Subject-Verb Agreement

Link of the Day

Teachers and schools have gone back and forth on the value of rote memorization. Some claim that forcing students to endlessly repeat facts and processes only kills their creativity. Others argue that practice is essential to make certain information and tasks automatic--freeing up mental energy for higher-level applications. One value of memorization and repetition is that it can be highly effective as a way to learn facts on your own, without a teacher or classroom. If you've ever used vocabulary flashcards or a multiplication app, you've experienced rote learning! Learn more about the value of memorization here, and sign up for the Knowsys online vocabulary flashcards here. 

7/31 Improving Sentences

 Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A. 

Read the following sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  Evaluate the underlined portion using the Big 8 Grammar Rules and predict a correction for any errors that you find.  Remember that after an improving sentences question, choice (A) will always be the same as the original sentence.  Eliminate any answer choices that do not help you towards your goal of creating a clear and precise sentence.

Rote learning, the process of memorizing by repetition, is how many young children learn the alphabet or the multiplication tables.

The underlined portion of this sentence includes a verb.  The third Big 8 Grammar Rule concerns subject and verb agreement.  Think back to this section in your Knowsys book.  You learned that the exam writers use 5 subject/verb tricks to make identifying a subject/verb agreement error more difficult.  One of these tricks is to separate subjects from verbs.  In this sentence, the subject is separated from the verb by an appositive phrase. An appositive phrase is a defining phrase that is set off by commas.  Because this phrase merely defines the subject, you should be able to ignore that portion of the sentence and still have a complete sentence.  You have now simplified the sentence to read: “Rote learning is how many young children learn the alphabet or the multiplication tables.”

You can now easily see that the subject matches the verb.  You can also see that for this to be a complete sentence, the very first word in the underlined portion must be a verb.  You want your subject and verb to be as close as possible, so you can eliminate any answer choices that do not begin with a verb.  

Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Sentence completion questions with more than one blank may look more intimidating than questions with only one blank, but they can be just as straightforward.  In most cases, you will focus on the blank that seems easy, eliminate any answers that do not match your prediction, and then move on to the other blank.

The actor’s ------- decline in popularity was as striking and unexpected as his ------- rise to prominence had been.

Examine the first blank.  You need a word to describe a decline in popularity that means “striking and unexpected.” Before you put too much time into in the first blank, take a look at the second blank.  Notice that it is connected to the first blank by the phrase “was as striking and unexpected as.” The same words that applied for the first blank also apply to the second blank, so the two words you are looking for must be synonyms.  If the words mean the same thing, then they are equally easy and you can make the same prediction for both, which means you will only have to look at the answer choices one time.  Rather than building a new prediction for each of these two blanks, predict your answer using the exact words from the sentence: “striking and unexpected.”  Eliminate any answer choices that do not include synonyms or do not mean “striking and unexpected.”

(A) sudden . . meteoric

(B) gradual . . equivocal

(C) precipitous . . obscure

(D) dazzling . . secret

(E) inevitable . . unpredictable 

Fractions

Link of the Day

Have you ever wanted to try something but thought you wouldn't be any good at it? Don't let that stop you! Some mind-blowing stories of unstoppable dedication have been coming out of the Olympics, especially the tale of Im Dong-Hyun, a South Korean man with 20% vision or less in each eye. This makes him legally 'blind,' but it has not stopped him from setting two world records in archery! Read more here and here. What kinds of essay prompts might you answer with the story of Im Dong-Hyun?

7/29 Fractions

Read the following SAT test question and then select the correct answer.

For every math problem, always be sure to follow the Knowsys Method. This will keep you from falling for traps and trick questions! First, read the question carefully.  You have to understand the information that you are given before you can begin working the problem.  The second step is to identify the bottom line, the question that you must answer.  In this case, you are asked to identify the total number of students who study art.  Next, assess your options to find the most efficient way to solve the problem, attack the problem, and loop back to make sure you answered the correct question.

Every student who studies art in a certain school receives exactly one of the grades A, B, C, or D. If of the students receive A’s, receive B’s, receive C’s, and 10 students receive D’s, how many students inthe school study art?

