3 Tips: Writing the Perfect SAT® Essay! CRUSH THE TEST!
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Brook from Super Tutor TV shares tips on how to write a perfect SAT essay. She emphasizes the importance of structuring the essay around three key techniques, analyzing the author's argument, and understanding the effect on the reader. Brook breaks down a four-step process for body paragraphs: identifying the technique, citing it, explaining its impact, and analyzing its effect on the reader. She also suggests resources like 'The Elements of Style' to improve writing prowess. Finally, she encourages viewers to subscribe for more content and updates.
Takeaways
- 😊 Encourage viewers to subscribe to the channel and join the mailing list for updates.
- 📘 Understand the importance of learning SAT essay requirements by watching related videos or reviewing practice essays.
- ✏️ Develop a thesis that includes three key techniques the author uses in their argument, ensuring it's more than just a summary.
- 💡 Balance reading points (understanding the author's message) and analysis points (examining techniques used) to score well.
- 📊 Identify techniques such as statistics, counterarguments, and evidence synthesis to create a deeper analysis.
- 🔄 Analyze essays using a four-step process: identify the technique, cite it, explain its purpose, and analyze its effect on readers.
- 🔍 Use paraphrasing or direct quotes in each body paragraph to ensure thorough analysis.
- 🧠 Explain how each technique contributes to the author’s message, not just what the technique is.
- 🎯 Focus on the overall effect of techniques on the reader to enhance analysis and depth.
- 📚 Improve writing style by referencing key books like 'The Elements of Style', 'Writing Tools', and 'They Say, I Say' for better sentence-level writing.
Q & A
What is the primary goal of the video?
-The primary goal of the video is to teach students how to write a top-scoring SAT essay by focusing on key techniques and strategies that SAT essay graders respond to.
What are the two things the speaker encourages viewers to do before starting the SAT essay tips?
-The speaker encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel and sign up for their mailing list on the website for updates and new resources.
What mistake do students commonly make when writing their SAT essays?
-A common mistake students make is summarizing the entire essay instead of analyzing the techniques the author uses to prove their point.
What should a strong thesis for the SAT essay include according to the speaker?
-A strong thesis should include three specific techniques the author uses to convey their argument and analyze the effects of those techniques on the reader.
What are the four steps the speaker suggests for analyzing an essay in body paragraphs?
-The four steps are: 1) Identify the technique and its purpose, 2) Cite the technique through paraphrasing or direct quotes, 3) Explain how the technique contributes to the author's overall message, and 4) Analyze the overall effect of the technique on the reader.
Why is it important to explain the overall effect of a technique on the reader?
-Explaining the overall effect shows deeper analysis and helps the student gain more points, as it demonstrates a thorough understanding of how the author's techniques influence the audience's perception.
What advice does the speaker give for improving writing style in SAT essays?
-The speaker advises improving writing style by sounding like you're writing for respected publications such as 'The Atlantic Monthly' or 'The New York Times,' focusing on conciseness, strong sentence structure, and avoiding unnecessary words.
What are the three books recommended by the speaker to enhance writing skills?
-The three recommended books are 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk and White, 'Writing Tools' by Roy Peter Clark, and 'They Say, I Say' by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein.
How can the book 'They Say, I Say' help students with their SAT essay?
-The book 'They Say, I Say' teaches students how to engage in academic conversation by referencing other viewpoints, which makes their own arguments more interesting and adds depth to their writing.
What is the importance of citing techniques in SAT essays, according to the speaker?
-Citing techniques, either through paraphrasing or direct quotes, is crucial because it helps support the analysis and demonstrates that the student understands how the author uses specific strategies to build their argument.
Outlines
🎥 Introduction to SAT Essay and Channel Promotion
The speaker, Brook, introduces herself and the channel 'Super Trot TV,' encouraging viewers to subscribe and sign up for the mailing list. She sets up the context of the video, which will discuss tips for writing a top-scoring SAT essay. Brook emphasizes that understanding the essay structure and strategies is key and suggests two ways to learn more: watching a comparative video about SAT and ACT essays, or downloading an SAT practice essay.
