1. What genre the passage is
   What the implications of the passage are
2. How the passage is organized
   What the passage means

Questions about passage structure are some of the most difficult for students to answer correctly. One reason for this is that they don’t know what the question means. The structure of text refers to how it is put together—what comes first, how is it related to what comes next, how does the author build their point? Now that you know what it means, you’re halfway there!

1. Passive aggressive
   In a straightforward manner
2. Straight ahead
   Without pause

This question is a good example of an SAT vocabulary question. The word “directly” is not uncommon, but it has multiple meanings. In some instances it could mean straight ahead, but in this context, it means saying something in a straightforward manner, so it’s crystal clear what you mean.

1. Check your phone
   Memorize everything
2. Underline and make notations
   Color code

While memorizing everything may be a good idea if you have a photographic memory, it’s not a practical option for most of us. SAT test prep experts suggest making notations to help you more quickly find important lines and moments in the passage.

1. Look for the main point the author is making, often at the end of the first paragraph.
   Consider the historical context.
2. Look for the main point the author is making, often at the final statements in the conclusion.
   Take a wild guess.

Many people may think that the conclusion of a passage would be the best place to find its purpose. But it isn’t always. Sometimes conclusions take an author’s argument in a different direction, like considering what the implications are. Authors most often clearly state their purpose early in the passage, often in the last lines of the first paragraph.

1. It will be clearly stated in the passage.
   You won’t find it in the passage; you just have to guess.
2. It will be implied in the passage but not clearly stated.
   It will be humorous.

Questions about what the author “indicates” are common in the SAT Reading test. If someone indicates something, they are not necessarily going to come out and state it clearly. Rather, other points they make or evidence they use will point to this other meaning, like a turning indicator on a car points what direction the car is going to go.

1. Random selections
   Big words
2. The beginning, middle and end
   The thesis, evidence and counter-arguments

It’s a great practice while reading to take notes, underline and engage with the passage while you are reading it. The reason for this is that the mental work it takes for you think about what’s important and what the author’s argument is will help you to more fully comprehend the passage. And the more you comprehend a passage going into the questions, the more successfully and quickly you can answer the questions.

1. To mold or build
   State of being
2. Blitzed
   The shape of an object

The word “form” has multiple meanings. In some cases it’s a verb, and in others a noun. In this case, “form” is a noun that means “state of being,” indicating that Martin was probably not in his right mind. Even though “blitzed” also indicates that meaning, it’s an adjective, while “form” is a noun. For that reason, it’s not a good choice to demonstrate the meaning of “form.”

1. Start reading the passage all over.
   Check random paragraphs.
2. Go to that part of the passage that made you think the answer was correct.
   Read the part of the passage that follows the section about the answer.

This type of question is called “command of evidence.” They require you to demonstrate how you arrived at the answer to the previous question. College Board says that all the answers to questions on the Reading test are supported by evidence within the passage. Try to think of how you arrived at your answer and where that was in the passage. Select the line numbers that most closely correspond to that place.

1. Recurrent phrase
   To wilthold
2. Complaint
   Chorus

Refrain, in this sentence, is a phrase that recurs over and over again. In this sentence, it’s a noun, but in other contexts it may be a verb, meaning to withhold.

1. Look for where they address that subject.
   Find a quote to support that statement.
2. Take a blind guess.
   Consider what you know about their perspective and try to apply it to this statement.

If a question has the word “likely,” then it’s likely that the answer is not actually in the passage. You’ll be expected to intuit the answer based on the information that is in the passage.

1. A medical professional
   A person with a lot of education
2. To treat
   To clean

Like other words with multiple meanings, doctor can be a verb or a noun. Here it is a verb, meaning to treat. Be sure to read the sentence a few times to make sure you’re understanding the word in context.

1. Find where they mention that author think about how that work relates to the larger point they are making.
   Find where they mention that author and see what they explicitly say about the author.
2. Take whatever comes into your mind first.
   Find a quotation by the author they refer to and figure out what it means

Authors refer to other authors for many different reasons in order to prove their point. They may use the other author’s work in order to support their own point, in order to show evidence against their own point—and then refute it, to describe what other work has been done on the subject, or many other reasons. To figure out which it is, try to figure out how the work mentioned fits in with the author’s main point.

