SAT Writing : SAT Writing

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #81 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 That’s why codes of discipline have arisen for raising factual or difficult children. 2 Some experts avow for strict authoritative castigation at all times while others argue for gentle or praise centric approaches. 3 Many parents find themselves confounded with the problem of unruly children. 4 Most adults however can agree that consistency and consequences are two key components of disciplining any child from the most pugilist to the most mild-mannered. 5 Being too permissive or too authoritarian can ultimately result with many instances of bad behavior.

Which sentence needs a hyphen added to it?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 2

Sentence 1

Sentence 4

Sentence 3

None of the sentences

Correct answer:

Sentence 1

Explanation:

Because “praise centric” is a compound adjective modifying a noun, it requires hyphenation: “praise-centric.”

Example Question #82 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 Most of you probably know essays to be boring, tendentious assignments required for English class. 2 However the essay has a fascinating history.3 Did you know that the first known example of an essay came in the 16th-century? 4 Its author was Michel de Montaigne the French philosopher. 5 Today the genre includes such disparate types as the dialectic, the narrative, the critical, the historical, the descriptive, and the lyric essay. 6 The genre progressed with essays such as Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s On Poesy or Art, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of Her Own.” 7 It remains to be, see how the essay will evolve in the future.

Which sentence needs quotation marks inserted into it?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 6

Sentence 2

Sentence 3

Sentence 5

Sentence 4

Correct answer:

Sentence 6

Explanation:

Titles of short works such as stories, poems, and essays require quotation marks around them.

Example Question #83 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 Most of you probably know essays to be boring, tendentious assignments required for English class. 2 However the essay has a fascinating history.3 Did you know that the first known example of an essay came in the 16th-century? 4 Its author was Michel de Montaigne the French philosopher. 5 Today the genre includes such disparate types as the dialectic, the narrative, the critical, the historical, the descriptive, and the lyric essay. 6 The genre progressed with essays such as Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s On Poesy or Art, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of Her Own.” 7 It remains to be, see how the essay will evolve in the future.

Where should the following sentence be inserted in the passage? “Its etymology comes from the French verb ‘essayer,’ to try or attempt.”

Possible Answers:

Before Sentence 5

Before Sentence 2

Before Sentence 4

Before Sentence 3

Before Sentence 1

Correct answer:

Before Sentence 3

Explanation:

Because this sentence doesn’t have to do with the chronological progression of the essay but is important information that could appear early in the passage, the best place for it is before Sentence 3, the start of the discussion of chronological development.

Example Question #84 : Inserting Content

1 Most of you probably know essays to be boring, tendentious assignments required for English class. 2 However the essay has a fascinating history.3 Did you know that the first known example of an essay came in the 16th-century? 4 Its author was Michel de Montaigne the French philosopher. 5 Today the genre includes such disparate types as the dialectic, the narrative, the critical, the historical, the descriptive, and the lyric essay. 6 The genre progressed with essays such as Robert Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s On Poesy or Art, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of Her Own.” 7 It remains to be, see how the essay will evolve in the future.

Which of the following topics would most enhance the passage if added in the form of a sentence?

Possible Answers:

an argument that the essay is no longer a relevant genre

an analysis of how essay writing is taught in American schools

a list of essays written by Michel de Montaigne

an introduction to other genres of prose writing

a discussion of the essay’s evolution outside the Western world

Correct answer:

a discussion of the essay’s evolution outside the Western world

Explanation:

This passage is primarily presenting an overview of the development of the essay, so a sentence that provided perspective in the development of the essay beyond Western civilization would be most valuable. The rest of the subjects would be off topic for the passage.

Example Question #84 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 That’s why codes of discipline have arisen for raising factual or difficult children. 2 Some experts avow for strict authoritative castigation at all times while others argue for gentle or praise centric approaches. 3 Many parents find themselves confounded with the problem of unruly children. 4 Most adults however can agree that consistency and consequences are two key components of disciplining any child from the most pugilist to the most mild-mannered. 5 Being too permissive or too authoritarian can ultimately result with many instances of bad behavior.

Which of the following is not an acceptable title for this passage?

Possible Answers:

"Discipline in the Modern Age"

"How to Raise a Child"

"Developmental Child Psychology"

"Praise and Punishment"

"Contemporary Child-Rearing"

Correct answer:

"Developmental Child Psychology"

Explanation:

“Developmental Child Psychology” does not reflect the focus of this passage, child discipline. All the rest of the passages would be appropriate, as they address some aspect of the fundamental focus of the passage.

Example Question #85 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 W. Somerset Maugham was a proliferate and English author of more than two dozen books. 2 Born in 1874 and orphaned at a young age, also working as an ambulance driver in World War I and studying medicine in London. 3 Among his life he traveled in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, within other places, these experiences were also reflected in his writing. 4 His first novel, Liza of Lambeth, drew on these real-life experiences and became an instant bestseller, when it was published, in 1897. 5 One of Maugham’s most famous works, the American writer Theodore Dreiser gave a glowing review to the 1915 novel Of Human Bondage. 6 His legacy includes many plays, film adaptations, a tumultuous love life, an epigrammatic British literary award (the Somerset Maugham Award), and a steady if unexperimental oeuvre of fiction.

