EAN $14.99 Canada $21.99 www.barronseduc.com ISBN-13: 978-0-7641-3221-6 ISBN-10: 0-7641-3221-0 Your Blueprint for Test Success Five practice SAT writing tests All tests have answers and explanations Tests reflect the all-new SAT format Your Private Tutor ■ Review chapters to improve your grammar and writing skills ■ Practice in correcting poorly written sentences ■ An overview to acquaint you with the new test Personal Instruction Covers All Test Topics • Coaching in Essay Writing • Answering Three Types of Multiple-Choice Questions • Correcting and Editing Your Essay’s First Draft • Plus a handy guide for converting practice test scores to the SAT scale SAT SAT George Ehrenhaft, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ® Visit www.barronstestprep.com ® SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this book. WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT SAT ® WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT SAT ® Ehrenhaft ■ Read overview of the new test and understand how it is timed and scored ■ Use the book’s review chapters to sharpen your writing skills ■ Take a writing test to familiarize yourself with the test format ■ Take four additional writing tests and score your results ■ Answer the sentence-correction questions and check your results ■ Review the answers and explanations for all questions It’s Your Path to a Higher Test Score Choose Barron’s Method for Success on the New SAT Writing Test 7-3221-WriteWrkbk4SAT-Fbs 8/1/07 9:20 AM Page 1 06_Part06B 8/16/05 2:58 PM Page 232 HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION TEST WWRRIITTIINNGG WWOORRKKBBOOOOKK FFOORR TTHHEE SAT SAT George Ehrenhaft, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. Former Chairman of the English Department Mamaroneck High School, Mamaroneck, NY NEW NEW ® ® SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this book. 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page i © Copyright 2006 by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner. All inquiries should be addressed to: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 250 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, New York 11788 http://www.barronseduc.com Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 2005045389 ISBN 13: 978-0-7641-3221-6 ISBN 10: 0-7641-3221-0 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ehrenhaft, George. Writing workbook for the new SAT / George Ehrenhaft. p. cm. At head of title: Barron’s. Includes index. ISBN 13: 978-0-7641-3221-6 ISBN 10: 0-7641-3221-0 1. Scholastic Assessment Test—Study guides. 2. English language—Composition and exercises—Examinations—Study guides. 3. Report writing—Examinations— Study guides. I. Title: Barron’s writing workbook for the new SAT. II. Title. LB2353.57.E37 2006 378.1¢662—dc22 2005045389 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 987654321 GREETINGS FROM THE AUTHOR Hello and welcome to the world of the SAT Writing Test. I sincerely hope that in these pages you’ll find just what you need to earn the highest possible score on the exam. If you’re unsure what the test is all about, read Part I. If you need to brush up on grammar, turn to Part V. To fine-tune your test taking skills, go to Parts II and VI, where you’ll find practice exams just like those on the SAT. Part III will take you by the hand through the process of writing a winning essay . . . and so on. In short, my book is a complete guide to the SAT Writing Test. The more time you have until the SAT, the better you can prepare yourself. But even if the test is tomorrow, the book can still give you a quick fix on what to expect when you open your exam booklet. If the SAT is weeks or months away, let the book work for you. Use it regularly and often. Let it acquaint you with the format of the test and accustom you to writing a clear, coherent, and pur- poseful essay in less than half an hour. (The SAT gives you exactly twenty-five minutes.) Then read and evaluate actual essays composed by high school juniors and seniors on SAT topics. Review the concepts of English grammar, usage, and rhetoric on which you’ll be tested. Practice answer- ing multiple-choice questions, using surefire tactics for getting them right. Take the practice tests at the back of the book, and watch your test scores soar— I hope. I’ve done a mountain of work in writing this book for you. Now it’s time for you to start climb- ing. So, shake a leg and best of luck! I’ll be rooting for you on the sidelines. 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page ii CONTENTS Greetings from the Author ii PART I T HE B ASICS : G ETTING A CQUAINTED WITH THE W RITING T EST 1 Overview of the Writing Test 3 The Essay 5 Multiple-Choice Questions 7 PART II D RESS R EHEARSAL : A S AMPLE T EST 13 Sample Test 16 Answer Key 31 Performance Evaluation Chart 38 Conversion Table 39 Answer Explanations 40 PART III H OW TO W RITE AN E SSAY IN T WENTY - FIVE M INUTES 49 The Essay-Writing Process 51 Pre-Writing: Getting Set to Write 52 Reading and Analyzing the Topic Carefully 52 Narrowing the Topic Mercilessly 53 Choosing a Main Idea 55 Gathering and Arranging Ideas Purposefully 57 Composing: Putting Words on Paper 59 Writing a Gripping Introduction 59 Building an Essay with Paragraphs 62 Using Plain and Precise Language 72 Varying Sentence Structure 77 Ending Your Essay 83 Editing and Proofreading: The Final Touches 85 Editing for Clarity 85 Editing for Interest 91 Checking for Standard Usage and Mechanics 99 Review 105 Answer Key to Practice Exercises 105 PART IV E SSAYS FOR E VALUATION 115 How Essays Are Judged and Graded 117 Guidelines for Evaluation 117 Essays for Evaluation 118 Essay Topics for Practice 129 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page iii PART V M ULTIPLE -C HOICE Q UESTIONS 131 Introduction 133 Improving Sentences Questions 133 Sample Sentence Improvement Questions 134 Problems in Style and Expression 136 Problems in Sentence Structure 139 Problems in Standard Usage 152 Identifying Sentence Errors 165 Errors in Expression and Style 166 Errors in Grammar and Usage 176 Improving Paragraphs Questions 183 Answering the Questions 184 How to Answer Improving Paragraphs Questions 186 Answer Key to Practice Exercises 195 PART VI T ESTS