible so you dont have to go back and find it later. And there it is, rig ht in the first sentence. Since this is a words-in-context question, treat it like a Sentence Completion and use the rest of the paragraph to help you fill in the blank with y our own answer. The sentence is: In addition to protesting ---practices like fur trapping and animal testing, animal rights groups have begun to attack owners of cats and dogs for keeping animals im prisoned in the home. The switch words in addition to show that the sentence is one-way: The animal rights groups are acting consistently . And its clear from the rest of the passage that the writer is really , really against pet ownership. So, it would seem that the bla nk must be filled with an extremely negative word like awful. You can throw out answers B, C, and E, because each is a positiv e word. That leaves demoralizing and disgraceful. These two words are both negativ e, but demoralizing means negativ ely affecting morale, which isnt qu ite strong enough to reflect th is writers anger about the mistreatment of animals. So the answer is D. 3. A Themes and Arguments
By the time y ou get to dual passage questions that ask about both passages together, you will have already read and answered specific questions about both passages. That means you dont need to read them again and can div e right in to generatin g y our own answers and comparing them to the actual answer choices. This question asks about what the authors of the two passage disagree about. The divergent v iews of the authors of these two passages are quite clear: One supports pet ownership enthusiastically and one objects to it strongly . Lets say thats the answer you generate on your own. Now lets see which answer choice matches it. Since youve established that the question of whether animals should be kept as pets is the core of their disagreement, A is the correct answer. B is incorrect because while the first passage would agree with the statement, the second passage does not disagree; it just says that the question of whether hav ing a pet is beneficial for the human is not the issue. C is an SAT trap. The SAT wants you to see fur trapping, which the second passage mentio ns briefly, and pick that answer. But the first author does not mention fur trapping at all, so it is definite ly not the main issue here. Cut C. Neither passage mentio ns kennels, so eliminate D. E is inco rrect because only the author of the second passage would explicitly agree with the sentiment that human bein gs are selfish. 4. B Tone
This question asks about the tone of the two passages. Sin ce youv e read both passages thoroughly already , generate your own answer and compare it to the real answer choices. What words might y ou already have in mind to describe the tone of these two passages? The first is positiv e, encouragin g, and excited about the prospect of owning a pet. The second is negative, disapprov ing, and concerned about pet ownership in general. With that in mind, you should be able to select B as correct: The first passage is enthusiastic in tone, whereas the second is critica l.
New SAT Vocabulary

WHILE VOCABULA RY IS LESS IMPORTANT ON THE NEW SAT, that doesnt mean its totally unimportant. Not at all. A great vocabulary will definitely still help you on the test, especially throughout the Critical Reading section. So, despite what the press might say, the era of the SAT word isnt really over. Youll never again have to figure out how horrid
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relates to horticulture (it doesnt), but a good vocabulary will help boost your score on the Critical Reading and Writing sections of the new SA T.
Remembering SAT Vocab

Anyone can study vocabulary by reading over a list of words and definitions. Simple. But not that helpful. Its another thing entirely to remember the words you study.
Mnemonics
Mnemonic devices are tricks of the memorizing trade. A mnemonic could be an image, a rhyme, a formulaanything other than straight repetition of a word and its definition. So, lets say you want to memorize the word mnemonic . You could come up with an image of the word mnemonic branded into some guys brain as he correctly answers a Sentence Completion. The image will stick in your head much more readily than any dry old definition. With mnemonics, youll remember words permanently and with less effort. When you use mnemonics, the more outlandish the image or rhyme you can make up, the better. The farther out the mnemonic, the more sticky it will be in your brain. If youre trying to memorize the word sacrosanct, which means holy, or something that should not be criticized, go all out. Imagine that scene in the Raiders of the Lost Ark when the holy Ark of the Covenant gets opened, and then everyones face melts off because they dared to touch this holy, sacrosanct object. Boom. You know this word. Youre not about to forget someones face melting off. From now on, whenever you encounter an especially tough SAT vocab word, generate a detailed phrase or image that burns the meaning of the word into your memory. Below are five mnemonic examples that we came up with to help you remember the definitions of some tough SAT vocab words:
S AT Wo rd D e fin ition M n e mon ic W ord in a S e n te nc e
b uttr ess
a s uppo rt
Ha ving a big b utt g iv es Witho ut a st ro ng buttres s , th e y o u e xtra su ppo rt, like buildings fro nt s tructu re wo uld a bu tt re ss . co llaps e.
c o nundrum a p ro b le m p uzz le
o r Ha ving o nly on e-d ru m T he explo rers figured o u t ho w to is a conund ru m fo r a dea l wi th th e con undrum o f ro ck d ru m me r. hav in g o nly two d ays to hike 1 0 0 m ile s .
c urso ry
b rie f a nd to th e Pe o ple ten d to curse His b oss too k a curso ry loo k at p o int wh en the y want to g et th e m em o and c am e to a s tra ight to th e po int . dec isio n.
m a le vo len t w antin g h arm to V iolen t ma le s tend be do ne to be ma le volen t. o th ers
to T he
villain
c o nfirm ed
his
malevo le nt w ishe s by che erin g

whe n the tree fe ll an d c ru she d his neigh bo rs fo o t.
b oo n
a gift b le ss in g
o r Pira tes c o ns ider bo o ty T he te ac hers de cisio n to m ak e a bo on . th e tes t o pen -bo o k was a boon to h er stud ents.
Where the Wild Vocabs Are

SAT vocab lurks in lists and in life. You will be tempted to ignore life and focus only on the lists. Thats up to you, but we think thats a mistake. Youll learn and retain more vocabulary if you focus on both.
Vocab in Lists
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Studying vocab from a list of words seems easy, but its actually quite tough. That list of words lulls you to sleep, so you think youre remembering what you study, but youre actually not. (This is another reason mnemonics are so helpful: You cant fool yourself into thinking you came up with a mnemonic. Youve either got one or you dont.) You really need to focus to seal the meaning of the word into your mind. Breezing over a list wont make that happen. There is another pitfall in studying vocab from lists. Your mind memorizes in context. One thing clues you into another. This can trick you into thinking that you know a word even when you dontyou may know it only when its in the order from your list, not when its sitting there alone in an answer choice. So, when you study from a list, dont always go through it in the same order. Switch things around, go backward, skip every other word. Keep your head on its toes. Or use flashcards and frequently reshuffle the deck.
Vocab in Life
Remember the other day when you were watching a movie like The Matrix and one of the characters said a word you didnt recognize, but you shrugged it off so you could just enjoy the show? Those days are over. From now until the day you take the new SAT, if you hear a word you dont know, try to guess its meaning from context, then look it up to see if you were right and make a mnemonic. This takes some effort. And if you dont want to put out the effort to make the world your personal vocab oyster, well, were not going to come track you down. But we will tell you that paying attention to words you encounter on lists and in life will go a long way toward building the vocabulary you need to beat the new SA T.
Dealing with Words You Dont Know

No list will ever cover all the vocab words that might appear on the SAT. There are just too many words. In fact, we can pretty much guarantee that somewhere on the new SAT, youll come across a word you havent studied or just cant remember. No problem. Well show you what to do.
Word Roots: The Building Blocks of Words

Lots of test-prep companies advise students to study Greek and Latin roots of English words to help figure out the meaning of an SAT vocabulary word. Some students even take Latin in high school with the sole aim of using it to learn vocabulary roots for the SAT. English words are often made up of bits and pieces derived from Latin or Greek, which we call word roots . For example, lets say you come across the word antebellum on the SAT and dont know what it means. The word root ante means before, and bellum means war, so you might think that antebellum means before the war. Youre correct! Heres a list of the 28 most common word roots thatll help you puzzle out the meanings of unfamiliar SAT words.
W or d Root W ha t Means I t SA T V oc a b W ord s
a nte
be fo re
an te bellum , an te d ilu vian
a nti
ag ainst
an tithes is , an tipathy , antisep tic
a uto
se lf
au to cratic
b ene
go o d, w el l
be nefac to r, b ene vo lent, b ene dictio n
c hro n
tim e
an ac hro nism , a syn chro no us
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c ircu m
aro u nd
c ircu mn aviga te , ci rc um fe re nce , c ircu mv ent , c ircum s c rib e
c i rc um lo cu tio n,
c o n, co m
with , to gethe r c o nvene, co n flue nce , co n caten ate , c o njo in
c o ntra , c o un te r
ag ainst
c o ntra dict , co u nte ra ct , co ntrav ene
c re d
to believe
c red o , c re dib le , c rede nce , c red ulity , inc re dulo us
d ic t
to spe ak
ve rd ic t, m a le dic tio n, d ic ta te , d ic tu m , in dict
d is
no t
dis perse, dissu ade , dis tem pe r, d is ar ra y , disjo in ted
e qui
eq ual
eq uidistant , equ ila te ra l, equ il ibrium , e quino x , equ itable , eq uan im ity
e x, e
o u t, a way
em it , e ne rva te , ex cise , e xt irpate , ex pun ge, exo ne rate , ex ac erb ate
flu, flu x
flo w
efflu enc e , eff lu vium , flu ctua te , c o nflu enc e
h ype r
ab o ve , o v er
hy perbo lic
in, im
no t
invio late , inn o cu o us , im perm e a ble , im pe rvio u s
int ractabl e,
im preg nable ,
inte r
be twe en
inte rm itte nt, in tro ve rt , inte rd ic t, in te r ro gate
mal
ba d
m alfo rm a tio n , m aladjus ted , dism al , m al ady , m alco n te nt, m alfeas anc e
m u lti
m an y
m ultitude , m u ltiva lent
n eo
ne w
ne o lo gism , neo phyte
o m ni
all
o m n ip o tent, o m niv o ro us, o m nisc ie nt
p er
thro ugh
pe rs uad e, im pe rvio u s, p e rs is te n t , perse cute
s anc t
ho ly
s anc tify , sa nctua ry, san ctio n, s anc tim o nio u s, s acro s anc t
s crib , sc ript
to write
ins cript io n, p re sc r ibe, s crib ble , sc ribe
p ro scr ibe ,
a sc ribe ,
co n script,
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s pec t
to lo o k
c ircu ms pe ct, re t ro sp ect, pro s pec t, s pec ta cle , a spe ct
t ract
to d ra g, draw
to pro t ra ct , det r act , intrac ta b le
t rans
ac ro ss
t ra nsd uce , in trans igent
v ert
to turn
ex tro v ert , in t ro vert
The Top 250

Since vocab isnt as important on the new SAT as it was on the old SAT, it doesnt make sense to plow through 1,000-word-long lists. Were dedicated to getting you the most bang for your study time, so we searched through tons of old SA T tests and found 250 of the toughest and most frequently tested vocab words. Of course, we know therell be some of you out there who just cant get enough and who want the complete collection of 1,000 words. Well, weve got those for you also, free and online. Just go to this PDF to download and memorize to your hearts content.
The Top 250 Most Difficult SAT Words

A
a bjure
(v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the president abjured the evil policies o f his
wicked predecesso r.) a brogate (v.) to abolish, usually by autho rity (The Bill of Rights assures that the government canno t abrogate our right to a free press.) acerbic (adj.) biting, bitter in tone o r taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.) acrimony (n.) bitterness, disco rd (Though they vowed that no girl would ever co me between them, Biff and Trevor could no t keep acrimony fro m overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely T eresa.) acumen (n.) keen insight (Because o f his mathematical acumen , Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.) a dumbrate (v.) to sketch out in a vague way (The co ach adumbrated a game plan, but no ne of the players knew precisely what to do.) a lacrity (n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mo ther asked him to set the table, he did so with alacrity .) anathema (n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.) antipath y (n.) a stro ng dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy fo r yo u.) a pproba tion (n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.) arroga te (v.) to take witho ut justification (The king arrogated the right to o rder executions to himself exclusively.) a scetic (adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savo ry foods, and other pleasures.) a spersion (n.) a curse, expression of ill-will (The rival po liticians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others integrity.)
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a ssiduous
(adj.) hard-wo rking, diligent (The construction wo rkers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.)
B
bla ndish
(v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachels assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.)
boon
(n.) a gift or blessing (T he good weather has been a boon for many businesses lo cated near the
beach.) brusque (adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captains brusque manner o ffended the passengers.) buffet 1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.) 2. (n.) an arrangement of fo od set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took foo d from o ur buffet and ate standing up.) burn ish (v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.) buttress 1. (v.) to support, hold up (The co lumn buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2. (n.) something that o ffers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)
C
cacophony
(n.) tremendous noise, disharmonio us sound (The elementary schoo l orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.)
cajole
(v.) to urge, coax (Freds buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.)
calumny ended up ruining his opponents prospect of winning the election.) capricious (adj.) subject to whim, fickle (The yo ung girls capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.) c le mency (n.) mercy (After he fo rgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for clemency .) cogent (adj.) intellectually convincing (Irenes arguments in favo r of abstinence were so cogent that I could no t resist them.) conc omita nt (adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion (His dislike of hard work carried with it a concomitant lack o f funds.) conflagration (n.) great fire (The conflagration consumed the entire building.) contrite (adj.) penitent, eager to be fo rgiven (Blakes contrite behavio r made it impossible to stay angry at him.) conundrum (n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Janes behavio r was a constant conundrum .) cre dulity (n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men.) cupidity (n.) greed, strong desire (His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.) cursory (adj.) brief to the po int of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda.)
(n.) an attempt to spo il som eone elses reputation by spreading lies (The lo cal officials calumny
D
decry
(v.) to criticize o penly (The kind video rental clerk decried the po licy of charging customers late
fees.) defile
(v.) to make unclean, impure (She defiled the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.)
deleteriou s
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(adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching
her muscles eno ugh beforehand.) demure
(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)
deprecate
(v.) to belittle, depreciate (A lways over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the lo cal
charity.) deride
(v.) to laugh at mockingly, sco rn (The bullies derided the foreign students accent.)
desecrate
(v.) to vio late the sacredness o f a thing or place (They feared that the construction of a go lf course wo uld desecrate the preserved wilderness.)
desiccated
(adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like o ld paper.)
dia phanous
(adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening
the room.) diffident (adj.) shy, quiet, modest (While eating dinner with the adults, the diffident youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.) discursive (adj.) rambling, lacking o rder (The professors discursive lectures seem ed to be about every subject except the one initially described.) dissemble (v.) to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing fathers stamp collectio n.) dither (v.) to be indecisive (Not wanting to o ffend either friend, he dithered about which of the two birthday parties he should attend.)
E
e bullie nt
(adj.) extremely lively, enthusiastic (She became ebullient upon receiving an acceptance letter
fro m her first-choice college.) e ffrontery (n.) im pudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was bo ring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery .) e ffulgen t (adj.) radiant, splendo rous (The golden palace was effulgent.) e gregious (adj.) extremely bad (The student who threw sloppy jo es across the cafeteria was punished fo r his egregious behavior.) enerva te (v.) to weaken, exhaust (Writing these sentences enervates me so m uch that I will have to take a nap after I finish.) e phe mera l (adj.) sho rt-lived, fleeting (She promised shed love me forever, but her fo rever was o nly ephemeral: she left me after one week.) e schew (v.) to shun, avo id (George hates the color green so much that he eschews all green food.) e vanescent (adj.) fleeting, mom entary (M y joy at getting promo ted was evanescent because I discovered that I would have to work much lo nger hours in a less friendly office.) e vince (v.) to sho w, reveal (Christo phers hand-wringing and nail-biting evince how nervous he is about the upco ming English test.) excu lpate (v.) to free fro m guilt o r blame, exonerate (My disco very of the ring behind the dresser exculpated me from the charge of having stolen it.) execra ble (adj.) loathsome, detestable (Her pudding is so execrable that it makes me sick.) exigen t
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(adj.) urgent, critical (T he patient has an exigent need for medication, or else he will lose his
sight.) expiate
(v.) to make amends for, atone (To expiate my selfishness, I gave all my pro fits to charity.)
expunge
(v.) to o bliterate, eradicate (Fearful o f an IRS investigation, Paul tried to expunge all
incriminating evidence from his tax files.) extant
(adj.) existing, not destroyed or lo st (My mo thers extant love letters to my father are in the attic
trunk.) extol
(v.) to praise, revere (Violet extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving bro ther.)
F
fallaciou s
(adj.) incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I
smo ked.) fastidious (adj.) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards (Mark is so fastidious that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him.) fatuous (adj.) silly, fo olish (He considers himself a serious po et, but in truth, he only writes fatuous limericks.) fecund (adj.) fruitful, fertile (T he fecund tree bo re enough apples to last us thro ugh the entire season.) feral (adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I wo uld fear being alone with it.) fetid (adj.) having a fo ul odo r (I can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerato r that your m ilk has spoiled.) florid (adj.) flo wery, ornate (The writers florid prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card.) fractious (adj.) troublesome o r irritable (A lthough the child insisted he wasnt tired, his fractious behavio r especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floo rconvinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)
G
garrulous
(adj.) talkative, wordy (So me talk-show hosts are so garrulous that their guests cant get a word
in edgewise.) grandiloquence (n.) lo fty, pompous language (The student thought her grandiloquence would m ake her sound smart, but neither the class no r the teacher bo ught it.) gregarious (adj.) drawn to the co mpany of others, sociable (Well, if youre no t gregarious , I dont know why you would want to go to a singles party!)
H
hackneyed
(adj.) unoriginal, trite (A girl can only hear I love you so many times befo re it begins to sound hackneyed and meaningless.)
hapless
(adj.) unlucky (My poo r, hapless family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacatio n.) harangu e 1. (n.) a ranting speech (Everyo ne had heard the teachers harangue about gum chewing in class befo re.) 2. (v.) to give such a speech (B ut this time the teacher harangued the class about the importance of brushing yo ur teeth after chewing gum.) hege mony (n.) dom inatio n over o thers (B ritains hegemony over its colonies was threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.)
I
iconoc la st
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(n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions (J ane goes to o ne protest after ano ther, but she seems to be an iconoclast rather than an activist with a progressive agenda.)
ign ominious
(adj.) hum iliating, disgracing (It was really ignominious to be kicked out of the dorm for having
an illegal gas stove in my room.) impa ssive (adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so impassive ; its healthy to cry every now and then.) impe rious (adj.) co mmanding, domineering (The imperious nature o f your manner led me to dislike you at once.) impe rtinent (adj.) rude, inso lent (Most o f your comments are so impertinent that I dont wish to dignify them with an answer.) impe rvious (adj.) im penetrable, incapable o f being affected (Because o f their thick layer o f fur, many seals are almo st impervious to the cold.) impe tuous (adj.) rash; hastily done (Hildas hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous, thoughtless action.) impinge 1. (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression (The hail impinged the roof, leaving large dents.) 2. (v.) to encroach, infringe (I apo lo gize for impinging upo n you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom . Now.) implacable (adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: Once you shun Grandmas cooking, she is to tally implacable.) impu dent (adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (T he impudent young man looked the princess up and down and to ld her she was hot even though she hadnt asked him.) inchoa te (adj.) unfo rmed or formless, in a beginning stage (The countrys government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.) incontrovertible (adj.) indisputable (Only stubbo rn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws o f physics.) indefatiga ble (adj.) incapable of defeat, failure, decay (Even after traveling 62 miles, the indefatigable runner kept on moving.) ine ffable (adj.) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words (It is said that the experience o f playing with a dolphin is ineffable and can only be understoo d thro ugh direct encounter.) inexorable (adj.) incapable of being persuaded or placated (Although I begged for hours, Mo m was inexorable and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom.) ingenuous (adj.) not devio us; innocent and candid (He must have writers, but his speeches seem so ingenuous its hard to believe hes not speaking fro m his own heart.) inimical (adj.) hostile (I do nt see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and inimical to me during my interviews.) iniqu ity (n.) wickedness or sin (Yo ur iniquity, said the priest to the practical jokester, will be fo rgiven.) insidious (adj.) appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive (Lisas insidious chocolate cake tastes so good but makes you feel so sick later on!) intransigent (adj.) refusing to compromise, o ften on an extreme opinio n (The intransigent child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream or he would bang his head against the wall until his mother fainted fro m fear.) inure (v.) to cause someone or som ething to become accustom ed to a situation (Twenty years in the salt mines inured the man to the disco mforts o f dirt and grime.) invective
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(n.) an angry verbal attack (My mo thers irratio nal invective against the way I dress only made
me decide to dye my hair green.) invetera te (adj.) stubbornly established by habit (Im the first to admit that Im an inveterate coffee drinkerI drink four cups a day.)
J
jubilant
(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman
fro m the flaming building.) jux taposition (n.) the act of placing two things next to each other fo r implicit comparison (The interior designer admired my juxtaposition of the yellow couch and green table.)
L
laconic
(adj.) terse in speech o r writing (T he authors laconic style has won him many followers who
dislike wordiness.) lan guid
(adj.) sluggish from fatigue or weakness (In the summer months, the great heat makes people languid and lazy.)
largess
(n.) the generous giving o f lavish gifts (My bo ss demonstrated great largess by giving me a new
car.) latent obsession with o ther peoples shoes.) legerdemain (n.) deception, slight-of-hand (Smuggling the French plants through custo ms by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit o f legerdemain .) licen tious (adj.) displaying a lack of mo ral or legal restraints (Marilee has always been fascinated by the licentious private lives of politicians.) limpid (adj.) clear, transparent (Mr. Johnsons limpid writing style greatly pleased readers who disliked co mplicated novels.)
(adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed (Sigmunds dream represented his latent paranoid
M
maelstrom
(n.) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in o bjects (Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious maelstrom would catch their bo at.)
ma gnanimous (adj.) noble, generous (Altho ugh I had already broken most of her dishes, Jacqueline was magnanimous eno ugh to continue letting me use them.) ma le diction (n.) a curse (When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions against the policeman and the entire police department.) ma le volen t (adj.) wanting harm to befall o thers (The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.) manifold (adj.) diverse, varied (The popularity of Dantes Inferno is partly due to the fact that the work allows for manifold interpretations.) maudlin (adj.) weakly sentimental (Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I usually find them maudlin and shallo w.) ma wkish (adj.) characterized by sick sentimentality (Altho ugh some nineteenth- century critics viewed Dickenss writing as mawkish , contemporary readers have found great emo tional depth in his works.) mendacious (adj.) having a lying, false character (The mendacious content of the tablo id magazines is at least entertaining.) mercurial
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(adj.) characterized by rapid change or tem peramentality (Though he was widely respected fo r his mathematical proofs, the mercurial genius was impossible to live with.)
modicum
(n.) a small amount o f so mething (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Henrietta
announced her bosss affair in front of the entire o ffice.) morass
(n.) a wet swam py bog; figuratively, something that traps and co nfuses (When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial morass.)
mu ltifarious
(adj.) having great diversity or variety (This Swiss Army knife has multifarious functions and
capabilities. Amo ng other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a too thpick, and a slingshot.) munificence (n.) generosity in giving (T he royal familys munificence made everyone else in their co untry rich.) myriad (adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do Friday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities fo r fun.)
N
nadir
(n.) the lo west po int of som ething (My day was bo ring, but the nadir came when I accidentally
spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.) nascent
(adj.) in the process of being born o r coming into existence (Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its nascent form on the morning that it was due.)
nefariou s
(adj.) heinously villainous (A ltho ugh Dr. Meanmans nefarious plot to melt the po lar icecaps was
terrifying, it was so impractical that nobody really wo rried about it.) neophyte (n.) someone who is young or inexperienced (As a neophyte in the literary world, Malik had tro uble finding a publisher fo r his first novel.)
O
obdurate
(adj.) unyielding to persuasion o r moral influences (The obdurate old man refused to take pity on
the kittens.) obfuscate (v.) to render incomprehensible (The detective did not want to answer the newspapermans questions, so he obfuscated the truth.) oblique (adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, no t straightforward (Martins oblique language confused those who listened to him.) obse quiou s (adj.) excessively compliant o r submissive (Mark acted like Janets servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.) obstre perous (adj.) noisy, unruly (B illys obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.) obtuse (adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime ministers obtuse approach to foreign po licy would embroil the nation in mindless war.) odious (adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure (Mark was assigned the odious task of cleaning the cats litter box.) officious (adj.) offering ones services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented A llans officious behavio r when he selected co lo rs that might best impro ve her artwork.) opulen t (adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging o n ostentatio n (The opulent furnishings o f the dictators private compound contrasted harshly with the meager acco mmodations of her subjects.) ostensible (adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (J acks ostensible reason for driving was that airfa re was to o expensive, but in reality, he was afraid o f flying.)
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P
palliate
(v.) to reduce the severity of (The docto r trusted that the new medicatio n would palliate her
patients disco mfort.) pallid
(adj.) lacking color (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucys pallid co mplexion was due to an
unexplained loss o f blo od.) panacea (n.) a remedy fo r all ills or difficulties (Docto rs wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is no t.) paragon (n.) a model o f excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Tro y was considered a paragon o f female beauty.) pariah (n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a pariah in all academ ic circles.) parsimony (n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunts wealth resulted fro m her parsimony .) pathos (n.) an emo tion of sympathy (M artha filled with pathos upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her doo r.) pauc ity (adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth-century literature courses available at the co llege.) pejora tive (adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evenings headline news covered an internatio nal scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had made in reference to a fo reign leader.) pellucid (adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his boo k to be pellucid to the commo n man, Albert Camus avoided using co mplicated grammar when composing The Stranger.) penurious (adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella co mplained that her husbands penurious ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.) perfidious (adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling go vernment secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways.) perfunctory (adj.) showing little inte rest o r enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced the news o f the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.) pernic ious (adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that the Com munist sympathizers would have a pernicious influence on the nations stability.) perspicacity (adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reaso n fo r his pro fessional success.) pertinac ious (adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harrys parents were frustrated with his pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door and were eaten.) petulance (n.) rudeness, irritability (T he nanny resigned after she co uld no lo nger tolerate the childs petulance.) pithy (adj.) concisely meaningful (My fathers lo ng-winded explanation was a stark co ntrast to his usually pithy statements.) pla titu de (n.) an uninspired rem ark, clich (After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just platitudes.) ple thora (n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled almost three feet high.) polemic
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(n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother launched into a polemic
against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust econo mic system.) porten t
(n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sisters path while she was walking to scho ol, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test.)
precoc ious
(adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically precocious that by the
time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.) prescien t (adj.) to have fo rekno wledge of events (Q uestioning the fortune cookies prediction, Ray went in search o f the old hermit who was rumored to be prescient.) primeva l (adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.) probity (n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one was surprised by M r. Samsons immo ral behavior.) proc livity (n.) a strong inclination to ward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harolds childhood proclivity fo r torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.) promu lgate (v.) to pro claim, make known (The film pro fessor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connerys J ames Bond was superior to Roger Moores.) propensity (n.) an inclinatio n, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.) propitious (adj.) favo rable (The dark storm clouds visible o n the horizon suggested that the weather would no t be propitious for sailing.) prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heathers prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience.) proscribe (v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribe the sale of alcohol on weekends.) protean (adj.) able to change shape; displaying great variety (A mong Nigels protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.) prurient (adj.) eliciting or possessing an extrao rdinary interest in sex (Davids mother was shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her sons mattress.) puerile (adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyers puerile attempt to o bject by stomping his feet o n the co urtroom floo r.) pugnacious (adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aarons pugnacious nature led him to start several barro om brawls each month.) pulchritude (n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeares sonnets explore the pulchritude of a lovely young man.) punc tilious (adj.) eager to follow rules o r co nventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers fo llo w the rules.)
Q
quagmire
(n.) a difficult situation (Wed all like to avo id the kind of military quagmire characterized by the
Vietnam War.) querulous (adj.) whiny, complaining (If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes querulous .) quixotic (adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.)
R
rancor
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(n.) deep, bitter resentm ent (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I co uld see the rancor in her
eyes.) rebuke
(v.) to sco ld, criticize (When the cops showed up at Sarahs party, they rebuked her for disturbing
the peace.) recalcitrant (adj.) defiant, unapolo getic (Even when sco lded, the recalcitrant young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.) rec titu de (n.) uprightness, extreme morality (The priests rectitude gave him the mo ral authority to counsel his parishioners.) replete (adj.) full, abundant (The unedited version was replete with naughty words.) reprobate (adj.) evil, unprincipled (The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell.) reprove (v.) to sco ld, rebuke (Lara reproved her son fo r sticking each and every one o f his fingers into the strawberry pie.) repudiate (v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extensio n of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.) rescind (v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after discovering that Janes resume was full o f lies.) restive (adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty co mments.) ribald (adj.) coarsely, crudely humo ro us (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a parso ns daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.) rife (adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the famous novelists writing was rife with spelling erro rs.) ruse (n.) a trick (Oliver concocted an elaborate ruse for sneaking out of the house to meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in bed.)
S
sacrosanc t
(adj.) ho ly, something that should not be criticized (In the United States, the Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document.)
sagacity
(n.) shrewdness, soundness o f perspective (With remarkable sagacity, the wise old man
predicted and thwarted his childrens plan to ship him off to a nursing home.) salient
(adj.) significant, co nspicuous (One o f the salient differences between Alison and Nancy is that
Aliso n is a foot taller.) sanc timonious (adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety (The sanctimonious Bertrand delivered stern lectures on the Ten Comm andments to anyo ne who would listen, but thought nothing o f stealing cars to make some cash on the side.) sanguine (adj.) optimistic, cheery (Polly reacted to any bad news with a sanguine smile and the chirpy cry, When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!) scurrilous (adj.) vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being made about him, he could no t believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone.) serendipity (n.) luck, finding good things witho ut loo king fo r them (In an amazing bit of serendipity , penniless Paula found a $2 0 bill in the subway station.) servile (adj.) subservient (The servile po rter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and quaking before the guests.) solic itou s
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(adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous
attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.) solipsistic (adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colettes solipsistic attitude co mpletely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.) somnolent (adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.) spurious (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, J ohn convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.) sta id (adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.) stolid (adj.) expressing little sensibility, unemo tional (Charless stolid reaction to his wifes funeral differed from the passion he sho wed at the time of her death.) stu pefy (v.) to astonish, make insensible (Veronicas audacity and ungratefulness stupefied her best friend, Heather.) surfeit (n.) an o verabundant supply o r indulgence (After partaking of the surfeit of taco s and tam ales at the All-You-Can-Eat Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt rather sick.) surmise (v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.) surreptitiou s (adj.) stealthy (The surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone no ticing.) syc ophant (n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the presidents closest adviso rs, but o thers see them as sycophants .)
T
tac it
(adj.) expressed witho ut wo rds (I interpreted my parents refusal to talk as a tacit acceptance o f
my request.) tac iturn
(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her bro ther is quite taciturn.)
tantamount
(adj.) equivalent in value o r significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to lo sing.)
temerity
(n.) audacity, recklessness (Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with nothing but their own temerity .)
tenuous
(adj.) having little substance or strength (Your argument is very tenuous, since it relies so much
on speculation and hearsay.) timorous (adj.) timid, fearful (When dealing with the unkno wn, timorous Tallulah almost always bro ke into tears.) torpid (adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion (The torpid whale floated, wallowing in the water fo r hours.) tractable (adj.) easily co ntrolled (The ho rse was so tractable , Myra didnt even need a bridle.) transien t (adj.) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence (Because virtually everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the po pulation o f the town is quite transient.) transmu te (v.) to change o r alter in form (Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to transmute lead into gold.) trenchant
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(adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that acco mpanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to fo llo w.)
truculen t
(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesnt really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?)
turgid
(adj.) swo llen, excessively embellished in style or language (The haughty writer did not realize ho w we all really felt about his turgid prose.)
turpitude
(n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcuss chivalry o ften contrasted with the turpitude he
exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.)
U
u biquitous
(adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here.)
u mbra ge
(n.) resentment, o ffense (He called me a lily-livered co ward, and I took umbrage at the insult.)
unctuous
(adj.) smoo th o r greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous receptionist seemed
untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip.) undulate (v.) to mo ve in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree.) u pbraid (v.) to criticize o r scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to upbraid her again about missing the rent payment.) u surp (v.) to seize by fo rce, take possession of without right (The rogue army general tried to usurp contro l of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the legally elected president.)
V
vacillate
(v.) to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating between the
distinct options available to us.) vacu ous (adj.) lack o f content or ideas, stupid (B eyonc realized that the lyrics she had just penned were co mpletely vacuous and tried to add more substance.) vapid (adj.) lacking liveliness, dull (The professors co mments about the po em were surprisingly vapid and dull.) varie gated (adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by colo r so that the students could figure o ut which one was which.) venera te (v.) to regard with respect o r to honor (The tribute to Jo hn Lennon sought to venerate his music, his wo rds, and his legend.) veracity (n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult fo r Latifah to argue against its veracity .) verdant (adj.) green in tint o r color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.) vex (v.) to confuse o r annoy (My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end.) vic arious (adj.) experiencing through another (A ll of my lame friends learned to be so cial thro ugh vicarious invo lvement in my amazing experiences.) vic issitude (n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.) vilify (v.) to lo wer in impo rtance, defame (A fter the Watergate scandal, almost any story written about President Nixon sought to vilify him and criticize his behavior.) viscous
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(adj.) no t free flowing, syrupy (T he viscous syrup took three minutes to po ur o ut o f the bo ttle.)
vitriolic
(adj.) having a caustic quality (When angry, the woman would spew vitriolic insults.)
vitupera te
(v.) to berate (J ack ran away as soon as his father found o ut, knowing he would be vituperated
for his unseemly behavio r.)
W
wanton
(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Vickys wanton demeanor o ften made the frat guys next doo r
very excited.) winsome (adj.) charming, pleasing (A fter such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for C hriss winsome attitude and childish naivete.) wistful (adj.) full of yearning; musingly sad (Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and was wistful all day long.) wizened (adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agathas grandmo ther, Stephanie, had the most wizened countenance, full of leathery wrinkles.)
Z
zenith
(n.) the highest point, culminating po int (I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had reached the abso lute zenith of her career with that one hit of hers.)
zeph yr
(n.) a gentle breeze (If no t for the zephyrs that were blowing and coo ling us, our room wouldve
been unbearably hot.)
Meet the Math Section

