All types of SAT reading

questions+strategies for solving

them
Pay attention to major transitions, unusually punctuation, and strong language because they will
virtually aways appear at key places in the passage.
MAIN IDEAS TEND TO BE LOCATED IN TWO PLACES: THE INTRODUCTION AND THE
CONCLUSION.
Generally, the longer a line reference is, the less important all of the content will be.
Remember that when you’re stuck between 2 answers, you want to pick the most specific part
of one answer to check out. If passage supports it, that answer is right.
A line reference that is long is normally an indicator that it is not necessary to reread all the lines
carefully.
Deal with the smallest amount of information possible at any given time.
Begin by looking only at the attitude words in the beginning of each answer and then narrow it
down.

Vocabulary in Context
As used in line x, “y” most nearly means…
• Use context clues to understand the word, and figure out the definitions of the words in the
answer choices. Read from the sentence above and below, one of those sentences will very
likely contain a synonym for the word in question and thus for one of the answer choices. 3
ways to solve (interchangeably or combined):
1. Plug in your own word and find the answer choice that matches
2. Plug each answer choice into the sentence
3. Play positive/negative, then plug in (often able to eliminate at least two of the answers
• Also, if you see words with a second meaning, give such answers special considerations and/
or look at them first.
• If an answer choice has a word that is the question word’s first meaning, then approach it with
a tad of doubt.
• Memorize page 48-50

The big picture

Asks you to identify which statement best
summarizes a passage/section of a passage, or to
recognize an author’s point or central claim.
• Stop looking so hard at the details-they’re not always relevant. The goal is to see whether
you can figure out their meaning from the general context; you’re not expected to get every
word, especially not the first time.
• Identify the topic. The topic is the person, thing, or idea that is the primary subject or
focus of the passage. First sentence (introduction) is a good place to start. It will
certainly appear by the start of the second paragraph. Try not to use no more than a
couple of words.
• The point of a passage is the primary idea that the author wants to convey. It is an
argument that answers the question “so what?”-it tells us why the author thinks the topic is
important. You can often eliminate answer choices simply because they do not make sense in
contact of the point.
• Topic + So What? = Main point
• Once you found the point, underline it immediately.
• Summarizing an argument: Not to cover all of the information presented or to relate it in the
sequence it appears in the passage, but rather to pinpoint the overarching idea (broad idea)
that encapsulates the author’s point. More important ideas are usually found in the beginning
and end of a paragraph.
• The point of a paragraph is usually located in two places: the first (topic) sentence, whose
purpose is to state the point, or the last sentence, whose purpose is to reiterate the point.
• They say/I say: A passage is a conversation.
• Authors see themselves as part as part of a conversation. They write in response to
others-usually because they don’t agree with those’s ideas.
• As a result, authors will sometimes spend a significant portion of a passage discussing
ideas which they do not agree. In fact, the author’s opinion may not emerge until
halfway through the passage or later-occasionally not until the conclusion. They may
imply skepticism by putting quotation marks around particular words or phrases, or ask
rhetorical questions such as, but is this really the case? Or How could one argue with any of
that? (Author is implying “actually I can”) They’ll use words like imply, suggest, and support,
not “prove.”
• Sooner or later they will tell you what they think, “I say” is the point of the passage. “They
say” is the counterargument.
• Most likely to appear in science/social science passages.
• See page 89 for examples of “they say” and “I say”
• A single passage may contain many different pints of view, write them down quickly or
underline them and draw a huge arrow or start next to them once you see them.
• Main point of the passage is virtually guaranteed to be the opposite of “their” idea.
• Presence of a contradictor like however, but, or nevertheless will signal “I say.” And the
author’s opinion will always be stated after that transition.
• Fiction passages typically focus on a specific situation, character trait, or relationship.
• Pay attention to major transitions, unusually punctuation, and strong language because they
will virtually aways appear at key places in the passage.
• Generally, the introduction will present the characters and the general scenario, and the
conclusion will reiterate the essential information that the author want to convey about them.
• Read larger sections of fiction passages more closely.
• Consider only the information provided by the author and not attempt to speculate about any
larger meaning. Be a bit more literal.
• Writing, even fiction, is usually structured so that the most important idea comes last.
• If you find yourself confused, focus on the conclusion.
• Sometimes it may be a flashback.
• Questions may test about the main point “backwards,” providing example of list of examples
that the author uses at a certain point in the passage and asking you to identify what those
 items are examples of. Why use examples? To support the point; the correct answer will
restate the point.
• Since main points typically come before supporting examples, you should back up
and read from at least a sentence before the line reference.
• Main point of a passage in the primary argument the author is making. It is usually stated
more or less directly in the passage, in the introduction, the conclusion, or all three.
• The primary purpose-the goal of the passage as a whole (e.g. describe, emphasize, refute).
There is often a key sentence that will point to a particular answer.

