Lecture Notes: SAT Preparation

Overview

• The presentation is part of a digital SAT prep course
• Focuses on strategies to improve SAT Writing scores
• Structured to be completed in 8 hours
• Contains distinct sections for reading and writing

Writing Section Guide

• Subject-Verb Agreement

  • The subject and verb must agree in number (singular/plural)
  • Example: "The dog barks" vs. "The dogs bark"
  • Use "he/they" test to identify verb agreement

• Indefinite Pronouns

  • Treat indefinite pronouns like "everyone," "someone," "no one" as singular
  • Example: "Everyone has their opinion"

• Compound Subjects

  • When joined by "and," use a plural verb
  • Example: "John and Sarah are going"

• Collective Nouns

  • Usually take a singular verb when acting as a whole
  • Example: "The team is practicing"

• Intervening Phrases

  • Do not affect verb agreement
  • Example: "The cat, along with its kittens, sits"

• Parallelism

  • Maintain parallel structure in lists and comparisons
  • Example: "She likes to run, swim, and hike"

• Pronoun Agreement

  • Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender
  • Example: "Sarah lost her keys"

• Ambiguous Pronouns

  • Avoid pronouns with unclear antecedents
  • Example: "Tom saw John and congratulated him"

• Modifier Placement

  • Place modifiers near the words they modify
  • Example: "With binoculars, I saw a draft"

• Verb Tenses

  • Use correct tense to convey time frames
  • Example: "I will go to the party tomorrow"

• Sentence Structure

  • Avoid run-on sentences by separating independent clauses
  • Example: "I walked to the store, and I bought groceries"

• Punctuation

  • Use apostrophes for possession or contraction
  • Use semicolons to separate independent clauses

Additional Tips

• Pronoun Cases

  • Know the difference between subjective, objective, and possessive cases

• Logical Comparisons

  • Ensure comparisons are clear and logical
  • Example: "Apples are healthier than donuts"

• Transitions

  • Use transitional phrases to ensure flow
  • Example: "First, we went to the store"

• Idioms and Prepositions

  • Use idiomatic expressions and correct preposition choice

Writing Approach

• Identify the structure and purpose of each question
• Focus on the specific goal of each section (e.g., transitions, verb tense)

Study Tips

• Practice identifying and correcting errors in sentence structure
• Understand the common types of questions and errors on the SAT Writing section
• Utilize practice tests to apply strategies and improve time management