Weathering And Erosion Reading Passage

Sometimes the Sat Reading section volition enquire you about literary terms. But how ofttimes? And which terms do you need to be familiar with in order to get these questions right? This article will requite you the depression-downwards on what you need to know.

Overview: Literary Terms on the Current SAT

The current SAT Reading section covers literary terms in a less direct way than the 2005-2015 version of the test did.It doesn't ever ask y'all to identify a specific literary technique, only the passages are more than challenging than they take been in the by, and at times y'all'll demand to rely on knowledge of literary terms to answer questions that aren't directly related. I'll requite you lot a couple examples to demonstrate what I hateful.

Sample Question #one

Which option best describes the developmental pattern of the passage?

A. A careful analysis of a traditional practice
B. A detailed depiction of a meaningful see
C. A definitive response to a serial of questions
D. A cheerful recounting of an amusing chestnut

While this question doesn't comprise directly references to literary terms, it requires some vocabulary knowledge related to writing technique. In order to understand choice D, you lot demand to know what an chestnut is (it'southward simply a personal story). You likewise need to have a good sense of what the question means past a "developmental design" and have stiff enough reading comprehension skills to identify which of the choices best represents the structure of the passage.

Sample Question #2

According to the passage, Woolf chooses the setting of the bridge because it

A. is conducive to a mood of fanciful reflection
B. provides a good view of the procession of the sons of educated men
C. is within sight of historic episodes to which she alludes
D. is symbolic of the legacy of past and present sons of educated men

For this question, nosotros have to understand reply choices that comprise several literary terms including mood, innuendo, and symbolism.This means background knowledge of literary terms is helpful if not completely necessary in club to feel comfortable with this question. Even so, the words are used in such a fashion that yous can figure out what the reply choices mean without knowing super specific definitions of the terms if y'all pay close attention to context clues.

Sample Question #3

This question comes closer than the other case to request about literary terms directly. I'll go into more detail well-nigh how to interpret it and discover the right answer.

The description of how Lady Carlotta "put the doctrine of not-interference into practice" (lines xiv-15) mainly serves to

A. foreshadow her capacity for deception.
B. illustrate the subtle cruelty in her nature.
C. provide a humorous insight into her character.
D. explain a surprising change in her beliefs.

The answer choices in this question include references to foreshadowing and humor, ii mutual literary terms.

Hither are the lines the question references:

But once had she put the doctrine of non-interference into practice, when one of its nigh eloquent exponents had been besieged for nigh iii hours in a pocket-size and extremely uncomfortable may-tree by an aroused boar-pig, while Lady Carlotta, on the other side of the fence, had proceeded with the h2o-color sketch she was engaged on, and refused to interfere between the boar and his prisoner.

Finding the Solution (Process of Emptying)

Now I'll go through all the choices in detail to show you how and why iii out of iv of them can be eliminated based on what we know about the meanings of literary terms and the content of the passage.

Pick A: foreshadow her capacity for charade

Putting aside the foreshadowing aspect of this respond, how is Lady Carlotta being deceptive in the passage? It would exist deceptive if she had offered to help the "prisoner" and and so failed to follow through, simply that's not what happened.This reply tin already be eliminated without looking further along in the passage to see if the incident represents foreshadowing.

Choice B: illustrate the subtle cruelty in her nature

At that place is no subtle cruelty beingness illustrated hither. If anything, it's outright cruelty considering she simply refuses to help the woman who is trapped by the boar. However, considering the woman trapped past the boar is ane of the "eloquent exponents" of the doctrine of noninterference, it wouldn't be quite right to say this is cruelty. The woman becomes the victim of a policy that she advocates. This reply can be eliminated as well.

(Side Note: If you didn't know what "subtle" meant, you might all the same be able to figure out this answer choice, but it would be tough. This choice demonstrates how vocabulary in the questions and passages on the new SAT is becoming more difficult in order to compensate for the elimination of sentence completion questions.)

Choice C: provide a humorous insight into her character

This respond makes the most sense.The events in the passage signify that Lady Carlotta has a sense of humor; she allows the woman who is trapped by the boar to be betrayed by her own belief in noninterference. I'one thousand picturing Lady Carlotta doing her watercolor sketch while staring at the woman in the tree and existence like "But y'all said I'm non supposed to interfere! There'southward zip I tin do!" in a really simulated-nice tone.

Pick D: explain a surprising change in her behavior

This incident does marking a change in her behavior because before in the passage she ignores her friends' insistence on noninterference. Information technology's not a "surprising change" though. It's a logical reaction based on Lady Carlotta'south sense of sense of humour (and sense of karma). Get rid of this reply!

Choice C is the correct reply!

The smuggest boar I've ever seen, and I've seen some smug boars in my time.

That question is the closest you'll go to being asked outright about literary terms, merely that doesn't mean they're irrelevant.You should however know the meanings of metaphor, irony, and humor. Fifty-fifty if these words aren't answers to questions, it will be helpful for y'all to exist enlightened of their definitions.

Take, for example, this paragraph of a sample passage:

To avoid...the evils of inconstancy and versatility, 10 chiliad times worse than those of obstinacy and the blindest prejudice, nosotros have consecrated the state, that no man should approach to wait into its defects or corruptions merely with due caution; that he should never dream of beginning its reformation past its subversion; that he should approach to the faults of the state as to the wounds of a begetter, with pious awe and trembling solicitude. Past this wise prejudice we are taught to look with horror on those children of their land who are prompt rashly to hack that aged parent in pieces, and put him into the kettle of magicians, in hopes that past their poisonous weeds, and wild incantations, they may regenerate the paternal constitution, and renovate their father's life.

This passage makes extensive use of a metaphor comparing the state to an bilious father figure to emphasize its point about the way people should arroyo changes in regime.This could be confusing or downright incomprehensible if you're not comfy with the avant-garde use of similes and metaphors in writing. The SAT has compensated for the elimination of judgement completion questions by adding in passages that incorporate more challenging vocabulary words and advanced literary techniques.

List of Vocabulary Terms

To summarize, here's a comprehensive list of the literary terms that will exist useful for yous to know for reading questions on the Sat:

Allusion
Analogy
Assay
Anecdote
Foreshadowing
Humor
Irony
Metaphor
Mood
Simile
Symbolism
Tone

Conclusion

On the electric current SAT, there are no questions that inquire straight about the use of literary devices. However, noesis of literary terms is even so helpful in interpreting passages and respond choices that occasionally use these techniques in their descriptions of ideas and events.

Knowledge of literary terms isn't vital for doing well on the SAT, but it's helpful to know some basic definitions so that you'll feel more confident if you lot come up across any questions that inquire nearly them!

What's Next?

Want to find out what skills you'll demand to ace the SAT Reading section? Check out our article on what's really tested.

If y'all're worried well-nigh vocabulary, read these articles on the importance of vocabulary on the Saturday and the best way to study Saturday vocabulary words.

If y'all're not sure whether you should take the Sat or the Act, accept a await at this article that outlines the differences betwixt them.

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About the Author

Samantha is a web log content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to assist students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is likewise passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.