Scoring Perfect on the SAT Writing & Language Test
The SAT Writing and Language Test is quite easy. Questions are relatively simple. With only 44 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), this test runs by quickly. We train our students with a variety of grammar exercises and reading passages. Then, we solidify muscle memory with timed SAT Diagnostic Tests (DTs). This is why our students regularly score near-perfect to perfect scores on the official SAT exams.
Breaking Down the Test
Though the name may be misleading, the SAT Writing and Language Test isn’t a writing test at all. There aren’t multiple languages tested either. In actuality, this test simply measures English grammar skills. There are 35 minutes to answer 44 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The MCQs are evenly divided among four (4) separate reading passages. Among the four (4) passages, there are normally 1-2 total supplementary material questions that integrate graphs, charts, tables, maps, or data. However, students shouldn’t overly stress about this test. The grammar questions are relatively straightforward. Students that respect basic grammar rules will have a very high chance of scoring near-perfect to perfect.
Types of Grammar Questions
The great aspect about grammar is that grammar rules don’t change. They’re not interpretational, nor are they biased. Rules are rules! The only types of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on this test that aren’t truly grammar questions are the relevance and placement questions. Relevance questions typically ask students if a sentence or paragraph would sound better with extra information. Placement questions ask students to move sentences in other parts of the paragraph, or move paragraphs to other parts of the passage. But besides these few relevance and placement questions, the majority of the grammar questions are relatively easy to answer.
The following table describes typical SAT Writing and Language Test questions. Created by Presidio Education®, 2022.
| Typical Grammar, Relevance and Placement Questions | |
|---|---|
| Category | Description |
| Coherence | Asks students to be logically consistent, descriptive, or cohesive |
| Coordination | Asks students to match words or phrases in context with the passage |
| Dangling Participles | Asks students to modify a noun |
| Diction | Asks students to select the most appropriate word choices |
| Idiom | Asks students to interpret figurative expressions |
| Modifier | Asks students to add or remove an adjective or noun from the head noun |
| Parallel Structure | Asks students to ensure verb tense, punctuation, pronouns, or timelines are in consistent form |
| Placement | Asks students to move phrases, whole sentences, or whole paragraphs to new locations |
| Pronoun Agreement | Asks students to ensure pronouns are in parallel structure or are in correct form |
| Punctuation | Asks students to identify correct use of commas, periods, semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses, brackets and quotation marks |
| Redundancy | Asks students to remove redundant words, phrases, or sentences for concise writing |
| Relevance | Asks students to confirm the applicability of adding or removing information, phrases, or sentences |
| Rhetorical Devices | Asks students to identify stylistic devices that encourage consistent passage tone |
| Subject-Verb Agreement | Asks students to identify the correct relationship between subjects and verbs |
| Supplementary Material | Asks students to integrate graphs, charts, tables, maps, or data with 1-2 MCQs |
| Syntax | Asks students to rearrange the order of words in a sentence |
| Transitions | Asks students to identify the correct transition word or phrase at the beginning or middle of a sentence |
| Verb Agreement | Asks students to confirm consistency with verb tense |
Supplementary Material Questions
Sometimes students assume that supplementary material questions will always be in the form of tables, charts, or graphs. Oftentimes, data analysis questions will be organized in such forms, but not always. As exemplified below, supplementary material questions can just as well be tested in the forms of maps.
Relevance Questions
Relevance questions are less about grammar and more about interpreting a passage’s context. There are several types of relevance questions, but typically they just ask students to decide on whether to add or remove words, phrases, or sentences. The simple, yet effective, strategy is to always read the passage first. This will provide students with an objective mindset. Then, students should read the relevance question without reading any of the four (4) answer choices. This will enable students to objectively answer the given question in their minds without being persuaded by potential answer choices. For a yes-no or keep-delete question, after reading the question, students should decide if the appropriate answer should be yes or no, or keep or delete. This strategy will cut the answers in half and leave only two (2) easier options. Students will read the two (2) remaining answer choices and make a selection.
Placement Questions
Placement questions require students to move words, phrases, sentences, or even whole paragraphs to new parts of a passage. Similarly to relevance questions, placement questions are less about grammar and more about how students interpret the context of the whole passage. Students must be able to evaluate passage context well. Sometimes the part that needs to be moved to a new location may actually fit in multiple parts of the passage. This is because these types of interpretational questions are often functional questions. For example, a given sentence might logically fit in the beginning of a paragraph, or maybe a few sentences into the paragraph. This depends on how students interpret the paragraph. The strategy students should employ is to not rush to judgment with whatever answer choice seems functional because multiple answer choices could be logical. Instead, students should think about which answer choice feels most cohesive with flow, tone, chronology and context.
Need SAT Writing and Language Test Training?
We’re confident that we can truly help high school students improve their SAT Writing and Language Test scores. After our SAT training, nearly all of our students end up with near-perfect to perfect scores on this test. Please contact our Admin Team for more information on private SAT classes. We can help you reach your goals!
