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General
SAT exam determines your verbal resaoning skills in three
ways. You will be tested using the following types of questions:
Analogies
SAT analogy questions ask you to match up pairs of words
that are related in the same way. Each question starts with
a word pair. You have to pick the pair of words from five answer
choice that has the same logical relationship. Here are
some example SAT analogy questions.
| HORSE:UNICORN:: |
| (A)lizard:dragon |
| (B)ram:stallion |
| (C)sheep:lamb |
| (D)reptile:scale |
| (E)mare:mermaid |
| The correct answer is (A). |
| A horse is a real animal and a unicorn is an imaginary
horse-like animal, just as a lizard is a real animal and
a dragon is an imaginary lizard-like animal. Let's look
at the other answer choices to see why they are wrong. |
| Answer (B) is wrong |
| because the only relationship between ram and stallion
is that they are both maile animals. |
| Answer (C) is wrong. |
| In answer (C), the relationship is that a sheep is an
adult lamb. |
| Answer (D) is wrong. |
| In answer (D), the relationship is that a reptile is
covered with scales. |
| Anwer (E) is wrong. |
| Answer (E) is close. A mare is real and a mermaid
is imaginary, but a mermaid bears no resemblance to a
female horse. So, (E) is not the best answer. |
| SPOOL:THREAD:: |
| (A)bale:bay |
| (B)sack:potatoes |
| (C)verse:song |
| (D)coil:rope |
| (E)reel:line |
| The correct answer is (E). |
| Thread is wrapped around a spool, just as a fishing
line is wrapped around a reel. |
| Answer (A) is wrong |
| because hay is bundled, not wrapped, in
a bale. |
| Answer (B) is wrong. |
| the potatoes are stored in, not wrapped around,
a sack. |
| Answer (C) is wrong. |
| the only relationship is that a verse is part of a song. |
| Anwer (D) is wrong. |
| The relationship is only that rope can be shaped into
a coil. |
| RICE:WEDDING:: |
| (A)food:groom |
| (B)celebration:ceremony |
| (C)wheat:meal |
| (D)bran:cereal |
| (E)confetti:parade |
| The correct answer is (E). |
| Rice is ofter thrown at a wedding, just as confetti
is often thrown at a parade. Just try this sentence with
the other choices and you'll see that none of them even
comes close to working. |
| Answer (A) is wrong |
| See above explaination. |
| Answer (B) is wrong. |
| Same as answer (A). |
| Answer (C) is wrong. |
| Same as answer (A). |
| Answer (D) is wrong. |
| Same as answer (A). |
Strategies
With Analogies, you are looking for similar relationships,
not similar meanings. Analogy questions do not ask you
to look for words that have the same meaning as the word in
capital letters. To answer Analogy questions, start by making
up a "test sentence" that explains how the two words in capital
letters are related. Then try the words from each answer in
your test sentence to see which pair makes the most sense.
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Establish Relationships
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Be Flexible
- Analogy questions use words consistently
- Comparing individual words.
- Reversing word order.
- Handling abstract questions.
- Eliminate Wrong Choices and Guess.
Understanding
Sentence Completions
Just as the name implies, sentence completions are "fill-in-the-blank"
questions. SAT sentence completeion questions may have one or
two blanks. Your job is to choose from among the answer choices
the word or words that best fit each blank.
Here are three sample SAT sentence completion questions.
| 1. Many hours of practice are required of a successful
musician, so it is oftern not so much ---- as ---- which
distinguishes the professional from the amateur. |
| (A) genius..understanding |
| (B) money..education |
| (C) talent..discipline |
| (D) fortitude..mediocrity |
| (E) technique..pomposity |
The correct answer is (C).
How do you know? The sentence gives you a clue. The "not
so much .... as ... " lets you know that there is some
kind of contrast here. Choices (B) and (C) both show a
contrast, but (C) is the only one that makes sense in
the sentence. |
| 2. The sudden death of the world-renowned leader ----
his followers, but it ---- his formaer opponents. |
| (A) saddened..devastated |
| (B) shocked..encouraged |
| (C) depressed..tempered |
| (D) satisfied..aided |
| (E) prostrated..depressed |
The correct answer is (B).
The word "but" is your clue that the word in the second
blank will contrast with the word in the first blank.
Only the words shocked and encouraged offer the logical
contrast that is expected between the feelings of followers
and opponents on the death of a leader. |
| 3. Despite his valor on the football field, the start
athlete ---- when forced to take a flu shot. |
| (A) relaxed |
| (B) trembled |
| (C) hustled |
| (D) sidled |
| (E) embellished |
The correct answer is (B).
The word "despite" is your clue that the athlete will
do something less than heroic when confronted with the
flu shot. Trembled completes the sentence and continues
the strong tone of irony. |
Understanding
Critical Reading
SAT critical reading questions present a passage that you are
to read and answer questions about. The question follow the
order in which information appears in the passage. The passage
below is followed by a set of question. Read the passage and
answer the accompanying questions, basing your answers on
what is stated or implied in the passage.
The following passage discusses the mythical island of Atlantis.
| A lengendary island in the Atlantic Ocean beond the
Pillars of hercules was first mentioned by Plato in the
Timaeus. Atlantis was a fabulously beautiful and prosperous
land, the seat of an empire nine thousand years before
Soln. Its inhabitants overran part of Europe and Africa,
Athens alone being able to defy them. Becuase of the impiety
of its people, the island was destroyed by an earthquake
and inundation. The legend may have existed before Plato
and may have sprung from the concept of Homer's Elysium.
The possibility that such an island once existed has caused
much speculation, resulting in a theory that pre-Columbian
civiliztions in America were established by colonists
from the lost island. |
| 1. The main purpose of the passage is to discuss |
| (A) the legend of Atlantis |
| (B) Plato's description of Atlantis in the Timaeus |
| (C) the conquests made by citizens of Atlantis |
| (D) the possibility that the Americas were settled by
colonists from Atlantis |
| (E) the destruction of Atlantis |
| The correct answer is (A) |
| The main purpose should be represented by an overall
statement. While the details in (B), (C), (D), and (E)
are all mentioned in the text, (A) is the only overall
statement. |
| 2. According to the passage, we may safely conclude
that the inhabitants of Atlantis |
| (A) were known personally to Homer |
| (B) were a peace-loving people who stayed close to home |
| (C) were a religious and superstitious people |
| (D) used the name Columbus for America |
| (E) were never visited by Plato |
| The correct answer is (E) |
| At the time Plato mentioned Atlantis, it was already
legendary. Therefore, Plato could not have visited the
island. |
| 3. According to the legend, Atlantis was destroyed becuase
the inhabitants |
| (A) failed to obtain an adequate food supply |
| (B) failed to conquer Greece |
| (C) failed to respect their gods |
| (D) believed in Homer's Elysium |
| (E) had become too prosperous |
| The correct answer is (C) |
| The only cause that's mentioned in the passage is the
"impiety" of the people of Atlantis. |
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