by Erica L. Meltzer | Nov 16, 2024 | Books
I periodically receive emails inquiring about the order in which students should work through Critical Reader guides, and it occurred to me that rather than respond to them on an individual basis, I should probably just post my recommendations here.
Assuming that a student has at least several months before the test and is starting at roughly equivalent levels in both Reading and Writing, I would generally suggest the following order:
1) The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar & SAT Vocabulary: A New Approach (concurrently, with the vocabulary book to be continued for as long as necessary)
2) The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading
3) Reading and Writing Test Book (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Oct 19, 2024 | Blog, Books
Over the next few months, updated versions of several Critical Reader guides are projected to be released.
Late October 2024:
- The Complete Guide to ACT® Reading, 2nd Edition
The book will be aligned with the 2024-25 Official Guide and will also include, for the first time, an index of Official Guide Reading questions, grouped by category.
Early January 2025 (exact date TBD):
- SAT® Vocabulary: A New Approach
This will be the 3rd edition and will include detailed definitions/discussions of all 250+ words as well as additional exercises. It will also place a stronger emphasis on learning high-frequency words in terms of categories/topics and in relation to one another, as opposed to memorizing straight-up definitions.
- The Ultimate Guide to SAT® Grammar & The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT® Reading
Indexes of Official College Board Reading and Writing questions will be added to the respective guides (currently available for download via the Books page).
The reading book will feature about a dozen pages of new material; in the grammar book, some material will be reworked slightly in order to be more precisely aligned with dSAT.
by Erica L. Meltzer | Oct 13, 2024 | Grammar (SAT & ACT)
Of all the grammar concepts tested on the SAT and ACT, the use of commas around names and titles is perhaps the trickiest because it straddles the line between grammar and meaning. In most cases, correct answers are clear cut, but there are also instances in which the normal guidelines conflict with one another. When that occurs, the goal becomes to produce the cleanest, most logical construction—something that holds true for standardized tests as well as for everyday writing. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Aug 6, 2024 | The Digital SAT
I am happy to announce that at long last I have finished indexing, by question topic/type, both the reading and writing questions from the six official (linear) College Board digital SATs: the four exams in the Official Guide, plus the two additional tests available on the College Board website.
I know that this feature has been a staple of previous editions of my SAT books, but because the guides needed to be updated quickly, before the linear exams were released, I was unable to initially include it. However, the indices will be added to future printings of The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar and The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading.
In the interest of ensuring that people who purchased these books previously have access to this resource, I am also making the charts available as free downloads on the Books page.
Download the Reading Index.
Download the Writing Index.
by Erica L. Meltzer | Aug 4, 2024 | Blog
For a while, the notion of “grit” was all the rage in edu-land, but recently it seems to have taken a backseat in the collective consciousness.
Nevertheless, it’s been in mind recently for a couple of reasons: first, because I happened to pick up UPenn psychology professor Angela Duckworth’s eponymous 2016 best-seller while browsing in a bookstore not too long ago, but also because I’ve been thinking about the idea of fixed vs. malleable (alterable) traits.
In the book, Duckworth distinguishes between “fixed” mindset, in which talents and other abilities are held to be innate and unchangeable; and “growth” mindset, in which those capabilities can be learned and developed through practice. The author identifies grit, or a combination of persistence, as the key factor that distinguishes the performance of the highest achievers in a variety of fields (sports, music, etc.) from those at a lower level. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | May 18, 2024 | Blog
In my previous post, I looked at how universities’ reliance on adjuncts and the resulting grade inflation in freshman composition classes trickles back to the high school level, depressing minimum SAT/ACT English scores (“benchmarks”) correlated with earning passing grades in college writing courses. I think, however, that there is another major factor at play at as well here: not only are composition instructors pressured to award higher-than-merited grades, but at many institutions, the classwork itself has become less demanding. This phenomenon seems especially pronounced at less-selective college, which enroll the vast majority of students with low scores.
