Words
Many questions on the Writing and Language test focus on words—mainly transitions, verbs, and pronouns. While we will discuss a few grammar rules along the way, this chapter will boil these concepts down to three main terms: consistency, precision, and concision. With less minutiae to remember, you will be able to work through Words questions with confidence and ease.
Most of the questions you’ll see on the Writing and Language test have words changing in the answers. “Words” is a broad term, but most of the questions deal with three specific types of words: transitions, verbs, and pronouns. In order to figure out what’s being tested, you’ll want to stick with the basic approach from the previous chapter.
Check what’s changing in the answer choices and use POE.
Throughout this chapter, we talk a lot about certain parts of speech, but we don’t use a lot of grammar terms. That’s because we find that on the SAT, the correct answers across a lot of different parts of speech can be summed up more succinctly with three basic terms: consistency, precision, and concision.
You don’t need to know a ton of grammar if you can remember these three basic rules.
CONSISTENCY: Correct answers are consistent with the rest of the sentence and the passage.
PRECISION: Correct answers make the meaning of the sentence as precise as possible.
CONCISION: Barring other errors, correct answers are as concise as possible.
Let’s look at some examples of how to apply these concepts to transitions, verbs, and pronouns.
The term “English” seems, on the surface, to apply to just one language. On closer examination, 1 therefore, it refers to many different languages, the most obvious of which are the versions spoken within different English-speaking countries.
1. A) NO CHANGE
B) for example,
C) however,
D) moreover,
Here’s How to Crack It
First, as always, check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, transition words change. That means this question is testing transitions.
When you see transitions changing in the answer choices, look at the ideas that the transition word connects. The transition should be consistent with the relationship between those ideas. In this case, the two ideas are that English is just one language and that it is many different languages. These ideas contrast with each other, so you need a transition that indicates a contrast. Choices (A), (B), and (D) all indicate that ideas agree with each other, so get rid of them. Only (C) indicates a contrast, so that’s the only choice that is consistent with the ideas here.
Whenever transitions change in the answers, the first thing to figure out is whether the ideas being connected agree or contrast.
Take a look at another example.
Even within a single English-speaking country there are many different dialects of English. In the United States, 2 consequently, distinct regional dialects include those spoken in Boston, the Mid-Atlantic, Southern states, the Upper Midwest, and California.
2. A) NO CHANGE
B) additionally,
C) by contrast,
D) for instance,
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. The transitions change, so first establish whether the ideas agree or contrast. The first sentence is about the many different dialects, and the second sentence gives a list of distinct regional dialects. These ideas agree, so you want a same-direction transition. Eliminate (C) because it’s an opposite-direction transition.
Choices (A), (B), and (D) are all same-direction transitions, but they indicate different things. Use POE to choose the one that indicates the correct relationship. Consequently indicates a conclusion, which isn’t what the second sentence is here, so eliminate (A). Additionally indicates a new point is being introduced, which also isn’t the case here, so eliminate (B). For instance introduces an example, which is exactly what’s going on here. That means (D) is consistent with the ideas in these sentences.
After you eliminate transitions that indicate the wrong direction, use POE to get rid of the ones that don’t work in the particular context. Remember, with transitions, keep things consistent.
Here’s a list of some of the most common same-direction and opposite-direction transitions that appear on the SAT.
Same-Direction
For example
In addition
Likewise
Therefore
Thus
Similarly
Subsequently
Opposite-Direction
Conversely
Despite this
However
Instead
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
On the other hand
When you see transitions changing in the answer choices, first check whether the ideas being connected agree or disagree. Then, make sure the transition is
CONSISTENT with the relationship between the ideas.
The speakers of what has come to be known as Appalachian English 3 has used a form of English that few can explain.
3. A) NO CHANGE
B) uses
C) use
D) using
Here’s How to Crack It
First, as always, check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, the forms of the verb to use change. Therefore, because the verbs change, you know that the question is testing verbs.