In this problem, you have fractions for the students who receive A’s, B’s, and C’s, but you have an actual number of students who receive D’s. To find the total number of students, you will need to find out what fraction of the whole is represented by the 10 students who receive D’s. Find out what fraction of the whole is represented by the students who receive A’s, B’s and C’s first. To add these fractions together, you need to find the least common denominator. You don't need to worry much about the 2 since it is a factor of 4. Instead, focus on the 5; the least common denominator will be the product of 4 and 5.

then becomes

Pronouns

Identifying Sentence Errors

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

This type of question is an Identifying Sentence Errors question.  Read the sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  If you are unable to find an error during your first reading, check each of the underlined portions and ask yourself whether there is any problem in that particular portion. Remember, some sentences will not have an error.

Japanese literature Ais noted for Bdistinctive forms of drama Cas well as Dtheir poetry. ENo error

Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

If you went to the official Question of the Day site, you know that you don't even need to look at the directions above to tell that this is a sentence completion question and that you will need to fill in the blank. The first step in the Knowsys method for attacking these kinds of questions is to always cover up the answers before reading the sentence. It is easy to be distracted by one of the wrong answer choices if you waste time looking at them. So don’t look! The second step is to read the entire sentence carefully:

The archaeologist enjoyed the ------- life she led while gathering artifacts; she never stayed at any one site long enough to get bored.

Triangles

Link of the Day

Yesterday's Question of the Day about Red Cloud piqued my interest, so I decided to look him up for today's Link of the Day. Red Cloud was an amazingly successful war leader of the Lakota Indians, assaulting several United States Army forts along the Bozeman Trail in the 1860's. By the end of the decade, the US agreed not only to abandon its forts in Lakota territory, but also to guarantee Lakota control over a vast land area, including the western half of modern South Dakota and parts of Montana and Wyoming. Unfortunately, Red Cloud's victories did not last, and eventually the white settlers reclaimed and broke apart the Lakota holdings. Red Cloud's tireless efforts to protect his people and his culture would make an outstanding Excellent Example for your essay.

Let's take this a step further: What kind of essay prompt could you answer with the story of Red Cloud? Please respond in the comments! 

7/26 > Triangles

Read the following SAT test question and then select your answer.

Whenever you approach a math problem, remember to follow the Knowsys method. Rather than charging in, take a moment to read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line. Consider the best way to approach the problem--what could I do? What should I do? Then attack the problem and, finally, loop back to the top and make sure you answered what the question was actually asking. The last and easiest step is to match your answer to the provided answer choices.

In triangle ABC, the length of side is 2 and the length of side is 12. Which of the following could be the length of side ?

First, note the bottom line at the top of your scratch work.

 = ?

Next, consider your options. What does the problem tell you? What strategies, formulas, or theorems do you know that could help you solve it? In this case, the problem tells you that you are dealing with a triangle and supplies two side lengths. With so little information, you really only have one tool that can help you: the Triangle Side Lengths Inequality.

The Side Lengths Inequality states that any side of a triangle must be less than the sum and greater than the difference of the other two sides. When you think through it, this actually becomes fairly obvious. If one side were longer than the other two sides put together, the shape could no longer be a triangle. It would fold flat into a line. If one side were too short, it would not be able to "reach" the other sides and the triangle would just be three line segments rather than a closed shape. The Side Lengths Inequality is usually expressed this way:



For simplicity's sake, you can rename the sides of the triangle in the problem x, y, and z rather than shuffling As, Bs, and Cs around. (Be sure to note this in your bottom line!) Now that you've chosen the most efficient way to solve the problem, attack it ruthlessly!

Idioms

Improving Sentences

Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

When you are working on an "Improving Sentences" problem, always carefully read the sentence as it is and look for an error. If possible, predict a way to fix the sentence. Even though your prediction may not match the correct answer (there are often several different ways to fix an error), it will help you to identify the key grammatical principles that the question tests.

Mahpiua Luta, better known for being Red Cloud, was chief of the Oglala Sioux during the 1860s.

