As rumored, the Serpent’s other emerging fascination is with Analysis. The
Serpent might ask you to:
• Analyze the argument.
• Analyze what would happen if the author used this word instead of that
word.
• Analyze this pattern across two texts. Analyze the tone, analyze the
change, analyze the conclusion, analyze the analysis.
When you get to the Writing Test, you will almost certainly be asked to
analyze a topic based on evidence in the passage.
Yes, it is all a bit scandalous—the Serpent is frequently seen doing things
with both Evidence and Analysis. And you, too, will have to join in the fun.
What is analysis? It’s largely the task of comparing evidence, evaluating
evidence, combining evidence from different sources, and thinking about what
claims you can make from the evidence. You know: thinking. It also includes
analyzing language or “rhetoric”—what is the effect of using this word instead
of that word?
So, let’s begin tracking evidence and analysis through the first part of the
EBRAW T—the Reading Test.
Confirmed—analyze is just a fancy word for “explain what’s going on.”
xoxo, gossip girl
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE READING TEST
The Reading Test is 65 gruesome minutes long. An hour and five minutes of
your life that you will never get back. All of the questions on the new Reading
section take the format of a passage followed by questions about the passage.
There are FOUR passages of 500–750 words, and ONE pair of related
passages (which will add another 500–750 words total). There will be 10 or 11
questions after each. For the paired passage, you’ll be asked questions about
each of the passages and about the relationship between the passages.
Luckily, there will be some variety. One passage will be an excerpt from a
work of U.S. or world literature. Two passages (or a stand-alone passage and a
pair of passages) will be about a topic in history/social studies. Usually one of
these will actually be about a social science topic, for example, economics or
law. Two passages (or one stand-alone passage and one pair of passages) will
focus on science.