AP, SAT and ACT · Humanities

SAT Reading and Writing review: key skills

SAT Reading and Writing cards: sentence boundaries, punctuation, agreement, modifiers, transitions, rhetoric and evidence, with original example sentences.

35 cards5 topicsAbout 15 minutes a roundDigital SAT style reading and writing preparation (grammar, punctuation, rhetoric and evidence)

Independent study material written by StudyBrix. AP and SAT are trademarks of College Board and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc.; neither organisation is involved with or has reviewed this deck.

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About this deck

This deck is for students preparing for the Reading and Writing section of the digital SAT, and for anyone who wants to tighten grammar and close reading skills for university writing. The section is split into two adaptive modules, and every question comes with its own short passage of roughly 25 to 150 words drawn from literature, history and social studies, the humanities or science. Skills fall into four areas: information and ideas, craft and structure, expression of ideas, and standard English conventions. No calculator is used in this section.

The cards cover the rules most often tested in conventions questions (sentence boundaries, commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, agreement, verb tense and modifiers), the rhetorical skills behind transition and notes questions, and the reading skills behind evidence, inference, words in context and text structure questions. Every example sentence was written for this deck.

For grammar cards, say the rule, then fix the example sentence aloud before flipping. For reading cards, practise with any short paragraph: state its main claim in one sentence and name the evidence that supports it. Learn to spot the independent clause in a sentence quickly; most punctuation questions depend on it.

Common mistakes: joining two complete sentences with only a comma; choosing a transition because it sounds formal rather than because it matches the logic; and picking an answer that is true but does not address the stated goal in a notes question. In evidence questions, beware of choices that repeat words from the claim but do not actually support it.

Before you start: Comfortable reading in English at a Grade 10 level; knowing basic parts of speech (noun, verb, clause) helps.

All 35 cards

Cover the definitions with a sheet of paper and test yourself, or use the study modes above.

Sentence boundaries

Independent clause: A group of words with a subject and a verb that can stand alone as a complete sentence.Example: The greenhouse stayed warm overnight.
Comma splice: Two independent clauses joined with only a comma; fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.Example: Wrong: The tide rose quickly, the kayakers paddled for shore. Right: The tide rose quickly; the kayakers paddled for shore.
Fused sentence (run-on): Two independent clauses run together with no punctuation or conjunction between them.Example: Wrong: The museum reopened visitors lined up at dawn. Right: The museum reopened, and visitors lined up at dawn.
Sentence fragment: A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a main verb, or a complete thought.Example: Fragment: Because the bridge was closed for repairs. Fix: Because the bridge was closed, we took the ferry.
Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS): For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so: with a comma before them, they can join two independent clauses.Example: The data looked promising, but the team ran the trial again.
Subordinating conjunction: A word such as because, although, when or while that makes a clause dependent, so it cannot stand alone.Example: Although the forecast called for rain, the festival went ahead.

Punctuation

Semicolon: Joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction; both sides must be able to stand alone.Example: The first draft was rough; the second was nearly ready to publish.
Colon: Comes after a complete independent clause to introduce a list, an explanation or an example.Example: The recipe needs only three things: flour, water and patience.
Nonessential clause or phrase: Extra information that could be removed without changing the core meaning; set it off with a matching pair of commas, parentheses or dashes.Example: My cousin, who lives in Halifax, studies marine biology.
Essential (restrictive) clause: Information needed to identify which person or thing is meant; it takes no commas and often begins with that.Example: The bike that has a red frame is mine.
No comma between subject and verb: A single comma should not separate a subject from its verb, however long the subject is.Example: Wrong: The students who finished early, left the room. Right: The students who finished early left the room.
Comma after an introductory element: A comma usually follows an introductory phrase or dependent clause before the main clause begins.Example: After the long winter, the lake finally thawed.
Apostrophes for possession: Singular nouns add 's; plural nouns ending in s add only an apostrophe; its (possessive) has no apostrophe, while it's means it is.Example: The researchers' notes were filed, and the lab updated its records.
Conjunctive adverb punctuation: Words like however, therefore and moreover cannot join clauses alone; use a semicolon or period before them and a comma after.Example: The trail was steep; however, the view made the climb worthwhile.
Appositive: A noun phrase that renames the noun beside it; set off with commas when nonessential.Example: Rosalind Franklin, a chemist, produced key images of DNA.

