SAT Reading Tips: SAT Practice for Academic Success

Digital SAT Reading and Writing Tips and Advice

Don’t leave any question blank, make a guess Remove the wrong answers before guessing

Student general advice

Read through the passage very quickly but carefully.
Read the prompt to see what type of question is being asked, or you can check the answer prompts to see the type of question sometimes. If you did the reading well in the first step, you can eliminate most wrong answers.
If you’re stuck with two very similar options, re-read the passage, now with the type of question in mind, and the answer will appear.

Tips and Advice for Question Types

English (Reading & Writing) : 2 Modules – 27 questions each

Words in Context	Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 2 or 3 questions per module · Tests your reading · Some questions have vocab you should know · Others uses rare words on purpose – so are hard · students often pick the word they don’t understand, which is normally wrong (Khan academy) · remove wrong answers before guessing · often 1 positive (correct answer) & 3 negative words https://www.alps.academy/words-in-context-sat/
Text Structure and Purpose	Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? Which choice best describes the overall structure ofthe text? 2 or 3 questions per module · Match the structure of the text to the correct option · ‘best’ answer · Test your choice –x, y, z in answer, text also has x then y then z https://www.alps.academy/
Cross-Text Connections	Has Text 1 and Text 2 about 2 questions per module · Normally clear and easier · Commonly 2 options are wrong, and 2 options could be the answer https://www.alps.academy/
Central Ideas and Details	Which choice best states the main idea of the text? Based on the text, …? about 2 questions per module · Read the passage, what is it about? · Some questions have a clear answer, so they are easier · But, some questions are not so clear, so harder https://www.alps.academy/what-is-the-central-idea/
Command of textual evidence	Which finding, if true, would most directly support … hypothesis? best illustrates the journalist’s claim? about 2 questions per module · Some easy questions · Text normally agrees or disagrees with the statement · The correct answer is normally the only answer not ‘best’ answer https://www.alps.academy/textual-evidence/

Command of quantitative evidence	Evidence from data graph or table 1 or 2 questions per module · Easier, e.g. simple trend (up, down, not related) · Is the data going up, down or has no pattern? · Options normally has x and y agree, disagree or are not related https://www.alps.academy/tabular-data-sat/
Inferences	Which choice most logically completes the text? 1 or 2 questions per module · Find the ‘inferred (overall) meaning, which is not in the text · Difficult as you need to choose the ‘best’ answer https://www.alps.academy/inference-examples-sat/
Grammar	Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? 6 to 8 questions per module · Punctuation questions harder https://www.alps.academy/punctuate-sat/ https://www.alps.academy/sat-punctuating-clauses/ https://www.alps.academy/end-punctuation/ https://www.alps.academy/sat-punctuation-rules/ · Other grammar questions easier (verbs, nouns, pronouns) https://www.alps.academy/sat-grammar-subject-verb- agreement/ https://www.alps.academy/pronoun-antecedent-agreement/ https://www.alps.academy/sat-plural-and-possessive-nouns/ https://www.alps.academy/sat-verb-form/
Transitions	Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? 2 or 3 questions per module · How does the text transition from the first text to the second text · Try the options in the space to recognize the correct one · Commonly 2 options are wrong, and 2 options could be the answer https://www.alps.academy/sat-transition-words/
Student’s Notes	While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes about 2 questions per module · You can often answer without reading the passage https://www.alps.academy/

2 modules of 27 questions, each has 4 sections of about 7 questions

Section #1: Craft and Structure

Words in context questions always offer clues to the blank. They usually do so by reinforcing the meaning of the missing word elsewhere in the passage.
Cross-text connections questions require you to compare the views expressed in two separate passages.
simplify and summarize text structure and purpose questions in your own words to help.
text structure and purpose questions will ask about
- the “main purpose” of the passage, or
- the “overall structure” of the passage, which refers to how the focus and tone of the text shift in the text.

