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act writing: essay percentiles

the act essay is scored from 1-6 in four categories by two graders. this gives you four scores from 2-12. you then receive a final act essay score from 2-12 that is the average of these four scores. this is the score you will be reporting to colleges. for more detail on how the essay is scored, make sure you check out rachel’s article on act essay scores.

here’s the breakdown for act essay scores and percentiles for the 2023-2024 reporting period:

as you can see from this table, the mean, or average, score on the act writing section is 6. it’s a good idea to aim for at least the 75th percentile, so in this case a good act writing score would be an 8 or above. a 9 or above would put you in the 97th percentile, which is great!

of course, a lot depends on the schools to which you apply (this thorough rundown on act scores has more info). generally, the more selective the school, the higher your score should be to be competitive.

universities that require the act writing will almost always have an average score range on their admissions website, so make sure you do your research. if you aspire to ivy league or other highly-selective schools, a 9 is the threshold you should try your best to reach to be safe.

however, most schools do not provide a cut-off score, so theoretically a below-average score will not eliminate you from being considered for admission. then again, it won’t help you either.

if you are ever concerned that your essay score is inaccurate, however, you can ask for your essay to be re-scored. the $58 fee for the re-score will be refunded if you do get a higher score.

takeaways

so what’s the takeaway from all of this? really, a few key points:

• research the schools you plan to apply to, and see which of them require the act writing test.
• at the least, shoot for an 8+ overall score for a “good” act writing score.
• a score of 9+ is an ideal score for applications to selective schools.
• if you believe your essay has been mis-scored, you may request a re-score for a fee.
• don’t panic!

act essay grader

if you’re coming to this post after taking your first 2022世界杯入门名单, you might be wondering how the heck you’re supposed to even grade your essay. you’re thinking, “what even is my act essay score?”

to start, let your essay sit for a day or two before grading it (it’s helpful to get some distance). then, follow the official scoring rubric from act, and ask a trusted friend/teacher/parent to do the same. be as objective as possible as you grade—you won’t do yourself any favors by inflating your score!

then, use our handy act essay grading tool to find your score:

act writing test scorer

click the button below to get started:
 
start quiz!

1. what score did you give your essay? 

6

• essays at this level will respond to all three perspectives offered.
• the thesis is nuanced and precise.
• the argument puts the issue in context insightfully, examining implications, complexities, tensions, values, and assumptions.
• ideas and analysis are well developed and qualified.
• organization is skillful and unified around a main idea; the essay progresses logically and uses transitions.
• word choice, sentence structures, style and register are all skillfully and precisely used.
• some errors that do not impede meaning may be present.

 

5

• essays at this level will respond to all three perspectives offered.
• the thesis is precise, though could be more nuanced.
• the argument puts the issue in context thoughtfully, examining implications, complexities, tensions, values, and assumptions.
• ideas and analysis are mostly developed.
• organization is productive and mostly unified around a main idea; the essay progresses logically and uses transitions.
• language use is serviceable, if not skillful.
• some errors that do not impede meaning may be present.

 

4

• essays at this level will respond to at least two of the perspectives offered.
• the thesis is clear.
• the argument puts the issue in context, recognizing implications, complexities, tensions, values, and assumptions.
• ideas and analysis are clear.
• organization is clear and related to the main idea; the essay progresses logically and uses transitions.
• word choice, sentence structures, style and register are all adequate.
• some errors that impede meaning may be present.

3

• essays at this level will respond to at least two of the perspectives offered.
• the thesis is somewhat clear.
• the issue’s context is limited or tangential.
• ideas and analysis are relevant, but too general or specific.
• organization is basic and mostly coherent.
• language use is basic and unvaried.
• distracting errors that impede meaning may be present.

2

• essays at this level only weakly respond to multiple perspectives.
• the thesis may not be evident and analysis is incomplete, irrelevant, or repetitive.
• development and illustration are weak, inadequate, or illogical, and the argument is unclear.
• some attempt at organization is visible.
• language use is inconsistent and distracting errors that impede meaning are present.

