Digital SAT English Cram Plan: Know These 3 Questions!

Summary

In this video, Laura from STP offers strategies for acing the digital SAT English section, focusing on three key question types that account for 65% of the points: transition, Standard English convention, and word and context questions. She categorizes transition words into supports, contrasts, causations, and reinforcers, and provides a three-step process for tackling them efficiently. For Standard English convention questions, she emphasizes the importance of mastering punctuation and subject-verb agreement. Laura also shares tips for answering word and context questions, even with a limited vocabulary, by using linguistic cues and positive/negative connotations. The video encourages viewers to access free resources and subscribe for more SAT prep support.

Takeaways

• 📚 Focus on mastering three key question types in the digital SAT English modules: transition, Standard English convention, and word and context, as they constitute 65% of the points.
• 🔗 Transition questions typically appear after Standard English convention questions and before not-taking questions, with about four to five per module.
• 📈 Categorize transition words into four types: supports, contrasts, causations, and reinforcers to better tackle transition questions.
• ✅ For transition questions, follow a three-step process: categorize answer choices, determine the relationship between sentences, and cross off duplicates within the same category.
• 📈 Standard English convention questions are placed around the middle of the module and test knowledge of punctuation, comma placement, and subject-verb agreement.
• 📝 When dealing with subject-verb agreement, identify the subject first and then match it with the correct verb tense from the answer choices.
• 📍 Use the strategy of reading aloud to determine comma placement, as natural pauses often indicate where commas should be.
• 🔍 For word and context questions, which appear at the beginning of the module, strategies like playing positive/negative, utilizing linguistic roots, and finding synonyms in the text can be helpful.
• 📑 Download the free digital SAT workbook from STP's website for additional practice on these three question types.
• 📱 Consider using the Prep app for a more flexible and mobile-friendly approach to SAT preparation, including short quizzes and drill modes.
• 💡 For a deeper dive into these question types, consider enrolling in STP's digital SAT English self-paced course and use the promo code for a discount.

Q & A

What are the three types of questions that make up 65% of the points in the digital SAT English modules?

The three types of questions are transition, Standard English convention, and word and context questions.

What is the first step in tackling transition questions on the digital SAT?

The first step is to categorize the transition words into four major categories: supports, contrast, causation, and reinforcers.

How many transition questions can be expected per English module on the digital SAT?

There are roughly four to five transition questions per module.

What is a support transition in the context of the digital SAT?

A support transition is a detail that backs up the main argument or the topic sentence of the paragraph.

What is the strategy for dealing with Standard English convention questions on the digital SAT?

The strategy involves knowing punctuation rules, placing commas correctly, and linking subjects to the right verb.

At what position do Standard English convention questions typically appear in the digital SAT English modules?

Standard English convention questions come at the very middle of the module, around question number 15.

What is the process for tackling word and context questions on the digital SAT?

The process involves playing positive negative, using linguistics by knowing roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and looking for synonyms in the text.

How many points can be scored from word and context questions in each digital SAT English module?

There are roughly four to five word and context questions, which is another 8 to 10 points.

What is a lead-in in the context of the digital SAT English modules?

A lead-in is an introductory phrase that sets up the subject of the sentence, often followed by a comma and the blank.

What is the recommended approach for students who are weak in vocabulary when facing word and context questions?

The recommended approach is to play positive negative, use linguistics to deduce word meanings from roots, and look for synonyms in the text.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Preparing for the Digital SAT: English Modules

Laura introduces a video by STP aimed at students preparing for the digital SAT with limited time. She emphasizes focusing on three types of questions in the English modules—transition, Standard English convention, and word and context—which constitute 65% of the points. Practical tips and strategies are shared to tackle these questions efficiently. The video also promotes a free digital SAT workbook available on their website for subscribed users. Additionally, Laura mentions 'Prep Le', a mobile app for SAT preparation, as a sponsor of the video.

05:00

🔗 Transition Questions in SAT English

Laura explains the importance of transition questions, which typically appear after Standard English convention questions and before not-taking questions in the SAT English module. She categorizes transition words into four types: supports, contrasts, causations, and reinforcers. A three-step process is introduced to tackle these questions effectively: categorize the answer choices, determine the relationship between sentences surrounding the blank, and use the process of elimination for same-category transition words. An example is worked through to demonstrate these strategies.

