SAT Writing Course

05/07/23

week 1

Some general writing tips:

1. All things equal, shorter is better

2. Always check all four choices

Fragments
RULE: We need to have both a subject and a main verb in sentences in order it to be completed
FRAGMENT: A group of words that seems like a sentence but lacks a subject and/or main verb necessary to allow it to
stand on its own (i.e. be an independent clause).

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE: A group of words that can stand by itself as a sentence. Contain subject and main verb.
I walking - I am walking
The violinist, who trained with the great masters, playing at the theater right now. - The violinist, who trained with the
great masters, plays at the theater right now.
NOTE: “trained” - is a part of the who-clause that describes the main sentence, but not the action

Run-Ons & Comma Splices

RULE: We can’t smash 2 sentences without punctuation at all
RUN ON: Two independent clauses (sentences that can stand on their own) smashed together with no attempt at
coordination (attaching them properly with punctuation and/or other words)
Length does not matter:
John sat in the restaurant he loves as a child, a restaurant that reminded him of days spent walking the streets of the
great city with his pals, wondering if he would ever see outside its walls.

Comma Splices:
RULE: When we have 2 complete individual sentences - a comma is not enough
I walk, I run
I walk, then I run
The Yankees played my high school baseball team, we won!

Coordination
RULE: When we add the comma and the conjunction we have to make sure that we have a completed sentence
COORDINATION = combining 2 (or more) independent clauses into one sentence
He visited the aquarium stole a seal - He visited the aquarium, and he stole a seal

COORDINATION ⇒ COMMA+FANBOYS (conjunctions)

For I shook his hand, for he was a jolly good fellow

And The Yankees played my high school baseball team, and we won!

Nor Don Draper does not treat women, nor does not he treat himself well.

SAT Writing Course 1

 But I wanted to go to the Moon, but I failed my rocket test
Or I will go to France, or I will go to Delaware

Yet Maria expected to enjoy the movie, yet she found it dull

So Joe forgot which wire to cut, so he cut all of them.

Semicolons
RULE: A semicolon must connect two complete sentences (independent clauses) - no fragments allowed!! (A
“semicolon splice” is legal!). Generally, we prefer to use semicolons if the two clauses express some related idea.

EXAMPLES:

The shareholders were getting impatient; the CEO knew he needed to improve the company’s quarterly numbers.

The rocket jettisoned its first stage; there was no need for the ship to carry that dead weight into orbit.

An exceptional case:
I’ve lived in Tallahassee Florida; Sacramento, California; Austin, Texas; and New York, New York.

Colons
RULE: Colons MUST follow an independent clause, but basically anything can follow a colon.

Сases of the colon use

1. Introduce a list (must be used after an independent clause)

I have three hobbies: eating fancy foods, driving fancy cars, and buying mansions.

2. Connect two independent clauses provided that the second sentence explains or expands on the first

I never thought I’d see the day: My cat graduated from college!

3. Introduce a short explanatory statement

That day I saw the most amazing thing in the world: a skateboarding penguin.

4. Introduce a quote

My dad always said: “Never get involved in a land war in Asia”

RULE: We don’t combine semicolons with the FANBOYS conjunction, so you would never have semicolons and “but”,
semicolons and “for”, etc.

Dashes
RULE: Dashes function like commas and colons while also adding emphasis. Be consistent - do not mix commas and
dashes. They are generally more informal than the punctuation marks.

EXAMPLES:

Everyone I know - even Bob, Mary, and John - attended my party. (can be replaced with commas)

The apartment’s inhabitants - three dogs, a cat, and a squirrel - had made a mess of the place. (can be replaced
with commas)

There are only two guarantees in life - death and taxes. (can be replaced with a colon)

Dashes can also show interruptions, interjections (перебивання), or a change in thought.

EXAMPLES:

SAT Writing Course 2

 His continued quests - I would say failures - to win the lottery drained his bank account (cannot be replaced with
commas, because it’s a complete sentence and comma wouldn’t be enough)

“Why did you buy the - oh, nevermind.”