1. Read the center of the passage.
   Think about what sticks out in your mind.
2. Look for an idea that the author returns to throughout the essay.
   Look at the last sentence of the first paragraph.

The central idea of an essay is an idea that the author returns to throughout the essay and forms the core of the author’s purpose. While this idea is very often found at the end of the first paragraph, if it is not emphasized throughout the essay, then it is not the central idea.

1. Look for where the author makes a statement explicitly agreeing or disagreeing with the other author.
   Guess based on what you know about the author’s beliefs.
2. Find a section of the passage that discusses the subject referred to in the first author’s statement and use that to predict what the second author would think.
   Choose B.

The SAT Reading section has one reading in each test that asks you to compare two passages over a similar topic. At the end of this section, students are asked to predict how the authors would respond to what each other say. In most cases, they do not explicitly respond to each other’s work, but they always give enough information about their perspective on the subject that you can accurately predict if they would agree or disagree.

1. Read as quickly as you can.
   Read all the answer choices before reading the passage.
2. Skip every other question.
   Read the question and predict what your answer would be before you look at the answer choices.

Trying to answer the question for yourself before reading the answer choices is a very helpful strategy. It helps you to form your own idea of the answer, so you can then just find the answer that matches and move on. When students read all the choices first, it’s easy to convince themself that more than one answer may be correct. When you know your own answer, you can just find the closest one.

1. Environment
   Physical body
2. Guidelines
   Character

Nature has multiple meanings. In this context, it does not refer to the natural world or physical environment. Instead it describes the inherent character of a person who is compelled to dance whenever the mood is right.

1. Points of agreement between the two authors
   An idea that authors seem to disagree about
2. An awkward moment in the text
   Something that strikes you as humorous

The idea of “tension” describes the way that concepts in different arguments may push and pull against each other. Tension between two passages occurs when authors are in disagreement about an idea. This can definitely be awkward at a dinner party, but it’s less so when it’s just happening on paper.

1. Imagine the voice you would read it in.
   Think about how you feel when you’re reading it.
2. Imagine the passage as a painting.
   Consider what the purpose and mood of the passage seems to be.

English teachers and standardized tests love to ask students about tone, but students seem entirely lost about what the heck “tone” is. You can think about it like music. Music has a tone that strikes you immediately—happy and light, melodramatic and dark, etc. In reading, look for the kinds of words an author uses and the meaning and mood those words carry. While it may seem that your own mood while reading may be a good test, the SAT may put you in a bad mood no matter what you’re reading.

1. Why did the author include this part and what is its purpose?
   What is the meaning of this section?
2. What is the author’s thesis?
   What is the meaning of life?

You’ll see the word “function” a lot on the Reading test. It always means how something works, and when we think about how something functions in an argument, we’re wondering how it works within the larger argument. Why did the author include this part, and what does it do for the rest of the argument?

1. Go to college.
   Skip this one.
2. Think about what is missing in their argument or something that seems wrong.
   Think about what their argument achieved.

When the SAT asks you to identify “potential criticism,” they are asking you to think about what is missing or what may be wrong with an argument. While this is definitely a higher level of reading, it’s a good practice to think about these questions all the time when you’re reading.

1. Eyewitness, DNA, etc.
   How do they structure their argument?
2. What kind of quotations do they have?
   What do they use to support the point they are making?

While quotations may certainly be part of evidence in an argument, not all quotations are used as evidence. When you are looking for evidence, you are looking for what the author brings in to support their argument. This may be quotations that agree with them, statistics, anecdotes or other forms.

1. Hesitancies
   His place saved
2. Fears
   Suspense

The word reservations, in this context, refers to hesitations—a feeling of holding back, not being sure. Being hesitant to go the moon seems perfectly reasonable! So does fear and suspense, and you’ll probably need reservations, but those don’t match the meaning of the word in this context.

1. It won’t be explicit in the passage.
   It will likely be in the conclusion.
2. It will likely be in the introduction.
   It will be contradicted in the passage.