SAT MATH SPANS TWO QUESTION TYPES, THREE TIMED sections, and four major math topicsthats a lot of stuff. This section covers all of itthe basic facts, the crucial scorebuilding strategies, and, thats right, all the math tested on the new SAT. So, read this chapter, become an SAT Math guru, and then find yourself a mountain somewhere in Tibet. Up there you can give cryptic advice to awed high school students whove climb thousands of feet to see you, risking their own deaths at the hands of avalanches and abominable snowmen. Or forego this life of reverence and head off to the college of your choice.
The New SAT Math

There are four major changes that make the new SAT Math new. Three of those changes are good news: There are fewer math questions on the test, the entire math section is five minutes shorter, and those pesky Quantitative Comparisons have been eliminated. But the last change probably wont light a smile on your face: SAT Math now covers some topics in A lgebra II. What does this all add up to (pardon the pathetic pun)? The math covered by the new SAT is more difficult. Yeah, it sucks. But the truth is that the new Math isnt really all that much harder, and itll still be stuff youve probably already seen in your high school math classes. Whether youve seen it before or not, weve got it covered in this book: Numbers and Operations Algebra (I and II) Geometry Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability
Questions on these four major math topics are spread across three timed sections. One 25-minute section A second 25-minute section A final 20-minute section
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In each section, questions are ordered by difficulty. The first third of the questions are generally easy, the second third are a little harder, and the last third are difficult. Thems the facts. Theres nothing else to know about the SA T Mathunless you need directions to Tibet.
Knowing Strategies vs. Knowing Math

There are some test-prep books out therewe wont name names, cause were nicethat claim the SAT only tests your ability to take the SAT and doesnt test any actual knowledge. Well, those test-prep books are written by at least one of the following types of people: Liars Fools
The fact is, someone who has all the math on the test down cold but doesnt know any of the strategies will almost always do better on the test than some other kid whos studied up on the strategies but doesnt know the Pythagorean theorem. But who would ever go and study just the strategies, or just the math? The whole point is to study both. And we promise you: If you know the math and the strategies, youll whip both of those hypothetical kids who focused only on one or the other.
The Math Reference Area

The math section on the SAT provides a reference area with the basic geometric formulas and information.
You might think that the SAT gives you this reference area because it asks lots of questions on these topics. Well, youre right. But the reference area is also a trap. Imagine a lazy student out there named Mike. Mike says to himself, Why should I study all those formulas if theyre just sitting there in the reference area? Then he goes and takes a nap. On the day of the test, hes sitting there in his seat, sweating under the pressure, flipping maniacally back and forth between the reference area and the test questions, losing time and focus with every flip of the page. Dont be like Mike. And dont just memorize the formulas. Figure out what they mean. The mathematical facts and rules in the reference area are the foundation for almost every geometry question on the test. Know all the formulas in the reference area as if they were tattooed on your body, as if theyre part of you. Youll save time. Youll raise your score. Youll have funky mathematical tattoos.
Order of Difficulty
Math questions in a timed section generally increase in difficulty from the beginning to end of a timed section. Knowing where you are in the order of difficulty can help you in a variety of ways: On Individual Questions. If you think youve got the answer to an easy question, dont second-guess yourself: You probably do. If youre looking at a
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difficult question, though, you might want to check your answer just to make sure you havent fallen into a trap. Overall Strategy. Unless youre going for a 700 or above, you dont have to worry about answering every question on the test. You can use the order of difficulty to help you focus on answering the questions that you can. You should, for instance, answer every question in the first half of a timed math section. But if youre worried about time, you can probably get by without spending any real time at all on the final two questions. Pacing. You can also use the order of difficulty to manage your pacing. When youre given 25 minutes to answer 20 math questions in a timed section, you shouldnt just think to yourself that for every five minutes you should answer four questions. It takes more time to answer difficult problems than it does to answer easy problems. So in the early questions, you should be going faster than four questions answered per five minutes so you can save up time to figure out the harder problems.
Better, Smarter, Faster

Time management separates the students who kick major hindquarters on the Math section from those who merely do okay. If you take two students of equal skill in math, but give one a few extra minutes on an SAT Math section, whos gonna get a better score? The kid with more time. You might be thinking, Yeah, but no ones going to get more time. While no proctor is going to come along and give half the room 28 minutes on a section and hold the other half to 25, there is one person who can give you more time on a Math section: you!
Math Shortcuts
On the SAT Math, how much time you spend on a problem depends less on how much math you know and more on how you approach the problem. Take a look at the following example:
Which ha s a grea te r a rea , a s qua re wi th side s m e asu ring 4 c m o r a c i rcle wi th a radius o f the s am e l eng th?
One student, well call him Bob, might solve this problem algebraically: Plug 4 into the formula for the area of a square and then the area of a circle. Area of a square so the area of this square = Area of a circle = so the area of this circle must be is obviously bigger than 16, so the circle must have a larger area than the square. But another student, well call her Melanie, might choose a faster approach by quickly sketching the square and circle superimposed.
B ob and Melanie know the same amount of math, but because Melanie took the faster approach, she gave herself more time to work on other questions, a distinct advantage. A few more questions like this one, and Melanie will score considerably higher than Bob, even though the two of them know basically the same amount of math. What Melanie did, essentially, was find a shortcut. Though she knew the same math that B ob did, Melanie found a way to answer the question more quickly. This doesnt make Melanie better at math, but it does make her a little bit better at taking the SAT.
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The important question is, How can you learn to be more like Melanie? You need to do two things: Be prepared. Youre not going to find a shortcut for a problem unless you know how to work it out the long way. An ability to find shortcuts is an expression of how comfortable you are with the math you know. Familiarity breeds shortcuts. The more you practice, and the more you look over the practice tests you take, the better youll become at finding shortcuts. Be on the lookout. Be aware that there are shortcuts out there just waiting to be found. If you can invest a second to survey the question and think about a faster way, youll be well served.
This is not to say that you should go into every question searching for a shortcut. A shortcut wont always exist. If youre on some blind quest for a shortcut, it might end up taking longer than the obvious long route to solving the problem. Shortcuts are more common on SAT questions that cover particular SAT math. As we teach you the math you need to rock the SAT, we also point out the shortcuts you need to really rock the SAT Math.
SAT Calculator Smarts

B y all means, use a calculator on the test. Bring the biggest, baddest calculator youve got, as long as it fits these specifications from the SAT: It It It It It It It isnt a hand-held minicomputer or laptop computer. has no electronic writing pad or pen-input device. isnt a pocket organizer (PDA). doesnt have a QWERTY keyboard. doesnt use paper tape. doesnt make unusual noises (translation: any noises). doesnt reqire an electrical outlet.
Any four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is accepted as long as it doesnt break any of the above rules. But just because youve got an awesome shiny hammer doesnt mean you should try to use it to pound in thumbtacks. Your calculator will help you on the SA T, but only if you use it intelligently. Every question on the SAT can be solved without using a calculator, so you never need to start pushing buttons. In fact, on algebra questions involving variables, calculators are absolutely useless. So instead of reaching instinctively for your calculator every time, you should come up with a problem-solving plan for each question. Make sure you understand what the question requires and then decide whether to stick to your no. 2 pencil or to wield your formidable digital axe. To see an example of what we mean, take a look at the following problem:
If x = 3 , th en wha t is the v a lu e o f (A ) 3 (B ) 1 .4 5 (C ) 0 (D) .1 8 2 (E) .3 6 4
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A trigger-happy calculator-user might immediately plug 3 in for x and start furiously working the keys. But the student who takes a moment to think about the problem will probably see that the calculation would be much simpler if the function were first simplified. To start, factor the 11 out of the denominator:
Then, factor the numerator to its simplest form: Cancel out, and you get Now its obvious that if you plug the 3 in for x , you get , which equals .3 64.
Practical Calculator Rules

There are a few general rules of calculator use on the SAT that it pays to follow: Use a calculator for brute-force tasks, such as dealing with decimals. If you have to deal with a long string of numbers, do not jump to use your calculator. Instead, look for a way to cancel out some of the terms and simplify. A way will usually exist. Avoid using your calculator on fraction problems and on algebra questions with variables. Know your calculator before the test. Be comfortable and familiar with it so you dont waste time fiddling with buttons during the test. This is particularly true of graphing calculators, which have more buttons than 50 Cent has tattoos. Make sure your batteries are in good shape. Yes, we sound like your parents. B ut if your batteries run out during the test, youll probably have to retake the test and tell your sad story to your entire extended family. That would be ugly.
Above all else, remember: Your calculator is a tool. You wouldnt wildly swing a hammer around, but some students seem to think they can just whip out their calculator and it will magically solve their problems. Those students seldom do all that well on the SAT Math section.
Beat Multiple-Choice and Grid-Ins

QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON QUESTIONS HAVE LEFT THE building. If you remember those nasty QCs from days of SAT yore, forget em. If you dont remember them, be glad you never met and move on to conquering the only math question types on the new SAT: multiple-choice and grid-ins.
Multiple-Choice Questions
MC stands for all kinds of things. Rappers. Motorcycles. Master of ceremonies. Even Mariah Carey. On the new SAT, MC means good old multiple-choice questions: a question, maybe a graph or a geometric figure, and then five answer choices. About 70 percent of the entire SAT Math consists of these little babies. Know how to handle em, and youll be crushing every MC on the block come test day. For every math multiple-choice question on the test, you have two options: Solve the problem directly. Use the process of elimination.
In general, solving the problem is faster than going through the answer choices using process of elimination. Also, in general, if youre at all uncomfortable with the topic, it can be beneficial to try to eliminate answers instead of just solving the question.
Solving the Problem

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Solving a problem directly is pretty straightforward as long as you feel comfortable with the math being tested. Its a two-step process. 1. Read the question, but dont look at the answers. Rephrase the question to make sure you understand it, and devise a plan to solve it. 2. Solve the problem. Once you have an answer and only then see if your answer is listed among the answer choices. By waiting to look at the answer choices until after youve solved the problem, you preempt those nasty SAT traps. We cant stress enough that if youre trying to solve the problem directly, you should avoid looking at the answer choices until the end. Since trap answers are often the values you would get at the halfway point of the process of working out a problem, if you peek at the answers, you may get tricked into thinking youve solved the question before you actually have.
The Process of Elimination

On every multiple-choice question, the answer is right in front of you. Its just hidden among those five answer choices. This means you can sometimes short circuit the problem by plugging each answer into the question to see which one works. On certain occasions, working backward could actually be a faster method than just solving the problem directly. Okay, example time:
A clas sro o m con ta in s 3 1 cha irs , s o m e which ha ve arm s and so m e o f which do no t. If the ro o m c ontains 5 mo re a rm ch ai rs than ch airs wi th o ut a rm s , ho w m any arm ch airs do es it co n ta in ? (A ) 1 0 (B ) 1 3 (C ) 1 6 (D) 1 8 (E) 2 1
If you want to solve the problem directly, you first have to assign variables:
Total number of chairs = 31 armchairs = x chairs without arms = y
Next, take these variables and translate them into an equation based on the information in the question:
31 = x + y y =x5
Then substitute one equation into the other:
There you are with the right answer, but it took a bit of time. What if you plugged in the answers instead? And what if you plugged in intelligently, meaning: First plug in the value C. Since answer choices on the SA T Math always either ascend or descend in value, starting with the middle value means that youll never have to go through all five choices. For instance, in this question, if you plug in C (16) and discover that its too small a number to satisfy the equation, you can eliminate A and B along with C. If 16 is too big, you can eliminate D and E along with C. So lets plug in 16 and see what happens:
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The question says that there are 5 fewer armless chairs than armchairs, so if you have 16 armchairs, then you have 11 armless chairs, for a total of 27 chairs. Since you need the total numbers of chairs to equal 31, C is clearly not the right answer. But because the total number of chairs was too small, you can also eliminate A and B, the answer choices indicating fewer numbers of armchairs. If you then plug in D (18), you have 13 normal chairs and 31 total chairs. Theres your answer. In this instance, plugging in the answers takes less time and seems easier.
A s you take practice tests, youll need to build up a sense of when working backwards can help you most. But heres a quick do and dont summary to help you along: DO work backward when the question describes an equation of some sort and the answer choices are all rather simple numbers. DONT work backward when dealing with answer choices that contain variables or complicated fractions.
Grid-Ins
Grid-ins cover the same topics and ask the same kind of questions as multiple-choice questions. They just dont have any answer choices. You have to work out the answer yourself and then grid it into a special answer-box thingy.
The Grid
A s you can see, grid-in instructions are a little intense. Heres a summary: The computer that gra des the test ca nt read anything but the ova ls, so you dont have to write anything in the spaces at the top. However, filling in the spaces at the top might help you to avoid making careless mistakes. So just write it out. The grid cannot accommodate any number longer than four digits, any decimal or fraction that includes more than three numbers, or any
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negative signs. Heres another way of looking at that: If the answer you come up with has more than four digits, is a fraction or decimal with more than three digits, or is a negative number, then your answers wrong. You must express a number as either a fraction or a decimal. It doesnt matter which you choose. You must transform all mixed numbers to fraction form. For example, 41 /2 must be written as 9/2 or 4.5. If you were to try to write 41 /2, the grading machine 41 would read it as / 2 , and youd lose a point. Sometimes the a nswer you come to will a ctually be a range of answers, such as any number between 4 and 5. When that happens, you could write in any number that fits the criteria4.6, 4.2, 9/2. But no mixed numbers .
Do Not Work Backward

Since there arent any answer choices for grid-ins, you cant work backward. To answer these questions, you have to know the concepts and how to solve them directly. Luckily, thats exactly what the rest of this section covers.
Numbers and Operations

THE NEW SA T ESCHEWS THE SIMPLE AND TIME-HONORED term Arithmetic in favor of the clunky Numbers and Operations. Not that it really matters, since both cover the exact same thing, and this gave us the chance to use the word eschews, which has nothing to do with teeth or chewing. Eschew means to avoid, and as you know, the SA T tends to eschew simplicity a lot. Hence: Numbers and Operations. The nifty table of contents above shows all the Numbers and Operations topics. For the new SAT, you should know this stuff so well you barely have to think about it, especially since a number of these will resurface in algebra questions.
Know Your Numbers

The SAT loves to throw around terminology about numbers. If you dont know the terminology, you wont know how to answer the question. Whole Numbers. The set of counting numbers, including zero {0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}. Natural Numbers. The set of all whole positive numbers except zero {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .}. Integers. The set of all positive and negative whole numbers, including zero. Fractions and decimals are not included {. . . , 3, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}. Rational Numbers. The set of all numbers that can be expressed as integers in fractions. That is, any number that can be expressed in the form mn , where m and n are integers. Irrational Numbers. The set of all numbers that cannot be expressed as integers in a fraction. Examples include , , and 1.01001000100001000001. . . . A number must be either rational or irrational; no number can be both. Real Numbers. Every number on the number line. The set of real numbers includes all rational and irrational numbers.
Order of Operations
PEMDAS is an acronym for the order in which mathematical operations should be performed as you move from left to right through an expression or equation: Parentheses Exponents Multiplication Division Addition
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Subtraction
You may have had PEMDAS introduced to you as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Excuse us, but thats a supremely lame 1950s-style acronym. We prefer, Picking Eminem Made Dre A Star. Whatever. Just remember PEMDAS. If an equation contains any or all of these PEMDAS elements, first carry out the math within the parentheses, then work out the exponents, then the multiplication, the division, addition, and finally the subtraction. An example will make this easier to get:
First work out the math in the parentheses (following PEMDAS even within the parenthesesalways do multiplication before subtraction):
Now work out the exponents:
Then do the multiplication:
Then the division: Then the addition: And, finally, the subtraction:
Odd and Even Numbers

Even numbers are numbers that are divisible by 2 with no remainder. Remember that zero is included within this definition.
Even Numbers: . . . , 6, 4, 2, 0, 2, 4, 6, . . . Odd Numbers: . . . , 5, 3, 1, 1, 3, 5, . . .
Odd numbers are numbers that, when divided by 2, leave a remainder of 1.
Operations and Odd and Even Numbers

For the SAT, you have to know how odd and even numbers act when theyre added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided. The chart below shows addition, subtraction, and multiplication because multiplication and division are the same in terms of odd and even.
A ddi tion S u btr a c tion M u ltip l ic a tion
E ven + Ev en = E ven
E ven Ev en = Even
E ven
E ven = Ev en
O dd + O d d = Even
O d d O dd = Even
Od d
O dd = O dd
E ven + Odd = Odd
E ven O dd = O dd
E ven
O dd = Even
If you know how odd and even numbers act when put through any of the four operations, you have a leg up in using the process of elimination. If the numbers in the answer choices are both odd and even, you should be able to use the rules of odd and even numbers to figure out if the answer your e looking for is odd or even. So even if you dont know the
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exact value of the answer youre looking for, you should be able to eliminate half of the answers based on whether theyre odd or even.
The Positive, the Negative, and the Ugly

Positive numbers are greater than zero. Negative numbers are less than zero. Zero itself is neither positive nor negative. On a number line, positive numbers appear to the right of zero and negative numbers appear to the left.
..., 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...
In equations and expressions, positive numbers look like normal numbers (for example, 7), while negative numbers have a negative sign in front of them (7). Negative numbers can be confusing. Its like youre suddenly told to read from right to left, but all of your instincts tell you to do the opposite. Why are we telling you this? To convince you to concentrate. The SA T Math preys on the careless, and negative numbers are one of the weapons it uses most often.
Negative Numbers and Operations

