SAT Preparation Lecture Notes

Overview of the Course

• Transition from PSAT 1180 to SAT 1590.
• Hundreds of videos produced for SAT preparation.
• Free digital SAT prep course about 18 hours long.
  • If limited to 8 hours or less, check out the 7-hour course.
• Recommended to watch in order.

Writing Questions on the Digital SAT

Subject-Verb Agreement

• Basic Rule: Subject and verb must agree in number (singular/plural).
  • Example: "The dog barks" (singular) vs. "The dogs bark" (plural).
• He/They Test: Use "He" for singular and "They" for plural to determine verb forms.

Example Application

• Question Example: "Writing blank honored before".
  • Subject: Writing (singular) -> Choose singular verb.
  • Analyze options for singular/plural agreement.

Indefinite Pronouns

• Indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone) take singular verbs.
  • Example: "Everyone has their own opinion".

Compound Subjects

• Use plural verbs when subjects joined by "and".
  • Example: "John and Sarah are going to the party".

Collective Nouns

• Can take singular or plural verbs based on context.
  • Example: "The team is practicing" (singular) vs. "The team are in disagreement" (plural).

Intervening Phrases

• Words/phrases between subject and verb do not affect agreement.
  • Example: "The cat, along with its kittens, sits by the window".

Questions on Pronouns

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

• Match pronouns in number and gender with antecedents.
• Avoid ambiguity in pronoun references.
  • Incorrect: "Sarah and Lisa went shopping, and she bought a dress" (who is "she"?).

Modifiers

Placement and Comparison

• Place modifiers near words they modify to avoid confusion.
  • Example: "I saw a draft with binoculars" -> Wrong.
  • Correct: "With binoculars, I saw a draft".

Dangling Modifiers

• Ensure modifiers clearly modify intended subjects.
  • Example: "After finishing the project, John ate a snack".

Comparisons

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

• Correct usage in comparisons.
  • Example: "This book is taller than that one."
  • Example: "She is the smartest student in the class."

Parallel Structure

• Keep comparisons parallel in structure.
  • Example: "She likes to run, swim, and hike." (not "swimming and hiked").

Verb Tenses

• Importance of accurate verb tense usage to convey time.

Sequence and Consistency

• Maintain consistency in verb tenses throughout the text.

Future Perfect and Conditional Tenses

• Examples given for clarity.

Sentence Structure

Run-on Sentences and Fragments

• Importance of properly separating independent clauses.
• Avoid fragments by ensuring complete thoughts.

Punctuation

Apostrophes

• Indicate possession or contraction.
  • Example: "John's car is old".

Using Colons and Semicolons

• Proper use of colons for lists, quotes, and examples.
• Use semicolons to separate independent clauses.

Commas

• Use for series, after introductory phrases, and non-essential clauses.

Summary of Writing Rules

• Practice and understand fundamentals of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Approaches for Different Types of Questions

• Identifying claims, hypotheses, and supporting arguments.
• Use Desmos for complex calculations where appropriate.

Practice Test and Review

• Take full-length digital SAT practice test.
• Review incorrect answers carefully.
• Identify mistakes and ways to avoid them in the future.