SAT - Writing & Language: Grammar & Punctuation

Summary

The session explains how to approach the SAT Writing and Language section and demonstrates the advice with an 11-question practice passage about Greek yogurt production and its environmental effects.

What the Section Tests

The Writing and Language section is a revision and editing test, not the optional SAT essay. As described in the session, it has 44 questions in 35 minutes, spread across four passages—about 11 questions per passage.

Passages are shorter and generally more accessible than SAT Reading passages. Questions assess:

• Organization: How ideas and paragraphs are ordered.
• Sentence structure and flow: Whether sentences express ideas clearly and connect logically.
• Punctuation: Especially commas, semicolons, and colons.
• Verb tense and parallel structure: Consistency among related verbs and clauses.
• Transitions and word choice: Whether a word or transition accurately conveys the intended meaning.

Recommended Approach

• Read the passage in order and read every word. The presenter generally advises against jumping straight to the questions because some answers depend on the passage’s overall logic.
• Read skeptically while editing. Notice wording or transitions that seem awkward, unclear, or out of place.
• Answer a flagged question when you reach it. Usually, read the sentence containing the issue and its nearby context, answer, and continue. For larger organizational questions, keep reading for context and return to the question later.
• Use context and process of elimination. For vocabulary questions, determine the intended meaning from the sentence and eliminate choices that do not fit.
• Keep a brisk pace, but don’t rush blindly. Aim for roughly eight to nine minutes per passage. If a question is taking too long, make a best guess, flag it if possible, and continue rather than sacrificing an entire passage.
• Annotate only if it helps. The presenter says it is usually unnecessary for these more accessible passages, though students can use brief notes if they find them useful.

Grammar and Punctuation Reminders

• Commas in a series: Separate list items with commas, including the comma before “and” where appropriate.
• Semicolons: Join two independent clauses; each side must be able to stand as a complete sentence.
• Colons: Introduce additional information, often a list. The words before the colon must form a complete sentence.
• Verb tense and parallelism: Check the verbs and structures around the tested phrase. Related parts should be consistent—for example, “it is … serves … contains.”
• Transitions: Identify the relationship between the ideas on either side of the transition. In the practice passage, “also” works because the sentences describe separate benefits.
• Sentence placement and topic sentences: Test a proposed location by reading the sentences around it. A topic sentence should introduce what the paragraph actually discusses.

Practice Passage Examples

The passage argues that Greek yogurt’s rising popularity has increased production and created environmental concerns, particularly the disposal of acid whey. Questions illustrate how to:

• Choose “outweigh” to express that benefits exceed drawbacks.
• Select a relevant detail that stays focused on the paragraph’s environmental problem and its disposal.
• Keep verb tense consistent, such as matching “can pollute” with “they can add.”
• Move a sentence about environmental harm next to the explanation of why acid whey is difficult to dispose of.
• Decide whether a sentence about the effort involved in conservation belongs by checking whether the following paragraph explains the benefits.
• Distinguish among similar vocabulary choices: “satiated” best fits a sentence about protein helping people feel full.

Preparing for the Test

• Use deliberate practice: Complete questions, then review the ones you missed and understand why.
• Mix timed practice with untimed work to build both accuracy and pacing.
• Start with free official practice materials and Khan Academy before considering paid resources.
• The presenter discourages relying mainly on memorized SAT vocabulary lists, recommending practice with questions in context instead.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Kevin Steinhauser (“Mr. Steinhauser”) — instructor and main speaker.
• Jed — chat helper who offered troubleshooting advice.
• Unnamed students and viewers — participated through the live chat.
• College Board — source of the practice passage and questions; the instructor also recommends its free practice tests.
• Khan Academy — recommended practice resource.
• Fiveable and its Discord chat — the stream’s platform and a place mentioned for follow-up questions.