SAT Reading & Writing cheat sheet

Words in context: replace the target word with each option and check whether the sentence's logic and tone stay intact; the correct choice fits both the immediate clause and the passage's overall stance.

Words in context questions on the SAT typically test a secondary meaning of a common word (e.g., 'qualify' = to limit, 'check' = to restrain), so test the less familiar sense before rejecting an option.

Text structure: identify the function of a sentence or paragraph (e.g., introduces a counterclaim, supplies evidence, restates a thesis, shifts chronology) rather than summarizing its content.

Purpose questions ask why an author includes a detail; the answer must connect the detail to a rhetorical goal stated or implied in the surrounding text.

Cross-text connections: map each passage's claim, then classify the relationship as agree, disagree, extend, or qualify; a passage that 'qualifies' adds a limitation rather than contradicting outright.

When two passages discuss the same topic, the second author's response is often signaled by contrast markers (however, yet, although) or by concession markers (admittedly, it is true that).

Point of view and tone: an author's attitude is revealed through evaluative adjectives, verbs of judgment, and concession structures; neutral reporting uses plain verbs like 'reports' or 'notes'.

For paired-passage questions asking how one author would respond to the other, locate the specific claim in Passage 1 that Passage 2 addresses, then match the response direction.

Command of evidence (textual): the correct answer must be supported directly by a quoted line; an option that is merely consistent with the passage but not stated is a trap.

Command of evidence (quantitative): read the graph's axes, units, and legend first; the correct choice must match the data's direction and magnitude, not just its trend.

For 'which choice best supports the claim' items, the right evidence usually contains specific data, a direct quotation, or a concrete example tied to the claim's key term.

Main idea questions: the answer covers the whole passage, not one paragraph; eliminate choices that are too narrow (one detail) or too broad (beyond the passage's scope).

Inference questions: the answer is unstated but must follow necessarily from the text; reject choices requiring outside knowledge or an extra assumption.

Detail questions: return to the cited lines and match paraphrases carefully; wrong answers often swap a subject, reverse a cause-effect, or exaggerate a quantity.

Quantitative synthesis: when asked which choice 'best illustrates' a finding, verify that the data in the choice supports the stated conclusion and that the conclusion is not overstated.

Support vs. weaken: for a hypothesis, the strongest evidence names the specific variable or comparison that the hypothesis predicts; unrelated data, even if accurate, does not count.

Comma splice: two independent clauses joined only by a comma is an error; fix with a period, semicolon, or comma plus coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

Nonessential (nonrestrictive) elements are set off by a pair of commas, a pair of dashes, or a pair of parentheses; never mix one comma with one dash.

A colon must follow an independent clause and introduce an explanation, list, or elaboration; it cannot separate a verb from its object or a preposition from its object.

Subject-verb agreement: locate the true subject, ignoring prepositional phrases and parenthetical asides; compound subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb, while 'or'/'nor' agree with the nearer subject.

Pronoun agreement: a singular indefinite pronoun (each, everyone, neither, one) takes a singular pronoun and verb; 'they' is acceptable only when the antecedent is genuinely plural or singular 'they' is established.

Verb tense and form: maintain the passage's established tense unless a time marker (by 1990, since then, will have) requires a shift; check for dangling or misplaced modifiers at sentence start.

Punctuation of transitions: a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, moreover) between independent clauses needs a semicolon or period before it and a comma after it.

Modifier placement: an introductory participial phrase modifies the subject of the main clause, so the noun immediately after the comma must be the logical doer of the action.

Parallel structure: items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form; comparisons must compare like categories (people with people, amounts with amounts).

Transitions: classify the logical relationship first (addition, contrast, cause-effect, example, sequence, concession), then select the transition that encodes exactly that relationship.

'However' signals contrast, 'therefore' signals result, 'for example' signals illustration, 'in addition' signals accumulation, and 'indeed' signals emphasis or confirmation.

Rhetorical synthesis: read the bullet-point notes, identify the stated goal (e.g., emphasize a similarity, introduce a debate), and choose the sentence that fulfills that goal using only the notes.

For synthesis items, eliminate choices that add information absent from the notes, omit the key comparison the goal requires, or are grammatically accurate but off-goal.

Precision of word choice: prefer the option whose connotation and specificity match the context; vague or overly absolute words (all, never, prove) often create distortion.

Concise expression: when two choices are both grammatical, the shorter one that preserves meaning is preferred; redundancy (e.g., 'annual yearly') and wordiness are errors.

Style and tone: match the register of the surrounding passage; informal diction in a formal passage is incorrect even if the meaning is accurate.

Combining sentences: the best revision preserves the original logical relationship, keeps the main idea prominent, and avoids awkward repetition or ambiguous pronouns.