Mastering SAT Reading and Writing: Essential Tips and Strategies

Vivien Gao

12/12/2025

Reading (SAT®)

SAT English Tips for Reading and Writing

501

•

Dec 12, 2025

•

6 pages

Mastering SAT Reading and Writing: Essential Tips and Strategies

Vivien Gao

@ivienao_rbfp

Getting ready for the SAT reading and writing sections? These... Show more

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Annotating for the reading section
1) Read the QUESTIONS first
2) If you are directed to a section, go to it and underline/bracket that sect

SAT Reading Section Annotation Strategies

Reading success on the SAT starts with smart annotation. Always read the questions first before diving into the passage. When directed to specific sections, bracket them and note the question number for quick reference later.

Save those main idea questions for last! They're typically presented first on the SAT, but answering the other questions first will give you a better understanding of the passage. For synonym questions, underline context clues and write your own definition before looking at the answer choices.

Remember that all answers come directly from the text. If you can't find support for your answer, you're probably wrong. Always mark where you find your answer by underlining or bracketing that section.

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to question wording! If you see "suggests" or "implies," the answer won't be directly stated. If you see "according to the passage," the answer must be explicitly stated in the text.

Grammar Essentials for the Writing Section

The SAT writing section gives you 35 minutes to answer 44 questions focused primarily on grammar. For "Right Word" questions, you'll need to select the best synonym considering both meaning and tone. Fancy words are usually incorrect, so don't automatically choose the most complex option.

Subject-verb agreement is crucial. Remember that singular subjects take singular verbs (is, was, has) while plural subjects take plural verbs (are, were, have). Watch out for tricky situations like delayed subjects ("There are problems") and prepositional phrases that don't affect the subject.

Verb tense consistency is equally important. If the passage begins in past tense, it should generally stay in past tense. When facing repetition questions that ask if information should be kept or deleted, ensure the information is relevant, concise, and not redundant.

Quick Check: For transition questions, identify the relationship between sentences $cause/effect, comparison, etc.$ before selecting your answer, then plug it in to see if it makes sense.

Common Grammar Distinctions

The SAT loves testing commonly confused words. Know when to use "among" $3+ objects$ versus "between" (2 objects) and "much/less" (uncountable) versus "many/fewer" (countable). Similarly, "farther" refers to measurable distance while "further" is for abstract concepts.

Remember that "affect" is typically a verb (to influence) while "effect" is usually a noun (a result). For articles, use "a" before words starting with consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds—regardless of spelling (like "an hour" or "a unique opportunity").

Formatting titles correctly is another key skill. Long works like books, TV shows, websites, and plays should be underlined or italicized. Short works like songs, chapters, episodes, and poems belong in quotation marks.

Remember This: The SAT often tests rules that seem obvious but are easy to miss when you're rushing. Take a moment to check these basic distinctions when answering questions.

Punctuation and Logical Structure

The SAT heavily tests punctuation, especially commas. Learn the four main comma rules: lists (separating items), FANBOYS (combining complete sentences with coordinating conjunctions), interrupting phrases, and introductory elements.

Semicolons join closely related complete sentences or separate items in a complex list. Colons call attention to what follows, but only after a complete sentence that contains a signal word like "these" or "the following." Dashes mark interruptions containing commas or pull away from the main text.

Logical comparisons must make sense. Avoid illogical comparisons like "She is smarter than everyone" (she's part of everyone) or "The weather in Florida is warmer than New York" (comparing weather to a state). Instead, use "everyone else" or "that of New York."

Watch Out: The FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) help you remember the coordinating conjunctions that can join sentences with a comma. This is one of the most tested punctuation rules on the SAT!

Pronouns and Sentence Structure

Pronouns must match their antecedents in number $singular/plural$ and gender. Know the difference between subject pronouns (I, he, they), object pronouns (me, him, them), and possessive pronouns $my/mine, his, their/theirs$ .

When using semicolons to join sentences, remember this can only be used once. For complex lists with internal commas, use semicolons between major items: "We visited San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington."

The SAT also tests sentence flow and organization. Passive voice presents the object as doing the action and is generally considered weaker writing. Active voice is typically preferred for clarity and directness.

Key Strategy: If a question asks about the organization of paragraphs or sentences, look for logical transitions between ideas. Information should flow naturally from general to specific or in chronological order when appropriate.

Avoiding Modifier Mistakes

The SAT loves to test modifier errors! A misplaced modifier occurs when a descriptive phrase is positioned incorrectly in a sentence. For example: "Alice took their father to the doctor with the broken arm quickly" is confusing—who has the broken arm? Better: "Alice quickly took their father with the broken arm to the doctor."

Even more troublesome are dangling modifiers, where the descriptive phrase doesn't clearly connect to what it's supposed to modify. In "Writing on the board, the students wrote the notes," it sounds like the students were writing on the board while also taking notes, which is impossible.

Always check that modifiers are placed as close as possible to what they describe. When you see introductory phrases, make sure the subject immediately following clearly connects to that phrase.

Final Check: When reviewing your answers, ask yourself if each sentence is logical and clear. Can you easily identify who is doing what? If there's any confusion about the actors or actions, there's likely a modifier error.

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Reading (SAT®)

•

501

•

Dec 12, 2025

•

6 pages

Mastering SAT Reading and Writing: Essential Tips and Strategies

Vivien Gao

@ivienao_rbfp

Always check that modifiers are placed as close as possible to what they describe. When you see introductory phrases, make sure the subject immediately following clearly connects to that phrase.

Final Check: When reviewing your answers, ask yourself if each sentence is logical and clear. Can you easily identify who is doing what? If there's any confusion about the actors or actions, there's likely a modifier error.