1

• the essay does not respond to the task.
• analysis is unclear, while ideas are undeveloped and unsupported.
• little to no organization is evident, while errors in language usage may be common and often impede understanding.

question 1 of 2

2. what score did you give your designated grader give your essay?

6

• essays at this level will respond to all three perspectives offered.
• the thesis is nuanced and precise.
• the argument puts the issue in context insightfully, examining implications, complexities, tensions, values, and assumptions.
• ideas and analysis are well developed and qualified.
• organization is skillful and unified around a main idea; the essay progresses logically and uses transitions.
• word choice, sentence structures, style and register are all skillfully and precisely used.
• some errors that do not impede meaning may be present.

5

• essays at this level will respond to all three perspectives offered.
• the thesis is precise, though could be more nuanced.
• the argument puts the issue in context thoughtfully, examining implications, complexities, tensions, values, and assumptions.
• ideas and analysis are mostly developed.
• organization is productive and mostly unified around a main idea; the essay progresses logically and uses transitions.
• language use is serviceable, if not skillful.
• some errors that do not impede meaning may be present.

4

• essays at this level will respond to at least two of the perspectives offered.
• the thesis is clear.
• the argument puts the issue in context, recognizing implications, complexities, tensions, values, and assumptions.
• ideas and analysis are clear.
• organization is clear and related to the main idea; the essay progresses logically and uses transitions.
• word choice, sentence structures, style and register are all adequate.
• some errors that impede meaning may be present.

3

• essays at this level will respond to at least two of the perspectives offered.
• the thesis is somewhat clear.
• the issue’s context is limited or tangential.
• ideas and analysis are relevant, but too general or specific.
• organization is basic and mostly coherent.
• language use is basic and unvaried.
• distracting errors that impede meaning may be present.

2

• essays at this level only weakly respond to multiple perspectives.
• the thesis may not be evident and analysis is incomplete, irrelevant, or repetitive.
• development and illustration are weak, inadequate, or illogical, and the argument is unclear.
• some attempt at organization is visible.
• language use is inconsistent and distracting errors that impede meaning are present.

1

• the essay does not respond to the task.
• analysis is unclear, while ideas are undeveloped and unsupported.
• little to no organization is evident, while errors in language usage may be common and often impede understanding.

question 2 of 2

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do you still need to prepare for the sat but feel like you just can’t do another math problem or read another sat word list? luckily for you, there are plenty of other (free!) ways to build the skills you need to do succeed on the sat. these sat prep games can help you sharpen your skills and test your knowledge in a fun and engaging way. read on to learn about the many free sat math games and reading/vocabulary games out there!

sat math games

the sat math has two sections: one which requires a lot of quick calculation and mental math, and one that is full of complex word problems. you will only be allowed to use a calculator on the second one. logic and quick-thinking math skills are invaluable in the math part of the sat, and there are plenty of fun ways to build these skills through online sat math games and apps. here are some great places to start.

• logicpuzzles.org: not surprisingly, this site is all logic puzzles, all the time. you can play for free any time or make a free account and compete with other account holders.
• brainbashers.com: this site is a treasure trove of both math and word puzzles. spend some time exploring and challenging yourself.
• mathisfun.com: this site includes math games, puzzles, and lesson to help you review algebra and geometry concepts that might come up on the test. if you need a review of the basics, this is a good place to start.

reading/vocabulary games

the sentence completion section of the sat might have gone the way of the dinosaurs, but chances are good you’ll still find your vocabulary challenged in the reading part of the sat. while index cards are fine for studying, they’re prone to get mysteriously lost. luckily, we live in the age of computers! here are some sat prep games that make learning vocabulary a lot more fun, accessible, and interactive.

