Medium Questions have Medium Answers
Tips
I Have a Question: How’d You Do It?
Tell me the story
Whenever someone sends me their scores, I reply back with the same question:
How’d you do it?
My favorite email last week was from a father of a daughter who is a junior in high school. Read More →
Writing
The Dreaded “Option E”
I was so relieved to find out that I’m not the only who lives in fear of Option E:
Option E (aka the dreaded “No error” option) is the bane of most students’ existence on this section. They
Writing
Ooops. I Forgot to Mention the Best Part
A commenter named Jen pointed out that I forgot to mention a major point in my post about the The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar:
Just clicked over and read your review of the book on Amazon too.
Writing
Amalgamation
It’s official: my worlds have merged.
And, I’m anomalous.
How many people studying for the SAT can say they booked an author from an official SAT Writing question on the Studs Terkel show?
In fact, I believe Bharati Mukherjee Read More →
Writing
Is it Weird or is it Wrong?*
“Is it weird or is it wrong” was my process for the SAT Writing Section (pre-Erica).
Here’s how I scored in 2011, “by ear,” as an adult:
It is worth noting that:
- I do not recall ever being taught grammar
Writing
3 Rules For Fixing Sentences
Half of the Writing section on the SAT consists of “Fixing Sentences.”
There are patterns to take note of that may help:
- Shorter is Better — Always start with the shortest answer, then the next shortest.
- Gerunds are Bad —
Writing
Fixing Paragraphs = Critical Reading ‘Lite’ + Improving Sentences
As far as I can tell, no one pays much attention to the “Fixing the Paragraph” portion of the Writing section. Given that I pretty regularly get 1 or 2 wrong, I asked Erica Meltzer to spend some time with Read More →
Writing
The Shizzle
I feel compelled to say this as loudly as I possibly can:
The Ultimate SAT Verbal blog is hands down, T H E most E X T E N S I V E, accurate, and helpful SAT Writing Read More →
Writing
A Lost Art
I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences. –Gertrude Stein
I don’t think it’s necessary to learn how to sentence diagram for the SAT, though it is essential to Read More →
