Source-linked strategy notes
Writing SAT strategies
231 notes extracted from third-party SAT prep videos. These notes have not been independently checked against current College Board guidance. Follow each source link for the original context; use College Board for official test information.
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A comma cannot join two independent clauses; it creates a run-on.
Source: Can You Solve the 7 Hardest New SAT Grammar Questions?
A word like 'though' starting a clause makes it dependent, not a full sentence.
Add a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses.
Add apostrophe + s to each noun for individual possession.
Add apostrophe + s to singular nouns to show possession.
Add apostrophe-s for singular possession, including names ending in S.
Aim for about 250 words and respect the length limit tightly.
Answer your easiest questions first, then return to harder ones.
Anticipate a specific transition word before reading choices.
Ask 'who or what' is being described by the phrase before the comma.
Avoid an overly sad or depressing tone; be vulnerable but end on hope and growth.
Avoid essays built entirely on a parent's or relative's story.
Avoid writing your essay as a resume in paragraph form.
Begin with words-in-context and standard English conventions questions.
Check both full-sentence answer choices, then pick the more concise one.
Check both sides of a semicolon for complete independent clauses.
Check for run-ons by locating two independent clauses joined without proper punctuation.
Check if a possessive form (apostrophe) hides the real subject after the comma.
Check that the underlined pronoun's antecedent matches in number and gender.
Check verb tense consistency against the chronological sequence described in the sentence.
Choose an essay topic you could talk about for 30 minutes.
Source: 3 College Essays That WORK (and don't suck!): OWN The Common Application Essay
Choose answer choices that show change over multiple years, not single-year data points.
Source: August 2025 SAT Predictions | Questions that will be on the test
Choose commas, semicolons, or conjunctions (FANBOYS) to fix run-on sentences correctly.
Choose the answer that focuses on a single specific concern matching the goal.
Choose the answer whose meaning most precisely matches your predicted word.
Source: Last-Minute SAT English Practice | HARD Questions ONLY
Colons must follow an independent clause on the SAT.
Count answer choice characters against the blank to spot the right one.
Cross out wrong answer choices to narrow options down.
Dashes and parentheses can each work alone or as a pair around extra information.
Define an independent clause as a complete thought that stands alone.
Distill each answer's subject to a single representative word.
Source: May SAT Predictions 2026 | What will be on the test?
Do not place a comma between two independent clauses without a FANBOYS.
Do not put a full sentence after a colon when introducing a list.
Don't list everything COVID changed; focus on one or two specific impacts.
Don't match verbs to the nearest plural noun—always find the true main subject.
Don't set off essential information with commas.
Don't summarize the COVID-19 crisis; assume admissions officers already know the facts.
Don't use a comma to join two independent clauses alone.
Don't use the essay to argue why the school is perfect for you.
Don't use your essay to recap an injury, recovery, and life lesson.
Eliminate 'there' as the subject when solving modifier questions with the front flip.
Eliminate answer choices whose punctuation creates an obvious run-on or fragment first.
Eliminate any answer choice that begins with the word 'there'.
Eliminate both comma and period choices when they appear together.
Eliminate choices by translating them into your own words to expose awkward or illogical phrasing.
Source: March 2026 SAT Predictions | These Questions WILL be on the Exam
Eliminate choices that describe differences when the goal is similarity.
Eliminate choices that don't accomplish the question's specific goal.
Eliminate choices that mention only one of two items when a similarity is needed.
Eliminate choices that violate plain logical reasoning first.
Source: May SAT Predictions 2026 | What will be on the test?
Eliminate existential 'there' as a modifier subject in modifier questions.
Eliminate transition choices that repeat an idea already stated.
Every essay needs a strong story or deep analytical ideas.
Explain why an activity matters to you, not just what you did.
Find the simplest, most concise phrase that fits.
Focus extra study on punctuation and verb questions—they dominate the section.
Focus on the question's specific goal, ignoring irrelevant notes.
For hard verb questions, check punctuation, not just subject-verb agreement.
Source: Can You Solve the 7 Hardest New SAT Grammar Questions?
For irregular plural possession, add apostrophe-s.
For irregular plurals not ending in s, use apostrophe + s.
For long prepositional phrases, identify the noun being modified before testing the modifier.
