Introduction - THE HEART OF THE TEST: MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS - SAT WRITING WORKBOOK

SAT WRITING WORKBOOK

PART V

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THE HEART OF THE TEST: MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

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• What You Need to Know About Grammar

• Recognizing Flaws in Style and Expression

• Identifying Problems in English Usage

• Fixing Faulty Sentences

• Troubleshooting a Weak Essay

Introduction

This chapter will prepare you to answer the three types of multiple-choice questions on the SAT Writing Test.

A solid grounding in basic English grammar will help you succeed. But if grammar mystifies you or your grammar skills are rusty, there is something you can do about it. For one thing, you can study!

To begin, read this chapter. Read it slowly, absorbing a little bit at a time. Like any complex system of rules, grammar takes time to learn. Perseverance helps. But don’t get bogged down trying to memorize every detail. Instead, save your energy for the exercises and practice tests.

You could also borrow a grammar book from your English teacher or from the library. Or go online (www.webgrammar.com, or www.refdesk.com/factgram.html) and spend many profitable hours browsing and reading. If time is short between now and test day, read and absorb as much of this chapter as you can. Learn the suggested strategies for answering the questions, do the exercises, and take the practice tests in Part VI. At the very least, become familiar with the format of the test questions.