Supporting Evidence Questions

Which choice provides the best evidence for the
answer to the previous question?
• Primarily paired with two other question types: literal comprehension (asks what the passage
indicates), and inference (asks what the passage implies).
• The information needed to answer question #1 will always be contained among the
answer choices to question #2. The answer to #1 is essentially a rephrased (more general)
version of the correct lines cited in #2.
• The key to answering paired questions is to plug the answer choices to question #2
into question #1, then use that information to answer both questions simultaneously.
• You do not necessarily need to check the line references in order. If you remember that the
topic of question #1 was discussed in a particular part of the passage and see a line reference
corresponding to that section, you might want to start with it.
• It may be necessary to read before and/or after a line reference for context.
• DO NOT eliminate answer simply because you are confused.

Literal comprehension
Asks you to identify what a passage indicates or
states.
The author’s discussion of antibiotics indicates that…
The author claims which of the following is a
longstanding tradition?
Which reaction does Watson have to the statement in
lines x-y?
• The test is whether you understand the ideas well enough to recognize when they’re
stated using different, often more general, language. Correct answers require you to
recognize paraphrased versions of ideas, one that contains synonyms for key words in
passage.
• Also play positive and negative.
• Combine the two answers.
Reasonable Inferences
Tests what a particular section of a passage suggests
or implies.
In lines x-y, the author suggests that…
The author most strongly implies which of the
following…
It can be most reasonably inferred that the author
considers “those scientists (lines x-y)…”
• 3 ways to solve:
• Prioritize on double meaning words
• Answer the first question yourself
• Plug in line reference
• Essentially literal comprehension questions with a twist
• Although the answers to inference questions will not b stated word-for-word in the passage,
the passage will always contain specific wording that clearly indicates a particular idea, event,
or relationship.
• Use the supporting evidence question to help you navigate the answer
• Work very carefully and avoid leaping to conclusions.
• Make sure you are absolutely clear about the literal meaning of the lines in question.
• Take a couple of seconds, make sure you understand them, jot down a quick (3-4 word)
summary, then look for the answer closest in overall meaning to that statement.
• DO NO eliminate any answer without making sure you really understand what it says
• Fallacies
• Speculation: it could be true used on the information, but there simply isn’t enough
information to judge whether it is actually true. In fact, some of them may be true-they just
won’t be supported by the passage.
• If x is true in one case, then x is true in all cases/has always been true; if x is true for one
member of a group, then it is true for all members of that group.
• Contains extreme words, such as always, never, all, and only.
• There are cases where extreme words may be the correct answers, but they relatively
rare.
• Careful with double negatives.
• The easiest ways to create a valid inference is to rewrite the original statement from a different
angle. E.g. a particular star is much older than the Earth, a valid inference is that the star is
not younger than the Earth
• By placing two pieces of information next to each other, the author strong implies that one is a
result of the other.
• Underlying assumptions
• “An important assumption in the passage is that…”
• “The author’s assumption in lines x-y is that…”
• “An unstated assumption made by the authors about x is that…”
• Unlikely to be pared with line references nor followed by a supporting evidence question.
 • You must locate the appropriate section of the passage entirely on your own, then determine
the answer. (Identify the key word and find it in the passage)
• Correct answers typically rephrase the lines provided in the question from a slightly different
standpoint or in a somewhat more general manner.
• Incorrect answer may be factually true but irrelevant; may use some of the wording that is
found in the passage and alter it just enough so that it means something different from what
it means in the passage.
• Remember, if the answer isn’t in the place you’re looking, stop looking and wasting
time, it has to be somewhere else.

