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.

Prioritize Your Time
Learn to prioritize your activities. If you have a lot of things that need doing, then don’t sit down at the computer and get on Facebook or MySpace or begin instant messaging your friends. Oh sure, you’re just going to check for messages and then get on with your homework, but that’s not what happens.  You get sucked in and pretty soon the time you set aside to get that paper written for class tomorrow is gone. You’ve spent three hours chatting on instant messenger. It’s good to know your kryptonite and if the computer is your weakenss, then stay away from it until you have finished higher priority activities.
 Another thing that you can lose a lot of time with is video games.  Yes, they’re fun, and perhaps you can get into the army because you’ve scored big on the newest rah-rah-shoot’em-up-bang-bang game and your aim is just sick, which is teen-speak for seriously cool.  Try to remember that scoring big on Nintendo or Xbox won’t get you admitted to the University of your choice.
  Knowing what needs to be done and getting it done in time is a great ego boost. It’s a good idea to be organized and to this end you should write everything down.  If you’re more organized, you’re better able to keep on top of things.

Reduce Stress
Having a life outside of school and studying is important and will help you feel as though life is not all work, all the time. 
 Make time for physical activity.  A four point oh won’t mean much to you if you aren’t healthy.  If there’s an athletic team at your school that draws your attention, try out for it!  Get that blood pumping and eat a healthy diet.  Once you put down the basketball or dry off from swimming laps in the pool, your brain will have enough oxygen to help you zero in on your studies. Frequent exercise has been proven to increase your ability to focus. Obviously you can’t join every team at your school, so make sure this is something you enjoy.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you get up and move your body to keep yourself healthy. 
             
Social
Make time to hang out with your friends.  Kick it with them while studying. After all, that’s something you all need to do to maintain your grades.  Get up from the computer and go see a movie with your friends, go to the mall for a while to recharge your social batteries.  Go to a youth activity at your church. Spend time enjoying a quick game of touch football, or grind a rail skateboarding with your friends.
Maintaining healthy social relationships with your peers will help lessen the stress in your life.  Just get out of the house and have some fun
Bottom line, you need to study and learn and get good grades, while balancing other aspects of your life in order to prepare yourself for college.  You can do it! After all, you just made it to the top and you’re a senior now!

You’ve made it to the top and now you’re a senior in high school.  Have you taken the SAT yet or are you getting ready for them? Are you ready to apply to colleges? Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Have you thought about what you want to study after you graduate? Stress comes in waves when you’re preparing yourself for life after high school ~~especially if it involves getting ready for the SAT and college applications.

You knew your grades started really counting when you entered 9th grade, right?  The stress this puts on a high school freshman depends on how they see their future and if college is something they want for themselves.  If your goal is to go to a good college then there are a few things you might want to think about before you even begin the search for the college of your dreams, much less start the application process.

Getting and keeping a high G.P.A
Yes, colleges do look at your G.P.A as part of the whole picture of who you are when you apply for admission. Having a high G.P.A. often sets you apart and gives you a better chance at entering your preferred college.

Hopefully you have developed excellent study habits during your 11 years of schooling and you have gotten good grades.  Teenage life often pulls you in so many different directions that you might not be sure what to stress about first.  First, there’s trying to fit in with your peers, which includes what to wear to school and who to hang out with. Then there’s the new-found freedom of having a license and being able to go anywhere you want as well as extracurricular activities, just to mention a few. If you’re one of the many teens that hold down a job as well as going to school, then you know the time crunch this can cause in your life.  Sometimes studying can get lost in the shuffle.  And of course, there is the BIG STRESS coming at you.  It’s called THE FUTURE.  Your future. 

So how do you get and maintain a high GPA, while still maintaining your sanity?

Try to make time during each day for studying, physical activity, social interaction and some introspection. Keep your eye on the prize, which is entrance into the college of your choice.  This means getting your homework done and keeping your grades high. But that’s not all it means, after all, college admission boards do look at things other than your G.P.A.

While it’s important to have a high Grade Point Average, it’s also crucial for you to be a well rounded person.  This means not sacrificing your emotional, social and physical growth in pursuit of The Holy 4.0. But how do you balance all the things that are vying for your attention and your time?  After all, there are still only twenty-four hours in a day.

The SAT Subject Tests is the collective name for 20 multiple choice standardized tests given on individual subjects. A student typically chooses which tests to take depending upon college entrance requirements for the schools in which he or she is planning to apply. Until 1994, the SAT Subject Tests were known as Achievement Tests; until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs; they are still well known by this name. Every test is now a one-hour timed test. Historically, the exception to the one-hour time was the writing test, which was divided into a 20-minute essay question and a 40-minute multiple choice section; it was discontinued after January 2005.

A student may take up to three SAT Subject Tests on any given date. Most SAT subject tests are offered on the same dates as the regular SAT, except for the March administration.

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