Hey, fellow applicants. English isn't my strongest suit and I'm kinda nervous about the SAT English section. Does anyone have any tips to help improve my performance in this area? I'd greatly appreciate it!
Hey there! Totally understand your apprehension - English can be a pretty complex subject with its intricate grammar rules and tricky reading comprehension. The good news is you can certainly improve with practice and a bit of strategy. Here are a few tips that might make things easier:
1. Vocabulary in context: The SAT prefers to test vocabulary in context rather than obscure words. When you come across a word you don’t recognize, try to figure out its meaning based on the context before looking at the answer choices. Then find the answer that matches your understanding. Basically, context is king.
2. Evidence-backed answers: In the Reading section, you'll sometimes encounter two-question sets where the second question asks for evidence to support the answer to the first question. Treat this like a matching game. Examine the answer choices for the second question and see if it provides evidence supporting any of the answer choices of the first.
3. Anchor your reading: As you read through a passage, jot down brief notes summarizing each paragraph. This can be a few words or a sentence. This "anchoring" strategy helps you retain info and saves time because you won’t need to reread everything when answering the questions.
4. Grammar rules: Familiarize yourself with most common grammatical rules tested - such as rules for comma usage, who vs. whom, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun agreement. You can find resources online for SAT-specific grammar rules.
5. Process of elimination (POE): The SAT only has one right answer; the rest are definitely, 100% wrong. If you can't find the right answer straight away, try to eliminate wrong ones. This strategy increases your chance of guessing right even if you have absolutely no clue.
6. Practice, practice, and practice: Make use of the Bluebook® App to take full-length practice exams, or test sections. The more familiar you are with the type and format of questions asked, the more comfortable you'll be when taking your actual test.
Hang in there and remember, every progress, small or large, is a step closer to your goal. Best of luck!
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