While writing the original piece, I got curious about the general state of freshman composition and looked up courses at a wide swath of U.S. universities, public and private, of varying degrees of selectivity. After reading through numerous course descriptions, I started to notice a pattern emerging: highly competitive private and public schools generally emphasize a fairly traditional set of academic writing skills—essentially what would be expected from an introductory college-writing class— even if they present them within a framework of contemporary topics. Less prestigious schools, in contrast, seem to be moving toward a definition of composition that de-emphasizes academic writing, and that in some cases is expanded to encompass even non-writing activities such as podcasts and films. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Apr 7, 2024 | ACT English/SAT Writing
In my recent post on the timing of the Math section on the digital vs. the paper-based SAT, I alluded to the striking difference in proficiency levels in Math vs. English set by the College Board (530 vs. 480). My colleague Mike Bergin left a comment suggesting that I look a bit deeper into the discrepancy, and I realized that although I’ve mentioned it a number of times since the cutoffs were introduced eight years ago (it’s amazing how time flies!), I’ve never really explored the issue—which turns out to have just as much to do with the state of higher education as it does with college-admission tests.
But first, some background: When the SAT was redesigned in 2016, the College Board introduced College Readiness “Benchmarks” for both English (Reading/Writing) and Math, comparable to those that had long existed for the ACT. Those scores (Math, 22: Science, 23, English: 18, Reading: 22, with the latter two rolled into a single ELA benchmark of 20) were intended to indicate that a student would have a “50% chance of earning B or higher grade and approximately a 75-80% chance of earning a C or higher grade in the corresponding college course or courses.
The SAT/ACT concordance charts appear to have been last updated in 2018, and to the best of my knowledge they are still being used. Unfortunately, they do not list correspondences between ACT English/Reading and SAT Writing/Reading on a 36 vs. 1600 scale. It is reasonable, however, to assume that these scores would be roughly in line with the overall concordance. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Mar 2, 2024 | Blog
Among conjunctions (transitional words), however and though pose a particular challenge because they are so similar in terms of both of both meaning and usage. But while there is significant overlap between them, they are not entirely identical from a grammatical standpoint. The fact that they can be used interchangeably in some situations does not mean that one can always be substituted for the other.
However is a conjunctive adverb. It can be used in the following ways:
- To begin a sentence, followed by a comma
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. However, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
- In the middle of a sentence between two commas (non-essential)
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. Some clay tablets, however, have endured for thousands of years.
- At the end of a sentence, after a comma
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. Some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years, however.
Though can act as two different parts of speech.
As a subordinating conjunction, it can begin a dependent clause (fragment) that cannot stand on its own as a sentence.
Fragment: Though many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly.
The dependent clause can be placed before an independent clause to form a complete sentence.
Correct: Though many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
The order of the clauses can also be flipped so that the dependent clause begun by though comes second. Because though is a “strong” subordinating conjunction, a comma is placed before it.
Correct: Some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years, though many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly,
Note that when though is used to begin a dependent clause, it is not followed by a comma—regardless of where it appears in the sentence.
Incorrect: Though, many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
Incorrect: Some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years, though, many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly,
Though can also be used as an adverb.
Like however, though can be used non-essentially in the middle of a sentence. In this case, it must be surrounded by commas (one before, one after).
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. Some clay tablets, though, have endured for thousands of years.
It can also be placed after a single comma at the end of a sentence.
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. Some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years, though.
To reiterate: In the two adverb usages above, though is completely interchangeable with however. This means that the SAT and ACT will never give you both options and ask you to choose between them.
But here’s where things get tricky. While though is an adverb, it is not, technically speaking, a conjunctive adverb in the same way that however is.
Why? Because the main characteristic of a conjunctive adverb is that it can be used as an introductory word at the start of an independent clause (after a period or semicolon), followed by a comma. It is perfectly acceptable to use however this way—but not though.
