Sat Test

Improving Sentences

    In your study to learn how to improve sentences, you’re going to learn how the different parts of a sentence fit together logically. Let me give you an example. Read the following sentence and pay particular attention to the words that are underlined.

Samuel wanted to go to the store with him friends, but them were busy doing other things.

Do you see something wrong with that sentence? Hopefully what is wrong with it stands out quite clearly. If you don’t see it, read it out loud and I’m sure you’ll see that there are some words that do not agree.

The words are him and them. After you read the sentence, you will read multiple choice answers. If you do not recognize the answer right away, don’t guess. Pick out the answers that you know are wrong and discard them. If you still do not know which answer is correct from the ones that are left, say them in your head to see if any of them sound correct.

I’ve told you about www.collegeboard.com and how it can help you to prepare for all aspects of the SAT. In their section on sentence completion, they allow you to take nine SAT-like questions in this area. Read the instructions carefully, then answer. It’s a good idea to read the explanation of the answer, especially if you get it wrong. Study the explanation until you fully understand just why it is the correct answer.

Another excellent website for this sort of study prep is the Cliff Notes website at www.cliffnotes.com . This is where you will find a great number of questions to practice on.

Even better than the questions, are the explanations of how to prepare yourself to take this part of the exam. Cliff Notes shows you, step by step, what is coming and how to handle it.

These are the types of questions you will be preparing for:

Misplaced Modifier Errors, Dangling Phrases, Parallel Construction Errors, Pronoun Agreement Errors, Verb Errors, Connective Errors, Punctuation Errors, Idiom Errors, Wordiness, Sentences with More than One Error, and Sentences with No Errors*

*Jerry Bobrow, Ph.D. The NEW *SAT/PSAT/NMSQT. 7 Jul 2007
<http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-305365,articleId-31621.html>.

I hope you understand what each of those sentence errors are and how to recognize them in a sentence. For a more thorough explanation of each sentence error, visit the Cliff Notes website and you will find an example of all eleven types of sentences with errors in them. Use them, practice them, and learn them. As I’ve said before, you must use all the resources at your disposal in order to maximize your potential for a high score on this section of the SAT.

Another resource for learning about sentence structure I found very helpful is at www.webenglishteacher.com. At this website you can learn more about sentence structure.

Of course you may always do a search on the Internet and find a learning resource that better suits your style of learning. As I’m sure you’re aware, not all sources on the Internet are reliable and you should always verify the information you find there. If you have a question about any of the things you read on the Internet, take them to your English teacher. They are one of your best resources for learning about all things English.

I left off my last post by talking about the three last sections of the Writing portion of the SAT. By now you know that you will be tested to see if you can improve sentences, spot sentence errors and improve paragraphs. Sound daunting? Don’t panic, I have some excellent tips to help you navigate through this segment of the SAT and come out on the other side with a high score. You’ve shown your interest in learning how to get a better SAT score just by reading this blog, so that’s a good first step in gaining more knowledge on this subject. Keep on reading and putting my ideas to use and I know you’ll do great on the exam.

I mentioned a web site that was started be a California Teacher of the Year for 2007 by the name of Alan Lawrence Sitomer. He has his website to give you free study help and tips for taking the SAT. On his website he has a list of things every student should know before taking the SAT. I’m going to give you that list now because I think it’s a very comprehensive list and you need to know these things. (This is taken from his website at http://www.freesatessayprep.com/)

Do NOT answer every question.

There is a PENALTY for guessing – if a question is too difficult, the best strategy is to move on and use your time to solve questions that are more within your reach.

NOTE: The #1 biggest pitfll of ALL students on the SAT is that they attempt to answer too many questions. Skipping super difficult problems is a very critical strategy for success.

Use the process of elimination.

Get rid of wrong answers. 80% of the answers are wrong on the test – wrong answers are much easier to identify because they are much more abundant.

Read the questions carefully.

Do not make assumptions. Answer what is being asked of you.

Identify “key” words.

Key words clue you in to correct answers. Context is critical to unlocking answers on the SAT.

Underline “key” information in the reading passages.

Studies show that one common theme of students who score well on the SAT is that they mark up their test with notes.

Refer back to the reading passages as needed.

Flipping back and forth on the critical reading section is a strategy.

Read each answer choice completely.

Don’t be afraid to re-read information (and test questions) to aid comprehension.

Do not be afraid of unfamiliar words.

Strive to get a feeling for unknown words and see if they have a sense of being positive, negative or neutral in tone. Use this knowledge to help “crack” the answer.

Know your grammar!

If you take his advice and use the pointers he has given you on his website, you’ll be better prepared for the SAT. In fact, you should use every resource at your disposal to aid you in your studies. As I’ve said before, find the way you learn best and use that method in your SAT preparations.