<p>So I'm a senior heading to Lehigh University in the fall. Recently I registered to take the SAT again (crazy, I know), but if I break a 700 on writing I will be able to opt out of freshman year english. So here are my questions for you: What strategy did you use to study for the SAT writing section that gave you the best results? What books did you use? </p>
<p>Thank you in advance! =]</p>
<p>grammar rules and the basic essay format they want</p>
<p>FIND-THE-ERROR: Study the nine basic grammar rules for the SAT. They are the ONLY sentence error types you will find on the test.</p>
<p>SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT: Do a lot of practice test writing sections. Correct them and read over the correct answers and WHY it's correct. This will help you develop an "ear" for grammar. Once you've got that down, it's a piece of cake.</p>
<p>ESSAY: Write a few practice essays, timed, so you get a sense of the time limit and essay prompts. You can also purchase essay grading at PrincetonReview and submit your practice essays (from PR books) and have them graded. Very helpful!</p>
<p>raelah: do you have a link for the nine basic grammar rules?</p>
<p>I only got a 10 on the essay and still got an 800, so I wouldn't worry about that part too much unless it's really bringing you down.</p>
<p>it's really just about learning those grammar rules (though some of what you have to know aren't really grammar rules, like idioms with prepositions) and taking enough practice tests to be able to recognize them. if you're finding that more than 1/5 of your answers are no error, go back and double check them. if you know the rules, you'll be able to be pretty much absolutely sure when an answer is right.</p>
<p>Read frequently. Although this may not help you if you have the SATs in a few months' time, becoming an avid reader over the years before the SATs will help immensely on both the Critical Reading and Writing sections. I did absolutely no review for the Writing section and got an 800. I was always good at writing and reading, so this may have definitely come into play on the SATs, but I think that the sheer amount of reading I did from about 7th grade until now allowed me to recognize when sentences just sounded 'wrong.'</p>
<p>When I took the Writing section, I didn't ever think about whether or not a sentence was following a rule of grammar... I just sounded the sentence out in my head and could instantly recognized whether or not it was wrong.</p>
<p>just go over all the fine details of grammar in a review book, i briefly glimpsed over the mystery tutors essay format the day before the test, wound up with a 740, 12essay.
(up from a 550 and 640, both 9 essays)</p>
<p>^jarsilver - if you're not the greatest at multiple choice, a 12 essay can bring you up, a lot.</p>
<p>I, like jarsilver, only got a 10 on my essay but still got an 800. Know your grammar skills and just be focused on the day of the test. Just look at the answer choices and figure out what the question is trying to test (parallel construction, subject-verb agreement, etc.). As far as aids go.. I really didn't use mine that much but I had the Princeton Review.</p>
<p>If you don't finish your essay, don't panic; I was cut off on the third sentence of my third body paragraph. As many people will tell you, they grade you on what you have.</p>
<p>Essay: Learn how to write fast (practice). Don't be afraid to completely bs a paragraph and use a personal experience that never happened (although an actual one would be easier to write).</p>
<p>MC: Read practice sentences out loud (do so in your head on the test). Find which part sounds wrong because usually something sounds wrong about sentences, which makes it the obvious incorrect part.</p>
<p>The multiple choice questions are more important, relatively speaking, according to my son's SAT (verbal, writing only) tutor. Every time he goes she has him write a timed essay and then goes through it with the same grading rubric as the SAT readers. He's never made more than a 10 with her, but she said that he could still "conceivably" achieve a score in the high 700's nonetheless. We hope that's correct!</p>
<p>Write, write, write.</p>
<p>
[quote]
^jarsilver - if you're not the greatest at multiple choice, a 12 essay can bring you up, a lot.
[/quote]
oh yeah, that's true too. I just personally found it easier to study for the multiple choice than to study for the essay. I'm pretty good at AP essays, but for some reason could never get a 12 on the SAT one.</p>
<p>i broke 700 twice, in two different ways:</p>
<p>730 (2 wrong in MC, 8 on essay)</p>
<p>and </p>
<p>710(5 wrong in MC, 11 on essay)</p>
<p>so the suggestion? while the essay definitely is important, work on the MC portion. honestly, i literally look at it as memorizing formulas. after a few months of SAT prep, i saw similarities in the structure of the questions. and sometimes, i just go with my gut feeling. whatever works for you, do it.</p>
<p>I honestly do very poorly on timed essays-- especially the SAT one which is only 25 minutes long and about abstract topics. Therefore what I did was compensate for my poor essay with a strong writing multiple choice score. The MC section is actually very easy, all you need to know is the basic rules of grammar. The most I have ever missed in the section is 2 questions, thus placing me comfortably in the 700's range. Now Critical Reading is a different story...</p>
<p>thank you all so very much! =]</p>