New SAT Writing and Language : New SAT

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for New SAT Writing and Language

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : How To Find Absolute Value

Define an operation  as follows:

For all real numbers ,

Evaluate 

Possible Answers:

Both  and 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Example Question #1 : Functions As Graphs

 

 

The graph below is the graph of a piece-wise function in some interval.  Identify, in interval notation, the decreasing interval.

 

Domain_of_a_sqrt_function

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

As is clear from the graph, in the interval between  ( included) to , the  is constant at  and then from ( not included) to  ( not included), the  is a decreasing function.

Example Question #1 : How To Use The Inverse Variation Formula

If  varies inversely as , and  when , find  when .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for inverse variation is as follows: 

Use the x and y values from the first part of the sentence to find k. 

Then use that k value and the given x value to find y.

 

Example Question #1 : New Sat Math Calculator

Lines

Refer to the above diagram:

True or false:  may also called .

Possible Answers:

True

False

Correct answer:

False

Explanation:

A line can be named after any two points it passes through. The line  is indicated in green below.

Lines 2

The line does not pass through , so  cannot be part of the name of the line. Specifically,  is not a valid name.

Example Question #2 : New Sat Math Calculator

Sally sells custom picture frames.  Her monthly fixed costs are $350.  It costs $10 to make each frame.  Sally sells her picture frames for $35 each.

How many picture frames must Sally sell in order to break even?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The break-even point is where the costs equal the revenues.

Let  = # of frames sold

Costs: 

Revenues: 

Thus,

So 14 picture frames must be sold each month to break-even.

Example Question #1 : How To Graph A Point

Mrs. Smith's 8th grade class has a weekly quiz. The graph below depicts the number of questions students got incorrect on their quiz and their corresponding quiz grade. Examining the graph, what type of correlation if any, exists? 

Screen shot 2016 02 10 at 10.06.45 am

Possible Answers:

The graph depicts no correlation.

The graph depicts a negative correlation.

More information is needed.

The graph depicts a constant correlation.

The graph depicts a positive correlation.

Correct answer:

The graph depicts a negative correlation.

Explanation:

Mrs. Smith's 8th grade class had a quiz last week. The graph below depicts the number of questions students got incorrect on their quiz and their corresponding quiz grade. In other words, the graph in this particular question is a dot plot and the question asks to find a correlation if one exists.

Recall that a correlation is a trend seen in the data. Graphically, trends can be either:

I. Positive 

II. Negative

III. Constant

IV. No trend

For a trend to be positive the x and y variable both increase. A trend is negative when the y variable (dependent variable) decreases as the x variable (independent variable) increases. A constant trend occurs when the y variable stays the same as the x variable increases. No trend exists when the data appears to be scattered with no association between the x and y variables.

Screen shot 2016 02 10 at 10.06.45 am

Examining the graph given it is seen that the x variable is the number of questions missed and the y variable is the overall score on the quiz. It is seen that as the number of questions missed increases, the overall score on the quiz decreases. This describes  a negative trend.

In other words, the graph depicts a negative correlation.

Example Question #1 : New Sat Math Calculator

Convert three yards to inches.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To solve this problem, we need to know the conversions between yards to feet, and feet to inches.  Write their correct conversions.

Convert three yards to feet.

Convert nine feet to inches.

Example Question #2 : New Sat Math Calculator

High and low 2

Above is a graph which gives the high and low temperatures, in degrees Celsius, over a one week period for Washington City. Temperature given in degrees Celsius can be converted to the Fahrenheit scale using the following formula, where  and  are the temperature expressed in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit, respectively:

On how many days of the week shown on the graph did the temperature get above ?

Possible Answers:

Three

Five

Six

Four

Seven

Correct answer:

Three

Explanation:

Convert  to the Celsius scale by setting  in the conversion formula and solving for :

The question is therefore asking for the number of days that the temperature topped . Examine the graph below:

High and low 3

The high temperature was greater than  on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday - three different days.

Example Question #242 : New Sat

Define an operation  as follows:

For all real numbers ,

Evaluate: .

Possible Answers:

None of the other responses is correct.

The expression is undefined.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

, or, equivalently,

Example Question #14 : How To Find A Solution Set

Which of the following is a true statement?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Looking at the second statement, isolate x on one side with all other constants and variables on the other side.

Looking at the third statement, isolate z on one side with all other constants and variables on the other side. 

Looking at the first statement, isolate y on one side with all other constants and variables on the other side. 

From here, use these equivalencies so solve for y.

Substituting twice:

 

 

 

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors