Sentence Completions

Critical Reading: 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. 

Cover up your answers until you have read the sentence carefully and made a prediction to fill the easier blank.  Then eliminate any answer choice that does not match your prediction.  Use the same method for the other blank, carefully looking at all the choices that have not yet been eliminated.  You can select the correct answer even if you do not know the meaning of several of the words.

His inclination to succumb to flattery made him ------- to the ------- of people who wished to take advantage of him.

Look at the first blank.  Notice the structure of this sentence.  This man is inclined to succumb to the flattery of others.  Your two blanks are aligned in the same format as this first statement.  What is this man likely to do when people try to take advantage of him?  He is “inclined to succumb.” You cannot make a more precise prediction than one that uses the words in the sentence.  If you do not know what these words mean, check out the little word “to.”  Usually you listen “to” flattery (The opposite would be running “from” it, or rejecting it – if you use “to” you are going towards something), so this guy is going to be open to listening to anyone who tells him nice things.  He is “likely to be open to negative things.” Look down at your answer choices.

(A) immune . . predilection

(B) prejudicial . . intentions

(C) susceptible . . cajolery

(D) resistant . . blandishments

(E) amenable . . rejection

(A) The word “immune” is the opposite of your prediction.  Eliminate this choice.  (B) The word “prejudicial” does not mean open to hearing things, but maybe this word is used to mean that he is prejudiced in favor of people who flatter him.  If you are not sure you can eliminate a choice, keep it.  (C) If you are susceptible to a disease, you are likely to catch it.  This word matches your prediction perfectly.  (D) This man is not resisting flattery!   This word is the opposite of what you need.  Eliminate it.  (E)  If you do not know this word, you should keep it as an option – this word matches your prediction perfectly.

Now turn your attention to the second blank.  This man’s problem is that he listens to flattery.  Flattery is usually given with some ulterior motive.  Therefore, this man is inclined to succumb to the flattery of people who want to take advantage to him.  Predict the word “flattery” and look down at your remaining answer choices.

(B) prejudicial . . intentions

(C) susceptible . . cajolery

(E) amenable . . rejection

(B) The word “intentions” is completely neutral.  “Intentions” does not mean “flattery.”  Eliminate it.  (C) This word comes from a French word.  Even if you do not know what it means, you can tell that it is a better choice than the next word.  (E) Rejecting a person is the opposite of flattering a person.  You have no idea how this man responds to rejection.  Eliminate this answer choice.

The correct answer is (C).

Words used in this SC:

Inclination: leaning towards or tending towards something

Succumb: yield, give in to

Immune: not subject to; protected from; not susceptible to

Predilection: an established preference for something

Prejudicial: exhibiting bias or causing harm or injury

Intentions: purposes or attitudes

Susceptible: likely to be affected by something, easily influenced

Cajolery: persuasion by flattery

Resistant: resisting, repelling

Blandishments: flattering speech designed to persuade

Amenable: open to influence or persuasion, ready to agree

Rejection: exclusion, denial, refusal

On sat.collegeboard.org, 63% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT vocabulary, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Equations

Algebra: Equations

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

Always read the question carefully and identify the bottom line so that you do not waste time finding something unrelated to the question.  Assess your options for solving the problem and choose the most efficient method to attack the problem.  When you have an answer, take a second or two to loop back and make sure that your answer matches the bottom line.

If a, b, and c are numbers such that  and , then  is equal to which of the following?

Bottom line:  

Assess your Options:  There are two ways that you can solve this equation, and both will arrive at the correct answer.  You can solve it algebraically by substituting information into the equation, or you can pick your own numbers for the variables.  Choose the method that is easier and faster for you.

Attack the problem:  If you are going to solve a problem algebraically, always look for ways to simplify the problem that you are given.  In this case, you will want to get rid of unnecessary fractions.  Look at the first piece of information that you are given.  If a divided by b is 3, you can get rid of the fraction by multiplying each side of the equation by b.

Now you have a = 3b.

Look at the numerator (the top part of the fraction) of your bottom line.  You can now make sure that there is only one variable in this portion of the equation.   Substitute 3b for a.  Now you have 3b + b, which will simplify to 4b. 

Here are the steps you just completed:

Look at the denominator of your equation.  How can you simplify b + c?  You might be tempted to substitute 7c for b, but remember your goal is to get to a number without a variable.  If you have the same variable in the top and bottom, the two variables cancel. Therefore, you need to find what c is equal to in terms of b. 