Negative numbers act differently from positive numbers when you add, subtract, multiply, or divide them.
Adding and Subtracting Signed Numbers

Adding a negative number is like subtracting a positive number...
...while subtracting a negative number is the same as adding a positive number.
Multiplying and Dividing Negative Numbers

When negative numbers are involved in multiplication and division, they affect whether the outcome is positive or negative. You should know these rules cold.
M u lt ip ly in g w ith N e ga t iv e N u m be r s D iv id in g w i th N e ga tive N u m be r s
P o sitiv e
Po s itive = Po s itive
Po s itive
Po sitive = Po sitive
N ega tive
N egative = Po s itive
Nega tive
Nega tive = Po sitive
P o sitiv e
Neg ativ e = Ne gative
Po s itive
Ne gative = N ega tive
Heres a helpful trick when dealing with a series of multiplied or divided positive and negative numbers: If theres an even number of negative numbers in the series, the outcome will be positive. If theres an odd number, the outcome will be negative.
The Ugly: Negative Numbers and Parentheses

When negative signs and parentheses collide, well, the heading says it all. The principle is simple: A negative sign outside parentheses is distributed across the parentheses. Take the question . Solve this problem by following PEMDAS and first working out the parentheses: When you start dealing with algebra, however, you wont always have like terms and you wont be able to work out whats in the parentheses. Youll instead have to get rid of the parentheses by distributing the negative sign across it. Why can you do this? Because secretly has multiplication in it. It can also be written as . So every number within the parentheses should be multiplied by 1. But remember that multiplication with a negative number changes the sign of the
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product. So the simplified expression is . Whenever you see a negative sign before parentheses, take a deep breath and be careful of your signs.
Absolute Value
Negative numbers got you down? Absolute value can help. The absolute value of a number is the distance on a number line between that number and zero. Or, you could think of it as the positive version of every number. The absolute value of a positive number is that same number, and the absolute value of a negative number is the number without a negative sign. The absolute value of x is written this way: |x |.
It is also possible to have expressions within absolute value brackets: You cant just make that 7 positive because its sitting between absolute value brackets. You have to work out the math first: Now you can get rid of the brackets and the negative sign from that 4.
Divisibility and Remainders

The SAT sometimes tests whether you can determine if one number is divisible by another. To check divisibility, you could take the immense amount of time necessary to do the division by hand and see if the result is a whole number. Or you can give yourself a shortcut and memorize this list of divisibility rules:
Divisibility Rules
1. All whole numbers are divisible by 1. 2. All numbers with a ones digit of 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 are divisible by 2. 3. A number is divisible by 3 if its digits add up to a number divisible by 3. For example, 6,711 is divisible by 3 because 6 + 7 + 1 + 1 = 15, and 15 is divisible by 3. 4. A number is divisible by 4 if its last two digits are divisible by 4. For example, 80,744 is divisible by 4, but 7,850 is not. 5. A number is divisible by 5 if it ends in 0 or 5. 6. A number is divisible by 6 if it is even and also divisible by 3. 7. There are no rules for 7. It is a rebel. 8. A number is divisible by 8 if its last three digits are divisible by 8. For example, 905,256 is divisible by 8 because 256 is divisible by 8, and 74,513 is not divisible by 8 because 513 is not divisible by 8. 9. A number is divisible by 9 if its digits add up to a number divisible by 9. For example, 1,458 is divisible by 9 because 1 + 4 + 5 + 8 = 18 and 18 is divisible by 9. 10. A number is divisible by 10 if it ends in 0.
Factors
A factor is an integer that divides another integer evenly. If a/ b is an integer, then b is a factor of a. The numbers 3, 4, and 6, for example, are factors of 12. If John dates Chloe not because he loves her but because shes popular and wealthy, then popularity and wealth are factors of the relationship. John is also a total jerk.
Factorization
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Sometimes the SAT requires you to find all the factors of some integer or to just be able to run through the factors quickly. To make this happen, write down all the factors of a number in pairs, beginning with 1 and the number youre factoring. To factor 24: 1 2 3 4 and and and and 24 (1 12 (2 8 (3 6 (4 24 12 8= 6= = 24) = 24) 24) 24)
If you find yourself beginning to repeat numbers, then the factorizations complete. After finding that 4 is a factor of 24, the next lowest factor is 6, but youve already written 6 down. Youre done.
Prime Numbers
Everyones always insisting on how unique they are. Punks wear leather. Goths wear black. But prime numbers actually are unique. They are the only numbers whose sole factors are 1 and themselves. All prime numbers are positive (because every negative number has 1 as a factor in addition to 1 and itself). Furthermore, all prime numbers besides 2 are odd. The first few primes, in increasing order, are You dont have to memorize this list, but getting familiar with it is a pretty good idea. Heres a trick to determine if a number is prime. First, estimate the square root of the number. Then, check all the prime numbers that fall below your estimate to see if they are factors of the number. For example, to see if 91 is prime, you should estimate the square root of the number: . Now you should test 91 for divisibility by the prime numbers smaller than 10: 2, 3, 5, and 7. Is Is Is Is 91 91 91 91 divisible divisible divisible divisible by by by by 2? 3? 5? 7? No, it does not end with an even number. No, 9 + 1 = 10, and 10 is not divisible by 3. No, 91 does not end with 0 or 5. Yes! 91 7 = 13.
Therefore, 91 is not prime.
Prime Factorization
Come on, say it aloud with us: Prime factorization. Now imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger saying it. Then imagine if he knew how to do it. Holy Moly. He would probably be governor of the entire United States. To find the prime factorization of a number, divide it and all its factors until every remaining integer is prime. The resulting group of prime numbers is the prime factorization of the original integer. Want to find the prime factorization of 36? We thought so:
It can be helpful to think of prime factorization in the form of a tree:
A s you may already have noticed, theres more than one way to find the prime factorization of a number. Instead of cutting 36 into 2 and 18, you could have factored it to 6 6, and
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then continued from there. A s long as you dont screw up the math, theres no wrong pathyoull always get the same result.
Greatest Common Factor

The greatest common factor (GCF) of two numbers is the largest factor that they have in common. Finding the GCF of two numbers is especially useful in certain applications, such as manipulating fractions (we explain why later in this chapter). To find the GCF of two numbers, say, 18 and 24, first find their prime factorizations:
The GCF is the overlap, or intersection, of the two prime factorizations. In this case, both prime factorizations contain 2 3 = 6. This is their GCF. Heres another, more complicated, example: Whats the GCF of 96 and 144? First, find the prime factorizations: The product of the overlap is 24 3 = 48. So thats their GCF.
Multiples
A multiple is an integer that can divide evenly into another integer. If c /d is an integer, then c is a multiple of d . The numbers 45, 27, and 18, for example, are all multiples of 9. If John dates Chloe just because shes popular and wealthy, then the relationship is a multiple of popularity and wealth, and John is still a total jerk. Heres a better example: What are some multiples of 4? The numbers 12, 20, and 96 are all multiples of 4. How do we know? Because
A lso, note that any integer, n , is a multiple of 1 and n , because 1
n = n.
Least Common Multiple

The least common multiple (LCM) of two integers is the smallest multiple that the two numbers have in common. The LCM of two numbers is, like the GCF, useful when manipulating fractions. Also similar to the GCF, you cant find the LCM without using prime factorization. For example, whats the least common multiple of 4 and 6? Begin by prime factorizing:
The LCMget this, its trickyis equal to the multiplication of each factor by the maximum number of times it appears in either number. Since 2 appears twice in the prime factorization of 4, it will appear twice (2 2) in the LC M. Since 3 appears once, it will appear once. So the LCM of 4 and 6 is 2 2 3 = 12. One more example will help. What is the LCM of 14 and 38? Prime factorize:
Since 2 appears a maximum of once in either number, it will appear once in the LCM. Same goes for 7 and 19, making the LCM 2 7 19 = 266.
Know Thy Fractions
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The SAT loves fractions. Loves them. The number of questions on the test that cover fractions in some way is nothing short of stupefying. This means you must know fractions inside and out. Know how to compare them, reduce them, add them, and multiply them. Know how to divide them, subtract them, and convert them to mixed numbers. Know them. Love them like the SAT does. Make them your friend on the test, not your enemy. To begin, here are the basics: A fraction is a part of a whole. Its composed of two expressions, a numerator and a denominator. The numerator of a fraction is the quantity above the fraction bar, and the denominator is the quantity below the fraction bar. For example, in the fraction 1 /2, 1 is the numerator and 2 is the denominator.
Equivalent Fractions
Fractions represent a part of a whole, so if you increase both the part and whole by the same multiple, you will not change the relationship between the part and the whole. To determine if two fractions are equivalent, multiply the denominator and numerator of one fraction so that the denominators of the two fractions are equal (this is one place where knowing how to calculate LCM and GCF comes in handy). For example, 1 /2 = 3/6 1 because if you multiply the numerator and denominator of /2 by 3, you get:
A s long as you multiply or divide both the numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same nonzero number, you will not change the overall value of the fraction.
Reducing Fractions
Reducing fractions makes life simpler. It takes unwieldy monsters like 450/ 600 and makes them into smaller, friendlier critters. To reduce a fraction to its lowest terms, divide the 450 numerator and denominator by their GCF. For example, for /600, the GCF of 450 and 600 3 is 150. So the fraction reduces down to /4, since and . A fraction is in its simplest, totally reduced form if its numerator and denominator share no further GCF (in other words, their GCF is 1). There is no number but 1, for instance, that can divide into both 3 and 4, so 3/4 is a fraction in its lowest form.
Comparing Fractions
Large positive numbers with lots of digits, like 5,000,000, are greater than numbers with just a few digits, such as 5. But fractions dont work that way. While 200 /20,000 might seem 2 like a nice, big, impressive fraction, /3 is actually larger, because 2 is a much bigger part of 3 than 200 is of 20,000. In certain cases, comparing two fractions can be very simple. If the denominators of two fractions are the same, then the fraction with the larger numerator is bigger. If the numerators of the two fractions are the same, the fraction with the smaller denominator is bigger. However, youll most likely have to deal with two fractions that have different numerators and denominators, such as 200/20,000 and 2/3. Dont worry. There is an easy comparison tool, which we now reveal: cross-multiplication. Just multiply the numerator of each fraction by the denominator of the other, then write the product of each multiplication next to the 200 2 numerator you used to get it. Heres the cross-multiplication of /20,000 and /3: Since 40,000 > 600, 2 /3 is the greater fraction.
Adding and Subtracting Fractions

Adding and subtracting fractions that have the same denominator is a snap. If the fractions have different denominators, though, you need an additional step.
Fractions with the Same Denominators

To add fractions with the same denominators, all you have to do is add up the numerators:
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Subtraction works similarly. If the denominators of the fractions are equal, just subtract one numerator from the other:
Fractions with Different Denominators

If the fractions dont have equal denominators, then before you can actually get to the addition and subtraction, you first have to make the denominators the same. Then adding and subtracting will be a piece of cake, as in the example above. The best way to equalize denominators is to find the least common denominator (LCD), which is just the LCM of the 1 2 two denominators. For example, the LCD of /2 and /3 is 6, since 6 is the LCM of 2 and 3. But because fractions are parts of a whole, if you increase the whole, you also have to increase the part by the same amount. To put it more bluntly, multiply the numerator by the same number you multiplied the denominator. For the example 1 /2 + 2/3 , you know you have to get denominators of 6 in order to add them. For the 1/2, this means you have to multiply the denominator by 3. And if you multiply the denominator by 3, you have to multiply the numerator by 3 too:
So, the new fraction is 3 /6 . Repeat the same process for the second fraction, this time you have to multiply both denominator and numerator by 2:
/3 , except
The new fraction is 4 /6. The final step is to perform the addition or subtraction. In this 3 4 7 case, /6 + /6 = /6. Another approach is to skip finding the LCD and simply multiply the denominators together to get a common denominator. In some cases, such as our example, the product of the denominators will actually be the LCD (2 3 = 6 = LCD). But, other times, the product of the denominators will be greater than the LCD. For example, if the two denominators are 6 and 8, you could use 6 8 = 48 as a denominator instead of 24 (the LCD). There are two drawbacks to this second approach. The first is that you have to work with larger numbers. The second is that you have to take the extra step of reducing your answer. SAT answer choices almost always appear as reduced fractions. Trust us.
Multiplying Fractions
Multiplying fractions is a breeze, whether the denominators are equal or not. The product of two fractions is the product of their numerators over the product of their denominators:
Want an example with numbers? You got one.
Canceling Out
You can make multiplying fractions even easier by canceling out. If the numerator and denominator of any of the fractions you need to multiply share a common factor, you can divide by the common factor to reduce both numerator and denominator. For example, the fraction
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To answer this fraction as it is, you have to multiply the numerators and denominators and then reduce. Sure, you could do it, but it would take some time. Canceling out provides a shortcut. In this case, you can cancel out the numerator 4 with the denominator 8, and the numerator 10 with the denominator 5, which gives you Then, canceling the 2s, you get Canceling out can dramatically cut the amount of time you need to spend working with big numbers. When dealing with fractions, whether theyre filled with numbers or variables, always be on the lookout for chances to cancel.
Dividing Fractions
Multiplication and division are inverse operations. It makes sense, then, that to perform division with fractions. A ll you have to do is flip the second fraction and then multiply. Check it out:
Heres a numerical example:
Mixed Numbers
A mixed number is an integer followed by a fraction, like 1 /2. But operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division cant be performed on mixed numbers, so you have to know how to convert them into fraction form. Since we already mentioned 11 /2, it seems only right to convert it. The method is easy: Multiply the integer (the big 1) of the mixed number by the denominator, and add that product to the numerator: 1 2 + 1 = 3 is the numerator of the improper fraction. Now, put that over the original denominator: 3 /2 is the converted fraction. Heres another example:
1
We said it once, well say it again: C onverting mixed numbers is particularly important on grid-in questions, since you cant actually write a mixed number into the grid. If you tried 1 11 to grid 1 / 2 , the computer that scores your test will read it as /2 . Ouch!
Complex Fractions
Complex fractions are fractions of fractions.
Heres what you should be thinking: Ugh. Complex fractions are annoying if you try to take them head on. But you dont have to. Instead, transform them into normal fractions according to this quick step: Multiply the top fraction by the reciprocal of the bottom fraction.
And heres an example using actual numbers:
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Decimals
A decimal number is any number with a nonzero digit to the right of the decimal point. But for the SAT, its more important to know that decimals are, like fractions, a way of writing parts of wholes. If you have to add, subtract, multiply, divide, or perform any other operation on a decimal for the SAT, we highly recommend that you use a calculator. It will save more time and you will make fewer mistakes.
Converting Decimals to Fractions

Even if you use a calculator, you should know how to convert decimals into fractions and vice versa. Both conversions are easy to do. To convert a decimal number to a fraction, 1. Remove the decimal point and make the decimal number the numerator. 2. Let the denominator be the number 1 followed by as many zeros as there are decimal places in the decimal number. 3. Reduce this fraction. To convert .3875 into a fraction, first eliminate the decimal point and place 3875 as the numerator:
Since .3875 has four digits after the decimal point, put four zeros in the denominator following the number 1:
Then, by finding the GCF of 3875 and 10,000, which is 125, reduce the fraction:
To convert from fractions back to decimals is a cinch: divide the numerator by the denominator on your calculator:
Percents
Percents are a specific type of fraction. Percent literally means of 100 in Latin, so after you ace the SAT, go to college, drop out to become famous, and eventually amass 75 percent of all the money in the world. Youll then have 75 /100 of the worlds money. Awesome. Until then, you dont have that much money, and you still have to take the SA T (and pay for the privilege). So lets look at an example question:
4 is what p ercen t o f 2 0 ?
4 = x%(20)
The first thing you have to know how to do is translate this sort of question into an equation. Its actually pretty straightforward as long as you see that is is the same as saying equals, and what is the same as saying x . So if 4 equals x percent of 20, then Since a percent is actually a number out of 100, this means
Now just work out the math:
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Therefore, 4 is 20% of 20.
Converting Percents into Fractions or Decimals

Converting percents into fractions or decimals is a crucial SA T skill. If you ever want to multiply or divide a number by a percent, you first have to convert it. To convert from a percent to a fraction, take the percentage number and place it as a numerator over the denominator 100. If you have 88 percent of something, then you can quickly convert it into the fraction 88/100. To convert from a percent to a decimal, you must take a decimal point and insert it into the percent number two spaces from the right: 79% equals .79, while 350% equals 3.5.
W hat Percent of this Word Problem Dont You Understand, Bucko?
SAT word problems often seem to be phrased as if the person who wrote them doesnt know how to speak English. The SAT does this purposefully, because it thinks that verbal tricks are a good way to test your math skills. If that makes no sense to you, good. It makes no sense to us either. Heres an example of the kind of linguistic trickery were talking about:
Wha t perce n t o f 2 is 5 ?
Because the 2 is the smaller number and because it appears first in the question, youre first instinct may be to calculate what percent 2 is of 5. But as long as you remember that ismeans equals and what means x youll be able to correctly translate the word problem into math:
x %(2) = 5
So 5 is 250% of 2.
Percent Increase and Decrease

One of the most common ways the SAT tests percent is through the concept of percent increase and decrease. Percent increaseIf the price of a $10 shirt increases 10%, the new price is the original $10 plus 10% of the $10 original. Percent decreaseIf the price of a $10 shirt decreases 10%, the new price is the original $10 minus 10% of the $10 original.
One of the classic blunders students make on these questions is to figure out what the 10% increase or decrease is, but then, lost in a haze of joy and relief, to forget to carry out the necessary addition or subtraction. SA T traps take advantage of this. B e wary.
A vintage bo wlin g lea gue s hirt c o st $ 2 0 in the 19 90 s . B ut durin g the 1 9 70 s , whe n the sh irt wa s fi rs t m ade , it co s t 1 5 % less . What was the pr ic e o f the sh ir t in the 1 9 7 0s? (A ) $ 3 (B ) $ 17
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(C ) $ 23 (D) $ 35 (E) $ 28 0
First find the price decrease (remember that 15% = .15):
Now, since the price of the shirt was less back in the 1970s, subtract $3 from the $20 price from the early 1990s:
The answer is B. If you only finished the first part of this question and looked at the answers, you might see the $3 at answer A and forget to finish the calculation.
Double Percents
Some SAT questions ask you to determine a percent of a percent.
T h e o riginal pric e o f a b ana na in a sto re is $ 2 . Dur ing a s ale , the sto re red uce s the price by 2 5 % and J o e buys th e bana na. J o e then ra ises the p rice o f the ban ana 1 0 % fro m the pric e a t wh ich he b o ugh t it and se lls it to S am . Ho w m uc h do e s S am pay fo r the ban ana ?
This question asks you to determine the effect of two successive percent changes. The key to solving it is realizing that each percentage change is dependent on the last. You have to work out the effect of the first percentage change, come up with a value, and then use that value to determine the effect of the second percentage change. When youre working on a percentage problem that involves a series of percentage changes, you should follow the same basic procedure that we explained for one percentage change, except here you should run through the procedure twice. For the first percentage change, figure out whats the whole, calculate the percentage of the whole, make sure to perform addition or subtraction if necessary, then take the new value and put it through these same steps for the second percentage change. To answer the example problem, first find 25% of the original price:
Now subtract that $.50 from the original price:
Then increase $1.50 by 10%:
Sam buys the banana for $1.50 + $.15 = $1.65. A total rip-off. Some students, sensing a shortcut, are tempted to just combine the two percentage changes on double percent problems. This is not a real shortcut. Its more like a dark alley filled with cruel and nasty people who want you to do badly on the SAT. If you reasoned on the last example problem that the first percentage change lowered the price 25% and the second raised the price 10%, meaning that the total change was a reduction of 15%, then
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Subtract that $.30 from the original price:
We promise you that when the SAT gives you a double-percent problem, it will include this sort of wrong answer as a trap among the choices.
Ratios
Ratios look like fractions and are related to fractions, but they dont quack like fractions. Whereas a fraction describes a part of a whole, a ratio compares one part to another part. A ratio can be written in a variety of ways. Mathematically, it can appear as 3 / 1 or as 3:1. In words, it would be written out as the ratio of 3 to 1. Each of these three forms of the ratio 3:1 mean the same thing, that there are three of one thing for every one of another. If you have three red alligators and one blue alligator, then you would have a ratio of 3:1 for red alligators to blue alligators. For the SAT, you must remember that ratios compare parts to parts rather than parts to a whole. Why do you have to remember that? Because of questions like this:
Fo r eve ry 4 0 g am es a baseb all team plays , i t lo ses 1 2 gam es . Wha t is the ratio o f the team s lo ss es to w in s? (A ) 3 :1 0 (B ) 7 :1 0 (C ) 3 :7 (D) 7 :3 (E) 1 0 :3
The question says that the team loses 12 of every 40 games, but it asks you for the ratio of losses to wins, not losses to games. So the first thing you have to do is find out how many games the team wins in 40 games:
The team wins 28 games for every 40. So for every 12 losses, the team wins 28 games, for a ratio of 12:28. You can reduce this ratio by dividing both sides by 4 to get 3 losses for every 7 wins, or 3:7. Answer C is correct. If you didnt realize that the losses to games was a part to whole, you might have just reduced the ratio 12:40 to 3:10, and then chosen answer A. And there is no question that on ratio problems, the SAT will include an incorrect part: whole answer to try to trip you up.
Proportions
Just because you have a ratio of three red alligators to one blue alligator doesnt mean that you can only have three red alligators and one blue one. It could also mean that you have six red and two blue alligators or that you have 240 red and 80 blue alligators. Ratios compare only relative magnitude. In order to know how many of each color alligator you actually have, in addition to knowing the ratios, you also need to know how many total alligators there are. The SAT often asks questions testing your ability to figure out an answer based on the ratio between items and the total number of all items:
Eg bert ha s red , blue , and gree n m a rb le s in the ra tio o f 5 :4 :3 , a nd he ha s a to tal o f 3 6 m arbles . Ho w m an y b lu e m arb le s do e s Egb ert hav e?
For each group of 5 red marbles, you have a group of 4 blue marbles and a group of 3 green marbles. The ratio therefore tells you that out of every 12 marbles (since 5 + 4 + 3 = 12), 4 marbles will be blue.
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The question also tells you that you have 36 total marbles, and since the ratio of blue marbles to total marbles will not change no matter how many marbles you have , you can solve this problem by setting up a proportion, which is an equation that states that two ratios are equal. In this case, you can set equal 4:12 and x:36, with x standing in for the number of blue marbles that youd have out of a total of 36. To do math with proportions, its most useful to set up proportions in fractional form:
Now isolate x by cross-multiplying, and then you can solve.
Exponents
An exponent is a shorthand way of saying, Multiply this number by itself this number of b 5 times. In a , a is multiplied by itself b times. Heres a numerical example: 2 = 2 2 2 5 2 2. An exponent can also be referred to as a power: 2 is two to the fifth power. Before jumping into the exponent nitty-gritty, learn these five terms: Base. The base refers to the 3 in 35 . In other words, the base is the number multiplied by itself however many times specified by the exponent. 5 Exponent. The exponent is the 5 in 3 . The exponent tells how many times the base is to be multiplied by itself. Squared. Saying that a number is squared is a common code word to indicate that it has an exponent of 2. In the expression 62 , 6 has been squared. Cubed. Saying that a number is cubed means it has an exponent of 3. In the expression 43, 4 has been cubed. Power. The term power is another way to talk about a number being raised to an exponent. A number raised to the third power has an exponent of 3. So 6 raised to the fourth power is 64.
One last word of exponent advice before we get started. Well explain how to deal with exponents without using your calculator, but most good graphing calculators have a variety of exponent functions. Knowing how to use them could save you time, especially when exponent values get larger and involve fractions or negative numbers.
Common Exponents
It can be very helpful and a real time-saver on the SAT if you can easily translate back and forth between a number and its exponential form. For instance, if you can easily see that 36 = 62 , it can really come in handy if youre dealing with binomials, quadratic equations, or any number of other areas in algebra. Here are some lists of common exponents. Well start with the squares of the first ten integers:
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Here are the first five cubes:
Finally, the first few powers of two are useful to know for various applications:
Adding and Subtracting Powers

Actually, you cant add or subtract numbers with exponents. Instead, work out each exponent to find its value, then add the two numbers. To add 33 + 42, work out the exponents to get (3 3 3) + (4 4), and then, finally, 27 + 16 = 43. But if youre dealing with algebraic expressions that have the same bases and exponents, 4 4 4 4 4 such as 3 x and 5x , then you can add or subtract them. For example, 3 x + 5 x = 8 x . A lgebraic expressions that have different bases or exponents cannot be added or subtracted.
Multiply and Dividing Powers

Multiplying or dividing exponential numbers or terms that have the same base is so quick and easy its like a little math oasis. When multiplying, just add the exponents together. This is known as the Product Rule:
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To divide two same-base exponential numbers or terms, subtract the exponents. This is known as the Quotient Rule:
Quick and easy. Right? You want the bad news or the bad news? The sames not true if you need to multiply or divide two exponential numbers that dont have the same base, such as, say, . When two exponents have different bases, you just have to do your work the old-fashioned way: Multiply the numbers out and multiply or divide the result accordingly: = 9 + 16 = 25.
Raising a Power to a Power

To raise one exponent to another exponent, multiply the exponents. This is known as the Power Rule:
Again, easy. Just remember that you multiply exponents when raising one exponent to another, and you add exponents when multiplying two identical bases with exponents. The SAT expects lots of students to mix these operations up.
Fractions Raised to a Power

To raise a fraction to an exponent, raise both the numerator and denominator to that exponent:
Negative Numbers Raised to a Power