📝 Thesis Development and Avoiding Common Mistakes
Brook highlights the importance of focusing on three analytical points when writing an SAT essay, urging students to avoid merely summarizing the text. She explains how identifying rhetorical techniques the author uses is crucial to both analysis and thesis development. Brook provides an example using an official practice essay, where the author uses statistics, acknowledges counterarguments, and synthesizes evidence to support their point.
🔍 In-depth Analysis of Techniques
Brook introduces a four-step process for body paragraphs: 1) identifying a rhetorical technique and its purpose, 2) citing the technique using quotes or paraphrasing, 3) explaining how the technique contributes to the author's message, and 4) analyzing the overall effect on readers. She stresses the need to move beyond surface-level analysis, using a specific example where statistics emphasize the importance of discussing children's technology use, which grabs the audience's attention.
📚 Mastering Writing Style and Usage
Brook offers advice on improving writing style, noting that good grammar alone isn't enough for a top score. She recommends three books: 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk and White for concise writing, 'Writing Tools' by Roy Peter Clark for sentence-level improvement, and 'They Say, I Say' by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein for understanding how to engage in academic conversation. These resources can enhance both the essay writing process and analysis of the essay's content.
👍 Final Encouragement and Call to Action
Brook wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and visit the website. She wishes them success on the SAT essay, expressing hope that they will excel by applying the tips shared. She signs off with a positive message, inviting viewers to stay connected with 'Super Trot TV' for future content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡SAT essay
💡Thesis
💡Rhetorical techniques
💡Analysis
💡Evidence
💡Counterargument
💡Effect on the reader
💡Writing style
💡Citation
💡Books for writing improvement
Highlights
Introduction to the video on how to write a perfect SAT essay and the importance of subscribing to the channel.
Encouragement to visit the website and sign up for the mailing list to stay updated on new products and giveaways.
Overview of what the SAT essay tests and comparison to the ACT essay, with a recommendation to watch another video for further understanding.
Key tip: Create a thesis that includes three technique-driven elements to analyze rather than just summarizing the passage.
Important advice: Balance between summarizing the author's message and analyzing the techniques used in the essay.
Example from an official SAT practice test (Test 3) illustrating how to structure a thesis around specific techniques such as using statistics.
Tip on the four-step process for analyzing the essay in body paragraphs: identify the technique, cite it, explain its purpose, and analyze its effect on the reader.
Detailed breakdown of how to analyze the use of statistics to convey the importance of an issue, using an example of children's technology use.
Explanation of how to link specific examples of techniques to the broader argument to score well on reading and analysis points.
Tip on analyzing the overall effect of the technique on the reader and linking it back to the author's main argument.
Advice on writing style: Aim for a professional tone similar to publications like the Atlantic Monthly or New York Times to maximize writing points.
Recommendation to read 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk and White to improve concise writing and sentence structure.
Further recommendation to read 'Writing Tools' by Roy Peter Clark for tips on sentence-level writing improvement.
Suggestion to read 'They Say, I Say' by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein to understand how to engage with opposing viewpoints in academic writing.
Conclusion and encouragement to subscribe to the channel, visit the website, and stay tuned for more helpful SAT content on SuperTutor TV.