When you are given the information that b divided by c is 7, then you know that c divided by b is 1 over 7.  You flip both equations.  Solve for c by multiplying both sides of the equation by b.

 so   so 

Plug this information into your bottom line equation and combine like terms.

A fraction over a fraction is ugly, but remember that dividing by a fraction is the same thing as multiplying by the reciprocal of that fraction.  In other words:

Notice that the variable b moves to the bottom of the second fraction and cancels out.  You solved the equation!

Alternatively:  If you dislike algebra, use the strategy of picking numbers to solve this problem.  You want to get rid of ugly fractions, and the best way to do that is to put a number over 1.  You cannot just put b = 1 because b affects two different equations and you might end up with numbers that are difficult to use in your other equation.   However, c is on the bottom of a fraction in one equation.  Pick c = 1.  Plug 1 into the second piece of information with c and solve for b.

  so  so b = 7.

The variable b must equal 7. Now plug that into the first piece of information that you were given.  If b is 7, then a must equal 21.  

 so  so a = 21.

Now that you have numbers for a, b, and c, plug those into your bottom line equation:

Bottom Line:  As soon as you have a value to represent your bottom line, look down at your answer choices.

(A) 

(B) 

(C) 

(D) 

(E) 21

The correct answer is (A).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 42% of the responses were correct.

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

Subject Verb Agreement

Link of the Day

If you have been following the news about the meteor that hit Russia, here are some more details about the event.  This article will help you make human connections through your current event by showing how people reacted to a sudden event.  Some searched for explanations, some volunteered for clean-up, and some strove to profit from the event.  Motivation is a reoccurring theme in SAT essay prompts, and these responses could be used to support a variety of opinions about human nature and activities.

Writing: 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. 

Read the sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  Quickly check each underlined portion against the Big 8 Grammar Rules.  Identify and mark any error that you find, but be sure to look at all the choices before selecting your answer.

Besides Aconserving forest resources, recycling produces fewer pollutants Bthan does the conventional pulping and bleaching processes Cthat are normally used Dto create paper. ENo error

(A)  Any time you see a verb with an “–ing” ending, check to make sure that the word is in the proper form.  Here you have an introductory phrase followed by a comma.  The “ing” format helps to indicate that this phrase is supplemental, that it modifies the coming independent clause.  There is no error here.

(B)  The word “than” indicates a comparison.  You already know that the sentence will contain a comparison because of the word “fewer.”  Now check the verb “does.”  Normally a verb comes after the subject, so you might be tempted to link “recycling” and “does.”  However, this portion of the comparison is actually focused on “the conventional pulping and bleaching processes” and what they do to create paper.  Notice that “processes” is plural, so you need the word “do” instead of the word “does.”  This is inverted subject-verb error and is often tested on the SAT. Mark this error and quickly check the other choices.

(C)  The words “that” and “which” both provide additional information, but the word “which” must be preceded by a comma.  There is no comma before the underlined portion, so “that” is correct.  There is no error here.

(D)  Processes are used to do something.  No other form of “create” will work in this underlined portion.  There is no error here.

(E)  This cannot be the answer because you already identified an error.

The correct answer is (B).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 73% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT vocabulary, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Sentence Completions

Critical Reading: 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. 

Cover up the answer choices and read the sentence carefully.  Focus on the easier of the two blanks, making a prediction to fill it.  Eliminate any answer choice that does not match your prediction.  Use the same process with the other blank.

The “double feature,” which featured two films for the price of one, became popular in the 1930s as a scheme to ------- former moviegoers who had begun to stay home since the ------- of the Depression at the beginning of the decade.

Start with the first blank.  You know that companies offer good deals in order to bring in more customers.  The sentence even tells you that there are specific people who need to be brought in to the movies: those who used to come all the time before the Depression.  Predict the answer “bring in” and look down at your answer choices.

(A) lure . . advent

(B) discourage . . end

(C) dissuade . . dawn

(D) perplex . . onset

(E) instigate . . devastation

(A)  Does “lure” mean “bring in”?  Well, when you use a fishing lure to catch a fish, you bring it into your net, or cooler, from its native waters.  This answer choice matches your prediction, so keep it.

(B)  This is the opposite of your prediction.  The moviegoers are already discouraged from going to the movies by the bad economy.  The “double feature” is intended to encourage them to go to the movies anyway.  “Discourage” does not mean “bring in.”  Eliminate this answer choice.

