Page 897, Question 34
This question might look at first like an Improving Sentences question, but it actually has elements of Passage-Based Reading in it, as well. Many of the answer choices may seem grammatically or stylistically similar, but only one answer choice begins with a phrase that ties it back to the previous sentences in the essay. Choice (B) begins with “in addition,” which shows that the idea in this sentence is meant as another example of the way that Hoover “triumphed over the limits of her position and the times in which she lived,” as described in sentence 12.
This question is an excellent example of the way that an easily overlooked issue like the lead-in phrase on a sentence can clearly indicate which answer is correct once we notice it.
Page 958, Question 30
This question asks us how to handle sentence 4, so we’ll rely mostly on the approach we would use for Improving Sentences questions. Since the question gives us the option to delete or move the sentence, we may also have to consider the College Board’s patterns for ideal paragraphs. Let’s see what happens.
(A) doesn't seem to make much sense because we should delete sentences if they only contain ideas that don’t appear elsewhere in the paragraph, which isn’t the case here.
(B) doesn’t work because nothing would be improved from the standpoint of the College Board’s patterns if those two sentences were switched.
(C) might look like a pretty bad answer at first, since it would make the sentence longer, which is generally not good on the SAT. But (C) actually fixes an SAT grammatical issue that we might not have noticed originally: the word “they” in sentence 4 technically can’t refer to the word “elevator” in sentence 3, because “elevator” is singular and “they” is plural. So this answer choice actually fixes a grammatical issue that no other choice will fix, which is why it’s correct.
(D) doesn’t help any of the College Board’s rules or patterns for the Writing section.
(E) just makes the sentence longer without fixing anything.
Once more we see the importance of reading carefully and knowing the test’s rules!
Conclusion
Now you’ve covered everything you need to know in order to answer Improving Paragraphs questions on the Writing Section of the SAT. As long as you remember that these questions are mostly Improving Sentences and Passage-Based Reading questions in disguise, you’ll have no problems.
The next page contains a one-page summary of the major ideas for the Improving Paragraphs questions. Make sure you don’t stop reading after that, though—we still have a few important points to consider.
Video Demonstrations
If you’d like to see videos of some sample solutions like the ones in this book, please visit www.SATprepVideos.com. A selection of free videos is available for readers of this book.
Improving Paragraphs Quick Summary
This is a one-page summary of the major relevant concepts. Use it to evaluate your comprehension, jog your memory, whatever. For a more in-depth treatment of these ideas, see the rest of the section.
The Big Secret: These questions are basically a combination of Improving Sentences questions and Passage-Based Reading questions, with one more idea thrown in.
These questions can seem to vary widely on the surface but they’re all basically the same.
Questions that ask about fixing or combining sentences should be answered like Improving Sentences questions. Find the choice that follows the SAT grammar rules and has the best SAT style according to the 3 Improving Sentences patterns.
Questions that ask about the meaning of a word or phrase should be treated like Passage-Based Reading questions.
The SAT likes paragraphs in which every concept appears more than once. So if you’re asked to add or delete sentences, then:
oadd sentences that restate ideas in the paragraph and contribute the fewest new concepts
odelete sentences that mention ideas that aren’t found elsewhere in the paragraph
Here's the Improving Paragraphs process:
oIdentify the type of question you're dealing with.
oUse the modified Improving Sentences approach for questions about fixing or combining sentences.
oUse the Passage-Based Reading approach for questions about the meanings of words or phrases.
oIf you’re asked about adding or deleting sentences, add sentences that restate ideas in the paragraph, and/or delete sentences that mention ideas that aren’t elsewhere in the paragraph.
For examples of these ideas in action, please see the sample Blue Book solutions in this Black Book.
Being An SAT Machine
“Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.”
- Michelangelo