Heres a fact you should already know: When you multiply a negative number by another negative number, you get a positive number, and when you multiply a negative number by a positive number, you get a negative number. Since exponents result in multiplication, a negative number raised to an exponent follows these rules: A negative number raised to an even exponent will be positive. For example (2)4 = 16. Why? Because (2)4 means 2 2 2 2. When you multiply the first two 2s together, you get positive 4 because youre multiplying two negative numbers. When you multiply the +4 by the next 2, you get 8, since youre multiplying a positive number by a negative number. Finally, you multiply the 8 by the last 2 and get +16, since youre once again multiplying two negative numbers. The negatives cancel themselves out and vanish. A negative number raised to an odd exponent will be negative. To see why, just look at the previous example above, but stop the process at 8, which 3 equals 2 .
Special Exponents
You need to know a few special types of exponents for the SAT.
Zero
Any base raised to the power of zero is equal to 1. If you see any exponent of the form x , you should know that its value is 1. Strange, but true.
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Any base raised to the power of one is equal to itself: 21 = 2, 671 = 67 and x1 = x. This fact is important to know when you have to multiply or divide exponential terms with the same base:
Negative Exponents
Any number or term raised to a negative power is equal to the reciprocal of that base raised to the opposite power. Uh. Got that? Didnt think so. An example will make it clearer:
Heres a more complicated example:
Heres a translation: If you see a base raised to a negative exponent, put the base as the denominator under a numerator of 1 and then drop the negative from the exponent. From there, just simplify.
Fractional Exponents
Exponents can be fractions too. When a number or term is raised to a fractional power, it is called taking the root of that number or term. This expression can be converted into a more convenient form:
The symbol is also known as the radical, and anything under the radical is called the radicand. Weve got a whole section devoted to roots and radicands coming right up.
Roots and Radicals

Heres what you already know: (1) roots express fractional exponents; (2) its often easier to work with roots by converting them into expressions that look like this:
Roots and powers are reciprocals. To square the number 3, multiply 3 by itself: 32 = 3 3 = 9. To get the root of 9, , you have to find the number that, multiplied by itself, will equal 9. That number is 3. Square roots appear far more often than any other kind of root on the SA T, but cube roots, fourth roots, fifth roots, and so on could conceivably make an appearance. Each root is represented by a radical sign with the appropriate number next to it (a radical without any superscript denotes a square root). For example, cube roots are shown as , fourth roots as , and so on. Roots of higher degree operate the same way square roots do. Because 3 3 = 27, it follows that the cube root of 27 is 3. Here are a few examples:
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Adding and Subtracting Roots

You cant add or subtract roots. You have to work out each root separately and then add. To solve , do not add the 9 and 4 together to get . Instead, . The SAT tests if you remember this rule by including trap answers that do add or subtract roots.
Multiplying and Dividing Roots

If youre multiplying or dividing two roots, you can multiply or divide the numbers under the root sign as long as the roots are of the same degree. You can multiply or divide two square roots for instance, but you cant multiply a square root and a cube root.
Sequences
A sequence is a series of numbers that proceed one after another according to some pattern. Heres one:
1, 2, 4, 8, 16,...
Each number in this sequence doubles the previous number. Once you know the pattern, you can come up with the number after 16, which is 32, the number after that, which is 64, and, if you felt like it, you could keep calculating numbers in the sequence for the rest of your life. The SAT tests you on three specific types of sequences: arithmetic, geometric, and annoying.
Arithmetic Sequences
An arithmetic sequence is an ordered list of terms in which the difference between consecutive terms is constant. In other words, the same value or variable is added to each term in order to create the next term: If you subtract any two consecutive terms of the sequence, you will get the same difference. An example is 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, ..., where 3 is the constant increment between values. The notation of an arithmetic sequence is
For the SAT, you should be able to do three things with an arithmetic sequence: 1. Find the constant interval between terms. 2. Find any term in the sequence. 3. Calculate the sum of the first n terms.
Finding the Constant Interval (a.k.a., Finding d)

To find the constant interval, d , just subtract one term in an arithmetic sequence from the next. For the arithmetic sequence an = 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, ..., . Okay, now heres a slightly more complicated form of this same d-finding question:
In a n arithm e tic seq uenc e, if a 4 = 4 a nd a 7 = 1 0 , find d .
This question gives you the fourth and seventh terms of an arithmetic sequence:
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Since in arithmetic sequences d is constant between every term, you know that a4 + d = a5, a5 + d = a6 , and a6 + d = 10. In other words, the difference between the seventh term, 10, and the fourth term, 4, is 3d . Stated as an equation,
Now solve it.
Finding Any Term in the Sequence (a.k.a., Finding the nth Term)
Finding the n th term is a piece of cake when you have a formula. And we have a formula:
where an is the n th term of the sequence and d is the difference between consecutive terms. So, to find the 55th term in the arithmetic sequence an = 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, ..., plug the values of a1 = 1, n = 55, and d = 3 into the formula: .
Finding the Sum of the First n Terms

Finding the sum of the first n terms is also cake-like in its simplicity when you have a formula. And we do:
Using the same example, the sum of the first 55 terms would be
Geometric Sequences and Exponential Growth

Whereas in an arithmetic sequence the difference between consecutive terms is always constant, in a geometric sequence the quotient of consecutive terms is always constant. The constant factor by which the terms of a geometric function differ is called the common ratio of the geometric sequence. The common ratio is usually represented by the variable r . Here is an example of a geometric sequence in which r = 3.
The general form of a geometric sequence is
A s with arithmetic sequences, you should be able to perform three tasks on geometric sequences for the SAT: 1. Find r . 2. Find the n th term. 3. Calculate the sum of the first n terms.
Finding r
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To find the common ratio of a geometric sequence, all you have to do is divide one term by the preceding term. For example, the value of r for the sequence 3, 6, 12, 24, ... is .
Finding the n th Term

Want to find the n th term of a geometric sequence? How about a formula to help you on your quest?
Heres the formula in action. The 11th term of the sequence 3, 6, 12, 24, ... is
Finding the Sum of the First n Terms

One final formula. To find the sum of the first n terms of a geometric sequence, use this one:
So the sum of the first 10 terms of the same sequence is
Geometric Sequences and Negative Numbers

A geometric sequence is formed when each term is multiplied by some standard number to get the next phrase. So far weve only dealt with circumstances where that standard number was positive. But it can also be negative. Take a sequence that starts with the number 1 and multiplies each term by 2: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,... See the pattern? Whenever r is negative in a geometric sequence, the terms will alternate between positive and negative.
Annoying Sequences
Annoying sequences is a technical math term that we just made up. We made it up for one reason: These sequences annoy us, and we think theyll annoy you. Notice, though, that we didnt name them devastating sequences, or even difficult sequences. Thats because theyre neither difficult nor devastating. Just annoying. In annoying sequences, the SAT makes up the rules. For instance, in the annoying sequence 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ..., there isnt any standard change between each term, but there is a pattern: after the first two terms, each term is equal to the sum of the previous two terms. Annoying sequences most commonly show up in problems that ask you to find terms at absurdly high values of n . Heres an annoying sequence word problem:
If the first two te rm s o f a s eque nce a re 1 and 2 , a nd all th e fo llo wing te rm s in the se que nce are pro du ced by su btra cting fro m the pre vio us term the te rm b efo re tha t , then wha t is the fi ft ie th te rm in the s equ enc e?
The 50th term? How are you, with your busy life and no magic formula, supposed to write out the sequence until you get to the 50th term? Looks like youll end up going to college in Siberia. While Siberia is nice for one day each year in July, you dont have to worry. Whenever the SAT asks a question involving an insanely high term in a sequence, theres always a trick to finding it quickly. When the term is in an annoying sequence, the trick is usually a repeating pattern that will make the answer easy to find. So start writing out the sequence and look for the pattern. Once you see it, strike:
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1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1,...
Do you see the pattern? After six terms, this sequence starts to repeat itself: 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1 and then it starts over. So if every six terms the sequence repeats, then every sixth term will be a 1: the sixth term, the 12th term, all the way up to the 48th term. And if you know that the 48th term is a 1 and that the sequence starts over on the 49th, then you know that the 49th term will be a 1 and the 50th term will be a 2.
Sets
Set is a fancy math word for a group of items. Each item in a set is called an element or a member . The entire number of Hummers Jay-Z owns is a set, and each of the Hummers is
an element of the set. A set contains only those things that can fit its definitions. Jay-Zs Ferraris and BMWs cant be in the set of his Hummers. If you have a set that is defined as(1, 2, ), then the only things that can be in that set are (1, 2, ).
Union and Intersection

The union of two sets is a set containing each element found in either set. If set A contains all the birds in the world, and set B contains all the fish in the world, then the union of those sets contains all the birds and all the fish in the world. If set A = (1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13) and set B =(2, 4, 5, 8), then the union of set A and B is (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 11 , 13). The intersection of two sets are the elements common to each set. The intersection of the set that contains all the fish in the world with the set that contains all the birds in the world is an empty set ( ), because there are no animals that are both fish and birds. The intersection of set A = (1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13) and set B = (2, 4, 5, 8) is (8), since both set A and set B contain an 8.
The Difficult Set Question

One particular type of set question almost always comes up on the SAT, and just as often throws students for a loop. In this type of question, the SA T describes two sets and a few people or things that fit into both sets. Then it asks how many total are in the two sets.
O f the l io ns at the zo o , 1 3 ea t ze bra m e a t, 1 1 eat g ira ffe m e a t, and 7 eat b o th. Ho w m an y lio n s are the re in the z o o ?
This question just feels hard. Lots of students who havent read this book will skip it. But you have read this book, and youll know the (surprisingly simple) formula for getting it right:
Total = number in set 1 + number in set 2 number common to set 1 and 2
Once you know the formula, all you have to do is figure out which numbers in the word problem define set 1, which define set 2, and which define the overlap set. After that, just plug in the numbers and do some simple addition and subtraction. So how many lions are there in the zoo?
Total lions = 13 zebra eaters + 11 giraffe eaters 7 eaters of both Total Lio ns = 13 + 11 7 = 17
Thats it for Numbers and Operations. Ready for SA T algebra? You bet you are. THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE SAT MATH SECTION (besides the elimination of Quantitative Comparisons) is its increased focus on algebra. The new SAT covers more algebra, and in greater depth. There is some silver lining to this dark cloud. First, the topics covered arent that advanced: If youve taken three years of high school math, you should be familiar with them. Second, reading this chapter will prepare you for any algebra the new SAT throws at you.
Algebra
To Algebra or Not to Algebra?

When faced with an algebra question on the SAT, you could, as you might expect, try to solve it by using standard algebrasetting up and working out the equation. But there are often alternative ways to attack. You might be able to plug the answer choices back into the question until one of them works out. You could pick numbers to substitute into the various expressions given as answer choices.
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For problems you know how to solve, using algebra is probably the quickest method. In contrast, a problem thats giving you trouble may suddenly become much easier if you start plugging in numbers. Were not telling you to pick just one method and always use it. Far from it. Flexibility is the key. Some methods work for some problems, and others work better with others. When you study your practice tests and look over the algebra questions you got wrong, think about more than just what the right answer was. Ask yourself if you approached the question correctly. Did you plug in answers when you should have used algebra? Did you use algebra when plugging in answers would have simplified the problem? Heres an example of an algebra question. We solve it using each of the different problemsolving methods, explaining what you need to know about each one in the process.
A m an flippe d a co in 1 6 2 tim es . T he co in land ed with hea ds side up 62 mo re tim es than it lande d with ta ils up . Ho w m an y tim es did the co in land he ads? (A ) 1 00 (B ) 1 04 (C ) 1 08 (D) 1 12 (E) 1 16
Solving by Algebra
To answer this problem with algebra, you first have to translate it into algebra. You have to set up an equation. If you assign the variable x to stand for the number of times the coin landed heads, then tails are represented by x 62, since the coin landed heads 62 times more times than it landed tails. And since the coin was thrown 162 total times,
A s you can see, setting up the question takes a little bit of time and knowledge, but once youve set it up, the math is quick and easy. Using algebra will only take you longer than plugging in if you have trouble coming up with the equation x + ( x 62) = 162. So heres a quick rule of thumb to help you decide whether to use algebra or to plug in: If you can quickly come up with the equation, then use algebra to solve algebra problems. If you have the sense that it will take you a while to figure out the equation, then plug in.
Solving by Plugging In
There are two ways to plug in: intelligently and maniacally. Dont be a maniac. How can you avoid this? Simple. The answer choices on the SAT that contain numbers (rather than variables) always appear in either ascending or descending order. The first answer choice will be the lowest and the last will be the largest, or vice versa. Lets say the answer choices are in ascending order. If you start by plugging in the middle number, the answer choice for answer C, then even if that choice doesnt work, you can use the outcome to determine whether you need to plug in a smaller or larger number. If you need a smaller number, move to answer choice B. If you need a larger number, try D. If you follow this method, instead of having to check all five answer choices, you shouldnt ever have to check more than three. Thatll save you time. (5 3) / 5 100 = 40% of your time, to be exact. To answer the coin-flip problem by plugging in, pick C, 108, as the first number to try. So, if the coin came up heads 108 times, then how many times did it land tails? It landed tails 162 108 = 54. Are 108 heads 62 more than 54 tails? No: 108 54 = 54. In order for the
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problem to work out you need more heads. You can eliminate A and B as possibilities. Choose D, 112, as your next plug-in number: 162 112 = 50. Does 112 50 = 62? Yes.
Picking Numbers
Picking numbers is a variation of plugging in. It should only be used when the answer choices contain variables. A modified version of our original sample question shows what kind of problem lends itself to picking numbers.
A m an flipp ed a co in z tim es . T he c o in la nde d h ead s y m o re t ime s th an it la nded tai ls . If the nu m ber o f tim es the co in la nde d he ads is h , then , in te rm s o f h an d y , ho w m an y tim es wa s the c o in fl ip ped ? (A ) z = h + y (B ) z = h y (C ) (D) z = 2 h y (E)
Instead of testing your ability to set up and solve an equation, this question asks you only to set up an equation based on a word problem. While using algebra to set up the equation would be the faster tactic, for some people, thinking in terms of variables can be confusing. Picking numbers allows you to transform variables into concrete numbers. To use the picking numbers method, select numbers and plug them into the answer choices. It doesnt matter what specific numbers you pick for each variable as long as you always plug the same number in for each variable and follow all guidelines given by the problem. In the coin-flip problem, you are given three variables, z, y , and h . The question asks you to find z in terms of h and y. Well pick some numbers. Lets say the coin landed heads (h ) 5 times, and that it landed heads on 2 more flips ( y) than it landed tails. That would mean that the coin landed tails 3 times, since 5 2 = 3. Since the coin landed heads on 5 flips, and tails on 3 flips, the coin must have been flipped a total of 5 + 3 = 8 times. Now plug 5 for h and 2 for y into all the equations and see which one comes out to 8: only D, which is the right answer. In addition to giving you a method for solving tricky problems, picking numbers is also a good way to check your math for careless calculations.
Solving by Being an Amazing Genius

Its quite possible that you just looked at this problem and said to yourself, Other than the 62 more heads, all the other flips were equally heads and tails. So: If I take the 62 out of the total of 162, then I know that the other 100 flips were 50 heads and 50 tails. Now I can just add 62 + 50 = 112. Man, I am an amazing genius! Yes, you are. No one knows how to teach other people how to be an amazing genius, though, and you can rest assured that almost no one taking the test will be an amazing genius on every question. The moral of the story: Know that amazing-genius shortcuts exist, and keep a lookout for them, but dont stress over them. Only a fool would waste time looking for shortcuts. And youre no fool.
Algebra: The Bottom Line

There isnt any right way to answer an SAT algebra question. Some methods work best for some types of questions, and others for others. The best way to learn which methods work best for you is to take and study practice tests.
A Very Short Algebra Glossary
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There are six basic algebra terms you need to know for the SAT. You also need to know these terms to understand what were talking about in this section of the book. C ONST ANT . A quantity that does not change. A number. V ARI A BLE. An unknown quantity written as a letter. A variable can be represented by any letter in the English alphabet, most often x or y. Variables may be associated with specific things, like x number of apples or y dollars. Other times, variables have no specific association, but youll need to manipulate them to show that you understand certain algebraic principles. C OEF FIC IENT. A coefficient is a number that appears next to a variable and tells how many of the variable there are. In the term 4x, 4 is the coefficient. E QU ATI O N. Two expressions linked by an equal sign. Most of the algebra on the SAT consists of solving equations. T ER M. The product of a constant and a variable. Or, a quantity separated from other quantities by addition or subtraction. For example, in the equation
the side to the left of the equal sign contains four terms {3x3, 2x2 , 7x , 4}, while the right side contains two terms {x , 1}. (The constants, 4 and 1, are considered terms because 0 they are coefficients of variables raised to the zero power: 4 = 4x .) So every term, including constants, is the product of a constant and a variable raised to some power. E XP RES SIO N. Any combination of terms. An expression can be as simple as a single constant term, like 5, or as complicated as the sum or difference of many terms, each of which is a combination 2 3 5 of constants and variables, such as {(x + 2) 6x} 7x . Expressions dont include an equal signthis is what differentiates expressions from equations. Expressions cannot be solved; they can only be simplified.
Substitution Questions
We like substitution questions. Not because they have great personalities and a really good sense of humor. We love em because theyre easy. They almost arent algebra at all. Substitutions give you an algebraic equation and then tell you the value of the variable. Just plug in that variable and work out the answer.
If 2 y + 8 x = 1 1 , wh at is th e va lue o f 3 (2 y + 8 x )?
You might see this equation bubbling Since the question states that 2 y + 8 x 8 x ), all you have to do is substitute 11 = 33. Not many substitution questions on the substitution questions, youll have to substitution.
over with variables and panic. Dont. Its simple. = 1 1 , and youre looking for the value of 3(2 y + for 2 y + 8 x in the expression, and you get 3(1 1) SAT are this simple, though. For more complicated do some extra math either before or after the
Math Before Substitution

If 3 x 7 = 8 , th en 2 3 3 x = ?
In this problem, you have to find what 3 x equals before you can substitute that value into the expression 2 3 3 x . To find 3 x , take that first equation,
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and add 7 to both sides, giving
Now substitute that 15 into 23 3 x :
Math After Substitution

If a + b = 7 and b = 3 , then 4 a = ?
In this question, you have to plug the value for b into a + b = 7 in order to find a :
Once you know that a = 4, just substitute into 4 a :
For substitution questions in which you have to plug in values in more than one stage, make sure you work out that last substitution. When youre taking the SAT under real time pressure, you may be so consumed with getting to the next question that, for instance, you solve for a = 4 but then forget to substitute that value into 4 a . SAT traps are waiting for you to do just that. Recognize that 4 is an imposter answer and defeat them.
Multiple Substitutions
Theres another type of substitution problem on the SA T that youll probably have to deal with: multiple substitutions. On these questions, you have to do more than one substitution. For instance,
If
, y = 3 x , a nd x = 2 , th en wha t is the va lu e o f z ?
To approach this problem, you just have to substitute 2 for x to find y , and then substitute those values into the equation for z . Substituting 2 for x into y = 3 x gives y = 3( 2) = 6 . Substituting for y and x in the equation for z , gives
Solving Equations
To solve an equation, you have to isolate the variable youre solving for. You have to manipulate the equation until you get the variable alone on one side of the equal sign. By definition, the variable is then equal to everything on the other side of the equal sign. Youve just solved for the variable. Congratulations.
The Fine Art of Manipulation

You cant manipulate an equation the way you manipulate your little brother or sister. When manipulating equations, there are rules. Heres the first and most fundamental (its so important were going to bold it): Whatever you do to one side of an equation,
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you must do the exact the same thing to the other side. If you divide one side of an equation by 3, divide the other side by 3. If you take the square root of one side of an equation, take the square root of the other. If you fall in love with one side of the equation, fall in love with the other. Neither side will think youre a two-timer. Theyll think youre a highly skilled mathematician. B y treating the two sides of the equation in the same way, you dont change what the equation means. You change the form of the equationthats the point of manipulating itbut the equation remains true since both sides stay equal. Take, for instance, the equation 3x + 2 = 5. You can do anything you want to it, anything at all, and as long as you do that thing to both sides of the equation, x will always equal 1. For example, if you subtract 2 from both sides,
And if you multiply both sides by 2,
In addition to the do the same things to both sides of the equation rule that you must follow, there are other rules of manipulation that you should follow. Nothing will go horribly wrong if you dont follow them, but it will take you longer to solve the question. Here are the rules: 1. Combine like terms to make the equation simpler. 2. Manipulate the equation in the reverse order of operations. The second rule means that you should first subtract or add any extra terms on the same side as the variable. Then divide and multiply anything on the same side as the variable. Next, raise both sides of the equation to a power or take their roots according to any exponent attached to the variable. Finally, work out anything inside parentheses. Do the order of operations backward: SADMEP! The idea is to undo everything that has been done to the variable so that it will be isolated in the end. Example time:
In this equation, poor little x is being square rooted, multiplied by 2, added to 3, and encased in parentheses. Youve got to get him out of there! Undo all of these operations in order to liberate x. First, subtract 2 from both sides of the equation:
Then multiply both sides by 2 to get rid of the fraction: Now divide both sides by 3 (later, parentheses): Subtract 3 from each side: Divide both sides by 2:
And, finally, square each side to get rid of the square root: Success! Youve freed x from all of those bullying operations.
Location. Location. Location. 198
Isolating for x is all about where x is located. A variable in the numerator of a fraction is actually a pretty easy location to isolate. B ut if x is in the denominator of a fraction, things get more complicated.
Following SADMEP, start by subtracting the 3:
But now you have to get the x out of the denominator, and the only way to do that is to multiply both sides of the equation by that denominator, x + 2: Divide both sides by 4:
Subtract 2 from each side:
Simplification Tools
B y now you know the rule: When solving an equation, never do something to one side of an equation that you dont do to the other. If you add 4 to one side, you have to add 4 to the other. But what if there were some simplification tools that didnt change the value of an expression? What if you could simplify one side of an equation without changing its value? That would rock. Why? B ecause it would allow you to make solving equations much simpler and save you time on the SAT.
Distributing
The first step to adding ferocious simplification tools to your arsenal is the rule of distribution, which states
a can be any kind of term, meaning it could be a variable, a constant, or a combination of

the two. When you distribute a factor into an expression within parentheses, multiply each term inside the parentheses by the factor outside the parentheses. For example, in the previous problem, when you had 1 = 4(x + 2), you didnt actually have to divide both sides by 4. You could have distributed the 4 and pushed off all those messy fractions until the end: 1 7 2 = 4x + 8; 4 x = 7; x = /4. So, if you have the expression 3y( y 6):
Seems logical enough. But the true value of distributing becomes clear when you see a 2 3 distributable expression in an equation: 3 y(y + 6) = 3y + 36 looks like itd be hard to solve, since there arent any equal terms to add or subtract away. But wait a sec . . . what if you distribute that 3y? Shocking revelation! Its suddenly clear that you can subtract 3y3 from both sides:
Factoring
Factoring an expression is the opposite of distributing. 4x 3 8x2 is one mean-looking expression. Or so it seems, until you realize that all the terms share the greatest common factor 4x2 , which you can factor out:
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With distributing and factoring, you can group or ungroup quantities in an equation to make your calculations simpler. Here are a few more examples:
Combining Like Terms

A fter factoring and distributing, you can take additional steps to simplify expressions or equations. Combining like terms is one of the simplest techniques you can use. It involves adding or subtracting the coefficients of variables that are raised to the same power. For example, by combining like terms, the expression can be simplified by adding the coefficients of the variable x3 (1 and 3) together and the coefficients of x2 (1 and 4) together: V ariables that have different exponential values are not like terms and cant be combined. Two terms that do not share a variable are also not like terms and cannot be combined regardless of their exponential value.
Algebra, ABSOLUTE Value, and Exponents

The new SAT puts more emphasis on subjects from Algebra II. In part, this means that the test asks more algebra questions that include absolute value, radicals, and exponents. All three mathematical concepts add certain complications to solving algebra equations.
Algebra and |Absolute Value|

To solve an equation in which the variable is within absolute value brackets, you have to follow a two-step process: 1. Isolate the expression within the absolute value brackets. 2. Divide the equation into two. Divide the equation in two? What? Watch:
Since x + 3 has absolute value brackets around it, for the expression to equal 5, the expresion x + 3 when outside of the absolute value brackets can equal either +5 or 5. So youre actually dealing with two equations:
x +3=5 x + 3 = 5
To solve the problem, you need to solve both of them. First, solve for x in the equation x + 3 = 5. In this case, x = 2. Then, solve for x in the equation x + 3 = 5. In this case, x = 8. So the solutions to the equation |x + 3| = 5 are x = {8, 2}. Heres another example with a much more complicated equation:
So lv e fo r x in te rms o f y in the e quat io n 3
= y 2 1.
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First, isolate the expression within the absolute value brackets:
Remember that in terms of PEMDAS, absolute value brackets are like parenthesesdo the math inside them first. So solve for the variable as if the expression within absolute value brackets were positive:
Multiply both sides of the equation by 3:
Subtract 2 from both sides: Next, solve for the variable as if the expression within absolute value brackets were negative:
Multiply both sides of the equation by 3: Distribute the negative sign (crucial step, make sure you do this or youll fall into a trap!): Subtract 2 from both sides: The solution set for x is { y2 3, y2 1}.
Algebra, Exponents, and Radicals

Exponents and radicals can have devilish effects on algebraic equations that are similar to those caused by absolute value. Consider the equation . Seems pretty simple, right? Just take the square root of both sides and you end up with x = 5. But remember the rule of multiplying negative numbers? When two negative numbers are multiplied together the result is a positive. In other words, 5 squared also results in 25: . This means that whenever you have to take the square root to simplify a variable brought to the second power, the result will be two solutions, one positive and one negative: . The only exception is if x = 0. Want an example?
If 2 x 2 = 7 2 , then wha t is the v a lue o f x ?
To solve this problem, you first simplify the problem by dividing 2 out of both sides: x2 = 36. Now you need to take the square root of both sides: .
Beat the System (of Equations)