When the SAT asks you what can be reasonably inferred, you can reasonably infer that the answer won’t be stated outright in the passage. That’s because “infer” means to guess based on what you know. And if you have to guess, then it’s not stated clearly.

1. Read the quotation very carefully.
   Look at what the author says about the quotation.
2. Read what comes before the quotation.
   Choose D.

When you are asked to think about why an author uses a quotation, or any other piece of evidence, look for what the author says about it, both before and after. If their comments show that the quotation supports them, then they’re using it for support. If they seem to disagree, they may be using it as counter evidence.

1. Shared
   Familiar
2. Ordinary
   Plain

The word common here means “shared,” as in having all things in common. The other meanings listed here are also correct meanings of common, so be careful with these kinds of questions to really see which word could replace the word in question without changing the meaning of the sentence.

1. Guess based on what you remember about the graph.
   See which statement covers the same subject as the graph.
2. Check which statement has numbers that match the numbers on the graph.
   Check to see which statement conveys information that agrees with the graph and does not disagree with any of it.

When you are asked to identify a statement that agrees with a graph accompanying a passage, be careful that all of the statement agrees with the graph. There may be statements that agree in part, but that go against some other part of a graph. In order to agree, the statement must support the graph entirely.

1. Find a section in the passage that makes a point which the table agrees with or gives an example for.
   Look at the table to see what information it conveys.
2. Look at how the different parts of the table interact with each other.
   Read the passage over again.

When a question asks you to think about how the table may serve as evidence for a part of the passage, it is asking you to consider how the information in the table and the passage are interacting with each other. To answer these questions, you’ll need to go back and forth between the passage and the table.

1. Look for a description of who they are quoting.
   Look for the word “rely.”
2. Look for what kind of support they give for their argument and think about how that evidence was gathered.
   Use your intuition.

Thinking about where the evidence comes from will be a good indicator for what kind of evidence it is. For instance, an author may use historical evidence. This kind of evidence will come from historical documents, which the author will likely mention.

1. Pull into safety
   Held onto
2. Extinguished
   Let go

“Harbored,” in this sentence, is a verb that means to hold onto. It’s related to the idea of a ship being held in a harbor, or a disease carried in a body.

1. To interpret the meaning
   To describe the implications
2. To describe the main points in a shortened version
   To look online

A summary is a shorter description that conveys what happened in a text or what the main points of an argument are. If you are asked to summarize, try to think about what is most crucial for understanding the meaning.

1. Because there may be another option that could be seen as evidence, but that’s not as strong as the correct answer
   Because you never know which one is true, so you guess which one you like best
2. Because none of the options are accurate, so you look for the best of the options
   Because this tests your mental fitness for college

The SAT Reading test often asks which choice is “best.” In using this language, they acknowledge that there is some ambiguity in which answer is right, but they still stand by the idea that there is one right answer.

1. Authors saying the same thing
   Points of disagreement
2. Ways that the ideas are in agreement
   Using the same evidence

When a question asks about “commonality” among passages, it’s asking you to think about how the authors are agreeing about the ideas discussed. They may not come out and say so clearly, but you can determine where they agree by understanding each’s argument.

1. To test your math skills
   Because math and reading are really the same
2. Because without graphs, arguments can’t prove anything
   Because graphs need to be interpreted, just like reading

Graphs need to be interpreted, just as texts do. When a graph supplements a reading, you can’t assume that they are really arguing the same thing. The SAT wants to test how well students can draw comparisons between different sources of information.

1. Skip it and return after working through all the questions.
   Answer it based on the first paragraph.
2. Answer it before reading the passage.
   Answer it based on the conclusion.

When the first question is about the passage as a whole, it’s a good strategy to skip it and return after you work through all the questions. This is because as you go through the questions, you’ll become more familiar with the passage as a whole.

1. Someone’s beliefs
   Eyewitness
2. From whose perspective the story is told
   What can be seen from a mountaintop

Questions about point of view are asking you from whose perspective the story is told. It may be someone involved in the narrative, someone on the outside, a historian or a beetle.