Important Techniques When Reading and Writing
Reading Section:
Tips for reading selections’ multiple choice questions:
Tip 1: Read the questions first.
Tip 2: Locate places in the passage that refer to the questions and highlight them.
Tip 3: Use a dictionary…
1. when you don’t know a word.
2. to better understand how a word may be used in a sentence.
3. to understand synonyms and antonyms of a word.
Tip 4: Cross out the answers that you know are not correct.
Tip 5: Find evidence in the text to support an answer that you think is correct.
Tips for summarizing, identifying main ideas and themes, and pinpointing relevancy, purpose, and audience:
Tip 1: Break the passage apart.
1. Read one paragraph.
2. Choose three words that are most important in the paragraph.
3. Determine the connotation of each word.
4. Using those three words, write one sentence about the paragraph.
5. Repeat steps 1-5.
Example:
Word #1: savage
Connotation: negative; brutal and dangerous
Word #2: aided
Connotation: positive; help
Word #3: generous
Connotation: positive; to be bountifully helpful
Sentence about paragraph: The generous donation of the military families aided the Pakistani people, allowing them to move
away from the savage control of the guerillas.
Tip 2: Identify the STRAP questions.
1. Subject?
2. Type?
3. Role?
4. Audience?
5. Purpose?
Tip 3: Look deeper into the passage.
1. How does the passage make you feel?
2. Why would the author want to make you feel this way?
3. What does the passage teach you about life?
4. What was the strongest technique used in the passage?
Tips for successful short answers: single selection
Tip 1: A.C.E.
1. Answer the question.
2. Cite evidence from the text.
3. Expand your answer.
Tips for successful short answers: connecting selections
Tip 1: A.C.E.
1. Answer the question. Make sure to connect the two passages!
2. Cite evidence from the text. Make sure you have evidence from both passages!
3. Expand your answer.
Writing Section:
Tips for a successful expository essay:
Tip 1: EXPLAIN (and remember: the prompt will have a quote inside a box!)
Tip 2: Structure your essay:
1. Introduction + Thesis (Point 1 + Point 2)
2. Point 1
a. Detail 1
b. Detail 2
3. Point 2
a. Detail 1
b. Detail 2
4. Conclusion- make a universal connection
Tips for a successful literary essay:
Tip 1: Tell a STORY (and remember: the prompt will have a photograph!)
Tip 2: Structure your essay:
1. Conflict
2. Strong Character
3. Dialogue at least once
4. Show me, don’t tell me
5. Use figurative language
6. Resolution
Tip 3: Make sure your story is interesting!
Tip 4: 5 Brushstrokes
 Participles
 Absolutes
 Appositives
 Adjectives out of order
 No passive verbs!
Tips for Revising:
Tip 1: Read the questions first.
Tip 2: Locate places in the passage that refer to the questions and highlight them.
Tip 3: Cross out the answers that you know are not correct.
Tip 4: Make sure the answer DOES:
make the idea of a sentence clearer
eliminate choppiness
create the literary effect that the question is asking for
Tip 5: Make sure the answer does NOT:
delete important information
create a sentence too similar to another sentence
reduce variety in word choice
place events out of sequence
Tips for Editing:
Tip 1: Read the questions first.
Tip 2: Locate places in the passage that refer to the questions and highlight them.
Tip 3: Cross out the answers that you know are not correct.
Tip 4: Make sure to look for:
spelling mistakes
capitalization mistakes
punctuation mistakes
singular vs. plural agreement
between vs. among
active vs. passive
which vs. that
the subjunctive mood and use “were”
any other rules that deal with the conventions of written English
The verb tense needs to be consistent throughout a sentence and/or passage.
Simple Present
“I study English every day.”
Simple Past
“Two years ago, I studied English in
England.”
Present Continuous
“I am studying English right now.”
Past Continuous
“I was studying English when you
called yesterday.”
Present Perfect
“I have studied English in several
different countries.”
Past Perfect
“I had studied a little English before
I moved to the U.S.”
Present Perfect Continuous
“I have been studying English for
five years.”
Past Perfect Continuous
“I had been studying English for five
years before I moved to the U.S.”
Correct: “I studied English and ate breakfast before I went to
school.”
Correct: “The workers were ridiculing the owner, blocking the
entrance, and holding big signs saying “Unfair!”
Simple Future
“If you are having problems, I will
help you study English.”
“I am going to study English next
year.”
Future Continuous
“I will be studying English when
you arrive tonight.”
“I am going to be studying English
when you arrive tonight.”
Future Perfect
“I will have studied every tense by
the time I finish this course.”
“I am going to have studied every
tense by the time I finish this
course.”
Future Perfect Continuous
“I will have been studying English
for over two hours by the time you
arrive.”
“I am going to have been studying
English for over two hours by the
time you arrive.”
Incorrect: “I studied English and ate breakfast before going to
school.”
Incorrect: “The workers were ridiculing the owner, blocking the
entrance, and held big signs that said “Unfair!”
Need more help? Check out: http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html
“Was” vs. “Were”
The verb “was” is used when the subject (noun) is singular. The verb “were” is used when the subject is plural.
“I was tired.”
“The dog was dirty.”
“The student was lost.”
“They were tired.”
“The dogs were dirty.”
“The students were lost.”
A collective noun is a noun that appears singular in formal shape but denotes a group of persons or objects. Make sure you
determine the subject; additional phrases can cause confusion.
“The group was tired.”
“The pair was lost.”
“The herd was causing a
“The uniform, as well as the
stampede.”
goggles and mouth pieces, was
“The groups were tired.”
“The pairs were lost.”
“The herds were causing a
stampede.”
dirty.”
“The uniforms, as well as the
goggles and mouth pieces, were
dirty.”
There is, however, something called the “subjunctive mood.” In the subjunctive mood, “were” can be used with a singular noun
when expressing a wish or possible situation that is currently not true. It's usually used with words like “if” and “wish.”
"If I were you, I’d eat less bacon.”
"I wish I were a sea cucumber."
Need more help? Check out: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/subjunctive-verbs-was-i-were.aspx
Make sure you are aware of the forms of “to be.”
Present Tense
Past Tense
I am
I was
You are
You were
He/She/It is
He/She/It was
We are
We were
You are
You were
They are
They were
Perfect Form (past participle)
I have been
You have been
He/She/It has been
We have been
You have been
They have been
Progressive Form (present participle)
I am being
You are being
He/She/It is being
We are being
You are being
They are being
Pronouns must correspond with their antecedent accordingly. If a noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular. If a noun is
plural, the pronoun must be plural.
“When the student left, he forgot his
backpack.”
“When the students left, they forgot their
backpack.”
“I hope John remembers his homework.”
“I hope John and Casey remember their
homework.”
“When the kid ran off, he headed to my
neighbor’s yard.”
“When the pack of dogs ran off, it headed
to my neighbor’s yard.”
When you’re not sure, use a dictionary!
Remember that your dictionaries have STYLE guides with grammar information