Supporting and undermining claims

• Another type of supporting evidence question
• They are not paired sets but rather single questions.
• The answers consist solely of lines reference; you must identify the line that support an idea
discussed within the passage.
• Questions that ask you to support a claim asks you to find information consistent with an
argument or idea discussed in the passage
• Questions that ask you to contradict a claim asks you to find information inconsistent with
an argument or idea discussed in the passage
• The way to solve:
1. Identify the claim and restate it if necessary. If the claim is stated simply in the
question, underline it. If it’s worded more complexly, rephrase it more simply and write it down.
2. Determine what sort of information would support/contradict the claim. At least attempt
to do it on your own and not assume you’ll find it in among the answer choices.
3. Check the answers. Remember you may need to read above/below the lines
reference for context.

Reading for function

The main purpose of the second paragraph (line x-y)
is to…
The quotation/phrase, etc. in lines x-y primarily serves
to… (Why does the author use the phrase…/What
point does the author use the phrase…to support?)
The author makes the comparison in line x-y in order
to…
• Ask you either about a small portion of a passage or the passage as a whole.
• Function questions ask why the lines say. They ask you to move beyond understanding the
literal meaning of specific content in the passage to understanding the more abstract
role of that content within the larger context of the passage of paragraph.
• They ask you to identify the point that the information in question supports.
• The answers themselves are not stated word-for-word in the passage; rather, they will
be phrased in much more general or abstract language than what appears in the
passage.
• Always keep in the mind the topic because the correct answer may refer to it.
• The answers fall in 2 categories:
• Only be answered by looking at the specific wording in lines provided in the question. The
lines will typically contain punctuation, phrasing, or an important transition that points to a
particular answer.
• Cannot be obtained by looking at the lines provided, depending instead on contextual
information.
• For the latter, the information necessary to obtain the answer will often be either before
the line(s) referred to in the question, or, less frequently, after. Thus, you should
generally prepared to read a sentence or two before and after the lines provided, then
focus on the appropriate section.
• If the lines given are close to the beginning of a paragraph, begin reading from there-topic
sentences will nearly always give you the point of a paragraph. Then you’d know what role the
particular section plays. If it’s not near the beginning, back up a sentence or two. (If it’s one
word, at least read the whole sentence)
• SAT’s main focus is relationship between ideas, the majority of the questions tend to be based
fon the laces in a passage where ideas come into contact with one another-where new
information is introduced, or where is a change in focus.
• Memorize page 203-functions of key words and punctuations
• Don’t do too much associative thinking!
• “Vague answers”
• Move from concrete to abstract in 2 ways: through a function word like explain or refute; and
by rephrasing the content of the passage in a more general way.
• The way to answer them is the same: read from a sentence or two before the line reference
to a sentence or two after to get the full context, and pay attention to strong language and
“unusual” punctuation.
• DO NOT summarize the content.
• Playing positive and negative with function questions.
• Helps you eliminate a few answer choices.
• Many, if not most, science passages will discuss new theories or discoveries, and authors
almost always regard new discoveries as good things-that’s why they’re writing about them
in the first place.
• Function answers that contain extreme language, either positive or negative (condemn, attack
prove) are usually incorrect.
• Proving and disproving are far outside the bounds of what any author could accomplish in 85
lines or so, see explanation on page 216.
• Memorize page 217 for positive, negative, and neutral words.
• Memorize page 232-233 for a glossy of function words.
Tone and Attitude
What main effect does the quotation by Kim (lines x-y)
have on the tone of the passage?
The author would most likely view the events derived
in lines x-y as…
The information in lines x-y suggests that the author
would view advocates of Anderson’s with…
• These questions ask whether the author’s language and attitude toward a subject are positive,
negative, or neutral; they may also ask you to identify the relationship between specific
wording and the tone.
• “Extreme” answers to tone/attitude questions are incorrect, while correct answers are
moderate.
• Thus, if the author’s tone is positive, answer is more likely to be approving or appreciative
than awed.
• If the author’s tone is negative, answer is more likely to be skeptical or dubious than
angry.
• If the author uses song language, answer is likely to be a more neutral word such as
emphatic or decisive.
• The tone of out SAT passages tends to be relatively neutral. Most are slightly positive/
negative. There are exceptions, so watch out.
• Many of the passages concern arguments that can never be definitely proven, there’s
always another side. As a result, actors are unlikely to say a given piece of evidence
conclusively proves anew theory. Instead, they use qualifying statements, saying evidence
suggests a theory. This is much more cautious or tentative.
• It can help to read it out loud to yourself.
• Tone and attitude are not the same! Neutral tone, definite opinion
• Author can have neutral tone but a distinct attitude.
