SAT Writing Word Choice and Diction Errors

SAT Writing Word Choice and Diction Errors SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Mark Twain famously once wrote in a letter that the â€Å"difference between the almost right word the right word is really a large matter - it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.† The SAT agrees with good old Mark, and tests students on their ability to recognize when the almost-right word has been subbed in for the right one. Are you confident in your ability to not be tricked by the SAT's unusual diction questions? Read on for some strategies and tips for this section. In this guide, I will: explain what diction is and why the SATasks about it tell you when to look for diction errors on the SAT and how to approach these questions show you examples of this kind of question similar to those on the SAT give you a master list of commonly-confused words in English What does â€Å"diction† mean, anyway? Diction is a fancy way of saying â€Å"word choice† - you may have heard your literature teacher talk about this idea when analyzing a famous author’s writing style. When used by the College Board, however, it refers to something on a slightly lower level. A lot of words in the English language are easy to confuse because they look or sound similar but have quite different meanings. For example, can you spot which words are incorrectly used in the sentences below? When Allen heard that the SAT would be changing, the news was difficult for him to except. He had spent allot of time studying for the old test, and now he wondered if that had been a total waist. How would these changes effect his scores? There are actuallyfour diction errorsin the above passage, but they can be difficult to spotbecause they sound like the correct words that should have been used. Exceptshould be accept Allotshould bea lot Waistshould bewaste Effectshould beaffect Why diction errors? Most of the questionsyou will see on SAT Writing tests your ability to spot basic grammar errors. As such, learning the grammar rules that the SAT thinks areimportant will usually go a long way in helping to improve you score. Diction errors are verydifferent: there's no clearrule you can learn that will help you out or even a set list of easily-confused words that the SAT might use, makingthis section particularly difficult to prepare for. SAT Writing is all about your ability to edit and spot when something doesn't make sense. Can you only catch errors that follow strict grammar rules or can you also see when something doesn't make sense because the wrong word is being used? Where will I find diction questions? Since these question are fairly different fromthe others you will encounter on this part of the SAT, they are considered to be more difficult.The more difficult questions usually appear towards the ends of sections. You are most likely to find diction questions in theIdentifying Errors section of the test because they don't give you answer choices to correct the errors on this part of the test. These questions would not be nearly as difficult to catch if the correct word were given in the answer choices - in fact, that would be an easy giveaway that one of the original words was incorrect! Diction questions will rarely, if every, appear in the Improving Paragraphs section. Keep in mind thatnot every SAT will have diction errors.Sometimes they don't appear on a test at all! Other times, there will be a few of them. This uncertainty is another reason that they are difficult to prepare for and even harder to recognize. It seems that diction errors are becoming a little more common on recent tests than they were in the past, but they still don't make up a large amount of the questions on SAT Writing. The June 6, 2015 SAT, as an example, hadtwo diction questions. Strategies for Diction Questions Always have a plan. When diction questions do appear on the SAT, they're very unpredictable. You never know which commonly confused word the College Board will choose to test, and they tend to not repeat themselves. Spend a bit of time reviewing the list of commonly confused words below and see if there are any words that jump out at you as things that you might confuse.Limit your studying on this section to just what's trickiest for you. When you get to the final questions on the Identifying Errors or Improving Sentences section, pay particular attention to any questions that seems to have "No Error" or correct as is as an answer.This is where you will most likely find a diction question. Go back and double check everything that is underlined. Is each word correct? Did you read too quickly and mentally sub in a similar word for what is actually written? Does anything jump out at you that you can remember from the list below of commonly-confused words? If you can see a diction error, choose that as the answer. If not, keep your answer as "No Error." And keep in mind that you're statistically more likely to have "No Error" as an answer, or a totally different grammar mistake that you just didn't spot the first time, than a diction error! Let's look at one together Though Joe was not implied in(A) the cheating scandal at the school (B), he stillwas questioned (C) by theprincipal (D).No Error. (E) As always when you are reading through a question on SAT Writing, you should start by looking for themost common grammar errors.