• freerice.com: if you want to do a good deed while studying, you might want to check out this site. it includes multiple-choice quizzes on a variety of subjects, including vocabulary, grammar, and basic math. as a plus, for every correct answer, 10 grains of rice are donated through the world food programme. the site does have an sat quiz option, but be aware that the questions are based on the old sat, so they do not represent what you’ll see on the current test.
• synonymtoast: this silly-looking game from scholastic provides you with a word on a toaster. your task is to click on synonyms that appear on falling pieces of bread to turn them into toast. while the target audience may not be high school students, the sat does ask you to identify synonyms for words in the reading passages. so, this is a great, quick way to help practice making those connections!
• magoosh sat flashcards: okay, we’re a bit biased but we think our free magoosh sat flashcards app is a pretty fun way to learn new words and review what you know! the app is available for both iphone and android phones, or you can access the flashcard decks directly online.
• quizlet.com : if you love flashcards, but don’t love carrying them around, quizlet is for you. this site allows you to use digital cards created by others or make your own list of cards to study vocabulary, grammar, or any other subject. plus, there’s a free app, so you can take your cards wherever you go. you do have to create a free account to use quizlet, however.
• college xpress sat word game: this simple sat word game does exactly what the name implies—it tests your knowledge of sat vocabulary with multiple-choice questions. it’s like the sat, but with more color and a way to reach the top of the leaderboard! make a free account to keep track of your progress.

why sat prep games?

as all these resources prove, studying doesn’t have to be a drag. sat prep games can benefit you by:

• providing a more fun, interactive way to learn essential sat skills
• training your brain to work through problems in different ways
• giving you a concrete way to measure your progress (through scoring and results)

taking sat-style practice tests and being familiar with the types of questions you’ll see are incredibly important for test-day success. but who says you can’t have a little fun along the way? if you know of any other free sat prep games, tell us in the comments below. looking for more free sat prep resources? check out our post on the 5 best free apps for sat and act prep!

the post sat prep games appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

tense errors

you’re probably familiar with the three main tenses — past, present, and future. however, you may not be as comfortable with the various forms of this trio, and knowing when to use them can be surprisingly tricky.

if you need a refresher on the tenses, check out our grammar guide to verb tenses.

the sat writing test uses certain words and phrases to clue you into which tense should be used in each problem. one of the easiest ways to check for tense errors is to look at the other verbs in the sentence or in the sentences around the underlined portion. if everything else is in a certain tense, it is likely, although not guaranteed, that the selected verb should also be in that tense.

when faced with a choice between perfect tenses and regular tenses, though, you’ll have to dig a little deeper. for example, if you have to choose between using the regular past tense or the past perfect, look for the words “before” or “until”. these words indicate that something began and ended sometime in the past, which is the definition of past perfect tense. words like “since” or “after” should point you in the direction of present perfect, meaning something began in the past but is still happening.  

example (regular past tense): james drank three cups of coffee this morning.

example (past perfect tense): before he got to work this morning, james had drunk three cups of coffee.

mood errors

mood-based questions appear much more rarely than those focused on verb tense, but it’s still a good idea to become familiar with them since they can be a little tricky.

there are three main types of mood in english: indicative, imperative, and subjunctive.

most sentences are in indicative mood, which is the standard, information-sharing mood.

example: the humidity is making my hair frizzy today.

imperative mood is specific to sentences that instruct someone to do something.

example: go brush the dog.

example: george, don’t do that.

subjunctive mood is the one that confuses most people. it only comes into play when a sentence is talking about something hypothetical, counter-to-fact, or wishful. keep an eye out for the words “if”, “would have”, “should have”, “wish”, etc. they tell you that subjunctive mood is potentially being tested.

the most common errors the sat makes with subjunctive mood involve the verb “to be”. where you would normally use “was”, for example, subjunctive mood uses “were”.

example: if i were you.

note: “if i was you” is incorrect, no matter what meghan trainor says!

subjunctive mood also uses the verb “to be” in its basic form when you might not expect it.

example: the teacher asked that we be in our seats before the bell rang.
because the above example is discussing a situation in the future that has not yet occurred, we use the word “be” instead of any other form of the verb. these instances of the subjunctive mood tend to feel pretty natural, so they don’t stand out as much as uses of “were” do.

and there you have the essentials of verb tense and mood errors on the sat. these and subject-verb agreement errors are pretty common on the sat, so when in doubt, check the verbs!

check out magoosh’s expert advice for even more sat writing and language practice!

