SAT Writing Cheat Sheet
The following excerpt is from The Critical Reader - Grammar - by Erica Meltzer. This is one of my favorite books for the SAT Writing Test that I’ve come across. It’s easy to read and filled with many examples and practice questions.
SAT Writing Cheat Sheet
Shorter is better (for grammar questions)
Comma + it, this, he, she, they usually (but not always) = comma splice = WRONG
Period = semicolon = comma + and/but
2 commas = 2 dashes = 2 parentheses = non-essential clause. If the information between these punctuation marks is crossed out, the sentence will still make sense. BUT commas, dashes, and parentheses cannot be mixed and matched.
Its, their = possessive; it’s = it is; they’re = they are; there = a place
Colon = list or explanation. A complete, standalone sentence is required before but not after
All items in a list must match (e.g., noun, noun, non; verb, verb, verb)
Comma before preposition = WRONG
Being = WRONG
Affect = verb, effect = noun; Than = comparison, then = next
Singular verbs end is -s; plural verbs do not end is -s (e.g., it suggests, they suggest)
Keep verb tense / form consistent. An underlined verb should stay parallel to the surrounding verbs unless there is a clear reason for the tense to change. Check verbs in the sentence/paragraph for context.
Add/Delete/Revise: Reread the surrounding sentences, and state the topic in your own words before checking the answers. If the sentence is directly relevant to that topic, it belongs. If not, it doesn’t belong.
Transition questions: physically cross out the transition and determine the relationship (continue, contradict, cause-and-effect) between the two sentences/halves of a sentence before checking the answers. Eliminate synonyms + answers from incorrect transition categories.
Infographics: Take a moment and determine the point of the graphic before you start to answer the question. You can sometimes eliminate answers based on a big-picture understanding.
General points:
Make sure you actually read the passage. You don’t need to read closely, but you shouldn’t just skip from question to question. Otherwise, you’re likely to miss important information.
Before you choose an answer, plug it back into the passage to make sure it fits. An answer that makes perfect sense on its own may create an error in the context of the passage.