5 Must-Know SAT Writing Tips

While there is no longer an essay option on the digital SAT, strong writing skills are still essential for achieving a good SAT score. The SAT Reading and Writing section will test your ability to synthesize ideas, use effective transitions, follow standard English conventions, and more. This section includes questions in four major content areas: Information and Ideas, Craft and Structure, Expression of Ideas, and Standard English Conventions. Use our expert SAT Writing tips below to learn how to maximize your SAT score on test day.

[ RELATED: Top 5 SAT Reading Tips ]

SAT WRITING QUICK TIPS:

• Tip #1: Use the FANBOYS Mnemonic Device 
• Tip #2: Be Able to Correct Fragments vs. Run-Ons
• Tip #3: Identify Relationships in Transition Questions
• Tip #4: Practice Your Punctuation Skills
• Tip #5: Know When Punctuation Should NOT Be Used

SAT Reading and Writing Section Timing

The SAT Reading and Writing section consists of two modules of 27 questions each. All the questions in this section are four-option multiple-choice questions. With 54 questions to answer in 64 minutes, this gives you about a minute and 10 seconds per question.

SAT Writing Tip #1: Use the FANBOYS Mnemonic Device

The SAT Reading and Writing section will test your knowledge of grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and verb tense. Use mnemonic devices where appropriate when studying. FANBOYS stands for the seven most common coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. You can use a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction to correct a run-on sentence.

SAT Writing Tip #2: Be Able to Correct Fragments vs. Run-Ons

A complete sentence must have both a subject and a verb and express a complete thought. If any one of these elements is missing, the sentence is a fragment. You can recognize a fragment because the sentence will not make sense as written. Here are some examples in the table below.

Missing Element	Example	Corrected Sentence
Subject	Ran a marathon.	Lola ran a marathon.
Verb	Lola a marathon.	Lola ran a marathon.
Complete thought	While Lola ran a marathon.	While Lola ran a marathon, her friends cheered for her.

Unlike a dependent clause, an independent clause can stand on its own as a complete sentence. If a sentence has more than one independent clause, those clauses must be properly joined. If they are not, the sentence is a run-on: Morgan enjoys hiking, he climbs a new mountain every summer. There are several ways to correct a run-on, as shown in the following table.

To Correct a Run-On	Example
Use a period	Morgan enjoys hiking. He climbs a new mountain every summer.
Use a semicolon	Morgan enjoys hiking; he climbs a new mountain every summer.
Use a colon	Morgan enjoys hiking: he climbs a new mountain every summer.
Use a dash	Morgan enjoys hiking—he climbs a new mountain every summer.
Make one clause dependent	Since Morgan enjoys hiking, he climbs a new mountain every summer.
Add a FANBOYS conjunction: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So	Morgan enjoys hiking, so he climbs a new mountain every summer.

SAT Writing Tip #3: Identify Relationships in Transition Questions

The key to answering Transitions questions on the SAT is to determine the type of connection that exists between the ideas in a passage. To do this, identify the two ideas that are connected by the missing transition word and paraphrase in your own words the relationship between the two ideas. The most common types of transition relationships tested on the SAT include:

• Continuation—a continuation of the same point
  • Example: Cockapoo dogs are great pets. They are highly intelligent; further, they have sociable personalities.
  • The keyword “further” indicates a continuation of the reasons cockapoos are great pets.
    
• Contrast—a change in direction or a point of difference
  • Example: Cockapoo dogs are great pets; however, they can develop painful knots in their fur without consistent grooming.
  • The keyword “however” indicates a contrast between a positive feature of cockapoos (they are great pets) and a negative feature of cockapoos (they can get knots).
    
• Cause-and-effect—one idea causes another idea or leads to a conclusion
  • Example: Cockapoo dogs are great pets; therefore, they were voted the most popular dog breed in New York City.
  • The keyword “therefore” indicates a cause-and-effect relationship: because cockapoos are great pets, they were voted most popular.

SAT Writing Tip #4: Practice Your Punctuation Skills

Answer choices on the SAT often move punctuation marks around, replace them with other punctuation marks, or remove them altogether. When the answer choices include commas, dashes, semicolons, or colons, check to make sure the punctuation is used correctly in context. Below is a summary of some important punctuation rules.

Commas (,) are used for many different reasons, but the SAT tests them in four main ways:

1. Separate three or more items in a list (apples, bananas, and oranges)
2. Separate two or more independent clauses with a FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) conjunction (My mom was going to pick me up from school, but my dad came instead.)
3. Set off introductory information from the rest of the sentence (In 2008, the Phillies won the World Series.)
4. Set off non-essential descriptive information within or at the end of a sentence (I ran across the floor, which was painted with school colors, to meet Steve. OR I ran across the floor to meet Steve, who greeted me with a high five.)

Semicolons (;) are used to join two independent clauses without the use of a FANBOYS conjunction.

The sentences on both sides of a semicolon must be complete and able to stand alone. (I entered the competition early; however, I decided to withdraw a week later.)

Colons (:) are used to introduce and/or emphasize short phrases, quotations, explanations, examples, or lists.

The portion of the sentence before the colon must be an independent clause. (The greatest obstacle to completing my homework was imminent: the finale of Grey’s Anatomy.)

Dashes (—) have two main purposes:

1. Indicate a hesitation/break in thought (I saw John the other day and he looked great—no, it was actually Greg.)
2. Set off an explanatory example or list from the rest of the sentence. (Many facets of Jill’s personality—among them empathy, respect, and kindness—make her a great friend and human being.)

Apostrophes (‘) also have two main purposes:

1. Indicate possession (Bob’s book, my friends’ phones)
2. Create contractions (there’s the rabbit, it’s important, who’s in charge)

SAT Writing Tip #5: Know When Punctuation Should NOT Be Used

Knowing when punctuation should not be used is just as important. The SAT frequently has Standard English Conventions questions on which the correct answer is the choice with no punctuation, so if the answer choices include punctuation, take time to consider if it should be included at all.

If the answer choices include punctuation, ask yourself:

• Is the punctuation used correctly? The punctuation needs to be the correct type (comma, dash, semicolon, or colon) and in the correct location.
  
• Is the punctuation necessary? If you cannot identify a reason why the punctuation is included, the punctuation should be removed.

Do not use punctuation to…	Incorrect	Correct
Separate a subject from its verb	The diligent student council, meets every week.	The diligent student council meets every week.
Separate a verb from its object or a preposition from its object	The diligent student council meets, every week.	The diligent student council meets every week.
Set off elements that are essential to a sentence’s meaning	The, diligent student, council meets every week.	The diligent student council meets every week.
Separate adjectives that work together to modify a noun	The diligent, student council meets every week.	The diligent student council meets every week.

Are you ready for the SAT? Test your SAT skills with our short practice quiz.