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you’re probably familiar with the two most commonly used formulas relating to circles — the area and circumference formulas. just in case, here’s a reminder:

circumference: c=2πr or dπ, where r is the length of the radius and d is the length of the diameter.

area: a = πr²

if any of the above terms don’t ring a bell, review the parts of a circle before reading on, because you’ll need to know some circle terms.

all good? great; let’s forge ahead!

once you get into coordinate geometry, another equation joins the party; it is known as the equation of a circle. i know, shocking.

this equation gives you information about a circle which allows you to map it onto a coordinate plane. it can also help you solve problems that ask about the position of a circle on a graph or in relation to other things, like lines and parabolas.

the equation:

(x – h)² + (y – k)² = r²

the parts:

alright, so let’s break down what this all means.

the x and y will always be there. they are the variables in this equation.

the point (h,k) is the center of the circle.

the r stands for the length of the radius of the circle.

and that’s it, folks.

how to use it

there are two major uses for this equation: graphing a circle and determining if a given point is on a circle.

let’s take a look at an example of the former.

example: (x – 4)² + (y – 3)² = 16

so what can we tell from this? first, the center of the circle is located at (4,3) on the graph. second, the length of the radius is 4 because the square root of 16 is 4. we could now graph five points on the graph, one at the center, and four at the north, south, east, and west points of the circle by counting five points in each direction. we’ve done that on the graph below, and you can see that both the center of the circle and the radius match up with the numbers we found from the equation. the rest of the circle is sketched in.
 

 
you can also use this equation to test if a given point is on a circle. 

example: take the point (8, 3), which is graphed above.

if we plug it into the equation for the x and y, we get the following:

(8 – 4)² + (3 – 3)² = 16

4² + 0² = 16 

16 = 16

hooray! the point is indeed on the circle.

last notes

of course, there are tricky moments to watch out for. take the following equation:

(x +2)² + (y + 5)² = 6

notice that the numbers representing the h and k are being added to the x and y, which actually means they are both negative and the center of the circle is (-2, -5). also, remember that the radius of the circle is √6, not 6.

as long as you pay attention and keep the template equation in mind, you’ll find the equation of a circle a hugely useful tool for dealing with circles on coordinate planes.

the post sat math: equation of a circle appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

picking the right words to say exactly what you want to say is part of what makes writing challenging, and getting good at picking those words is a skill. that skill is what the syntax questions on the sat are designed to test.

“syntax” refers to how words and phrases are put together in sentences. strong syntax clearly communicates the writer’s point while maintaining an appropriate style and tone. much like the words-in-context questions in the reading portion of the test, syntax questions present you, the test-taker, with options to replace a small portion of a sentence, usually a word or two. your job is to decide whether the original choice is fine or if the message or tone could be improved by one of the other answer choices.

practice:

(1) despite the record-setting drought, the grocery chain’s (2) amount of avocados decreased (3) significantly.

question 1:

which of the following would be the most precise replacement for the underlined portion?

a. no change

b. because of

c. although

d. in spite of

this question relies on your understanding the relationship between the drought and the avocado shortage. logically, this is a cause/effect relationship, but “despite” fails to communicate that, so choice a can be eliminated. choice d is just another way of saying the same thing, so that can go, too. of the two that are left, only choice b, “because of” demonstrates cause and effect, so that would be our answer.

the sat will often ask you to judge the syntax of transitions or relationship-indicators at the beginning of sentences. make sure you read the whole sentence, and maybe the sentences immediately before and after the selection, to ensure you fully understand what it’s trying to convey.

