DSAT English

Test Taking Strat

1. Always read the question first and highlight in yellow what you need to answer

2. Highlight supporting evidence/the answer in the text in pink (use blue for counter args, additional info, etc)

3. Use POE (Process of Elimination)

   1. Eliminate anything irrlevant

   2. Always pick the most specific/relavent answer— NOT just what “sounds right”

   3. If stuck, narrow down to two, then flag and move on

Rhetorical Synthesis (Notes/Research Questions)

ex.) khan academy

• always read the question 1st and highlight the student’s goal(S)

  • no need to read the last part of the question, it’s always the same (“Which choice most effectively uses relevant info from the notes to accomplish this goal”)

• grammar/syntax/phrasing doesn’t matter

• POE

  • If a choice doesn’t answer ALL of the goal(S), eliminate

• If you’re short on time: just flag, read the goals, and choose the answer that answers all the goals. You can go back and read the notes to double-check later

What to do when there’s complicated/scientific words you don’t know

If you can’t figure it out based on context, abbreviate it in your head— focus more on what the text is saying about the word rather than what the word actually is. Sometimes the text will define it later, highlight definitions/details in blue!

Fill in the blank questions

1. What type of word is missing? Noun, verb, adjective, etc

2. What’s the difference between the answers? Subject-verb agreement, verb forms, etc

3. Plug in the answers into the blank— what sounds right AND specifically supports the author’s intention?

Subject-Verb Agreement

(for fill in the blank questions)

ex.) Apples is/are different from oranges

If the subject is singular/plural, the verb has to be singular/plural

Pronoun-antecedent agreement

(for fill in the blank questions)

ex.) Cranberries are both sour and bitter, so people eat it/them unsweetened

If the pronoun is singular/plural, the antecedent has to be singular/plural

Verb forms

(for fill in the blank questions)

ex.) Yesterday, I am running/I ran to the lake

If a question talks about a subject in a certain tense, you must ___

Past/present tense verbs

If a question talks about a subject in a certain tense, you must KEEP THE SAME TENSE

Subject-modifier placement

(for fill in the blank questions)

ex.) Consumed in the form of sugars and starches, the human body uses carbohydrates as its primary source of energy.

ex.) Consumed in the form of sugars and starches, carbohydrates serve as the primary source of energy for the human body.

the modifier and the subject have to be next to each other

• AKA, if the first part of the sentence is describing x, the first word in the second part must be x

Plurals and posessives

(for fill in the blank questions)

ex.) I can’t overstate the importance of bee’s/bees to the pollination of blueberries

‘ = posessive

s/es = plural

Boundaries questions

• Asks you to link clauses (ideas) with a fill in the blank (usually with punctuation)

1. Where is the blank? Between related clauses, between unrelated clauses, within a sentence, etc

2. POE anything that is ungrammatical

   1. If lost, try plugging in answers to see what ‘looks right’— but don’t rely on this! Pay attention to what type of clauses there are and pick accordingly

When to use a semicolon (;) vs a colon (:)

Give an example of each

Semicolon: use between two parts that could function as their own sentences

ex.) I like tea; my sister prefers coffee.

Colon: use to list things or explain further

ex.) I bought 3 types of fruit today: bannans, mangoes, and blueberries

ex.) I had a busy day yesterday: it was presentation day.