10:01

📖 Standard English Convention Questions

Standard English convention questions are discussed next, which are positioned around the middle of the module. Laura advises students to start with these questions for quick points if they are familiar with the rules. Key areas include punctuation, comma placement, and subject-verb agreement. Examples are provided to illustrate how to approach these questions, emphasizing the importance of identifying the subject, understanding verb tenses, and recognizing essential and non-essential clauses in sentences.

15:04

🔍 Words and Context Questions

The video concludes with words and context questions, which appear at the beginning of the English modules. These questions can be challenging for students with weak vocabularies. Strategies such as playing positive/negative, using linguistic roots, and finding synonyms in the text are suggested to improve performance. Laura works through an example to show how to apply these strategies, even with limited vocabulary knowledge.

🎓 Conclusion and Additional Resources

In conclusion, Laura offers a self-paced digital SAT English course for further study and provides a discount code for YouTube viewers. She encourages viewers to comment '65%' with a brain emoji if they watched the entire video, expressing her appreciation for their engagement. The video aims to enhance students' intuitiveness for the SAT, wishing them success in their upcoming exams.

Keywords

💡Digital SAT

The Digital SAT refers to the new format of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) that is administered digitally, as opposed to the traditional paper-based test. In the video, the presenter focuses on strategies for acing the English modules of this digital version, emphasizing the importance of mastering specific question types to maximize scores.

💡Transition Questions

Transition questions are a type of question in the SAT English module that test the student's ability to understand and use transition words effectively. These questions make up a significant portion of the test score, as highlighted in the video. The presenter categorizes transition words into supports, contrasts, causations, and reinforcers, and provides strategies for tackling these questions.

💡Standard English Convention

Standard English Convention questions assess a student's knowledge of grammar rules, punctuation, and sentence structure. These questions are mentioned as a key component of the English module, and the video offers tips on how to approach them, such as focusing on subject-verb agreement and comma usage.

💡Word and Context

Word and context questions require students to understand the meaning of words within the context of a passage. These questions often test vocabulary and comprehension skills. The video suggests strategies like playing positive/negative and using linguistic roots to deduce word meanings, even with a limited vocabulary.

💡Punctuation Rules

Punctuation rules are a subset of Standard English Convention questions that specifically test knowledge of how to use punctuation marks correctly. The video provides an example of how to determine the correct placement of commas, which is crucial for clarity and coherence in written English.

💡Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical concept that ensures the subject of a sentence matches the verb in number (singular or plural). The video script includes an example where the presenter explains how to identify the subject and choose the correct verb form, which is key to answering related SAT questions.

💡Lexicon

A lexicon refers to a person's vocabulary or a collection of words in a language. In the context of the video, the presenter discusses the importance of having a strong lexicon for the Word and Context questions on the SAT, suggesting that even a weak lexicon can be compensated with strategic approaches.

💡Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Linguistic roots, prefixes, and suffixes are morphemes that form the basis of many words. The video emphasizes their importance in understanding word meanings, especially in the context of the Word and Context questions. Knowing these can help deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words, as demonstrated through the example of the prefix 'a-' meaning 'without'.

💡Lead-ins

Lead-ins are introductory phrases or clauses that set up the main subject of a sentence. The video provides a strategy for identifying lead-ins in SAT questions, which often come before a comma and are followed by the subject. Understanding lead-ins is crucial for questions that involve subject identification.

💡Prep Le

Prep Le is mentioned as a mobile application for SAT preparation, allowing students to study on the go with short quizzes and drills. This tool is presented as an alternative to traditional, computer-based study methods, offering flexibility for students who prefer mobile learning.

💡Promo Code

A promo code is a special code that provides a discount or other benefits. In the video, the presenter offers a promo code for a self-paced Digital SAT English course, demonstrating a common marketing strategy to incentivize viewers to take advantage of a limited-time offer.

Highlights

Three types of questions in the digital SAT English modules make up 65% of the points: transition, Standard English convention, and word and context.

Practical tips and strategies for tackling transition, Standard English convention, and word and context questions are provided.