(Not sure what the most common mistakes are? We have a guide for that coming soon!) Looking at this sentence, I don't see any problems in verb tense and form or subject-verb agreement, and the sentence is correctly formed (meaning it's not a fragment or a run-on). "At the school" is fine as a prepositional phrase. So far I don't see anygrammar errors, and so I'm leaning towards No Error. But not so fast! At this point, I have to go back and double check that all of the underlined words are used correctly. "At the school" and "was questioned" are both phrases with words I'm very familiar with - there's no way these are being used incorrectly. However, I remember that "implied" and "principal" are both on the list of commonly-confused words. "Principal" sounds a lot like "principle." One word means a person who runs a school, while the other refers to an ideal or belief. If I had been unsure about which is which when looking over the list below, I would have found a way to remember which is which - such as thinking, "At school, your principal is yourpal."Therefore, principal is correctly used in the sentence. What about implied? That's also on the list, as a word that's commonly confused with "implicated." If I had been having trouble with these two words, I would have had to memorize the definitions or come up with another way to remember the difference between them. From looking at the list below, I knowthat "imply" means "to suggest" and "implicate" means "to suggest involvement in something." When I sub those definitions back into the sentence, it's clear that "implied in" doesn't make sense. I should be "implicated in." Therefore, (A) is the correct answer. Here are some more to do on your own! Some of the following questions have No Error, and others have diction errors. Can you spot them? 1. Due to human interventions,the Alaskansalmon nowstruggle(A) to reach their spawning grounds, a situationthat has(B) adverselyeffected(C)the area's(D) mammals. No error (E) 2. Most warning signs of cancer are not alarming individually, though several of the symptoms(A) added together(B) are seen(C) as(D) a signal of the disease.No error (E) 3. Only by using(A) unconventional methods were(B) the doctors able to successfully complete(C) what had been(D) a difficult surgery. No error (E) 4. The public has excess(A) to an economical and efficient(B) recycling center that is responsible tocommunity needs and complies with(C) current federal regulations governing(D) waste disposal.No error(E) 5. The report is essentially(A) a vague and extremely lacking(B) record of what(C) happened to each of(D) the victims. No error (E) 6. In(A) American letters,Rachel Carsonis aprime example of a reporterwho, by assuring(B) public interest in(C) an important topic, achieved immortality for herself. (D) No error (E) 7. Love is one of our most indiscriminate(A) emotions; it can(B)unexpectedly(C) strike you or me (C), millionaires or paupers (D), cynics or romantics. No error (E) 8. As(A) exotic petsmature, they develop destructivebehaviors(B) that their owners, who wanted(C) adorable, furry companions, often find difficult to except (D). No error (E) Answers: 1. C; 2. E; 3. E; 4. A; 5. E; 6. B; 7. E; 8. D List of commonly confused words WORD MEANING WORD MEANING accept to receive, take except excluding access entrance; opportunity excess more than needed addition something added edition a certain production of something adopt to legally take on, accept adapt to change to be more suitable advice a recommendation advise to give a recommendation adverse bad; unfavorable averse opposed to affect to influence effect a result afflict to cause suffering inflict to force something harmful aisle space between rows isle island allude to make an indirect reference elude to avoid allusion an indirect reference illusion a false idea or vision already happened before now all ready to be entirely prepared altar table for religious ceremony alter to change altogether completely; entirely all together all things with each other a lot a large number of something allot to give out an amount of something ambivalent to have two different feelings about something ambiguous having more than one possible meaning amoral having no sense or right and wrong immoral having intentionally bad morals anecdote a short personal story antidote a substance or activity that stops something bad angel a spiritual creature angle space between intersecting lines measured in degrees apart separated, into pieces a part a piece of something appraise to examine and judge apprise to tell someone of something are 3rd person plural of â€Å"to be† our belonging to us accent how someone pronounces words ascent movement up assent agreement/approval assistance help assistants helpers attribute a quality/characteristic contribute to give something auditory related to hearing audible able to be heard aural related to hearing oral spoken or related to the moth balmy pleasantly warm barmy crazy or silly bare not covered bear to carry or accept something bated in suspense; excited baited to harass (past tense) bazaar a market bizarre very strange and surprising berth a bed on a boat/train birth time when a baby is born beside next to something besides in addition to something boar a wild pig bore a dull person board a long, flat piece of wood bored feeling uninterested born to have been birthed borne carried bough a large branch of a tree bow bend upper body forward breath air that comes from lungs breathe to take air in and out brake part of a vehicle that stops it break to separate into pieces buy to purchase by shows a person who does something canvas a strong cloth canvass to ask people their opinions censure to criticize formally censor to remove offensive things from public capital city where government is based OR money capitol state legislature building choose to decide or pick chose past tense of choose climactic an important or exciting time climatic relating to the weather coarse rough and thick course a series of lessons collaborate to work together corroborate to provide supporting information command to order commend to praise complacent feeling you don’t need to try hard complaisant willingness to please others complement something that goes well with something else compliment saying something to show praise comprehensive thorough comprehensible easy to understand conscience the part of you that makes you feel guilty conscious aware; awake contemptuous showing contempt contemptible extremely bad corps a group of people or military force corpse a