college hacks writing essay

9 Hacks for the SAT Writing & Language Section

We can all agree there are some frustrating things about multiple choice tests, but let’s leave the doomscrolling for war, famine, climate change, oppression … oh no … I feel the walls of doom closing in. So let’s leave all that behind and focus on the good news!

The SAT doesn’t have to feel as daunting or confusing as it sometimes does to students.

In fact, there are a few simple tips and tricks on the SAT that can help to pretty quickly boost your SAT score, especially in the Writing & Language section. And learning these hacks is useful for a couple of reasons: 

The writing section is the most “black and white” portion of your verbal score. Not only that, there are actually NOT THAT MANY grammatical and rhetorical concepts tested. If you MASTER THESE FEW RULES, your verbal score WILL GO UP without all that pesky nuance required to hack the Reading section. This is the math-iest part of the Verbal SAT, so think of these rules like math formulas. Memorization + Application = Success! 

The Writing & Language section on the SAT is nearly identical to the English section on the ACT . This is good news for students! If you are still deciding which test to take (or if you’re studying for both!), these HACKS apply to both SAT Writing & Language and ACT English. 

HACK #1: OVERALL

Keep it short .

Friends, I’ll be brief. The SAT likes SHORTER answer choices. Why? Because they hate redundancy and unnecessary wordiness! In fact, they hate unnecessary anything (extra words, unnecessary punctuation etc.), so when in doubt … take it out! 

Example:  

However, most high schools in the U.S. start by 8:30 or earlier, nearly guaranteeing that the entire student body of a given high school will arrive chronically sleep-deprived in a habitual way. 

NO CHANGE 

habitually. 

Over the long term. 

DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period. 

The correct answer here is D. Why? Because I just told ya to keep it short , brah, and what’s shorter than taking out the whole underlined portion?! But also, what does “chronically” mean? Well, it means…”happening repeatedly over time.” What does habitual/habitually/over the long term mean? Same. Exact. Thing.

EXCEPTION: Specific Job 

When a question provides a set of answer choices without a question stem, the SAT is almost always asking about grammar. When that’s your job, the “keep it short” rule is your best friend. However, when a question stem asks about something else … something specific, don’t worry about keeping it short. Just do that specific job as, well, specifically as possible. 

HACK #2: OVERALL

Equally right = equally wrong .

A multiple choice question can only have ONE CORRECT ANSWER, right? Right! They have to build the test this way, or the test utterly fails. They can’t afford that—people trash talk the SAT enough as it is. It therefore follows that if two (or more) answers are EQUALLY RIGHT, they must be EQUALLY WRONG! In other words, they can’t both be right, so they must be WRONG! This hack is a great way to eliminate multiple answers in one fell swoop, saving you both time and brainpower! 

them. 

Can you spot the 2 answers that would be equally correct and therefore must both be wrong? If you said B and D, you’re right! If you didn’t know that, check out Hack #4 ! 

EXCEPTION: Nuanced Difference  

When you’re asking yourself whether two answer choices would be equally right (and therefore both wrong), you’re really asking, “do these do the exact same thing?” However, sometimes two choices are merely very similar, and that’s not good enough to eliminate them according to Hack #2. 

For example,  let’s say you’re looking at a diction question with these four answer choices:  

Alter 

Change 

Transform  

Eliminate 

Which two words really do mean the exact same thing? “Alter” and “change”! Some students might also be tempted to eliminate “transform” for the same reason; however, a more nuanced understanding of the word “transform” reminds us that a transformation is a particular type of change where something becomes something else entirely. For example, I can “change” the oil in my car without “transforming” the oil in my car. Thus, while Hack #2 helps us eliminate answer choices A & B, we could not eliminate C based on the same logic. 

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HACK #3: GRAMMAR 

Banish “being” .

Is “being” a word in the English language? Yup. Are there correct ways to use “being” in a sentence? Absolutely. Do “being’s” friends and families love and support “being” no matter what? Let’s hope, because on the SAT … “being” has got to go! If you see this word in an answer choice, the answer choice is virtually guaranteed to be WRONG. Do not stop to say hi. Do not even look it in the eye. Just turn a cold cold shoulder, cross out the answer choice, and walk away. 

DELETE the underlined portion

HACK #4: GRAMMAR

Semicolon = period. period. .

Just like the “being” hack, no nuance here, and no exceptions. At least on the SAT, the semicolon does ONE thing: punctuate two independent (as in, something that could be its own sentence) clauses. Guess what a period does? THE SAME THING! Why is this useful information? 

Now you know what a semicolon does! On the SAT, that’s it, folks! (If you want to learn how you can use semicolons elsewhere, as in not on the SAT, check here .)

This means that a semicolon and a comma are NOT interchangeable. For any comma rule to apply, you need at least one DEPENDENT clause or phrase, and as we just mentioned, you use a semicolon between INDEPENDENT clauses only. Semicolon ain’t got time for any of this codependency nonsense! Semicolon and period will only hang if yo’ sentence can take care of itself! 