question 2:

a. no change

b. crop

c. supply

d. number

this syntax question has no instructions, but it clearly is offering options to use in place of “amount”. notice that all of the answers could work, but only one makes the most sense in context. technically, avocados are countable, so “amount” would never be the best option here. choice d, “number”, is better, but let’s not jump to conclusions. “crop” makes sense in that avocados are farmed, but saying “the grocery chain’s crop” doesn’t quite fit, since the grocery isn’t actually growing the plants. however, a “supply” of avocados fits much better, since groceries receive supplies of food. so, between choice c and choice d, which wins?

in this case, c comes out on top because it is more precise and more clearly gets the point that the drought is affecting the source of the avocados across than “number” would.  

question 3:

a. no change

b. a lot

c. terrifically

d. obviously

again, no instructions on this question, but we know what to do, right? the adverb “significantly” is being used to describe the drop in avocados, but perhaps there’s a better choice. we can eliminate b immediately because “a lot” is much too casual for the tone of the sentence. “terrifically” can also go. it has multiple meanings, but it generally carries a positive connotation, and a shortage of avocados is not good at all!

so now it’s down to d, “obviously” versus the original “significantly”. choice d just doesn’t fit as well as a because there is nothing in the rest of the sentence to indicate that someone is observing the shortage, only that it is a large shortage. in this case, the original option wins out.

of course, on the test, this sentence would be part of a passage, so its context in the larger picture would be important to consider, but these examples illustrate the types of syntax questions the sat will include. factors such as tone and connotation can help you make the best word choices, both on the test and in your own writing.

the post sat writing: syntax questions appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

period

as the classic way to end a sentence, a period is almost always an appropriate choice. periods end thoughts cleanly and allow your writing to clearly move from one idea to the next. they are the best choices for statements of fact and conclusion sentences. the sat rarely misuses periods, but it might provide a better or more effective option using another form of end-of-sentence punctuation.

example 1: breakfast food is delicious at any time of day.

exclamation point

these punctuation marks should be used rarely and only when the sentence they conclude conveys strong emotion of some kind. exclamation points are rarely used in passages on the sat, as they tend to be better suited to informal writing. only pick an answer that includes an exclamation point if you have a solid reason to use that over any other punctuation option.

example 2: the sky is falling!

question mark

perhaps the simplest end-of-sentence punctuation to understand is the question mark. the only sentences that should end with question marks are, not surprisingly, questions. some questions can be deceptively long, so make sure you read the entire sentence to decide if it is asking something or not. keep an eye out for the five w’s (who, what, when, where, why) at the beginning of clauses. these, the word “how”, and forms of the verbs “to be” and “to have” are all great indicators that a clause is acting as a question.  

example 3: are you sitting comfortably?

semicolon

there are a couple of different ways to use semicolons–and not just to make a winky emoticon! one way is at the end of sentences or, perhaps more accurately, between sentences. the clauses on both sides of the semicolon must stand alone as independent thoughts. so what’s the difference between a period and a semicolon? it’s all in the context of the writing. usually, a period is fine. however, if two sentences address the same topic and a period might be a harsh break in the flow of ideas, a semicolon might be a better choice.

example 4: the weather team issued a warning to stay indoors. terrible storms were sweeping through the county.

the sentences above are fine as they are, but we can create a smoother transition using a semicolon.

example 4 (revised): the weather team issued a warning to stay indoors; terrible storms were sweeping through the county.

notice that the first letter of the second sentence is not capitalized after a semicolon. this allows the two sentences to flow together almost seamlessly.

colon

the last end-of-sentence punctuation you are likely to run into on the sat writing is the colon. it is the rarest of them all and many people feel uncomfortable using colons. this type of punctuation is often associated with lists, but colons can also be used between sentences. on the sat, colons are often given as alternatives to periods or semicolons in answer choices. however, a colon is only ever the best choice if the sentence that follows it explains, paraphrases, or clarifies the one that comes before.