FOR P RACTICE 201 Practice Test A 203 Answer Key 219 Performance Evaluation Chart 222 Conversion Table 223 Answer Explanations 224 PracticeTest B 231 Answer Key 247 Performance Evaluation Chart 250 Conversion Table 251 Answer Explanations 252 Practice Test C 259 Answer Key 275 Performance Evaluation Chart 278 Conversion Table 279 Answer Explanations 280 Practice Test D 287 Answer Key 303 Performance Evaluation Chart 306 Conversion Table 307 Answer Explanations 308 Index 314 iv CONTENTS 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page iv 1 PART I THE BASICS: GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE WRITING TEST Overview of the Writing Test The Essay Multiple-Choice Questions 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 1 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 2 From start to finish, the SAT lasts three hours and forty-five minutes. One hour is devoted to ques- tions on writing. During the SAT’s first twenty-five minutes, called Section 1, you will write an essay in response to a given topic. Later in the exam you’ll find a second twenty-five minute section consisting of three types of multiple-choice ques- tions that ask you to (1) correct poorly written sen- tences, (2) find grammar and usage errors in a set of sentences, and (3) revise an early draft of a given essay. Still later, you’ll be given a third sec- tion that lasts ten minutes and contains several additional questions on correcting poorly written sentences. Together, the essay question and two sections of multiple-choice questions comprise the SAT Writing Test. P URPOSE OF THE W RITING T EST Asking you to write a short essay is a relatively accurate way for colleges to assess your potential for success in college courses that require writing. Your performance on the test also adds an impor- tant dimension to your college admissions profile. The essay tells admissions officials how well you write, especially how well you write under the pressure of time. Moreover, it provides colleges with useful information about • The depth of your thinking. You reveal the depth of your thinking by responding percep- tively to the topic, or question. Your response also shows whether you can devise a thesis, or main idea, and develop it insightfully. • Your ability to organize ideas. You show your ability to organize ideas by arranging material according to a logical, sensible plan. • The way you express yourself. You reveal your ability to express yourself by accurately and succinctly conveying your thoughts to the reader. • Your mastery of standard written English. You demonstrate your use of standard writ- ten English by writing an essay relatively free of errors in grammar and usage The multiple-choice questions deal with every- day problems in grammar, usage, style, word choice, and other basic elements of writing. Instead of asking you about obscure matters of grammar, the questions will ask you to identify common sen- tence errors and to improve sentences and para- graphs. Colleges use the results of the SAT Writing Test as a criterion for admission. Some also use scores to determine academic placement. A high score may entitle you to waive a freshman compo- sition course. A score that suggests deficiencies may place you in a remedial writing program to be completed either before classes begin or during the first semester. To understand just how your score will affect you, consult the literature of the colleges to which you are applying. Or, here’s another idea: Bring up the use of SAT scores during your inter- view with a college admissions official. OVERVIEW OF THE WRITING TEST 3 OVERVIEW OF THE WRITING TEST Total Time Content Item Types Score 60 minutes Writing ability, grammar, An essay (25 minutes) and two 200–800 usage, and word choice multiple-choice sections (25 minutes and 10 minutes) 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 3 H OW THE T EST I S S CORED Your essay will be read by two experienced evalua- tors, most likely high school or college teachers trained to judge the overall quality and effective- ness of students’ essays. Neither reader will know the grade that the other reader has given your essay. Nor will they know your name or the name of your school. Each reader will assign your essay a grade on a scale of 1 (low) to 6 (high). Your essay’s subscore will be recorded as the sum of the two scores (2 to 12). On the multiple-choice questions, you’ll earn a point for each correct answer and lose a quarter of a point (0.25) for each wrong answer. An item left blank will neither add to nor take away from your score. A machine will score your responses to forty-nine questions and will report a subscore on a scale of 20 to 80. Before scores are sent out, the College Board will convert the two subscores to the SAT scale of 200–800. (See page 39 for how this is done.) Your total for the Writing Test, along with your scores in math and critical reading, will be reported to you, to your guidance counselor, and to the admissions offices of the colleges you designate. T O G UESS OR N OT TO G UESS Subtracting credit for wrong answers on multiple- choice questions is meant to discourage blind guessing. If you haven’t a clue about how to answer a question, leave it blank. If you can confi- dently eliminate one of the five choices, it probably pays to guess. The odds are one in four that you’ll be right. These are not terrific odds, but suppose that on four questions you eliminate one wrong choice and you guess four times. If you guess right just once, you’ll earn a point and lose three-quar- ters of a point, a net gain of one quarter. If you leave all four blank, you will gain nothing. Yes, it’s a gamble because you could make four incorrect guesses, but the chances of losing every time are only one in four. And you could get lucky and hit two, three, or even four correct answers. When a question gives you trouble, and you can’t decide among, say, three choices, common wisdom says that you should go with your first impulse. Testing experts and psychologists agree that there’s a better than average chance of success if you trust your intuition. However, there are no guarantees, and because the mind works in so many strange ways, relying on your initial choice may not