So while we can do this:
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. However, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
Correct: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly; however, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
We cannot do this:
Incorrect: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly. Though, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
Incorrect: Many of the writing surfaces used in the past deteriorated quickly; though, some clay tablets have endured for thousands of years.
As an SAT/ACT shortcut, know that period/semicolon + though + comma = wrong.
Next, there’s yet another twist: While though cannot substitute for however as a conjunctive adverb as an introductory word, it can still follow a period or semicolon (or even a colon) when it begins a new sentence as a subordinating conjunction.
Correct: A remarkable number of inscribed clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia have survived until the present day. [Dependent] Though many other writing surfaces used throughout history have deteriorated, [Independent] clay has proven to be the most durable surface ever employed.
Correct: A remarkable number of inscribed clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia have survived until the present day; [Dependent] though many other writing surfaces used throughout history have deteriorated, [Independent] clay has proven to be the most durable surface ever employed.
You can also think of it this way: Any word that can begin a sentence can be placed after a period or semicolon. Thus, the fact that though can be placed after either of these punctuation marks does not automatically make it a conjunctive adverb.
Now, let’s look at how this concept might appear on the dSAT. (Note: this question is based on Blue Book Test #1, Module 2, Question 22, with a slight tweak.)
Many of the writing surfaces used by ancient civilizations disintegrated shortly after being inscribed. A striking number of Mesopotamian tablets made from clay have _______ unlike other natural materials employed by ancient writers, clay deteriorates at a very slow rate, and so many tablets created from it have remained in strikingly good condition.
(A) survived, though;
(B) survived. Though,
(C) survived, though,
(D) survived though
To be clear: (A) and (B) are not asking test-takers to distinguish between two grammatically acceptable uses of though. Rather, (B) is automatically incorrect on grammatical grounds—though is not a conjunctive adverb equivalent to however, and it cannot follow a semicolon and be followed by a comma.
In addition, there is no answer here that correctly uses though as a subordinating conjunction (to begin a dependent clause; at the start of a sentence, not followed by a comma). So the question of whether this word is acting as an adverb or a subordinating conjunction is moot.
The point of the question, rather, is to identify that a contradictor should be placed at the end of the second sentence, in order to establish a contrast with the first sentence. Otherwise, the logic of the passage gets wonky. The only option that places though in the right spot is (A).
(C) does not work because the two commas around though signal a non-essential usage, which is grammatically acceptable in some instances but not this one. If the word is crossed out, we are left with a massive run-on. (D) creates the same problem in a more direct fashion.
by Erica L. Meltzer | Feb 16, 2024 | Blog
If you attempted attempted to visit this website during the past week-and-half (2/5 through 2/14/24), you are undoubtedly aware that it was inaccessible. Although I’ve posted a note on Facebook regarding the situation and have been sending periodic updates to mailing-list subscribers, I am aware that the information has not reached everyone. So to explain: what occurred was the result of an unforeseeably complex and unusual situation, but the good news is that the problem has now been resolved and there should be no further issues. The short version is that thecriticalreader.com domain expired at the end of January, and I when I went to renew it, I discovered that I had been locked out of my account. Extended attempts to reset my login credentials were unsuccessful, and ultimately I needed to confirm my identity to regain access, a process that took several days. It then took another full week for the domain to be transferred back to me, during which time the site could not be activated. The domain has now been renewed for nine years (the longest period possible), with additional protection, and it should now remain continuously active.
Regarding the Question of the Day: Explanations could not be posted during the days the site was down (they were sent out to subscribers, along with the questions), but they have now been added to the relevant page.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during what has been a very stressful couple of weeks.
by Erica L. Meltzer | Jan 23, 2024 | Blog
A couple of months ago, before I got sucked back into the black hole of my SAT vocabulary book, I wrote a post about the importance of time constraints in standardized testing. In it, I briefly discussed some reasons for why current students find timed assignments/assessments so overwhelming; and in particular, I voiced my concern that the loosening of academic standards during the pandemic resulted in pupils’ becoming (further) accustomed to endlessly flexible deadlines and high grades for “fuzzy” assignments such as posters, Power Points, and projects designed to disguise gaps in basic subject knowledge.
