Cracking the SAT Writing and Language Section: Proven Strategies for Success
The SAT Writing and Language section can be a source of anxiety for many students. However, it doesn't have to be! Unlike the often subjective Reading section, the Writing & Language section operates on a more "black and white" set of rules. By mastering a few key grammatical and rhetorical concepts, you can significantly improve your score. Think of these rules as math formulas: memorization plus application equals success. What's more, the SAT Writing & Language section closely mirrors the ACT English section, making preparation doubly beneficial.
Hack #1: Keep It Short
The SAT favors concise answer choices. Redundancy and unnecessary wordiness are frowned upon. When in doubt, the shorter option is often the correct one. For example, consider this sentence:
"Students start by 8:30 or earlier, nearly guaranteeing that the entire student body of a given high school will arrive chronically sleep-deprived in a habitual way."
The question might ask you to revise the underlined portion: “habitually.” The answer choices could include:
A. NO CHANGEB. habituallyC. Over the long termD. DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period.
Read also: How to Write a Scholarship Essay
The correct answer here is D, because deleting the underlined portion keeps the sentence short and avoids redundancy. "Chronically" already implies something that happens repeatedly over time, making "habitual" and "over the long term" repetitive.
Exception: This rule applies primarily when the question doesn't specify a particular aspect of the sentence to focus on. If the question stem asks about something specific, such as the tone or clarity of the sentence, prioritize addressing that concern over simply choosing the shortest option.
Hack #2: Equally Right = Equally Wrong!
A multiple-choice question can have only one correct answer. Therefore, if two or more answer choices are essentially saying the same thing, they must all be incorrect. This is a powerful tool for eliminating multiple options quickly.
For example:
A. NO CHANGEB. them;C. them,D. them.
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In this case, options B and D are equally correct, since a semicolon and a period both punctuate two independent clauses. Therefore, both must be wrong.
Exception: This hack relies on identifying answer choices that do the exact same thing. Sometimes, options may be very similar but have subtle differences in meaning or connotation.
For example, consider these choices in a diction question:
A. AlterB. ChangeC. TransformD. Eliminate
While "alter" and "change" are nearly synonymous, "transform" implies a more significant or complete change. Therefore, you couldn't eliminate "transform" using this hack.
Read also: Enhance Your Writing Skills
Hack #3: Banish "Being"
The word "being" is almost always incorrect on the SAT. If you see it in an answer choice, eliminate it. No exceptions, no nuance. Just banish it from your mind.
For example:
The number of leeches you say it’ll take to get the “bad blood out of my insides” are beside the point; I am pretty uncomfortable with any leeches on my body as part of a medical treatment.
A. NO CHANGEB. is beingC. isD. was
Option B contains the word "being," so it can be immediately eliminated.
Hack #4: Semicolon = Period. Period.
On the SAT, a semicolon serves only one purpose: to connect two independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as sentences). A period does the exact same thing. Therefore, a semicolon and a period are interchangeable in this context. This means that a semicolon and a comma are NOT interchangeable. For any comma rule to apply, you need at least one DEPENDENT clause or phrase, and as we just mentioned, you use a semicolon between INDEPENDENT clauses only.
Hack #5: Use Commas (or Dashes) to Bracket Off "Inessential Information"
"Inessential information" refers to clauses or phrases that can be removed from a sentence without affecting its core meaning or grammatical structure. These elements are typically set off by two commas or two dashes. Crucially, you cannot mix and match commas and dashes.
Example: The Statue of Liberty, which sits in New York Harbor, is a cherished symbol of freedom.
Ben took a trip to New Orleans-the birthplace of jazz-to celebrate his graduation from music school.
Mix-and-match punctuation (e.g., a comma and a dash) is almost always incorrect. Furthermore, a pair of commas, a pair of dashes, and a set of parentheses are essentially interchangeable when punctuating inessential information. If the only difference between two answer choices is the use of one of these punctuation styles, they are both wrong.