First, examine the sentence, check for errors, and predict how you might correct the sentence. In this sentence, the underlined section is very short, including only two words. The word "being" should send up a red flag in your mind because it is usually unnecessary. Your prediction, then, should eliminate the word "being." "For" cannot stand alone here, so you need to think of a different word to replace it.

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Walter John de la Mare was an English poet and novelist, best remembered for his poem "The Listeners." He is particularly known for his works for children and his focus on the innocence of youth.  You can read more about de la Mare and his poetry here. His unique style and technical ability make him a great "Excellent Example" for your SAT essay.

7/24 Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. 

Whenever you have a two-blank sentence completion, try to predict the easier blank first. Then eliminate as many answer choices as you can with just that prediction. If there is more than one answer choice left, make a prediction for the other blank and eliminate any of the remaining answers that don't match your prediction.

There has been little _________ criticism written about de la Mare; indeed, that which has been written is at the two extremes, etiher appallingly _________ or bitterly atagonistic. 

Quadratic Equations

Read the following question and select the correct answer choice.

As always, remember to follow the Knowsys method for math. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (what you are looking for). Then, consider your options. How could you solve it? How should you solve it? Next, attack the problem using the method that you selected. Finally, loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line.

If , which of the following statements must also be true?

. 

.

. 

This problem is going to be a tricky one. On the actual SAT, this would probably be one of the last problems in a math section (and since problems go in order from easiest to hardest, this gives you a clue that this problem is a difficult one). This means that you need to take your time solving this problem. If you think you have found the answer in 20 seconds, you have probably fallen for a trap (a common wrong answer that the test makers put in the answer choices to trick you). Take your time and follow the Knowsys method to avoid traps.

Start by reading the problem carefully and identifying the bottom line. You are looking for the statements that must be true. That means you will need to evaluate each step carefully to find out if it must be true. A good way to test if a statement must bet true is to try and prove it false. If you can't prove it false, then it must be true.

Now consider your options. Because there are variables in both the problem and the answer choices, you could pick numbers for the variables and test the answer choices. However, since the formula given to you could be expanded, it's probably a better idea to expand the formula first and see what you can deduce from that.







Notice that the only way for this formula to be true is if 2xy = 0. In other words, either x or y must be zero. Now, take a look at the three statements and try to prove them false, given that either x or y must be zero. If you can prove that it is false, eliminate it.

. 

I could be true, since either x or y must be zero. However, it does not need to be true. x could have some other value as long as y is zero. Since it is possible for this statement to be false, you can eliminate it.

.

II is a little bit more difficult to evaluate. However, if you look closely, you should notice that it looks a lot like the original equation you were given. If you expand the equation, you get the following:







Once again, notice that as long as 2xy = 0, this equation is true. In other words, since you already know that x or y must be zero, this equation must be true.

. 

III also has to be true because you already know that either x or y must be zero.

You now know that (II) and (III) must be true. Choose the answer choice that matches your prediction.

(A) None
(B) I only
(C) II only
(D) III only
(E) II and III

The correct Answer Choice is (E).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 33% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Pronouns

Link of the Day

Did you know that pi has the approximate value of 22/7? That's why some people celebrate Pi Day today (many people also celebrate Pi Day on March 14 - 3/14). Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Because it's an irrational number (one that cannot be expressed as an exact ratio) it is impossible to calculate the exact value of pi. As of October 2011, pi has been calculated to 10 trillion digits (although you really only need to know the value to 3 digits for the SAT). You can read more about pi and Pi Day here.

7/22 Identifying Sentence Errors

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

When you are working an Improving Sentences question, read the question carefully and focus on the underlined portion. If you identify an error, make a prediction about how you could fix the error. The correct answer won't always match your prediction, but making a prediction will help you to identify the underlying grammar concept being tested.

