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'''SAT Writing Section Techniques, Strategies & Approaches''' | '''SAT Writing Section Techniques, Strategies & Approaches''' | ||
{{New SAT test disclaimer}} | |||
See also: | |||
* [[Transition_words_translations|Writing Section transition words translations]] | |||
* [[SAT Reading section techniques, strategies & approaches]] | |||
* [[SAT Reading section historical timeline & themes]] | |||
* [[Grammar]] | |||
* [[Parts of speech]] | |||
* [[List of word parts of speech & their grammar rules]] | |||
* Note on abbreviations | * Note on abbreviations | ||
** IC = "independent clause" | ** IC = "independent [[Vocabulary:Clause|clause]]" | ||
** DC = "dependent clause" | ** DC = "dependent clause" | ||
** Phr = "phrase" | ** Phr = "[[Vocabulary:Phrase|phrase]]" | ||
** SV = "subject + verb" | ** SV = "subject + verb" | ||
** SVO = "subject + verb + object" | ** SVO = "subject + verb + object" | ||
** CC = coordinating conjunction | ** CC = coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) | ||
** SJ = subordinating conjunction | ** SJ = subordinating conjunction | ||
** CB = College Board | ** CB = College Board | ||
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* '''the shortest answer is usually correct (80/20% rule)''' | * '''the shortest answer is usually correct (80/20% rule)''' | ||
** but make sure it is grammatically correct | ** IF the question is about redundancy, wordiness, or emphasis shift (passive v. direct voice, excessive sentence breaks/parenthetical parts) | ||
** often the shortest answer is the wrong answer in comparison questions | *** then the shortest answer is most likely correct | ||
*** but make sure it is grammatically correct | |||
** often the shortest answer is the wrong answer in '''comparison questions''' | |||
* '''if two possible answers are synonymous, they both are wrong''' | * '''if two possible answers are synonymous, they both are wrong''' | ||
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** but it helps to eliminate such things as | ** but it helps to eliminate such things as | ||
** examples | ** examples | ||
*** synonymous transition words such as "however" and "but" or "therefore" and "consequently" | *** synonymous transition words, such as "however" and "but" or "therefore" and "consequently" | ||
*** punctuation that does the same thing such as a period and a semicolon, or a dash and a colon | *** punctuation that does the same thing, such as a period and a semicolon, or a dash and a colon | ||
**** make sure they are doing the same thing and if so eliminate (they don't always do the same thing) | **** make sure they are doing the same thing and if so eliminate (they don't always do the same thing) | ||
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** independent clause: a sentence part that has a subject + verb AND stands as a complete thought (i.e. could be a sentence by itself) | ** independent clause: a sentence part that has a subject + verb AND stands as a complete thought (i.e. could be a sentence by itself) | ||
** dependent clause (or subordinate clause): a sentence part that has a subject + verb BUT does make a complete thought | ** dependent clause (or subordinate clause): a sentence part that has a subject + verb BUT does make a complete thought | ||
** | ** ex., "Since it's raining..." = has subject + verb but is an incomplete thought | ||
== Quick start guides for punctuation & grammar rules == | == Quick start guides for punctuation & grammar rules == | ||
* | * for quick review of grammar and punctuation basics go to [[SAT Reading and Writing quick start grammar and punctuation guide]] | ||
* for more in-depth review of concepts and rules, see below. | |||
== BIG IDEAS == | == BIG IDEAS == | ||
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* use the test to answer itself | * use the test to answer itself | ||
* read punctuation "out loud" to yourself" so as not to miss it | * read punctuation "out loud" to yourself" so as not to miss it | ||
=== Writing section is rules-based === | |||
* answers and eliminations follow set grammar, punctuation, and usage conventions | |||
* therefore, identify the rules as you practice & apply them in your elimination strategies | |||
* see [[SAT Writing section grammar rules chart]] for quick start review of Writing section Rules & eliminations | |||
=== Passage titles === | === Passage titles === | ||
* | * read passage titles! | ||
** titles express author intent | ** titles express author intent | ||
** titles are frequently a thesis statements (no other details are provided) | ** titles are frequently a thesis statements (no other details are provided) | ||
** titles generally answer the last question on each passage (not always) | ** titles generally answer the last question on each passage (not always) | ||
*** concluding sentences must align w/ the title | |||
=== Difficulty level === | |||
=== Difficulty level === | |||