Exception: Do not bracket off information that is essential to the sentence's grammatical structure or meaning. This often occurs with proper names.
Example: Immunologist Anthony Fauci recently retired from his role as head of the federal government’s COVID response taskforce.
Commas should not be placed around "Anthony Fauci" because removing the name would leave the sentence grammatically incomplete: "Immunologist recently retired from…"
Hack #6: Cut Out the Fat
This strategy is particularly helpful for questions involving subject-verb agreement or pronoun reference. The SAT often tries to obscure the subject of a sentence by adding extra words and phrases. To simplify the sentence, "cut out the fat" by crossing out prepositional phrases and inessential information set off by commas or dashes.
Example: The number of leeches you say it’ll take to get the “bad blood out of my insides” are beside the point; I am pretty uncomfortable with any leeches on my body as part of a medical treatment.
A. NO CHANGEB. is beingC. isD. was
By removing the prepositional phrase "of leeches you say … insides," the sentence becomes: "The number … are beside the point." It then becomes clear that the verb should be "is" to agree with the singular subject "number."
Exception: If the "fat" you would normally cross out is part of the underlined portion being questioned, you cannot eliminate it. The question depends on that information.
Hack #7: Rhetorical - Where Do Main Ideas Go?
Main ideas are typically found in specific locations within a piece of writing:
- End of the first paragraph (thesis statement): The thesis statement presents the overall argument or purpose of the essay.
- Beginning of each body paragraph (topic sentence): The topic sentence introduces the main point of that specific paragraph.
- End of the passage (conclusion): The conclusion restates the thesis and often provides broader context or implications.
When answering questions about main idea sentences, look for connections between these key locations. If asked to provide the thesis statement (the last sentence of the introduction), read and match it to the conclusion. If asked to provide the conclusion, read and match it to the thesis statement.
The title of the passage can also provide clues about the main idea, although it may not be as specific as the thesis or conclusion.
Exception: Topic sentences relate only to the paragraph in which they appear. To identify the correct topic sentence, look for main idea clues within that paragraph, as well as a transition from the previous paragraph.
Hack #8: Rhetorical - When Merging, Watch Your Lane!
Transitions connect ideas within and between sentences. When choosing transition words (e.g., "but," "and," "therefore," "however"), consider the relationship between the two ideas being connected. Each relationship falls into a specific "lane":
- Agreement: The ideas support or build upon each other (e.g., and, in addition, for example, furthermore, moreover).
- Contrast: The ideas present opposing viewpoints or unexpected outcomes (e.g., but, however, nevertheless, surprisingly, despite).
- Cause/Effect: One idea causes or results in the other (e.g., so, therefore, thus, consequently, because).
- Time: The ideas occur in a specific sequence (e.g., then, subsequently, first, next, finally).
Identify the correct "lane" and eliminate any answer choices that don't fit. Remember Hack #2! If two answer choices include words that do the EXACT SAME THING (“therefore” & “thus”, or “furthermore” & “moreover”), they are both WRONG!
Example: Mill Girls organized strikes in both 1834 and 1836 when management threatened to cut wages; however, their actions were largely unsuccessful.
A. NO CHANGEB. consequently,C. finally,D. moreover,
The correct answer is A (NO CHANGE) because "however" indicates contrast, and the sentence presents a contrast between the Mill Girls' actions and their lack of success.
Hack #9: Rhetorical - No Means No… If It’s Redundant or Irrelevant
When a question asks whether to keep/delete or add/don't add a sentence, always consider the "no" option first. The SAT prefers concise writing, so deleting or not adding a sentence is often the correct choice.
There are two primary reasons to delete/not add a sentence:
- Redundancy: The sentence repeats information already presented in the passage.
- Irrelevance: The sentence is unrelated to the main topic of the passage and disrupts the flow of ideas.
The SAT may use code terms to indicate redundancy or irrelevance, such as "repeats information already found earlier in the passage" (redundant) or "contains loosely related information that interrupts the discussion of…" (irrelevant).
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