SAT Writing Multiple Choice Strategy
The SAT Writing section is made up of an essay prompt and multiple choice questions. In this article we discuss a useful test-taking strategy for SAT Writing multiple choice questions.
Writing Multiple Choice Question Types
Identifying sentence errors, improving sentences, and improving paragraphs are the types of questions you'll see on the SAT Writing multiple choice.
For improving setnences, you will be presented with a sentence with four underlined portions. Your task is to decide which one of the underlined portions are gramatically incorrect or your fifth choice that there are no errors.
For improving sentences or paragraphs, you will be given a sentence or paragraph, respectively, and given answer choices that could possibly improve the sentence or paragraph. You can also choose to leave the sentence or paragraph to leave it as-is.
You can find more information on format at SAT Writing Section Format.
Key to Scoring High on SAT Writing Multiple Choice
The key to scoring high on SAT Writing multiple choice is the ability to listen for errors. You don't have to know every grammar rule to do well on SAT Writing multiple choice. All you have to know is what sounds wrong and what sounds right, and then choose an answer choice accordingly. Nowhere on the SAT test does it ask you for why a sentence or paragraph is incorrect.
Good Grammar
Since you only have to know that something is wrong and not why something is wrong, design your SAT Writing preparation accordingly. You have to know what sounds right and what sounds wrong. The best way to do this is not from a grammar book! Rather, read from reputable resources like The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times daily.
If you read consistently for a month, you will start to see your SAT Writing score improve, because you will become accustomed to reading well-written sentence and paragraphs. When you read a sentence or paragraph that doesn't sound like what you've been reading for a month, mistakes will be easy to spot! The more you read, the easier identifying errors will be.
How to Approach SAT Writing Multiple Choice
With an ear for listening for mistakes, first read the sentence or paragraph without looking at answer choices. Decide what is wrong with the sentence or paragraph (or what is not wrong) and predict an answer. Find your predication in the answer choices. If you look at the answer choices first, it's more likely you'll end up second guessing yourself and getting confused.
Bottom Line
On SAT Writing multiple choice, go with what sounds better.