The appointmenht sat 3 ppt

We see them. subject object T hey see us. subject object Pronoun questions on the SAT will often pur- posefully confuse the subjective and objective cases, as in the following example: Incorrect: I am taller than him . This is a very common mistake. Whenever a pro- noun follows than, it should be in the subjective case, because in the than + (pro)noun construction the verb is understood, even if that verb is not articulated: Correct: I am taller than he [is]. Though we usually cut off the verb, the pronoun must still act as if it is there. Thus, use the subjective case with than constructions. The other common pronoun error is to have the subjective case in a prepositional phrase: Incorrect: We will split the profits evenly b etween her and I. Nouns and pronouns in prepositional phrases are always objects, so the sentence requires the objec- tive pronoun: Correct: We will split the profits evenly b etween her and me. And finally, the often-confused who and whom errors fall into this category. Who is the subjective form, whom the objective. (A memory trick: Whom and him are both objects and both end in m.) Incorrect: W hom lives in this house? Correct: W ho lives in this house? (He lives in this house.) Incorrect: To w ho shall I address this letter? Correct: To w hom shall I address this let- ter? (Address the letter to him.) Idiom Idioms are expressions that are characteristic of a par- ticular language, and they are often the most difficult aspect of a language to learn. But they are essential to clear and effective communication, and you can expect at least one question about idioms on the Writing sec- tion of the exam. Most of the time, the idioms that are tested are (1) prepositional idioms (e.g., take care of, according to) and (2) idiomatic use of infinitives and gerunds (e.g., want to meet, practice swimming). And most of the time, by listening carefully to the sentence as you read it, you will be able to hear this kind of mistake. Listen to the following sentences as you read them, and you should be able to hear the errors: Incorrect: His behavior g ets under my nerves. Correct: His behavior g ets on my nerves. In this case, the correct idiom uses the preposition on. An idiom similar in meaning, gets under my skin, uses the preposition under. Idioms with infinitives (to + verb: to water) and gerunds (verb + ing: watering) are equally likely to appear on the exam. Here’s an example: Incorrect: Experts s uggest to water your gar- den late in the day when the sun is less intense. –THE SAT WRITING SECTION– 202 5658 SAT2006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 202 While there are some general guidelines for when to use infinitives and gerunds, there are no hard and fast rules, and the best guide is your ear. It simply sounds wrong to say suggest to water. Indeed, suggest should always be followed by a gerund: Correct: Experts s ugg est watering your garden late in the day when the sun is less intense. Word Choice Affect or effect? Whether or weather? Fewer or less? Com- monly confused words are another question topic you are likely to see on the SAT Writing section. Here’s a short list of some of the most frequently- tested word pairs: accept/except adapt/adept affect/effect allusion/illusion emigration/immigration eminent/imminent fewer/less lay/lie leave/let number/amount raise/rise sit/set than/then If one of the underlined words or phrases in the Sentence Errors questions contains a commonly con- fused word, check to be sure the right one is being used. Chances are that’s where the error lies. Here’s an example: Incorrect: There are less students enrolled the n last year. Both less and then are misused here. The cor- rected sentence would read: Correct: There are f ewer students enrolled than last year. In addition, remember to keep your pronouns straight. The possessive pronouns its, your, their, and whose are often confused with the contractions it’s (it is),you’re(you are), they’re (they are), and who’s (who is), as in the following example: Incorrect: The debate ended and the dele- gates placed the y’re votes. The votes belong to the delegates, so the posses- sive their is the correct word for this sentence: Correct: The debate ended and the dele- gates placed the ir votes. Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs Because adjectives and adverbs serve similar func- tions—they both modify or describe—they are often confused and therefore make good candidates for SAT questions. Remember that adjectives modify nouns or pronouns while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. If a descriptive word is underlined in a sentence, and you haven’t found another error, double- check to make sure the descriptive word is in its proper form. Incorrect: The path dropped st eep after we rounded the turn. Steep modifies the verb drop, so it needs to be in the adverb form: Correct: The path dropped st eeply after we rounded the turn. –THE SAT WRITING SECTION– 203 5658 SAT2006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 203 Other frequently tested issues with adjectives and adverbs include comparisons. Remember that the com- parative form (-er) is for comparisons between two things. The superlative (-est) is for comparisons among three or more things. Instead of -er or -est endings, some two-syllable modifiers and all modifiers with three or more syllables form the comparative degree with more and the superlative degree with most. Comparative: Tony’s Pizza is b etter than Zach’s. Superlative: Tony’s Pizza is the tast iest in town. Comparative: Maria’s Italian Ices are mo re delicious than Pete’s. Superlative: Maria’s Italian Ices are the most delicious in town. Double comparisons—formed when both an -er or -est ending and more or most are added to a modi- fier—and double negatives, formed when two negative words are used, may appear on the SAT as well. Incorrect: This is the most lo ngest I’ve ever waited for a pizza. Correct: This is the lo ngest I’ve ever waited for a pizza. Incorrect: This isn ’t hardly the best pizza in town. Correct: This isn ’t the best pizza in town. Remember, good is an adjective (good dog) and well is an adverb (he is well trained).  