If you are reading this in an email you received from me, do not click the link to sat.collegeboard.org below. Use the link to my website that is farther down on the email. If you are seeing this in my blog, do the SAT Question of the Day by clicking on this link:
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day?questionId=20131015&oq=1 (This link takes you to today’s question. If you use my archive, you will see the question related to my SAT explanation for that date.)
The answer is C. What is cool about this question format is that you don’t have to fix anything; that is, no editing is required. You just need to recognize the grammar or compositional mistake. The error is that whenever there is a “not only,” you need to have a “but also.” That means C is wrong because it is missing “also.” Additionally, it is wrong because the two clauses have to be parallel. To be parallel to the first clause which has a “because” the second clause needs a “because” which is missing. So, there are two mistakes.
Take a look at my website and/or Video #9 and you’ll see a number of other pairs of words that are similar to “not only” and “but also.” The test writer will test you on these “partners.” For example, neither/nor and either/or show up on the test. Be sure you can recognize these and the other partners and you will raise your score.
Let’s see what the ACT folks have for us today.
ACT Question of the Day: Use your “back” button to return to my website after reading the ACT Question of the Day.
The answer if F. This is a wonderful question to learn some things about the ACT Science Test. First, they will give you all the science knowledge you’ll need to answer the question. For example, if you don’t have any idea what pH is, they explain it in the text before you get to the table. Second, to score well on this test you need to be able to read and understand data and do it quickly. That is what you need to practice.
In this case, we are looking for “low concentrations of Fe2+, high concentrations of O2, and a neutral pH.” Rather than look for all three criteria at once, I picked one of the three: neutral pH–7 is neutral which I was told in the text. I saw the top line (Depth = 0) has a pH of 7.0. So, I checked the concentrations of Fe2+ and of O2 at that depth and saw they fit the requirements of the question as well. All done. What is important here is that you just do one piece at a time and you’ll notice that doing so will speed you up.
In addition to looking at today’s Question of the Day, let’s consider another issue: procrastination is the enemy. Be sure you are planning your fall by setting milestones that lead up to deadlines and plan on meeting them a few days in advance–you never know what is going to interfere at the last minute. For example, today is the application deadline for FSU. I imagine there are lots of students who are scrambling today and not submitting the best possible application. For example, I bet many are thinking that they wish they had another day or two to improve their application essays.
The same is going to be true about preparing for taking the ACT and SAT. Don’t count on doing everything at the last minute. You never know when teachers are going to announce a test or a paper that you need to write. Get started early and you’ll slay the mighty dragon, procrastination.
Have a wonderful day.
The SAT & ACT Wizard