A free digital SAT workbook is available for a limited time by subscribing to the email list.

Prep Le is a fun digital SAT prep app available on the App Store and Google Play.

Transition questions start at around number 20 on each English module.

Transition words are categorized into four major types: supports, contrast, causation, and reinforcers.

A three-step process for tackling transition questions is explained.

Standard English convention questions are located in the middle of the module around number 15.

Punctuation rules, comma placement, and subject-verb agreement are key areas in Standard English convention questions.

A strategy for comma placement questions involves reading the sentence and identifying natural pauses.

Lead-ins are identified by a comma followed by the blank, and the subject usually comes right after the lead-in.

Word and context questions appear at the beginning of the English modules and often test vocabulary.

Strategies for word and context questions include playing positive/negative and using linguistic roots.

A self-paced digital SAT English course is available for those who want to delve deeper into these question types.

A promo code '50 off' is offered for the digital SAT English course for YouTube viewers.

The video concludes with an encouragement to comment '65% with a brain Emoji' for those who watched until the end.

Transcripts

hey guys Laura here with STP if I was a

student and I didn't have a lot of time

to prep for the digital sat I would make

sure I knew how to do these three

questions in the digital sat English

modules because they make up 65% of the

points the three types of questions I'm

talking about are transition Standard

English convention and word and context

questions so in this video I'm going to

show you practical tips and strategies

for how to tackle these three types of

questions so you can maximize your

points and minimize your studying now if

you want to work on these three

categories even more then make sure you

go to our website and download our

digital sat workbook for free we're

giving it away at no cost for limited

time if you subscribe to our email list

so I'm going to link up here to our

website so you can go sign up today and

get that workbook and get

[Music]

prepping

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all right first guys before we get