You are the student - the only student - who actually turned in the assignment on time

09/07/23

Subordination
DEPENDENT/SUBORDINATE CLAUSE: Clause that can’t stand by itself without creating a fragment. It “depends” on
(is subordinate to) an independent clause.

after before in order that since unless where while

although even if now that so that until whereas that

as even though provided that than when wherever

because if rather than though whenever whether

blue - dependent clause (DC)

purple - independent clause (IC)
Although I pretend otherwise, I love practicing fot the SAT.
I love practicing fot the SAT although I pretend otherwise

Because the company expanded too quickly, it is having cash flow problems.
The company is having cash flow problems because it expanded too quickly.

Can coordinate or subordinate:

The Yankees played my high school baseball team, and we won!
When the Yankees played my high school baseball team, we won!

Sentence Combination
Ways to connect sentences together:
1. Separate sentences with a period

I bought a computer. I need it for work.

2. Use FANBOYS conjunction with comma

I bought the computer, for I need it for work.

3. Use a semicolon

I bought a computer; I need it for work.

4. Transform one independent clause into a subordinate clause or a phrase

I bought a computer beause I need it for work.

Needing the computer for work, I bought it.

5. Use a colon

There is one good reason I bought the computer: I need it for work.

SAT Writing Course 3

 For the purposes of the SAT, shorter (more concise) is usually best. Also pay attention to the
LOGIC of the combined sentence within the context of the paragraph. (See Rhetorical Skills)

Participial Phrases
PARTICIPAL PHASE: a phase that begins with “ing” word
Kicking the can as he walked, the boy worried about the broken window.

The boy, kicking the can as he walked, worried about the broken window.
The boy kicking the can as he walked worried about the broken window.
The boy worried about the broken window, kicking the can as he walked.

“kicking” does not have a tense, it shows simultaneity - two things happen

Wiped out by Flamesrtike, his board didn’t look very promising.

His board, wiped out by Flamestrike, didn’t look very promising.
RULE: Participal phrases can connect sentences efficiently as long as there is no ambiguity (двозначність)

Dangling & Misplaced Modifiers

While watching a baseball game, a ball or bat could fly at you at any time, so keep your head up! - there is no
person doing action (because a ball or bat can’t watch the game)

Looking out the window, a car that Jake didn’t recognize pulled into his driveway. - Looking out the window, Jake
saw a car he didn’t recognize

Finally understanding what he meant by his cryptic warning, lightning flashed, and the skies rumbled. - Finally
understanding what he meant by his cryptic warning, I become scared as lightning flashed, and the skies rumbled.

Trainers should use clickers to work with their dogs, a device that signals correct behavior when the clicker is
pressed. - Trainers should use clickers, a device that signals correct behavior, to work with their dogs when the
clicker is pressed

The scientist defended his theory from his colleagues, which tries to explain the movement of the planets in Galaxy
XYZ. - The scientist defended his theory, which tries to explain the movement of the planets in Galaxy XYZ, from
his colleagues.

RULE: Participal phrases (and other modifiers) generally apple to the noun they are closest to, so look out for
ambiguity or vagueness.

Essential vs. Nonessential

RULE: Participal phrases, relative clauses, and appositive phrases that appear in the missle of a sentence will either
take TWO commas or NONE depending on whether the clause/phrase is ESSENTIAL (resrtictive) or NONESSENTIAL
(nonrestrictive)
The man, flying over Metropolis, used his X-ray vision to find the bank robbers. - non-essentilal
The man flying over Metropolis used his X-ray vision to find the bank robbers. - essential

He Who Must Not Be Named is a bad dude! - E

He, who must not be named is a bad dude! - NE
Former CEO Bill Stockton will meet with the Board to discuss options for leadership change. - E

SAT Writing Course 4

 A former CEO, Bill Stockton, once praised the Board for its wise decisions. - NE

In most SAT Writing questions, you won’t have to choose between two commas or none.
Eliminating the choices that just use one comma or make seome other errors should hepl
you POE to the correct answer. However, in circumstances in which tou have to choose, ask
yourself, “If this information essential or nonessential to the sentence?” or remove the words
between commas and ask, “Does this sentence still make sense?”

