V
Vocabulary · 3 core words
Academic Word Power
Words that appear on SAT, IB, and school exams — learn the pattern, not just the definition
Quick Memory Point
AMBIGUOUS — AMBi = "both" (like AMBidextrous = both hands)
→ Something is ambiguous when it can mean TWO things at once.
Synonyms to know: vague unclear equivocal
→ Something is ambiguous when it can mean TWO things at once.
Synonyms to know: vague unclear equivocal
Worked Example — SAT Style
The politician's statement was deliberately ambiguous, allowing different groups to interpret it in ways that suited their own beliefs.
Notice: "deliberately ambiguous" = a common SAT collocation. The word signals the author's intention.
Quick Memory Point
MITIGATE — MITI sounds like "me-tea-gate" → soften something harsh
→ To mitigate = to make something LESS bad / reduce negative effects.
Trap: Do NOT confuse with militate (= to work against)
→ To mitigate = to make something LESS bad / reduce negative effects.
Trap: Do NOT confuse with militate (= to work against)
Worked Example — IB Style
Several government policies were introduced to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic, including direct payments to households and interest-free loans to small businesses.
"Mitigate the impact / risk / effects" — memorize this noun pairing for essays.
Quick Memory Point
CORROBORATE — CORRoborate → think CORRODE + BORE = "supports it so strongly it drills in"
→ To corroborate = to CONFIRM or SUPPORT evidence.
Opposite: contradict refute undermine
→ To corroborate = to CONFIRM or SUPPORT evidence.
Opposite: contradict refute undermine
Worked Example — SAT Reading Passage Style
The witness's testimony seemed to corroborate the findings of the forensic team; both accounts placed the suspect near the scene at the same time.
SAT loves: "The passage corroborates the claim that…" — a classic comprehension question stem.
R
Reading Comprehension · 3 strategies
Master Passage Analysis
The three question types that trip up even strong readers
Quick Memory Point — Main Idea
The main idea is NEVER found only in the first sentence.
Formula: TOPIC + AUTHOR'S CLAIM = Main Idea
Ask: "What does the author want me to believe about this topic?" — not just "what is it about?"
Formula: TOPIC + AUTHOR'S CLAIM = Main Idea
Ask: "What does the author want me to believe about this topic?" — not just "what is it about?"
Worked Example — Main Purpose Question
Read this passage opening:
"Despite decades of urban expansion, green spaces in cities are not merely aesthetic luxuries — they are essential infrastructure. Studies consistently link proximity to parks with lower cortisol levels, reduced crime rates, and stronger community bonds."
Q: The primary purpose of this passage is most likely to —
Wrong trap: "describe urban expansion" ← this is just the TOPIC, not the argument.
Correct approach: The author ARGUES green spaces are necessary, not decorative.
"Despite decades of urban expansion, green spaces in cities are not merely aesthetic luxuries — they are essential infrastructure. Studies consistently link proximity to parks with lower cortisol levels, reduced crime rates, and stronger community bonds."
Q: The primary purpose of this passage is most likely to —
Wrong trap: "describe urban expansion" ← this is just the TOPIC, not the argument.
Correct approach: The author ARGUES green spaces are necessary, not decorative.
On SAT/IB: always look for the author's VERB — argue, challenge, critique, illustrate, propose.
Quick Memory Point — Inference Questions
Inference ≠ Guess. Inference = MUST BE TRUE based on the text.
Eliminate: Too extreme (always / never), too broad, unsupported opinion.
Pick: The answer that uses softer language — may / likely / suggests / implies
Eliminate: Too extreme (always / never), too broad, unsupported opinion.
Pick: The answer that uses softer language — may / likely / suggests / implies
Worked Example — Inference
Passage: "The astronaut had not slept in 36 hours, yet she continued to run diagnostics on the shuttle's navigation system with extraordinary precision."
Q: What can be inferred about the astronaut?
