SAT Digital Reading and Writing Test quick start guide: Difference between revisions
m (→semicolons ;) |
m (→colons :) |
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#combine IC, DC, or DC, IC | #combine IC, DC, or DC, IC | ||
#*or IC, Phr or Phr, IC | #*or IC, Phr or Phr, IC | ||
#**ex. | #**ex. ''He ate fast, which upset his stomach'' = IC, DC | ||
#**ex. | #**ex. ''After eating too fast, his stomach was upset'' = Phr, IC | ||
#***= prepositional phrase, independent clause | #***= prepositional phrase, independent clause | ||
#combine ICs | #combine ICs | ||
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# act parenthetically | # act parenthetically | ||
#*", .... ," (like these parentheses) | #*", .... ," (like these parentheses) | ||
#**The movie, which was about Ancient Rome, was very informative | #**''The movie''', which was about Ancient Rome,''' was very informative'' = S, .... , V | ||
#introduce a direct quotation | #introduce a direct quotation | ||
#* ex. | #* ex. ''The judge declared, "Guilty!"'' | ||
*elimination: | *elimination: | ||
**commas can only separate a S-V or V-O if acting parenthetically (see below for examples) | **commas can only separate a S-V or V-O if acting parenthetically (see below for examples) | ||
**commas can NOT combine two ICs without a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) | **commas can NOT combine two ICs without a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) | ||
**1 or more commas can separate multiple subjects, verbs or objects from one another (called "compound" subjects, verbs, objects) | **1 or more commas can separate multiple subjects, verbs or objects from one another (called "compound" subjects, verbs, objects) | ||
*** | ***''Joey, Joella and Josephina jumped for joy'' | ||
****= a single comma between the subject "Joey" and its verb "jumped" because the comma creates a list and not a grammatical separation of the subject and verb | ****= a single comma between the subject "Joey" and its verb "jumped" because the comma creates a list and not a grammatical separation of the subject and verb | ||
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#**an IC, phrase, exclamation, multiple ICs with semicolons or coordinating conjunctions | #**an IC, phrase, exclamation, multiple ICs with semicolons or coordinating conjunctions | ||
#**a direct quotation (if that quotation is a complete sentence and if the colon is preceded by an IC | #**a direct quotation (if that quotation is a complete sentence and if the colon is preceded by an IC | ||
#**exceptions | #**exceptions are that colons are not followed by: | ||
#***another colon | #***another colon | ||
#***a dependent clause that modifies the independent clause prior to the colon | #***a dependent clause that modifies the independent clause prior to the colon | ||
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*elimination: | *elimination: | ||
**if NOT preceded by an IC, eliminate the colon | **if NOT preceded by an IC, eliminate the colon | ||
**if another possible answer is a dash that is acting like a colon, then both cannot be correct, so eliminate | **if another possible answer is a dash that is acting like a colon, then both cannot be correct, so eliminate the colon | ||
***but do not eliminate the dash yet, because it does two things, 1) act like a colon; 2) act like parentheses) | |||
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<u>dashes</u>: | <u>dashes</u>: | ||
# act like a colon | # act like a colon | ||
#*ex. | #*ex. ''She left stuff behind -- a plastic ring, a cheap phone, and a pencil'' | ||
#**= IC separated from a list by a dash (as would a colon) | |||
#*the dash is often used for emphasis (as opposed to a colon, which adds information) | #*the dash is often used for emphasis (as opposed to a colon, which adds information) | ||
#act like parentheses (...) = -...- | #act like parentheses (...) = -...- | ||
#* The stuff that she left behind -- a plastic ring, a cheap phone, and a pencil -- wasn't that expensive | #* ''The stuff that she left behind '''-- a plastic ring, a cheap phone, and a pencil --''' wasn't that expensive'' | ||
*elimination: | *elimination: | ||
**if the dash is acting like a colon, and there is not an IC preceding it, eliminate | |||
***if another possible answer is a colon, then the dash is not acting like a colon, since both cannot be correct | |||
**if there is NOT another dash in the sentence, then the dash is NOT acting parenthetically (...) | **if there is NOT another dash in the sentence, then the dash is NOT acting parenthetically (...) | ||
==Apostrophes quick start guide== | ==Apostrophes quick start guide== | ||
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**elimination: | **elimination: | ||
***for subject-verb matching, the preposition/ prepositional phrase is NOT the subject | ***for subject-verb matching, the preposition/ prepositional phrase is NOT the subject | ||
****ex. | ****ex. ''Books about sailing are fun'' and not ''Books about sailing is fun'' | ||
*****"about" = a preposition, so "sailing" is not the subject and the verb is therefore matched to the plural "books" | *****"about" = a preposition, so "sailing" is not the subject and the verb is therefore matched to the plural "books" | ||
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****S V O | ****S V O | ||
*****cannot be separated from one another by punctuation, ex.: | *****cannot be separated from one another by punctuation, ex.: | ||
*****''SoHo, is fun to say, and to visit << incorrect | *****''SoHo, is fun to say, and to visit'' << incorrect | ||
***** ''SoHo is fun to say and to visit'' << correct | ***** ''SoHo is fun to say and to visit'' << correct | ||
****but could be separated by a parenthetical phrase or clause: | ****but could be separated by a parenthetical phrase or clause: | ||
*****''SoHo, a neighborhood in New York, is fun to say and to visit'' | *****''SoHo, a neighborhood in New York, is fun to say and to visit'' | ||