Study the 10 examples carefully before attempting the quiz below. ✦ Memory tags = instant recall anchors.
The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone in 1995 triggered a cascade of ecological changes that scientists call a trophic cascade.① Elk populations, previously unchecked, began to avoid grazing in valleys and gorges, allowing willows and aspens to recover.② Beavers, whose food source had nearly vanished, returned to build dams, which created wetland habitats for dozens of species.③
🔍 Reading Strategy: Sentence Function
Sentence ① = introduces the main concept (topic sentence).
Sentences ②③ = provide evidence / examples of that concept.
SAT/IB question type: "The primary purpose of the passage is to…" → Always look for the central claim + supporting evidence structure.
By 1848, women reformers had grown frustrated with a political system that celebrated liberty yet systematically excluded half its citizens from its practice.① The Seneca Falls Convention was not, as critics charged, a radical departure from American ideals — it was, rather, a demand for their fulfillment.②
🔍 Inference Skill: "Which choice is best supported?"
The author does not say women were oppressed (too extreme). The author implies the political system was hypocritical — claiming liberty but denying it. Correct inferences stay close to the text, never leap beyond it.
Compare: "The policy was changed." (neutral) vs. "Officials quietly dismantled the policy." (critical, implies secrecy).
Words like dismantled, eroded, capitulated signal critical/negative tone. Words like pioneered, championed, transformed signal admiring/positive tone.
🎯 Tone Vocabulary (memorize pairs)
Skeptical ↔ credulous · sardonic ↔ reverent · didactic ↔ conversational · wistful ↔ resolute
Semicolons vs. Commas (Top SAT Grammar Error)
A semicolon (;) joins two independent clauses. A comma alone cannot — that creates a comma splice.
The lab results were inconclusive; the team requested a new sample.
The lab results were inconclusive, so the team requested a new sample.
Dangling Modifier (Tested heavily in SAT Writing)
The introductory phrase must describe the subject of the main clause — not an object or implied noun.
→ The exam didn't study. WHO studied? Missing subject.
Having studied all night, she found the exam easier.
SAT Process of Elimination (POE)
For every reading question, use this sequence:
1. Cross out answers with extreme language (always, never, all, none) — usually wrong.
2. Cross out answers that are true but irrelevant to the question asked.
3. Find a line number that proves your remaining choice. No evidence = wrong choice.
IB English Paper 1 — Guided Analysis Framework
For every literary/non-literary text, structure commentary using:
WHAT → identify the technique (metaphor, parallelism, irony…)
HOW → quote + explain how it works linguistically
WHY / SO WHAT → effect on reader / purpose of the author