Text Structure and Purpose

general – identify the main purpose or overall structure of the text
Structure – Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
If you made the text a simple sentence, choose the closest answer
Purpose – Purpose is the why behind the passage

Students advice

text purpose analyzes structure – how is this purpose presented?
Purpose is like: why does the writer think the topic is important to discuss?
purpose defines what are you key takeaways from the text.
main idea (structure) is how the ideas flow with each other.
Are the ideas agreeing or disagreeing with each other?
identify the main purpose or overall structure of the text (can be both poems and texts).
in terms of purpose, context clues become important

Previous SAT Grammar Help

Tactic #5: Grammar Elements

Nonessential and parenthetical elements

for relative clauses, use the same punctuation [ , , or – – or () ]
not colon or semicolons, : or ;
if the clause is at the beginning, then only one punctuation character (e.g. comma) needed

Parallel structure

match the parts of speech
avoid unwanted repetition
note what you can change

Modifier placement

find the target (noun) of the modifier
note what you can change

Tactic #4: Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

Match the subject and the verb, either plural or single. For example:

Single: A student does their homework
Plural: Students do their homework

Noun Agreement

Match the object(s) with the noun, either plural or single. For example:

the dog ran to the door wagging its tail
the dogs ran to the door wagging their tails

or,

Mary was an adventurer
Mark and Mary were both adventurers

Possessive nouns and pronouns

Remember the apostrophe is either ‘s after a single noun, or s’ after plural nouns. For example:

Single: a dog‘s bone
Plural: the two dogs’ bones
Multiple: the man‘s dogs’ tails
- means “the tails of the dogs that belong to the man.“

Pronoun

Both Mark and Mary had their holiday in Chiang Mai

Tactic #3: Pronouns

check the pronoun is the same gender as the subject
check the pronoun is the same amount (single/plural) as the subject
check the he/she/it is known, e.g. 2 subjects
former and latter – former is the first option & later is the second option

pronoun examples:

Taylor served lattes to a group of three women who were named Marci, Zina, and Kristin; he had to admit, he was a little frightened by her

no change
the woman
the last one
the customer

her, the woman and the customer are single but there are three women
– the last one must be the correct answer

David told Walter that Dr. Phillips, their business professor, suggested that he raise his own funds for his IT consultation business because of the increased freedom in operations.

no change
Walter
the student
the other

which one is he, the student or the other? We don’t know. – Walter must be the correct answer

Tactic #2: Same meaning words

Choose the ‘best’ fit (A,B,C,D)

Tactic #1: Difficult Words

Foucs on the context, the surrounding words, rather than the word.
What does BeeBeeBee mean? I am so tired I want to sleep for 8 beebeebees.(Beebeebee is not a real word!)

SAT Files

Full Test Practice (from Paper SAT Practice Tests)

So how are we going to prepare for the SAT test? Lets start off with some basics:

Try the google search for simple exercises – (simple start below)
Khan Academy – main practice page / practice (I have to login to access this)
Lesson 1 – Science passage

Practice

Simple Start - writing sat practice

When I googled “writing sat practice” it gave example practice questions. The relevant text is highlighted with the question below. This is a good way to quickly get an idea about the type of questions.

You can select the answer and it will tell you if it is correct. there is also a hint if you need it. There are multiple questions so just click next and try some.

Although you searched for reading practice the first search results give you a pdf document that has practice questions for the writing and language test questions.

So, in summary, the reading part is reading a passage and answering the multiple choice questions about the passage. The writing and language part is not writing it is more about checking the grammar and selecting the correct answer from more multiple choice questions.

Practice Tests and Resources

We will look for the best resources which seem to be the College Board (see practice tests), and the Khan Academy. The best link to these resources is at SAT practice and preparation.

Khan Academy Resouces

Over the next week and next few weeks I will write information here and give you the links to the sections, material and practice tests. If you need anything then email me on drseamuslyons@gmail.com.

This asked me to login, so I’m not sure if you can access this. If you can then there is a menu with the following:

The practice page contains the material for the reading passages. This contains:

your recommendations
reading passages
writing & language
grammar and language use