All SAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #111 : Inserting Content
1 The job of the cryptozoologist is a taciturn one for sure. 2 Being unlike ordinary zoologists, that study the behaviors and lives of a cathartic variety of animals, cryptozoologists track down mythical animals whose existence has never or rarely been proven.
3 There is the Congolese J'ba FoFi, an enormous spider with legs allegedly over three feet long, the mokèlé-mbèmbé, a deadly African water dinosaur, and the phantom cat, an abnormally large feline found in various improbably places. 4 The origins of the word “cryptozoologist” come from the ancient Greek, crypto meaning “hidden” and “zoo” meaning animal.5 Some of the most famous of these mythical animals or cryptids are Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, and Chupacabra. 6 Many denizens consider cryptozoologists to be pseudoscientists; but, they believe that the discipline’s reliance on anecdotal evidence does not exclude it from the world of serious science.
7 Many of these animals seem too incredible to be believed and yes evidence is often flimsy, but the existence of fossil records sometimes provide evidence to the contrary. 8 As such many doubters attempt to machinate the cryptids’ existence, but cryptozoologists aim to abolish their skepticism.
What is the best title for this passage?
"Cryptozoos: True Occurrences?"
"Understanding the Cryptic"
"Cryptids Among Us"
"What is a Cryptozoologist?"
"Cryptozoology: Fact or Fiction?"
"What is a Cryptozoologist?"
While most of these titles touch on the main topic of the passage, the only one that gives an accurate sense of the text’s main purpose (to introduce readers to the profession of cryptozoology) is “What is a Cryptozoologist?”
Example Question #323 : Improving Paragraphs
1 Dream interpretation has a long and storied past. 2 Did you know that the ancient Egyptians were interpreting dreams thousands of years ago? 3 In ancient Greece, prophecies were often based off dreams; and in English literature including Shakespeare dreams have long held a significant role.
4 Common dream symbols include new rooms, which indicate new discoveries about the self, hair, which is purportedly related to sexuality, and forests, which alternately signal loss or variegated opportunities. 5 Books with titles ranging from The Lofty Principles of Dream Interpretation and Dream Alchemy offer advice, and opinions.6 More recently, psychologists have contributed their own analysis to the collaboration of interpretative literature. 7 What did you think your dreams mean?
What is the best title for this passage?
"Dreams: A How-To Interpretation Guide"
"Ways Your Dreams May Be Warning You"
"Dreams: What They Mean and How to Read Them"
"Dreams: An Interpretative Overview"
"To Dream: Historical Dangers"
"Dreams: An Interpretative Overview"
Only “Dreams: An Interpretative Overview” does not give the false impression that the passage will either teach readers how to interpret dreams or discuss hazardous aspects of dreaming.
Example Question #324 : Improving Paragraphs
1 If you’ve watched any environmental news reports in the last few years, it’s likely you’ve stumbled among the idea of fracking. 2 The word is short for “hydraulic fracturing” and involves injecting liquid into rock to create fractures and fractals, there allowing natural gas to be extracted more querulously.3 Proponents say the method facilitates oil drilling and allows countries, like the United States, to cut back on their foreign oil dependence. 4 Amateurs say that fracking, causes significant and sometimes irresponsible environmental damage.
5 Fracking can require sonorous quantities of water, and leach dangerous carcinogenic chemicals into the groundwater. 6 Some people have even inquired minor earthquakes to fracking: as the process thought to spurn tremors.7 Perhaps most worrisome, fracking allows governments to continue depending on fossil fuel rather than exploring renewable energy. 8 These sources could include wind turbines, solar panels, even hot springs and waterwheels.
What transitional word or phrase should begin Sentence 5?
In conclusion,
Therefore,
Moreover,
To elaborate,
On the other hand,
To elaborate,
Sentence 5 provides more information about a claim made in Sentence 4; in other words, it’s elaborating upon Sentence 4.