The Alargest European Btype of newt grows to about seven inches, Cwhile the largest American type, the California newt, Dit grows to about six inches. ENo error

Take your time and read the question carefully until you find something that stands out. (A) doesn't have any error. The adjective is correctly used and clearly modifies one noun. (B) also doesn't have an error. The word "type" is correctly used (also, the word "of" is the correct preposition to use here). (C) is part of a clause and it is idiomatically correct. (D) should stand out to you.  It's awkward because there is an unnecessary pronoun that makes the comparison unclear. Without the pronoun "it", the comparison becomes "The largest European newt grows to about seven inches . . ." while the other "grows to be about six inches". Since you have identified an error, (E) cannot be the correct answer.

The correct Answer Choice is (D).

On sat.collegeboard.org 81% of the responses were correct.

Want more help with grammar? Visit www.myknowsys.com!

Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Always make a prediction before you look at the answers. Remember, 4 out of the 5 answers are wrong (so you don't want to waste time looking at wrong answers). Read the sentence carefully and look for clues to help you predict the correct answer. Then choose the answer that matches your prediction.

Ray was ________ gambler who had seldom gone a day without indulging his expensive habit.

Ratios

Read the following SAT question and then select the correct answer.

As always, remember to follow the Knowsys method for math. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (what you are looking for). Then, consider your options. How could you solve it? How should you solve it? Next, attack the problem using the method that you selected. Finally, loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line.

In an 8-gram solution of water and alcohol, the ratio by mass of water to alcohol is 3 to 1. If 12 grams of a solution consisting of 2 grams water for each gram of alcohol is added to the 8-gram solution, what fraction by mass of the new solution is alcohol?

Comparisons

Link of the Day

Oscar Pistorius was so happy when he found out that he had earned a place South Africa's Olympic team that he woke up the next morning with cramps in his cheeks from smiling in his sleep. He will be the first double-amputee to compete in the Olympics. He is known as the "Blade Runner" because he runs on specially designed carbon fiber blades. Despite the fact his prosthetic legs rub his stumps until they are raw and bleeding, Pistorius is all smiles. His determination in the face of hardship makes him a great "Excellent Example" for your SAT essay. You can read more about Pistorius and his Olympic hopes here.

7/19 Improving Sentences

Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think that the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

When you are working on an "Improving Sentences" problem, always carefully read the sentence as it is and look for an error. If possible, always try to predict a way to fix the sentence. Even though your prediction may not match the correct answer (there are often several different ways to fix an error), it will help you to identify the key grammatical principles that are being tested.

Upon winning her third gold medal at the competition, the young athlete learned that her accomplishments had surpassed her coach's, a former track star.

Start by analyzing the sentence and focusing on the underlined portion. Notice that the word "coach's" is possessive. If you think about it, that makes sense because the young athlete's accomplishments had  surpassed her coach's accomplishments. However, the sentence should still sound a little off to you. Look at what comes after the comma (also, notice that the comma is not underlined, that means it has to be there). You are told that the coach is a former track star. The problem is that the noun phrase "a former track star" needs to modify "coach" not "coach's." Instead, it would be better if the sentence were written ". . . her accomplishments had surpassed the accomplishments of her coach, a former tract star." This makes it clear that it was the "coach" who was "a former track star." Now take a look at the answers and look for one that matches or at least resembles your prediction.

(A) her coach's
(B) her coach
(C) those of her coach
(D) those done by her coach
(E) those of her coach's

You already know that (A) doesn't work. (B) just makes the sentence even worse (because now you are comparing the athlete's accomplishments to her coach, not her coach's accomplishments). (C) isn't exactly the same as your prediction, but it does make sense. It compare's the athlete's accomplishments to those of her coach, and the noun phrase that comes immediately after correctly modifies the "coach".  (D) doesn't work because you don't "do" accomplishments. (E) is just like (C) except that "coach" becomes possessive. That's unnecessary and actually introduces the same problem that (A) had (the noun phrase modifies "coach's" instead of "coach").

The correct Answer Choice is (C).

On sat.collegeboard.com 61% of the responses were correct.

For more help with grammar, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best  fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. 

Whenever you have a two blank sentence completion, try to predict the easier blank first, then eliminate as many answer choices as you can with just that prediction. If there is more than one answer choice left, make a prediction for the other blank and eliminate any of the remaining answers that don't match your prediction.

Although her parents believed that everything their daughter did was ________, Suzette's teachers generally considered her work to be _________.

The first step is to look for clues in the sentence that will let you predict a word for one of the blanks. The key word here is "Although." In this case, the blanks are linked and you really have to make a prediction about both blanks. You know that the two words will be contrasting (it wouldn't really make sense to say "Although Suzette's parents think one thing, her teachers also think the same thing."). Also, it's fairly reasonable to predict that Suzette's parents "believed that everything their daughter did was outstanding" since parents usually think highly of their children. That means that Suzette's teachers probably "considered her work to be average" or even "inadequate." Now, take a look at the answers below and select the answer choice that best fits your prediction. Even though you had to predict both blanks, it's still a good idea to start by looking at just one blank and eliminating all the answers that don't match your prediction for that blank. In this case, your prediction for the first blank is more specific so you should start there.

(A) disappointing . . unsatisfactory
(B) brilliant . . unremarkable
(C) amusing . . entertaining
(D) delightful . . outstanding
(E) average . . mediocre

You can eliminate (A) and (E) right away because they do not match your prediction for the first blank.
Now you have to look at the second blank to eliminate the remaining answers. (B) matches your prediction well. (C) and (D) are both positive words so they don't really work.

The correct answer choice is (B).

Words tested in this SC:
disappointing: not up to expectations or hopes
unsatisfactory: inadequate, not satisfactory
brilliant: superb, wonderful
unremarkable: lacking distinction, ordinary
amusing: entertaining or pleasing
entertaining: agreeably diverting, amusing
delightful: very pleasing, beautiful, charming
outstanding: superior, distinguished
average: usual or ordinary in character
mediocre: moderate to inferior in quality, ordinary

On sat.collegeboard.org 77% of the responses were correct.

Need to build your vocab? Visit www.myknowsys.com to check out the Knowsys Vocabulary Builder program.

Exponents

Link of the Day

Pursuing your dreams takes dedication, particularly when you have to juggle athletic training and school at the same time. 16-year-old Olympic athlete Ariel Hsing has been dreaming of playing table tennis in the Olympics since she was just 8 years old. Her talent and dedication to her sport have helped to make that dream a reality. However, she understands that table tennis is not as popular as other sports (and therefore the endorsements are less lucrative). In addition to striving for Olympic greatness, Hsing also aspires to attend Stanford. You can read more about Ariel Hsing here. Her dedication to both her sport and her academics make her a great "Excellent Example" for your essay.

7/17 Exponents

Read the following SAT test question and then select the correct answer.

As always, remember to follow the Knowsys method for math. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (what you are looking for). Then, consider your options. How could you solve it? How should you solve it? Next, attack the problem using the method that you selected. Finally, loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line.

If  and , and if , which of the following is true?

The key to this question is to know your exponent rules and follow the Knowsys method for math. Start by reading the problem carefully and identifying the bottom line. If you glance at the answers below, you can see that you are looking for the relationship between x and y. Now, consider your options. What could you do? What should you do? Since you only have two variables in the equation (x and y), all you need to do is simplify the equation. Next, attack the problem using the method you have selected. You want to simplify the equation and move x and y out of the exponents. In order to do that, you need matching bases.  Using your exponent rules you can rewrite the equation as follows



Since the bases are the same, you can just eliminate them and you are left with



Now, do a little basic algebra to simplify and get



The final step in the Knowsys method for math is to loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line. Since you have followed all the algebra rules, you know that your equation is true. Look at the answers below and choose the one that matches your prediction.

(A) x=y
(B) x=2y
(C) 2x=y
(D) x=3y
(E) 3x=y

The correct answer choice is (D).

On sat.collegeboard.org 51% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Idioms

Identifying Sentence Errors

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E. 

When you are working an Improving Sentences question, read the question carefully and focus on the underlined portion. If you identify an error, make a prediction about how you could fix the error. The correct answer won't always match your prediction, but making a prediction will help you to identify the underlying grammar concept being tested.

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Katniss Everdeen is currently one of the best recognized female characters by a female author. Here is a great article with a list of some of the all time greatest women writer-and-character pairings. Any of these characters and books would make a great literary "Excellent Example" for your SAT essay.

