Cracking The SAT Premium

changes is the punctuation, and notice the types of punctuation that are changing: STOP and GO.

Now, when you see STOP punctuation changing in the answer choices, you can do a little something we
like to call the Vertical Line Test.

Draw a line where you see the punctuation changing—in this case, between the words test and he. Then,
read up to the vertical line: Jonah studied every day for the big test. That’s complete. Now, read after
the vertical line: he was taking the SAT that Saturday. That’s also complete.

So let’s think; we’ve got two complete ideas here. What kind of punctuation do we need? STOP or
HALF-STOP. It looks like STOP is the only one available, so let’s choose (D).

Let’s try another.

It  was very    important   for him to  do   2 well.    High    scores  in  all the subjects.

2.

A) NO CHANGE

B) well;    high

C) well:    high

D) well,    he  wanted  high

Here’s How to Crack It

Check the answer choices. What’s changing? It looks like the punctuation is changing, and some of that
punctuation is STOP. Let’s use the Vertical Line Test. Draw a vertical line where you see the punctuation:
between well and high or well and he.

What’s before the vertical line? It was very important for him to do well is complete. Then, high scores
in all the subjects is not. Therefore, because we have one complete idea (the first) and one incomplete
idea (the second), we can’t use STOP punctuation, thus eliminating (A) and (B).

Now, what’s different between the last two? Choice (C) contains HALF-STOP punctuation, which can
work, so we’ll keep that. Choice (D) adds some words, with which the second idea becomes he wanted
high scores in all the subjects, which is complete. That makes two complete ideas separated by a
comma, but what do we need when we’re separating two complete ideas? STOP punctuation! Eliminate
(D)! Only (C) is left.

Let’s see one more.