Example Question #328 : Improving Paragraphs
1 You may not know Gerard Manley Hopkins was a famous English poet. 2 Hopkins led a complicated life as a Jesuit priest, converting to Roman Catholicism in 1866. 3 Born in 1844 the poet was excellent at sketching from an early age and attended the University of Oxford from 1863 to 1867, where he met poets Christina Rossetti, Robert Bridges, and others. 4 According to his personal diaries, Hopkins frequently struggled to repress homoerotic urges, adopting an ascetic lifestyle, many believing that this contributed to his writing. 5 His work itself is characterized by an escarpment of conventional poetic meter, the use of sprung rhythm, frequent vivid imagery, and a careful and creative use of language.6 Sprung rhythm is a particular poetic rhythm that is intended to mimic natural speech and is distinguished by its irregular patterns although it is distinct from free verse.
7 Hopkins died when he was only in his forties, but his contributions to poetry – particularly his experimentation and his use of sprung rhythm – continue to obscure today.
What is the best title for this passage?
"Hopkins’ Unusual Conversion"
"Hopkins’ Unique Prosody"
"Hopkins’ Tormented Life"
"The Life and Work of Gerard Manley Hopkins"
"Catholicism and Poetry: Unlikely Bedfellows"
"The Life and Work of Gerard Manley Hopkins"
The passage gives a brief synopsis of the life and work of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and the correct title reflects this focus exactly. All the other titles focus too narrowly on one specific element of the passage.
Example Question #325 : Improving Paragraphs
1 By now it’s common knowledge that a food may be considered unctuous in one culture may be gleaned repulsive in another. 2 Octopus is one such food. 3 It valorizes its audiences, with some gourmands claiming its rubbery texture is unpalatable, others enjoying the unusual taste. 4 It’s cousin, squid, is known as “calamari,” and is also popular in many countries.5 Octopus can be fried in batter, roasted with herbs, steamed and sprinkled with paprika, serve it raw in sushi, or even eat it alive. 6 But be careful: The head of the octopus’ can be poisonous!
What is the best title for this passage?
"Cultural Foods"
"Delicious or Nutritious?"
"Delicious or Disgusting?"
"Eating Octopus"
"Consequences of Cultural Eating"
"Eating Octopus"
All the titles except “Eating Octopus” are too vague. The best title will point the reader in the right direction toward the main idea of the passage.
Example Question #115 : Inserting Content
1 If you’ve watched any environmental news reports in the last few years, it’s likely you’ve stumbled among the idea of fracking. 2 The word is short for “hydraulic fracturing” and involves injecting liquid into rock to create fractures and fractals, there allowing natural gas to be extracted more querulously.3 Proponents say the method facilitates oil drilling and allows countries, like the United States, to cut back on their foreign oil dependence. 4 Amateurs say that fracking, causes significant and sometimes irresponsible environmental damage.
5 Fracking can require sonorous quantities of water, and leach dangerous carcinogenic chemicals into the groundwater. 6 Some people have even inquired minor earthquakes to fracking: as the process thought to spurn tremors.7 Perhaps most worrisome, fracking allows governments to continue depending on fossil fuel rather than exploring renewable energy. 8 These sources could include wind turbines, solar panels, even hot springs and waterwheels.
What transitional word or phrase should begin Sentence 4?
However
Moreover
What’s more
Likewise
Furthermore
However
Sentence 4 introduces an opposite point of view from Sentence 3, so we need a transitional word that signifies contrast. Note that transitional words or phrases need to be followed by a comma. The sentence should read: "However, amateurs say that fracking, causes significant and sometimes irresponsible environmental damage."
Example Question #116 : Inserting Content
1 Punk rock developed in the mid-1970s. 2 It was a musical movement that arose out of antiauthoritarian garage bands.3 It was characterized by fast-paced songs, sedimentary lyrics, and a raw loud sound. 4 And often its lyrics were also political. 5 Some of the most famous punk rock bands came from England and the United States and including the Clash, the Sex Pistols, and the Ramones.