example 5: i hate broccoli. it’s bitter and makes everything else taste bad.

the second sentence explains why this poor writer hates broccoli, so we can use a colon between these sentences.

example 5 (revised): i hate broccoli: it’s bitter and makes everything else taste bad.

the clause after the colon isn’t capitalized on the sat, although there is some debate over that rule by grammar experts.

so, there you have it: the five types of end-of-sentence punctuation you may encounter on the sat writing. not so bad, right?

now that you know how to spot whether they’re being used correctly, you can use them to elevate your own writing. happy punctuating!  

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oh, pronouns. they are so simple, and yet can be so tricky, especially pronouns on the sat. even if you haven’t had a grammar lesson in years, you probably remember what a pronoun is, but just in case, let’s refresh.

pronouns replace nouns in our writing and help us avoid repetition of the same nouns over and over. nouns themselves are versatile and can be used in different ways. as a result, there are many types of pronouns, each with its own purpose.

subjective pronouns vs objective pronouns on the sat

these are the classic pronouns.  of all the types, they appear the most in our speech and writing and are the ones most often used incorrectly.

subjective pronouns replace nouns that are the subjects of their sentences: i, we, you, it, he, she, they, who, whoever

objective pronouns replace the objects of sentences, which are the nouns that are being acted upon instead of doing something themselves: me, us, you, it, him, her, them, whom, whomever

example 1: tim and i ate chicken noodle soup for lunch.

example 2: the artist painted a portrait of my dog and me.

both of the examples above use pronouns correctly: the first uses “i” as part of the subject eating soup and the second uses “me” as part of the object being painted. if these compound subjects or objects tend to confuse you, try reading the sentence with only one of the subjects or objects at a time. that usually makes it easier to spot if anything is wrong.

notice that “you” and “it” work as both subjective and objective pronouns.

possessive pronouns on the sat

these pronouns are used when the noun they represent owns something.

some only appear directly before the item they possess: my, her, your, their, its

others can be used without clarification of what they possess: mine, hers, yours, theirs, his

example 3: her dress has a large stain on its front.

example 4: that book is hers.

note that, unlike possessive nouns, possessive pronouns do not require apostrophes.

relative pronouns on the sat

these are special pronouns that are used to introduce relative clauses, which relate nouns to ideas within sentences.

some are reserved for use with people or personified things/animals: who, whom, whoever, whomever

others can be applied to all nouns: that, which, whichever

relative pronouns can be tricky because they come with a punctuation quirk. when a relative clause is essential to the definition of a noun within a sentence, no comma is used to connect that clause to the rest of the sentence. however, a comma is required when the relative clause is not essential for a reader to understand the sentence.

example 5: mercedes, who has been studying history, will teach the class.

example 6: the man who is standing by the river looks sad.

in example 5, the fact that mercedes has been studying history is nice to know but doesn’t matter to the core fact that she is teaching the class. in example 6, however, removing the clause “who is standing by the river” would create some confusion about what man the sentence refers to.

a solid grasp of subjective, objective, and possessive pronouns is essential for students who want to do well on the sat writing. relative pronouns appear less often, but understanding them will set you up for success, no matter what type of pronouns the test throws at you.

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what’s the difference between sat 1 and sat 2?

although college board doesn’t seem to use the term “sat 1” anymore, sat 1 refers to the test that most high schoolers take and use on their college applications. it has undergone a major overhaul in the last year, so if you plan to take it, make sure you know what these changes are. this sat covers general reading, writing, and math topics and includes an optional essay section. almost all colleges accept scores from this test, and a high score on it helps you prove to admission officers that you are a capable, well-rounded student who would do well at their school.  