For modifier questions, use the 'front flip hack'—move each answer to the start of the sentence.
For plural possession, place apostrophe after the s.
For pronoun-antecedent questions, identify the specific antecedent before choosing.
Source: March 2026 SAT Predictions | These Questions WILL be on the Exam
For punctuation questions, read only the sentence containing the underlined portion.
For questions asking to add a sentence, prioritize its relevance to the passage's main idea.
Source: How to Ace The PSAT (Even if you haven't studied yet)
For regular plural nouns, place the apostrophe after the final s.
For rhetorical synthesis, pick the choice that fits the audience and purpose.
For singular nouns ending in s, either 's or s' is acceptable.
For structure questions, keep section summaries vague like 'introduces a thing' or 'gives examples'.
Source: August 2025 SAT Predictions | Questions that will be on the test
For subject-verb agreement, use the odd verb out trick with 'she' or 'he'.
For transition questions, identify the relationship between the two sentences first.
Glance at answer choices before reading grammar sentences.
Identify dash sandwiches: a pair of em dashes that wraps a parenthetical aside within a sentence.
Source: June 2025 SAT Predictions | What Questions Will Be on the Test?
Identify independent clauses using three checks: subject, main verb, no subordinating word.
Identify modifier questions by a comma before the blank with each answer starting a new subject.
Identify modifiers by the comma-and-answer-choice pattern in the question.
Identify the goal keyword like 'emphasize similarity' or 'advantage' before reading choices.
Identify the question type before reading choices; answers live in their differences.
Identify the subject first, then find the main verb it performs.
Identify verb questions: choices are variations of the same verb with no punctuation differences.
If a semicolon isn't acting like a period, your answer will include a semicolon.
If both 'she' and 'they' fit, it's a verb tense question, not agreement.
If both 'she' and 'they' work for every answer, it's a verb tense question.
If the odd verb out trick fails, the question tests verb tense, not agreement.
If two answer choices share the same main subject, eliminate both.
If two answers share the same logical subject, both are wrong.
Source: May SAT Predictions 2026 | What will be on the test?
Ignore everything between subject and main verb when spotting clauses.
Ignore parentheticals, introductions, and extra clauses when checking for full sentences.
Ignore the notes in rhetorical synthesis questions and focus only on the stated goal.
In a complex list, semicolons separate the items.
Join two independent clauses with a comma + FANBOYS conjunction.
Join two independent clauses with a comma only when followed by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).
Keep commas around a name following a unique title like 'President of the United States.'
Source: June 2025 SAT Predictions | What Questions Will Be on the Test?
Link a dependent clause to an independent clause with a comma, not a period.
Link the two sentences by identifying their relationship type.
Look at the notes only if you cannot solve the question from the goal alone.
Look at what comes right after the blank first to solve verb questions quickly.
Make it clear how your situation is unique compared to other applicants.
Make yourself the main character in any 'about others' essay.
Source: 3 College Essays That WORK (and don't suck!): OWN The Common Application Essay
Match non-essential markers: dash with dash, comma with comma, parenthesis with parenthesis.
Match the answer's purpose to what the blank needs to support, not comparisons to other entities.
Source: August 2025 SAT Predictions | Questions that will be on the test
Match the subject's gender and number to clues inside the modifier phrase.
Memorize a cheat sheet of transition words grouped by relationship type.
Memorize four comma rules: lists, nonessential info, FANBOYS clauses, and introductory phrases.
Memorize the FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
Memorize the four verb question shortcuts to answer in seconds.
Never split two full sentences with just a comma.
Note that adverbs are allowed in verb question choices, unlike punctuation marks.
On Form/Structure/Sense questions, identify the error in the underlined text first.
On hardest questions, eliminate the obviously wrong choice first, then defend a finalist.
On word-choice questions, ignore a choice's first word and focus only on what differs.
Source: March 2026 SAT Predictions | These Questions WILL be on the Exam
Only apply the semicolon/period swap rule if it's the only difference between choices and no complex list exists.
Only use semicolons in a list when items are 'complex' (contain internal punctuation).
Pause and apply the 3-step strategy on practice problems before watching the walkthrough.
Pause the video and solve each question yourself before watching the explanation.
