SAT Words of the Week:
Affable-(adjective)-friendly
In context: John was so affable that he happily chatted with anyone and everyone.
Amicable-(adjective)-showing goodwill or friendliness
In context: Even though the couple had decided to divorce, they tried to remain amicable throughout the separation.
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Amity-(noun)-friendship; in harmony with others
In context: The amity among the students helped to create a positive environment in the classroom.
Camaraderie-(noun)-friendship; fellowship; comradeship
In context: The strong camaraderie among the players helped to create a winning team.
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Crony-(noun)-a close friend
In context: Mary and her crony, Laura, do everything together.
SAT Tip of the Day: Writing the Essay
The writing test includes a 25 minute essay. Students are provided with a prompt that asks a general question and a springboard that briefly addresses the topic and is meant to help stimulate thought. It also provides basic directions which students should be familiar with before the exam in order to save time. Students may not write more than two pages. In fact, anything over two pages will not be read or factored into the score.
It is important to note that there is no right or wrong answer. The topic will be general enough to be applied to literature, history, current events, sports, or art among others. In addition, there is no required way to formulate the essay. Some students may choose to write traditional expository essays, while others may opt to write personal narratives or persuasive arguments. The essay must develop a thesis or main point and provide logical supporting evidence. It should be focused, organized and well written overall. A rubric or grading scale is used to help two graders calculate a score of 0-6 for a total possible score of 12. A sample rubric is available in almost every SAT prep book and students should take some time to review it as well as sample essays.
Students should read the prompt first and spend approximately 5 minutes generating ideas and writing a rough outline. It is very important to organize your thoughts before writing because you will not have time for major revision. If you write half of an essay only to discover that your thesis is weak or that you cannot support it, you will not have time to fix it. Before you begin writing the essay, make sure you have a clear, developed thesis and examples which will support it. Spend the next 15-18 minutes writing. Use the last 2-5 minutes to proofread your work and fix small errors. With a little practice and preparation, you should not have too much difficulty achieving a reasonable score on the essay.
Did You Know? The essay is always the first section of the SAT.
Michele Shulman is a graduate of Hofstra University where she majored in English and earned both a B.A. and M.A. She taught English at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens and Farmingdale High School, here on Long Island, before taking a leave of absence to raise her children. Currently, she teaches SAT preparation classes and tutors privately.