Part 2: Improving Sentences The Improving Sentences multiple-choice questions test exactly what their name suggests. These items test more than your grammar skills; many times, you are asked to choose which of the five sentence choices is the smoothest and clearest. Thus, Improving Sentences questions test another level of your writing skills. Improving Sentences questions cover a wide range of issues, including grammar and usage, sentence structure and logic, and style. This section describes the question format, provides strategies for answering these questions, and reviews the writing issues you are most likely to see in Improving Sentences. Question Structure In each Improving Sentences question, part or all of the sentence will be underlined. Choice a will repeat the original underlined text. Approximately one in five times, choice a is the correct answer because the orig- inal version is the best (most clear, concise, and correct) version of the sentence. Answer choices b–e will offer different versions of the underlined (portion of the) sentence. Your task is to determine which choice offers the best version of the sentence. Some answer choices will correct or improve the original problem, if there is one. Some will continue to make the same mistake and/or introduce new ones. Only one choice will be both grammatically correct and the most clear and concise way to express the idea. If it sounds like Improving Sentences questions are a little more complex than identifying errors, you are right. Instead of focusing on individual words or phrases to determine the error, you need to look at larger structural and stylistic issues within the sentence to determine the correct answer. Finding that answer requires two distinct steps: 1. Determining what, if anything, is wrong with the underlined portion of the sentence. 2. Determining which of the answer choices fixes that mistake and does not introduce a new mistake. Improving Sentence Questions are the most numerous in this section (approximately 25 of 49). But there are several strategies you can use to narrow down your choices and select the best answer. –THE SAT WRITING SECTION– 204 5658 SAT2006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 204 Sample Improving Sentences Question Jackson Pollock, a tw entieth-century American painter, is well known and renowned for creating abstract paintings by dripping paint on canvas. a. a twentieth-century American painter, is well known and renowned for creating b. an American painter who lived and painted in the twentieth century, is well known for the creation of c. he is an American painter famous and renowned for creating d. a twentieth-century American painter, is famous for creating e. a twentieth-century American painter, is well known and prominent for creating Choice d is the correct answer—it is the only one that is not repetitive or wordy. In the original item (choice a), well known and renowned mean the same thing; as does famous and renowned in choice c; and well known and prominent in choice e. Choice b is incorrect because it is wordy and awkward; clearly, if an artist painted in the twentieth century, he also lived in the twentieth cen- tury. There is no need to state both points. Strategies for Improving Sentences Though more challenging than Sentence Errors, Improving Sentences are still quite manageable. Here are some specific strategies you can use to tackle them with confidence. 1. Use the 3 C’s. Your job is to find the version that most effectively expresses the meaning of the sentence. Find the answer that is correct (no grammar or usage errors or lapses in logic), clear (no ambiguity or tan- gled sentence structure), and concise (no wordiness). 2. Pinpoint the error. Try to determine the error as you read. What’s wrong with the underlined por- tion? Is it faulty parallelism, or unnecessary wordiness? (The most common errors are cov- ered in the next section.) 3. Eliminate all choices with the original error. If you identify an error, eliminate choice a (don’t even bother reading it; it only repeats the original prompt). Eliminate any other choices that make that same mistake. 4. Eliminate all choices that make other errors. From the remaining choices, eliminate any ver- sions that introduce a different error, even if they correct the error in the original item. This includes any versions that are grammatically cor- rect but are unnecessarily wordy, ambiguous, or use unnecessarily complicated sentence structure. 5. Let the choices guide you. If you are unable to identify the error in the original (assuming there is one), use the answer choices as your guide. Scan each version to see what aspect of the origi- nal sentence is changed and how. The way the original is rewritten will often reveal the nature of the error in the original prompt. 6. Look for the most commonly tested errors. There are seven kinds of mistakes that appear most often in Improving Sentences on the SAT. If you are hav- ing trouble finding an error, do a quick check for the common errors described in this section. 