(C)  This word comes directly from Latin.  The root “dis” means “off,” “against,” or “away.”  The root “suad” means “urge,” just as it does in the word “persuade.”  Thus, “dissuade” means to urge someone away rather than to bring that person in.  Eliminate this answer choice.

(D) You know the word “complex.”  If something is complex, it will perplex people.  The Latin root “per” means “through” and the root “plex” means “plait” or “braid.”  Something complicated is going on in this word.  There is nothing complicated about offering two movies for the price of one.  “Perplex” does not mean “bring in,” so you can eliminate this answer choice.

(E) The word “instigate” has Greek origins.  The root “stig” means “prick,” as in to stimulate or incite someone to action by provocation.  The “double feature” is meant to goad people into coming back to the movies, so this answer might work even though it does not match your prediction as well as choice (A).  Keep it.

Now turn your attention toward the second blank.  Even if you do not remember from your history class that the stock market crashed in 1929, you should notice that the sentence emphasizes the “beginning of the decade.”  The word “begun” is also used in the sentence to describe when the people stopped coming to the movies.  Clearly the word “beginning” is important to the meaning of this sentence.  People didn’t gradually quit going to the movies, they stopped at the very beginning of the Depression, even though that might not have been the most miserable period of the Depression.  Predict the word “beginning” and look down at your remaining answer choices.

(A) lure . . advent

(E) instigate . . devastation

(A)  The Latin root “ad” means “in addition to,” but it also means “movement toward.”  For Christians, the Christmas holiday historically begins with something called the “Advent season” that ushers in a day of celebration.  The word “advent” indicates the coming of a certain period.  This choice matches your prediction.

(E)  Although the Depression was a time of devastation, the word “devastation” does not match the word “beginning.”  Eliminate this choice.

The correct answer is (A).

Words used in this SC:

Lure: something that tempts or attracts

Advent: coming, or arrival

Dissuade: to convince someone not to do something

Perplex: to cause to feel puzzled or baffled

Onset: the start of something, or the start of an attack

Instigate: to urge forward

Devastation: destruction and desolation

On sat.collegeboard.org, 71% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT reading, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Coordinate Geometry

Link of the Day

Isn't it fascinating that no matter how long people study people, there is still more to learn?  Take a look at this current event article that endeavors to explain why women talk more than men.  Pick out the broad topics in this article.  How could you use the facts from this article to support a position on the following SAT essay prompts?

1. Do we need other people in order to understand ourselves?
2. Should heroes be defined as people who say what they think when we ourselves lack the courage to say it?
3. Are people best defined by what they do?

Geometry: Coordinate Geometry

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

Always read the question carefully and identify the bottom line.  Assess your options for reaching the bottom line and choose the most efficient method to attack the problem.  When you have an answer, loop back to make sure that the answer matches the bottom line.

What is the equation of the line parallel to the x-axis and four units above the x-axis?

Bottom Line: equation of a line

Assess your Options:  You could look down at the answer choices, but if you look down without thinking first you will often confuse yourself.  Instead, use the information that you are given to write an equation.

Attack the Problem:  You know that you are dealing with an x-axis, which means you must use a normal xy-graph with a vertical y-axis and a horizontal x-axis.  Draw this on your paper.  Next, imagine 4 ticks on the y-axis and put a little dot four units above the x-axis.  Draw a horizontal line that is parallel to the x-axis.  Does that line ever leave y = 4?  No!  That is the equation of the line.

Note:  If you write x = 4, you create a vertical line.  Think about it this way: the x values change from negative infinity to positive infinity.  If you choose a single x value, the line along this value cannot be parallel to the x-axis because it is limited to a single value.

Loop Back:  You needed an equation of a line, and not necessarily one that mentioned x at all.  You found one.  Look down at your answer choices.

(A) x = -4

(B) x = 4

(C) y = -4

(D) y = 0

(E) y = 4

The correct answer is (E).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 67% of the responses were correct.

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

Subject Verb Agreement

Writing: 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 entire original sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  Then evaluate the underlined portion of the sentence using the Big 8 Grammar Rules.  Often there will be more than one error, but you should focus on the first error that you find to quickly eliminate wrong answer choices.

All of the ingredients for Pablo’s secret chocolate chip cookie recipe, which included the special dark chocolate, was available in his mother’s pantry.

