SAT PREP: STRATEGIES
PARTS OF THE VERBAL TEST
CRITICAL READING
• Sentence
Completion
• Critical reading—
short and long
passages
WRITING
• Identifying Errors
• Improving Sentences
• Improving
Paragraphs
• Student-Written Essay
SENTENCE COMPLETION:
STRATEGIES #1 AND #2
PAGES 120-123
STRATEGY #1
FOR A SENTENCE WITH
ONE BLANK, FILL IN
THE BLANK WITH
EACH CHOICE TO FIND
THE BEST FIT
STRATEGY #2
FOR SENTENCES WITH
TWO BLANKS,
ELIMINATE INITIAL
WORDS THAT DON’T
MAKE SENSE
PRACTICE WITH SENTENCE
COMPLETION STRATEGIES #1 AND #2
• On pp 674-675, do problems #1-8
• On p 702, do problems #1-6
ANSWERS
pp 674-675 #1-8
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
E
D
D
D
C
E
B
D
p 702 #1-6
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
E
A
D
D
B
C
CRITICAL READING
INFORMATION
PAGES 127-133
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
• Four Question Types:
1. MAIN IDEA/ PURPOSE
2. KEY DETAILS/ SPECIFIC INFORMATION
3. IMPLIED INFORMATION
4. TONE OR MOOD
TIPS
• Get involved with the passage!
• Annotate (underline, write in margin, circle,
etc.)
• Keep in mind the four question types (see
previous slide) when reading the
passages
• Take note of the organization of the
information
• Read the question and then each
answer option. If an answer option
doesn’t feel right, move to the next one
without trying to make it fit.
MORE TIPS
• Don’t get bogged down on a
question. If none look correct, skip it
and move on (you can come back to
it later in that section if you need).
• Look at information not related to the
passage—there will probably be a
question on that material
READING COMPREHENSION:
STRATEGY 1
PAGES 135-137
STRATEGY #1 AS YOU READ
EACH QUESTION,
DETERMINE THE QUESTION
TYPE:
1)
2)
3)
4)
MAIN IDEA
DETAILS
INFERENCE
TONE/MOOD
EXERCISE #1
Go to pp 676-679
#9-24 and label
each question by its
type
**Don’t read the passages or
answer the questions yet
READING COMPREHENSION:
STRATEGY 2
PAGES 138-139
STRATEGY #2: UNDERLINE
THE KEY PARTS OF THE
READING PASSAGES
EXERCISE #2
Read the passages on
pp 676-679 #9-24 and
underline key parts
(info addressing the question
types)
READING COMPREHENSION:
STRATEGY 3
PAGE 140
STRATEGY #3: LOOK BACK
AT THE PASSAGE WHEN IN
DOUBT
EXERCISE #3
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
NOW, LOOKING BACK TO
THE UNDERLINED
PORTIONS OF THE
PASSAGES AS NEEDED
ANSWERS PP 676-679
9. E
10.C
11.B
12.E
13.D
14.B
15.A
16.C
17.B
18.E
19.D
20.E
21.C
22.E
23.E
24.B
EXTRA PRACTICE
PAGES 693-694 #10-15
ANSWERS PP 693-694
10.D
11.C
12.E
13.C
14.D
15.D
VOCABULARY LIST #1
PARTS OF SPEECH AND DEFINITIONS
1. Acquiesce:
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: Agree; consent
2. Admonish:
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To caution; to scold; to urge to a duty
3. Aesthetic:
Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Having a sense of the beautiful; concerned with
emotion/imagination and not purely intellect
4. Allude:
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion
5. Ambivalence:
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Uncertainty, especially caused by the inability to
make a choice or by a desire to do opposite or conflicting things
6. Anecdote:
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A short account of an event, usually of an interesting or
amusing nature
7. Antecedent:
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A preceding circumstance, event, object, style, etc.
8. Apathy:
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Absence of passion, emotion, or excitement; lack of
interest in or concern for things that others find moving/
exciting
9. Ardent:
Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Fierce; intensely devoted
10. Articulate:
Part of Speech: Adjective/ Verb
Definition: Capable of speech, using language easily (adjective);
To utter clearly and distinctly (verb)
11.Ascertain:
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To find out definitely; learn with certainty/ assurance
12. Assimilate:
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To take in and incorporate as one’s own; absorb; to
bring into conformity; to cause to resemble
13. Banal:
Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Devoid of freshness/ originality; trite
14. Begrudge:
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of
(someone); to be reluctant to allow
15. Belligerent:
Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Warlike; given to waging war; aggressively hostile
QUIZ ON FRIDAY!