RULE:
If essential or sentence DOESN’T make sense ⇒ no commas
If nonessential or sentence DOES make sense ⇒ two commas

Relative Pronouns & Clauses

Relative clauses modify nouns and pronouns. They begin with relative pronouns (which,
that, who, whom, whose) or relative adverbs (where, when, why). They can either be
essential or nonessential.

You can use the car, which is parked in the front of the garage, to drive to the circus. - nonessential
You can use the car that is parked in the front of the garage to drive to the circus. - essential
The stranger, whom I saw yesterday, left behind a bag of gold.

WHO vs. WHOM

ANTECESENT: the noun that the pronoun refers to or stands in for.
RULE:
Is the antecedent DOING action? Then use who. - subject
Is the antecedent the TARGET OR BENEFICIARY of an action? Then use whom. - object

12/07/2023
week 2

Appositive Phrases
RULE: Apposotive phrases are part of the larger sentences but they aren’t themselves complete sentences
APPOSITIVE: a noun or noun phrase that modifies the noun it follows or preceds. You can think of it as “renaming” or
“defining” the noun.
Most of the time you will set it off from the rest of the sentence with commas.
EXAMPLES:

This soldier, James Francis Rangers, was the last of five brothers to survive Worls Was II

My ultimate goal, to win the champinship, suddenly became an impossibility.

Will Ferrell, a comediam who has starred in movies such as Anchorman and Elf, is a pretty funnt dude.

Parallelism

SAT Writing Course 5

 PARALLELISM: different parts of sentence that have the same functions or importance must share the same form or
pattern. You will often see this when listing out items.
Not only… but also is an important pattern that must exhibit parallelism.
EXAMPLES:

I like swimming, running, and to play baseball. - I like swimming, running, and playing baseball.

The new science textbook teaches experimental methods, theoretical concepts, and instructs students on proper
technique.

Janet claimed to not only know the answer but also understood how to explain it clearly. - Janet claimed to not
only know the answer but also understand how to explain it clearly.

Comparison Errors
EXAMPLES:

I like John’s cookies as much as Mary. - I like John’s cookies as much as Mary does.

I think Google’s strategy is better than Microsoft

I think Google’s strategy is better than Microsoft’s
I think Google’s strategy is better than Microsoft’s strategy
I think Google’s strategy is better than that of Microsoft (or “those of” if it’s plural)

Make sure you are comparing like-to-like. This is a species of parallelism error.

Comma Usage (Summary)

RULE: Comma usage is not arbitary; there are clear rules to follows.
A long sentence does’t necessarily need a comma! This is not to say however, that such sentence is a “good”
sentence.

“USE A COMMA WHEN THE READER PAUSES OR TAKES A BREATH.” = ok beginner

rule, but inadequate for the SAT

SAT RULES FOR COMMAS

1. Coordinate two independent clauses (with FANBOYS conjunction)

The book was very long, so it took me three years to finish.

2. Separate subordinities & independent clause (in that order).

Even though Randy offered me $2 million, I declined to sell him my favorite paperclip.
NOTE: If independed clause (IC) comes after depended one (DC) we DO need a comma. If it flipped: we have IC first
and then DC, then we DO NOT need a comma.
blue - dependent clause (DC)
purple - independent clause (IC)

3. Set off participal phrases from the main sentence (beginning or end) of they refer to the subject.

Waiting for the signal, Anton readied his water ballon.

Bradley ran away from the velociraptor, praying that it had not seen him.

4. Set off small introductory words and phrases like “however” and “in fact”

SAT Writing Course 6

 In conclusion, i see no flaw with your plan.
Finally, put your computer in the microwave.
NOTE: in the preceding examples we used ONE COMMA to separate clauses & phrases drom the beginning and end
of sentences OR to separate sentences fron one another.