* difficulty level is based on the passage and not the questions | * difficulty level is based on the passage and not the questions | ||
** there can be difficult questions on easy passages, but the bulk of "hard" questions will coincide with difficult passages | ** there can be difficult questions on easy passages, but the bulk of "hard" questions will coincide with difficult passages | ||
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* '''the correct answer B) was matches or is "parallel" to the verb "were" from "Children were entertained"''' | * '''the correct answer B) was matches or is "parallel" to the verb "were" from "Children were entertained"''' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
==== subject-verb agreement ==== | ==== parallel subject-verb agreement ==== | ||
* subjects and verbs match singular vs. plural forms | * subjects and verbs match singular vs. plural forms | ||
** = a form of "parallel" structure (i.e, matching singular or plural subjects and verbs) | ** = a form of "parallel" structure (i.e, matching singular or plural subjects and verbs) | ||
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** thus the grammar of comparisons must also be parallel | ** thus the grammar of comparisons must also be parallel | ||
** the SAT Writing measures student ability to maintain parallel comparisons | ** the SAT Writing measures student ability to maintain parallel comparisons | ||
* as a rule, | |||
** when comparing grammatical subjects (as in the subject of a clause), | |||
*** use "than" | |||
** when comparing objects, especially objects of a preposition, | |||
*** use a relative pronoun such as "than that" or "of that" | |||
* ex.: | * ex.: | ||
** "The students who studied hard performed better on the test than those who didn't study" | ** comparing subjects: | ||
*** maintains the parallel" "students who studied hard" with "those [students] who didn't study" | *** "The first strategy was more effective than the second one" | ||
** comparing objects: * "The strategy of the first one was more effective than that of the second one" | |||
*other example: | |||
**"The students who studied hard performed better on the test than those who didn't study" | |||
***maintains the parallel" "students who studied hard" with "those [students] who didn't study" | |||
* or | * or | ||
** "Looking at the results, it is clear that the students who did study hard performed better on the test than did students who did not study hard." | ** "Looking at the results, it is clear that the students who did study hard performed better on the test than did students who did not study hard." | ||
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* click EXPAND for an example | * click EXPAND for an example | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | ||
*** when reading a sentence | *** when reading a sentence such as "John Stevens, a prominent researcher, said, "Look at me!" | ||
*** read it as, "John Stevens, ["comma"] a prominent researcher, ["comma"] said, ["comma"] "["quotation mark"] Look at me!["exclamation point"]"["close quotation mark"] | *** read it as, "John Stevens, ["comma"] a prominent researcher, ["comma"] said, ["comma"] "["quotation mark"] Look at me!["exclamation point"]"["close quotation mark"] | ||
*** this help you to identify important punctuation in sentences that you may otherwise miss | *** this help you to identify important punctuation in sentences that you may otherwise miss | ||
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* rules for logic & chronology | * rules for logic & chronology | ||
== Common errors == | == Common errors == | ||
=== adverbs used to combine independent clauses === | === adverbs used to combine independent clauses === | ||
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* especially "however," which cannot combine independent clauses | * especially "however," which cannot combine independent clauses | ||
=== grammatical usage === | === emphasis shift === | ||
logical usage | |||
=== grammatical usage === | |||
* misplaced or dangling modifier | * misplaced or dangling modifier | ||
=== object preposition mistaken for subject === | === object preposition mistaken for subject === | ||
*''A census by park rangers in Australia in 2015 of kangaroos '''show/shows''' population declines'' | |||
* | * ''A census by park rangers in Australia in 2015 of kangaroos '''show/shows''' population declines'' | ||
* subject | ** ignore the prepositional phrase/s in order to identify the correct subject for the verb "show/shows": | ||
** | ** ''A census <s>by park rangers</s> i<s>n Australia</s> i<s>n 2015</s> <s>of kangaroos</s> '''show/shows''' population declines'' | ||
** thus ''A census '''<s>show/</s>shows''' population declines'' << singular "census" matches singular verb "shows" | |||
=== parallelism mistakes === | === parallelism mistakes === | ||
* comparison mismatch | * comparison mismatch | ||