6 Punk bands tending to convince a liberal, anti-establishment, sensibility,and they were proponents of individualism, freedom, and nonconformity.7 (Later in the 1990s “riot grrrl” bands like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney used their punk music to draw attention on feminist concerns.)8 Now you can find, punk bands in cities all around the world.9 By the 1980s, the public was beginning to accept punk music, slowly becoming mainstream.
Which of the following topics would best contribute to the passage if added in a sentence?
A description of other musical genres that evolved at the same time as punk rock
Quotes from parents who disapproved of punk music
A description of the punk subculture that arose around the genre’s music scene
A ranking of song lyrics from several famous punk bands
A list of the top ten British punk bands
A description of the punk subculture that arose around the genre’s music scene
Describing the punk subculture and aesthetic would mostly closely align with the passage’s main goal: describing the essence of punk music to an unfamiliar audience. A simple list would certainly contribute, but it would contribute less than a thorough description of the subculture. Discussion of other musical genres, while potentially interesting, would potentially distract from the passage's main goal, and the same is true of a ranking of famous punk song lyrics.
Example Question #331 : Improving Paragraphs
1 Lemon juice with cayenne pepper, cabbage soup, cookies, grapefruit. 2 What do these have in common?3 They are all key ingredients in recent fad diets; since these diets sound promising, few lead to any permanent weight loss.4 Some of the worst can even lead to health problems, such as, vitamin deficiencies or anemia. 5 Instead of being concerned with lasting weight loss, they are promoting radical changes that only last a short time. 6 Cutting out too many calories at once from your diet can lead to dizziness, heart palpitations, and even a slower metabolism.
7 Some thinkers suggest that fad diets are really a way for us to impose order on our chaotic world, hundreds of food choices, conflicting advice from various health experts. 8 So why diet at all?
In Sentence 2, where should the word “foods” be inserted?
after “these”
after “What”
after “common”
after “have”
It should not be inserted
after “these”
In the case of a pronoun such as “these,” vagueness can be an issue, so it’s usually a good idea to include the noun as well. The sentence is discussing “these foods” mentioned in Sentence 1.
Example Question #332 : Improving Paragraphs
1 Lemon juice with cayenne pepper, cabbage soup, cookies, grapefruit. 2 What do these have in common?3 They are all key ingredients in recent fad diets; since these diets sound promising, few lead to any permanent weight loss.4 Some of the worst can even lead to health problems, such as, vitamin deficiencies or anemia. 5 Instead of being concerned with lasting weight loss, they are promoting radical changes that only last a short time. 6 Cutting out too many calories at once from your diet can lead to dizziness, heart palpitations, and even a slower metabolism.
7 Some thinkers suggest that fad diets are really a way for us to impose order on our chaotic world, hundreds of food choices, conflicting advice from various health experts. 8 So why diet at all?
What introductory word or phrase should begin Sentence 6?
More or less
And yet
On the other hand
Similarly
With all that said
Similarly
Sentence 6 presents different but related health issues from the ones discussed in Sentence 4, so “Similarly” will guide the reader to understand that we’re still discussing a relevant topic.
Example Question #113 : Inserting Content
1 Thoreau went to them when he wished to live deliberately, Whitman wrote about them in his book Leaves of Grass. 2 They clean the air, and harbor wildlife. 3 There are nearly 200 million, protected acres of them in the United States. 4 Forests are a national treasure.
5 Since the late 1800s, Congress and Presidents have decorated various areas of the country as national forests, grasslands, and preserves. 6 Some well known National Parks include the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Great Smoky Mountains. 7 Protecting forests helps safeguard native plant and animal species, it honors landscapes complex histories, and preserving the natural beauty for future generations.
Which sentence needs an apostrophe added to it?
Sentence 7
Sentence 2
Sentence 1
Sentence 6
Sentence 4
Sentence 7
In Sentence 7, the “complex histories” belong to the “landscapes,” so we must add an apostrophe to create the proper possessive: landscapes’.