WRITING: ESSAY
RUBRIC P 522
RUBRIC CATEGORIES
• Stance/ Support & Development/
Thinking
• Organization/Focus & Progression of
Ideas
• Use of Language: Precise Vocabulary
• Varied Sentence Structure
• Follows Conventional English
(Grammar)
WRITING: ESSAY
INFORMATION AND TIPS
INFO & TIPS P 521
• 25 minutes-- ~5 minutes/ paragraph (4) + 5 min
prewriting
• Try to engross the reader—make him/her think
• TAKE A POSITION
• Be specific in examples/support—avoid general
statements without concrete details and/or
ambiguity
• If you can (if it makes sense), incorporate
theme/plot/characters, etc. from a book you have
read
• Sketch a brief outline before beginning to make
sure your writing has a purposeful path
WRITING: ESSAY
ORGANIZATION
BASIC INFORMATION
• Graders know this is a rough draft, so they are looking
for what you can produce in “pressure situations” AKA
25 minutes
• Essay needs 4-5 paragraphs: introduction, body (2-3),
conclusion
• Your thinking/reasoning is MOST important in the essay,
but how you convey your ideas is also significant.
• Use precise diction (word choice)—but not words you don’t
know how to use properly
• Vary your syntax (sentence structure) to promote smooth flow
• Demonstrate control over the conventions of grammar (at the
rough draft level—they don’t expect the essay to be perfect
grammatically)
ORGANIZATION
• INTRODUCTION– Take a position and indicate topics
you will address (thesis)—first person is okay
• BODY– Bring in SUPPORT for your claims—This should be
from observations, popular culture, literature/film, etc.
The more specific the information, the better your
essay will be.
• Organize body paragraphs from strongest to weakest
• Include strong topic sentences
• CONCLUSION—Reiterate your stand/supporting details
and include a “golden nugget”– a quotation/maxim,
another connection to life/the world, etc. Something
to leave your reader with a smile.
EXERCISE
Create an outline for the essay
portion of practice test on page
564—go paragraph by paragraph
and include your thesis in the intro,
the evidence you will use in the
body paragraphs, and a possible
“golden nugget” for the
conclusion.
SENTENCE COMPLETION:
STRATEGIES 3 & 4
PP 123-126
STRATEGY #3
TRY TO COMPLETE THE
SENTENCE IN YOUR
OWN WORDS BEFORE
LOOKING AT THE
CHOICES
STRATEGY #4
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION
TO THE KEY WORDS IN
THE SENTENCE
I.E. WORDS INDICATING
OPPOSITION, SUPPORT, OR
RESULT
EXERCISE
• Using strategies 3 and 4, complete
the following practice problems:
• Page 691 #1-5
• Page 774 #1-8
• Page 790 #1-5
EXERCISE ANSWERS
Page 691
1. C
2. D
3. C
4. E
5. A
Page 774
1. C
2. A
3. E
4. B
5. D
6. A
7. A
8. A
Page 790
1. D
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. C
VOCABULARY LIST 2
• Benevolent- ADJ- characterized by or given to
doing good
• Bourgeoisie- NOUN- middle class
• Brevity- NOUN- Quality or state of brief duration
• Cacophony—NOUN—jarring, discordant noise
• Caste—NOUN—hereditary social class
• Cathartic—ADJ—purgative; inducing catharsis
• Cessation—NOUN—bringing or coming to an
end
VOCABULARY LIST 2 (CONTINUED)
• Clandestine—ADJ—kept or done in secret
• Cognizant—ADJ—fully informed
• Coherent—ADJ—sticking together; fully
understandable
• Cohesive—ADJ—act or process of cohering/
sticking together
• Condone—VERB—to overlook, forgive, endorse
• Countenance—NOUN—expression of face
• Credible—ADJ—believable
• Cumulative—ADJ—all together
READING COMPREHENSION:
STRATEGIES #4 AND 5
PAGE 141-143
STRATEGY #4 BEFORE
YOU START
ANSWERING THE
QUESTIONS, READ THE
PASSAGE CAREFULLY
STRATEGY #5 GET THE
MEANINGS OF
“TOUGH” WORDS BY
USING THE CONTEXT
METHOD
EXERCISE
•Using strategies 4 and 5,
complete the following:
•p 792 #10-15
•pp 893-894 #16-24
EXERCISE ANSWERS
Page 792
10. B
11. D
12. B
13. C
14. E
15. E
Pages 893-894
16. A
17. E
18. D
19. D
20. A
21. C
22. B
23. A
24. D
IMPROVING SENTENCES
AKA “GRAMMAR/STYLE ASSESSMENT”
COMMON ERRORS
•Passive v. Active Voice
•Run-on Sentences
•Comma Splices
•Sentence Fragments
ACTIVE V. PASSIVE VOICE
Active voice p 493
• SUBJECT PERFORMS
ACTION
• He hit the ball.