❌ Wrong: "She never felt tired." (too extreme — the passage doesn't say this)
✓ Correct: "She was able to maintain focus despite physical exhaustion." (supported + measured)
Q: What can be inferred about the astronaut?
❌ Wrong: "She never felt tired." (too extreme — the passage doesn't say this)
✓ Correct: "She was able to maintain focus despite physical exhaustion." (supported + measured)
IB English loves this trap. The correct answer is always the modest one.
Quick Memory Point — Tone & Attitude
Charged words reveal tone. Underline adjectives and adverbs first.
Positive spectrum: admiring → celebratory → reverent
Negative spectrum: skeptical → critical → contemptuous
Neutral: analytical / objective / detached
Positive spectrum: admiring → celebratory → reverent
Negative spectrum: skeptical → critical → contemptuous
Neutral: analytical / objective / detached
Worked Example — Author's Tone
"The committee's so-called 'reforms' did little more than shuffle responsibilities between departments while the underlying problems festered, untreated and unacknowledged."
Tone clues: "so-called" (dismissive), "little more than" (minimizing), "festered" (disgust), "untreated and unacknowledged" (critical blame).
Tone clues: "so-called" (dismissive), "little more than" (minimizing), "festered" (disgust), "untreated and unacknowledged" (critical blame).
The tone here = critical / scornful. On SAT, eliminate "admiring," "objective," and "cautious."
G
Grammar · 2 high-yield rules
Rules That Win Points
The two grammar topics with the most exam questions — master these first
Quick Memory Point — Subject-Verb Agreement
The #1 trap: a long phrase between subject and verb.
Rule: CROSS OUT the phrase between commas/dashes → find the REAL subject.
"The group of students, who had studied all night, was exhausted." → group = singular → was ✓
Tricky singular words: each / either / neither / everyone / no one → always singular
Rule: CROSS OUT the phrase between commas/dashes → find the REAL subject.
"The group of students, who had studied all night, was exhausted." → group = singular → was ✓
Tricky singular words: each / either / neither / everyone / no one → always singular
Worked Example — Agreement Trap
Original: "The collection of ancient manuscripts, discovered in the monastery's hidden vault, reveal surprising details about medieval trade."
❌ Error: "manuscripts" is close to the verb → looks plural but the subject is "collection" (singular).
✓ Corrected: "The collection … reveals surprising details…"
❌ Error: "manuscripts" is close to the verb → looks plural but the subject is "collection" (singular).
✓ Corrected: "The collection … reveals surprising details…"
SAT Writing always puts 2-3 distracting nouns between subject and verb. Cross them out mentally.
Quick Memory Point — Modifier Placement
Modifiers must be RIGHT NEXT TO what they describe.
Dangling modifier: the thing being described is MISSING from the sentence.
Fix: The SUBJECT of the main clause must match the modifier's implied subject.
"Running down the street, the keys fell" ← keys can't run! → "Running down the street, she dropped her keys."
Dangling modifier: the thing being described is MISSING from the sentence.
Fix: The SUBJECT of the main clause must match the modifier's implied subject.
"Running down the street, the keys fell" ← keys can't run! → "Running down the street, she dropped her keys."
Worked Example — Dangling Modifier
❌ "Exhausted after the long journey, the hotel room was a welcome sight."
Problem: "Exhausted" modifies "hotel room" — rooms can't be exhausted!
✓ Fixed: "Exhausted after the long journey, the travelers welcomed the sight of the hotel room."
Problem: "Exhausted" modifies "hotel room" — rooms can't be exhausted!
✓ Fixed: "Exhausted after the long journey, the travelers welcomed the sight of the hotel room."
On SAT: always ask "WHO is doing the action in the modifier?" Then check the main subject.
E
Exam Special · 2 high-value patterns
Exam-Specific Strategies
Patterns that appear specifically on SAT & IB — not just general English skills
Quick Memory Point — Evidence-Based Questions (SAT)
SAT "Command of Evidence" questions come in pairs:
Q1: What does the passage suggest? → Q2: Which lines best support your answer?
