Here’s How to Crack It
Check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, the word similar appears in all the answer
choices, and in some it is paired with the word alike. Typically, if you see a list of answer choices
wherein one answer is short and the rest mean the same thing but are longer, the question is testing
conciseness.
What, after all, is the difference between the words similar and alike? There really isn’t one, so there’s
no use in saying both of them, as in (A), or pairing them awkwardly, as in (D). In fact, the shortest answer
choice, (B), does everything the other choices do, but it does so in the fewest words. Therefore, (B) is the
correct answer.
Let’s see one more.
10 Whatever the case may be, Appalachian is a fascinating dialect, and we can only hope
that it persists against the onslaught of mass media.10.
A) NO CHANGE
B) Whoop-de-doo, Appalachian
C) All things considered, Appalachian
D) AppalachianHere’s How to Crack It
As always, check what’s changing in the answer choices. The changes could be summed up like this:
There’s a bunch of stuff before the word Appalachian. Does any of that stuff contribute in a significant
way to the sentence? No. Does the word Appalachian alone help the sentence to fulfill its basic purpose?
Yes. Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
As we have seen in this chapter, when SAT is testing words (any time the words are changing in the
answer choices), make sure that those words are
- Consistent. Verbs, nouns, and pronouns should agree within sentences and passages.
- Precise. The writing should communicate specific ideas and events.
- Concise. When everything else is correct, the shortest answer choice is correct.
Answers to Questions on this page:
i. it is the problem. Certain dialects have obvious sources, but that doesn’t make those dialects any
easier to understand.