** comparisons must be parallel | |||
** often introduced by "than" or "more" | |||
** if the comparison is an action, the verb must be included in the comparison | |||
** sometimes the comparison is implied | |||
** examples | |||
*** ''Students who study hard do better on tests than the tests of students who do not'' | |||
**** = incorrect because it is comparing "students who study hard" with "the tests of students" | |||
*** correct = | |||
**** ''Students who study hard do better on tests than students who do not'' | |||
***** note that "study hard" is implied in the comparison "than students who do not study hard" | |||
* lists mismatch or inconsistency | * lists mismatch or inconsistency | ||
** lists must be grammatically and logically parallel | |||
** ex. | |||
*** ''The dog chewed on a bone, a toy, and then slept.'' | |||
*** the dog may have slept, but it does not belong in the list of things it chewed on | |||
*** correct = | |||
**** ''The dog chewed on a bone and a toy and then slept.'' | |||
** | === punctuation & combining clauses & phrases === | ||
* comma splice | |||
* run-on sentence | |||
=== punctuation between restrictive (necessary) sentence elements === | |||
* "restrictive" sentence elements are not separated from one another by punctuation | |||
* SAT will often add a colon, comma or semicolon between restrictive sentence elements: | |||
* ex. | |||
** ''The doctor explained that: the problem is severe'' | |||
*** incorrect colon separating "that" (dependent clause conjunction) from "the problem" | |||
*** here "that" is a conjunction that combines the independent clause "the doctor explained" with the dependent clause "the problem is severe" | |||
=== subject-verb mismatch & parallelism === | |||
* verb tense switch in same sentence | |||
** maintain parallel or logically consistent verb tense | |||
** ex. | |||
*** When the scientists discovered a new species, and they believe if | |||
* subject-verb conjugation mismatch | |||
** always regards third person singular or plural mismatches (it v. they) | |||
== Parts of speech & rules == | == Parts of speech & rules == | ||
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=== appositive: nouns as parenthetical or introductory phrases === | === appositive: nouns as parenthetical or introductory phrases === | ||
* "appositive" is from Latin for "to put near" | * "appositive" is from Latin for "to put near" | ||
* = nouns that explain another noun (or pronouns) | * with the purpose of "by way of explanation", i.e. | ||
* = nouns that add to or qualify another noun | ** = nouns that explain another noun (or pronouns) | ||
** = nouns that add to or qualify another noun | |||
* appositives used parenthetically: | * appositives used parenthetically: | ||
** "Steve, my little brother, hates Minecraft." | ** "Steve, my little brother, hates Minecraft." | ||
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*** therefore we eliminate A) because "workers" do not possess "opportunities", they are being "offered them," so C) | *** therefore we eliminate A) because "workers" do not possess "opportunities", they are being "offered them," so C) | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Pronoun == | == Pronoun == | ||
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* "noun" = "word" | * "noun" = "word" | ||
** therefore, pronoun = "for the word" | ** therefore, pronoun = "for the word" | ||
=== pronoun reference/ antecedent === | === pronoun reference/ antecedent === | ||
* pronouns are a reference to a previously (or sometimes later) stated noun or idea | * pronouns are a reference to a previously (or sometimes later) stated noun or idea | ||
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** pronoun precedent (pronoun comes before the noun) to a subsequently stated noun (uncommon): | ** pronoun precedent (pronoun comes before the noun) to a subsequently stated noun (uncommon): | ||
*** "It went well, but the test was still hard." | *** "It went well, but the test was still hard." | ||
=== pronoun functions in Writing section questions === | === pronoun functions in Writing section questions === | ||
* in the Writing section, pronouns mark important distinctions for: | * in the Writing section, pronouns mark important distinctions for: | ||
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** dependent clauses | ** dependent clauses | ||
*** especially subordinate clauses ("..., which are ....") and relative clauses ("... that are...") | *** especially subordinate clauses ("..., which are ....") and relative clauses ("... that are...") | ||
=== "any" and other pronouns with multiple parts of speech (not always a pronoun) === | === "any" and other pronouns with multiple parts of speech (not always a pronoun) === | ||
* pronouns can also be determiners, subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns that act distinctly | * pronouns can also be determiners, subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns that act distinctly | ||
