general. Do not simply quote chunks of text and then briefly paraphrase. Your goal is to answer
the question, “How does this contribute to the author’s argument?”- For example, do not simply say, “This is an example of imagery.” Explain why the imagery is
effective. Perhaps the author’s descriptions of the beautiful sunset effectively draw in the
reader, creating an emotional connection between the author and her audience. This connection
may make the audience more sympathetic to the author’s subsequent points because there is an
emotional connection now. - Explaining how the device or appeal works is how you show your grader your ability to
analyze the text.
Conclusion
- Restate the goal of the text and briefly paraphrase the elements you discussed in your essay.
- Be concise and accurate.
SAT Essay Writing Tips- Maintain formal style and objective tone. Avoid “I” and “you.” Do not use slang.
- Use varied sentence structure.
- Write neatly.
- Use clear transitions.
- Use short, relevant quotes from the text.
- Don’t worry about official terms for things. “Appeal to the emotions” is fine instead of
specifically referencing “pathos,” and “comparison of two things” can be used instead of
referring to a metaphor. If you do know the official terms, though, feel free to use them!
Essay Writing on
the SAT
Employing these techniques
in your essay will
help boost your score!SAMPLE ESSAYS
Let’s take a look at a few final products for the prompt introduced in the previous chapter. (See this page.)
Be sure to notice what scores they received and why.