SAT Writing: Identifying Sentence Errors

Style

Read the sentence and select the portion of the sentence that contains an error if there is an error.  If there is no error, select E. 

Knowsys Method

Read the sentence carefully, listening for errors.  Then quickly check the underlined portions against the Big 8 grammar concepts.  Mark the error when you find it, and quickly check any remaining choices.

What makes this question difficult is that the original sentence is complex and hard to understand.  Before you consider any errors, read through this sentence a couple of times to get a feel for how it is structured.  Once you have gotten past the convoluted nature of the sentence itself, the error should be easy to spot.  

A.  This underlined portion contains a verb, “has been raising.”  Always check to make sure verbs are in the correct tense and that they agree with the subject.  This particular verb is singular, so it agrees with the subject “the Miller Group.”  The verb is in the present perfect tense, which works because the action began in the past and continues into the present.  Eliminate this choice.

B.  It is idiomatically correct to say that something has been happening “since” some year in the past.  Eliminate this choice.

C.  There is nothing wrong with this choice at first glance.  “Annually” is an adverb that tells you when the organization donates money to schools.  It is not until you read to the end of the sentence that you realize what is wrong with choice C.  “Each year” means the same thing as “annually,” so “annually” is redundant and should be eliminated.  Keep this choice and quickly check the remaining options.

D.  It is idiomatically correct to say that money is donated “to” a group.  Eliminate this choice.  

E. You have already found an error, so E cannot be your choice.

The correct answer is (C).

This is a hard level question.

Want some help with SAT Vocabulary?  Check out these helpful resources:

• Knowsys SAT Flashcards (box set)
• Knowsys Vocabulary Activities SAT iBook (for the iPad)
• Knowsys SAT Flashcards App (for iPhone, iPad, or iPod)
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SAT Link of the Week: Historical Examples

You should walk into the SAT with fifteen excellent examples already prepared for your essay.  This strategy will save you valuable time and ensure that you have strong, detailed examples to support your argument.  Five of your examples should come from history, five should come from literature, and five should be related to current events.  

For each of your fifteen examples, you need to know the 5 W’s: who, what, when where, and why.  The question is, where can you find all of this information?  This week’s link is History.com, a useful resource for historical research.  You can use the site’s search feature to find articles, videos, and interactive resources related to the event of your choice.  

Other great features of this site include “This Day In History,” which will tell you what important historical events took place on any day of the year,  “Ask History,” which answers questions and debunks common myths, and “History Lists,” which brings together lists of related events or concepts.  If you are having a hard time thinking up unique historical examples for the SAT, try browsing through any of these three pages for ideas.

For every historical example you find, be sure to consider all of the contexts in which the example might be used.  Happy hunting!

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SAT Math: Geometry

Lines and Angles

Knowsys Method

Read the question carefully.  Make note that the figure is not drawn to scale, so the sizes of the angles in the picture do not reflect their true measurements.

Identify the bottom line.  a = ?

Assess your options.  Visualize the point in the center as the center of a circle.  The number of degrees around the center point is 360, just like the number of degrees around the center of a circle.  That means that all of these angle measurements should add together to equal 360 degrees.  If you set that up as an equation, then you can solve for a.

Attack the problem.  Set up your equation and find the value of a.
2a + 4a + 5a + 7a = 360
                       18a = 360
                       ÷18    ÷18
                           a = 20

Loop back. Did you find the value of a?  Yes.  All that is left is to select the letter of the correct answer.

The correct answer is (C).
This is a medium level question.

Want some help reviewing the math concepts you need to master?  Try out the Knowsys Pre-Algebra Flashcards, the Knowsys Algebra I Flashcards, and the Knowsys SAT & ACT Math Practice book.  

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SAT Reading: Sentence Completions

Sentence Completions

Select the words that best fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Fans of the young artist call her -------; in her paintings, they claim, she displays an artistic ability far beyond her years. 

A.   precocious

B.   pugnacious

C.   inept

D.   whimsical

E.   tacit

Knowsys Method

Always start by covering up the answer choices so that they do not distract you.  Read the sentence carefully, and then predict what you think the answer should be.  How would you describe an artist with skill beyond her years?  A good prediction would be "advanced."

A.  The word "precocious” comes from the Latin word “praecox,” which means “maturing early.”  Although this term originally referred to flowers that bloomed to early or fruits that ripened ahead of their usual season, it has been used for the past few hundred years to refer to people who develop traits earlier than is the norm.  This young artist already displays the skills beyond her years, so precocious would be an appropriate term to describe her.  Keep this choice.

B.  The term “pugnacious” means “quarrelsome or combative.”  To remember the meaning of this word, you can think about how it starts with a "p,"  just like the word “punch.”  This does not match our prediction, so eliminate this choice.

C.  You probably recognize the root “in,” which is commonly used for negation.  This young artist is obviously good at what she does, so any term that means “not something” is probably not the correct choice.  As it happens, “inept” means unskilled, so it is the opposite of what we are looking for.  Eliminate this choice.

D. “Whimsical” means fanciful or unpredictable.  You could describe an artist as whimsical if that artist’s works were playful and imaginative.  However,  we are considering this young artist’s level of skill, not her style.  Eliminate this choice.

E.  “Tacit” comes from the Latin word “tacere,” which means “to be silent.”  Something tacit is understood but not spoken, like a rule that everyone follows even though it is not posted anywhere.  This does not match our prediction, so eliminate this choice. 