There are additional factors that play a role in declining expectations and concurrent SAT score inflation, however—and the situation long predates the pandemic. I originally started to discuss it in my previous post, but the issues seemed too complex and distracting to really get into, so it made more sense to explore them in a separate piece.
Let m start here. In terms of the timing changes on the digital SAT, the increase in the amount of time allotted to each Math question is really striking: from 25 minutes for 20 questions on the paper-based exam to 35 minutes for 22 questions. (Although slightly more time is given per Writing questions than on the paper-based test, Writing is now rolled in with Reading, which is generally more time consuming.) The more I thought about it, the more the disparity seemed odd—why give so much more time for Math questions than for Reading and Writing? (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Dec 30, 2023 | The Digital SAT, Vocabulary
Traditional vocabulary is back on the SAT, and I’m happy to announce that the second edition of SAT® Vocabulary: A New Approach, co-written with Larry Krieger, is now available.
The book has been completely revamped for the DSAT and features an extensive list of high-frequency, not-irrelevant vocabulary words (as reported by students who have sat for digital exam internationally), with definitions illustrated through a variety of entertaining pop-culture example. Numerous test-style practice questions then help students transfer their knowledge to Digital SAT format.
A separate section on transitional words and phrases helps test-takers simplify challenging questions by identifying common logical relationships and grouping words by category.
by Erica L. Meltzer | Dec 17, 2023 | The Digital SAT
If you’ve taken the paper-based version of the SAT and are considering taking the DSAT as well, or if you’re a tutor/teacher who is transitioning to DSAT prep, the following charts cover the major differences between the paper-based exam (final administration December 2023 in the United States) and the new digital version. A free, downloadable PDF version will be posted in the Books section as well. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Oct 19, 2023 | Blog
Among the alterations made to the digital version of the SAT are changes to the amount of time per question. The current, paper-based version allows for just over a minute per question in Reading (65 mins./52 questions) and Math (25 mins./20 questions) vs. a bit under a minute for Writing (35 mins./44 questions).
However, the digital exam greatly increases the amount of time for both Math (35 mins./22 questions) and Writing (now integrated into Reading/Writing modules, with 32 mins./27 questions), whereas the amount of time per reading question actually decreases very slightly.
From an equity standpoint, the proportion of students with questionable diagnoses now receiving extra time has become so high that the move is perhaps designed to tacitly level the playing field somewhat. At the same time, by offering more generous timing, the College Board is obviously seeking to salvage what it can of the shrinking testing market and lure more students away from the ACT, whose timing has not changed in decades, and whose average scores are now being at a 30-year low. (Note that the College Board’s periodic “recentering” of the SAT scoring scale has prevented the organization from having to release a comparable report). The more forgiving Math timing is also presumably designed to help more students meet the benchmark—50 points higher than the Reading/Writing one—and thus to bolster graduation rates in states where the SAT is used as a high-school exit test. But if the move relieves some of the pressure on students, it may also make test results less meaningful. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Oct 7, 2023 | The Digital SAT, Vocabulary
Larry Krieger and I have been hard at work on our digital-SAT edition of SAT Vocabulary: A New Approach, with release tentatively planned for December. Unfortunately, I’ve been pretty much out of commission with a bad cold the last couple of weeks, but Larry has come to the rescue with a fabulous post featuring the saga of Taylor and Travis… along with some top words for the new test. Even if you’re not a Swiftie, it’s good reading. Here goes:
Students often complain that learning vocabulary words is tedious and boring. Not in our book! We have written a series of special chapters that use popular movies like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Avengers: End Game to illustrate the words on our list. The following chapter on the possible romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce illustrates our unique method of helping your remember difficult DSAT vocabulary words.