dead body council an elected group of people counsel to give advice credible able to be believed credulous gullible dairy milk products diary a book of personal thoughts descent a movement down dissent disagreement desirous wanting something desirable attractive dessert sweet food desert hot, dry area device equipment used for a particular purpose devise to design or invent something discreet secretive discrete separate and different disinterested impartial uninterested not interested do a helping verb dew drops of water due expected or planned dominant most important or wanting control dominate to control or have power over die to stop living dye substance used to change color dyeing to change the color of dying present participle of â€Å"die† elicit to get info or a reaction from someone illicit not legal eminent respected imminent about to happen immanent permanent part of something emit to send out gas/heat/light omit exclude envelop cover something envelope what letters go in everyday consecutive days every day used a lot exhaustive repetitive use exhausting tiring expandable gets bigger expendable to leave out explicit gratuitous implicit complete fair reasonable fare cost farther far further more flaunt exaggerate flout intentionally formally properly formerly before foreboding over-powering forbidding not allowed forth forwards fourth first, second, third†¦.. gorilla large monkey guerrilla unofficial military group hear sounds here present heard noise herd flock/gaggle/group hoard collect/store horde large group hole hollow space in something whole complete human people/person humane kind implicit complete complicit involved in imply suggest implicate suggest someone is involved in something infer guess something based on the information you have incur experience something unpleasant occur to happen indeterminate impossible to know interminable lasting a long time, in a boring way influence make an impression affluence wealth ingenious really clever ingenuous honest its belongs to it’s it is knew knowledge you have new not old know knowledge no denied laid the past of lay lain lied down later in the past latter near the end of a period lay to put something down lie horizontal lead to take charge led had taken charge lessen to weaken lesson what a teacher teaches lightning weather lightening not as dark loose not fitting tightly lose to not win maybe perhaps/possibly may be accepting something as true despite your opinion on it meat flesh meet assemble mete punish metal hard, shiny substance medal metal object given as a prize mettle determination when doing something miner someone who works in a mine minor not important moral right and wrongs morale the meaning passed to qualify past something that’s happened patience to stay calm patients sick people peace tranquility piece a part of peak the top peek a quick look pique annoyed pedal foot operated part of machine petal part of a flower peddle to sell perpetrate do something bad perpetuate elongate personal relating to a person personnel staff persecute treat someone unfairly prosecute to convict perspective viewpoint prospective potential buyer plain ordinary plane flying vehicle pore small hole for sweat to pass through pour make liquid flow from a container precede to happen before something else proceed to go forward precedent to set an example for others president the head of prescribe give medical treatment proscribe to not allowsomething presence being in a place presents gifts principal most important principle basic rule quiet no noise quite completely rain precipitation reign to rule rein straps that control a horse raise to lift raze completely destroy rational reasonable rationale the reason reluctant unwilling reticent saying little about what you feel respectfully showing respect respectively in the same order reverend Christian official reverent showing respect right correct rite traditional religious ceremony write produce words road surface built for vehicles rode to have ridden scene a view seen to have looked sense logic since from a time in the past sensible well behaved sensitive to be dealt with carefully sensory connected to the physical senses sight vision site a place of importance cite mention something as proof simulate to mimic stimulate to make something happen stationary still motion stationery office supplies straight not curved strait narrow area of sea suppose think something is true supposed to expected to do something taught educated, instructed taut stretched very tight than used to compare two things then at that time their belongs to them there used to show something exists they’re they are through from one end to the other threw to have thrown thorough completely to used to give the reason too as well as two comes after one track narrow path tract large area of land visual relating to seeing visible able to seen waist around the middle of your body waste a bad use of something waive allow someone to break the rules wave move hands from side to side weak not strong week 7 days weather conditions in the air above the earth (wind, rain etc) whether if, or not wether a castrated ram where to, at, or in what place were past tense of be which determining pronoun witch woman with magical powers whose which person owns or is responsible for something who’s who is your belonging to the person being spoken to you’re you are yore a long time ago What's next? Familiarize yourself with some other errors you're likely to see on the Identifying Sentence Errors questions, like pronoun agreement, adjectives vs. adverbs, and subject-verb agreement. More concerned about the big picture? Make sure you know the best way to approach Identifying Sentence Errors and Improving Sentences. If you're a member of the class of 2017, determinewhether you should study forthe current SAT or the redesigned version with this guide. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. 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