Transcripts
hey guys it's Brook with super tror TV
and today I'm going to talk to you guys
about how to rate the perfect sat
essay before we get started I want to
just encourage all of you to subscribe
to our channel it's really awesome all
you have to do is click the Subscribe
button that's how we keep alive and then
the other thing that I want to encourage
you to do is go to our website and sign
up for our mailing list if we have any
new products or any new exciting
giveaways or anything going on you're
going to be the first people to know
about it so I recommend that you check
that out and let's get started if you
guys are taking the SAT and you're
taking the essay I know it can be a
little bit overwhelming what I'm going
to share with you is my observations on
what really makes a top scoring essay
what are the elements that combine
together that the College Board graders
respond to if you have no idea what the
SAT essay is about two things you can do
to learn about it one we have a video
that compares the SAT essay to the ACT
essay but that walks through all of the
parameters of the essay and all the
basics of what's on it and what it tests
and how it's graded and all that good
stuff the second thing you could do is
go download a copy of an actual SAT
practice essay I'm going to be using
practice essay number three from test
three today as a little bit of an
example uh you can find that and many
more essays on our resources page on our
SAT resources page so you can do those
two things and get a little orientation
understand what it's all about come back
here after that and then let's get
started the first tip that I have is
that you need to find three things
essentially to talk talk about that are
technique driven and that should be your
thesis if you don't do this as a thesis
I have found that some graders are just
not very forgiving one of the mistakes
that some students make is that they
just summarize the whole darn thing and
uh that's not your job your job is not
to summarize it but it's also not just
to analyze three techniques the author
is using to prove his or her point so
the the balance is that you need to do
both of these things you need to pick up
your reading points which you pick up
from understanding all of the things the
author is trying to say in the essay and
then you also need to pick up your
analysis points which you get by
figuring out what techniques or what
strategies does the author employ in
order to get his or her point across
okay so I'm going to give you an example
of what that means and what that looks
like I'm just going to pull up this
practice essay this is from an official
practice test here's my little end of
paragraph thesis to persuasively make
the point that technology benefits young
people Doctor asserts the importance of
the topic using statistics so I have
this idea of what she doing by using
statistics in here then I say
acknowledges her counterarguments while
providing dim evidence of their
validity and supports her own Side by
synthesizing multiple sources of
evidence those are my big three but you
see how I've added a little bit of depth
and a little bit of swimming pool water
for myself in the way that I set this up
so that I have somewhere to go the art
of this is being able to do this in a
way that that creates Ates an opening
for depth that connects both to how
those techniques have an effect on the
reader and what those techniques have to
do with the main idea the author is
trying to establish or with her overall
argument framework one of the things
that I found in some student essays that
that I don't think works as well or that
can lead to rather thin analysis later
is being really sort of perfunctory in
the choice of what kind of techniques
the author is using for example I have a
lot of students who will say the author
uses statistics ites evidence and
appeals to authorities and then we go on
into the essay and the appeal to
Authority is basically like she quotes
this famous person he is a famous person
so she appealed to Authority and it's
just super thin and its analysis so
always try to find a good point of
analysis a good rhetorical strategy the
author is using but find one that you
can dig a little deeper into and that's
going to be your path to getting all
those points from your graders
cool my second tip is that you're going
to
analyze the essay in four steps in your
body paragraphs and this is kind of the
four-step process that if you're missing
one of these four steps you're going to
lose Point somewhere okay so our first
step is that you need to identify the
trender technique and its purpose this
is basically taking from the thesis
which I've already identified the
trender technique but because of good
organization I have to do this in my
body paragraph as well so I'm going to
show you my body paragraph here and I'm
going to show you how I do each of these
steps the technique I'm going to say say
is utilizing numbers with Statistics the
purpose of using numbers is to establish
the importance of discussing this
pressing issue right so I have a the the
technique and I also have the purpose of
the technique do you see how I'm doing
this at kind of a macro level I'm not
just saying literally what the
statistics say I'm saying sort of the
big purpose behind them so you want to
get to that big purpose if you can and
then also say here's the technique
that's being used and here's the kind of
big purpose or framework idea behind
so my second step in this four-step
process of that all the things that you
have to have in your body paragraph are
you need to cite the technique and when
I say cite the technique that's your
time for paraphrasing or for direct
quotes if you don't have a paraphrase or
direct quote in every paragraph you are
going to be in trouble and you're not
going to get all of your analysis points
okay so here I have for example that's
leading in saying I'm going to give you
an example she cites statistics to
establish the widespread use of
Technology among kids so this is
establishing a lot of kids use
technology and then then here's our