1. Taylor Swift ECLIPSES the game
ECLIPSE – to overshadow
On Sunday September 24th the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs played the Chicago Bears before a capacity crowd of 76,000 fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Led by their Superbowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and their all-pro tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs quickly took command of the game. Within a short time the crowd’s attention switched to an unexpected global celebrity – Taylor Swift! Taylor’s presence in a luxury suite seated beside Travis Kelce’s mom quickly ECLIPSED interest in the game. Fueled by Swift’s 12-17 and 18-49 year-old fans, television ratings soared as an estimated 24 million people watched the game.
2. Swifties begin to make INFERENCES
INFERENCE – a deduction or conclusion based upon evidence and reasoning
Known as Swifties, Taylor’s fans quickly began to make INFERENCES about her unexpected appearance at an NFL game. Taylor is well-known for leaving her fans carefully planted clues called “Easter eggs.” Afterall in her song “Blank Space”, Taylor declared, “Love’s a game, wanna play?” Many INFERRED that this was Taylor’s way of signaling the beginning of a romantic relationship with Travis.
3. Taylor fails to RECIPROCATE
RECIPROCATE – a mutual or equivalent exchange
The relationship between Taylor and Travis did not get off to a promising start. Travis attended Taylor’s sold-out concert at Arrowhead Stadium back in early July. He tried to send Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number. But Taylor did not RECIPROCATE. Ouch!
4. Travis is RESILIENT and refuses to give up
RESILIENT – able to bounce back from adversity; quickly recover
Taylor’s failure to respond to his invitation did not deter Travis. Although he admitted to feeling “a little butthurt,” Travis was RESILENT and refused to give up. He used his popular podcast to send Taylor this message: “I’ve seen you rock the stage at Arrowhead Stadium. You might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit>”
5. Would Travis’s AUDACIOUS invitation work?
AUDACIOUS – bold and daring
Travis’s AUDACIOUS but risky public invitation worked. Taylor attended the game and then left the stadium with Travis in his prized 1970 Chevolet Chevelle SS convertible. Wow – that really is AUDACIOUS. But Travis wasn’t finished. He drove Taylor to a private dinner party at a well-known and fully reserved Kansas City restaurant. Taylor reportedly had a great time dancing with Travis and meeting all-world Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
6. An INDELIBLE day
INDELIBLE – memorable; cannot be forgotten
Travis clearly seized the moment and tasted it. The game and the evening dinner party left him with INDELIBLE memories. Travis later reported that Taylor “looked amazing” and that “everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her…It’s definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure.”
7. The game was PERIPHERAL
PERIPHERAL – of secondary importance; not central
The Kansas City Chiefs narrowly defeated the New York Jets in an exciting Sunday Night Football game. But the game was a PERIPHERAL sideshow to the night’s real story. All eyes were focused on a private suite containing Taylor Swift and her entourage of Hollywood pals that included Deadpool 3 actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackson and Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner. The NBC camera crews obliged Taylor’s legion of Swifties by cutting from the game to her box 17 times.
8. Taylor is an economic CATALYST
CATALYST – any stimulus that causes significant change or action
Over 27 million viewers tuned in to watch Taylor Swift and her entourage of celebrities watch the Sunday Night Football game. Taylor’s economic impact is much greater than prompting her legion of Swifties to watch a football game. Taylor is a significant economic CATALYST. Her Eras Tour is on track to become the biggest and most profitable in concert history. When Taylor
comes to town her fans go on a spending spree by filling hotels, packing restaurants, and purchasing everything Taylor-themed bracelets to expensive cloths.