Source: Can You Solve the 7 Hardest New SAT Grammar Questions?
Pause the video and try each example yourself before hearing the answer.
Pause the video and try each practice question yourself before hearing the explanation.
Source: June 2025 SAT Predictions | What Questions Will Be on the Test?
Pick a consistent tense based on the surrounding passage and stick to it.
Place a comma after a long introductory phrase or dependent clause.
Place a comma before 'and' in a list of three or more items.
Place a comma before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses.
Place a comma before a FANBOYS joining two independent clauses.
Place a comma before and after a mid-sentence -ing phrase acting as non-essential info.
Source: Can You Solve the 7 Hardest New SAT Grammar Questions?
Place apostrophe on the last noun for shared possession.
Place colons only after a complete sentence.
Place the apostrophe + s only on the last noun for shared possession.
Place the comma before the FANBOYS, not after.
Place the described subject directly after the comma following a modifier.
Predict the answer before looking at the choices in detail.
Prefer concision when the shorter phrase preserves the original meaning.
Source: October 2025 SAT Predictions | Questions that will be on the test
Purge answers that don't match the relationship category of your anticipated word.
Put commas and periods inside quotation marks; other marks outside unless part of the quote.
Read only the sentence with the blank to save time and brain energy.
Read only the sentence with the blank, unless context demands more.
Read punctuation questions structurally, not for meaning.
Recognize a dependent clause as a thought that collapses without support.
Recognize that dashes can replace commas, parentheses, semicolons, colons, or ellipses.
Remember a main verb cannot end in -ing, start with 'to', or start with 'that'.
Source: How to Ace The PSAT (Even if you haven't studied yet)
Remember: a colon must follow an independent clause.
Save main purpose, rhetorical synthesis, and reading-type questions for last.
Scan only the sentence before and the sentence containing the blank.
Separate an independent and dependent clause using only a comma or nothing.
Source: How to Ace The PSAT (Even if you haven't studied yet)
Separate two independent clauses with a semicolon, period, or comma + FANBOYS.
Source: How to Ace The PSAT (Even if you haven't studied yet)
Set off non-essential information with commas on both sides.
Set off non-essential information with commas, not parentheses or dashes.
Set off nonessential info with a comma sandwich on both sides.
Set off nonessential information with a comma on both sides.
Set off nonessential information with a comma sandwich.
Show individual possession with apostrophe on each noun in a list.
Show the practical effect, not just the event, when describing disruptions.
Show your true personality instead of trying to sound impressive.
Source: 3 College Essays That WORK (and don't suck!): OWN The Common Application Essay
Skip 'sandwiches' (dashes or commas) and read backwards to find the antecedent.
Skip commas before a name when a common job title precedes it; many people could hold that title.
Source: June 2025 SAT Predictions | What Questions Will Be on the Test?
Skip COVID entirely if it genuinely didn't affect you and your activities were unchanged.
Skip the "I got an A in a hard class" essay entirely.
Skip the graph on quantitative command of evidence questions; focus on supporting the prior sentence.
Source: August 2025 SAT Predictions | Questions that will be on the test
Skip the notes on rhetorical synthesis questions; focus only on the stated goal.
Skip the student notes and go straight to the question's goal.
Spot dangling modifiers by checking each answer's grammatical subject.
Source: May SAT Predictions 2026 | What will be on the test?
Spot false verbs: any verb starting with 'to', 'that', or ending in '-ing' is not a main verb.
Spot modifier questions by a comma before the blank with varied grammatical subjects in choices.
Start every grammar/punctuation question by reading the answer choices first.
Start the English section by jumping to question 15 (writing portion) first.
Steer clear of mission-trip or service-trip essays.
Step 2: test for comma sandwiches framing nonessential information.
Step 3: only after full-sentence and sandwich tests fail, apply the grammar rule.
Stop asking 'Does this sound right?'—match choices to grammar rules instead.
Test appositives by deleting the phrase between commas to see if the sentence still makes sense.
Source: June 2025 SAT Predictions | What Questions Will Be on the Test?
Test colons by reading the text before it as a standalone sentence.
Test full-sentence answer choices first, checking periods and semicolons.
Treat 'wasabi' words (while, although, after, etc.) as clause-killers at sentence starts.
