(KEY TECHNIQUES) Flashcards
How to answer Rhetoric questions?
Underline the one or two KEY phrases in the question that will TELL YOU exactly what the correct is; these phrases ARE your prediction.
How to answer Summary and Transition Rhetoric questions?
- Underlining key phrases that tell you exactly WHAT to summarize
- That summary IS your prediction
When you see an underlined phrase between two commas, is it a non-essential clause?
Cross out the clause between the commas
If the sentence still makes sense, then it IS non-essential, and so SHOULD have commas
If the sentence now doesn’t make sense, then it’s essential and SHOULDN’T have commas
IC DC technique: what to do when you see an underlined portion of the text with punctuation in it midway through a sentence?
Look to the left and right of the punctuation, and label IC or DC
Apply IC DC comma rules (if you labeled DC DC, remove the comma)
Modifier questions:
when you see a long underlined portion, or a question about where a word or short phrase should go, it is likely a Modifiers question. If it is a modifiers question, note which of the five types of modifiers is misplaced: adjective, adverb, or one of the three Phrases - prepositional phrase, gerund phrase, or descriptive phrase
Vocab in context questions:
cross out the word in the text. Read the sentence in question (the sentence before as well, ideally) and predict your own word that would fit in the text. Then look at the answers.
On transition word questions:
cross out the transition word and then read a sentence or two above and below the transition word – read them WITHOUT any transition word – and feel how weird it feels without a transition.
Keep in mind, there are three types of transitions that are good to be aware of:
(1) continuers (and, also, moreover, furthermore, etc.)
(2) contrasters (but, however, by contrast, etc.)
(3) cause-and-effect (because, as a result, therefore, etc.)
Sentence order questions:
underline the sentence in question – this helps you detach it from the text around it and to see it as a moving part, like a lego or puzzle piece looking for the right fit – and then imagine it in each of the places mentioned by the answer choices.
On “Should the Writer Add/Delete” questions:
predict IF the writer should add or delete the phrase - and WHY - and then look at the answers.
On “Shorter is Better: Redundancy and Wordiness” questions:
you’ll notice some of the answers are either ridiculously casual and/or ridiculously wordy. Know that the SAT / ACT prefer language that is formal yet concise.