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*** thus, "using" and "funds" are a modifying phrase to describe "project" | *** thus, "using" and "funds" are a modifying phrase to describe "project" | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== personal v. relative pronoun === | === personal v. relative pronoun === | ||
* personal pronoun | * personal pronoun | ||
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**** "of whom" = prepositional phrase (adverbial as it modifies "are") | **** "of whom" = prepositional phrase (adverbial as it modifies "are") | ||
**** "whom" refers to "the players" | **** "whom" refers to "the players" | ||
=== possessive personal pronoun === | |||
* personal pronouns have a distinct form to indicate possession | |||
* see below under "Apostrophe" for distinctions between possessive pronouns and contracts | |||
** such as ''its'' (possessive pronoun) vs. ''it's'' (contraction of "it is") | |||
=== pronoun forms chart === | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ Pronoun Forms | |||
| '''Subjective form''' ||'''Objective form''' ||'''Possessive''' | |||
'''adjective''' | |||
| '''Possessive''' | |||
'''Predicate adjective''' | |||
|'''Reflexive form''' | |||
|- | |||
| I | |||
|| me | |||
|| mine | |||
|| mine | |||
|myself | |||
|- | |||
| you (singular) | |||
|| you | |||
|| your | |||
|| yours | |||
|| yourself | |||
|- | |||
|he | |||
|him | |||
|his | |||
|his | |||
|himself | |||
|- | |||
|she | |||
|her | |||
|her | |||
|hers | |||
|herself | |||
|- | |||
|it | |||
|it | |||
|its | |||
|its | |||
|itself | |||
|- | |||
|we | |||
|us | |||
|our | |||
|ours | |||
|ourselves | |||
|- | |||
|you (plural) | |||
|you | |||
|your | |||
|yours | |||
|yourselves | |||
|- | |||
|they | |||
|them | |||
|their | |||
|theirs | |||
|themselves | |||
|} | |||
== Verb == | |||
* verbs are the center of a sentence and express action | |||
* but verbs can also act as descriptors, or modifiers, to add information to a sentence | |||
** ex.: "On my way to to the store, I saw my friend" v. "Going to the store, I saw my friend" | |||
*** both express the same idea using different grammatical forms | |||
=== multiple verbs=== | |||
* one or more verbs an act upon one subject | |||
* if so, they must maintain “parallel” tense (past, present or future) | |||
* ex.: | |||
** “He went to the store, bought food, and returned home.” | |||
=== subject-verb agreement === | |||
[[File:The radiation that occurs.jpg|thumb|The finite verb "is" is the verb of the main, or independent, clause. The S-V of the clause is "radiation is". The S-V of the relative clause is "that occurs". The relative clause come between the S and V of the main clause. (Sentence adapted from Digital PSAT practice test 1.)]] | |||
* for SAT Writing, maintain subject-verb agreement | |||
** i.e. singular subject = singular verb form | |||
* identify the correct noun as subject, as test will try to confuse subject nouns from relative nouns | |||
* note that finite verbs have a subject but non-finite verbs do not | |||
* "is" and "are" are finite verbs | |||
** match them to their subject in order to identify correct S-V conjugation ("it is" v. "they are") | |||
=== transitive v. intransitive verbs === | |||
* transitive verbs require an object: | |||
** ex. “She offers” must be followed by an object (“she offers help” | |||
* transitive verbs often include an indirect object: | |||
** ex. “She offers help” may include an indirect object (“she offers them help | |||
* intransitive verbs require a preposition or adverb: | |||
** ex. w/ preposition: “She arrived” requires a preposition: “She arrived at the house” (note how “She arrived house” is incorrect, thus requiring a preposition) | |||
** ex. w/ adverb: “She arrived at the house late” (late = adverb bc it modifies the verb “arrive” – how did she arrive? she arrived late.) | |||
=== infinitives === | |||
* = the "to" form of a verb | |||
** in Romance languages, would be the unconjugated root verb ("jugar" means "to play"; "yo juego" means "I play") | |||
* infinitives are NOT the action verb a sentence | |||
* instead, infinitives are used to express or describe the state or purpose of something or to give an opinion about it | |||
** infinitives answer ''who, what, or why'' | |||
** when assessing infinitives, as yourself what the verb is doing and how does the infinitive relate to it or the other words | |||
*** i.e., "I studied hard in order to pass the test." | |||
** i.e, infinitives act like adjectives, adverbs or nouns | |||
* as adjectives, infinitives describe a noun | |||
** ex. "I wanted her tears to disappear" | |||
*** "tears" = direct object; "to disappear" modifies not the verb "want" but the noun "tears," so "to disappear" is acting as an adjective | |||
* as adverbs, infinitives describe a verb | |||
** "One must study to learn" (or could be, ""To learn, one must study") | |||
*** "to learn" is an adverb modifying the verb "study" | |||
* as nouns, infinitives act as a thing or condition | |||