• A lack of strong language language does not imply a neutral attitude.
• In general, they use “they say, I say”, first discussing a prevailing theory (negative attitude),
then describe a new theory (positive attitude), with the overall tone to be fairly neutral.
• With a positive tone, but using qualifying words (relative small, major advance), the tone
could be characterized as appreciative or approving.
• Focus on what the author is saying rather than how the author is saying it.
• The author always cares! The tone will virtually never be indifferent, apathetic, or
resigned (or any synonyms), thus you should generally begin by assuming it is incorrect.
• They wouldn’t have written the article if they didn't care.
• In addition, the texts for paired passages are chosen specifically because they have distinct
points of view.
• Only potential exception is a question about a character in a fiction passage.
• Tone questions will generally as you to identify how the use of specific words/phrases
contributes to the tone.
• One strategy is to just focus on the tone word in each answer and ignore the rest of the
information, and then play positive/negative. Then consider the full answers to decided
between the remaining options.
 • Then we’re going to ignore the options provided and answer the question in our own words.
• SAT also indirectly tests register, whether writing is formal or informal.
• If it’s formal, it contains long sentences with multiple clauses, sophisticated, abstract
vocabulary and phrasing etc. The tone may be described as elevated or lofty. If it uses first
person, it’s also personal.
• If it’s informal and conversational, it has much more casual or colloquial vocabulary. It
has allusions to popular culture etc.
• If it’s somewhere in the middle, with the tone being straightforward and moderately serious,
the tone is neutral, analytical or objective. These tones are associated with a third
person point of view.
• Certainty and uncertainty.
• Sometimes, authors do voice some very strong opinions. Writing that is emphatic, decisive,
vehement, resolute or full of conviction tends to have some pronounced characteristics:
• It contains short, blunt declarations (e.g. There is no compelling proof that it’s true)
• It contains strong words and phrases such as there is no doubt, certainly, only, and most.
• It lacks qualifying words or phrases such as sometimes, frequently, or might that would
soften its meaning.
• On the other hand, if it has qualifying phrases, it’s described as tentative, hesitant, or
cautious.
• Tones can also be speculative. Authors describe situations that have not actually occurred
but that could occur, and will use words such as could, might, probably, and perhaps.
• Rhetorical questions can also indicate a lack of certainty. The author thus may be
puzzled, perplexed, uncertain, or that the tone is searching.
• Examining both sides of an argument is NOT ambivalence.
• Authors often acknowledge the merits of arguments that they do not ultimately agree with.
That does not mean that this authors are uncertain about they own opinions. Even if they
discus other viewpoints extensively, they usually come down firmly on one side. Be careful
with ambivalence when it appears.
• If you find yourself confused about what the author thinks and can’t distinguish between they
say and I say, you should refer back to the end of the conclusion because that is the place
where the author is most likely to reaffirm the main point. You can also scan the passage for
reversers like but, however, and rather since the I say will usually e presented after those
transitions.
• There is no relationship between how much time an author spends discussing an
idea and water the author agrees with that idea.
• Humor, Sarcasm and Irony.
• It is baed on wordplay, that either involves punning on alternate meaning of words or using
awards of mean exactly the opposite of what they normally mean (oh great!)
• Authors often use humor to express negative attitudes, typically appearing as part of I say
to criticize or mock what they say without being overly direct or heavy-handed.
• By punning, it creates a humorous or irreverent tone.
• In context of an unexpected assertion, the play on words establish a tone of light mockery
and sarcasm towards the critics.
• By introducing his critique through a clear play on words rather than simply announcing that
is it wrong to believe what critiques think, his tone could also be called ironic, facetious,
wry, sardonic or satirical.
• Again, reading it out loud may help.
• Sometimes, author will tell you what to pay attention to by using punctuations such as italics,
quotation marks, and exclamation points, or rhetorical techniques such as repetition, to
 indicate that you should give special emphasis to a given word or phrase. Pay attention to
those features and consider how they would translate into a spoken phrase. They are used
for rhetorical effect (or as rhetorical flourishes)
• The different between who these scientists are and what the author’s language suggests
they are (members of primitive society) results in dry or wry humor.
• Wistfulness and Nostalgia.
• Defensiveness
• Protecting him/herself against people who cud think that she/he des not deserve her
position. She justifies herself. Remind the reader how much word she’s put in to deserve her
privileges. She is anticipating being criticized and demonstrates a need to defend herself
against criticism at every turn.
• Thinking and teaching.
• Passages whose tone is reflective or pensive. They tend to be in first person and include
phrases such as I think, I believe, it seems to be. Constant alternation between the good
points and bad points indicates that the author is thinking through some serious questions.
• A didactic tone is associated with second person point of view, inducing imperatives.