In which of the following sentences should the author explain that the “W.” in “W. Somerset Maugham” stands for “William”?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 2

Sentence 5

Sentence 4

Sentence 1

Sentence 3

Correct answer:

Sentence 1

Explanation:

Since Sentence 1 introduces the author, it makes most sense to clarify this important information about his name in that sentence.

Example Question #86 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 Generally, a person will tell you they prefer not to have their food burned. 2 Because caramel: a delicious sticky dessert, is actually made by slowly burning sugar. 3 A copper saucepan, a candy thermometer, and sugar and water are all you need to make this lascivious treat. 4 Although some chefs prefer to use their eyes and nose rather than a thermometer. 5 Desserts that will be made from caramel, including ice cream, pies, crème brûlée, candy apples, nougats, flan, and pralines. 6 However it may take many disastrous attempts and scorched pans while the amateur caramel maker achieves the golden, buttery perfection of this tasty dessert.

Where should a comma be added in Sentence 2?

Possible Answers:

between “slowly” and “burning”

between “actually” and “made”

between “because” and “caramel”

between “delicious” and “sticky”

between “sticky” and “dessert”

Correct answer:

between “delicious” and “sticky”

Explanation:

When two adjectives precede and modify the same noun, a comma is typically used to separate those two adjectives. No comma is used between the final adjective and the noun, however.

Example Question #87 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 While maybe he wasn’t as well known as Bluebeard or Captain Kidd, Bill Johnston was still known as a feared pirate and river smuggler in his day.2 That day being the War of 1812. 3 You see, he came from a British Loyalist family and settled in Upper Canada before beginning a career as a Lake Ontario schooner captain, he carried legal cargo as well as smuggled tea and rum into Canada. 4 When the War of 1812 began he spied on the British for several years. 5 In 1838, his most famous escapade occurred: in the capture and burning of the enemy ship Sir Robert Peel. 6 Because Johnston was arrested many times during his life (including for this crime against the Sir Robert Peel), he always either escaped jail or was not convicted because of juries sympathetic view of his activities. 7 Many people do not know that another name for pirate is “corsair.” 8 Nevertheless, Johnston played many roles in his lifetime – everything from fugitive and corsair, criminal and hero.

To what sentence should an apostrophe be added?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 5

Sentence 2

Sentence 4

Sentence 3

Sentence 6

Correct answer:

Sentence 6

Explanation:

In Sentence 6, “juries” should be made possessive by adding an apostrophe after the “s.”

Example Question #508 : Sat Writing

1 W. Somerset Maugham was a proliferate and English author of more than two dozen books. 2 Born in 1874 and orphaned at a young age, also working as an ambulance driver in World War I and studying medicine in London. 3 Among his life he traveled in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, within other places, these experiences were also reflected in his writing. 4 His first novel, Liza of Lambeth, drew on these real-life experiences and became an instant bestseller, when it was published, in 1897. 5 One of Maugham’s most famous works, the American writer Theodore Dreiser gave a glowing review to the 1915 novel Of Human Bondage. 6 His legacy includes many plays, film adaptations, a tumultuous love life, an epigrammatic British literary award (the Somerset Maugham Award), and a steady if unexperimental oeuvre of fiction.

What is the best title for the passage?

Possible Answers:

"Productive 20th-Century Orphans"

"The Life of an Author"

"Medical Student Turned Author"

"Famous Ambulance Drivers and Writers"

"Travels and the Writing Life"

Correct answer:

"The Life of an Author"

Explanation:

Only “The Life of an Author” accurately encompasses every aspect of this passage, which serves to introduce readers to the famous English author W. Somerset Maugham. The emphasis is on Maugham's life and career as an author. The best choice here is the one that most accurately reflects the passage's overall intent and focus.

Example Question #88 : Inserting Or Deleting Content

1 Generally, a person will tell you they prefer not to have their food burned. 2 Because caramel: a delicious sticky dessert, is actually made by slowly burning sugar. 3 A copper saucepan, a candy thermometer, and sugar and water are all you need to make this lascivious treat. 4 Although some chefs prefer to use their eyes and nose rather than a thermometer. 5 Desserts that will be made from caramel, including ice cream, pies, crème brûlée, candy apples, nougats, flan, and pralines. 6 However it may take many disastrous attempts and scorched pans while the amateur caramel maker achieves the golden, buttery perfection of this tasty dessert.

What is the best title for this passage?

Possible Answers:

"Caramel: A Rich History"

"Caramel Chefs"

"Cooking Caramel"

"Contemporary Caramel"

"Carmel or Caramel: Orthographical Disputes"

Correct answer:

"Cooking Caramel"

Explanation:

Only “Cooking Caramel” is sufficient to give the reader an idea of what the entire passage is about: the process of making caramel.

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