When you have a sentence with a lot of punctuation, it is a good idea to check subject and verb agreement.  What is the simple subject of this sentence?  The subject is not the recipe (which is part of a prepositional phrase), but “all of the ingredients.”  The sentence is really about all of the ingredients, which are for the recipe and include chocolate and are in the pantry.  Now that you have identified the subject, find the verb.  In this case, the verb is separated from the subject by both a prepositional phrase (for Pablo's ... recipe) and a relative clause (which ... chocolate).  The word “was” is your verb.  Put the two together.  You would never say “all of the ingredients was;” you would say “all of the ingredients were.”  Once you have identified one error, you can quickly eliminate any answer choices that do not fix the error that you found.  Look down at the answer choices.

(A) which included the special dark chocolate, was

(B) which included the special dark chocolate, they were

(C) including the special dark chocolate that was

(D) including the special dark chocolate, being

(E) including the special dark chocolate, were

(A)  Eliminate this choice without reading it because it matches the original sentence.

(B)  This answer choice fixes the error that you found, but it adds an unnecessary pronoun: they.  Eliminate this choice.

(C)  This choice associates the main verb of the sentence with the chocolate rather than all of the ingredients, creating a sentence fragment.  There is no main verb for your subject.  Eliminate this choice.

(D)  Your Knowsys book tells you to avoid the word “being” whenever possible because it suggests ongoing action that is more appropriate for a play-by-play than most written works.  Eliminate this choice.

(E) This choice fixes the error that you found.  Notice that it also eliminates the word “which” and changes “included” to “including.”  This change clarifies the meaning of the sentence.  Read the original sentence and notice that the relative pronoun “which” could refer to all of the ingredients or the recipe.  This ambiguity is eliminated in this answer choice because the present participle “including” clearly shows that chocolate was one of all of the ingredients that were located in the pantry. 

The correct answer is (E).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 74% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT writing, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Sentence Completions

Critical Reading: 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 cover the answer choices before reading the sentence because most of them are incorrect and intended to distract you from the correct answer.  Read the sentence carefully and predict a word to fill the blank.  Then match your prediction to the correct answer, eliminating any choices that do not match.  Be sure to look at all the answer choices before selecting your answer.

A group of Black American fighter pilots known as the Red Tail Angels has the ------- of never having lost any of the bombers it escorted on missions over Europe in the Second World War.

Paraphrase the sentence as you read it.  These fighters never lost any bombers on their missions.  This statement sounds pretty impressive; it sounds as if these fighters deserve recognition for their perfect record.  Predict the word “honor” or “credit” and look down at your answer choices.

(A) onus

(B) distinction

(C) imperative

(D) potential

(E) assignment

(A) If you have been studying your Knowsys vocabulary, you know a word related to this one: onerous.  The Latin root “oner” means burden.  Though these pilots were given a burdensome task, your prediction was positive to describe how well they completed their task.  “Onus” does not mean “honor.”  Eliminate it.

(B) You probably associate “dist” with distance.  In this case, think of it as “set apart.”  This word has changed slightly in meaning over the ages.  By the 1690s it came to mean “distinguished from others” or “excellent.”  If you say that an individual “served with distinction,” you are complementing that person and giving that individual credit.  This matches your prediction.

(C) The word “imperative” may be linked to the word “important” in your mind.  It may have been important for these fighters to protect the bombers on their missions, but the word “important” does not mean “honor.”  Eliminate this choice.

(D) Are you told you have the potential to do great things?  Potential is generally used for the future.  World War II is in the past.  You cannot say the group of fighters “has the potential” to do something that they have already done.  “Potential” has more to do with “a chance for honor” than “honor.”  Eliminate it.

(E) This answer also does not make sense chronologically.  You cannot say that the group of fighters “has the assignment” for World War II when World War II ended long ago.  They may have had the assignment, but just because you complete an assignment does not mean that you get honor or credit for doing a good job.  “Assignment” does not mean “honor.”  Eliminate this choice.

The correct answer is (B).

Words used in this SC:

Onus: burden of proof or obligation

Distinction: condition of being different or strong praise

Imperative: a command or a necessity

Potential: capacity to improve or possibility

Assignment: task or duty

On sat.collegeboard.org, 71% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT vocabulary, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Writing Equations

Link of the Day

As you prepare for college, one of the best things that you can do for yourself, outside of studying, is to build good relationships with your teachers.  Learning the proper way to ask for help from your teachers can mean the difference between finally understanding a concept and getting written off as a whiner.  Read this article and think about how you can use the given advice not just in the future, but in your classes right now.

