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| '''SAT Writing Section Techniques, Strategies & Approaches''' | | '''SAT Writing Section Techniques, Strategies & Approaches''' |
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| [[Category:SAT verbal]]
| | {{New SAT test disclaimer}} |
| [[Category:SAT exam prep]]
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| [[Category:Grammar]]
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| [[Category:SAT Writing]]
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| * see also:
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| ** [[Transition_words_translations|Writing Section transition words translations]]
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| ** [[SAT Reading section techniques, strategies & approaches]]
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| ** [[SAT Reading section historical timeline & themes]]
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| ** [[Grammar]]
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| ** [[Parts of speech]]
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| ** [[List of word parts of speech & their grammar rules]]
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| | 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]] |
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| * Note on abbreviations | | * Note on abbreviations |
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| == Quick start guides for punctuation & grammar rules == | | == Quick start guides for punctuation & grammar rules == |
| * see further below for more on all these concepts and rules in the quick start guides | | * 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. |
| === Verbs quick start guide ===
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| * '''verb'''
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| ** indicates an action, existence or occurrence
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| *** ''I do, I am, I went''
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| ** is the basis of a predicate
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| *** predicate = the action and its result/s, modifier/s or object/s
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| * for the SAT, identify if a verb is '''''finite''''' or '''''non-finite'''''
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| ==== Finite verb ====
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| * has a subject
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| * finite verbs form the core of a sentence or clause
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| ==== Non-finite verb ====
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| * does not have a subject
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| * non-finite verbs act as a noun (gerund), adjective (past or present participle) or infinitive ("to" form of a verb)
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| * for the SAT, the most important non-finite verb is the present participle adjective
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| ** = the '''-ing''' form of a non-finite verb acting as an adjective
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| *** note that non-finite verbs acting as nouns, called gerunds, are also in the '''-ing''' form of the verb
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| ** present participles are used to add information to an independent clause
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| *** ''ex. Driving carefully, she made it home safely in the storm''
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| **** = "She drove carefully in the storm. She made it home safely."
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| **** we can combine those two sentences into a more compact sentence by using the non-finite verb "driving"
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| *** note that participle phrases are attached to an independent clause by a comma and not a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)
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| === Punctuation quick start guide ===
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| Reminder about abbreviations =
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| * IC = independent clause
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| * DC = dependent clause
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| * Phr = phrase
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| * S= subject (noun)
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| * V = verb
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| * O = object (noun)
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| ==== periods . ====
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| * '''periods''' separate sentences
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| * periods do '''ONE''' thing =
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| # separate grammatically correct and complete thoughts that are distinct sentences
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| click EXPAND to see what PERIODS do & how to eliminate using the rule:
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| <u>periods</u>:
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| * periods separate grammatically correct and complete thoughts that are distinct sentences
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| * elimination:
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| ** if the sentence is grammatically or logically incomplete, the period is wrong
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| *** i.e., SUBJECT VERB and an object or subject complement if needed to make sense
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| * if a period and a semicolon are both possible answers, they are both wrong
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| </div>
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| * note that "interjection" (a quick remark or interruption) or "imperative" (a command) VERBS contain an implied SUBJECT
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| * so they can create a complete sentence or independent clause:
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| * ex.
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| ** "Go to the store." = "[you] Go to the store."
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| ** "Stop!" = "[you} Stop!"
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| * for the SAT the imperative may come in the form of a command to the reader, such as:
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| ** "Take this idea, for example."
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| *** = "[you] Take this idea, for example." << as a sentence or independent clause
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| ==== semicolons ; ====
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| * combine independent clauses for comparison, contrast or some relation between them
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| ** as opposed to periods which completely separate the ideas/ thoughts
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| * semicolons do (almost) '''ONE''' thing:
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| # combine ICs
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| * note that semicolons can -- but rarely:
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| ** separate a list of IC's:
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| *** as in "IC; IC; IC; IC."
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| ** a semicolon may also be used as a "super comma" in order to emphasize separate elements in a list of common examples, usually following a colon:
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| *** as in, "IC: this; that; the other thing."