9. This is INTRIGUING!
INTRIGUING – arousing great interest and curiosity
So what will happen next? Sports fans and Swifties are INTRIGUED! Is this the beginning of a new romantic relationship? Will Travis + Taylor = Traylor? Or will Travis end up in one of Taylor’s songs? But one of Taylor’s most popular songs does offer a ray of hope: “I’ve got a blank space baby and I’ll write your name.” Could Travis be the one? Stay tuned!!
10. Questions and CONJECTURES
CONJECTURE – an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete evidence; speculation
The apparent romantic link between Taylor and Travis is like an unexpected meteor strike that has ignited a social media firestorm. Commentators on podcasts, TikTok, and Instagram are all spreading rumors, providing breathless headlines, and asking endless questions. But their revelations are all CONJECTURES. The reality is that no one knows what Taylor and Travis will do next. But one thing is certain – Erica and I will keep you posted on all the breaking news!!!
by Erica L. Meltzer | Sep 27, 2023 | Blog, Grammar (SAT & ACT)
In all my years of tutoring and writing about grammar, this particular point of confusion has never come up… that is, until a couple of days ago, when I clicked through a YouTube SAT-grammar video sent by a colleague and realized, after a brief period of confusion, that the tutor confidently expounding on conjunctions was actually talking about contractions. I was not exactly shocked—I mean, it is YouTube—but still, it was pretty painful to watch.
Operating under the assumption that if one person is confused about a given point—particularly someone trying to explain it to literally thousands of people—then many other people are probably confused as well, I plugged “conjunctions vs. contractions” into Google to see what the depths of the Internet would reveal. Although the phrase popped up immediately as a search term, I was, to my considerable surprise, unable to find a single explanation that both addressed the issue directly and was written in coherent, grammatical English. I felt obligated to remedy the situation, hence this post. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Sep 11, 2023 | Books
I am very happy to announce some new book releases.
First, the e-book editions of The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, 6th Edition, and The Critical Reader, 5th Edition, are now available on Amazon Kindle. (more…)
by Erica L. Meltzer | Sep 1, 2023 | Books
I am very happy to announce two additional forthcoming Critical Reader prep books for the digital SAT.
The first is a test book to accompany the main Reading and Writing guides. It features three full-length Reading & Writing tests in dSAT format (two modules per exam, each with 27 questions) and includes detailed explanations for all questions. It should be available from both Amazon and The Critical Reader within the next two weeks. (Please note that this book replaces The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar Workbook; because the number of Writing questions is considerably reduced on the digital test, it did not make sense to have a book of practice tests devoted solely to that portion of the exam.)
The second guide is a vocabulary book, on which I am very happy to be collaborating again with Larry Krieger. The book features approximately 200 challenging must-know words for both sentence completions and transitions, along with numerous entertaining examples drawn primarily from contemporary pop culture (think plenty of Barbie, with some Oppenheimer and The Avengers thrown in, plus an eclectic* mix of other references).
I really have to hand it to Larry: his knowledge of pop culture positively puts mine to shame, AND he actually managed to distill the Avengers plot down into a few hundred easy-to-follow words. Most impressive!
We’re doing our best to get a beta version of the book out sometime this month so that it can be used for PSAT preparation, with a final version to follow in the late winter or early spring. Stay tuned for more details.
*Varied, diverse, heterogeneous; note that this has traditionally been a favorite SAT word, and all signs suggest that the College Board is once again relying on the top ETS list. So much for that whole “no more ‘obscure’ (ha!) words” thing.
by Erica L. Meltzer | Aug 17, 2023 | Blog
In my previous post, I discussed the recently published paper by superstar Harvard economist Raj Chetty, along with colleagues from Brown, confirming what I suspect most people involved in selective college admissions could intuitively report—namely, that the top 1%, and really the top .1%, enjoy a massive advantage in the college admissions process, largely as a result of a non-academic factors.
I’ve read the full paper, and although the statistical formulas used to calculate the effects are well over my head, the conclusions Chetty et al. draw are quite clear. (A detailed summary is also available.) Some of the main takeaways are as follows. (more…)