Algebra: Writing Equations

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

Always read each question carefully and make a note of the bottom line.  Assess your options for finding the bottom line and choose the most efficient method to attack the problem.  When you have an answer, loop back to verify that it matches the bottom line.

A florist buys roses at $0.50 a piece and sells them for $1.00 a piece. If there are no other expenses, how many roses must be sold in order to make a profit of $300?

Bottom Line: # roses = ?

Assess your Options:  You could find the profit from a single rose and then start plugging in answer choices, but that is not the fastest way to solve this problem.  A better way to solve this problem is to simply write an equation.  You could also solve this problem in a few seconds by using logic.

Attack the Problem:  Writing an equation will not take you much time.  Start by finding the profit from a single rose: $0.50.  (You know that the florist spends $0.50 to make each dollar, so $1.00 - $0.50 = $0.50.)

If each rose brings in a profit of $0.50, then how many must you sell to get $300?  Start by writing the fifty cents, and then use x to represent the unknown number of roses.  Each rose costs the same, so multiply the two numbers.  Together they must all equal $300.

$0.50x = $300.  (Just divide 300 by .5 to isolate the variable.)

         x = 600

Loop back: The x represented roses so you found your bottom line.  Look down at your answer choices.

(A) 100

(B) 150

(C) 200

(D) 300

(E) 600

The correct answer is (E).

Alternatively:  You can solve this problem in a few seconds.  Think about it logically; if you get less than $1 for each rose and you need $300, can you sell 300 roses and get the profit you need?  No!  You need more than $300 roses.  There is only one answer choice that works.

On sat.collegeboard.org, 71% of the responses were correct.

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

Parallelism

Writing: 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. 

Read the entire original sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  Then check each underlined portion of the sentence against the Big 8 Grammar Rules.  Identify and mark any error that you find, but be sure to quickly check the remaining answer choices before selecting your answer.

Used Ain place of buttons, hooks and eyes, Bor laces, the zipper Cconsists of two rows of plastic or metal teeth Dand bound to the edges of two strips of fabric. ENo error

(A) The phrase “in place of” just means “instead of.” It is idiomatically correct, so there is no error here.

(B) Buttons, hooks and eyes (which is basically a "combo set"), and laces are all ways to attach two pieces of fabric.  Usually, only one of these different things will be used on a garment at a time; I have never seen a coat that closed with a couple buttons, then a hook, and then laces.  For this reason the “or” is correct.  The zipper replaces whichever one of these things is used on the garment in question.  There is no error here.

(C) Check to make sure that the word “consists” matches the subject.  You would not say “the zipper consist of,” so “consists” is the right form of the verb.  If you check your Knowsys idioms chart, you will also notice that “of” is the idiomatically correct preposition to follow “consists.”  There is no error here.

(D)  Something strange happens to the meaning of the sentence at this point.  You cannot say “the zipper consists of one thing and bound another thing.” That would not be parallel structure.  You could say “the zipper consists of one thing and binds another thing.”  However, you cannot use the phrase “binds to” (you would need “binds it to”), and the “to” is not a part of the sentence that you can change.  Look at the meaning of the sentence.  The zipper is not what is bound to the edges of the fabric; instead, it is the metal teeth.  You could eliminate the word “and” to fix the problem, or you could change the underlined portion to read “that are.”

(E)  This answer cannot be correct because you already identified an error.

The correct answer is (D).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 63% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT writing, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Current events may be used to distinguish the present from the past or link the present to the past.  You have all learned about the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the one abolishing slavery.  Read this article explaining that the last state has finally ratified that amendment.  After all these years, is this an empty gesture or a meaningful conclusion?  Pay particular attention to the motivation of those behind the ratification and notice that they were not government employees.  How many common SAT themes can you spot in this current event?  Which details should you write down in order to use this current event effectively in an essay format?

Critical Reading: 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. 

Cover up the answer choices and read the sentence carefully.  Select the blank that seems easier to you and focus on predicting a word for that blank.   Uncover your answer choices and eliminate any that do not match your prediction.  Use the same process with the other blank. 

Allison had only ------- knowledge of the recent legislation; although she had glanced at a summary, she had not ------- the details of the new law's many provisions.