5. Set off non-restrictive clauses & phrases (participal, relative, apositive). “Two or None Rule”

The ACT, the test that previously placed second to the SAT, finally surpassed its competitor last year.
The document, which has not yet been released to the public, clearly shows that Stebe Jobs stole the idea for iPod
from Martians.

6. Separating members of a list.

I enjoy swimming, dancing, and watching movies.

The robber smashed the window, entered the house, and saw the Rottweiler.

16/07/2023

Noun Agreement
EXAMPLES:

John and Mary want to become an astronaut. - John and Mary want to become an astronauts. -

Different kinds of elements have a different atomic mass. - Different kinds of elements have a different atomic
masses.

Make sure nouns that “are” or “become” other nouns must agree in number - singular or plural.

Subject Verb Agreement

RULE: Make sure your subjects and verbs agree in number: singular or plural. Remember that singular verbs end in -
s, and plural verbs do not end in -s. Plural nouns, however, end in -s, while singular nouns do not end in -s.

The boy walks The boys walk

EXAMPLES:

The investigation of the financial crimes committed by pyramid scheme are is being conducted by the top lawyer in
the state.

Samples of moon dust and other substances recovered from the Moon is are just one some of the scientific
treasures obtained during the Apollo missions.

Tense
RULE: The fine distinctions between different tenses aren’t as important as maintaining the consistency of
past/present in a sentence and paragraph. Look for the tenses of other verbs (time clues, e.g. “ten years
ago”,”tomorrow”) in the sentence and/or paragraph and use that as your gide.
EXAMPLES:

Bob tried to hold in laughter as Grandpa Roland says said grace with masched potatoes on his nose.

Ten years ago, the travelling circus came to town and displays displayed its assortment of aces and wonders.

After the meltdown at Chernobyl, the surrounding town of Pripyt was rendered uninhabitable and had displayed
high levels of background radiation.

SAT Writing Course 7

 Pronoun Agreement
RULE: Make sure your pronouns agree with their antecedents in number - singular or plural.
NOTE: they, their, and them can refer to things as well as people.
EXAMPLES:

A student might want to determine their his or her major before starting college.

People who want to do well on the SAT must dedicate his or her their time appropriately.

The town is well known for its hospitality; they it always try tries to make visitors feel welcome.

Every student should bring their his or her books to class.

Each of the great theorises of physics are is known for their complexity.

Ambiguous Pronouns
Every pronoun must have a clear and unambiguous antecedent. Watch out for troublesome pronouns: it, its, they, their,
them, this.
EXAMPLES:

After the recent natural disasters in multiple states, they officials have called for new regulations.

In the magazine article, it the company reported a huge budget deficit.

Apostrophones
RULES FOR APOSTROPHONES
1. Use ‘s with singular nouns to show possesion:

The boy’s car

The company’s produce
The dog’s bone

2. Use s’ with plural nouns:

The boys’ club

The players’ coach
The wolves’ pack

3. DO NOT use apostrophers to pluralize nouns:

I like eating apple’s and orange’s

4. Apostrophes also show the omission of letters in constractions:

Do not = don’t
Are not = aren’t

5. its vs. it’s

it’s = it is
its = possessive form of it (That is its contol panel)
EXAMPLES:

Removing toxins is one of the livers liver’s core function.

I didn’t believe the boy’s claims because I know that toilet papering houses is their his preferred prank

I didn’t believe the boy’s boys’ claims because I know that toilet papering houses is their preferred prank

SAT Writing Course 8

 The wolves’ wolves circling the camp apparently were unfazed by our torches.

Reflexive Pronouns
RULE: Reflexive pronouns used when the subject of the sentence does some action to him/her/itself

Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves,

themselves

EXAMPLES:

Martha became famous for her novel Hogh Tides, a book that plucked herself her from obscurity and made her
famous.

Direct injures to Bob or myself me.

Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis.

To avoid any further compications, Jane will talk to the clients herself.

SAT Writing Course 9