KEY RULE: Answer Q1 first without looking at Q2's line options.
Then confirm: only ONE line choice properly supports your Q1 answer.
Common trap: a line that is interesting but doesn't prove the specific claim.
Q1: What does the passage suggest? → Q2: Which lines best support your answer?
KEY RULE: Answer Q1 first without looking at Q2's line options.
Then confirm: only ONE line choice properly supports your Q1 answer.
Common trap: a line that is interesting but doesn't prove the specific claim.
Worked Example — Evidence Pair
The passage describes a scientist who spent 20 years studying coral reefs and eventually concluded that human activity was the primary cause of bleaching.
Q1: The scientist's research primarily suggests that coral bleaching is —
→ Answer: caused mainly by human factors (from context)
Q2 trap options: A) Lines 5-8 (describes coral anatomy — irrelevant) | B) Lines 14-17 (describes her methodology — irrelevant) | C) Lines 22-25 (her final conclusion = supports Q1)
Q1: The scientist's research primarily suggests that coral bleaching is —
→ Answer: caused mainly by human factors (from context)
Q2 trap options: A) Lines 5-8 (describes coral anatomy — irrelevant) | B) Lines 14-17 (describes her methodology — irrelevant) | C) Lines 22-25 (her final conclusion = supports Q1)
Always verify: does the support line DIRECTLY prove your Q1 answer? Not just relate to the topic.
Quick Memory Point — IB Paper 1 Commentary
IB Paper 1 rewards LANGUAGE ANALYSIS, not plot summary.
Use this formula for every paragraph: POINT → QUOTE → EFFECT → LINK
Say HOW the technique works, not just WHAT it is.
Wrong: "The author uses a metaphor." ✓ Right: "The metaphor of X suggests Y, creating an effect of Z on the reader."
Use this formula for every paragraph: POINT → QUOTE → EFFECT → LINK
Say HOW the technique works, not just WHAT it is.
Wrong: "The author uses a metaphor." ✓ Right: "The metaphor of X suggests Y, creating an effect of Z on the reader."
Worked Example — IB Technique Analysis
Text: "The city swallowed him whole."
❌ Weak: "This is a metaphor. The city is compared to an animal."
✓ Strong: "The predatory metaphor of the city 'swallowing' the protagonist suggests his powerlessness against the urban environment, evoking a sense of being consumed and erased — the individual overwhelmed by an indifferent system."
❌ Weak: "This is a metaphor. The city is compared to an animal."
✓ Strong: "The predatory metaphor of the city 'swallowing' the protagonist suggests his powerlessness against the urban environment, evoking a sense of being consumed and erased — the individual overwhelmed by an indifferent system."
IB examiners want: technique + specific word + what it implies + how the reader responds.
Self-Test — 10 Questions
SAT · IB · School Exam Level | Select the best answer. No time pressure.
3
VOCAB
3
READING
2
GRAMMAR
2
EXAM SPECIAL
In the following sentence, the word "ambiguous" could best be replaced by which of the following without changing the meaning?
The results of the study were ambiguous; researchers struggled to draw any firm conclusions.
✓ C is correct. Ambiguous means capable of being understood in more than one way — it comes from Latin ambi (both) + agere (to drive). The key phrase "struggled to draw any firm conclusions" confirms the results were unclear/open to interpretation.
✗ A (definitive) — opposite meaning. ✗ B (inaccurate) — ambiguous doesn't imply wrong, just unclear. ✗ D (misleading) — ambiguous describes accidental or inherent unclearness, not deliberate deception.
✗ A (definitive) — opposite meaning. ✗ B (inaccurate) — ambiguous doesn't imply wrong, just unclear. ✗ D (misleading) — ambiguous describes accidental or inherent unclearness, not deliberate deception.
Which sentence uses "mitigate" incorrectly?