• She knocked over
the vase.
The SUBJECT is
emphasized
Passive voice p 493
• SOMETHING DONE
TO SUBJECT
• The ball was hit.
• The vase was
knocked over.
The ACTION is
emphasized
WHICH IS BETTER?
Active voice is preferred, except
when the actor is unknown
SENTENCE FRAGMENT P 463
• SENTENCE= Group of words with subject, verb, and
complete thought
• FRAGMENT= Cannot stand by itself (does not include
an independent clause)
• EXAMPLES=
• Even though he had the better arguments and was by far the
more powerful speaker.
• Some of the students working in Professor Espinoza's laboratory
last semester.
• Working far into the night in an effort to salvage her little boat.
COMMA SPLICE
• Incorrectly connect independent clauses
• Two or more clauses are incorrectly connected with
ONLY a comma
• THREE ways to easily correct comma splices:
• 1. Two different sentences
• 2. Comma + Coordinating Conjunction
• 3. Semicolon
COMMA SPLICE CORRECTION #1
1. Two separate sentences
• Comma Splice: My family bakes together nearly
every night, we then get to enjoy everything we
make together.
• Correction 1: My family bakes together nearly every
night. We then get to enjoy everything we make
together.
• Source: Purdue OWL Engagement
COMMA SPLICE CORRECTION #2
2. Comma and Coordinating Conjunction
• Comma Splice: My family bakes together nearly
every night, we then get to enjoy everything we
make together.
• Correction 2: My family bakes together nearly every
night, and we then get to enjoy everything we
make together.
• Source: Purdue OWL Engagement
COMMA SPLICE CORRECTION #3
2. Semi-colon
• Comma Splice: My family bakes together nearly
every night, we then get to enjoy everything we
make together.
• Correction 3: My family bakes together nearly every
night; we then get to enjoy everything we make
together.
• Source: Purdue OWL Engagement
COMMA SPLICE PRACTICE
1. I didn’t like the movie, it was way too long.
2. She and Jerry are getting married in the fall,
they didn’t want a summer wedding.
3. My favorite bands are all really loud, playing
loud music is good for stress relief.
• Source: Purdue OWL Engagement
RUN-ON SENTENCE
• Also incorrectly connect independent clauses
• Two or more independent clauses are connected
without proper punctuation
• Example: The grocery store was really packed with
people there must have been a big sale today.
• We correct these sentences in mostly the
same way as comma splices– make sure
independent clauses are connected
properly.
RUN-ON SENTENCE PRACTICE
1. Andrea loves to roller-blade she hates to ride
her bike.
2. Jeremy loved going to Ohio he thought
Florida was too hot.
3. The girls played basketball the boys played
tennis.
4. My car broke down I need to buy a new one.
5. Americans shake hands when they meet the
Japenese bow.
WRITING: COMMON ERRORS
PRONOUNS
WHAT ARE PRONOUNS? P 473
• Pronouns are words that replace nouns
PRONOUN ERRORS
•Agreement (gender,
number, person)
•Case (subjective, objective,
possessive)
•Ambiguous
PRONOUN AGREEMENT
• Pronouns must agree with antecedents in
• Gender (The boy washed his bike) *not on SAT
• Number (The girl mailed her application; The girls
mailed their applications)
• Person (Once we graduate from school, we
should have 120 credits). –SHIFTS occur when
pronoun reference changes person (ex: Once we
graduate from school, you should have 120
credits).
NUMBER
DISAGREEMENT
**Expect the pronoun and its antecedent to be far from each other.
While the definition of Generation X is hotly debated
concerning the age ranges of its members, culturists
generally agree that they describe a group of selffocused adults.
(A) is hotly debated concerning the age ranges of its
members, culturists generally agree that they describe
(B) is hotly debated concerning the age ranges of its
members, culturists generally agree that it describe
(C)is hotly debated concerning the age ranges of its
members, culturists generally agree that it describes
(D) are hotly debated concerning the age ranges of their
members, culturists generally agree that they describe
(E) is hotly debated concerning the age ranges of their
members, culturists generally agree that they will be
describing
ANSWER
C
TRICKY SINGULAR PRONOUNS
• Anyone
• Anybody
• Each
• Everyone
• Everybody
• One
• Someone
• Somebody
• No one
• Nobody
INDEFINITE PRONOUN AGREEMENT
Every one of the soldiers reported
that they (A) had completed (B)
the training exercise prior to the
incident, although the lieutenant
claimed several members of the
(C) squadron were (D) not present.