Agreement and form

Subject-verb agreement with interrupting phrases: The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun in a phrase that comes between them.Example: The box of old letters was found in the attic.
Collective nouns: Nouns such as team, committee or jury usually take a singular verb in standard American English when the group acts as one unit.Example: The committee has approved the new budget.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement: A pronoun must match the noun it refers to in number; a singular company or organization takes it and its.Example: The company updated its privacy policy.
Who versus whom: Who acts as a subject; whom acts as an object. Test by answering with he (who) or him (whom).Example: To whom did you send the invitation? You sent it to him.
Consistent verb tense: Keep verbs in the same tense unless the timeline actually changes.Example: Wrong: She opened the jar and pours the honey. Right: She opened the jar and poured the honey.
Dangling modifier: An introductory phrase must describe the subject that comes right after the comma; otherwise the sentence says something illogical.Example: Wrong: Walking to class, the rain soaked my notes. Right: Walking to class, I got my notes soaked by the rain.
Parallel structure: Items in a list or comparison should share the same grammatical form.Example: She likes hiking, swimming and reading (not to read).
Logical comparison: Compare like with like: a thing with a thing, a person with a person.Example: Wrong: Her essay was longer than Tom. Right: Her essay was longer than Tom's.
Plural versus possessive: Plurals add s with no apostrophe; possessives show ownership with an apostrophe. Their, there and they're are not interchangeable.Example: The farmers sold their apples at the market over there.

Rhetoric and expression of ideas

Transition words by logic: Pick the word that matches the relationship between ideas: contrast (however, yet), cause and effect (therefore, as a result), addition (moreover, also), example (for instance).Example: The study was small. Nevertheless, its results drew wide attention.
Rhetorical synthesis from notes: A question type where you choose the sentence that uses the given notes to meet a specific stated goal, such as emphasizing a difference.Example: Goal: stress when a bridge opened. Best choice names the year, not its length or designer.
Conciseness and redundancy: Prefer the shortest choice that keeps the full meaning; remove words that repeat an idea already stated.Example: Wrong: The past history of the town. Right: The history of the town.

Reading, evidence and inference

Words in context: Choose the meaning that fits the passage's logic and tone, even when a more common meaning of the word exists.Example: In 'The senator's remarks were measured,' measured means careful and restrained.
Text structure and purpose: Describe what a passage or sentence does (introduces a claim, gives a counterexample, qualifies a finding), not only what it says.Example: A sentence beginning 'Critics, however, note' introduces an opposing view.
Central idea: The main point the whole passage develops, broader than any single detail but not broader than the passage supports.Example: A paragraph listing ways bees navigate has a central idea about bee navigation, not about all insects.
Textual evidence that supports a claim: The quotation or detail that directly makes the claim more likely, not one that merely shares its topic.Example: Claim: the poet saw winter as hopeful. Best support: a line where snow promises spring.
Quantitative evidence: Use data from a table or graph that matches the claim exactly, including the right group, time and comparison.Example: Claim: Town A's recycling rose more than Town B's. Check that A's increase (12 to 20%) beats B's (15 to 18%).
Logical inference completion: Choose the ending that must follow from the passage's information, without adding outside assumptions.Example: If every sampled lake with zebra mussels had clearer water, the best ending links mussels to clarity, not to fish numbers.
Cross-text connections: Compare how two short texts relate: does the second author agree, extend, qualify or challenge the first?Example: Text 1 praises remote work; Text 2 agrees but warns about mentoring; Text 2 qualifies Text 1.
Weakening versus strengthening a claim: Strengthening evidence makes a claim more likely; weakening evidence offers a counterexample or alternative cause.Example: Claim: music improves focus. A study finding no difference between music and silence weakens it.