So youre kicking butt and taking names on those old one-variable equations, huh? Good. But some SAT questions contain two variables. Lucky for you, those questions also always contain two equations, and you can use the two equations in conjunction to solve the variables. These two equations together are called a system of equations. We said earlier that manipulating equations isnt like manipulating your younger brother or sister. But solving systems of equations is like manipulating your younger brother and sister. You use one equation against the other, and in the end you get whatever you want.
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There are two types of systems of equations that youll need to be able to solve for the SAT. The first, easier model involves substitution, and the second type involves manipulating equations simultaneously.
Substituting into the System

You know substitution: Find the value of one variable and then plug that into another equation to solve for a different variable.
If x 4 = y 3 and 2 y = 6 , what is x ?
Youve got two equations and you have to find x . The first equation contains both x and y . The second equation contains only y . To solve for x , you first have to solve for y in the second equation and substitute that value for y in the first equation. If 2 y = 6 , then y = 3 . Now, substitute 3 in for y in x 4 = y 3 :
Heres one thats more likely to give you trouble on the SAT:
Su ppo s e 3 x = y + 5 a nd 2 y 2 = 12 k . So lve fo r x in te rm s o f k .
In order to solve for x in terms of k , you have to first get x and k into the same equation. To make this happen, you have to solve for y in terms of k in the second equation, and then substitute that value into the first equation to solve for x .
Then substitute y = 6k + 1 into the equation 3x = y + 5.
Solving Simultaneous Equations

Simultaneous equations are equations that both contain the same variables. You can use the equations to solve for the variables by using one of the equations to solve for one variable in terms of the other, and then substituting that expression into the other equation.
Su ppo se 2 x + 3 y = 5 and x + y = 7 . What is x ?
In this particular problem, you need to find x . But in order to find the value of x , you need to get that pesky y variable out of one of the equations, right? Heres how to do it. First solve one of the equations for y in terms of x : Now substitute 7 x for y in the equation 2 x + 3 y = 5:
Heres what just happened. You manipulated one equation to separate the two variables on either side of the equal sign. Then you substituted one side of that equal sign into the other equation so that only the variable whose value you had to find was left. Bold move!
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Another Way to Solve Simultaneous Equations

So thats how you can solve every simultaneous equation question on the SAT. But wait! Theres another, even faster way to solve simultaneous equations. Some students find this method tricky, but it is definitely faster, and it works. The choice of which method to use is up to you. Take a look at the following question:
2 x + 3 y = 5 and 1 x 3 y = 7 . Wh at is x ?
The amazing thing about simultaneous equations is that you can actually add or subtract the entire equations from each other. Observe:
Heres another example:

6 x + 2 y = 11 an d 5 x + y = 1 0 . What is x + y ?
B y subtracting the second equation from the first,
In order to add or subtract simultaneous equations, you need to know what variable you want to solve for, and then add or subtract accordingly. But weve got to admit something: So far, weve purposely chosen very easy examples to show how this method works. You wont always have two equations that you can immediately add or subtract from each other to isolate one variable:
2 x + 3 y = 6 an d 4 x + 1 6 y = 13 . What is the va lu e o f y ?
Youre asked to solve for y , which means youve got to get rid of x . But how can you get rid of x if one equation has 2 x and the other has 4 x ? Well, you cant. But remember, you can change the form of the equation without changing the actual equation, as long as you do the same thing to both sides of the equation. For instance, you could multiply both sides of 2 x + 3 y = 6 by 2, which would give you You can add this equation to 4 x + 16 y = 13 to isolate y .
On the SAT, you will almost always be able to manipulate one of the two equations in a pair of simultaneous equations so that they can be added and subtracted to isolate the variable you want. The question is whether you can see how to do it. Our recommendation? Since its faster, it always pays to take a second to try to see how to isolate the variable by adding or subtracting the equations. If you cant, then go ahead and solve the simultaneous equations using the first method we described.
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Inequalities
Life isnt always fair. Thats why there are inequalities. An inequality is like an equation, but instead of relating equal quantities, it specifies exactly how two quantities are not equal. There are four types of inequalities: 1. x > y x is greater than y 2. x < y x is less than y 3. x is greater than or equal to y 4. x is less than or equal to y Solving inequalities is exactly like solving equations except for one very important difference: When both sides of an inequa lity are multiplied or divided by a negative number, the direction of the inequality switches. Here are a few examples:
So lv e fo r x in the inequ al ity
3 < 2y.
So lv e fo r x in the inequ al ity
Notice that in the last example the inequality had to be flipped, since both sides had to be divided by 2 between the second and third steps. To help remember that multiplication or division by a negative number reverses the direction of the inequality, remember that if x > y, then , just as 5 > 4 and 5 < 4. The larger the number, the harder it falls (or the smaller it becomes when you make it negative).
Ranges
Inequalities are also used to express the range of values that a variable can take. a < x < b means that the value of x is greater than a and less than b . Consider the following word problem:
A co m pa ny m a nufac tures ca r pa rts . A s is th e ca se with a ny s ystem o f m a ss pro du ctio n, sm a ll e rro rs in pro d uctio n o f ev ery p art o cc ur. T o m a ke viab le c ar pa rts , the co m pa ny m ust m a ke sure the una vo ida ble e rro rs o ccu r o nly wi thin a sp ecif ic rang e. T he c o m pa ny kno ws th at a par tic u la r pa rt they m a nufactu re will no t wo rk if i t weigh s le ss than 9 8 % o f its ta rge t w eight o r m o re tha n 1 0 2 % o f its ta rget we ig ht. If the ta rge t weight o f th is piec e is 2 0 .5 gram s , what is the ran ge o f we ig hts the pa rt m us t fa ll within fo r it to func tio n?
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The car part must weigh between .98 21.5 = 21.07 grams and 1.02 21.5 = 21.93 grams. The problem states that the part cannot weigh less than the minimum weight or more than the maximum weight in order for it to work. This means that the part will function at boundary weights themselves, and the lower and upper bounds are included. The answer to the problem is , where x is the weight of the part in grams. Finding the range of a particular variable is essentially an exercise in close reading. Every time you come across a question involving ranges, you should carefully peruse the problem to pick out whether or not a particular variables range includes its bounds. This inclusion is the difference between less than or equal to( ) and simply less than (<).
Operations on Ranges
Ranges can be added, subtracted, or multiplied.
If 4 < x < 7 , wh at is th e ra nge o f 2 x + 3 ?
To solve this problem, simply manipulate the range like an inequality until you have a solution. Begin with the original range:
Multiply the inequality by 2:
Add 3 to the inequality, and you have the answer:
And always remember the crucial rule about multiplying inequalities: If you multiply a range by a negative number, you must flip the greater-than or less-than signs. If you multiply the range 2 < x < 8 by 1, the new range will be 2 > x > 8.
Absolute Value and Inequalities

Absolute values do the same thing to inequalities that they do to equations. You have to split the inequality into two equations and solve for each. This can result in solutions to inequalities in which the variable falls between two values (as in a range) or a combination of two disjointed ranges.
Single Range
If the absolute value is less than a given quantity, then the solution is a single range with a lower and an upper bound. An example of a single range would be the numbers between 5 and 5, as seen in the number line below: On the SAT, youll most likely be asked to deal with single ranges in the following way:
So lv e fo r x in the inequ al ity |2 x 4 | 6 .
First, split the inequality into two. Remember to flip around the inequality sign when you write out the inequality for the negative number.
Solve the first:
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Then solve the second:
So x is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 5. In other words, x lies between those two values. So you can write out the value of x in a single range, .
Disjointed Ranges
You wont always find that the value of the variable lies between two numbers. Instead, you may find that the solution is actually two separate ranges: one whose lower bound is negative infinity and whose upper bound is a real number, and one whose lower bound is a real number and whose upper bound is infinity. Yeah, words make it sound confusing. A number line will make it clearer. An example of a disjointed range would be all the numbers smaller than 5 and larger than 5, as shown below: On the SAT, disjointed ranges come up on problems like the following:
So lv e fo r x in the inequ al ity |3 x + 4 | > 1 6 .
You know the drill. Split er up, then solve each part:
Solving the first part:
And the second:
Notice, though, that x is greater than the positive number and smaller than the negative number. In other words, the possible values of x dont lie between the two numbers, they lie outside the two numbers. So you need two separate ranges to show the possible values of x: < x < 20/3 and 4 < x < .
Binomials and Quadratic Equations

With its new emphasis on Algebra II, the new SAT asks quite a few more questions on binomials. What is a binomial? Quite simply, it is an expression that has two terms: and are both binomials.
Multiplying Binomials
The multiplication of binomials is its own SAT topic and a fundamental skill for dealing with the dreaded quadratic equations. Luckily, the best acronym ever made (other than SCUBA) will help you remember how to multiply binomials. This acronym is FOIL, and it stands for First, Outer + Inner, Last. The acronym tells you the order in which you multiply the terms of two binomials to get the correct product.
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For example, lets say you were kidnapped by wretched fork-tongued lizard-men whose only weakness was binomials. Now what if the lizard-king asked to you to multiply the binomials:
(x + 1)(x + 3)
What would you do? Follow FOIL, of course. First, multiply the first terms of each binomial: Next, multiply the outer terms of the binomials: Then, multiply the inner terms: And multiply the last terms: Add all these terms together: Finally, combine like terms, and you get Here are a few more examples of multiplied binomials to use to test yourself.
Quadratic Equations
Quadratics are the robots who return from the future to destroy humankind at the end of Terminator 3 . Well, the future is now: The new SAT forces you to take on quadratic equations. But the future also isnt that tough. Heres the first thing: A quadratic expression takes the form ax2 + bx + c , where . And heres the second: Note how closely ax2 + bx + c resembles the products formed when binomials are multiplied. Coincidence? Fat chance. A quadratic equation sets a quadratic equal to zero: ax2 + bx + c = 0. The values of x for which the equation holds are called the roots, or solutions, of the quadratic equation. Some of the SAT questions on quadratic equations ask you to find their roots. There are two basic ways to find roots: by factoring and by using the quadratic formula. Factoring is faster, but doesnt always work. The quadratic formula takes longer to work out, but works on every quadratic equation. On the SAT, youll be able to factor almost every quadratic expression or equation that appears, but every once in a while the test may throw in a quadratic that you need to know the quadratic formula to solve. In other words, you probably dont need to know the quadratic formula, and if youre pressed for time you could survive if you didnt spend time studying it. But if you want to slam dunk the new SAT, memorize it.
Factoring Quadratics
Heres why quadratic expressions resemble the product of two binomials: Quadratic expressions are the product of two binomials. Factoring a quadratic means breaking the quadratic back into its binomial parts. Factoring might as well be called LIOF; its FOIL in reverse. Check out this quadratic expression:
For starters, you know that the binomials have the form ( x + m )(x + n ), where m and n are constants. How do you know this? Because of that x2. When you FOIL to get the first
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term, you multiply the two first terms of the binomials. To get x2 , you have to multiply x by x . As for figuring out what m and n are, you have two clues to work with. 1. The sum of m and n is 10, since the 10x is derived from multiplying the OUTER and INNER terms of the binomials and then adding the resulting terms together (10x = mx + nx, so m + n must equal 10). 2. The product of m and n equals 21, since 21 is the product of the two last terms of the binomials. The only pair of numbers that fit the bill for m and n are 3 and 7 (3 + 7 = 10 and ), so x2 + 10 x + 21 = (x + 3)(x + 7). But what if this had been a quadratic equation rather than a plain old quadratic expression? Well, first of all, it would have looked like this: x2 + 10 x + 21 = 0. Second, once youd factored it to get ( x + 3)(x + 7) = 0, you could solve for its roots. Because the product of two terms is zero, one of the terms must be equal to zero. Since x + 3 = 0 or x + 7 = 0, the solutions (also known as the roots) of the quadratic must be x = 3 and x = 7.
Quadratics with Negative Terms

Once you get the hang of it, factoring a quadratic with negative terms is no harder than dealing with one with only positive terms. Consider the quadratic equation x2 4x 21 = 0 . Heres what we know about this 2 equation: The first term of each binomial is x, since the first term of the quadratic is x ; the product of m and n is 21; and the sum of a and b equals 4. The equation also tells you that either m or n must be negative, but that both cannot be negative, because only the multiplication of one positive and one negative number can result in a negative number. Now you need to look for the numbers that fit these requirements for m and n . The numbers that multiply together to give you 21 are 21 and 1, 7 and 3, 3 and 7, and 21 and 1. Of these, the pair that sums to 4 is 7 and 3. The factoring of the equation is (x 7)( x +3) = 0. So the roots of the equation are x = 7 and x = 3.
Two Special Quadratics

There are two special quadratics that pop up all the time on the SAT. If you know what they look like and can identify them quickly, youll save time. These two quadratics are called the perfect square and the difference of two squares. Perfect square quadratics are the product of a term squared (multiplied by itself). There are therefore two kinds of perfect square quadratics: those formed by the squaring of a binomial of the form (a + b )2 and those formed by the squaring of binomials that look like ( a b)2 . 1. a2 + 2ab + b2 = ( a + b )(a + b ) = (a + b)2
Example : a 2 + 6ab + 9 = (a + 3)2
1. a2 2ab + b 2 = ( a b )( a b ) = (a b)2
Example : a 2 6 ab + 9 = (a 3)2
Note that when you solve for the roots of a perfect square quadratic equation, the solution for the equation (a + b)2 = 0 will be b , while the solution for (a + b )2 = 0 will be b . The difference of two-squares quadratic equations follow the form below:
See how the middle term drops out? The disappearance of the middle term causes lots of students to fail to recognize when theyre dealing with a difference of two-squares quadratic.
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Practice Quadratics
Since the ability to factor quadratics relies in large part on your ability to read the information in the quadratic, the best way to sharpen your eye is to practice, practice, practice. Take a look at the following examples and try to factor them on your own before you peek at the answers.
The Quadratic Formula

Factoring using the reverse-FOIL method is only practical when the roots are integers. There may be a rare occasions on the new SAT, though, when a quadratic has decimal numbers or fractions as roots. Equations like these can be solved using the quadratic 2 formula. For an equation of the form ax + bx + c = 0, the quadratic formula states
Consider the quadratic equation x2 + 5x + 3 = 0. There are no integers with a sum of 5 and product of 3, so this quadratic cant be factored. Its time to whip out the formula. Plug in the values a = 1, b = 5, and c = 3:
The roots of the quadratic are approximately {4.303, 0.697}.
Variation
One way that the new SAT tests whether you understand an equation is to ask questions about the relationship between certain variables. For example,
If z trip le s while x d o ubles , wha t ha ppen s to y ?
The easiest way to solve such problems is to just plug in: So the value of y will be 2 / 3 of what it was. Essentially, these sorts of problems are testing to see if you understand how an equation works and how different variables interact. While in a simple equation like the first example, this is easy to see, it becomes a little more complicated as the equations get more complex:
If z trip le s while x d o ubles , wha t ha ppen s to y ?
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Once again, you can still find the answer by plugging in 2 x for x and 3 z for z . You just have to do some additional math:
The value of y will be 4/ 3 of what it was. Its also possible that youll have to know some variation jargon for the new SAT. There are two terms you need to know: direct and inverse. A direct relationship between two variables exists when, if one variable increases, the other variable increases. In the equation
y and x share a direct relationship, since if x increases, so does y .

An inverse relationship is just the opposite. In the same example, y and z have an inverse relationship, because if z were to increase, y would decrease.
How Do Functions Function?

Functions are one of the most important additions to the Math section of the new SAT. So, whats a function? A function describes a relationship between one or more inputs and one output. The inputs to a function are variables such as x; the output of the function for a particular value of x is usually represented as f( x) or g (x). In the function f( x) = 2 x, the output of the function is always equal to two times the value of x. So, if x = 1 , then f(x) = 2, and if x = 12, then f( x) = 24. So far, it may seem as if a function is just another word for equation . Based on the way the SAT generally tests functions, its fine to think of functions that way. However, all functions follow a special rule that youve got to know:
For every input x, a function can have only one value for f(x).
You might be asking yourself what this math babble means. Heres an example that should help translate. Take the equation | y| = x. Because y sits between absolute value brackets, if x = 2, then y could be equal to either 2 or 2. This equation cant be a function, because for each value of x , there are two possible values of y.
Evaluating Functions
Evaluating a function simply means finding f (x ) at some specific value x. To put it more bluntly, these are glorified substitution questions. We glorify them above all because theyre easy. Heres an example:
If f ( x ) = x 2 3 , wha t is f (5 )?
See how that f(5) substituted a 5 for the x in f( x)? Well, go hunt out all the xs in the equation and replace them with 5s:
You almost dont even have to think at all when answering these questions. If the entire Math section was just a bunch of evaluating functions questions, amoebas could get 800s and Ivy League schools would welcome every well-rounded single-celled organism who applied. Ah, but life and the new SAT aint that easy. Heres one wrinkle the new test may throw at you. You may have to evaluate a function at a variable rather than a constant. For example,
If
, wh at is f ( x + 1 )?
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Okay, slightly harder than substituting in a number, but still not difficult. Search out all the occurrences of x in the function and replace it with (x + 1):
A s long as you remembered to distribute that negative sign across the (x + 1) to make x 1 in that second step, youre all set.
Performing Operations on Functions

Functions can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided like any other quantity. A few key rules will make these operations easier. For any two functions f( x) and g(x),
Ru le E x a m ple
A ddi tion
If f (x ) = x2 2 ( f + g )( x ) = x + 2 x
an d
g(x)
2x :
S u btra c tion
If f ( x ) = x 2 + 5 and g ( x ) = x 2 + 2 x + 1 : ( f g )( x ) = x 2 + 5 x 2 2 x 1 = 2 x + 4
M u lt ip l ic a t ion
If
f( x )
and
g (x )
x3
8:
D ivis ion
If
f (x )
2x
an d
g(x)
x 2:
Heres a quick rule to follow for all of these operations on functions: Work out the value for both functions separately, and then perform the operation on those two values. Remember that any time you divide functions,
the resulting function is undefined whenever the g( x) in the denominator equals zero. Division by zero is always a no-no.
Wacko Symbols Questions (Algebra in Disguise)

The SAT seems to give itself a cooky thrill by creating odd symbols and then defining those symbols as mathematical functions. For example, a typical symbol SAT question might say,
Le t a @ b be d efin ed as
, w her e
Wh at is th e value o f 4 @ 2 ?
These symbols questions are just snazzy, dressed-to-kill, evaluating functions questions. Answer them by plugging in:
Some students get frazzled when they see odd symbols in their test booklet, which is exactly what the SAT wants. Dont get tripped up on these otherwise easy questions.
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Compound Functions
You know those Russian nesting dolls? Each doll has a smaller and smaller doll inside it? Compound functions are like that. A compound function is a function that operates on another function. Its written out like this: f (g( x)). To evaluate a compound function, first evaluate the internal function, g (x). Next, evaluate the outer function at the result of g( x). Its just double substitution: a classic SAT question that looks much meaner than it really is. Try this example on for size:
Su ppo s e h ( x ) = x 2 + 2 x and j( x ) = |
+ 2 |. Wha t is j (h (4 ))?
First evaluate h(4):
Now plug 24 into the definition of j:
Just make sure you pay attention to the order in which you evaluate the compound function. Always evaluate the inner function first. If the question had asked you to evaluate h (j(4)), youd get a completely different answer:
A s with ordinary evaluating functions questions, the SAT doesnt always give you a constant with which to evaluate compound functions.
Su ppo s e f ( x ) = 3 x + 1 and g (x ) =
. Wha t is g (f ( x ))?
When you arent given a constant, just substitute the definition of f( x) as the input to g( x). Its as if youre being asked to evaluate a signle function at a variable rather than a constant.
Compound Wacko Symbols Questions

The SAT also sometimes asks compound symbols questions. These are exactly the same as compound function questions.
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Le t a#b# c#d be defined fo r all nu m bers by a#b#c#d = ab cd . If x = 6 #3 #5 #4 , then wha t is the v alue o f 7 # x #3 #1 1?
Strange symbols are flying all over the place, and the question is asking you to calculate the value of a strange symbol with a variable in it?! No problem. The answer to this question is only two steps away: 1. Calculate the value of x. 2. Calculate the value of 7#x#3#11 (which wont be very hard, since by step 2, youll know exactly what x equals). Since
Now plug x = 2 into 7#x#3#11:
See, easy. Bland as a boy band.
Domain and Range

Difficult SAT questions on functions test to see if you are the master of your domain and range. Here are the keys to the kingdom.
Domain of a Function
The domain of a function is the set of inputs ( x values) for which the function is defined. 2 1 Consider the functions f( x) = x and g(x ) = /x . In f (x), any value of x can produce a valid result, since any number can be squared. In g (x ), though, not every value of x can generate an output: When x = 0, g(x ) is undefined. While the domain of f(x) is all values of x , the domain of g( x) is x < 0 and x > 0. The domain of the function h (x ) = is even more restricted. Since a negative number has no square root, h (x) has a domain of x > 0.
Finding the Domain of a Function

To find the domain of a given function, first look for any restrictions on the domain. There are two main restrictions for function domain questions to look out for on the SAT: 1. Division by zero. Division by zero is mathematically impossible. A function is therefore undefined for all the values of x for which division by zero occurs. For 1 example, f (x ) = /x -2 is undefined at x = 2, since when x = 2, the function is equal 1 to f (x ) = /0 . 2. Negative numbers under square roots. The square root of a negative number does not exist, so if a function contains a square root, such as , the domain must be x > 0. There are easy-to-spot warning signs that indicate you should look out for either division by zero or negative numbers under square roots. The division by zero warning sign is a variable in the denominator of a fraction. The negative number under square roots warning sign is a variable under a square root (or a variable raised to the 1/2 power). Once youve located the likely problem spots, you can usually find the values to eliminate from the domain pretty easily. You must be itching for an example. Allow us to scratch that itch:
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Wha t is the do m ain o f f (x ) =
f(x ) has variables in its denominator: red flag for the possibility of division by zero. You
may need to restrict the functions domain to ensure that division by zero doesnt occur. To find the values of x that cause the denominator to equal zero, set up an equation equal to zero: x2 + 5x + 6 = 0. A quadratic equation. Ahoy! Factor it: ( x + 2)(x + 3) = 0. So, for x = {2, 3}, the denominator is zero and f(x) is undefined. The domain of f( x) is the set of all real numbers x such that x 2, 3. This can also be written in the form {x : x 2, 3}. Heres another example:
Wha t is the do m ain o f f (x ) =
This function has both warning signs: a variable under a square root and a variable in the denominator. Its best to examine each situation separately: 1. The denominator would equal zero if x = 7. 2. The quantity under the square root, x 4, must be greater than or equal to zero in order for the function to be defined. Therefore, . The domain of the function is therefore the set of real numbers x such that
x 7.
The Range of a Function

A functions range is the set of all values of f(x) that can be generated by the function. The easiest way to think about range is to visualize it on a graph. The domain, which is all the valid values of x in the function, is the x-axis, while the range, all the values of f(x), is the y -axis. Take a look at the following two graphs:
What values of the y-axis are reached on each graph? In the graph on the left, you can see that every possible value of y , from negative infinity to positive infinity, is included in the range. The range could be written as . Contrast this with the graph on the right, where the range is quite limited: Only the values between 1 and 1 are part of the range. So the range is . There are two main warning signs of functions with limited ranges: absolute value and even exponents. Absolute value. The absolute value of a quantity is always positive. So, in a simple case, f (x) = |x |, you know that f(x) must always be positive, and so the range includes only zero and positive numbers: . Never assume that any function with an absolute value symbol has the same range, though. The range of g( x) = |x| is zero and all of the negative numbers: . Even Exponents. Any time you square a number (or raise it to any multiple of 2) the resulting quantity will be positive.
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Finding the Range

Calculating the range of a complex function is similar to finding the domain. First, look for absolute values, even exponents, or other reasons that the range would be restricted. Then adjust that range step by step as you run down the same checklist you use to find the domain.
Wha t is the rang e o f
In this case, the absolute value around | x 3| screams out that the range of f( x) excludes all negative numbers: . |x 3| is then divided by 2, so you have to divide the range by 2. But this division doesnt actually change the range, since both zero and infinity remain unchanged when halved. Now for a more complicated example:
Wha t is the rang e o f
Tackle this example step by step. 1. The absolute value restricts the range to 0 f (x) . 2. Add 4 to each bound of the range. This action only affects the lower bound: 4 f( x) . 3. Taking the square root once again affects only the lower bound: 2 f( x) . 4. Finally, divide the bounds of the range in half to determine the range of the entire function: 1 f( x) . Note that addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and other mathematical operations dont affect infinity. Thats why its particularly important to look for absolute values and even roots. Once you can find a bound on a range that isnt infinity, you know that the operations on the function will affect that range.
The Range of a Function with a Prescribed Domain

Another way that the range of a function could be restricted is if the domain is itself restricted. If the SAT is feeling particularly nasty, itll nail you with this kind of complicated domain and range question:
f (x ) = 2 x 2 + 4 fo r 3 < x < 5 . Wh at is th e ra nge o f f ( x )?
The first thing you have to realize is that theres no reason to assume that the range of the function will be at its high and low points at exactly the bounds of the restricted domain. If you assume that the range of has its high point at 5 and its low point at 3, well, thats exactly what the SAT wants you to assume. Heres where having a graphing calculator is immensely helpful on the new SA T. If you graph , youll see
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You can see from this graph that the low point of the range comes when x = 0 and the high point comes when x = 5. Plug 0 and 5 into the function to get the low and high bounds of the function for the range 3 < x < 5. f(0) = 4. f (5) = 54. So the range is 0 < f(x ) < 54.
Functions As Models
The old SAT constantly got hammered for being a test that didnt have much to do with the real world. The test-writers decided that they didnt want to hear it anymore with the new SAT, and so they created Functions as Models questions, which have nothing to do with Giselle or Tyson Beckford but present information about a real-life scenario and then ask you to pick a function in equation or graph form that best describes the scenario. A Function as Models question with graphs looks something like this:
If te m pe ratu re is f ( x ) a nd tim e is x , which o f the fo llo wing bes t des cribes a bu cke t o f co ld wa te r le ft o utside o n a ho t day ? (A )
(B )
(C )
(D)
(E)
So, whatll happen to a bucket of cold water left outside on a hot day? Itll heat up, of course, so the answers B ... except that this is the real world and the question contains a trick. B shows that bucket heating up forever , when in fact, the water in the bucket cant actually get any hotter than the day itself. So at some point, that rise in temperature has to hit a plateau: A is the answer. A Functions as Models problem that deals with written-out functions looks like this:
A boo ksto re is se lling a pa rticu la r bo o k fo r $ 1 5 pe r co p y. A t this pric e it ha s b een se lling 2 0 co p ie s o f the bo ok eac h d ay. T he sto re o wn er es tim ates th at fo r eve ry do llar red uctio n in the se lling pric e o f the bo o k, da ily sa le s will inc re ase by 2 0 c op ie s. Wha t is the da ily sa les , S , as a func tio n o f price , p ? (A ) S = 2 0 p + 320 (B ) S = 1 5 p + 2 0
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(C )
S =
(D) S = 2 0 p 1 5 (E) S = p + 5
The key to solving this sort of problem is to first define what kind of mathematical function this real-world scenario is describing. Take another look at the question: At $15, the book sells 20 copies, and for each dollar the price goes down, the book sells another 20 copies. In other words, for each dollar decrease in price, sales increase by a fixed amount. Sound like anything to you? How about a linear function, like S = m p + b , where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept. The fixed increase for every change of p is the slope. Since the slope increases 20 units for each dollar decrease in price, that slope must be negative: 2 0. You could now eliminate all the answers but A and D. To find the definitive right answer, though, you have to find b . You can do that by plugging in numbers from the question. You know that when the book costs $ 15 dollars (p ), it sells 20 copies (S ). So, 20 = 20 (15) + b ; 20 = 300 + b ; b = 320 . There you go. A is the answer. If youre a little algebra-phobic, all this might seem very hard to you. But theres another way to go about it. Use the information in the question to build a graph. From the information in the question, you know that at the price of $15, the store sells 20 copies, and that for each dollar less, the store sells 20 more copies. So, in other words, you know the points on this graph: (15,20), (14,40), (13,60)...
This graph doesnt give you the answer, but it does make it clear that youre dealing with a linear graph of slope 20, and that if you just keep on counting back to where p = 0 , youll get the y -intercept.
Defeating Word Problems

Before you can solve an equation, you first need an equation to solve. Word problems give you all the information you need to answer the questionbut in English. On the SAT, you must be able to translate that information into math.
In a s ack o f 5 0 m arbles, the re a re 2 0 m o re red m a rbles than blue m a rbles . A ll o f the m arbles in th e sac k are e ithe r red o r blue . Ho w m any b lue m a rb le s a re in th e sac k?
When youre turning a word problem into an equation (or equations) there are four things you have to do: 1. 2. 3. 4. Know what the question is asking. Assign variables. Define mathematical relationships between the variables. Show the problem whos boss.
1. Know what the question is asking.