Remember Hack #2? Well, if you see two answer choices where the only difference is one contains a semicolon and the other a period, they both have to be … you guessed it…  WRONG! 

HACK #5: GRAMMAR

Use commas (or dashes) to bracket off “inessential information”.

By “inessential information,” we mean clauses or words that could be removed from the sentence without destroying the integrity of the sentence structure. 

The Statue of Liberty , which sits in New York Harbor, is a cherished symbol of freedom.  — — — Ben took a trip to New Orleans —the birthplace of jazz— to celebrate his graduation from music school. 

Why is becoming a master of these phrases such a great SAT test hack? 

You’ll see A LOT of these … like, A LOOOOOOOOT of these, on the test. 

As evidenced by the example sentences above, there are two predominant ways (two commas, two dashes) to punctuate these phrases. But NO MIXIE MATCHIES! MIXIE MATCHIES (comma + dash, etc.) are easy indications of WRONG ANSWER CHOICES. 

Remember Hack #2! If two answers are equally right, they’re BOTH WRONG! Much as a semicolon = period (for the SAT), two commas punctuating an appositive = two dashes = a set of parentheses. If these are the only differences between two answer choices, they’re both wrongeddy wrong wrong wrong. 

DO NOT bracket off information that, if removed, would harm the structural integrity of the sentence. You may see this most often in sentences including proper names. 

Immunologist Anthony Fauci recently retired from his role as head of the federal government’s COVID response taskforce. 

It’s tempting to want to put commas around the name Anthony Fauci. Sometimes we think we have to do this … but we don’t! In fact, here we can’t: look what would happen if did! Take it out, and the sentence reads, “Immunologist recently retired from…” Nope. That sentence just lost its subject! 

HACK #6: GRAMMAR

Cut out the fat .

This hack is most useful with questions where knowing the subject of the sentence is key. If you’d like to become the All-Powerful (yet benevolent) Monarch of SAT Kingdom, know thy Subjects! Finding the subject is usually pretty easy in a simple sentence, and the SAT is well aware of that. So, to make questions appear more difficult, they add a bunch of extra junk to the sentence to try to hide the subject from your well-trained ears. 

The hack here is to “cut out the fat” (i.e. cross out the extra crap), thereby simplifying the sentence and making it once again easy to find the subject. This can be especially helpful in questions relating to A) singular/plural verbs and B) pronouns. 

So! What counts as “the fat” in a sentence? The two biggest culprits are A) prepositional phrases and B) “inessential information” bracketed off by commas or dashes (oh heyyyyyyyy! We just learned about those !)

The number of leeches you say it’ll take to get the “bad blood out of my insides” are beside the point; I am pretty uncomfortable with any leeches on my body as part of a medical treatment. 

First of all, what word shall evermore be banished from SAT land?! Being! That eliminates B, but what I really want you to concentrate on here is the phrase “of leeches you say … insides”. That is one long prepositional phrase that, when taken out, makes the correct verb in question much easier to discern. The number … are ? Nope! The number … is ? Yep! 

EXCEPTION: Underlined Portion 

You know how sometimes you can’t operate on a piece of the body because it’s impossible to take something out without harming something else? Essentially, if the “fat” you would have crossed out is itself contained in the underlined portion a particular question is asking about, it is no longer extra. Gotta keep it. The question depends on it. 

HACK #7: RHETORICAL 

Where do main ideas go.

Child: Papa, where do we go when we die? 

Papa: Well, my child, no one really knows!

… dad seems unhelpful.

Luckily, we DO know where MAIN IDEAS go in pieces of writing (which is super helpful), which is virtually always at the END OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH (thesis), the BEGINNING of each body paragraph (topic sentences) and the END OF THE PASSAGE (conclusion)

Child: Uh … yeah, I didn’t really ask about that. That’s way more boring than the thing I wanted to know. 

And … scene! 

As I collect the many playwriting awards I’ll surely win for this dramatic introduction, you may be thinking, “yeah! I’m with the kid on this one. Why do I care about this?” Well, because the SAT is going to ask you (without telling you directly that’s what they’re asking) to supply three types of sentences in a passage, and they all have to do with MAIN IDEAS. 

The secret to answering a question about a main idea sentence can be found in the other main idea sentences already in the passage! You probably know from writing your own academic essays that a thesis sentence states the main idea of a piece of writing and a conclusion RESTATES (and often offers wider meaning or context for) the main idea. 

So for any question asking you to provide the THESIS (they will not use this terminology but rather ask you to furnish the last sentence of the introduction paragraph), read and match the CONCLUSION already provided! 

If they’re asking you to furnish the conclusion, read and match the THESIS! Another little hack-on-a-hack here is to ask yourself, “where is the first place I get a sense of the main idea of a piece of writing?” That’s right, THE TITLE! Titles won’t tell you as much as a thesis or conclusion (So Moby Dick is about a … oh! A whale? Yeah, that was not gonna be my guess), but they often will give you enough guidance to keep yourself on track. 

