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 #1FOR A SENTENCE WITH

ONE BLANK, FILL IN THE BLANK WITH EACH CHOICE TO FIND THE

BEST FIT

STRATEGY #2FOR 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 #1-81. E2. D3. D4. D5. C6. E7. B8. D

p 702 #1-6 1. E2. A3. D4. D5. B6. C

CRITICAL READING INFORMATION

PAGES 127-133

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

•Four Question Types:1. MAIN IDEA/ PURPOSE2. KEY DETAILS/ SPECIFIC

INFORMATION3. 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) MAIN IDEA2) DETAILS3) INFERENCE4) 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. E10.C11.B12.E13.D14.B15.A16.C

17.B18.E19.D20.E21.C22.E23.E24.B

EXTRA PRACTICEPAGES 693-694 #10-15

ANSWERS PP 693-694

10.D11.C12.E13.C14.D15.D

VOCABULARY LIST #1PARTS OF SPEECH AND DEFINIT IONS

1. Acquiesce:Part of Speech: VerbDefinition: Agree; consent

2. Admonish:Part of Speech: VerbDefinition: To caution; to scold; to urge to a duty

 3. Aesthetic:

Part of Speech: AdjectiveDefinition: Having a sense of the beautiful; concerned

with emotion/imagination and not purely intellect 4. Allude:

Part of Speech: VerbDefinition: To refer casually or indirectly; make an

allusion  5. Ambivalence:

Part of Speech: NounDefinition: 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: NounDefinition: A short account of an event, usually of an

interesting or amusing nature 7. Antecedent:

Part of Speech: NounDefinition: A preceding circumstance, event, object, style,

etc. 8. Apathy:

Part of Speech: NounDefinition: Absence of passion, emotion, or excitement;

lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving/ exciting 9. Ardent:

Part of Speech: AdjectiveDefinition: Fierce; intensely devoted

 10. Articulate:

Part of Speech: Adjective/ VerbDefinition: Capable of speech, using language easily

(adjective); To utter clearly and distinctly (verb)

11.Ascertain:Part of Speech: VerbDefinition: To find out definitely; learn with certainty/

assurance 12. Assimilate:

Part of Speech: VerbDefinition: To take in and incorporate as one’s own;

absorb; to bring into conformity; to cause to resemble 13. Banal:

Part of Speech: AdjectiveDefinition: Devoid of freshness/ originality; trite

 14. Begrudge:

Part of Speech: VerbDefinition: To envy or resent the pleasure or good

fortune of (someone); to be reluctant to allow 15. Belligerent:

Part of Speech: AdjectiveDefinition: Warlike; given to waging war; aggressively

hostile 

QUIZ ON FRIDAY!

R U B R I C P 5 2 2

WRITING: ESSAY

RUBRIC CATEGORIES

• Stance/ Support & Development/ Thinking•Organization/Focus & Progression of Ideas•Use of Language: Precise Vocabulary• Varied Sentence Structure• Follows Conventional English (Grammar)

I N F O R M AT I O N A N D T I P S

WRITING: ESSAY

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

O R G A N I Z AT I O N

WRITING: ESSAY

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 #3TRY TO COMPLETE THE

SENTENCE IN YOUR OWN WORDS BEFORE

LOOKING AT THE CHOICES

STRATEGY #4PAY 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 6911. C2. D3. C4. E5. A

Page 7741. C2. A3. E4. B5. D6. A7. A8. A

Page 7901. D2. B3. C4. B5. 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 79210.B11.D12.B13.C14.E15.E

Pages 893-89416.A17.E18.D19.D20.A21.C22.B23.A24.D

IMPROVING SENTENCESAKA “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.