Well, isnt it obvious what the question is asking? It wants to know how many blue marbles are in the sack. It doesnt get any more obvious than that. Youre right, but there are reasons we stress this point so seriously. How many blue marbles are in the sack? is not
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what the question is asking you. What its really asking is, How many blue marbles are in a sack that contains 50 total marbles, out of which 20 more are red than blue? This is the true question, because it identifies all the relationships and contains all the information that the question describes. SAT word problems can make even simple equations sound complicated and messy. Restating the question is a good way to clean things up.
2. Assign variables.
The question tells you the total number of marbles, and it says that there are red and blue marbles. You dont need a variable for total marbles, since you know the total is 50, but you do need variables for the red and blue marbles, since those are unknown quantities. Pick whatever ones you like. How about r and b ?
3. Define mathematical relationships between variables.

Okay. You know from the question that the 5 0 total marbles are made up of red and blue marbles. So 50 = r + b . The question also tells you that the sack contains 20 more red marbles than blue marbles. So the number of red marbles is 20 more than the number of blue marbles: r = b + 20. Just like that, youve taken all the information and put it into mathematical form.
4. Show the problem whos boss.
Once youve got the word problem translated, solving is a cinch. Your e looking for how many blue marbles are in a sack that contains 50 total marbles, out of which 20 more are red than blue. So, in the equation with total marbles, red marbles, and blue marbles, youre looking for blue marbles. A little manipulating does the trick: b = 50 r . And since you know that r = b + 20 , you can substitute b + 20 for r to get b = 50 ( b + 20) . Solve: r = 50 r 20 ; 2 r = 3 0 ; r = 1 5.
An Example
Heres a longer, more complicated problem. Conquer it with the same four-step technique:
Gus n eed s to pa in t his ho u se, which ha s a s urfa ce a rea o f x s qua re feet . T he b ra nd o f pa in t he buy s (at a price o f p do lla rs a can ) co m e s in ca ns th at co ver y s quare fe e t ea ch. Ho w m uch wil l i t co s t him to pa in t his ho us e?
1. Know what the question is asking.

What is the cost of the paint Gus needs to buy if he needs to cover a total of x square feet, when each can costs p dollars and covers y square feet?
2. Assign variables.
The question assigns almost all of the variables for you: x is total square feet that need painting in the house, p is the price of a can of paint, and y is the square feet that each can of paint can cover. Nice! You just need a variable for that total cost. How about t ?
3. Define mathematical relationships between variables.

Since p is the price of a can of paint, and you need to find the total cost of buying paint, you must find the number of cans of paint that Gus has to buy . . . look at that! You need another variable for numbers of cans of paint. How about n ? (This happens sometimes: Youll find out that there is a variable you need that is implied by the problem but not explicitly mentioned.) So t = np . Now to find n . Use the information the problem gives you. It tells you the total square feet ( x ) and the square feet covered per can (y ), which means that if you were to divide x by y , youd get the number of cans:
4. Show the problem whos boss.
Youve got the relationships between the variables mapped out. Plug the equation for n into the t = np and youve got the total cost:
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Unlike the rule of doing the same thing to both sides of the equation, theres no universal rule stating that you must follow the three steps weve just explained. But we think following these steps will help you get a handle on every SAT world problem, no matter how long and gnarly it is.
The Most Common Word Problems

Word problems come in all shapes and sizes. But each and every year, the SAT includes certain particular varieties. Weve got the skinny on em.
Rates
A rate is a ratio of related qualities that have different units. For example, speed is a rate that relates the two quantities of distance and time. Here is the general rate formula: No matter the specifics, the key to a rate word problem is in correctly placing the given information in the three categories: A , r , and B . Then, you can substitute the values into the rate formula. We look at the three most common types of rate: speed, work, and price.
Speed
In the case of speed, time is quantity A and distance is quantity B . For example, if you traveled for 4 hours at 25 miles per hour, then
Usually, the new SAT wont simply give you one of the quantities and the rate and ask you to plug it into the rate formula. Since rate questions are always in the form of word problems, the information that youll need to solve the problem often given in the befuddling complicated manner youve grown to know and hate. Heres an example:
J im ro lle rska te s 6 m iles per h o ur. O ne m o rning, J im star ts ro lle rsk atin g a nd do e snt sto p un til h e h as go ne 6 0 m ile s. H o w m any ho urs d id h e s pe nd ro lle rsk ating ?
This question provides more information than simply the speed and one of the quantities. You get unnecessary facts such as how Jim is traveling (by rollerskates) and when he started (in the morning). Ignore them and focus on the facts you need to solve the problem. Quantity A: x hours rollerskating Rate: 6 miles per hour Quantity B: 60 miles
Heres a more difficult rate problem:

A t a cy cling ra ce , the cy cl is t fro m C al ifo rn ia can c ycle 5 2 8 ,0 00 fe et pe r h o ur . If the race is 4 8 0 m ile s lo ng, ho w lo ng will it tak e h e r to fin is h the race ? (1 m ile = 5 280 feet)
You should immediately pick out the given rate of 528,000 feet per hour and notice that the total distance traveled is 480 miles. You should also notice that the question presents a units problem: The given rate is in feet per hour, while the total distance traveled is given in miles. Sometimes a question gives you inconsistent units, as in this example. Always read over the problem carefully and dont forget to adjust the unitsthe SAT make sure that the answer you would come to if you had forgotten to correct for units appears among the answer choices.
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For the cycling question, since the question tells you that there are 5,280 feet in a mile, you can find the rate for miles per hour:
Now you can plug the information into the rate formula: Time: x hours cycling Rate: 100 miles per hour Distance: 480 miles
Work
Work sucks. Youre there from 9 to 5 and, at best, you get two weeks off per year, and youve got a boss constantly checking up on you. Work word problems on the SA T are a breeze in comparison. On work word problems, youll usually find the first quantity measured in time (t), the second quantity measured in work done (w), and the rate measured in work done per time (r ). For example, if you knitted for 8 hours and produced 2 sweaters per hour, then
Heres a sample work problem. Its one of the harder rate word problems you might come across on the SA T:
Fo ur wo rke rs c an dig a 4 0 - fo o t well in 4 day s. H o w lo n g wo uld it ta ke fo r 8 wo rke rs to dig a 6 0 -fo o t well? As sum e that thes e 8 wo rke rs wo rk at the sam e pa ce as th e 4 wo rke rs .
First, examine what that problem says: 4 workers can dig a 40-foot well in 4 days. You know how much total work was done and how many people did it, you just dont know the rate at which the workers worked. You need that rate, since the 8 workers digging the 60foot wells are working at the same rate. Since , you can get the rate by dividing 40 by 4, which equals 10. The workers together dig at a pace of 10 feet per day. Now for that group of 8 workers digging a 60-foot well. The total work (w) done by the 8 workers is 60 feet, and they work at a rate (r) of 10 feet per day per 4 workers. Can you use this information to answer the question? Oh yeah. The rate of 10 feet per day per 4 workers converts to 20 feet per day per 8 workers, which is the size of the new crew. Now you can use the rate formula: Time: x days of work Rate: 20 feet per day per 8 workers Work Done (in this case, distance dug): 60 feet
This last problem required a little bit of creativitybut nothing you cant handle. Just remember the classic rate formula and use it wisely.
Price
In rate questions dealing with price, youll usually find the first quantity measured in numbers of items, the second measured in price, and the rate in price per item. If you have 8 basketballs, and you know that each basketball costs $25,
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Exponential Growth and Decay

Exponential growth and decay problems are like percent change problems on steroids: You must perform a percent change over and over again. You can use exponents on these repeated percent change questions. Heres an example:
If a p o pu la tio n o f 1 0 0 gro ws by 5 % per y ear , ho w large will the po p ulatio n b e in 50 ye ars?
You could do two things to solve this problem. You could multiply each successive generation by 5% fifty times to get the final answer, or you could use this formula:
Final Amount = Origina l Amount (1 + Growth Rate)(numb e r of cha nge s)
The formula is probably the better bet. So, to solve this problem,
Exponential decay only slightly modifies the formula:

Final Amount = Origina l Amount (1 Growth Rate)
(num be r of cha nge s )
Exponential decay is often used to model population decreases as well as the decay of physical mass. Well work through a few example problems to get a feel for both exponential growth and decay problems.
A Simple Exponential Growth Problem

A pop ulatio n o f bac te ria g ro ws by 3 5 % ev ery h o ur. If the p o pulatio n beg in s with 1 0 0 sp ecim en s, h o w m any are the re afte r 6 h o urs?
Youve got an original population of 100, a growth rate of .35 every hour, and 6 hours. To solve the problem, you just need to plug the appropriate values into the formula for exponential growth.
A Simple Exponential Decay Problem

A fu lly in flated bea ch ba ll lo s es 6 % o f its air ev e ry da y. If the b eac h b all o rig in al ly co ntains 40 0 0 cub ic c entim ete rs o f ai r, h o w m a ny cu bic cen tim ete rs do es it ho ld a fter 1 0 days?
Since the beach ball loses air, you know this is an exponential decay problem. The decay rate is .06, the original amount is 4000 cubic centimeters of air, and the time is 10 days. Plugging the information into the formula,
A More Annoying Exponential Growth Problem

A bank o ffers a 4 .7 % interes t ra te o n all s aving s acco un ts , per m o nth. If 1 00 0 d o lla rs is init ia lly put into a sa vings ac co unt, ho w m uch m o n ey will the ac co un t ho ld two ye ars la te r?
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This problem is a bit tricky because the interest rate is per month, while the time period is given in years. You need to make the units match up. In the two-year time period given by the question, there will be 2 12 = 24 months
Heres another compounding problem:

B e n p uts $ 2 00 0 into a s av in gs acco un t th at pa ys 5 % inte rest co m po und ed ann ually. J ustin pu ts $ 2 50 0 into a differen t sav in gs acc o un t th at pay s 4 % annua lly. A fte r 1 5 ye ars, who se acc o un t w il l ha ve m o re m o ne y in it i f no m o re m o n ey is add ed o r su btrac te d fro m the p rinc ip a l?
Bens account will have $2000 1.0515 $4157.85 in it after 15 years. Justins account will have $2500 1.0415 $4502.36 in it. Justins account will still have more money in it than Bens after 15 years. Notice, however, that Bens account is gaining on Justins account. And with that, youve covered everything you need to know to rock SA T algebra. Geometrys next.
Geometry
OF THE FOUR MAJOR SAT MATH TOPICS, GEOMETRY IS the least affected by the new SAT. Sure, it throws in some new tidbits here and there, like tangent lines, transformations, and a new emphasis on proper geometric notation. But, essentially, if you could handle the geometry for the old SAT, youre set for the new SAT as well.
A Basic Review of the Basics

Heres a quick review of the fundamental concepts and ideas of geometry. SAT questions assume you know these topics and will throw around basic geometry jargon, so you need to have the fundamentals down pat.
Points
A point is a way to describe a specific location in space. Below, the point B is pictured. Isnt it lovely? A point has no length or width. Though in the picture, point B is a black dot, in real life points take up no space. Points are useful for identifying specific locations but are not objects in themselves. They only appear as objects when drawn on a page.
Lines
A line is an infinite set of points assembled in a straight formation. A line has no thickness but is infinitely long in both directions. To form a line, take any two points, A and B , and draw a straight line through them. The resulting line is a called line AB . A line can be drawn through any two points.
Line Segments
A line segment is the portion of a line that lies between two points on that linein this example, the portion between points A and B make up a line segment. Whereas a line has infinite length, a line segment has a finite length. A line segment is named by the two points it lies between A line segment can be drawn between any two points.
Rays
Imagine a line and a line segment mating. The result is a ray, a cross between a line and a line segment. It extends infinitely in one direction but not the other. A ray is named by its endpoint and another point that it passes through.
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Okay. Painless basic geometric knowledge: acquired. That was quick. Now on to the real meat and potatoes of the geometry that the new SAT tests.
A Note on Notation
The new SAT now uses standard geometric notation to indicate lines, line segments, rays, length, and congruence. Why is this a big deal? Because it makes interpreting questions and drawing figures more difficult. Its possible that if you dont know the notation, you wont know what the question is asking you to do. So heres a list of the correct notation. Memorize it.
Finally, you need to know the term congruent, which means exactly the same or equal. The new SAT may also test to see if you know the symbol that indicates congruence. To say that angle A is congruent to angle B , youd write: .
Angles and Lines

An angle is a geometric figure consisting of two lines, rays, or line segments that share a common endpoint called a vertex:
In the angle above, the vertex is point A . The angle can be called either angle CAB or angle BAC . The only rule for naming an angle is that the vertex must be the middle initial of the angle. The SAT may also refer to angles using symbols: .
Degrees
Angles are measured in degrees, which have nothing to do with Nelly or temperature. Geometric degrees are sometimes denoted by this little guy: . There are 360 in a complete rotation around a point (thats why a circle has 360).
Two Lines Meet in a Bar...

When two lines meet, they produce angles. And when two lines meet, they form four angles! That must be exhausting.
These arent just any old four angles, either. Together, the angles encompass one full revolution around the point of intersection of the two lines. So, the four angles produced by two intersection lines total 360: angle a + b + c + d = 360.
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If you know the value of three of the four angles formed by intersecting lines, you can always find the value of the fourth.
Types of Angles
The different types of angles are named and categorized according to their number of degrees.
Zero Angles
A zero angle has, you guessed it, 0. To visualize a zero angle, first picture two lines that form some angle greater than 0. Then imagine one of the lines rotating toward the other until they both fall on the same line. The angle they create has shrunk from its original measure to 0, forming a zero angle:
Right Angles
For some reason, an angle with a measure of 90 is called a right angle. For some other reason, right angles are symbolized with a square drawn in the corner of the angle. Whenever you see that reliable little square, you know youre dealing with a right angle.
Right angles are extremely important on the SAT. They appear in math questions all the time. Knowing their special properties will help you solve right angle questions. We give you a detailed look at those properties a little later in this chapter. For now, just remember: Always be on the lookout for right angles on the SA T.
Straight Angles
An angle with a measure of 180 is called a straight angle. It looks just like a line. Dont confuse straight angles with zero angles, which look like a single ray.
Acute and Obtuse Angles

An angle can also be classified according to whether its measure is greater or less than 90. If an angle measures less than 90, its called an acute angle. If it measures more than 90, its called an obtuse angle. Right angles are neither acute nor obtuse. Theyre just right. In the picture below, is acute, while is obtuse.
Complementary and Supplementary Angles

Special names are given to pairs of angles whose sums equal either 90 or 180. Angles whose sum is 90 are called complementary angles, while angles whose sum is 180 are called supplementary angles.
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In the picture above, and are complementary, since together they make up a right angle. Angles and are supplementary, since they make up a straight line. On the SAT, youll have to use the rules of complementary and supplementary angles to figure out the degree measure of an angle.
In the dia gra m be lo w, A C is a line . Wha t is x in deg re e s?
The picture tells you that is 113, but how many degrees is Well, since you know that AC is a line, must be a straight angle (meaning it equals 180). So and are supplementary angles that add up to 180. To find out the value of you can simply take 180 and subtract 113. = 67.
Vertical Angles
When two lines (or line segments) intersect, the angles that lie opposite each other, called vertical angles, are always equal.
Angles and are vertical angles and are therefore equal. Angles and are also vertical (and equal) angles. We promise that the SAT will ask you at least one question involving vertical angles. Promise.
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

Pairs of lines that never intersect are parallel. Parallel lines appear to line up right next to each other because they never meet in space. However, on the SAT, you cant assume two lines are parallel just because they look parallel. The SAT will tell you if two lines are parallel.
Lines (or segments) are perpendicular if their intersection forms a right angle. And if one of the angles formed by the intersection of two lines or segments is a right angle, then all four angles created will also be right angles. By the way, this also shows that the degree measurement of four angles formed by two intersecting lines will add up to 360, since 90 + 90 + 90 + 90 = 360.
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A s with parallel lines, dont assume that lines on the SAT are perpendicular unless the SAT tells you they are. The SAT will tell you either in words (lines a and b are parallel) or by using the little reliable box to show that the angles are 90.
Parallel Lines Cut by a Transversal

A transversal is a line that cuts through two parallel lines. The SAT loves to cut parallel lines with transversals. Who knows why? Not us. But we know how to get those questions right, and you will too. A transversal creates eight angles when it intersects with two parallel lines. The eight angles created by these two intersections have special relationships to each other.
You now have a choice to make: (1) spend all day figuring out these relationships, or (2) use our list. Good choice: Angles 1, 4, 5, and 8 are equal to each other because theyre vertical angles. Angles 2, 3, 6, and 7 are equal to each other because theyre vertical angles. The sum of any two adjacent angles, such as 1 and 2 or 7 and 8, equals 180, because these are supplementary angles.
B y using these three rules, you can figure out the degrees of angles that may seem unrelated. For example, since angles 1 and 2 sum to 180, and since angles 2 and 7 are equal, the sum of angles 1 and 7 also equals 180. The SAT will almost definitely include a question that asks you to solve for an angle whose measurement at first glance seems impossible to determine.
Triangles
Triangles pop up all over the Math section. There are questions specifically about triangles, questions that ask about triangles inscribed in polygons and circles, and questions about triangles in coordinate geometry.
Three Sides, Four Fundamental Properties

Every triangle, no matter how special, follows four main rules.
1. Sum of the Interior Angles

If you were trapped on a deserted island with tons of SAT questions about triangles, this is the one rule youd need to know: The sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180.
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If you know the measures of two of a triangles angles, youll always be able to find the third by subtracting the sum of the first two from 180.
2. Measure of an Exterior Angle

The exterior angle of a triangle is always supplementary to the interior angle with which it shares a vertex and equal to the sum of the measures of the remote interior angles. An exterior angle of a triangle is the angle formed by extending one of the sides of the triangle past a vertex. In the image below, d is the exterior angle.
Since d and c together form a straight angle, they are supplementary: According to the first rule of triangles, the three angles of a triangle always add up to so . Since and , d must equal a + b .
. ,
3. Triangle Inequality Rule

If triangles got together to write a declaration of independence, theyd have a tough time, since one of their defining rules would be this: The length of any side of a triangle will always be less than the sum of the lengths of the other two sides and greater than the difference of the lengths of the other two sides. There you have it: Triangles are unequal by definition. Take a look at the figure below:
The triangle inequality rule says that c b < a < c + b . The exact length of side a depends on the measure of the angle created by sides b and c . Witness this triangle:
Using the triangle inequality rule, you can tell that 9 4 < x < 9 + 4, or 5 < x < 13. The exact value of x depends on the measure of the angle opposite side x . If this angle is large (close to ) then x will be large (close to 13). If this angle is small (close to ), then x will be small (close to 5). The triangle inequality rule means that if you know the length of two sides of any triangle, you will always know the range of possible side lengths for the third side. On some SAT triangle questions, thats all youll need.
4. Proportionality of Triangles
Heres the final fundamental triangle property. This one explains the relationships between the angles of a triangle and the lengths of the triangles sides.
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In every triangle, the longest side is opposite the largest angle and the shortest side is opposite the smallest angle.
In this figure, side a is clearly c is the shortest side and proportionality of side lengths See if you can use this rule to
the longest side and is the largest angle. Meanwhile, side is the smallest angle. So c < b < a and C < B < A . This and angle measures holds true for all triangles. solve the question below:
Wha t is o ne po s sible va lu e o f x if ang le C < A < B ? (A ) 1 (B ) 6 (C ) 7 (D) 1 0 (E) 1 5
According to the proportionality of triangles rule, the longest side of a triangle is opposite the largest angle. Likewise, the shortest side of a triangle is opposite the smallest angle. The largest angle in triangle ABC is , which is opposite the side of length 8. The smallest angle in triangle ABC is , which is opposite the side of length 6. This means that the third side, of length x , measures between 6 and 8 units in length. The only choice that fits the criteria is 7. C is the correct answer.
Special Triangles
Special triangles are special not because they get to follow fewer rules than other triangles but because they get to follow more. Each type of special triangle has its own special name: isosceles , equilateral, and right. Knowing the properties of each will help you tremendously, humongously, a lot, on the SAT. But first we have to take a second to explain the markings we use to describe the properties of special triangles. The little arcs and ticks drawn in the figure below show that this triangle has two sides of equal length and three equal angle pairs. The sides that each have one tick through them are equal, as are the sides that each have two ticks through them. The angles with one little arc are equal to each other, the angles with two little arcs are equal to each other, and the angles with three little arcs are all equal to each other.
Isosceles Triangles
In ancient Greece, Isosceles was the god of triangles. His legs were of perfectly equal length and formed two opposing congruent angles when he stood up straight. Isosceles
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triangles share many of the same properties, naturally. An isosceles triangle has two sides of equal length, and those two sides are opposite congruent angles. These equal angles are usually called as base angles. In the isosceles triangle below, side a = b and :
If you know the value of one of the base angles in an isosceles triangle, you can figure out all the angles. Lets say youve got an isosceles triangle with a base angle of 35. Since you know isosceles triangles have two congruent base angles by definition, you know that the other base angle is also 35. A ll three angles in a triangle must always add up to 180, right? Correct. That means you can also figure out the value of the third angle: 180 35 35 = 110.
Equilateral Triangles
An equilateral triangle has three equal sides and three congruent 60 angles.
Based on the proportionality rule, if a triangle has three equal sides, that triangle must also have three equal angles. Similarly, if you know that a triangle has three equal angles, then you know it also has three equal sides.
Right Triangles
A triangle that contains a right angle is called a right triangle. The side opposite the right angle is called the hypotenuse. The other two sides are called legs. The angles opposite the legs of a right triangle are complementary (they add up to 90).
In the figure above, is the right angle (as indicated by the box drawn in the angle), side c is the hypotenuse, and sides a and b are the legs. If triangles are an SAT favorite, then right triangles are SAT darlings. In other words, know these rules. And know the Pythagorean theorem.
The Pythagorean Theorem