** as nouns, infinitives can be either the subject or object of a clause or phrase | |||
** ex. "To err is human; to forgive is divine" | |||
*** the subject of these clauses are both infinitives, the verbs are "is", and the objects/subject complements are the noun "human" and the adjective "divine" | |||
** ex. "I want to do something" | |||
*** here the infinitive "to do" is the direct object and "something" is the indirect object | |||
**** i.e., what do I want? "to do"; what do I want to do? "something" | |||
** ex. "My dog loves to chase his ball." | |||
*** what does my dog love? "to chase" (direct object); what does he love chasing? "his ball" (indirect object) | |||
* sources: | |||
** https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/gerunds_participles_and_infinitives/infinitives.html | |||
** https://www.theclassroom.com/identify-function-infinitive-sentence-2604.html | |||
** https://www.dailywritingtips.com/grammar-review-1-particles-and-phrasal-verbs/ | |||
== Punctuation == | == Punctuation == | ||
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**** i.e., IC <=> , + <=> IC | **** i.e., IC <=> , + <=> IC | ||
=== Semicolon === | === Semicolon === | ||
* semicolons juxtapose complete sentences | * semicolons juxtapose complete sentences as ICs for comparison or emphasis of a relation | ||
* eliminate semicolons if there are not ICs on both sides of the semicolon | * eliminate semicolons if there are not ICs on both sides of the semicolon | ||
* an exception is use of the semicolon as a "super comma" (see above) | |||
** rarely used on the SAT | |||
=== comma === | === comma === | ||
* commas create a pause | * commas create a pause | ||
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* note that many other languages have the possessive pronoun | * note that many other languages have the possessive pronoun | ||
** however, they lack the apostrophe indicator for nouns, thus instead of using the apostrophe to indicate possession ("the dog's toy") they structure the idea as "of" or "belonging to", as in, "the toy of the dog" or the toy that belongs to the dog" | ** however, they lack the apostrophe indicator for nouns, thus instead of using the apostrophe to indicate possession ("the dog's toy") they structure the idea as "of" or "belonging to", as in, "the toy of the dog" or the toy that belongs to the dog" | ||
=== apostrophes for contraction === | === apostrophes for contraction === | ||
* contractions are used for "to be" words to join the subject and the verb via the apostrophe, as in: | * contractions are used for "to be" words to join the subject and the verb via the apostrophe, as in: | ||
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* SAT Writing test generally does not test for gerunds, although they will appear in the text | * SAT Writing test generally does not test for gerunds, although they will appear in the text | ||
=== participial phrase === | === participle or participial phrase === | ||
* = verb phrases that act as an adjective | * = verb phrases that act as an adjective | ||
* participle = a verb that functions as an adjective, usually in the past tense or -ing form | * participle = a verb that functions as an adjective, usually in the past tense or -ing form | ||
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** which thereby matches to the singular, past tense A) was teeming | ** which thereby matches to the singular, past tense A) was teeming | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
* appositive phrases at end of a sentence: | |||
** SAT test often measures concision in sentences using appositive phrases instead of clauses: | |||
*** ''"The teacher discussed Theodoras, a gallic Roman general and emperor"'' | |||
** note how some appositive phrases can also be written as a relative clause: | |||
*** ''"The teacher discussed Theodoras, '''who was''' a gallic Roman general and emperor"'' | |||
* for appositive phrase on the SAT see Test 6, Writing question no. 1: | |||
In the winter of 1968, scientists David Schindler and | |||
Gregg Brunskill poured nitrates and phosphates into | |||
Lake [227, this is one] of the 58 freshwater bodies that | |||
compose Canada’s remotely located Experimental Lakes | |||
Area. | |||
A) NO CHANGE B) 227. Which is one C) 227. One D) 227, one | |||
* We can eliminate | |||
** A) because it creates two independent clauses that require a missing coordinating conjunction | |||
*** should read: ''"... into Lake 227, '''and''' this is one of..."'' | |||
** B) because the period before the relative clause "Which" creates an incomplete sentence | |||
** C) because the sentence created by the period, ''". One of the..."'' lacks a verb and is therefore an incomplete thought | |||
*** the subject "One" does not have a verb | |||
*** and the relative clause ''"that compose Canada's..."'' is an incomplete thought, as well | |||
* only D) is grammatically correct because it creates an appositive modifying phrase following "Lake 227" | |||