the sat subject tests are different tests altogether. they focus on only one subject at a time, and allow you to show your competency in that particular subject. there are 20 subject tests available under the categories of mathematics, history, english, languages, and science, and you are free to take as many (or as few) as you like. each test is one hour long and is entirely multiple choice. scores range from 200 to 800, just like the main sections of the sat. these tests have not undergone any format changes recently, so if you’ve already taken some, there is no need to retake them.

why take an extra test?

some colleges actually require applicants to have taken one or more sat subject tests, in which case you have no choice but to take them. however, many other schools recommend taking a subject test or two, and most at least accept scores from these tests.

there are several reasons you might decide to take subject tests besides being required to. if you are applying with an eye to a certain program of study, a good score on a related subject test might demonstrate your interest and skill in that topic. this is especially useful for self-taught topics or extracurricular classes which may not be reflected elsewhere in your application. some colleges and universities will award credit for high scores on subject tests. entering college with credits already under your belt can allow you more freedom to explore other subjects or even help you graduate early. students who have been homeschooled or classify as esl or international often take the subject tests to help them display talents that may not be reflected in their transcripts.

things to keep in mind

sat subject tests are administered on the same days as the sat 1, and not all subject tests are administered on every test date, so plan carefully when deciding which tests to take when. because each subject test is only an hour long, you are allowed to take up to three during one test day.

visualizing the differences

now that you know the difference between sat 1 and sat 2 (or rather, sat and sat subject tests), you should give some thought to whether or not you’d like to take both. learn about the many different topics covered by the subject tests, research the requirements of colleges to which you plan to apply, and decide if one or more is right for you. best of luck!

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concision

concise language is short and to the point. questions that involve concision want you to replace the selected part of the sentence with a simpler version that preserves the meaning and important information of the original. keep an eye out for repetitive words or phrases that could be combined to simplify sentences. sometimes, the words to be trimmed will be fairly obvious, but sometimes redundant phrases are tricky to spot because they say the same thing but in different ways.

style

style questions can appear in several forms, but are all based on the idea of maintaining a set writing style throughout the passage. look for phrases or sentences that sound out of place because they are too casual or formal, or because they don’t match the surrounding sentences in some way.

tone

the tone of a passage refers to how the language the author chooses expresses his or her thoughts on the subject in question. it can range from very negative or critical, to neutral or even extremely positive. the vocabulary an author chooses helps convey the tone, and it’s your job to pick up on these hints.

sample questions

let’s take a look at an example of questions that involve concision, style, and tone.

preventing students from leaving their high school campuses for lunch is (1) unnecessary. it is also possibly harmful to the very children such rules are meant to protect. high school is the most formative time of students’ lives, and is meant to be the time for us to spread our wings and learn how the world works as we prepare to enter it. having the freedom to leave campus on our own for an hour a day would (2) be awesome! {3}  

question 1

1. no change
2. not only unnecessary, but possibly harmful
3. unnecessary, and on top of that, it is possibly harmful
4. not needed and may cause harm

question 2

1. no change
2. make us learn more
3. allow us to do just that
4. show that adults actually believe this

question 3

which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?

1. critical
2. objective
3. inquisitive
4. amused

the first selection includes the intersection of two simple sentences. because both sentences have the same subject, the original includes a redundant “it” at the beginning, which is a good indicator that we should combine the clauses. all the given options combine the sentences in grammatically correct ways, but option c is still too wordy, while option d uses the phrases “not needed” and “may cause harm” instead of the simpler options “unnecessary” and “harmful”. therefore, the most concise option is letter b.

question two offers options for replacing the end of the last sentence in the passage. the current sentence is clearly too casual and ruins the formal style of the rest of the paragraph. choices b and d aren’t quite as bad, but b makes an unsupported claim, while d provides an ineffective conclusion. option c becomes the best choice because it uses more formal language while also connecting to the ideas in the previous sentence.

the third question simply asks you to identify the tone of passage. easy, right? it can be, if you know what you’re looking for. the author of this passage is clearly a high school student and is expressing his or her opinion, which means there should be a clear bias or tone present. this means we can eliminate option b because an objective tone has no clear bias. since the author is not attempting to find out about something, we can also eliminate c. that leaves a, which is negative, and d, which is positive. the author is criticizing a school policy, so a is the better choice of the two.

