About the Writing and Language Section:

Sample Question:

• SAT questions = 35 min. timed test of 44 multiple choice questions (11 per passage).
  
• Consists of 4 passages covering Careers, History/Social Studies, Humanities, and Science.
• Question focus on revising and editing skills, including grammar, usage, and punctuation.

• Inside the Writing and Language section   Description from the College Board including quick facts, sample questions, and video.
  

The menu was modeled after those of fine restaurants, so the food was leagues beyond the (1) sinister fare travelers were accustomed to receiving in transit.

1.   Which choice best maintains the tone established in the passage?
A)  NO CHANGE
B)  surly
C)  abysmal
D)  icky

Answer:
Choice C is the best answer because it accurately echoes an earlier characterization of the food as being of “terrible quality,” while maintaining the established tone of the passage.
 
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect either because the word is less formal than the established tone of the passage (“icky”) or because it illogically attributes agency to food (“sinister,” “surly”).

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Tips for Answering Questions:

• Read all 4 answer choices first. The differences in them can be subtle, so be sure you're selecting the one you think is best.
  

Sites for Practice:

• Khan Academy SAT Reading and Writing Practice
  

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Review of Punctuation Rules:

From Kaplan Test Prep writing tips www.kaptest.com/study/sat/5-must-know-sat-writing-tips

1. Commas (,) are used to:
   • separate three or more items in a list (apples, bananas, and oranges)
   • separate two or more independent clauses with a FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) conjunction (My mom was going to pick me up from school, but my dad came instead.)
   • set off introductory information from the rest of the sentence (In 2008, the Phillies won the World Series.)
   • set off non-essential descriptive information within or at the end of a sentence (I ran across the floor, which was painted with school colors, to meet Steve. OR I ran across the floor to meet Steve, who greeted me with a high five.
2.  Semicolons (;) are used to join two independent clauses WITHOUT the use of a FANBOYS conjunction. The sentences on both sides of a semicolon MUST be complete, stand-alone sentences. (I entered the competition early; however, I decided to withdraw a week later.)
3. Colons (:) are used to introduce and/or emphasize a short phrase, quotation, explanation, example, or list. (The greatest obstacle to completing my homework was imminent: the finale of Grey’s Anatomy.)
4. Dashes (—) are used to:
   • indicate a hesitation/break in thought (I saw John the other day and he looked great—no, it was actually Greg.)
   • set off an explanatory example or list from the rest of the sentence. (Many facets of Jill’s personality—among them empathy, respect, and kindness—make her a great friend and human being.)
5. Apostrophes (‘) are used to:
   • indicate possession (Bob’s book, my friends’ phones)
   • create contractions (there’s the rabbit, it’s important, who’s in charge)

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Review of Organization Patterns:

1. Description: clue words = for instance, for example, such as, to illustrate
   
2. Cause and Effect: clue words = for this reason, since, in order to, as a result, therefore, because, due to, if... then....
   
3. Problem / Solution: clue words = in order to, as a result, because, since
   
4. Compare and Contrast: clue words =  similarly, but, yet, in comparison, despite, as opposed to, instead of, compared to, although
   
5. Sequential / Chronological: clue words = first, second, next, then, before, after, initially
   

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