✓ C is the incorrect usage. You cannot mitigate something positive like a "winning streak." Mitigate is specifically used to lessen or reduce something negative — a risk, damage, pain, impact, or problem. Saying you mitigate a winning streak would imply you're reducing it, which contradicts the coach's intention.
A, B, and D all correctly pair mitigate with negative things: flooding risk, disease severity, and noise pollution.
A, B, and D all correctly pair mitigate with negative things: flooding risk, disease severity, and noise pollution.
Read the sentence below. The word "corroborated" most nearly means —
The diary entries found in the attic fully corroborated the historian's theory about the nobleman's secret identity.
✓ B is correct. Corroborate means to provide evidence that confirms or supports a claim. The context clue "fully corroborated" tells us the diary entries AGREED with and PROVED the theory, not complicated it.
✗ A — "contradicted" is the direct opposite. ✗ C — "complicated" implies added confusion, which the word does not suggest. ✗ D — "inspired" is emotionally positive but semantically wrong for evidence-based confirmation.
✗ A — "contradicted" is the direct opposite. ✗ C — "complicated" implies added confusion, which the word does not suggest. ✗ D — "inspired" is emotionally positive but semantically wrong for evidence-based confirmation.
Read the passage. What is the author's primary purpose?
For centuries, historians dismissed oral traditions as unreliable folklore. Yet recent archaeological discoveries have repeatedly validated the specific details embedded in indigenous stories — the location of ancient villages, the timing of natural disasters, the paths of long-lost trade routes. Perhaps we have been too hasty to privilege the written word above all other forms of knowledge transmission.
✓ C is correct. The passage builds to a critical challenge in the final sentence: "Perhaps we have been too hasty to privilege the written word." The word "too hasty" signals the author is pushing back against the established view.
✗ A — archaeological methods are only mentioned briefly as support, not the main focus. ✗ B — the tone is analytical/argumentative, not entertaining. ✗ D — this is too extreme; the author questions the hierarchy, not advocates for reclassifying everything.
✗ A — archaeological methods are only mentioned briefly as support, not the main focus. ✗ B — the tone is analytical/argumentative, not entertaining. ✗ D — this is too extreme; the author questions the hierarchy, not advocates for reclassifying everything.
Based on the passage, what can most reasonably be inferred about the narrator?
Maya had won fourteen piano competitions before the age of twelve. But sitting now in the empty concert hall, staring at the Steinway that waited for her like a patient executioner, she found herself unable to lift her hands from her lap. The applause she had always dreamed of seemed, at that moment, more threatening than welcoming.
✓ B is correct. The passage describes fear and paralysis — "unable to lift her hands," "patient executioner" (ominous metaphor), applause feeling "threatening." These all point to performance anxiety despite high achievement.
✗ A — the passage says "concert hall" but doesn't say it's her first time. We cannot infer this. ✗ C — she "dreamed of applause," suggesting she does love music; the fear is situational, not permanent dislike. ✗ D — nothing in the passage supports this conclusion; we're only seeing one moment.
✗ A — the passage says "concert hall" but doesn't say it's her first time. We cannot infer this. ✗ C — she "dreamed of applause," suggesting she does love music; the fear is situational, not permanent dislike. ✗ D — nothing in the passage supports this conclusion; we're only seeing one moment.
The author's tone in the following passage is best described as —
The company's quarterly report painted a rosy picture of "sustained growth" and "streamlined operations." What it failed to mention, tucked away in a footnote on page forty-seven, was that approximately 3,400 employees had been quietly let go over the same period.
✓ D is correct. The author uses sarcasm ("painted a rosy picture"), places quotes around corporate language ("sustained growth") to mock it, and reveals the hidden layoffs with calculated timing. The phrase "quietly let go" is ironic — it softens a major human impact. This combination signals critical + sardonic (bitterly mocking) tone.
✗ A — the opposite: the author is mocking the report, not praising it. ✗ B — "objective" implies no opinion; the author is clearly opinionated. ✗ C — the author is not confused; they are deliberate and pointed.