Start with the first blank.  When you use the word “only,” you are generally trying to emphasize that the amount of something is small.  The idea that Allison did not have a lot of knowledge is also supported by the fact that she “glanced at a summary.”  Predict that she has “a little” knowledge and look down at your answer choices.

(A) superficial . . examined

(B) subjective . . studied

(C) sketchy . . vacated

(D) questionable . . endorsed

(E) cursory . . opposed

(A) A superficial observer only sees what is obvious.  Allison only took a glance.  The word “superficial” could mean “a little,” so keep it.  (B) The word “subjective” is the opposite of “objective.”  “Subjective” does not mean “a little,” so eliminate this choice.  (C) A sketch is quick and hasty, and so was Allison’s look at the summary.  “Sketchy” can mean “a little,” so keep this choice.  (D) “Questionable” does not usually mean “a little,” but the word could be used to emphasize that Alison does not know much about the legislation.  Keep it.  (E) The Latin root “curs” means “run.”  This word also implies haste, just as Alison’s glance did, so keep it.

Now look at the second blank.  It comes after the keyword “although.”  This word lets you know that there must be a contrast between the next two ideas.  If the first idea is that Allison only glanced at a summary, then the second idea would logically be that she carefully read all of the details.  Predict “carefully read” and look down at the remaining answer choices.

(A) superficial . . examined

(C) sketchy . . vacated

(D) questionable . . endorsed

(E) cursory . . opposed

(A) “Examined” matches your prediction perfectly.  Before you select it, check the other answer choices.  (C) The Latin root “vac” means empty, and you have probably heard of vacant houses before.  “Vacated” does not mean “carefully read,” so eliminate this choice.  (D)  You know that when celebrities endorse products, they recommend them to the public.  You do not care how Allison felt about the legislation; you just want to know that she read it carefully.  Eliminate this choice.  (E) “Opposed” does not mean “carefully read.”  Eliminate this choice.

The correct answer is (A).

Words used in this SC:

Superficial: shallow, based on face value

Examined: observed or inspected critically, studied

Subjective: based on feeling rather than reasoning

Sketchy: rough or hasty

Vacated: left or moved out

Questionable: problematic, open to doubt

Endorsed: supported with approval or wrote on a check

Cursory: brief or broad, not cautious or detailed

Opposed: against something

On sat.collegeboard.org, 66% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT vocabulary, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Sets

Arithmetic: Sets

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

Approach each math question on the SAT the same way.  Read the question carefully to be sure you take into account all of the information as you solve it, and be sure to identify and note the bottom line.  Assess your options for solving the problem, and then choose the most efficient method to attack the problem.  Never forget to loop back and make sure that your final answer solves for the bottom line, the question that you were asked.

If S is the set of positive integers that are multiples of 7, and if T is the set of positive integers that are multiples of 13, how many integers are in the intersection of S and T?

Bottom Line: # of intersections = ?

Assess your Options:  When you have a question that asks about number properties, ignore your answer choices!  If you look down and see a 0, you could think to yourself that both 7 and 13 are prime, so they have nothing in common.  Are you looking for factors?  No!  You are looking for multiples.  Think through all of the information that you are given before looking at the answer choices.

Attack the Problem:  A set is just a collection of data.  You are given two different sets and asked to find the intersections, the data that the two have in common.  The only restriction on both sets is that all of the numbers must be positive.

Now think about what multiples are.  Multiples are the product of a number and an integer.  So Set S contains 7, 14, 21, 28… and continues in this manner into infinity.  Set T contains 13, 26, 39, 52… and continues in this manner into infinity.

If you keep listing numbers in each set, it will take you forever to find the answer to this problem.  Instead, think logically about where you know you must have multiples that match.  For example, if you multiply 7 times 13, you will find a number that belongs in both sets.  If you multiply 14 times 13, you will find another intersection.  Notice that you can keep doing this because you will never reach infinity.  The answer to this problem is that there are an infinite number of intersections between S and T.

Loop Back:  You found your bottom line, so look down and see which answer choice it matches.

(A) None

(B) One

(C) Seven

(D) Thirteen

(E) More than thirteen

The correct answer is (E).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 40% of the responses were correct.

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

Subject Verb Agreement

Link of the Day

You probably already heard about the meteor that landed in Russia.  Take a moment to review the relevant facts here.  Then think about how you can use an event that everyone is already talking about as an excellent current event example on the SAT essay.  Think about broad themes that relate to this topic, such as technology, preparation and planning, fear, organized responses, sudden change, and many more.