When you see verbs changing in the answer choices, the first thing to check is the subject of the sentence. Is the verb consistent with the subject? In this case, it’s not. The subject of this sentence is speakers, which is plural. Therefore, (A) and (B) have to be eliminated, because both are singular verbs. Eliminate (D) because it makes the sentence incomplete. Only (C) works in this context.
Thus, when you see verbs changing in the answer choices, check the subject first. Subjects and verbs need to be consistent with each other.
Take a look at another.
Many scholars believe Appalachian pronunciation comes from Scots-Irish immigration, but some 4 theorizes that this dialect of English may be closer to what Londoners spoke in Elizabethan times.
4. A) NO CHANGE
B) theorized
C) have theorized
D) theorize
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. The verbs are changing. Remember from the previous question that whenever you see verbs changing, make sure the verb is consistent with the subject. Because the subject of this sentence is some, which is plural, you can eliminate (A), which is singular. Therefore, the verb in (A) is not consistent with the subject.
Then, because all of the other choices are consistent with the subject, make sure they are consistent with the other verbs. All the other verbs in this sentence—believe, comes, may be—are in the present tense, so the underlined verb should be as well, as it is in (D). Eliminate (B) and (C) because they’re both past tense. The correct answer is (D).
As you can see, verbs are all about consistency.
When you see verbs changing in the answer choices, make sure those verbs are
CONSISTENT with their subjects
CONSISTENT with other verbs in the sentence and surrounding sentences
Let’s try one that has a little bit of everything.
Trying to understand these changes 5 demonstrate that although we all technically speak English, we speak very different languages indeed.
5. A) NO CHANGE
B) demonstrate that although we all technically spoke English, we speak
C) demonstrates that although we all technically speak English, we might have been speaking
D) demonstrates that although we all technically speak English, we speak
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. It looks like lots of verbs!
First, determine whether demonstrate or demonstrates is consistent with the subject. That subject is Trying, which is singular, thus eliminating (A) and (B).
Then, you have to choose between speak and might have been speaking. Since both of these are consistent with the subject we, pick the one that is most consistent with other verbs. The only other verbs are demonstrates and speak, both of which are in the present tense and don’t use the odd might have been form. Therefore, eliminate (C) because it isn’t consistent. The correct answer is (D).
Speakers of Appalachian English and 6 there families communicate in a way that shows just how influential diversity can be on the language we speak.
6. A) NO CHANGE
B) its family communicates
C) their families communicate
D) it’s family communicates
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answers. Everything changes: the pronoun, family versus families, and communicate versus communicates. Start with the pronoun. A pronoun must be consistent with the noun it refers to, so identify that noun. In this case, the pronoun refers to speakers, which is plural, so the underlined pronoun also has to be plural. Eliminate (B) and (D) because its and it’s are both singular.
Their and there both sound the same, but there indicates a location, which doesn’t work here. Eliminate (A). Their is a possessive pronoun that indicates that the families belong to the speakers, so (C) is the best choice.
As with transitions and verbs, consistency is the first thing to check when pronouns change in the answer choices.
Take a look at another pronoun question.
Scholars today are not sure whether Appalachian English belongs to the category of European dialects or American dialects. Really, 7 most are collections of many influences, but the Appalachian dialect seems unique.
7. A) NO CHANGE
B) most of them
C) most of those
D) most American dialects
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. Choices (B) and (C) have pronouns, so find the noun that the pronoun refers back to. The previous sentence mentions European dialects and American dialects, but the pronouns (or the word most in (A)) could refer to either or both. If it’s at all unclear what a pronoun refers to on the SAT, you can’t use one! So eliminate (A), (B), and (C) because the meaning of the sentence isn’t precise with any of those options. Choice (D) makes it absolutely clear what most refers to, so that’s the best choice.
When you see pronouns changing in the answer choices, make sure the pronouns:
are CONSISTENT with the nouns they refer to
are as PRECISE as possible; if they could refer to more than one thing, eliminate them!
Another way that the SAT tests the idea of precision is with vocabulary. If you’ve heard stories from your parents or older siblings about memorizing obscure SAT vocabulary words, don’t worry—the way that the SAT tests vocabulary these days isn’t with difficult words. Instead, it’s usually with more common words that are synonyms of each other but that don’t all work in the same context. Your job is to find the word that gives the most precise meaning in context.
