Read Two Passages and Write Compare Ccontrast

The format of the SAT Writing section is very unique, and y'all may non take taken a test with a similar format. To reach your target score, you're going to need a specific approach to tackle the passage-based questions.

In this article, I volition explain the various approaches yous tin take when reading the Sat Writing passages, and I'll guide you on how to identify the strategy that will piece of work best for yous.

Why Do You Need a Specific Arroyo to Reading Sabbatum Writing Passages?

The format of the Sat Writing department is unique and determining which approach volition work best for you lot volition help you lot combat likely mistakes. Some students simply await at the underlined portions of sentences without understanding their context. Another mutual mistake is to rush through the section and make careless mistakes.

Having a tested approach will help you maximize your efficiency. Regardless of the arroyo you lot accept, you should always read the complete judgement that contains the underlined portion. Also, you have to be consistent. Once you lot decide the best approach for you, utilize that approach on all your practice questions.

Omar Reyes/Flickr

The Top four Strategies for Reading Sat Writing Passages

These are the dissimilar approaches yous can take to reading the passages.

#1: Paragraph-past-Paragraph

For this approach, you read each paragraph, and and so you answer the questions in that paragraph. The benefits of using this arroyo are that you lot'll understand what's going on in the passage before you respond questions, and you'll be forced to read full sentences before answering questions.

The master drawback of this approach is that information technology can be time-consuming. I recommend trying this approach on a do section and seeing if you're able to finish the section in 35 minutes. If you simply demand a couple extra minutes to finish, this approach can still piece of work for you because you lot'll probably speed up with repeated practice. If you don't experience comfy or confident being able to finish using this approach, yous may want to use one of the other strategies I'll hash out.

Permit's go through how the paragraph-by-paragraph approach works using a practice Saturday Writing section.

If yous were using the paragraph-by-paragraph arroyo on this section, you would read the entire paragraph up until "conversation" and then do question 31. This arroyo would work well hither because question 31 requires an agreement of the paragraph.

And so, you would read the next paragraph before attempting to answer questions 32 and 33. On the SAT, you would repeat this process for each paragraph in each passage.

In case you're curious, I've provided the answers to these questions.

Answers:31. C, 32. A, 33. A

Paragraphetzel ( Windell Oskay/Flickr)

#2: Answer as You Become

In this approach, you lot read through the passage, and when you lot come to an underlined portion, you read past it to the terminate of the sentence. So you answer the question before continuing. The benefits of this strategy are that it's straightforward and fast. It's a good strategy to try if you find yourself running out of fourth dimension on the paragraph-past-paragraph approach.

The biggest drawback of this strategy is that you lot may have problem answering questions about paragraphs and transitions that require a more than thorough understanding of the passage. Personally, I similar to use the respond as you go approach, but when I come to a question that requires me to read more than of the passage, I continue reading until I have enough information to correctly respond the question.

You tin can too save the questions that crave a more than complete understanding of the passage until the end when you've answered the other questions and take completely read the passage.

If y'all use the respond as you go strategy, make sure y'all read until the end of sentences before answering questions.

Here's how to use this approach correctly:

If you used this approach, you would read the paragraph up until "machines" before doing question 26. After completing question 26, you would read the next judgement until "presentations." Then you lot would do question 27. Finally, you would read the final judgement of the paragraph and then exercise question 28.

For question 28, you may need to refer to the before paragraphs or the paragraph that follows to eliminate answer choices. However, for this item question, because you will have read the entire passage up until this point, yous can correctly answer this question without doing any additional reading.

While this approach is quicker, it tin can atomic number 82 to more errors if you're unable to recognize when you lot demand to do more reading to correctly answer questions.

Answers:26. A, 27. B, 28. C

#three: Sentence-by-Sentence

In the judgement-by-sentence approach, you simply read sentences that include underlined portions. This strategy has significant drawbacks because you lot won't comprehend the passage besides, and that may make answering some of the writing style questions that require a more thorough understanding of the passage rather difficult.