always work for you. Another piece of folk wisdom about guessing is that if one answer is longer than the others, that may be your best choice. That’s not information you should depend on. In fact, since economy of expression is a virtue in writing, a shorter choice may more often be the best answer. The truth of the matter is that you can’t depend on tricks or gim- micks on the SAT. H OW TO P REPARE By reading these words you’ve already begun preparing for the exam. Actually, you began years ago when you first wrote words on paper and a string of school teachers began hammering the basics of English grammar into your head. But that was then. Now it’s time to brush up on your grammar, become acquainted with the precise format of the test, and develop a number of useful tactics for writing the essay and answering the mul- tiple-choice questions. Once you have finished reading these introduc- tory pages, take the diagnostic test in Part II. After- wards, check your answers and identify the questions you missed. By doing so, you can tell not only how much studying you need to do but what material to study. If, say, you couldn’t finish writ- ing the essay in the allotted twenty-five minutes, you’d do well to read the pages of Part III that dis- cuss planning and composing an essay. Or, if you missed a couple of multiple-choice questions related to pronoun choice or parallel structure, study the relevant pages in Part V, and do the prac- tice exercises. 4 WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT 01_FrontMatter_Part01 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 4 [...]... 02_Part02 30 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 30 WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT 12 The Black Death of the 14th century, possibly the world’s deadliest epidemic, whose origin is thought to be central China (A) The Black Death of the 14th century, possibly the world’s deadliest epidemic, whose origin is thought to be central China (B) The Black Death of the 14th century, possibly the world’s deadliest epidemic, its... of the school (A) school; these problems diminished both the reputation and the performance of the school (B) school, they both diminished the reputation and performance of the school (C) school, which both diminished its reputation as well as diminished its performance (D) school; these problems diminished its reputation and performance (E) school, and they diminished its reputation as well as performance... SAMPLE TEST By taking the sample test, you’ll quickly become familiar with the length and format of the exam You’ll also begin to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a writer The SAT always begins with the essay question and then offers several sections of math and reading questions The Writing Test resumes in Section 6 or 7 of the SAT with thirty-five multiple-choice questions and then, after still... that the teacher had in mind That’s not true on the SAT You can’t cram for this essay the way you can for a test in physics or Spanish Because you don’t know the topic, you must quickly process your thoughts and get them onto paper Ordinarily, an essay writer takes a long time to think about ideas and write them down The verb essay, in fact, means to assess thoughtfully—not on the SAT, however The time... preference Remember, the kind of writing expected on the SAT is rational discourse, not emotional blabbering The assignment urges you to plan your essay before you begin to write For some people, that means using an outline; for others, just jotting a few notes on a piece of paper Whether you prefer to write lists of ideas or just think about an approach before committing words to paper, on the SAT you must... your raw scores into the SAT s 200–800 scaled score Remember that your scaled score is only an approximation of what you might earn on an actual SAT Writing Test Are you ready to begin? Good luck! 02_Part02 16 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 16 WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT SAMPLE TEST Section 1 Essay TIME—25 MINUTES Directions: Plan and write an essay in response to the assigned topic Use the essay as an opportunity... teacher to entertain and inspire his students, but he has been the first who turned math class into a party (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) has been the first who turned had been the first who turned was the first having turned was the first to turn having been the first to turn 21 02_Part02 22 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 22 WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT 3 Our interscholastic athletic schedules were made too recklessly,... than any other cowboy at the rodeo; then she (B) Annie Oakley boasted that she could shoot better than any cowboy at the rodeo; then she (C) Annie Oakley boasted that she could shoot better than any cowboy at the rodeo, therefore she (D) To boast that she could shoot better than any other cowboy at the rodeo, Annie Oakley (E) Boasting that she could shoot better than any other cowboy at the rodeo,... including the incumbent senator herself, has opposed the legislation A B that weakens the ban on snowmobiles in C D Yellowstone and other national parks No error E 22 An orientation program familiarizes new ninth A graders with the daily schedule, teaches them B the layout of the building, and they have the C chance to practice going from class to class D No error E 25 23 An examination of the most... Because the setting profoundly influences A the thoughts, emotions, and actions of the characters, a place can be as significant for a B story as any of the people in it No error C D E 27 Both Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien A have become extremely popular cable TV B C comedians, but O’Brien has the largest D number of fans No error E 02_Part02 26 8/16/05 2:50 PM Page 26 WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT . the production of, and does not endorse this book. WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT SAT ® WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING. NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW WRITING WORKBOOK FOR THE NEW SAT SAT ® Ehrenhaft ■ Read overview of the new test and