sat reading tips

vocab in context tip #1

determine whether the word in question is positive or negative - if it is clear and write it down on scratch paper

vocab in context tip #2

fill in the blank with your own word

Transiiton words fall into these categories:

continuers

cause and effect

contradictors

continuer example #1

also

continuer example #2

and

continuer example #3

as well as

continuer example #4

furthermore

continuer example #5

in addition

continuer example #6

just as

continuer example #7

likewise

continuer example #8

moreover

continuer example #9

not only.. but also

continuer example #10

similarly

cause and effect #1

as a result

cause and effect #2

because

cause and effect #3

consequently

cause and effect #4

in that

cause and effect #5

therefore

cause and effect #6

thus

cause and effect punctuation #1

colons :

cause and effect punctuation #2

dashes -

contradictiors example #1

although

contradictiors example #2

but

contradictiors example #3

in contrast

contradictiors example #4

despite/in spite of

contradictiors example #5

for all

contradictiors example #6

however

contradictiors example #7

meanwhile

contradictiors example #8

nevertheless

contradictiors example #9

on the other hand

contradictiors example #10

unlike

contradictiors example #11

whereas

contradictiors example #12

while

all but

means essentially or more or less and is not like for all which means despite

vocab in context tip #idk

two negatves equal a positive: ex: if a sentence has pests and less then the fill in the blank is likely a posiitve idea w a negative word

semi colons and periods are the same basikally

semi colons and periods are used

Between two complete sentences

ex; Correct: London is an old city. It has been inhabited for around 2,000 years.

Correct: London is an old city; it has many new buildings.

semi colons and periods are used

Before conjunctive adverbs such as however, therefore, or moreover at the beginning of a clause.

ex; Correct: London is an old city; however, it has many new buildings.

Correct: London is an old city; therefore, it has buildings from many different eras.

watch out for - In particular, watch out for “sentence boundary” questions, in which the beginning of one sentence appears to be part of the previous sentence. If you don’t read far enough, you might think the sentence is fine as is.

Incorrect: Barbara McClintock is a scientist whose discovery of “jumping” genes helped earn her the Nobel Prize in 1983, she won the award in Physiology or Medicine.

Correct: Barbara McClintock is a scientist whose discovery of “jumping” genes helped earn her the Nobel Prize. In 1983, she won the award in Physiology or Medicine.

Colons and single dashes are used

introduce lists and explanations.

ex;

before a list

: Correct: Visitors to London often spend their time in three main types of attractions: museums, castles, and shops.

Correct: Visitors to London often spend their time in three main types of attractions—museums, castles, and shops.

before an explanation: Correct: When the Manchus took control of China, the Great Wall lost its protective purpose: the Chinese empire now extended well north of the wall, and its new enemies came from across the sea.

Correct: When the Manchus took control of China, the Great Wall lost its protective purpose—the Chinese empire now extended well north of the wall, and its new enemies came from across the sea.

colons and dashes rules

a colon or a dash can be followed by either a full sentence or a fragment.

colon and dashes rules

A colon or dash must always follow a full sentence that makes sense as a complete thought and logically sets up the information that follows.

FANBOYS

FOR AND NOR BUT OR YET SO

independent markers examples + use

furthermore, also, consequently, however, moreover, therefore

whenever a second independent clause has a independent marker word, a semicolon is needed before the independent marker

commas are placed

before a list

between 2 or more adjectives describign a noun

ex; There was a huge, beautiful mural on the wall.

around additional info

ex; My mother, who is a chef, prepared a delicious cake. 

before fanboys

ex; I went to the mall, and I bought a video game.

before an afterthought or an intro

Ex: Therefore, he was not very happy with the outcome. 

Ex: Bobby no longer lived in New Jersey, however. 

commas are used before which but not that

exception; if there is a presposiiton in front of which

ex; in which, for which, by which

prepositonal phrases

tells where or when something happened

starts with preposition ends with a noun

ex; I had a picnic on top of the mountain

semicolon

has to sperate 2 independent clauses and the sentences should sometimes relate

excptions to the rule: when there are 2 semicolons in a sentence + when there are commas within a list

ex: I went to tokyo, japan; paris, france; and seattle, washington.

colons

complete sentences before the colon

additional info after the colon

subject verb agreement

subject + verb need to agree in numbers

plural subject needs

plural verb

ex: apples are different from oranges

identifying subject verb agreement questions

if the answer choices contain singular and plural forms of the same verb

were (verb)

plural

was (verb)

singular

has

singular

have

plural

subject verb agreements tips

place a subject + verb side by side - any time you’re not sure if a subject and verb agree place them next to each other and see how they sound together

look out for prepositions - prepositions often start phrases that describe the subject of a sentence

to make nouns plural

add s

verbs that are plural

remove the s

ex; the elephants run