The Greeks spent a lot of time reading, eating grapes, and riding around on donkeys. They also enjoyed the occasional mathematical epiphany. One day, Pythagoras discovered that the sum of the squares of the two legs of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse. Eureka! he said, and the SAT had a new topic to test. Heres the Pythagorean theorem: In a right triangle, a2 + b2 = c2 :
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where c is the length of the hypotenuse and a and b are the lengths of the two legs. The Pythagorean theorem means that if you know the measures of two sides of a right triangle, you can always find the third. Eureka! you say. PYT HAG O REA N TRIPLE S Because right triangles obey the Pythagorean theorem, only a specific few have side lengths that are all integers. For example, a right triangle with legs of length 3 and 5 has a hypotenuse of length = 5.83. The few sets of three integers that do obey the Pythagorean theorem and can therefore be the lengths of the sides of a right triangle are called Pythagorean triples. Here are some common ones:
{3, {5, {7, {8, 4, 5} 12, 13} 24, 25} 15, 17}
In addition to these Pythagorean triples, you should also watch out for their multiples. For example, {6, 8, 10} is a Pythagorean triple, since it is a multiple of {3, 4, 5}. The SAT is full of right triangles whose side lengths are Pythagorean triples. Study the ones above and their multiples. Identifying Pythagorean triples will help you cut the amount of time you spend doing calculations. In fact, you may not have to do any calculations if you get these down cold.
Extra-Special Right Triangles

Right triangles are pretty special in their own right. But there are two extra-special right triangles. They are 30-60-90 triangles and 45-45-90 triangles, and they appear all the time on the SAT. In fact, knowing the rules of these two special triangles will open up all sorts of time-saving possibilities for you on the test. Very, very often, instead of having to work out the Pythagorean theorem, youll be able to apply the standard side ratios of either of these two types of triangles, cutting out all the time you need to spend calculating.
30-60-90 Triangles
The guy who named 30-60-90 triangles didnt have much of an imagination. These triangles have angles of , , and . Whats so special about that? This: The side lengths of 30-60-90 triangles always follow a specific pattern. Suppose the short leg, opposite the 30 angle, has length x. Then the hypotenuse has length 2x, and the long leg, opposite the 60 angle, has length x . The sides of every 30-60-90 triangle will follow this ratio of 1: :2.
This constant ratio means that if you know the length of just one side in the triangle, youll immediately be able to calculate the lengths of all the sides. If, for example, you know that
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the side opposite the 30 angle is 2 meters long, then by using the 1: : 2 ratio, you can work out that the hypotenuse is 4 meters long, and the leg opposite the 60 angle is 2 meters. And theres another amazing thing about 30-60-90 triangles. Two of these triangles joined at the side opposite the 60 angle will form an equilateral triangle.
Heres why you need to pay attention to this extra-special feature of 30-60-90 triangles. If you know the side length of an equilateral triangle, you can figure out the triangles height: Divide the side length by two and multiply it by . Similarly, if you drop a perpendicular bisector (this is the term the SAT uses) from any vertex of an equilateral triangle to the base on the far side, youll have cut that triangle into two 30-60-90 triangles. Knowing how equilateral and 30-60-90 triangles relate is incredibly helpful on triangle, polygon, and even solids questions on the SAT. Quite often, youll be able to break down these large shapes into a number of special triangles, and then you can use the side ratios to figure out whatever you need to know.
45-45-90 Triangles
A 45-45-90 triangle is a triangle with two angles of 45 and one right angle. Its sometimes called an isosceles right triangle, since its both isosceles and right. Like the 30-60-90 triangle, the lengths of the sides of a 45-45-90 triangle also follow a specific pattern. If the legs are of length x (the legs will always be equal), then the hypotenuse has length x :
Know this 1: 1: ratio for 45-45-90 triangles. It will save you time and may even save your butt. A lso, just as two 30-60-90 triangles form an equilateral triangles, two 45-45-90 triangles form a square. We explain the colossal importance of this fact when we cover polygons a little later in this chapter.
Similar Triangles
Similar triangles have the same shape but not necessarily the same size. Or, if you prefer more math-geek jargon, two triangles are similar if the ratio of the lengths of their corresponding sides is constant (which you now know means that their corresponding angles must be congruent). Take a look at a few similar triangles:
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A s you may have assumed from the figure above, the symbol for is similar to is ~. So, if triangle ABC is similar to triangle DEF , we write ABC ~ DEF. There are two crucial facts about similar triangles. Corresponding angles of similar triangles are identical. Corresponding sides of similar triangles are proportional.
For ABC ~ DEF, the corresponding angles are The AB BC CA corresponding sides are /DE = /EF = / FD. The SAT usually tests similarity by presenting you with a single triangle that contains a line segment parallel to one base. This line segment creates a second, smaller, similar triangle. In the figure below, for example, line segment DE is parallel to CB , and triangle ABC is similar to triangle AE .
A fter presenting you with a diagram like the one above, the SAT will ask a question like this:
If
= 6 a nd
, wha t is
Notice that this question doesnt tell you outright that DE and CB are parallel. But it does tell you that both lines form the same angle, x, when they intersect with BA , so you should be able to figure out that theyre parallel. And once you see that theyre parallel, you should immediately recognize that ABC ~ AED and that the corresponding sides of the two triangles are in constant proportion. The question tells you what this proportion is when it tells you that AD = 2 /3AC . To solve for DE , plug it into the proportion along with CB :
Congruent Triangles
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Congruent triangles are identical. Some SAT questions may state directly that two triangles are congruent. Others may include congruent triangles without explicit mention, however. Two triangles are congruent if they meet any of the following criteria: 1. All the corresponding sides of the two triangles are equal. This is known as the Side-Side-Side (SSS) method of determining congruency.
2. The corresponding sides of each triangle are equal, and the mutual angles between those corresponding sides are also equal. This is known as the Side-Angle-Side (SAS) method of determining congruency
. 3. The two triangles share two equal corresponding angles and also share any pair of corresponding sides. This is known as the Angle-Side-Angle (ASA) method of determining congruency
Perimeter of a Triangle
The perimeter of a triangle is equal to the sum of the lengths of the triangles three sides. If a triangle has sides of lengths 4, 6, and 9, then its perimeter is 4 + 6 + 9 = 19. Easy. Done and done.
Area of a Triangle
The formula for the area of a triangle is
where b is the length of a base of the triangle, and h is height (also called the altitude). The heights of a few triangles are pictured below with their altitudes drawn in as dotted lines.
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We said a base above instead of the base because you can actually use any of the three sides of the triangle as the base; a triangle has no particular side that has to be the base. You get to choose. The SAT may test the area of a triangle in a few ways. It might just tell you the altitude and the length of the base, in which case you could just plug the numbers into the formula. But you probably wont get such an easy question. Its more likely that youll have to find the altitude, using other tools and techniques from plane geometry. For example, try to find the area of the triangle below:
To find the area of this triangle, draw in the altitude from the base (of length 9) to the opposite vertex. Notice that now you have two triangles, and one of them (the smaller one on the right) is a 30-60-90 triangle.
The hypotenuse of this 30-60-90 triangle is 4, so according to the ratio 1: : 2, the short side must be 2 and the medium side, which is also the altitude of the original triangle, is 2 . Now you can plug the base and altitude into the formula to find the area of the 1 1 original triangle: / 2bh = /2(9)(2 ) = 9 .
Trig or Treat?
The new SAT includes trigonometry? Yikes! If youve heard people talking this particular kind of jive, dont listen to it. The people freaking out dont know anything about the test. Heres what the actual SAT people say about trig questions on the new SAT: These questions can be answered by using trigonometric methods, but may also be answered using other methods. You will never have to use trig to solve a problem, and well come right out and say it: You never should use trig. Thats right. Well even quote us on that: You never should use trig. The questions on which you could (but shouldnt) use trig on the new SAT will cover 30-6090 and 45-45-90 triangles. And the methods you already learned in this book for dealing with those triangles are faster and easier than using trig. So forget trig.
Polygons
A polygon is a two-dimensional figure with three or more straight sides. (So triangles are actually a type of polygon.) Polygons are named according to the number of sides they have.
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A ll polygons, no matter how many sides they possess, share certain characteristics: The sum of the interior angles of a polygon with n sides is (n 2) . For instance, the sum of the interior angles of an octagon is (8 2) =6 = . The sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is . The perimeter of a polygon is the sum of the lengths of its sides. The perimeter of the hexagon below is 5 + 4 + 3 + 8 + 6 + 9 = 35.
Regular Polygons
The polygon whose perimeter you just calculated was an irregular polygon. But most of the polygons on the SAT are regular: Their sides are of equal length and their angles congruent. Neither of these conditions can exist without the other. If the sides are all equal, the angles will all be congruent, and vice versa. In the diagram below, youll see, from left to right, a regular pentagon, a regular octagon, and a square (also known as a regular quadrilateral):
Quadrilaterals
Good news: Most polygons on the SAT have just four sides. You wont have to tangle with any dodecahedrons on the SAT you take. But this silver cloud actually has a dark lining: There are five different types of quadrilaterals that pop up on the test. These five quadrilaterals are trapezoids, parallelograms, rectangles, rhombuses, and squares.
Trapezoids
A trapezoid may sound like a new Star Wars character. Certainly, it would be less annoying than Jar Jar Binks. But its actually the name of a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides and one pair of nonparallel sides.
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In this trapezoid, AB is parallel to CD (shown by the arrow marks), whereas AC and BD are not parallel. The formula for the area of a trapezoid is
where s1 and s2 are the lengths trapezoid), and h is the height. In from one base to the other. To find the area of a trapezoid on triangles. Try to find the area of the
of the parallel sides (also called the bases of the a trapezoid, the height is the perpendicular distance the SAT, youll often have to use your knowledge of trapezoid pictured below:
The question tells you the length of the bases of this trapezoid, 6 and 10. But to find the area, you first need to find the height. To do that, split the trapezoid into a rectangle and a 45-45-90 triangle by drawing in the height.
Once, youve drawn in the height, you can split the base thats equal to 10 into two parts: The base of the rectangle is 6, and the leg of the triangle is 4. Since the triangle is 45-4590, the two legs must be equal. This leg, though, is also the height of the trapezoid. So the height of the trapezoid is 4. Now you can plug the numbers into the formula:
Parallelogram
A parallelogram is a quadrilateral whose opposite sides are parallel.
In a parallelogram, Opposite sides are equal in length: BC = AD and AB = DC Opposite angles are equal: and Adjacent angles are supplementary: The diagonals bisect (split) each other: BE = ED and AE = EC One diagonal splits a parallelogram into two congruent triangles: Two diagonals split a parallelogram into two pairs of congruent triangles: and
The area of a parallelogram is given by the formula
where b is the length of the base, and h is the height.
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Rectangles
A rectangle is a quadrilateral in which the opposite sides are parallel and the interior angles are all right angles. Another way to look at rectangles is as parallelograms in which the angles are all right angles. As with parallelograms, the opposite sides of a rectangle are equal.
The formula for the area of a rectangle is
where b is the length of the base, and h is the height. The diagonals of a rectangle are always equal to each other. And one diagonal through the rectangle cuts the rectangle into two equal right triangles. In the figure below, the diagonal B D cuts rectangle ABCD into congruent right triangles ABD and BCD.
Since the diagonal of the rectangle forms right triangles that include the diagonal and two sides of the rectangle, if you know two of these values, you can always calculate the third with the Pythagorean theorem. If you know the side lengths of the rectangle, you can calculate the diagonal. If you know the diagonal and one side length, you can calculate the other side. Also, keep in mind that the diagonal might cut the rectangle into a 30-60-90 triangle. That would make your calculating job even easier.
Rhombus
A rhombus is a specialized parallelogram in which all four sides are of equal length.
In a rhombus, All four sides are equal: AD = DC = CB = BA The diagonals bisect each other and form perpendicular lines (but note that the diagonals are not equal in length) The diagonals bisect the vertex angles
The formula for the area of a rhombus is
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where b is the length of the base and h is the height. To find the area of a rhombus on the SAT (you guessed it), youll probably have to split it into triangles:
If A B CD is a rho m bus , A C = 4 , and A B D is an equilate ra l tr iangle , what is the a rea o f the rh o m bus ?
Since ABD is an equilateral triangle, the length of each side of the rhombus must be 4, and angles ADB and ABD are 60. All you have to do is find the height of the rhombus. Draw an altitude from A to DC to create a 30-60-90 triangle.
Since the hypotenuse of the 30-60-90 triangle is 4, you can use the ratio 1: :2 to calculate that the length of this altitude is 2 . The area formula for a rhombus is bh , so the area of this rhombus is 4 2 =8 .
Square
A square combines the special features of the rectangle and rhombus: All its angles are 90, and all four of its sides are equal in length.
The square has two more crucial special qualities. In a square, Diagonals bisect each other at right angles and are equal in length. Diagonals bisect the vertex angles to create 45 angles. (This means that one diagonal will cut the square into two 45-45-90 triangles, while two diagonals break the square into four 45-45-90 triangles.)
The formula for the area of a square is
where s is the length of a side of the square.
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Because a diagonal drawn into the square forms two congruent 45-45-90 triangles, if you know the length of one side of the square, you can always calculate the length of the diagonal:
Since d is the hypotenuse of the 45-45-90 triangle that has legs of length 5, according to the ratio 1:1: , you know that . Similarly, if you know the length of the diagonal, you can calculate the length of the sides of the square.
Circles
A circle is the collection of points equidistant from a given point, called the center . A circle is named after its center point. The distance from the center to any point on the circle is called the radius, (r ), the most important measurement in a circle. If you know a circles radius, you can figure out all its other characteristics. The diameter (d) of a circle is twice as long as the radius (d = 2r ) and stretches between endpoints on the circle, passing through the center. A chord also extends from endpoint to endpoint on the circle, but it does not necessarily pass through the center. In the figure below, point C is the center of the circle, r is the radius, and AB is a chord.
Tangent Lines
Tangents are lines that intersect a circle at only one point. Tangents are a new addition to the SAT. You can bet that the new SAT will make sure to cram at least one tangent question into every test. Just like everything else in geometry, tangent lines are defined by certain fixed rules. Know these rules and youll be able to handle anything the SA T throws at you. Heres the first: A radius whose endpoint is the intersection point of the tangent line and the circle is always perpendicular to the tangent line. See?
And the second rule: Every point in space outside the circle can extend exactly two tangent lines to the circle. The distance from the origin of the two tangents to the points of tangency are always equal. In the figure below, XY = XZ .
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Tangents and Triangles

Tangent lines are most likely to appear in conjunction with triangles.
Wha t is the a r ea o f tr ia ngle Q RS if RS is ta nge nt to c ircle Q ?
You can answer this question only if you know the rules of circles and tangent lines. The question doesnt tell you that QR is the radius of the circle; you just have to know it: Because the circle is named circle Q , point Q must be the center of the circle, and any line drawn from the center to the edge of the circle is the radius. The question also doesnt tell you that QR is perpendicular to RS . You have to know that theyre perpendicular because QR is a radius and RS is a tangent that meet at the same point. If you know how to deduce those key facts about this circle, then the actual math in the question is simple. Since QR and RS are perpendicular, and angle RQS is 60, triangle QRS is a 30-60-90 triangle. The image tells you that side QR , the side opposite the 30 angle equals 4. Side QR is the height of the triangle. To calculate the area, you just have to figure out which of the other two sides is the base. Since the height and base of the triangle must be perpendicular to each other, side RS must be the base. To find RS , use the 1: :2 ratio. RS is the side opposite 60, so its the side: RS = 4 . The area of triangle QRS is 1/2(4)(4 ) = 8 .
Central Angles and Inscribed Angles

An angle whose vertex is the center of the circle is called a central angle.
The degree of the circle (the slice of pie) cut by a central angle is equal to the measure of the angle. If a central angle is 25, then it cuts a 25 arc in the circle. An inscribed angle is an angle formed by two chords originating from a single point.
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An inscribed angle will always cut out an arc in the circle that is twice the size of the degree of the inscribed angle. If an inscribed angle has a degree of 40, it will cut an arc of 80 in the circle. If an inscribed angle and a central angle cut out the same arc in a circle, the central angle will be twice as large as the inscribed angle.
Circumference of a Circle
The circumference is the perimeter of the circle. The formula for circumference of a circle is
where r is the radius. The formula can also be written C = d , where d is the diameter. Try to find the circumference of the circle below:
Plugging the radius into the formula, C = 2 r = 2 (3) = 6.
Arc Length
An arc is a part of a circles circumference. An arc contains two endpoints and all the points on the circle between the endpoints. By picking any two points on a circle, two arcs are created: a major arc, which is by definition the longer arc, and a minor arc, the shorter one.
Since the degree of an arc is defined by the central or inscribed angle that intercepts the arcs endpoints, you can calculate the arc length as long as you know the circles radius and the measure of either the central or inscribed angle.
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The arc length formula is
where n is the measure of the degree of the arc, and r is the radius. Heres the sort of question the SAT might ask:
C irc le D h as ra d ius 9 . Wh at is th e le ngth o f arc A B ?
In order to figure out the length of arc AB , you need to know the radius of the circle and the measure of , the inscribed angle that intercepts the endpoints of AB . The question tells you the radius of the circle, but it throws you a little curveball by not providing you with the measure of . Instead, the question puts in a triangle and tells you the measures of the other two angles in the triangle. Like we said, only a little curveball: You can easily figure out the measure of because, as you (better) know, the three angles of a triangle add up to 180.
Since angle c is an inscribed angle, arc AB must be 120. Now you can plug these values into the formula for arc length:
Area of a Circle
If you know the radius of a circle, you can figure out its area. The formula for area is:
where r is the radius. So when you need to find the area of a circle, your real goal is to figure out the radius.
Area of a Sector
A sector of a circle is the area enclosed by a central angle and the circle itself. Its shaped like a slice of pizza. The shaded region in the figure below is a sector:
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There are no analogies on the SAT anymore, but heres one anyway: The area of a sector is related to the area of a circle just as the length of an arc is related to the circumference. To find the area of a sector, find what fraction of the sector makes up and multiply this fraction by the area of the circle.
where n is the measure of the central angle that forms the boundary of the sector, and r is the radius. Try to find the area of the sector in the figure below:
The sector is bounded by a 70 central angle in a circle whose radius is 6. Using the formula, the area of the sector is
Polygons and Circles

Weve talked already about triangles in circle problems. But all kinds of polygons have also been known to make cameos on SA T circle questions. Heres an example:
Wha t is the leng th o f m in o r a rc B E if th e a re a o f rec tan gle A B CD is 1 8?
To find the length of minor arc BE , you have to know two things: the radius of the circle and the measure of the central angle that intersects the circle at points B and E . Because ABCD is a rectangle, and rectangles only have right angles, figuring out the measure of the central angle is simple. is 90, so the measure of the central angle is 90. Finding the radius of the circle is a little tougher. From the diagram, you can see that the radius is equal to the height of the rectangle. To find the height of the rectangle, you can use the fact that the area of the rectangle is 18, and the length is 6. Since A = bh , and you know the values of both a and b ,
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Now that youve got the radius and measure of the angle, plug them into the arc length formula to find the length of minor arc BE .
Solid As A Rock
Solids are three-dimensional shapes, with the dimension of depth added to length and height. With solids, theres good news and bad news. The bad news is that solids can be difficult to visualize. But the good news more than makes up for it: The only solids on the new SAT are cubes, rectangular solids, and right cylinders. Learn to visualize these three shapes now, before the test, and youll be fine.
Rectangular Solids
A rectangular solid is a prism with a rectangular base and edges that are perpendicular to its base. It looks a lot like a cardboard box.
A rectangular solid has three important dimensions: length (l), width (w), and height (h). If you know these three measurements, you can find the solids surface area, volume, and diagonal length.
Volume of a Rectangular Solid

The formula for the volume of a rectangular solid takes the formula for area of a rectangle and adds another dimension. The area of a rectangle is A = lh (area equals length times height). The formula for the volume of a rectangular solid adds on width:
Heres a good old-fashioned example:

Wha t is the v o lum e o f the figu re p res ented be lo w?
Just plug the values into the volume formula and youre good to go: V = (3 x)(2x)( x) = 6x .
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Surface Area of a Rectangular Solid

The surface area of a solid is the area of its outermost skin. In the case of rectangular solids, imagine a cardboard box all closed up. The surface of that closed box is made of six rectangles: the sum of the areas of the six rectangles is the surface area of the box. To make things even easier, the six rectangles come in three congruent pairs. Weve marked the congruent pairs by shades of gray in the image below: One pair is clear, one pair is light gray, and one pair is dark gray.
Two faces have areas of l w , two faces have areas of l h , and two faces have areas of w h . The surface area of the entire solid is the sum of the areas of the congruent pairs:
Wanna practice? A lright. Whats the surface area of this guy?
Plug in. Plug in. Plug in.
M E AT CLEA VER P RO BLEM S The SAT wont just hand you surface area questions on a silver platter. Itll make you work for them. One of the ways the SAT likes to make you work goes like this. A question will describe a solid, give you all of its measurements, and then tell you that the box has been cut in half. Youll then have to find the combined surface area of the two new boxes. For example, pictured below is a rectangular solid that has a length of 8, a depth of 4, and a height of 4. Then, out of the blue, a giant cleaver comes down and cuts the solid into two cubes.
A s you can see from the diagram, when the rectangle was cut in two, two new surfaces suddenly appeared (these are the darkened surfaces). But notice that the total volume of the two cubes has remained the same. So heres a rule: Whenever a solid is cut into
smaller pieces, its surface area increases, but its volume is unchanged. The SAT loves to test this little factoid .
Diagonal Length of a Rectangular Solid

The diagonal of a rectangular solid, d , is the line segment whose endpoints are opposite corners of the solid. Every rectangular solid has four diagonals, each with the same length, that connect each pair of opposite vertices. Heres one diagonal drawn in:
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Its possible that an SAT question will test to see if you can find the length of a diagonal. Now you can:
where l is the length, w is the width, and h is the height. The formula is like a pumped up V in Diesel version of the Pythagorean theorem. Check it out in action:
Wha t is the length o f diag o na l A H in the re c tangu la r so lid belo w if A C = 5 , GH = 6 , an d CG = 3 ?
The question gives the length, width, and height of the rectangular solid, so you can just plug those numbers into the formula:
Cubes
A cube is a square brought into 3-D. The length, width, and height of a cube are equal, and each of its six faces is a square.
Volume of a Cube
The formula for finding the volume of a cube is essentially the same as the formula for the volume of a rectangular volume. However, since a cubes length, width, and height are all equal, the formula for the volume of a cube is
where s is the length of one edge of the cube.
Surface Area of a Cube

Since a cube is just a rectangular solid whose sides are all equal, the formula for finding the surface area of a cube is the same as the formula for finding the surface area of a rectangular solid, except with s substituted in for l, w , and h :
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Diagonal Length of a Cube

The formula for the diagonal of a cube is also adapted from the formula for the diagonal length of a rectangular solid, with s substituted for l, w , and h .
Right Circular Cylinders

A right circular cylinder looks like one of those cardboard things that toilet paper comes on, except it isnt hollow. In fact, one way to think of a right circular cylinder is as a rectangle curved around so that its ends meet. A right circular cylinder has two connected congruent circular bases and looks like this:
The height of a cylinder, h , is the length of the line segment whose endpoints are the centers of the bases. The radius of a cylinder, r , is the radius of its base. For the new SAT, all you need to know about a right circular cylinder is how to calculate its volume.
Volume of a Cylinder
The volume of a cylinder is the product of the area of its base and its height. Because a cylinder has a circular base, the volume of a cylinder is equal to the area of the circle that is the base times the height:
Try to find the volume of the cylinder below:
This cylinder has a radius of 4 and a height of 6. Using the volume formula,
Sketchy Word Problems

The SAT has been known to ask word problems about solids. B ecause solids are so difficult to visualize, these problems can seem brutally difficult. So heres the rule: Always sketch out what the question is describing . Once you see what the questions talking about, you seldom have to do much more than plug the right numbers into the right equation.
Geometric Visualizations
Geometric-visualization questions give you an image on paper and ask you to twist or flip it in your mind.
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If a s qua re piec e o f pap er we re fo ld ed in to a re c tangle , a s see n in Fig . I , and then cu t, as se en in F ig . II , wha t wo uld the pap er lo o k like whe n it wa s unfo lde d a gain?
There are no formulas on these types of questions, no surefire method of attack. All were really doing is warning you that theyre lurking out there, and telling you to draw a sketch before looking at the answer choices. The answer, incidentally, is
Coordinate Geometry
The new SAT has stepped up the emphasis on coordinate geometry, which is the study of geometric shapes on the coordinate plane. If you think the coordinate plane is a ferocious type of new jet fighter, dont worry. Were about to clear this all up for you.
The Coordinate Plane

The coordinate plane is where all the magic happens. Its the space in which coordinate geometry exists. Pretty snazzy. Every point on a coordinate plane can be mapped by using two perpendicular number lines. The x-axis defines the space from left to right. The y-axis defines the space up and down. And the two meet at a point called the origin.
Every point on the plane has two coordinates. Because its the center of the plane, the origin gets the coordinates (0,0). The coordinates of all other points indicate how far they are from the origin. These coordinates are written in the form (x , y). The x-coordinate is the points location along the x-axis (its distance either to the left or right of the origin). If the point is to the right of the origin, the x-coordinate is positive. If the point is to the left of the y-axis, the x-coordinate is negative. The y-coordinate of a point is its location along the y-axis (either up or down from the origin). If the point is above the x-axis, its y -coordinate is positive, and if the point is below the x-axis, its y-coordinate is negative. So the point labeled (2,2) is 2 to the right and 2 above the origin. The point labeled (7,5) is 7 to the left and 5 below the origin.
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Are We There Yet? Distance on the Coordinate Plane

The SAT tests to see if you can find the distance between any two points on the coordinate plane. It also tests to see if you can find the midpoint between two points on the test. This news should make you happy. Why? Because these are easy questions that you can answer easily as long as you know the two necessary formulas. Now were going to make sure you know those two formulas. Memorize them.
The Distance Between Two Points

If you know the coordinates of any two pointswell call them ( x1 ,y 1) and (x2,y2)you can find their distance from each other with the aptly named distance formula:
Lets say you were suddenly overcome by the desire to calculate the distance between the points (4,3) and (3,8). Just plug the coordinates into the formula:
Finding Midpoints
A s for the midpoint between the two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2), the formula to use is
In other words, the x- and y-coordinates of the midpoint are the averages of the x- and ycoordinates of the endpoints. To find the midpoint of the points (6,0) and (3,7),
Lines in the Coordinate Plane