7. Remember the “No error”option. Approximately one in five sentences will be correct as written. Improper Coordination or Subordination Within sentences, clauses (groups of words with a sub- ject and verb) are often connected by coordination (when two independent ideas are of equal importance) or subordination (when the idea in the subordinate clause is less important than the one in the main clause and cannot form a complete sentence on its own): Coordination: We are going to dinner and then we are going to a movie. Subordination:A fter we go to dinner, we are going to a movie. B efore we go to a movie, we are going to dinner. –THE SAT WRITING SECTION– 205 5658 SAT2006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 205 One of the most common issues found in Improving Sentences addresses coordination and sub- ordination, because it tests your ability to see logical relationships between ideas. To tackle these questions, you need to determine how the ideas in the clauses work together. Is one idea in addition to the other? In contrast? Is there a progression in time or sequence? How exactly does one idea relate to the other? For example, take a look at the following sentence: Incorrect: The polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate, and some peo- ple still do not believe in global warming. There are two distinct ideas here: (1) the polar ice- caps are melting at an alarming rate and (2) some peo- ple still do not believe in global warming. But the relationship between these ideas isn’t correctly expressed by the coordinating conjunction and, which expresses the idea of addition. Instead, the conjunction (whether coordinating or subordinating) needs to express contrast: Correct: The polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate, y et some people still do not believe in global warming. Correct: A lthough the polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate, some people still do not believe in global warming. Here’s another example: Incorrect: Esteban can do advanced math in his head, for he does not need a calculator. What’s the relationship between the two ideas? There’s a cause and effect situation here. The cause: Esteban can do math in his head. The result: He doesn’t need a calculator. For does express cause and effect, but here, the cause and effect ideas are reversed. The wrong clause is subordinated. So the conjunction needs to be changed or the sentence rearranged. Here are three corrected versions: 206 The Top Seven Errors in Improving Sentences The kinds of errors in Improving Sentences cover a wide range of writing issues, including grammar and usage, sentence structure and logic, and style. Fortunately, the ETS likes to focus on only a handful of spe- cific issues. You can expect to see these seven kinds of errors—some of them over and over—on test day: 1. improper coordination or subordination of ideas 2. fragments and run-ons 3. faulty comparisons 4. misplaced modifiers 5. wordiness 6. using passive instead of active voice 7. incorrect punctuation Of course, don’t forget about the eight most common errors covered in the Sentence Errors section. These mistakes may also appear in Improving Sentences questions. 5658 SAT2006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 206 Correct: Because Esteban can do advanced math in his head, he doesn’t need a calculator. Correct: Esteban can do advanced math in his head, so he doesn’t need a calculator. Correct: Esteban doesn’t need a calculator, f or he can do advanced math in his head. Because there are often several conjunctions that express the same idea, be careful that the version you choose fits the 3 C’s. There might be two versions that express the right relationship, but only one will be cor- rect, clear, and concise. Fragments and Run-Ons Two of the most common errors made in writing are sentence fragments and run-ons. Sentence fragments are incomplete thoughts, while run-ons are two or more complete thoughts running together without proper punctuation. Here are some examples: Fragments Incorrect: Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. Incorrect: Some people still do not believe in global warming. Even though the polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate. If you suspect a group of words is a fragment, look for the version that expresses a complete thought. Correcting the fragment might require adding a sub- ject or a verb, deleting a subordinating conjunction (because, while), deleting a relative pronoun (who, that, which), or connecting a dependent clause to an inde- pendent clause. The fragments above can be corrected as follows: Correct: Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. Correct: Some people still do not believe in global warming even though the polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate. Run-Ons Incorrect: The polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate, some people still do not believe in global warming. Incorrect: The American Revolution was modeled after the French Revolu- tion, it was one of the most important events in the history of Europe. If you suspect a test item is a run-on sentence, try to determine if there are two independent ideas that can stand alone. Check the answer choices for one of the following fixes for run-on sentences: 1. Separate the clauses with a period. We are here. You are not. 2. Connect the clauses with a comma and a coordi- nating conjunction (and, or, nor, for, but, so, yet). Make sure the coordinating conjunction expresses the right relationship between the two ideas. We are here, but you are not. 3. Connect the clauses with a semicolon (and pos- sibly a conjunctive adverb such as however, there- fore,or otherwise, making sure it expresses the right relationship between the two ideas). We are here; you are not. 4. Make one sentence dependent upon the other by using a subordinating conjunction such as although, because, since, or while. Again, make sure the subordinating conjunction expresses the right relationship between the two ideas. Although we are here, you are not. The best correction is best determined by context. If a relationship between the clauses needs to be –THE SAT WRITING SECTION– 207 5658 SAT2006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 207 . The debate ended and the dele- gates placed the y’re votes. The votes belong to the delegates, so the posses- sive their is the correct word for this sentence: Correct: The debate ended and the. needs to be in the adverb form: Correct: The path dropped st eeply after we rounded the turn. THE SAT WRITING SECTION– 2 03 5658 SAT2 006[05](fin).qx 11/21/05 6:45 PM Page 2 03 Other frequently. in the day when the sun is less intense. Word Choice Affect or effect? Whether or weather? Fewer or less? Com- monly confused words are another question topic you are likely to see on the SAT