Take a look at this example.
The Appalachian region’s 8 solitude from major urban centers has led to some hypotheses that its dialect has remained intact from the days of its earliest settlers.
8. A) NO CHANGE
B) withdrawal
C) isolation
D) aloneness
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, it’s vocabulary. All the words are similar in meaning, so look for the one that’s most consistent with the other ideas in the sentence and that gives the most precise meaning in context. Both solitude and aloneness describe the state of being alone, which doesn’t work in this context with from major urban centers, so eliminate (A) and (D).
Withdrawal suggests an action, which also doesn’t make sense here—a region can’t withdraw from someplace. Eliminate (B). Isolation works here—it means that the region is separated from the big cities. So (C) gives the most precise meaning in context.
When you see vocabulary changing in the answer choices, make sure the word you choose
is CONSISTENT with the ideas in the sentence
provides the most PRECISE meaning in context
Ever hear the saying “less is more”? Concision has its advantages. For example, if you were to ask for directions, which answer would you rather receive?
Turn right at Main Street and walk four blocks.
or
Since this street, Elm Street, is facing in a northerly direction, and your destination is due northeast, go east when you arrive at the intersection of Elm and Main. Going east will entail making a right turn in quite that easterly direction. After having made this turn and arrived on the perpendicular street…
The first one, obviously.
That’s because concision is key when you want to communicate meaning. As long as the sentence is otherwise consistent and precise, the correct answer is typically the shortest one.
Let’s see an example.
It is precisely this isolation that has led many scholars to believe that Appalachian English is 9 alike and similar to the English spoken in Shakespeare’s time.
9. A) NO CHANGE
B) similar
C) likely similar
D) similarly alike
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, the word similar appears in all the answer choices, and in some it is paired with the word alike. Typically, if you see a list of answer choices wherein one answer is short and the rest mean the same thing but are longer, the question is testing concision.
What, after all, is the difference between the words similar and alike? There isn’t one, so there’s no use in saying both of them, as in (A), or pairing them awkwardly, as in (D). In fact, the shortest answer choice, (B), does everything the other choices do, but it does so in the fewest words. Therefore, (B) is the correct answer.
Let’s see one more.
10 Whatever the case may be, Appalachian is a fascinating dialect, and we can only hope that it persists against the onslaught of mass media.
10. A) NO CHANGE
B) In the end, Appalachian
C) All things considered, Appalachian
D) Appalachian
Here’s How to Crack It
As always, check what’s changing in the answer choices. The changes could be summed up like this: there’s a bunch of stuff before the word Appalachian. Does any of that stuff contribute in a significant way to the sentence? No. Does the word Appalachian alone help the sentence to fulfill its basic purpose? Yes. Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
Transitions, verbs, pronouns, precision, and concision are some of the most commonly tested grammar topics. There are a few more that tend to come up no more than once per test. If you’re aiming for a top Writing and Language score, though, you’ll want to master the following grammar rules.
Consider the following sentence:
Hoping for success, the chef’s newest creation would satisfy guests who were looking to eat local, seasonal ingredients.
Do you spot the error? While you might understand that the chef is hoping for success, the way this sentence is written makes it sound like the chef’s newest creation is hoping for success. Unless the food has a brain with hopes and dreams, this sentence doesn’t make logical sense. This grammar error is called a misplaced modifier. According to this rule, a describing phrase or “modifier” (in this case, hoping for success) needs to come as close as possible to the thing it’s describing. Here are two ways the sentence above could be rewritten.
Hoping for success, the chef had created a dish to satisfy guests who were looking to eat local, seasonal ingredients.
The chef hoped her newest creation would successfully satisfy guests who were looking to eat local, seasonal ingredients.
As you can see, the sentence can be rewritten so the thing being described comes right before or after the modifying phrase. Another option is to rewrite the sentence entirely to get rid of the modifier.
Having gotten lost and without an idea of where to go, 5 nobody was around to ask for directions.