You already know that a line is just an infinite set of points arrayed in a straight formation. But once you stick one of those infinite set of points into a coordinate plane, it has all sorts of properties you can analyze. And the SAT will make sure you know how to analyze em.
The Slope of a Line

A lines slope is a measurement of how steeply that line climbs or falls as it moves from left to right. If you want the technical jargon, slope is a lines vertical change divided by its horizontal change. Or, if you prefer the poetic version,
Slope is the rise over run.
If youve got two points on a line, once again (x1, y1) and (x2 , y2), the slope of that line can be calculated using the following formula:
The variable most often used to represent slope is m . So, for example, the slope of a line that contains the points (2, 4) and (6, 1) is PO SI TIVE AND NEG ATI VE SL OPES The slopes of some lines are positive, the slopes of others are negative. Whether a line has a positive or negative slope is easy to tell just by looking at a graph of the line. If the line
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slopes uphill as you trace it from left to right, the slope is positive. If a line slopes downhill as you trace it from left to right, the slope is negative. Uphill = positive. Downhill = negative. You can get a sense of the magnitude of the slope of a line by looking at the lines steepness. The steeper the line, the greater the slope; the flatter the line, the smaller the slope. Note that an extremely positive slope is larger then a moderately positive slope, while an extremely negative slope is smaller then a moderately negative slope. Check out the lines below and try to determine whether the slope of each line is negative or positive and which has the greatest slope:
Lines a and b have positive slopes, and lines c and d have negative slopes. In terms of slope magnitude, line a > b > c > d . S L OPES YOU SH OUL D K NOW BY SI G HT There are certain easy-to-recognize slopes that it pays to recognize by sight. Knowing how to pick them out instantly will save you precious time. A horizontal line has a slope of zero. Since there is no rise, y2 y1 = 0, m = A vertical line has an undefined slope. In this case, there is no run, and x2 x1 = 0. So, m = and any fraction with zero in its denominator is, by definition, undefined. A line that makes a 45 angle with a horizontal line has a slope of either 1 or 1, depending on whether its going up or down from left to right. In this case, the rise equals the run: y2 y1 = x2 x1, or y2 y1 = (x2 x1).
Of the four lines pictured below, which has a slope of 0, which has a slope of 1, which has a slope of 1, which has an undefined slope?
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Line a has slope 0 because its horizontal. Line b has slope 1 because it slopes downward at 45 as you move from left to right. Line c has slope 1 because it slopes upward at 45 as you move from left to right. Line d has undefined slope because it is vertical. T HE SLOPE S OF P AR AL LEL A ND PERPE NDICU L AR LI NES The slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines always have the same relationships. The slopes of parallel lines are always the same. If one line has a slope of m , any line parallel to it will also have a slope of m . The slopes of perpendicular lines are always the opposite reciprocals of each other. A line with slope m is perpendicular to a line with a slope of 1 /m.
In the figure below, lines q and r both have a slope of 2, so they are parallel. Line s is perpendicular to both lines q and r , so it has a slope of 1/ 2 . .
Equation of a Line
Coordinate geometry is actually where algebra and geometry meet. Coordinate geometry allows you to graph algebraic equations. For the new SAT, you need to know the equation of a line and how to graph that equation. The equation of a line is
where m is the slope of the line, and b is the y-intercept of the line (the y-coordinate of the point where the line intersects the y-axis). As long as you know the slope of the line and the y-intercept, you can write the equation of the line. To sketch a line whose equation you know, first plot the y-intercept, and then use the slope of the line to plot another point. Connect the two points to form your line. The figure below graphs the line y = 2 x + 3.
Since the y-intercept is at 3, the line crosses the y-axis at (0, 3). And since the slope is equal to 2, the line descends two units for every one unit it moves in the positive x direction. In other words, from (0,3), the line moves one unit to the right and two units down, to point (1,1). You could graph the line using those two points. F I NDI NG T HE X- AND Y - I NTER CEPTS OF A LI NE The y-intercept of a line is the y-coordinate of the point where the line intersects the yaxis. The x-intercept of a line is the x-coordinate of the point where the line intersects the x -axis. You can find either the x- or y-intercept of a line by using the slope-intercept form of the line equation. Finding the intercepts is very straightforward. To find the y-intercept, set x = 0 and solve for y . To solve for the x-intercept, set y = 0 and solve for x . For example, if youve got the
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line equation y = 3x + 2, the y-intercept equals 2, since y = 3(0) + 2 = 2. To find the xintercept, set y = 0 and solve:
Parabolas Attack! Quadratic Equations Invade the Coordinate Plane

When a quadratic equation is graphed on the coordinate plane, the result is a parabola, which is a giant man-eating insect. Actually, its a harmless, U-shaped curve that can open either upward or downward.
If the SAT covers parabolas at all, itll most likely do one of these things: 1. Give you an equation and ask you to choose which graph matches the equation. 2. Give you a graph and ask you to choose which equation matches the graph. You can answer either of these questions as long as you can read the quadratic equation to identify the location of a parabolas vertex and determine whether the parabola opens upward or downward. Heres how to do it. The equation for a parabola looks like this:
where a , b , and c are constants. By plugging a , b , or c into the correct formulas, you can figure out where the vertex is and whether the parabola opens upward or downward: 1. The vertex of the parabola is located at point ( b/2a, c b2 /4 a). 2. The parabola opens upward if a > 0, and downward if a < 0. So, if youre given the quadratic equation , you know that the parabola
opens upward, since a > 0. And you could figure out the vertex by plugging in. The xcoordinate would be
And the y-coordinate would be
Put it all together, and youve got a parabola that looks something like this:
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Of course, if you had a graphing calculator, you wouldnt have to go through any of this calculation at all. This is one of the many reasons we steadfastly demand that you have a graphing calculator and know how to use it for the new SAT.
Transformations
Theres just one more bit of coordinate geometry you have to know for the new SAT: how slight changes to a function change the way that the graph of that function looks in the coordinate plane. There are two different kinds of transformations you have to know how to deal with: shifts and stretches.
Shifts
Imagine a graph. No, better yet, look at this graph:
Its a pretty simple graph: a parabola that has a vertex at the origin. To put it into math, f(x ) = x2. A shift of this graph would occur when the parabola remains exactly the same shape but is shifted over either vertically or horizontally so that the vertex no longer rests on the origin.
To get a vertical or horizontal shift, you have to do slightly different things, but each type of shift has one thing in common: addition or subtraction. H ORIZ ONT AL S HIFT S
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To get a horizontal shift, in which the graph moves either to the left or right, you use addition. But this time, you need to add within the parentheses. So, if you want to move the graph of the function f(x) two spaces to the right, you make the function f( x + 2). If you want to move it four spaces to the left, you make the function f(x 4). VE RT IC AL SH IFTS V ertical shifts are extremely easy. If you want the image to shift up two spots, just add the number 2 to it. If you want it to shift down four spots, subtract the number 4. So, an equation of a parabola that is two spaces above the origin would look like this: f (x ) + 2 = x 2 + 2. And an equation thats four spaces below would look like this f(x) 4 = x2 4.
Stretches
Imagine a graph. No better yet, look at that same example we showed you before.
Stretching a graph makes it either fat or thin.
A graph stretches when a function is multiplied, whether that multiplication is 3f (x) or f(3 x). If a function is multiplied by a number greater than 1, it gets taller and thinner, while if it is multiplied by a number less than 1, it gets stubbier and wider. Thats all the SAT covers on geometry. Just one more SAT Math chapter to go. Its got the longest nameData, Statistics, and Probabilitybut its the shortest of the bunch. Almost there. . . .
Data, Statistics, and Probability

THESE ARE THE SAT MATH TOPICS THA T SLIPPED through the cracks. Not quite Numbers and Operations, not nearly Geometry, but still something the new SAT wants you to know.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis sounds like dental surgery. Scientific and sticky and gross. But SAT statistical analysis is actually not so bad. On these questions, the SA T gives you a data seta collection of measurements or quantities. An example of a data set is the set of math test scores for the 20 students in Ms. Mathews fourth-grade class:
71, 83, 57, 66, 95, 96, 68, 71, 84, 85, 87, 90, 88, 90, 84, 90, 90, 93, 97, 99
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You are then asked to find one or more of the following values: 1. 2. 3. 4. Arithmetic Mean Median Mode Range
Arithmetic Mean (a.k.a. Average)

Arithmetic mean means the same thing as average. Its also the most commonly tested concept of statistical analysis on the SAT. The basic rule of finding an average isnt complicated: Its the value of the sum of the elements contained in a data set divided by the number of elements in the set.
Take another look at the test scores of the 20 students in Ms. Mathews class. Weve sorted the scores in her class from lowest to highest:
57, 66, 68, 71, 71, 83, 84, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90, 90, 90, 90, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99
To find the arithmetic mean of this data set, sum the scores and then divide by 20, since there are 20 students in her class:
But the SAT is Sneaky When Its Mean
But thats not the way that the SA T usually tests mean. It likes to be more complicated and conniving. For example,
If the av erage o f fo ur n um be rs is 22 , a nd three o f the numb ers a re 7 , 1 1 , an d 1 8 , then wha t is the fo u rth num be r?
Heres the key: If you know the average of a group and also know how many numbers are in the group, you can calculate the sum of the numbers in the group. The question above tells you that the average of the numbers is 22 and that there are four numbers in the group. If the average of four numbers is 22, then the four numbers, when added together, must equal Since you know three of the four numbers in the set, and since you now know the total value of the set, you can write
Solving for the unknown number is easy. All you have to do is subtract the sum of 7, 11, and 18 from 88: . A s long as you realize that you can use an average to find the sum of all the values in a set, you can solve pretty much every question about arithmetic mean on the SAT:
T h e averag e o f a s et o f s eve n num be rs is 54 . T h e ave rag e o f th ree o f tho se se ven nu m bers is 3 8 . Wha t is the a verag e o f th e o th er fo ur n um be rs ?
This question seems really tough, since it keeps splitting apart its set of seven mysterious numbers. Students often freak out when SAT questions ask them for numbers that seem impossible to determine. Chill out. You dont have to know the exact numbers in the set to answer this problem. All you have to know is how averages work.
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There are seven numbers in the entire set, and the average of those numbers is 54. The sum of the seven numbers in the set is And, as the problem states, three particular numbers from the set have an average of 38. Since the sum of three items is equal to the average of those three numbers multiplied by three, the sum of the three numbers in the problem is Once youve got that, you can calculate the sum of the four remaining numbers, since that value must be the total sum of the seven numbers minus the sum of the mini-set of three: 378 114 = 264. Now, since you know the total sum of the four numbers, you can get the average by dividing by 4: And heres yet another type of question the SAT likes to ask about mean: the dreaded changing mean question.
T h e m e an age o f the 1 4 m e m bers o f a scuba div in g c lub is 3 4 . When a new m emb er jo ins, the m e an age inc re ase d to 3 7 . Ho w o ld is the ne w me m ber?
Actually, you shouldnt dread changing mean questions at all. Theyre as simple as other mean questions. Watch. Heres what you know from the question: the original number of members, 14, and the original average age, 34. And you can use this information to calculate the sum of the ages of the members of the original group by multiplying . From the question, you also know the total members of the group after the new member joined, 14 + 1 = 15, and you know the new average age of the group, 37. So, you can find the sum of the ages of the new group as well: . The age of the new member is just the sum of the age of the new group minus the sum of the age of the old group: 555 476 = 79. That is one ancient scuba diver.
Median
The median is the number whose value is exactly in the middle of all the numbers in a particular set. Take the set {6, 19, 3, 11, 7}. If the numbers are arranged in order of value, you get
{3, 6, 7, 11, 19}
Its clear that the middle number in this group is 7, so 7 is the median. If a set has an even number of items, its impossible to isolate a single number as the median. Heres the last set, but with one more number added:
{3, 6, 7, 11, 19, 20}
In this case, the median equals the average of the two middle numbers. The two middle numbers in this set are 7 and 11, so the median of the set is (7+11) /2 = 9.
Mode
The mode is the number within a set that appears most frequently. In the set {10, 11, 13, 11, 20}, the mode is 11, since it appears twice and all the others appear once. In a set where more than one number appears at the same highest frequency, there can be more than one mode: The set {2, 2, 3, 4, 4} has modes of 2 and 4. In the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, where all of the numbers appear an equal number of times, there is no mode.
Range
The range measures the spread of a data set, or the difference between the smallest element and the largest. For the set of test scores in Ms. Mathews class, {57, 66, 68, 71, 71, 83, 84, 84, 85, 87, 88 , 90, 90, 90, 90, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99}, the range is 99 57 = 42.
Graphs, Charts, and Tables

There are countless ways to organize and present data. Luckily, the SAT uses only three of them: graphs, charts, and tables. On easy graphs, charts, and tables questions, the SAT just tests to see if you can understand the data being presented. More complicated questions ask you to perform some type of operation on data found in a chart or graph, such as calculating a mean or a percent.
Simple Charts, Graphs, and Tables Questions

Reading charts and graphs questions is pretty straightforward. The SAT shows you a chart. You answer a question about the data in the chart.
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In the fo l lo win g b ar grap h , the gre a test c han ge in the ne t in co m e o f J o e s L em o n ade Stan d o ccu rred be twe en wha t two m o nth s?
Maybe you looked at this question and realized that you didnt know what the term net income means. Well, whether you did or didnt know the term, it doesnt matter. The graph tells you that the bars represent net income; you dont have to know what net income is to see between which months the net income differed most. For this graph, a quick look makes it clear that the two biggest differences in terms of net income per month are between A pril and May, and between February and March. The net income in April was $20 and the net income in May was $50, making the AprilMay difference $30. The net income in February was $30 and the net income in March was $10, so the FebruaryMarch difference was $40. The answer, therefore, is February to March. This question throws a tiny trick at you by including negative numbers as net income. If you dont realize that March is negative, then you might choose the AprilMay difference. When dealing with graphs and charts, be sure to pay attention to negative and positive values. And ignore distracting informationlike the meaning of net incomethat makes easy questions seem complex.
Performing Operations on Data

The second type of charts and graphs question asks you to take a further step. You have to use the data in the chart or graph to perform some operation on it. For instance, you could be asked to figure out the mean of the data shown in a graph. Or, you could be asked something like this:
Wha t was the pe rce nt inc re a se in th e n e t inc o m e fro m A pril to M ay ?
To find the percent increase in net income from April to May, you have to find out how much the net income increased between April and May and then compare that increase to the original net income in April. The difference in net income between April and May is
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Now, to calculate the percent increase, you have to divide the change in net income by the original income in April:
But theres a final trick in the question. The answer is not 1.5%. Remember, to get percents, you have to multiply by 100. The answer is The SA T will certainly include 1.5% as one of its answer choices to try to fool you.
Double Table Questions

The new SAT puts special emphasis on questions that ask you to relate the data contained in two different tables.
If T iny T im o n ly e ats v anilla ice c rea m a nd K ing K o ng o nly e ats cho co late, h o w m uch do the two o f them spe nd o n ice crea m in a yea r?
You need to be able to see how the data in the two tables and the question relate to figure out the answer. Heres what the two tables tell you: 1. How much one-scoop, two-scoop, and three-scoop cones cost for both vanilla and chocolate. 2. How many one-, two-, and three-scoop cones Tiny Tim and King Kong ate in a year. Since the question tells you that Tiny Tim only eats vanilla and King Kong only eats chocolate, you know that Tiny Tim eats 5 one-scoop vanilla cones ($1.00), 12 two-scoop vanilla cones ($1.50), and 8 three-scoop vanilla cones ($1.75). So, in one year, Tiny Tim spent dollars on ice cream. King Kong, meanwhile, spent dollars. So, together, these two pigged out on $86.50 of ice cream.
Scatterplots
The new SAT may also give you a special kind of graph called a scatterplot. A scatterplot lives up to its name. Its a graph with a whole lot of points scattered around:
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But the thing about a scatterplot is that the plots arent scattered randomly. They have some sort of trend. And if you see the trend, you can draw a line that makes an average of the all the plots scattered around. Heres a line for the previous example:
On the SAT, you wont have to do more than identify which line is the right one for a particular scatterplot and perhaps tell whether the slope of that line is negative or positive. You already know how to tell positive and negative slope, so these should be a breeze.
Probability
The probability is high that at least one question on the SAT will cover probability. The probability is even higher that the probability formula will help you on SAT probability questions. Heres the formula:
Lets say you go on a game show and are put in a room that contains 52 doors. Behind 13 of the doors are awesome prizes, including new cars, diamond watches, and infinity millions of dollars. B ehind the rest of the doors are goats. Whats the probability that youll draw an awesome prize? And whats the probability that youll end up with the goat? Heres a more complicated example, involving the SATs favorite probability prop: marbles! That SAT sure knows how to have a good time with marbles.
Jo e has 3 green m a rbles , 2 red m a rb les , and 5 blue m a rbles , a nd if a ll the m a rbles are d ro ppe d into a d ark b ag, wh at is the p ro ba bili ty that J o e will p ic k o ut a g reen m arble?
There are three ways for Joe to pick a green marble (since there are three different green marbles), but there are ten total possible outcomes (one for each marble in the bag). Therefore, the probability of picking a green marble is
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When you calculate probability, always be careful to divide by the total number of chances. In the last example, you may have been tempted to leave out the three chances of picking a green marble from the total possibilities, yielding P = 3 /7 . Brutal wrongness.
Backwards Probability
The SAT might also ask you a backwards probability question. For example, if you have a bag holding twenty marbles, and you have a 1/5 chance of picking a blue marble, how many blue marbles are in the bag? All you have to do is set up the proper equation, following the model of P = m / n:
in which x is the variable denoting the number of blue marbles. Cross-multiplying through the equation, you get , which reduces to
The Range of Probability

The probability, P , that any event will occur is always . A probability of 0 for an event means that the event will never happen. A probability of 1 means the event will always occur. Drawing a bouquet of flowers from a standard deck of cards has a probability of 0. Becoming Lord (or Lady) of the Universe after scoring 2400 on the new SAT has a probability of 1.
The Probability That an Event Will Not Occur

Some SAT questions ask you to determine the probability that an event will not occur. In that case, just figure out the probability of the event occurring, and subtract that number from 1.
Probability and Multiple Unrelated Events

More difficult SAT probability questions deal with multiple unrelated events. For these questions, the probability of both events occurring is the product of the outcomes of each event: , where is the probability of the first event, and is the probability of the second event. A perfect example of two unrelated events is this: Drawing a spade from a full deck of cards and rolling a one with a six-sided die is the product of the probability of each event. Neither outcome will affect the outcome of the other. The probability of both events occuring is
The same principle can be applied to finding the probability of a series of events. Take a look at the following problem:
A te ach er k eep s a ja r ful l o f diffe rent f lavo re d jel ly bea ns o n he r des k and ha nds the m o u t ran do m ly to her c la ss. B ut o ne greed y s tu den t likes o nly the lico rice -f la vo red o n es. O n e d ay afte r sch o o l, the studen t sne aks into the da rk cl as sro o m and steals thre e je lly be ans . If the ja r ha s 5 0 be ans in all1 5 lico rice , 1 0 che rry, 2 0 wate rm e lo n , an d 5 blue berry what is th e pro b ability tha t th e s tud ent g o t at leas t o ne lic o ric e -
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fla vo red be an?
In order to find the probability of three consecutive events, first find the probability of each event separately. The first jelly bean has a 15 /50 chance of being licorice-flavored. The second jellybean, however, is a different story. There are now only 49 jelly beans left in the jar, so the probability of getting another licorice-flavored one is 14/49 . The probability of 13 getting a third licorice-flavored jelly bean is /48 . The odds of all three happening are:
The moral of this sad tale of larceny and candy is that crime pays only
13
560
of the time.
Geometric Probability
The new SAT occasionally asks questions to which it has given the exciting name geometric probability. The SAT could have saved itself some time by just saying that its going to ask you questions about playing darts.
Wha t is th e p ro b ability o f th ro w in g a dart in to th e s had ed are a o f the da rtbo a rd pictured ab o ve ?
Here you have to find the area of some shaded (or unshaded) region, and divide that by the total area of the figure. In this question, the dartboard is a circle of radius 3. The shaded region is the area of the circle minus a circle of radius 2.
and 0.56 equals 56%.
Permutations and Combinations

If the new SAT is a haunted forest, permutation and combination problems are the deepest, darkest, rarest trees. No, they are the mysterious fluorescent fungus growing on those trees. Permutation and combination problems are almost always hard, and most students skip them because they take so long. B ut if your e going for a Math score above 700, you should know how to deal with them. And to deal with permutations and combinations, you first have to know about factorials. If youre rushed for study time, though, and youre not trying to score a 700 on the Math section, this would be a good section to skip.
Factorials!
The factorial of a number, represented by n !, is the product of the natural numbers up to and including n :
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The factorial of n is the number of ways that the n elements of a group can be ordered. So, if you become a wedding planner and youre asked how many different ways six people can sit at a table with six chairs, the answer is 6! = 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 720.
Permutations
Mutations are genetic defects that result in three-headed fish. A permutation, however, is an ordering of elements. For example, say youre running for office in California, and there are six different offices to be filledgovernor, lieutenant governor, secretary, treasurer, spirit coordinator, and head cheerleader. If there are six candidates running, and the candidates are celebrities who dont care which office theyre elected to, how many different ways can the California government be composed? Except that California politics are funny, this question is no different from the question about the ordering of six people in six chairs around the table. The answer is 6! = 720 because there are six candidates running for office and there are six job openings. But, what if a terrible statewide budget crisis caused three California government jobs to be cut? Now only the three offices of governor, lieutenant governor, and spirit coordinator can be filled. The same six candidates are still running. How many different combinations of the six candidates could fill the three positions? Time for permutations. In general, the permutation, nP r, is the number of subgroups of size r that can be taken from a set with n elements:
For the California election example, you need to find 6P3 :
Notice that on permutations questions, calculations become much faster if you cancel out. Instead of multiplying everything out, you could have canceled out the in both numerator and denominator, and just multiplied .
Permutations and Calculators

Graphing calculators and most scientific calculators have a permutation function, labeled nP r. Though calculators do differ, in most cases, you must enter n, then press the button for permutation, and then enter r . This will calculate a permutation for you, but if n is a large number, the calculator often cannot calculate n !. If this happens to you, dont give up! Remember, the SAT never deals with huge numbers: Look for ways to cancel out.
Combinations
A combination is an unordered grouping of a set. An example of a combination scenario in which order doesnt matter is a hand of cards: a king, an ace, and a five is the same as an ace, a five, and a king. Combinations are represented as nC r, where unordered subgroups of size r are selected from a set of size n . B ecause the order of the elements in a given subgroup doesnt matter, this means that will be less than nP r. Any one combination can be turned into more than one permutation. nC r is calculated as follows:
Heres an example:
Su ppo s e six peo ple a re runn in g fo r three le ade rs hip p o sitio ns, e ac h o f which has the
262
sa m e duties and title . H o w m a ny way s can this be do ne?
In this example, the order in which the leaders are assigned to positions doesnt matter the leaders arent distinguished from one another in any way, unlike in the California government example. This distinction means that the question can be answered with a combination rather than a permutation. So, to figure out how many different groups of three can be taken from a group of six, do this:
There are only 20 different ways to elect three leaders, as opposed to 120 ways when the leadership jobs were differentiated.
Combinations and Calculators

A s with permutations, there should be a combination function on your graphing or scientific calculator labeled nC r. Use it the same way you use the permutation key. Thats it, everything, the whole SAT mathematical bananafrom Numbers and Operations to Data, Statistics, and Probability. Youve now covered every little bit of math that might appear on the SAT. To make your job even easier, at the end of this section is a chart that summarizes the most important SAT math facts, rules, and formulas for quick reference and easy studying.
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1

The SAT Reloaded

The SAT stands for nothing.

The New SAT

The SAT Extreme Makeover

Sho rt Re ading Co m p ; nam e A na lo gies cha nge d to C ritic al Rea ding

Just the Facts

The New Critical Reading Section

The New Math Section

The New W riting Section

The Experimental Section

Know the Score

The Raw Score

The Scaled Score

SAT Scores and College Admissions

The New PSAT: Coming Soon(er)

The New SAT and SAT IIs

The New SAT FAQ

Why do I have to take the SAT at all?

Colleges make you.

Why did they change the SAT?

Whats the ACT?

Whats a good score on the new SAT?

Should I take the old SAT or the new SAT? Or both?

Will the new SAT give some students an unfair advantage?

When should I take the new SAT?

Will the new SAT cost more?

How can I raise my score on the new SAT?

The Discipline of Discipline

Set a Target Score

If You Reach Your Target Score . . .

Schedule Your SAT Study Time

Use Your Parents

Study with Your Friends

Study Now or Perish Later

SparkNotes Online Test Prep

The Ten SAT Commandments

1. Thou shalt go to the correct test center.

2. Thou shalt bring lots of no. 2 pencils.

3. Thou shalt check your calculator batteries.

4. Thou shalt be careful filling in your answers.

5. Thou shalt know the instructions for each section.

6. Thou shalt use your test booklet as scratch paper.

7. Thou shalt answer easy questions first.

8. Thou shalt avoid carelessness.

9. Thou shalt bring bread and water.

10. Thou shalt relax!

To Guess or Not to Guess?

The Grand Rule of Guessing

Guessing Wisely Is Partial Credit

Grid-Ins and Guessing

Math Traps: The Right Wrong Answers

Critical Reading Traps: Spurious Associations

Writing Traps: Dont Exist

Your Target Score and Pacing Strategy

The SAT Personal Trainer

The Practice Test As Personal Trainer

Analyzing Molly Bloom

Molly and You

SparkNotes Practice Tests Make It Easy

The Practice of Taking a Practice Test

Control Your Environment

Scoring Your Practice Test