✗ A — the opposite: the author is mocking the report, not praising it. ✗ B — "objective" implies no opinion; the author is clearly opinionated. ✗ C — the author is not confused; they are deliberate and pointed.
Choose the version that correctly completes the sentence (subject-verb agreement):
The series of experiments conducted by the research team over the past five years _____ now been submitted for peer review.
✓ B (has) is correct. The subject is "series" — a singular collective noun. The long phrase "of experiments conducted by the research team over the past five years" is a modifier; it DOES NOT change the subject. Cross it out mentally: "The series … has now been submitted." Series is always singular.
✗ A (have) — this would be correct if the subject were "experiments," but the subject is "series." ✗ C (are) — present tense but wrong number. ✗ D (were) — wrong tense for present perfect construction.
✗ A (have) — this would be correct if the subject were "experiments," but the subject is "series." ✗ C (are) — present tense but wrong number. ✗ D (were) — wrong tense for present perfect construction.
Which sentence contains a dangling modifier error?
✓ B contains the dangling modifier. "Exhausted from the marathon" should describe a person, but the main subject is "cold shower." Showers cannot be exhausted. The modifier is left dangling — the person it refers to is missing.
Corrected: "Exhausted from the marathon, she found the cold shower immediately refreshing."
A — ✓ Correct: "Having studied" modifies "Priya" who studied. C — ✓ Correct: "Walking" modifies "children." D — ✓ Correct: "Confused" modifies "he."
Corrected: "Exhausted from the marathon, she found the cold shower immediately refreshing."
A — ✓ Correct: "Having studied" modifies "Priya" who studied. C — ✓ Correct: "Walking" modifies "children." D — ✓ Correct: "Confused" modifies "he."
SAT Evidence Pair — Part 1 of 2:
Based on the passage, the scientists' attitude toward the new compound can best be described as —
Based on the passage, the scientists' attitude toward the new compound can best be described as —
Initial trials of the compound produced inconsistent results, leading several researchers to abandon the project entirely by 2019. Yet Dr. Chen's team persisted, methodically adjusting variables and documenting every failure. "Each failed attempt," she noted in her 2021 paper, "brings us measurably closer to understanding the mechanism." By 2023, their revised formula had achieved a 94% success rate in laboratory conditions.
✓ C is correct. The passage explicitly shows a split: "several researchers abandoned the project entirely" vs. "Dr. Chen's team persisted." This is a textbook SAT nuance question — the answer captures the FULL picture of the passage, not just one group.
✗ A — "uniformly enthusiastic" is disproved by the abandoned researchers. ✗ B — describes only the group that left, missing Dr. Chen's persistence. ✗ D — there is no evidence of hidden confidence; this is unsupported inference.
✗ A — "uniformly enthusiastic" is disproved by the abandoned researchers. ✗ B — describes only the group that left, missing Dr. Chen's persistence. ✗ D — there is no evidence of hidden confidence; this is unsupported inference.
IB Literary Analysis:
Which statement best analyzes — not merely identifies — the literary technique in the following line?
Which statement best analyzes — not merely identifies — the literary technique in the following line?
"The city was a mouth that swallowed her whole, and she walked its tongue-slicked streets with the numb certainty of the already digested."
✓ C is correct — IB standard analysis. It names the technique (extended metaphor), explains HOW it works (transforms city into predatory organism), and states the EFFECT (conveys powerlessness and resignation). This follows the Point → Effect → Reader Impact structure IB examiners look for.
✗ A — merely identifies the technique without analyzing its effect. This would earn 0-1 marks on IB. ✗ B — mislabels it as personification (the city isn't given human traits, it's given animal/predatory traits) and offers no effect. ✗ D — surface-level description; avoids engaging with meaning entirely.
✗ A — merely identifies the technique without analyzing its effect. This would earn 0-1 marks on IB. ✗ B — mislabels it as personification (the city isn't given human traits, it's given animal/predatory traits) and offers no effect. ✗ D — surface-level description; avoids engaging with meaning entirely.