5. A) NO CHANGE
B) I wanted to find someone to ask for directions.
C) someone nearby could have given me directions.
D) directions from someone nearby would have been helpful.
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. The options provide similar meanings, but the order of the words changes. This is a good clue the question is testing modifiers. The beginning of the sentence contains a modifier: Having gotten lost and without an idea of where to go. Who was lost? Not nobody, so eliminate (A). Not someone, so eliminate (C). And directions can’t be lost, so eliminate (D). I was the one who was lost, so the correct answer is (B).
Learning a new skill, be it painting a still-life, 23 to pitch a softball, or speaking another language, requires time and dedication as well as regular reflection on how to improve.
23. A) NO CHANGE
B) pitching a softball,
C) when people pitch a softball,
D) softball pitching,
Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. The four options provide the same meaning but appear in different forms. This question is testing consistency. Notice that the sentence includes a list of three things. The other two phrases are painting a still-life and speaking another language. The underlined phrase needs to be in the same form. Only (B), like the other phrases, uses an -ing verb with a noun after. The correct answer is (B).
You might notice you didn’t have to learn any new rules for that one! We can figure out the answer using one of the big three rules we already discussed: consistency. To be more specific, however, this rule is called parallelism. It’s typically tested in a list of two or more things. Every item in that list should be in the same form to be consistent.
Let’s take a look at another one that follows a related rule.
The study found that children who were offered raw, cut-up vegetables twenty minutes before dinner typically accepted the snack; those children then were more willing to eat the provided dinner 9 than were children who were not offered the pre-dinner vegetables.
9. A) NO CHANGE
B) compared with children
C) than food eaten by children
D) than children
Here’s How to Crack It
Look at the answers to see what’s changing. They involve different phrasings of a comparison. Remember that everything on the Writing and Language must be consistent. The comparison is between two groups of children. The first group was more willing to eat the provided dinner. The second group must have been less willing to eat the dinner. The sentence must make that clear by making the underlined portion parallel. Choice (A) does that by using the word were before children to refer back to more willing from the first part of the comparison. Choices (B), (C), and (D) don’t use the verb were, so they’re not parallel. The correct answer is (A).
The shorter option might seem better, but in a case like the sentence above, more words are needed to make the comparison consistent and precise. These comparison errors can be tough to notice. Watch for words like more, less, than, or as and ask yourself the following questions: what are the two things being compared, and is the comparison consistent?
Do you know the difference between then and than? How about affect and effect? Occasionally, you’ll see questions involving these and other frequently confused words. Let’s take a look at an example.
The new medication may have a negative 34 affect on oral health by causing a reduction in tooth enamel.
34. A) NO CHANGE
B) effect on
C) affects
D) effect with
Here’s How to Crack It
Look for what’s changing in the answer choices. The most obvious difference is affect versus effect. For the purposes of the SAT and how the words are used most commonly, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. In this sentence, a noun is needed. Eliminate (A) and (C) because they use the verb affect. Now, prepositions are changing. Which is correct: effect on or effect with? The correct idiom is effect on. The correct answer is (B).
Throughout this lesson, you have generally been able to apply the rules of consistent, precise, and concise to a variety of questions. For frequently confused words and idioms, however, those ideas probably won’t help you to find the answer. Unfortunately, these questions require you to simply know the correct form of the word or phrase. Luckily, you won’t see many of these on the test. We recommend using POE based on what you might know and how the idioms sound, and if needed—guess.
Here’s another example.
20 According with the author of the book, healthcare debts affect a significant portion of Americans and prevent them from engaging in the economy.
20. A) NO CHANGE
B) In accordance to
C) According by
D) According to
Here’s How to Crack It
The correct idiom is according to, so eliminate (A) and (C). Another idiom is in accordance with, so (B) is incorrect and should be eliminated. The correct answer is (D).
Many idioms involve prepositions (those little directional words like of, with, in, for, and by). Why do we say “according to” and not “according with?” No real reason—it’s just an idiom. The SAT rarely, if ever, tests the same idiom twice, so it’s not worth trying to memorize lists of idioms. Remember that an idiom question is likely to appear only once on each test, if at all.
