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 start by covering up your answers so that wrong answer choices do not influence the way that you think about the sentence.  Then read the sentence carefully and use context clues to predict an answer for whichever blank seems easier.  Compare your prediction to the answer choices for that blank, eliminating any that do not match.  Use the same method for the other blank.  Choose your answer after you have eliminated all of the incorrect choices.

Sylvia's employer considered her advertising campaign to be ------- yet -------: Sylvia's ideas were new and creative but were not appropriate for the client's product.

This sentence provides you with a definition of each blank.  Notice that the two blanks are connected with a contrasting word: yet.  After the colon, the contrasting word “but” separates the two descriptions of the advertising campaign.  For parallelism, the first blank will match the first description: “new and creative.”  For the sake of time, use the words in the sentence as your prediction and look down at your answer choices.

(A) novel . . inapt

(B) irrelevant . . modest

(C) lengthy . . compelling

(D) fresh . . original

(E) marginal . . partial

(A) The word novel has two meanings.  It means “a book” when it is used as a noun, but when it is used as an adjective, it has a different meaning.  The Latin root “nov” means new.  This matches your prediction of “new and creative.”  Keep it.  (B)  Irrelevant does not mean new and creative; it often indicates the opposite.  Eliminate this choice.  (C)  Something can be long and and also be old and boring, or new and creative.  Since the word lengthy has nothing to do with your prediction, eliminate it.  (D)  The word “fresh” matches your prediction of “new.”  Keep it.  (E)  When you see the word “marginal,” you may think of the margins of a page.  This word will not mean “new and creative,” so eliminate it.

Now go back and look at the second blank.  It corresponds to the description “not appropriate.”  Use these words as your prediction and look down at your remaining answer choices.

(A) novel . . inapt

(D) fresh . . original

(A) The word “inapt” includes that Latin root “in” which can mean “not.”  “Not apt” matches your prediction.  (B)  The word “original” matches your prediction for the first blank (new and creative).  However, you need a contrast between the first and the second blank.  Eliminate this choice.

The correct answer is (A).

Words used in this SC:

Novel: new and original

Inapt: unsuitable

Irrelevant: unimportant, not related

Modest: humble or small in size

Lengthy: long and overextended

Compelling: requiring urgent attention or forceful

Fresh: newly made or obtained

Original: the initial work, or new and creative

Marginal: on the edge, almost insufficient

Partial: incomplete

On sat.collegeboard.org, 64% of the responses were correct.

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

Graphing Functions

Algebra: Graphing Functions:

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

Always use the Knowsys Method on all math questions. This will help you think systematically and avoid careless mistakes. First, read the entire question carefully. Identify the bottom line and note it at the top of your scratch work. Next assess your options: What could I do? What should I do? Choose the most efficient method to attack the problem, and loop back to make sure that your answer matches the bottom line you were looking for.



In the xy-plane, the graph of the equation above assumes its maximum value at x = 2. What is the value of b?

First, consider your bottom line. "What is the value of b?" At the top of your scratch work, write b = ?

Next, start assessing your options. What does it mean that the chart "assumes its maximum" at x = 2? Look at all the parts of the function. The highest power is 2, so you know that this is a quadratic function and that the chart will have a parabola. Since the coefficient of that variable is -2, you also know that the parabola will open downward. If the graph's maximum value is located at x = 2, you know that the vertex of the parabola will be somewhere to the right of the origin, on the vertical line two spaces to the right of the y-axis.

What can you do with that knowledge? Think about how you can move a parabola to the right of the origin. You might remember the formula . If you've forgotten, the point (h, k) represents the vertex of the parabola. You need to combine this with the function you were originally given.



Next, use FOIL and the Distributive Property to square the binomial (x - 2) and multiply in the coefficient.



At this point, you should stop and double-check your bottom line. You don't need to worry about solving for k, x, or y because you have already solved what your bottom line was asking: the value of b. Always keep your bottom line in mind so you remember to loop back and so you can be sure you answer what was asked.

Now that you know that b = 8, look at the answer choices:

(A) -8
(B) -4
(C) 4
(D) 8
(E) 10

The correct answer is D.


On sat.collegeboard.org, 35% of responses were correct.


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

Subject-Verb Agreement

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 sentence to yourself, listening for errors.  Then go back and quickly check each underlined portion against the Big 8 Grammar Rules.

Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, Awho spent much of his life in Mexico and Spain, Bfirst achieved international recognition with his novel The Savage Detectives, a Cstory of writers in early 1970s Mexico City who embark on a road trip into the Sonora Desert Din search of a vanished poet. ENo error.

(A) The subject of this sentence is a person, so you must use “who” rather than “that” to describe him.  There is no confusion about who the “who” refers to.  The verb “spent” is also in past tense, which is the correct tense for writing about a person’s past.  There is no error here.