started this video is brought to you by

prep Le the fun digital SAT prep app

that's available in the App Store and in

Google Play If you're looking for a

different way to increase your SAT score

and you're sick of being tied down to a

computer practicing full length test

every time you need to Prep Prep is a

perfect alternative for you you can prep

from the convenience of your mobile

device when you're out and about and you

can do a little bit here and a little

bit there with our shorttime quizzes and

our drill mode so I will link up here so

you can go grab preply today and take

your prep to the next level all right

let's get started and talk about

transition questions first transition

questions start at around number 20 on

each English module so they come right

after the Standard English convention

questions and right before the not

taking questions there are roughly four

to five transition questions per module

so you're looking at like an extra 8 to

10 points now it's important to

understand the different types of

transition questions you will see to get

good at this type of question I like to

keep it simple and I put the transition

words into four major categories the

first category is what's called supports

a support transition essentially is a

detail that backs up the main argument

or the topic sentence of the paragraph

for example words like also moreover in

addition and likewise are all support

words the second major category are

contrast words contrast transitions

essentially link two sentences and they

go against each other so one sentence

might be positive the other sentence

might be negative common contrast

transition words are however

nevertheless and

regardless the next major transition

category you will encounter are called

causation words causation words

essentially uh evoke a a cause and

effect situation so the first sentence

causes the second sentence to occur so

some example causation words are thus

therefore and

consequently the last major category is

what I like to call

reinforcers reinforcers essentially are

sentences that restate or reward the

previous sentence in a different point

so there's a three-step process for

efficiently tackling transition

questions

the first step is when you get to the

answer choices categorize them the

second step is to read the sentence

before the blank and the sentence that

the blank is in to determine the

relationship between them that way

you'll know what category transition

word you need the third step and this is

just a shortcut is to cross off any

answer choices that come from the same

category transition words so if you see

two causation words that function the

same exact way like thus and therefore

cross them off because there's only one

right answer in multiple choice all

right what I'm going to do now is I'm

going to work out a transition question

with you so you can see these strategies

and steps in action so as you can see

we're on an example here and the first

thing I'm going to do is I'm going to

categorize these transition answer

choices

alternatively is a

contrast but it's a specific type of

contrast cuz it's really talking about

different options like I might say I'll

eat the steak alternatively I'll eat the

chicken so if you're not sure what

category a transition word goes into try

to put it in a context and use it in a

sentence and that'll help you determine

what situation and what type it is

consequently is a

causation which makes perfect sense

because we have the root scq which is

basically uh goes into the math term

sequence if you think of about a math

sequence it's one thing happening after

another so consequently is something

happening as a result of something else

in fact is a

reinforcer and moreover is a

support okay I can't cross any off

they're all from different categories

now what I'm going to do is read the

first sentence and the second sentence

to determine a relationship so it says

although TS Elliot devoted several years

to writing the Wasteland it sold only

about 330 copies in the 6 months

following its publication that word only

tells me that that's a negative sentence

I'm going to play positive negative and

make a mental note okay that's a

negative sentence now I'm going to read

the second part Elliot was forced to

seek other sources of income that also

sounds negative to me so I know they're

not going against each other it's not a

contrast I'm going to cross off a this

to me sounds just like a cause and

effect situation because he only sold

330 copies he was forced to go seek

other sources of income so I'm going to

go with the causation all right let's

talk about Standard English convention

questions now Standard English

convention questions come at the very

middle of the module around number 15

and you have about four to five standard

English convention questions in each

module as well which is another 8 to 10

points so I typically recommend to my

students that they actually jump to

number 15 and start with these when they

get to a module because these are quick

easy points if you know the rules

there's very specific things that they

test now in this digital sat you want to

get good at knowing the punctuation

rules you want to get good at knowing

how to place commas in the right spots

and you want to get good at being able

to link a subject to the right verb so

I'm actually going to do a few examples

with you right now to show you how to

tackle these effectively the first

example I'm going to show you guys deals

with subjects verb agreement you'll know

you're on a subject verb agreement

question because the answer choices will

all be different verb

tenses so in this case I can see is are

have been and were those are verbs of

being so you know verbs although they're

typically action words like jump and run

um these are also verbs as well so don't

count these out it's very easy for

students to mistake them for something

else but these are verbs as well what

I'm going to do is I'm going to read the

sentence that the blank is in and I'm

going to try to pinpoint my subject so

it says for engineers the elimination of

Sonic boom's blank one of the biggest

challenges involved okay I know that my

subject is the

elimination because of Sonic booms is

just extra information describing more

about the

elimination anytime you see an of clause

cross it off when you're on this type of

question because that is not the subject

it's the word that came right before it

so it's a singular subject and when I

read it the elimination is one of the

biggest

challenges now I know and I can validate

that my answer is correct because

another trick that you can use is to

test singular plural and the answer

choices this is the only singular tense

I can say he is right but I would say

they are they have been and and they

were so you want to find the one that's

different and you want to find the only

singular tense or the only plural tense

cuz that's going to be the right one

okay the next example I want to go over

with you guys are comma placement

questions CU these are huge on the

digital sat so there's a big strategy

that I like to use which is basically

read the sentence and listen to where

you pause that's probably where the

commas need to go you can also use the

