← Reading and Writing syllabus

United StatesReading and Writing

Expression of Ideas

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you use a set of bulleted notes to choose the sentence that best accomplishes a stated writing goal?

Rhetorical synthesis: reading a set of bulleted notes and a stated goal, then choosing the sentence that both uses the notes accurately and accomplishes that exact rhetorical goal.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT rhetorical-synthesis skill: reading the writer's goal first, selecting the choice that accomplishes that exact goal using the bulleted notes accurately, and rejecting choices that are on-topic but off-goal or that distort the notes.
10 min answer →

What are the families of transition words by logical relationship, and how do you match the right family to the sentences?

Transition categories and logic: the families of transitions (addition, contrast, cause and effect, example, sequence, conclusion) and how to identify the relationship between two sentences and select the matching family.
A focused answer cataloguing the families of Digital SAT transition words by the logical relationship they signal (addition, contrast, cause and effect, example, sequence, conclusion), so you can name the relationship between two sentences and match the right transition fast.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the transition word or phrase that most logically connects two sentences?

Transitions: identifying the logical relationship between two sentences (continue, contrast, cause and effect, example, sequence) and choosing the transition word or phrase that signals that exact relationship.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT transitions skill: covering the choices, identifying the logical relationship between the sentences, then choosing the transition that signals that relationship, and avoiding transitions that sound plausible but signal the wrong logic.
10 min answer →

How do you work efficiently with the bulleted notes in a rhetorical-synthesis question so the goal-matching is fast and accurate?

Using the notes effectively: a method for reading the bulleted notes and the writer's goal together, selecting only the relevant facts, and avoiding the distortion and irrelevance traps that defeat rhetorical-synthesis answers.
A focused answer to working with the bulleted notes in Digital SAT rhetorical-synthesis questions: reading the goal first, selecting the relevant facts, and rejecting choices that distort the notes, use irrelevant facts, or fail the stated goal.
9 min answer →