As we have seen in this chapter, when SAT is testing words (any time the words are changing in the answer choices), make sure that those words are
Consistent—Verbs, nouns, and pronouns should agree within sentences and passages.
Precise—The writing should communicate specific ideas and events.
Concise—When everything else is correct, the shortest answer choice is correct.
Answers can be found on this page
Time: 7–8 minutes
War and Peace and History
War and Peace (1869) is 1 well-known and famous mainly for its length. Not many readers, especially in the modern day, 2 has the time or the patience to work through Leo Tolstoy’s 1,400 pages, countless characters, and plot twists. 3 They are missing a major opportunity, not only because the novel is more fun than its page count suggests, but also because it marks the end of a particular moment in history.
Czech novelist Milan Kundera cited Tolstoy as the last novelist who 4 was possessing the sum of his era’s human knowledge. This may seem like an odd claim. Some people may be very intelligent, others may be know-it-alls, but is it really possible to know everything? 5 Neighboring Tolstoy’s other great novels and non-fiction writings, a book like War and Peace makes the case that it is possible to know it all, or at least that it was possible. Shakespeare 6 seemed to have an emotional vocabulary that was advanced for his age, but Tolstoy lived in an era of facts and discoveries, and his novels show the fruits of his vast study. 7 Thus, it is conceivable that a man with Tolstoy’s leisure, intelligence, and curiosity 8 learns about his age’s most current findings in literature, politics, religion, and science.
The very fact that such an achievement is impossible now shows us just how much things have changed since Tolstoy’s death in 1910. This was the year, 9 however, that Virginia Woolf cited in her oft-quoted remark, “On or about 1910 human character changed.” If we at least entertain the idea that she is correct, we can begin to see why she would be willing to make such a grandiose remark. After 1910, the twentieth century started in earnest. Knowledge became more complex as it became more specialized, and although airplanes seemed to make the world a smaller place, the differences among all the places in that small world truly emerged.
War and Peace is the great document of that pre-1910 era, of a moment when the great scientists were also the 10 famous and great philosophers and when the great mathematicians were also the great theologians. A great discovery in one field could also be a great discovery for another. Although it was certainly remarkable, it was also possible for a man like Tolstoy to have a fundamental grasp of all that united the many branches of knowledge. Tolstoy’s achievement is impossible today, but it is a wonderful reminder of the value of intellectual curiosity and cosmopolitanism. No matter how brilliant and refined 11 you may become, you can always stand to be reminded that there is a world outside of our immediate circle.
1. D
The length of the phrase is changing in the answer choices, so the question is testing concision. Since well-known appears in every answer choice, determine whether any additional words are necessary. Famous and well-known mean the same thing, so there is no reason to use both words in the phrase. Eliminate (A), (B), and (C) because they are not concise. The correct answer is (D).
2. B
Verbs are changing in the answer choices, so the question is testing consistency of verbs. A verb must be consistent with its subject and with the other verbs in the sentence. The subject of the verb is readers, which is plural. To be consistent, the underlined verb must also be plural. Eliminate (A) because it is singular. Since the remaining verbs are plural and all in the present tense, look for the most concise answer. Eliminate (C) and (D) because they are not concise. The correct answer is (B).
3. B
Pronouns and nouns are changing in the answer choices, so the question is testing precision. A pronoun can only be used if it is clear what the pronoun refers to. The pronouns they, them, and some could refer to readers, pages, characters, or plot twists, so the pronouns are not precise; eliminate (A), (C), and (D). The correct answer is (B).
4. D
Verbs are changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing consistency of verbs. A verb must be consistent with its subject and with the other verbs in the sentence. The subject of the verb is the last novelist, which is singular. To be consistent, the underlined verb must also be singular. Eliminate (C) because it is plural. The other verb in the sentence is cited, which is in the past tense. To be consistent, the underlined verb must also be in the past tense. Eliminate (B) because it is not in past tense. Between was possessing and possessed, possessed is more concise, so eliminate (A). The correct answer is (D).