(B) This underlined portion comes after a relative clause, the part of the sentence between two commas.  Ignore that clause and make sure that the sentence still flows naturally.  Now the sentence reads:  Roberto Bolano first achieved international recognition with his novel.  The word “first” modifies “achieved” and is placed as close to it as possible.  The word “achieved” is in past tense because this accomplishment must have occurred in the past in order for it to be written about in this sentence.  There is no error here.

(C) This underlined portion tests your knowledge of idioms.  When a storBottom of Formy is about something, it is correct to say “a story about” or “a story of.”  The two options are interchangeable.  There is no error here.

(D)  The words “in search of” convey the same meaning as the words “to search for” without repeating the “to” from “into.”  There is no error here.

(E)  Having examined each underlined portion of the sentence, you can be sure that this answer is the right choice.  Remember, you are looking for errors, not possible ways to change or revise the sentence.  This sentence has no error.

The correct answer is (E).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 52% of the responses were correct.

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

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Finding a balance in life can be difficult.  When is it most important to make money?  When is it most important to spend time with family?  Read this article about how stores and restaurants are staying open during the holidays.  Try to think about this issue from a variety of perspectives.  Be sure to realize that many people observe holidays, religious or otherwise, that are not recognized by major companies in the United States.  If this topic interests you, write down the facts involved and use it as a current event for your SAT essay.

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 up the answer choices before reading the sentence so that wrong answers will not affect your thought process.  Read the sentence carefully and use context clues to predict a word to fill the blank.  Match your prediction to the correct answer choice, eliminating any word that does not match.  Be sure to look at all of the answer choices before selecting your answer.

He felt like a ------- at the meeting when his coworkers failed to acknowledge either his ideas for or his opinions of the new business plan.

How does a person feel when his ideas are not acknowledged?  This person probably feels worthless or undervalued.  You don’t have to come up with an exact word to fill the blank; you can simply predict that he felt like a “worthless person.”  Look down at your answer choices.

(A) magnate

(B) cohort

(C) nonentity

(D) bigwig

(E) lackey

(A) The Latin root “magn” means great or large – think of the word magnificent.  This is the opposite of your prediction.  Eliminate it.  (B) The Latin prefix “co” means together, but this person feels undervalued by others, a very isolating feeling.  Eliminate this choice.  (C) An entity is just something.  If this person feels like a “nonentity,” he feels completely worthless.  This answer choice matches your prediction.  Keep it.  (D) Even if you don’t know what a “bigwig” is, you know that the person in the sentence feels “small” rather than big.  Eliminate this choice.  (E) This looks like a good choice because it seems to contain the word “lack.”  However, you may have watched a movie in which a mob boss has a lackey.  The lackey runs around doing menial things for his boss, which does not really match your prediction.  Instead of trying to talk yourself into this answer, eliminate it.

The correct answer is (C).

Words used in this SC:

Magnate: Powerful person, usually in industry

Cohort: A person supporting the same thing, an accomplice

Nonentity: an unimportant person or thing

Bigwig: an important person

Lackey: a servant or servile follower

On sat.collegeboard.org, 62% of the responses were correct.

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

Lines

Geometry: Lines and Angles

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

Work all math problems the same way.  Read the problem carefully, identify the bottom line, and assess your options for solving the question.  Choose the most efficient method to attack the problem, and loop back to make sure that your answer matches the bottom line.

Four distinct lines lie in a plane, and exactly two of them are parallel. Which of the following could be the number of points where at least two of the lines intersect?

I. Three

II. Four

III. Five

Bottom Line: # intersections

Assess your Options: You could just start drawing any combination that you can think of, but try to think of the particular answer choices that you are given.  Examine options I, II, and III independently.

Attack the Problem: Think first about option I.  Go ahead and draw out two horizontal parallel lines.  The other lines cannot be parallel to these lines or to each other because the problem says that there are "exactly" two parallel lines.  How could you create three intersections?  One way is to make those next two lines into an “X” and put the middle of the X on one of the preexisting parallel lines.  If you extend the legs of the X out far enough (remember these are lines, not line segments), they will cross the other parallel line in two places.  You have created an image with 3 intersections while following all of the stipulations.

Now turn your attention to option II.  If you have two parallel lines, those lines will never cross.  You know that the other two lines cannot be parallel because this situation has "exactly two" parallel lines.  If you have two lines that are not parallel, no matter how close their slopes are, eventually they must cross.  That is why representing these lines as an X is a good idea.  Any combination of the lines other than the above combination will result in 1 intersection between the lines that are not parallel and 4 intersections where these lines cross the parallel lines for a total of 5 intersections.  There is no way to get only 4 intersections.

Look at option III.  You already thought about it conceptually while examining option II, but you can prove this possibility by drawing a picture.  Draw two horizontal parallel lines.  You can keep the other two lines as an X, but move the middle of the X off of the parallel lines.  Whether the middle of the X is between the parallel lines, above them, or below them, you will now have 5 intersections while following all of the stipulations. (This also confirms your thinking about option II.)