Writing: 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 entire original sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  Then evaluate the underlined portion of the sentence using the Big 8 Grammar Rules.  Focus on the first error that you find to quickly eliminate wrong answer choices.

Since William the Conqueror in 1066, every British sovereign has been crowned in Westminster Abbey except Edward V and Edward VIII, neither of them were crowned.

The underlined portion of this sentence contains the word “neither,” a word that should prompt you to check subject and verb agreement.  There are two people involved in this sentence, but is the subject plural?  This sentence is saying that neither one king nor the other king was crowned in the aforementioned place.  Notice the verb “were”!  You cannot have the plural verb “were” in this sentence; you must use “was.”  Look down at your answer choices.

(A) neither of them were

(B) neither were

(C) neither of whom was

(D) with neither being

(E) with neither who had been

(A)  Eliminate this choice without reading it because it matches the original sentence.

(B)  This answer choice does not fix the subject and verb agreement error that you found.  Eliminate it.

(C)  This one fixes the first error that you found.  Before you assume that it is correct, notice that it also changes the pronoun “them” to “whom.”  Check to make sure the “whom” is okay.  You are talking about a person using a singular verb, so the plural pronoun “them” was already suspect.  Your Knowsys book spends a lot of time on choosing between “who” and “whom,” but one of the rules that you learn is that you must always use “whom” after a preposition.  The word “of” is a preposition, so “whom” is correct.  Quickly check the other answer choices.

(D)  You should always avoid choices using the word “being” because it implies an ongoing action.  The two crownings that did not happen were in the past.  Eliminate this answer choice.

(E) This choice is unnecessarily complex and wordy.  Like the choice before it, it incorrectly uses the word “with,” which generally means “accompanied by” or “characterized by,” neither of which makes sense in this context.

On sat.collegeboard.org, 53% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT writing, visit www.myknowsys.com!

Sentence Completions

Critical Reading: 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. 

Cover up your answer choices and predict a word to fill the blank.  Then match your prediction to the correct answer choice, eliminating any word that does not match.  Be sure to check all of the choices before you select your answer.

The ------- of Queen Elizabeth I impressed her contemporaries: she seemed to know what dignitaries and foreign leaders were thinking.

This is a straightforward vocabulary question; the definition of the word that belongs in the blank comes right after the colon.  If the Queen always knows what others are thinking, she must have “discernment” or “understanding” and a lot of “insight.”  Predict one of these words, or one of their synonyms, and look down at your answer choices.

(A) symbiosis

(B) malevolence

(C) punctiliousness

(D) consternation

(E) perspicacity

(A)  The root “sym” is a Greek root meaning “with” or “together.”  “Bio” means “life.”  You have probably run across the word “symbiotic” in your science classes.  Symbiotic relationships are mutually beneficial, so this is a tempting choice.  However, notice that the Queen is set apart from her contemporaries; she impresses them.  She is not going to be interdependent on someone else.  She depends on her own discernment, and you do not know whether other leaders can also find out what she is thinking.  Does “symbiosis” mean “understanding”?  No.  Eliminate it.

(B)  This word is easy to eliminate.  The Latin root “mal” means “bad.”  If you know this, or even if you speak Spanish, you can quickly identify this as a negative word.  You are looking for a positive attribute of the Queen that would impress others – your prediction was positive.  

(C)  This word will not be intimidating when you remember that you know the related word “punctual.”  If you are careful to be precise or arrive on time that may be a good quality, but it certainly does not mean “understanding.”  Eliminate this choice.

(D)  The root “con” can be difficult for students because it has several meanings, but in this case the “con” is related to the word “confusion.”  This is a negative word.  Eliminate it.

(E)  This is probably another word that you have never used, but it is related to one we use all the time: perspective.  “Per” means “through” while “spec” means “look.”  Is the Queen able to see though others?  Yes!  She can understand the thoughts behind their words and actions.  “Perspicacity” matches “understanding.”

The correct answer is (E).

Words used in this SC:

Symbiosis: a relationship of mutual benefit

Malevolence: hostile attitude or feeling

Punctiliousness: paying strict attention to detail

Consternation: amazement or terror so strong that a response is impossible

Perspicacity: acute discernment or understanding

On sat.collegeboard.org, 56% of the responses were correct.

For more help with SAT vocabulary, visit www.myknowsys.com!