statistics right 27% of them use tablets
this thing here and I say why she's
including this quote so I always lead my
citation in with a little bit of context
so you understand how it fits into the
larger argument you see how this is more
specific than this idea of of the
importance of discussing this pressing
issue well why is it important to
discuss this issue because there's so
many kids using technology do you see
how this is like the subo that's going
to lead up to that point so you see how
I have like kind of the general and then
I've got like the specific super
specific here and then I've got kind of
a specific explanation of what that
specific is so I have these different
layers of explanation and while I'm
fitting in a larger argument I'm also
establishing that I understand the
author's message and meaning which is my
number three you make sure you explain
how that technique contributes to the
author's message and meaning in other
words you explain what that technique
has to do or how it fits in with the
argument as a whole and in that step
you're also telling us what that
argument is how that argument is formed
how that argument set up all that good
stuff and you're picking up all those
reading points don't neglect your
reading points or you will be sorry she
capitalizes on the power of data to
reveal how broad-reaching the issue of
children's technology uses this is
basically the effect of what this quote
is so I'm explaining the effect of the
quote I'm also explaining how what it
has to do with her argument she's trying
to reveal how broad reaching the issue
of children's technology uses this has
to do with her main idea or her
point and so I'm going to pick up some
reading points here because I understand
the point she's trying to make got it
and I'm telling you what that point is
and I'm telling you how this quote Works
in with that point and four finally
you're talking about the endgame effect
the overall effect of having used this
technique how does that work on readers
and I'm just always trying to swim
deeper into that analytical hole the
more I can analyze the better off I'm
going to be and the more likely I am
going to be to get a perfect score on
this so here using such striking
statistics dran captures the audiences
attention this is an issue that must be
discussed so here's what the effect of
these stats are by using all these big
numbers as an audience member I
go whoa holy cow this is a big deal I
didn't even realize how how important it
was that we figure this issue of kids
and Technology out this really matters
so that's the effect of this technique
on the reader of using all the
statistics but I've analyzed the effect
on the reader cool
my third tip for the SAT essay and this
is my last one is to perfect your
writing prowess what I think a lot of
students struggle with isn't necessarily
grammar straight up but it's more what
we call style and usage you want to
sound like you're writing for the
Atlantic Monthly or the New York Times
not like you're some eighth grader who
can barely put together an essay even if
your grammar is perfect if your style
isn't dead on you might not pick up all
those writing points so how do you
become an awesome writer well I have
some advice for you in the form of go
check out some books one of them is a CL
CLC it's called the elements of style
it's by Strunk and white it's going to
tell you all about how to write
concisely how to use fewer words instead
of more words how to pack power into
your sentences by the way that you
arrange them it's free on the Kindle and
it's probably available in every public
library in America if not close to it so
go check that book out two other books
that I like there's one that's called
writing tools it's by a guy named Roy
Peter Clark and it goes through a bunch
of different ways that you as a writer
can make your sentence level writing
better how do you make your writing
stronger how do I make my writing seem
really cohesive and whole versus how do
I make it seem like there's there's a
struggle or there's a debate so he's
going to go through some different
techniques that you can use it's a
really easy to read quick kind of
reference style book and then the third
book that I really like is called they
say I say it's by Gerald graph and Kathy
birkenstein and that book is just really
cool because it talks about how in
academic writing we often engage in
conversation this book probably applies
to I would say onethird of the essays
that you're going to read are going to
have some sort of academic conversation
in them if not one half but one of the
things about the book that's really
interesting is it talks about how by
referencing other points of view your
point of view becomes more interesting
so you can use some of the principles
there not only in your sat essay but
also in analyzing the essay because a
lot of times the people writing these
essays are using the techniques from
that book too so you can use it both as
an analysis tool and a way to spice up
your own writing so your own writing
seems more interesting when you add a
little bit of perspective when you add a
little bit of many people might think
this but actually this kind of talk into
your essay you can create this sort of
sense of instad depth and so that's just
a really easy quick and dirty way to
improve your analysis a little bit so
check out those three books those are
going to help you with your style and
your writing and they're probably going
to help you a lot more with that than a
lot of the SAT books on the market just
brushing up on your writing skills in
general is an awesome way to get all
four of those writing points if you're
not getting those rating points that's a
great place to start I hope you guys
like this video if so please give it a
thumbs up subscribe to our Channel again
if you haven't good or a website and
subscribe to our mailing list and stay
tuned to Super chor TV good luck to all
of you on the SAT I hope you rock your
essays and I will see all of you next
time on superer TV thanks for watching
bye-bye
[Music]
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