7/15 Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Always make a prediction before you look at the answers. Remember, 4 out of the 5 answers are wrong (so you don't want to waste time looking at wrong answers). Read the sentence carefully and look for clues to help you predict the correct answer. Then choose the answer that matches your prediction.

A true rebel, Leslie did what was _________ simply to demonstrate her inclination to defy taboos.

Sets

Read the following SAT question and then select the correct answer.

As always, remember to follow the Knowsys method for math. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (what you are looking for). Then, consider your options. How could you solve it? How should you solve it? Next, attack the problem using the method that you selected. Finally, loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line.

At Central High School, the math club has 15 members and the chess club has 12 members. If a total of 13 students belong to only one of the two clubs, how many students belong to both clubs?

This problem involves sets. The easiest way to solve this problem is to look at the information that you are given and make deductions. By working step by step from the information given, you can find the answer. First of all, you know that there are a total of 15+12=27 memberships. Notice that this isn't the number of students since some students belong to both the chess and math clubs. This is simply the number of memberships. Secondly, you know that 13 students belong to only one club. 27 (the total number of memberships of both clubs) minus 13 (the number of students in only one club) is 14 (this is the number of memberships that come from students who are in both clubs). Since 14 is the number of memberships that come from students who are in both clubs, there must only be 7 students who are members of both clubs (1 student=2 memberships). Now, look at the answers and see which one matches your prediction.

(A) 2
(B) 6
(C) 7
(D) 12
(E) 14

(C) matches your prediction exactly. Interestingly, you can see that (E) is a trap answer. If you had failed to divide 14 by 2 (to account for the fact that the 14 memberships came from students who were in both clubs), you would have chosen (E). Remember to take your time and work the problem carefully. If you work a problem and make a sloppy mistake, you will not only lose a chance to earn a point, but you will also be penalized a quarter of a point (and you will waste valuable time on that problem).

The correct Answer Choice is (C).

On sat.collegeboard.com 37% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Introductory Phrases

Link of the Day

In the future we will be posting a Link of the Day on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Remember that you can always search through the blog archives to look at previous links. The Link of the Day is a great way to find "Excellent Examples" to prepare for your SAT essay. Simply search the blog for "history," "literature," or "current event" to find relevant links.

7/13 Improving Sentences

Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

When you are working an Improving Sentences question, read the question carefully and focus on the underlined portion. If you identify an error, make a prediction about how you could fix the error. The correct answer won't always match your prediction, but making a prediction will help you to identify the underlying grammar concept being tested. 

Its fossil record virtually unchanged over 100 million years, the Ginkgo tree is one of the oldest living species of tree.

Look closely at the underlined portion first. "Its" is the correct form of the word (remember that "it's" means "it is" and "its" is the possessive form of "it") because the fossil record "belongs" to the Ginkgo tree. Now, take a look at the first part of the sentence up to the word "years." It is separated from the second part of the sentence by a comma. The first part of the sentence (before the comma) cannot be an independent clause. Also, there cannot be a verb in the introductory phrase (because that would turn the introductory phrase into an introductory clause and that would create a comma splice). As it is written, it is just an introductory phrase and that is grammatically correct. Since you cannot identify an error, look at the other answer choices (remember choice (A) is what is written in the original sentence) and double check that none of them work.

(A) Its fossil record
(B) Its fossil record was
(C) Its fossil record, which is
(D) Its fossil record exists
(E) Its fossil record, because

(B) won't work because it makes the first part of the sentence an independent clause. That creates a comma splice. (C) doesn't work because the verb "is" is in the wrong tense. The fossil record "has been" unchanged for over 100 million years. (D) also won't work because, just like (B), it makes the first part of the sentence an independent clause. (E) just doesn't make sense. Then you would have "Its fossil record, because virtually unchanged over . . . " which you can see just doesn't work.

The correct Answer Choice is (A).

On sat.collegeboard.org 41% of the responses were correct.

Want more help with grammar? Visit www.myknows.com!

