Rhetoric

The new SAT differs from the old SAT in one very important way: grammar questions are embedded within passages and you need to read the entire passage in order to answer some of the questions (this format is exactly the same as the Writing section in ACT, so if you have done any prep work for that exam, you are ahead of the curve here).

There are a few different types of rhetoric questions.  We put them all together for two reasons:

1. They are similar.  They ask you to understand the entire passage (or a portion of the passage) and decide whether to, or where to, add or delete particular sentences to add information, improve clarity, etc.  These are "big picture" writing questions.
2. They are hard.  When you are reading and focusing on small details like commas and apostrophes, it's hard to also bear in mind the overall argument of the passage. If you are struggling with the Writing and Language section, or you tend to run out of time, these are the questions you want to think about skipping (or think about skipping on for passages that you are struggling to understand).  These questions can take a long time and it can be hard to figure out what SAT wants you to say. Have your "guess letter" handy as you answer these questions.

That said, the questions are not impossible.  In fact, there are some good ways to think about some of them. 

Let's go through the types of questions from (usually) easiest to hardest:

"The writer is considering adding..." questions. 

These questions suggest adding a phrase or sentence. You recommend adding (There will be two answers starting with "Yes") or not adding (There will be two answers starting with "No").  The first thing you want to decide is, should the writer add the phrase.  Consider the following:

• Does the phrase fit with the overall main idea of the passage or does it go off topic? (If it goes off topic, no, do not add).
• Does the phrase fit with the specific paragraph or does it go off topic? (If it goes off topic, no, do not add). 
• Does the phrase fit between the two other phrases or sentences it is sandwiched in between? (If no, no, do not add). 
• Does the phrase support main argument of the passage? (If no, no, do not add). 

Then, if you answer yes to all of the questions above, think about what the phrase will do:

• Does it add examples that are relevant to the topic?
• Does it add support to the main argument? 
• Does it demonstrate something just stated?
• Does it add more relevant details to something just explained?
• Does it connect one sentence or paragraph to another?
• Does it connect one part of the passage to another?

Going through the questions above should lead you, pretty logically, to decide upon "Yes" or "No" and why.

"Which choice most clearly restates..." questions. 

These questions are like "Main Idea" or "Primary Purpose" questions in the reading section.  You need to figure out the author's thesis and then restate it.  All of the answers are going to look reasonably good. To find the true main idea or thesis, consider the following:

• What are you restating?  You may be asked to restate the main idea of the entire passage or just a single paragraph.  Identify the part of the passage you are working with and stick with it. 
• Who is the main character or subject of the passage? (Make sure the restatement is about this main character or subject, not something smaller that was discussed in part of the passge or paragraph).
• How does the author feel about this main character or subject?  If the article is positive, make sure that the restatement is positive.

Once you know the idea you want to restate, look at your options to make sure that:

• It is grammatically correct.
• It fits logically into the passage in the correct location. (Pay special attention to transition words).

"To make the sentence most logical sentence/paragraph should be placed..." questions. 

These questions ask you to think about the placement of a paragraph or sentence and consider moving it to a new location.  These questions are very difficult.  If you struggle with these types of questions or with time, these are definitely ones to consider guessing and skipping. To try to answer them, make sure to consider the following:

• First, does the sentence sound right where it is? If it does, consider A a strong possibility.  If not, cross A out.
• Logically, given the flow of the passage/paragraph, where does the sentence seem to belong? Is it introducing something? Is it drawing a conclusion?
• Pay good attention to transition words.  Many of these answers are determined by small, grammatical details. Check the transition words leading into and leading out of the sentence where you want to place it.  Do they all work?
• Pay attention to verb tense and singular/plural agreement.  If you move a sentence, will the tense and singular/plural words still agree? (This is the easiest clue to miss!)

As you play with these placements, only cross out options that really DO NOT work.  You may be stuck with an option you don't love.  But if you have to guess in the end, make sure that you've eliminated the options that are truly wrong.  Sometimes, without insight into just what SAT is thinking, making the determination between the last two options is really hard, even for a seasoned test taker. 

Overall, if you are really struggling with this section, take one practice section where you do all the grammar questions and skip/guess on these rhetorical questions.  You might find that with added time on the more rule driven questions, you actually get a better score!  And, keep reading and thinking, as your reading skills improve (and you get more used to this format) you might be able to start working on the easier rhetorical questions and then work your way up to the harder ones.