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Registration deadlines for the SAT this spring:
Registration deadlines for the [[SAT]] this spring:
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== Sentence Completion Questions ==
== Sentence Completion Questions ==
18 out of 67 questions -- more than 25% -- of the "critical reading" section ask students to "complete the sentence" by filling in one or two missing words.
18 out of 67 questions—more than 25% -- of the "critical reading" section ask students to "complete the sentence" by filling in one or two missing words.
Strive to answer at least 16 out of these 18 correctly. All 18 can be figured out with logic and cleverness. When there are two blanks, both words have to fit well and that makes it easier to disqualify the wrong answers. When it is only one blank then the question can be more difficult because you have less to work with, but those can be figured out ... even when you do not know the meaning of some of the words.
Strive to answer at least 16 out of these 18 correctly. All 18 can be figured out with logic and cleverness. When there are two blanks, both words have to fit well and that makes it easier to disqualify the wrong answers. When it is only one blank then the question can be more difficult because you have less to work with, but those can be figured out ... even when you do not know the meaning of some of the words.
It's impossible to complete a jigsaw puzzle until you first understand what the final picture is supposed to look at. The same is true for these sentences. '''Be sure to understand the point of the sentence before trying to fill in the blanks'''. The biggest reason for incorrect answers on this question is because the student did not understand the basic meaning of the sentence before trying to complete it.
It's impossible to complete a jigsaw puzzle until you first understand what the final picture is supposed to look at. The same is true for these sentences. '''Be sure to understand the point of the sentence before trying to fill in the blanks'''. The biggest reason for incorrect answers on this question is because the student did not understand the basic meaning of the sentence before trying to complete it.
In the above example, the point of the sentence is that a Republican won a Senate seat that was long held by the opposite party, the Democrats. The Democrats would not be happy about that, and the contest for the seat could not have been a friendly one. The inherent conflict immediately points the student to answer choice (B), which uses the word "conflict". This is the best fit for the gap in the sentence. The , as a "fit" for the gap in the sentence.
In the above example, the point of the sentence is that a Republican won a Senate seat that was long held by the opposite party, the Democrats. The Democrats would not be happy about that, and the contest for the seat could not have been a friendly one. The inherent conflict immediately points the student to answer choice (B), which uses the word "conflict". This is the best fit for the gap in the sentence. The, as a "fit" for the gap in the sentence.
When there are two blanks in the sentence, the student is expected to check the relation between the two words to make sure they fit the sentence, as a lock fits a key. Often the blanks are set up as opposites, and the student is expected to pick the answer choice that has two antonyms. Consider the following.
When there are two blanks in the sentence, the student is expected to check the relation between the two words to make sure they fit the sentence, as a lock fits a key. Often the blanks are set up as opposites, and the student is expected to pick the answer choice that has two antonyms. Consider the following.
*scheduling test-taking too late
*scheduling test-taking too late
*not managing time (running out of time has a devastating effect on scores; don't waste too much time on any question)
*not managing time (running out of time has a devastating effect on scores; don't waste too much time on any question)
*under-emphasizing, then over-emphasizing significance of test
*under-emphasizing, then overemphasizing significance of test
*being derailed by the experimental section, which does not count towards your score anyway (each SAT exam has an experimental section that is bizarre and a waste, and doesn't count)
*being derailed by the experimental section, which does not count towards your score anyway (each SAT exam has an experimental section that is bizarre and a waste, and doesn't count)