strategy of deter determining if

something's essential or non essential

let me highlight and show you what I

mean by this example so it says aah love

LA and her acquaintance Charles babage

were two of the most influential figures

okay already from the way that I read it

out loud you could hear me read it

without pausing so I'm already leaning

towards picking B but if you weren't

sure or you know you have your doubts

what you can do essentially is like look

at answer Choice a if we put Charles

babage in between two commas that would

mean that that part is non essential if

we took it out will the sentence still

be okay and make

sense if we said aah Lovel and her

acquaintance were two of the most

influential figures well now we're

losing an important piece of information

they gave her name so they should give

his name too especially if they're

influential that means they're important

so we wouldn't be able to take his name

out because then it wouldn't really give

us the information that we need um so

that's how you can eliminate a and then

C and C would be incorrect because

you're not going to have uh it's very

rare that you would have a comma right

before the verb you don't pause before

the verb if you have a subject and then

a verb you read right through

that and then if you look at D you

wouldn't pause between acquaintance and

Charles babage either so you can be

confident in going with be

again I would just keep it simple and

read it out loud and Listen to If I need

to pause or not and at the end of the

day if you're narrowed down to two and

you're not sure which one to pick pick

the one with less commas in it you'll

have a better chance of picking up the

point all right the last example I want

to look at with you is dealing with what

I call leadens and this is super super

popular on the digital sat so you need

to be aware of this this will be on your

test now as you can see this example is

from a paper test test but that doesn't

matter it's still the same on the

digital

sat I have basically an introduction to

the

sentence with a comma now here's a

digital sat question so the way that you

can pinpoint that you're on a lead in is

if you see a comma and then the blank

right after it chances are the part

before it is a lead in and they're about

to introduce the subject and what

they're going to be talking about and

that's exactly what a Leen does it warms

you up and gets you ready to um to

understand a little bit more about the

subject so if I say approaching a

doorway in which dangles a red envelope

filled with green paper money my subject

has to come right after that

here so your subject comes right after

the leading and the subject has to be

whatever was approaching a doorway so

whatever they talked about in that lead

in that is the subject well if we go go

through our answer choices answer Choice

a says the lion's teeth would it make

sense for the lion's teeth to be

approaching the doorway no that's not

the subject would an envelope approach a

doorway no that's not the subject would

the teeth of the lion approach the

doorway no that's not the subject the

only subject that makes sense here would

be the lion because it's the only thing

that would be approaching the

doorway so that's how you tackle leadens

all right guys the last type of question

we are going to look at is what's called

a words and context question so these

come at the very beginning of the

English modules and you're going to have

roughly four to five words and context

questions as well so that's another 8 to

10 points so as you can see these three

categories really do make up most of the

module now the challenge of words and

context questions is a lot of students

their vocabularies are weak maybe you're

in that category if you are comment

below for me me let me know what you

think about your Lexicon do you have a

strong lexicon do you have a weak

lexicon if you didn't know lexicon meant

vocabulary maybe you need to work on

your vocabulary more but there are a few

key strategies you can use even when you

have a weak vocabulary to still get the

questions right so let's talk about

those the first strategy is you can play

positive negative so if you read the

text and it sounds positive pick a

positive sounding word the second

strategy that you can use is linguistics

words are comprised of Parts typically

Latin and Greek Roots so if you know

Roots prefixes and suffixes in their

meanings for instance if I put the

prefix a in front of a word it means

without so apathy means without feelings

that will help you figure out what words

mean without memorizing thousands of

definitions your third strategy is to

look for synonyms in the text there's

going to be a definition somewhere in

the text nearby especially after like an

interesting punctuation mark like a

colon or semicolon really look out for

that okay so now I'm going to go over a

words and context question with you just

to show you how it works so I'm going to

read this little paragraph first and try

to play positive negative so it says

since decades old regimens developed for

the later stages of cancer uh have

little success in the entire body

focusing on the first stages of cancer

would be more effective and cheaper okay

when I kind of get a sense of what's

going on here with positive and negative

the decades old regimens developed for

later stages sound like bad so that is

not good but they it sounds like they

have a solution if you focus on the

first stages it would be more effective

and cheaper that sounds good it says

thus professor of Medicine Dr AZ razza

an international Authority on pre

leukemia and Leukemia blank the

traditional SL poison burn approach to

treating cancer okay so I need to figure

out does this word need to be positive

or negative here and I'm not really sure

because there's a part of it in the text

is positive and part of it is negative

so what I'm going to do is I'm going to

try to pinpoint the definition or a

synonym to the word that I need in the

blank now it's describing the

traditional approach

which is a synonym to a decade old

regimen well the decade old regimen was

negative right so I know I need a

negative word in the blank well bolsters

sounds positive to me and it is

reinforces sounds positive to me and it

is would it make more sense for him to

control or rebut rebut sounds more

negative to me than controls controls

kind of sounds neutral so I'm going to

go with a so that's how you can get a

word and context question right even if

you don't know what all the words mean

all right guys if you want to dive into

these different types of questions even

deeper we have an awesome digital sat

English self-paced course so I'm going

to link it up here if you want to go

check that out if you put in the promo

code 50 off at checkout you can get $50

off this course since you are a YouTube

viewer of mine and I love you guys so

much all right that's it for now if you

made it all the way to the end of this

video comment below 65% with a brain

Emoji I really appreciate you sticking

it out with me to the very end and I

have no doubt this STI intuitiveness of

yours is going to help you succeed on

your next sat so until next time guys

happy

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preing