I don't recommend using this approach if you're shooting for a 650 or above on Reading and Writing. However, if yous find yourself running out of time using other approaches or y'all're getting distracted past irrelevant details, this could be a skilful approach for you lot. Just make sure yous're reading the unabridged sentence.

Let's take a look at this arroyo in practice:

Read the first sentence and then do questions 34 and 35. Then read the next sentence and do 36. Subsequently, you tin skip the sentence that starts with "Planned" and read the sentence containing 37 that starts with "It also reinforces."

Again, if y'all encounter a question that requires a more thorough agreement of the passage, you lot can skip information technology and come back to it after, or you can read more of the passage until you know plenty to respond the question. If you lot're using this strategy, follow this approach for each question in every passage.

Answers:34. D, 35. A, 36. D, 37. A

#4: Passage Start

The last arroyo is to skim the unabridged passage, and and so get dorsum through using judgement-by-judgement to answer the questions. This strategy is the almost thorough, and it can be helpful if you detect yourself having trouble on the organization or big picture questions. However, this arroyo can take too much time and exist problem than information technology's worth.

If you're a fast reader and have the most difficulty with the organization and content-based questions, this arroyo can exist beneficial. If y'all struggle with fourth dimension or feel more comfortable answering the questions as you read the passage, so this isn't the platonic approach for yous.

How to Find the Right Strategy and Use Information technology Finer

Hither are the steps to go through to figure out which approach to apply.

Step #1: Try Paragraph-past-Paragraph

For most students, this arroyo will yield the best results. Information technology may not be the best i for you, but try it kickoff to see how it works.

Stride #2: Analyze Why You lot're Missing Questions to Decide on the Best Approach

Subsequently yous finish your practice section, go over it very carefully; effigy out why you lot got questions wrong and where you struggled. Brand sure y'all know how to review practice tests. Think nearly these questions to decide which arroyo to effort:

• Did you run out of time?
  • If you're running out of time with v or fewer questions left, effort the answer every bit you go arroyo.
  • If you lot're running out of time with 6 or more, try judgement-past-sentence.
• Do you accept fourth dimension left over? How much?
  • If you lot have more than than 3-4 minutes left at the cease and yous're missing questions, y'all need to slow down. You're probably rushing. Brand sure to read the passage and questions advisedly.
• Are you missing a lot of the big picture questions that enquire about entire paragraphs or the passage every bit a whole?
  • If so, you may desire to focus on your reading comprehension and attentively reading the passage.

Based on your answers to these questions, decide which arroyo is best for yous, and so practice that approach. It may take a couple of attempts to figure out what works best for you. Remember that regardless of which approach you lot take, you lot need to read the whole sentence earlier answering questions.

Step #3: Practice Your Approach Repeatedly

Once y'all decide on an approach, use it on every do test and question. The purpose of having a designated approach to the passages is to enable you to correctly answer the questions as efficiently as possible. If you're having difficulty maintaining a certain approach, you may want to try another one that's easier for y'all to follow.

Information technology may take some time to observe the all-time approach for you, but once you find it, you'll exist able to maximize your score. These approaches only work if you use them consistently.

What's Side by side?

If you're trying to master the content for Sat Writing, make certain you know the 12 almost important grammar rules. Also, yous're going to want to review my articles on punctuation and transitions.

For those of yous aiming for perfection, go proficient advice from a perfect scorer on how to get a 1600.

Desire to improve your SAT score past 160 points?

Bank check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your coin back if you don't amend your SAT score by 160 points or more than.

Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you lot written report to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, yous'll get thousands of exercise issues organized by private skills so you learn almost effectively. Nosotros'll likewise requite you lot a step-by-step program to follow so yous'll never be dislocated virtually what to written report adjacent.

Bank check out our five-day gratis trial:

Have friends who as well demand aid with exam prep? Share this article!

Most the Author

Justin has extensive experience teaching Saturday prep and guiding loftier school students through the higher admissions and pick process. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to accomplish their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies.

hansonwithent92.blogspot.com

Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-writing-passages

Share this post