Rhetorical Strategy and Organization

This passage is written from the perspective of
someone who is…
Which choice best describes the structure of the first
paragraph/this passage?
The statement in line x signals a shift from…
• Ask about how paragraphs/passages are organized, about the point of view from which the
paragraph is written and about how counterarguments are presented.
• Point of view
• First person narrative is written form the perspective of the narrator, using the pronoun I or
we. All personal anecdotes are written in the first person
• Third person narrative is written from an objective or impersonal perspective and describes
other people or things rather than the narrator him or herself. The tone is much more neutral
and detached. The majority of SAT passages are written from a third-person
perspective.
• Second person narrations are less common. They can address the reader directly by using
the word you, or indirectly or by giving commands.
• Noticing pronouns can also provide a very effective shortcut if you encounter questions asking
you to identify where change or shift occurs in the passage. To answer these questions, you
must be able to recognize key paces in the development of the argument: where new or
contradictory information is introduced, where important ideas are emphasized, where they
say change to I say. Pay attention to shifts in point of view.
• If there is a line reference, check the the line before as well as the line itself.
• Some questions may ask the author or narrators relationship to the subject: whether they are
personally involved or they are only an interested observer. It is important to notice the
pronoun that the author uses throughout the passage. An author who is personally involved
 will use personal pronouns, and an author who is not directly involved will use impersonal
pronouns.
• Most authors of science and social sciences will be informed observes. Usually demonstrating
positive attitude toward their subjects.
• In contrast, authors of fiction passages and historical documents may be either directly
involved or knowledgeable observers.
• Others may ask you about the narrator’s perspective in terms of age or time. They tend to
occur when passages discuss events that took places at different times, often earlier, or when
the narrator is looking back on an event.
• Pay attention to the tense: whether in present or past
• Paragraph and passage organization
• Tests your understanding of rhetorical strategies on a large scale; occasionally paired with
supporting evidence questions.
• Must be able to to identify places where key ideas and arguments are introduced, as well
transition words that indicate the relationships of those ideas to one another.
• If it asks you about organization of a paragraph, begin by skimming for important
transitions within that paragraph; then consider how they relate to one another (comparison/
contrast, sequence)
• If it asks about the overall organization of a passage, focus on the end of the introduction
and the first sentence of the subsequent paragraph.
• Be on the lookout or changes in point of view, esp. involving first person narrations (I),
because it provides an important shortcut for both identifying correct answers and
eliminating incorrect ones.
• You may simplify some questions by focusing on one part of an answer choice and
checking it against the corresponding part of the passage.
• Counterargument
• Simply put, a counterargument is what “they say.” They could be real people who have
actually argued the opposite point of view, but objections could also be hypothetical,
representing what someone arguing the opposite point of view might say.
• Check page 272 for a list of counterargument templates.
• Authors use counterarguments in order to strengthen their own claim. By addressing-and
refuting or rebutting-possible objections, they can explain why those objections do not
outweigh their own argument and thus demonstrate that their own is stronger.
• Instead of asserting that alone who disagrees with them is wrong, authors may make
concessions, acknowledging that some of the objections to their argument are valid. They
may also agree with part of the objection while disagreeing with other parts. In such cases,
you must read very carefully what the author agrees/disagrees.
• Sometimes authors weave counterarguments into their own arguments, flipping back and
forth between. The presence of contradictors like although, while and whereas often signals
that that is the case. What follow after will be I say.
• Effect of a rhetorical strategy.
• More or less identical to certain function or main point questions. They ask you the
information’s purpose.