Loop Back:  You examined each option separately, so you are ready to look down at your answer choices.

(A) I only

(B) III only

(C) I and II only

(D) I and III only

(E) I, II, and III

The correct answer is (D).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 29% of the responses were correct.

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

Modifiers

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 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.

Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, Merce Cunningham's company, founded in 1953, consistently gave performances that caused some members of the audience to walk out.

Does this sentence sound odd to you?  Who is a great choreographer?  A choreographer is a person who creates dances, but this sentence seems to say that Merce Cunningham’s company is a great choreographer.   Paraphrase this sentence to clarify its meaning:  Merce Cunningham was a great choreographer, but his company created some terrible performances.  Now look down to see which of your answer choices fixes the error that you found and matches the original meaning of this sentence.

(A) Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, Merce Cunningham's company, founded in 1953,

(B) Although Merce Cunningham was hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, his company, founded in 1953,

(C) Founded in 1953, Merce Cunningham's company had one of the greatest choreographers of his time, himself, and

(D) Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, Merce Cunningham founded his company in 1953, which

(E) Merce Cunningham's company, founded in 1953, was hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, but

(A) You can immediately eliminate this choice because it matches the original sentence and retains the modification error of describing the company as a great choreographer.

(B) This answer fixes the error that you found and matches the original meaning of the sentence

(C) One of the problems with this answer choice is the use of the word “and.”  The conjunction “and” links two similar things.  Does it make sense for a company to have a great choreographer and terrible productions?  No!  This answer choice lacks a word signaling contrast such as “although” or “but.”  Eliminate this choice.

(D) The contrast comes at the wrong place in this answer choice.  The sentence seems to contrast being a great choreographer with founding a company in 1953.  If you are a great choreographer, it does not matter when you found a company; it should still create good performances.  Eliminate this choice.

(E) This choice retains the error of the original sentence in that it describes a company as a great choreographer.  

The correct answer is (B).

On sat.collegeboard.org, 51% 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. 

Use the same method for every sentence completion question.  Cover your answers so that you are not distracted by incorrect choices as you read the sentence carefully.  Then make a prediction for the easier blank.  Eliminate any choices that do not match your prediction.  Then make a prediction for the other blank. Eliminate any remaining choices that do not match your prediction.  You can be sure of your answer with this method.

Although they are perceived as ------- by some, the various vocalizations of the common loon may sound harsh and ------- to others.

This question requires you to think logically about the relationship between the two blanks.  The word “although” signals that there is a contrast.  Paraphrase the sentence to yourself: “Some people think the loon sounds one way, but others think it sounds another way.”  The second blank is linked with “and,” a conjunction that does not show contrast.  Whatever is in that blank must be like the word before it, “harsh.”  “Harsh” is a negative word, so the second blank must be negative.  Predict a negative word for the second blank and look down at your answer choices.

(A) irritable . . migratory

(B) mellifluous . . discordant

(C) soothing . . palatable

(D) pervasive . . strident

(E) loathsome . . intolerable

(A) The word migratory is not negative; it is neutral.  Migrating is not good or bad, it is just something that birds do.  Eliminate this choice.  (B) Discordant sounds negative, so keep it.  (C) Good food is palatable, so this is actually a positive word.  Eliminate it.  (D) Strident sounds negative, so keep it.  (E) Intolerable also sounds negative, so keep it as well.

Now go back to thinking about the original sentence.  The first blank had to contrast with the second blank because of the word “although.”  A positive word would contrast a negative word.  Predict a positive word for the first blank and look down at your remaining answer choices.

(B) mellifluous . . discordant

(D) pervasive . . strident

(E) loathsome . . intolerable

(B)  Mellifluous has the same root as melody.  These words come from the Latin prefix “mell-,” which means honey.  In this case it means “like honey,” not actual honey.  Think of the qualities of honey as being sweet and pleasing. (The Latin root “flu” means flow – think of the word “fluid.”)  This is definitely a positive word.  Keep it.  (D) Does the word pervasive sound positive?  Pervasive things are everywhere, which means that it could be a good or a bad thing depending on what is in abundance.  Eliminate this word.  (E) Loathsome is a really negative word.  Eliminate it.

The correct answer is (B).

Words used in this SC:

Vocalization: an utterance, sounds or words out loud

Loon: a bird

Irritable: easily annoyed

Migratory: someone that migrates, travels each season

Mellifluous: sweet and smooth (often used to describe words or voices)

Discordant: harsh or dissonant sounding

Soothing: giving relief

Palatable: pleasing to the taste

Pervasive: throughout everything

Strident: loud, shrill, grating, obnoxious

Loathsome: highly offensive, sickening

Intolerable: offensive, not proper or right to allow

On sat.collegeboard.org, 54% of the responses were correct.

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