the answers to concision, style, and tone questions may not be as immediately obvious as those to mechanics- and grammar-based questions, but there’s always a logic to them. take the time to consider each option within the context of the paragraph or passage as a whole and you’ll usually be able to pinpoint the answer that improves the passage the most.

the post sat writing: concision, style, & tone appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

subordination and coordination questions ask you to identify and select the best way to combine sentences. sometimes, the sentences will be incorrectly joined and your task is to fix their connection to be more appropriate. in other cases, the test will select two sentences that are separated by a period or a semicolon but may be improved by being combined into a single compound or complex sentence. it’s like a puzzle!

to make these combined sentences, you will have to use coordination and subordination techniques. 

coordination

there are two ways to coordinate sentences:

1. coordinative conjunctions (fanboys)

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

these seven words can be used between independent clauses to connect ideas. be sure the answer you choose uses the correct conjunction for that particular sentence. for example, use ‘but’ instead of ‘and’ when you are contrasting ideas. whichever conjunction you choose should be preceded by a comma.

example 1: the sun was shining, but i couldn’t shake my dismal mood.

2. semicolons & colons

these can be placed between independent clauses where you would otherwise use a period. they should only be used to coordinate two sentences that discuss the same topic, and colons are only preferable if the second sentence explains or clarifies the first.

example 2: today is lillian’s birthday; she plans to celebrate with her family.

example 3: tim is excited about the weekend: he has planned a hiking trip. 

subordination

this method of combining sentences requires one of the independent clauses to become dependent. there are a couple of ways to accomplish this.

1. subordinating conjunctions

because, although/though, after, until, while, etc.

there are many subordinating conjunctions, but they all transform independent clauses into dependent ones. a comma should follow a dependent clause that begins a sentence, and, again, be sure the conjunction you choose fits the situation.

example 4: although the restaurant received rave reviews, its high prices kept customers away.

2. descriptive phrases

sometimes, removing the subject or verb from an independent clause and using what remains as a descriptive phrase may be an easier way to combine two ideas. such phrases are usually, though not always, separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

example 5: he practiced every day. he eventually became a master at the sport.

                      he practiced every day, eventually becoming a master at the sport.

subordination and coordination practice

now that we know what we’re looking for in our answers, let’s see an example of one of these questions in the wild, er, on the test. below is an excerpt from a passage and a sample question.

humans have been consuming coffee (1) for centuries. coffee houses exploded in popularity during the colonial era. (2) they were protested by clergy and women. there were still over 2,000 of them in london in the 17th and 18th centuries.

1.
a. no change
b. for centuries, coffee houses
c. for centuries because
d. for centuries, but

2.
a. no change
b. although they were protested by clergy and women, there were still
c. they were protested by clergy and women; there were still
d. protested by clergy and women, there remained

both of these questions involve joining two sentences using either coordination or subordination.

you might notice that there is nothing grammatically incorrect in the first selection, but don’t choose no change unless you’re sure none of the other answer choices improve on the original. answer b creates a comma splice, so that’s out. answers c and d both join the two sentences using correct mechanics, but only d makes sense given the content of the selection and improves the flow of the information, so d is the correct choice.

while there is nothing truly wrong with the selection for question number two either, the flow of these two sentences is awkward and stilted. we should try to combine them. the version in answer c is, again, not grammatically wrong, but makes no difference to the flow of ideas, so it can be eliminated. answer d makes an attempt at joining the two ideas, but introduces a modifier error, so it can be crossed off, too. that leaves b, which uses a subordinating conjunction (although) to make the first clause dependent. the conjunction and punctuation work, so b is our answer.

now you know what you’re facing with subordination and coordination questions, take a writing quiz to practice, or check out our top 10 tips for the new writing section!

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