Analogies
• Asks you to identify scenario from among the answer choices that is most analogous (similar)
to the scenario described in several lines of the passage.
• Systematic approach required here:
 1. Go back to the passage and read the exact lines provided in the question.
(Provided that you understand the general section of the passage well enough for those
lines to make sense, you should be able to answer the question based only on the lines
given)
2. Quickly rephrase the scenario presented. (Who are the people in question, what
are they doing, and what is the outcome?)
3. Sum up the scenario in general terms. Write it down. (In more abstract terms)
4. Check the answers one by one, in order. (If there is any chance it could work,
leave it)
• Do not skip steps!!!

Paired passages
• In a nutshell:
1. Clearly mark the questions that ask about Passage 1 only, the ones that ask about
Passage 2 only, and the ones that ask about both passages.
2. Read passage 1: write main point + tone
3. Answer passage 1 questions
4. Read passage 2: write main point + tone, AND relationship to passage 1
5. Answer passage 2 questions
6. Answer passage 1/passage 2 relationship questions.
• Common passage 1/passage 2 relationships
• Both passages will always revolve around the same basic idea or event.
• Most common p1/p2 relationship simply involves two authors with conflicting views on or
interpretations of an idea or even; there are others as well.
• Present opposing views of the same topic
• Agree but have different focuses or stylistic differences (P1 written in third person and P2
written in first person)
• P2 provides example of an idea described generally in P1
• P2 provides an explanation for a phenomenon discussed in P1
• Why is it important to determine the relationship? Because one question will always asks
• You must read both passages because you cannot infer what the author of one passage
would likely think of an idea in the other passage without knowing whether the authors agree
or disagree.
• When they disagree, the answer will likely to negative, and vice-versa.
• Some questions will ask you to identify a statement with which both authors would clearly
agree, even when the passages indicate that they hold conflicting opinions.
• Often, answers to such questions will often be based on an easily-overlooked detail in one
or both of the passages. Sometimes it will be located in key places (introduction, las
sentence, topic sentence etc.) sometimes it will not.
• Thus, always plan to return to the passage as necessary.
• Do not eliminate answers unless you have gone back to the passage and confirmed that it is
incorrect.
• Do not even attempt to rely on your memory. Just read
• No difference between questions that ask about only one passage in a p1/p2 set and
other questions about a single passage.
• Relationship questions are inference questions.
• Asks you to infer what one author would think about a particular idea in the other passage.
 • In this case, you must break down the question, making sure to define each idea separately
and clearly before you attempt to determine the relationship.
• If it’s too hard, forget about them.
• The way to break it down:
1. Re-read the lines in question and sum up the idea in your own words.
2. Reiterate the main point of the other passage.
3. Determine whether the authors would agree or disagree
4. Look at the answers: if the authors agree, cross out all negative answers and vice-
versa.
5. Check the remaining answers against the passage, focusing on the most specific part
of each answer.
• Answers that indicate a lack of interest on the part of one author (eg apathetic, indifferent) will
always be incorrect. Passages are chosen precisely because there is a clear positive or
negative relationship between their ideas, by definition they are unlikely to be right.
• If a question states that a particular features both passage is the same (eg the purpose of
both passage is to…) you can answer it b reading only one of the passage. The wording
indicates that if it’s true for one passage, it’s true for the other passage.
• Focusing on the last sentence of the first passage and the first sentence of the second is often
a quick way to identify the relationship between the passages, and you can sometimes save
yourself a lot of time by paying extra attention to those places from the start.
• If an answer to a P1/P2 relationship question restates the main point of the appropriate
passage, that answer will almost certainly be correct.
• Otherwise, the fastest way to narrow down the choices is to ignore the choices provided and
answer the question on your own. This allow you to bypass any potential confusion from the
other answers.
• For questions with supporting evidence questions:
• If you are able to answer question #1 quickly using the main point, you should answer the
questions in order.
• If not, plug it in (I like this way better)
• Remember that when it comes to p1/p2 attitude questions, the moderate vs extreme rule still
applies. Extreme answers such as anger, excitement, and incredulousness are much less
likely to be correct than answers such as approval, concern and skepticism. Make educated
guesses.
• Agreement questions tests your understanding of the complexities of the relationship
between the two passages. Thus answer may hinge on information in the middle of the
paragraph. Be careful.