<p>As it is impossible to memorize the definitions of every potential SAT vocab term, would it be better to study the Latin and Greek roots of our language? Is this an effective strategy for SAT prep?</p>
<p>If so, does anyone have any book recommendations for this?</p>
<p>It helps, but you should study vocab as well. You only have to learn 300-400 words to make a significant difference. Get busy.</p>
<p>To be honest, even though our words largely come from latin and greek, sometimes knowing the roots doesn’t help. For example, the word obsequious. ob means on account of, sequor means to follow… That doesn’t necessarily tell you the meaning of the word.</p>
<p>I see studying roots as a complement to rather than as a substitute for studying vocabulary words. As pointed out, knowing roots will sometimes lead you to an incorrect understanding of an unknown word. On the other hand, as you learn thousands of new words through your reading if not through test prep, knowing many roots will help serve as mnemonic devices for categorizing and remembering words. Imagine trying to memorize the chemical elements and their properties without the periodic table.</p>