** note that this phrase could be a relative clause similar to B) but with a comma instead of a period | |||
* see: | * see: | ||
** [https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/dangling_modifiers_and_how_to_correct_them.htm dangling modifiers (owl.purdue.edu)] | ** [https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/dangling_modifiers_and_how_to_correct_them.htm dangling modifiers (owl.purdue.edu)] | ||
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** idiomatic is different from "informal" or colloquial (local, common) language | ** idiomatic is different from "informal" or colloquial (local, common) language | ||
* By definition idiomatic words have no set rule | * By definition idiomatic words have no set rule | ||
** idioms include colloquial (informal) expressions, prepositions, or vocabulary. | |||
** prepositions can be "idiomatic" in that there may not be a logic or rule in the difference between some of them, but we tend to use one over the other, even it is synonymous | |||
* HOWEVER, on the SAT Writing section, students can use elimination techniques to eliminate down to the correct idiomatic expression | * HOWEVER, on the SAT Writing section, students can use elimination techniques to eliminate down to the correct idiomatic expression | ||
* | |||
* see this video for demonstration of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV7QK_ex0jQ&list=PLyC6Fj2OdXlpDypu0__dsv5y6EZS5NpmH&index=1&t=4s on elimination techniques with idiomatic & vocabulary questions (by Michael Bromley)]] | * see this video for demonstration of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV7QK_ex0jQ&list=PLyC6Fj2OdXlpDypu0__dsv5y6EZS5NpmH&index=1&t=4s on elimination techniques with idiomatic & vocabulary questions (by Michael Bromley)]] | ||
Click EXPAND for an example from CB Test 6, Writing question no. 21, on how to eliminate idiomatic possible answers using grammar rules: | Click EXPAND for an example from CB Test 6, Writing question no. 21, on how to eliminate idiomatic possible answers using grammar rules: | ||
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* C) correctly uses noun "the using" (gerund) but incorrectly uses the preposition "of soil extraction" a modifier of "the using" | * C) correctly uses noun "the using" (gerund) but incorrectly uses the preposition "of soil extraction" a modifier of "the using" | ||
* D) incorrectly uses the verb "advocating" without the auxiliary verb "was"; otherwise it incorrectly does not create a complete independent clause | * D) incorrectly uses the verb "advocating" without the auxiliary verb "was"; otherwise it incorrectly does not create a complete independent clause | ||
=== "such as" === | |||
* "such as" is a phrase that acts like a: | |||
** subordinating conjunction | |||
*** when introducing non-restrictive (not essential) information | |||
*** "''I get tired of board games, such as chess or checkers"'' | |||
*** = <u>preceded by a comma</u> | |||
** conjunction | |||
*** when introducing restrictive (essential) information | |||
*** "''Board games such as checkers or Monopoly are boring"'' | |||
*** = <u>not separated by a comma</u> | |||
* note: "such as" is <u>never followed by a colon</u> | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
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** then decide between "yes" or "no" | ** then decide between "yes" or "no" | ||
== Vocabulary == | == Vocabulary questions == | ||
* Writing section vocabulary questions are never antonyms | * Writing section vocabulary questions are never antonyms | ||
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*** any adverbs? | *** any adverbs? | ||
** is it part of the main clause or a subordinate clause? | ** is it part of the main clause or a subordinate clause? | ||
== Useful vocabulary words for SAT Writing section == | |||
* '''mere / merely''' | |||
** = "only" as in "barely any but some or a few" | |||
*** can be negative, as in "''What, that's merely a two bucks!''" | |||
**** also, "hardly" | |||
*** or positive, as in | |||
**** "''Merely two bucks is all it took!''" | |||
**** or "''I got in done in mere seconds''" | |||
** the SAT frequently measures student comprehension of this word | |||
*** note that "merely" is different from "a little," "a few" or "few" | |||
* '''nevertheless''' | |||
** = "yes, but..." | |||
* '''nominal''' | |||
** = "insignificant", "barely or hardly any", "just a few" | |||
* see also | |||
** similar entry for the SAT Reading section : Useful vocabulary words for SAT Reading section | |||
** [[Transition words translations]] | |||
== Grammar and punctuation rules == | == Grammar and punctuation rules == | ||
Line 1,461: | Line 1,460: | ||
* avoid repetition and unnecessary pronouns | * avoid repetition and unnecessary pronouns | ||
* avoid [[#Emphasis shift]] errors | * avoid [[#Emphasis shift]] errors | ||
[[Category:SAT verbal]] | |||
[[Category:SAT exam prep]] | |||
[[Category:Grammar]] | |||
[[Category:SAT Writing]] |