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| **** ex. "''On our trip, we will visit tons of places: in Africa, Egypt & Morrocco; in Europe, Greece and Italy; and in Asia, Turkey"''
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| **** the "super comma" does not have to follow a colon, so we could write:
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| ***** ''"On our trip, we will visit tons of places, including in Africa, Egypt & Morrocco; in Europe, Greece and Italy; and in Asia, Turkey"''
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| *** the "super comma" is rarely used in practice and on the SAT test (see May QAS 2022 Writing section question no. 35 )
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| click EXPAND to see what SEMICOLONS do & how to eliminate using the rule/s:
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| <u>semicolons</u>:
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| # combine two ICs
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| #* "School is boring; I should go anyway"= IC; IC
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| * can also create a list of IC's (IC; IC; IC; IC.)
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| ** "School is boring; I already know that stuff; I should go anyway" = "IC; IC; IC
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| * elimination:
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| ** must have IC or complete sentences & thoughts on both sides of the semicolon
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| *** i.e., if the two clauses on either side of the semicolon would not stand on their own as grammatically complete sentences and thoughts, the semicolon is incorrect
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| ** if a period and a semicolon are both possible answers, they are both wrong
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| </div>
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| ==== commas , ====
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| * create pauses
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| * commas do '''FIVE''' things:
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| click EXPAND to see what COMMAS do & how to eliminate using the rule/s:
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| <u>commas</u>:
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| # combine IC, DC, or DC, IC
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| #* or IC, Phr or Phr, IC
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| #** ex. "He ate fast, which upset his stomach" = IC, DC
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| #** ex. "After eating too fast, his stomach was upset" = Phr, IC
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| #*** = prepositional phrase, independent clause
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| # combine ICs
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| #* ''but only with a coordinating conjunction'' (FANBOYS), i.e., IC, and IC
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| #* ex.: "IC, and IC" or "IC, but IC"
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| #** "They played hard, and they won big" = IC, and IC
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| #** "They played hard, but they lost" = IC, but IC
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| # separate lists (subjects, verbs, objects)
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| #* ex.: S, S and S V, V O, O and O
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| # act parenthetically
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| #* ", .... ," (like these parentheses)
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| #** The movie, which was about Ancient Rome, was very informative" = S, .... , V
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| # introduce a direct quotation
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| #* ex. "The judge declared, "Guilty!"
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| * elimination:
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| ** commas can only separate a S-V or V-O if acting parenthetically (see below for examples)
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| ** commas can NOT combine two ICs without a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)
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| ** 1 or more commas can separate multiple subjects, verbs or objects from one another (called "compound" subjects, verbs, objects)
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| *** "Joey, Joella and Josephina jumped for joy"
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| **** = 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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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| </div>
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| ==== colons : ====
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| * distinguish additional information following an IC, usually a list, explanation, or example to clarify or extend the idea presented in the IC
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| * colons = do '''ONE''' thing:
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| # extend or provide examples in support of a prior IC
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| #* i.e., a colon MUST be preceded by an IC
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| #* i.e., colons follow a complete statement with an extended idea or example/s
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| #** ''The prosecutor presented the evidence: a fingerprint, the weapon, and a written confession"''
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| #*** = IC: list
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| #* just about any grammatical form can follow a colon, including
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| #** an IC, phrase, exclamation, multiple ICs with semicolons or coordinating conjunctions
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| #** a direct quotation (if that quotation is a complete sentence and if the colon is preceded by an IC
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| #** exceptions arenthat colons are not followed by
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| #*** another colon
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| #*** a dependent clause that modifies the independent clause prior to the colon
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| * colons <U>DO NOT</u>:
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| ** follow a dependent clause
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| ** interrupt a clause or requisite (essential, required) or connected elements in a sentence
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| *** ex., "''I went to the store''': because''' I needed some supplies''"
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| **** the colon here interrupts the connection between "I went to the store" and the reason why, "because..."