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

You may have seen the science fair demonstrations using mixtures of corn starch and water. Corn starch mixed with water is a Non-Newtonian fluid that thickens almost instantly when a sheer force is applied. This means that while you can run your hands slowly through a corn-starch water mixture and it will just feel like goo, a bowling ball dropped on a bowl of corn-starch and water will actually bounce! Scientists have been struggling to better understand this phenomena for years and they are finally gaining some insight into the physical laws that govern the liquids odd behavior. Check out this article for more details and some great slow motion videos.

7/12 Sentence Completion

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted into the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Whenever you have a two-blank sentence completion, always remember to predict the easier blank first, then eliminate as many answer choices as you can with just that prediction. If there is more than one answer choice left, make a prediction for the other blank and eliminate any of the remaining answers that don't match your prediction.

To Judith, traveling was _________; her sister, however, looked upon each trip as an _________ experience.

This sentence completion is fairly unusual because in this case, you can't really predict a specific word for either blank. The key to making a prediction of some sort is the word "however." The sentence tells you that Judith felt one way about traveling, "her sister, however . . . " felt the other way about traveling. That tells you that you are looking for two sharply contrasting words. Now, take a look at the answer choices below and choose the one that matches your prediction.

Triangles

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Did you know that you can only see color in the central part of your vision? The rest of your vision is actually black and white. Your brain remembers the colors of items that you have looked at and fills them in. Physicist turned webcomic writer Randall Munroe has a great diagram explaining some of the little-known facts about your vision. You can view the diagram here.

7/11 Triangles

Read the following question and then select the correct answer.

Whenever you are given a diagram, check to see if there is a note that says "figure not drawn to scale." If you don't see a note, that means that the figure is drawn as accurately as possible. In other words, you can look at the diagram and make estimates. On the other hand, if the figure is not drawn to scale, then it is distorted intentionally to trick you. Focus on the facts you know about the figure and not its appearance.

In the figure above, the circle with center  and the circle with center  are tangent at point . If the circles each have radius , and if line  is tangent to the circle with center  at point , what is the value of ?

The diagram above can look a little intimidating. That makes it even more important that you follow the Knowsys method step by step. First, read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line. You are looking for the value of x. Now think about the different ways you could attack the problem. Notice that the figure is drawn to scale (since there is no note that says "figure not drawn to scale"). You could estimate the value of the angle. However, if you look at the answer choices below, they are so close together that an estimation won't really do you much good. Instead, it's best to fill in pieces of the diagram step by step until you can find the value of x. Don't forget to "attack the problem". A positive attitude can make a big difference when you are working a challenging math problem.

You know that the radius of both circles is 10. That means that line AB is 10 and line AC is 20. You also know that line l is tangent to the circle at point B. If you remember your geometry rules for circles, you know that angle ABC is 90 degrees. Now, you need to remember the special triangles. You know that a right triangle with a leg of length x and a hypotenuse of length 2x is a 30-60-90 triangle. That means angle x must be 60 degrees. Don't forget to loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line.


(A) 55
(B) 60
(C) 63
(D) 65
(E) It cannot be determined from the information given.

The correct answer choice is B.

On sat.collegeboard.org 51% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Link of the Day

Although most people think of the Mayans as a single unified empire, they were actually organized in a similar manner to the Greeks. While they were united by a common culture and religion, their government consisted of a number of politically sovereign states. The Mayan calendar (there are actually 2, one religious and one solar) is perhaps their most famous achievement. Based on a year that has little more than 365 days, it is far more accurate than the Gregorian calendar. This enabled the Mayans to predict things like Solar eclipses and the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. You can learn more about the Mayans here.

7/10 Identifying Sentence Errors

The following Sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined portion that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

When you are working on an Identifying Sentence Errors questions, start by reading the question carefully. Focus on anything that stands out or sounds wrong. If you don't spot the error right away, work slowly through each underlined portion. Think about all the grammar rules that you know apply. Once you have identified an error, double check that the rest of the sentence is correct as written.

Today Amore than two million Mayan Indians Blive in northern Yucatán and highland Guatemala in a manner Csimilar to Dthose of their ancestors. ENo error