5. B
Vocabulary is changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing precision of word choice. Look for a word with a definition that is consistent with the other ideas in the sentence. The sentence says that War and Peace makes the case that it is possible to know it all with Tolstoy’s other great novels and non-fiction writings, so the correct word should mean “with.” Neighboring, touching, and bordering all mean “next to” physically, which is not consistent with the meaning of the sentence, so eliminate (A), (C), and (D). Alongside means “with.” The correct answer is (B).
6. A
Verbs are changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing consistency of verbs. The answers are in different tenses, so look for a clue in the sentence or surrounding sentences to determine what tense the underlined portion should be in. The other verb in the sentence is was, which is in the past tense. To be consistent, the underlined verb must also be in the past tense. Eliminate (B), (C), and (D) because they are not in the past tense. The correct answer is (A).
7. A
Transitions are changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing consistency of ideas. A transition must be consistent with the relationship between the ideas it connects. The sentence before the transition states that Tolstoy lived in an era of facts and discoveries, and his novels show the fruits of his vast study, and the sentence that starts with the transition states that it is conceivable Tolstoy learned about his age’s most current findings in literature, politics, religion, and science. These ideas agree, so eliminate (B), (C), and (D), which contain opposite-direction transitions. Choice (A) appropriately uses the same-direction transition thus. The correct answer is (A).
8. C
Verbs are changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing consistency of verbs. A verb must be consistent with its subject and with the other verbs in the sentence. The subject of the verb is man, which is singular. To be consistent, the underlined verb must also be singular. Eliminate (B) and (D) because they are plural. Although the other verb in the sentence is is, which is in the present tense, the sentence is about what Tolstoy could have done while he was alive. To be consistent with the sentence’s meaning, the underlined verb must be in the past tense. Eliminate (A) because it is not in the past tense. The correct answer is (C).
9. B
Transitions are changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing consistency of ideas. A transition must be consistent with the relationship between the ideas it connects. The sentence before the transition says how much things have changed since Tolstoy’s death in 1910, and the sentence with the transition includes a quote from Virginia Woolf: “On or about 1910 human character changed.” These ideas agree, so eliminate (A) and (D), which both contain opposite-direction transitions. Consequently indicates a conclusion based on previous evidence, but the quote is not a conclusion, so eliminate (C). Choice (B) appropriately uses the transition in fact to support the previous sentence. The correct answer is (B).
10. D
Vocabulary is changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing precision of word choice. There is also the option to DELETE; consider this choice carefully as it is often the correct answer. Choices (A), (B), and (C)—famous, best, and famously—all mean the same thing in this context. The sentence already uses the word great, so there’s no need to repeat the idea. The underlined portion should be deleted to make the sentence more concise. The correct answer is (D).
11. C
Pronouns are changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing consistency of pronouns. A pronoun must be consistent with other pronouns in the sentence. The sentence includes the pronoun our, so the underlined portion needs to be consistent with our. Eliminate (A), (B), and (D) because you and one are not consistent with our. We is consistent with our. The correct answer is (C).
On Writing and Language questions, the first step is always to check what’s changing in the answer choices and then use POE.
The correct answers across many different parts of speech can be summed up succinctly with three basic terms: consistency, precision, and concision. You don’t need to know a ton of grammar if you can remember these three basic rules:
Correct answers are consistent with the rest of the sentence and the passage.
Correct answers are as precise as possible.
Barring other errors, correct answers are as concise as possible.
When you see transitions changing in the answer choices, make sure those transitions are consistent with the ideas they connect.
When you see verbs changing in the answer choices, make sure those verbs are consistent with their subjects as well as with other verbs in the sentence and surrounding sentences.
When the nouns are changing in the answer choices, make sure those nouns are consistent with the other nouns in the sentence and the paragraph.
When you see vocabulary changing in the answer choices, choose the word that is consistent with the other ideas in the sentence and that gives the most precise meaning in context.
Concision is key when you want to communicate meaning. Eliminate options that add additional words that do not contribute to the meaning of the sentence.