No error (E)
ANSWER
A
PERSON DISAGREEMENT
PERSON AGREEMENT
PERSON AGREEMENT EXAMPLES
• When a person drives, you should not use your cell phone.
[Incorrect]
• When you drive, you should not use your cell phone.
[Correct]
• When a person drives, she should not use her cell phone.
[Correct]
• One must become a citizen before you can vote. [Incorrect]
• One must become a citizen before they can vote.
[Incorrect]
• One must become a citizen before one can vote. [Correct]
• One must become a citizen before he can vote. [Correct]
• You must become a citizen before you can vote. [Correct]
SAT EXAMPLE
Although (A) you (B) might
choose to research symptoms
on the internet, one should
really see a doctor if he (C)
believes he has been exposed
(D)to the foreign virus. No
error(E)
ANSWER
B
PRONOUN CASE
PRONOUN CASES
Subjective Case: pronouns used as subject
Objective Case: pronouns used as objects of
verbs or prepositions
Possessive Case: pronouns which express
ownership
Pronouns as Subjects
Pronouns as Objects
I
you
he, she, it
we
they
who
me
you
him, her, it
us
them
whom
Pronouns that show
Possession
my (mine)
your (yours)
his, her (hers), it (its)
our (ours)
their (theirs)
whose
CASE STRATEGIES
1. In compound structures, where there are two
pronouns or a noun and a pronoun, drop the other
noun for a moment. Then you can see which case you
want.
• Not: Bob and me travel a good deal.
(Would you say, "me travel"?)
• Not: He gave the flowers to Jane and I.
(Would you say, "he gave the flowers to I"?)
• Not: Us men like the coach.
(Would you say, "us like the coach"?)
• Source: OWL Purdue
CASE STRATEGIES
2. In comparisons. Comparisons usually follow than or
as:
• He is taller than I (am tall).
• This helps you as much as (it helps) me.
• She is as noisy as I (am).
• Comparisons are really shorthand sentences which
usually omit words, such as those in the parentheses
in the sentences above. If you complete the
comparison in your head, you can choose the
correct case for the pronoun.
• Not: He is taller than me.
(Would you say, "than me am tall"?)
• Source: OWL Purdue
CASE STRATEGIES
• 3. In formal and semiformal writing:
• Use the subjective form after a form of
the verb to be.
Formal: It is I.
Informal: It is me.
• Use whom in the objective case.
Formal: To whom am I talking?
Informal: Who am I talking to?
• Source: OWL Purdue
SAT EXAMPLE
During my acceptance speech, I
thanked (A)my brother, Brett,
without who (B) I would have
(C)never been able to build the
model rocket that helped me (D)win
the science award. No error (E)
ANSWER
B
PRACTICE
•Complete the pronoun
mastery handout (front and
back)
•When finished, work on
workbook #7, 9, 12, 14, 20,
23, 28 on pages 879-882
VOCAB LIST 3
Cursory—adj—going rapidly over something, without
noticing details; superficial
Deduce—verb—to derive as a conclusion from
something known or assumed; infer
Deference—noun—respectful submission or yielding to
the judgment, opinion, will, etc. of another
Definitive—adjective—most reliable or complete, as of
a text, author, criticism, etc.; serving to define, fix, or
specify definitely
Deleterious—adjective—injurious to health; harmful
Derogatory—adjective—tending to lessen the merit or
reputation of a person or thing; disparaging
Dichotomy—noun—division into two parts; division into
mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups
Didactic—adj—intended for instruction; inclined to teach
or lecture others too much; tending to teach a moral
lesson
Discourse—noun—communication or thoughts by words;
talk; a formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing
Disparage—verb—to speak of or treat slightingly; belittle;
to bring discredit upon
Divergent—adj—differing; deviating
Drudgery—noun—menial, distasteful, dull, or hard work
Dubious—adj—doubtful; questionable; of uncertain
outcome; inclined to doubt
Echelon—noun—a level of command, authority, or rank;
a level of worthiness, achievement, or reputation
Edifice—noun—a building, especially one of large size or
imposing appearance
PRACTICE: SENTENCE
COMPLETION
SENTENCE COMPLETION PRACTICE
•p 801 #1-6
•pp 873-874 #1-8
SENTENCE COMPLETION ANSWERS
P 801
1. E
2. B
3. D
4. E
5. A
6. E
P 873
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
D
C
D
D
B
A
C
B
READING COMPREHENSION PRACTICE
•p 891 #10-15
•p 875 #9-12
SENTENCE COMPLETION ANSWERS
P 891
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
D
A
D
B
E
C
P 875
9. E
10. C
11. B
12. B