The correct answer is (A).

This is a medium level question.

Words used in this SC:
precocious: exceptionally early in development
pugnacious: quarrelsome or combative
inept: awkward or unskilled
whimsical: fanciful or unpredictable
tacit: understood without being clearly stated

Want some help with SAT Vocabulary?  Check out these helpful resources:

• Knowsys SAT Flashcards (box set)
• Knowsys Vocabulary Activities SAT iBook (for the iPad)
• Knowsys SAT Flashcards App (for iPhone, iPad, or iPod)
• Web-based SAT Flashcards (use if you don't have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod)

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SAT Math: Geometry version 5

Lines and Angles

 

In the figure shown above, four line segments join at a single point to form four angles.  What is the value of a?

A. 10
B. 18
C. 20
D. 35
E. 40

Knowsys Method

Read the question carefully.  Make note that the figure is not drawn to scale, so the sizes of the angles in the picture do not reflect their true measurements.

Identify the bottom line.  a = ?

Assess your options.  Visualize the point in the center as the center of a circle.  The number of degrees around the center point is 360, just like the number of degrees around the center of a circle.  That means that all of these angle measurements should add together to equal 360 degrees.  If you set that up as an equation, then you can solve for a.

Attack the problem.  Set up your equation and find the value of a.

2a + 4a + 5a + 7a = 360
                       18a = 360
                       ÷18    ÷18
                           a = 20

Loop back. Did you find the value of a?  Yes.  All that is left is to select the letter of the correct answer.
The correct answer is (C).

This is a medium level question.

SAT Math: Geometry version 4

Lines and Angles

In the figure shown above, four line segments join at a single point to form four angles.  What is the value of a?

A. 10
B. 18
C. 20
D. 35
E. 40

Knowsys Method

Read the question carefully.  Make note that the figure is not drawn to scale, so the sizes of the angles in the picture do not reflect their true measurements.

Identify the bottom line.  a = ?

Assess your options.  Visualize the point in the center as the center of a circle.  The number of degrees around the center point is 360, just like the number of degrees around the center of a circle.  That means that all of these angle measurements should add together to equal 360 degrees.  If you set that up as an equation, then you can solve for a.

Attack the problem.  Set up your equation and find the value of a.

2a + 4a + 5a + 7a = 360
                       18a = 360
                       ÷18    ÷18
                           a = 20

Loop back. Did you find the value of a?  Yes.  All that is left is to select the letter of the correct answer.
The correct answer is (C).

This is a medium level question.

SAT Math: Geometry version 3

Lines and Angles

 

In the figure shown above, four line segments join at a single point to form four angles.  What is the value of a?

A. 10
B. 18
C. 20
D. 35
E. 40

Knowsys Method

Read the question carefully.  Make note that the figure is not drawn to scale, so the sizes of the angles in the picture do not reflect their true measurements.

Identify the bottom line.  a = ?

Assess your options.  Visualize the point in the center as the center of a circle.  The number of degrees around the center point is 360, just like the number of degrees around the center of a circle.  That means that all of these angle measurements should add together to equal 360 degrees.  If you set that up as an equation, then you can solve for a.

Attack the problem.  Set up your equation and find the value of a.

2a + 4a + 5a + 7a = 360
                        18a = 360
                       ÷18    ÷18
                           a = 20

Loop back. Did you find the value of a?  Yes.  All that is left is to select the letter of the correct answer.
The correct answer is (C).

This is a medium level question.

SAT Math: Geometry version 2

Lines and Angles  

In the figure shown above, four line segments join at a single point to form four angles.  What is the value of a?

A. 10
B. 18
C. 20
D. 35
E. 40

Knowsys Method

Read the question carefully.  Make note that the figure is not drawn to scale, so the sizes of the angles in the picture do not reflect their true measurements.

Identify the bottom line.  a = ?

Assess your options.  Visualize the point in the center as the center of a circle.  The number of degrees around the center point is 360, just like the number of degrees around the center of a circle.  That means that all of these angle measurements should add together to equal 360 degrees.  If you set that up as an equation, then you can solve for a.

Attack the problem.  Set up your equation and find the value of a.

2a + 4a + 5a + 7a = 360
                       18a = 360
                       ÷18    ÷18
                           a = 20

Loop back. Did you find the value of a?  Yes.  All that is left is to select the letter of the correct answer.
The correct answer is (C).

This is a medium level question.

SAT Math: Geometry version 1

Lines and Angles

In the figure shown above, four line segments join at a single point to form four angles.  What is the value of a?

A. 10
B. 18
C. 20
D. 35
E. 40

Knowsys Method

Read the question carefully.  Make note that the figure is not drawn to scale, so the sizes of the angles in the picture do not reflect their true measurements.

Identify the bottom line.  a = ?

Assess your options.  Visualize the point in the center as the center of a circle.  The number of degrees around the center point is 360, just like the number of degrees around the center of a circle.  That means that all of these angle measurements should add together to equal 360 degrees.  If you set that up as an equation, then you can solve for a.

Attack the problem.  Set up your equation and find the value of a.

2a + 4a + 5a + 7a = 360
                       18a = 360
                       ÷18    ÷18
                           a = 20

Loop back. Did you find the value of a?  Yes.  All that is left is to select the letter of the correct answer.
The correct answer is (C).

This is a medium level question.

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