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| *** or "''She knew''': that''' it was the right thing to do''"
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| **** the colon here interrupts the requisite relative pronoun "that" and the clause it creates
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| *** or "''They have two ideas: which are both innovative"''
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| **** "which" creates a DC that modifies the IC prior to the colon, so it cannot be separated from that IC by a colon
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| ***** (a comma separating the IC and DC is okay)
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| ** have multiple colons in a sentence
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| click EXPAND to see what COLONS do & how to eliminate using the rule/s:
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| <u>colons</u>:
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| # extend or provide examples following an IC
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| * what follows the colon can be in any grammatical form (IC, DC, phrase)
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| ** except a conjunction (as in : I bought shoes: and some socks (= incorrect)
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| ** or a required (requisite) phrase or clause ("I bought shoes: that fit" = incorrect)
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| ** colons are usually followed by a list or an example
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| ** a colon may set up a direct quotation, such as:
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| *** ''The lawyer claimed the accusation was wrong: "He's innocent!"'' = IC: IC
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| * elimination:
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| ** if NOT preceded by an IC, eliminate the colon
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| ** if another possible answer is a dash that is acting like a colon, then both cannot be correct, so eliminate
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| </div>
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| ====dashes -- ====
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| * separate ideas within a sentence, either parenthetically or like a colon
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| * dashes do '''TWO''' things:
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| # act like a colon
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| # act like parentheses (...) = -...-
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| click EXPAND to see what DASHES do & how to eliminate using the rule/s:
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| <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| <u>dashes</u>:
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| # act like a colon
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| #* ex. "She left stuff behind -- a plastic ring, a cheap phone, and a pencil" = IC -- list
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| #* the dash is often used for emphasis (as opposed to a colon, which adds information)
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| # act like parentheses (...) = -...-
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| #* The stuff that she left behind -- a plastic ring, a cheap phone, and a pencil -- wasn't that expensive"
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| * elimination:
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| ** if there is NOT another dash in the sentence, then the dash is NOT acting parenthetically (...)
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| ** if not acting like parentheses, and there is NOT an IC preceding the dash, eliminate
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| ** if another possible answer is a colon and the dash is not acting like a parentheses, then both cannot be correct
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| ----------------------------------------------------------
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| </div>
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| === Apostrophes quick start guide ===
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| * '''apostrophes''' do two things:
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| ** create contractions ("it's" from "it is" or "can't" from "can not")
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| ** show possession
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| *** nouns possess nouns and nouns can only possess nouns (not verbs)
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| *** punctuation can NOT separate the possessor noun from the possessed noun
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| *** adjectives may separate the two nouns, as in "The cowboy's fast horse"
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| ** possessive apostrophes singular v plural:
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| *** ''''s''' for singular nouns ("that dog's toys") and '''s'''' for plural nouns ("those dogs' toys")
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| * elimination:
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| ** if punctuation or a verb follow the possessor noun, eliminate (see examples below)
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| * note: use of an apostrophe to create a contraction with a noun and the verb, "to be" is informal and not measured on the SAT
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| ** ex., "winning's good" for "winning is good" is informal
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| === Conjunctions quick start guide ===
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| * '''conjunctions''' combine words, phrases, and clauses
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| ** '''coordinating conjunction''' (CJ)
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| *** combines ICs (FANBOYS)
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| **** ''I was hungry, so I bought a burger''
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| * note: the word '''however''' is NOT a conjunction,
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| ** therefore it must be combined with another CJ or a semicolon if combining two ICs
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| ** '''subordinating conjunction''' (SJ)
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| *** = turns an IC into a DC by requiring additional ideas to complete the thought of the clause
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| *** ex. "I was hungry, so I bought a burger" = two IC w/ a CC
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| *** whereas, if we use the CS "since" = Since I was hungry, I bought a burger"
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| **** = DC, IC ("Since I was hungry is not a complete thought, therefore it is a DC, or subordinate clause)
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| * '''requisite or necessary clause or phrase''' (Phr)
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| ** usually, when the SC follows the IC, there is not a comma | |
| ** the subordinating conjunction becames a relative conjunction
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| *** ''We couldn't play '''when it rained'''''
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| ** just as SV or SVO are not separated by punctuation (because they are necessary or required of each other to make sense):
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| *** some clauses and phrases are requisite or necessary to complete a thought, which means they are not separated from the main clause by punctuation
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| *** ex. "I bought the shoes that were on sale" << "that were on sale" is necessary to the idea that "I bought" particular shoes
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| ** see "Relative clause" below for more on essential and non-essential sentence elements
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| === Prepositions quick start guide ===
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| * '''prepositions'''
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| ** include ''about, by, from, near, of, on'' , etc.
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| * prepositions create a relationship between nouns
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| ** the nouns or other words that follow the preposition are called a "prepositional phrase" ("about something I once knew")
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| * prepositional phrases establish a relationship with a noun or as part of a subject-verb clause:
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| ** ex. adding information to a subject noun: "The ideas of the professor are novel."
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| ** ex. adding information to a subject-verb: "The professor was educated at Yale."