Treat a semicolon as interchangeable with a period for testing purposes.
Treat an independent clause as a phrase that can stand on its own as a sentence.
Treat commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, apostrophes, and parentheses as the only six marks.
Treat grammar/style rules as guidelines, not absolute laws; context and conciseness matter.
Source: October 2025 SAT Predictions | Questions that will be on the test
Treat punctuation questions as boundary problems between clauses.
Treat questions with punctuation differences as punctuation questions, not verb questions.
Treat semicolons and periods as twins—eliminate answers that swap only between them.
Use 'however' as your default anticipation for any contrast relationship.
Use a 3-step strategy: identify goal, eliminate mismatches, consult notes only if needed.
Use a colon only after a complete independent clause to introduce something.
Use a colon to introduce a list after a complete independent clause.
Use a colon to introduce a list after an independent clause.
Use a colon to introduce a list, explanation, or independent clause.
Use a colon to introduce an example or supporting quote.
Use a colon to introduce lists when preceded by an independent clause.
Use a colon to resolve a cliffhanger or set up expected information.
Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause.
Use a comma after any introductory word, phrase, or clause before the subject.
Use a comma plus FANBOYS to join two independent clauses.
Use a comma to set off an introductory dependent clause.
Use a dash (instead of a colon) after a cliffhanger independent clause to resolve it.
Use a dash (instead of a comma or ellipsis) in lists to create a dramatic pause.
Use a dash (instead of a comma) before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses.
Use a dash (instead of a semicolon or period) between two independent clauses for dramatic effect.
Use a period only to end a complete sentence.
Use a semicolon before a transition word joining independent clauses.
Use a semicolon only between two complete independent clauses.
Use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses.
Use a semicolon to join two related independent clauses without a conjunction.
Use a semicolon where a period could work between two sentences.
Use a specific, narrow topic rather than a broad, generic one.
Source: 3 College Essays That WORK (and don't suck!): OWN The Common Application Essay
Use apostrophes only for possessive nouns and contractions, never plurals.
Use commas to separate three or more items in a list.
Use commas to set off non-essential relative clauses starting with which or who.
Use dashes to set off an abrupt aside or emphasis in a sentence.
Use dashes to set off nonessential information that can be removed without breaking the sentence.
Use one repeatable method for every grammar question type.
Use process of elimination by pairing answer choices into mirror opposites.
Use semicolons instead of commas in compound lists with internal commas.
Use semicolons only between two independent clauses that stand alone.
Use semicolons to separate items in a complex list.
Use semicolons to separate list items that contain their own commas.
Use the 'front flip trick' on comma-before-blank questions.
Source: May SAT Predictions 2026 | What will be on the test?
Use the 'front flip' hack: move each modifier answer to the start of the sentence.
Use the 'odd verb out' trick to solve subject-verb agreement questions.
Use the 'odd verb out' trick: substitute he/she/they to test subject-verb agreement.
Use the 'sandwich skip hack'—ignore parenthetical dash or comma phrases to find the antecedent.
Use the front flip trick: place each answer choice's opening before the sentence to test logic.
Use the obstacle essay to show resilience and growth from a specific challenge.
Source: 3 College Essays That WORK (and don't suck!): OWN The Common Application Essay
Use the odd verb out trick: ignore the passage and test pronouns against answers.
Use the shortest, most concise answer choice that retains the original meaning.
Use the SLAP method: Scan, Link, Anticipate, Purge for transition questions.
Use the three-step process for boundaries/punctuation questions.
Source: Can You Solve the 7 Hardest New SAT Grammar Questions?
When deciding between punctuation options, test whether the sentence still works without the marked phrase.
When stuck between two answers, test each against the non-underlined portion.
When stuck between two verbs, use a quick tiebreaker checklist of verb rules.
When two answers seem valid, prefer the answer that keeps the original wording intact.
When uncertain between two choices, read both aloud and pick the smoother one.
With multiple modifiers, reduce clutter by deleting or combining the shortest options.
Source: Can You Solve the 7 Hardest New SAT Grammar Questions?
Write about family relationships to reveal your character through others.
Source: 3 College Essays That WORK (and don't suck!): OWN The Common Application Essay
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