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| * for the SAT, only prepositions that come before the verb matter
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| * the noun in prepositional phrases are '''NEVER the subject of a sentence'''
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| ** elimination:
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| *** for subject-verb matching, the preposition/ prepositional phrase is NOT the subject
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| **** ex. "Books about sailing are fun" and not "Books about sailing is fun"
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| ***** "about" = a preposition, so "sailing" is not the subject and the verb is therefore matched to the plural "books"
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| === Restrictive elements quick start guide ===
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| * a "restrictive" element is a sentence part that is not separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma or other punctuation
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| * restrictive elements include:
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| ** '''subject - verb - object''' (or subject complement)
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| *** are not separated from one another by punctuation
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| **** S V O
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| ***** cannot be separated from one another by punctuation, ex.:
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| ***** ''SoHo, is fun to say, and to visit << incorrect''
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| ***** ''SoHo is fun to say and to visit'' << correct
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| **** but could be separated by a parenthetical phrase or clause:
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| ***** ''SoHo, a neighborhood in New York, is fun to say and to visit''
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| ***** ''SoHo, which is fun to say, is fun to visit''
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| ** '''adjectives and adverbs'''
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| *** are not separated from the noun or verb they modify by punctuation
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| **** ''That is one big, elephant!'' << incorrect
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| **** ''That is one big, elephant!'' << correct
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| *** <u>exception</u>: could be a list of coordinate adjectives that are separated by a comma:
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| **** ''That is one big, angry elephant!''
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| *** or, could be separated by a parenthetical element:
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| **** ''That is one big -- and I mean big! -- elephant''
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| ** '''possessive nouns'''
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| *** are not separated from the noun they possess by punctuation
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| **** ''That bird flew right by my friend's, head'' << incorrect
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| **** ''That bird flew right by my friend's head'' << correct
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| *** <u>exception</u>: could be part of a list of adjective:
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| **** ''That bird flew right by my friend's big, old head''
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| *** note: see rules below for possessives
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| ** '''prepositional phrases'''
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| *** are not separated from the noun or verb they modify
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| ****''The book, on that table is interesting'' << incorrect
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| **** ''The book on that table is very interesting'' << correct
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| ** '''relative clauses beginning with "that"'''
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| *** note that some "restrictive relative clauses" may also begin with the relative pronouns, ''which, who, whose'', etc.
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| *** but relative clauses starting with "'''that'''" <u>are always restrictive</u> and thus are not separated from the word or sentence part they modify by punctuation
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| * <u>EXCEPTION</u>: parenthetical elements
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| ** only parenthetical elements with a pair of ''parentheses, commas or dashes'' may separate restrictive elements
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| ** the reason is that parenthetical elements are ungrammatical -- they exist OUTSIDE of the grammatical construction of a sentence
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| *** thus they can intrude upon a sentence
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| *** but they ALWAYS have paired punctuation, commas, dashes or parentheses, that isolate them from the rest of the sentence
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| == BIG IDEAS == | | == BIG IDEAS == |
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| ** “He went to the store, bought food, and returned home.” | | ** “He went to the store, bought food, and returned home.” |
| === subject-verb agreement === | | === 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 | | * for SAT Writing, maintain subject-verb agreement |
| ** i.e. singular subject = singular verb form | | ** i.e. singular subject = singular verb form |
| * identify the correct noun as subject, as test will try to confuse subject nouns from relative nouns | | * 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 v. intransitive verbs === |
| * transitive verbs require an object: | | * transitive verbs require an object: |
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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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| ** = "only" as in "barely any but some or a few" | | ** = "only" as in "barely any but some or a few" |
| *** can be negative, as in "''What, that's merely a two bucks!''" | | *** can be negative, as in "''What, that's merely a two bucks!''" |
| *** or positive, as in | | **** also, "hardly" |
| | *** or positive, as in |
| **** "''Merely two bucks is all it took!''" | | **** "''Merely two bucks is all it took!''" |
| **** or "''I got in done in mere seconds''" | | **** or "''I got in done in mere seconds''" |
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| * avoid repetition and unnecessary pronouns | | * avoid repetition and unnecessary pronouns |
| * avoid [[#Emphasis shift]] errors | | * avoid [[#Emphasis shift]] errors |
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| | [[Category:SAT verbal]] |
| | [[Category:SAT exam prep]] |
| | [[Category:Grammar]] |
| | [[Category:SAT Writing]] |