EXCEPTION: Topic Sentences 

Since topic sentences provide the main idea of only the paragraph in which they are contained, you’ll want to look for main idea clues within this paragraph rather than elsewhere in the passage. However, remember that a topic sentence is frequently, at heart, a transition! So it’ll also be useful to read the last sentence of the previous passage and choose an answer that acts as a bridge between main ideas. 

HACK #8: RHETORICAL 

When merging, watch your lane .

What are TRANSITIONS if not the MERGING of two ideas in a sentence (or between sentences)? This HACK deals with the idea that SAT questions about transition words (but, and, therefore, however, for example, etc.) can be broken down by how the two thoughts in question relate to one another, which we will be referring to here as “lanes.” If you know what “lane” you’re in, then you can eliminate all answer choices not in that lane! There are four primary “lanes,” or ways two thoughts can relate. Here they are, followed by some examples of transition words in each lane: 

Agreement: And, In addition, For Example, Furthermore, Moreover

Contrast: But, However, Nevertheless, Surprisingly, Despite

Cause/Effect: So, Therefore, Thus, Consequently, Because 

Time: Then, Subsequently, First, Next, Finally

NOT ONLY can thinking about the transitional “lane” you’re looking for help you eliminate words not in this lane, but also … it’s baaaaaaaaaaack! That lovely little Hack #2 ! If two answer choices include words that do the EXACT SAME THING (“therefore” & “thus”, or “furthermore” & “moreover”), they are both WRONG! 

Mill Girls organized strikes in both 1834 and 1836 when management threatened to cut wages; however, their actions were largely unsuccessful.  

consequently, 

finally, 

moreover, 

The correct answer here is A) NO CHANGE! We want a CONTRAST word here, and the only answer choice that indicates contrast is A: however. 

HACK #9: RHETORICAL 

No means no … if it’s redundant or irrelevant.

Remember HACK #1 ? You do?! Gold star, you! If you need a wee refresher, HACK #1 states that the shorter, simpler, less “extra stuff” answer choices are usually best. This comes in handy in questions that ask whether you should KEEP/DELETE or ADD/DON’T ADD a sentence to the essay. 

Obviously, there are times where we DO need to keep and/or add a sentence, but because we know the SAT loves to keep things short & simple, ALWAYS CHECK THE “NO” COLUMN FIRST. This can be especially helpful because there are two (AND ONLY TWO!) correct reasons to delete/not add a sentence: REDUNDANCY and IRRELEVANCE. 

Essentially, we don’t need the sentence in question because we A) already know that or B) it’s irrelevant and so we don’t need to know it. Again … NO EXTRA STUFF! Sure, it’s nice that your pets are named Dua Lipa and Doja Cat, but why does that need to be part of this history of the domestication of animals in ancient Egypt? Answer: it doesn’t. (Sorry. That’s super cool though.)

Now, they won’t actually come out and say the words “redundant” or “irrelevant.” As in many parts of the SAT, they much prefer code terms or explanations that it is your job to know mean “redundant” or “irrelevant.” 

For example, they may say “repeats information already found earlier in the passage” (code: redundant), or “contains loosely related information that interrupts the discussion of… (code: irrelevant). The better you are spotting language that means “redundant” or “irrelevant,” the better you’ll be at hacking these Yes/No questions. 

Actions and Takeaways

To make sure you’ve got these down, look through the list below, and see if you can clearly define for yourself what the hack is and  how to use it on the test. If not, scroll back up and reread that section.

HACK #1: KEEP IT SHORT

HACK #2: EQUALLY RIGHT = EQUALLY WRONG! 

HACK #3: BANISH “BEING”

HACK #4: SEMICOLON = PERIOD. PERIOD.

HACK #5: USE COMMAS (OR DASHES) TO BRACKET OFF “INESSENTIAL INFORMATION”

HACK #6: CUT OUT THE FAT

HACK #7: WHERE DO MAIN IDEAS GO?

HACK #8: WHEN MERGING, WATCH YOUR LANE! 

HACK #9: NO means NO … if it’s redundant or irrelevant

Once you’ve got these down, you’ll have a much easier time on the  SAT. They may not help you with the doomscrolling though. (But please stop. Your mind will thank you.)

Special thanks to Martha for writing this post

Martha (she/her) is a teacher and performer from Los Angeles, California. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is currently working towards an MA in Psychology from the University of the West. Martha has been tutoring since 2005, focusing on the SAT, ACT, U.S. History, and all things Language Arts. She is also an actor, director, and teaching artist with The Story Pirates, facilitating creative writing workshops all over Los Angeles and helping to adapt kids’ work for stage, screen, and podcast. When not working with students, you can hear Martha’s voice in video games such as God of War and Saints Row as well as animated programs such as the upcoming Transformers: Earthspark on Nickelodeon. 

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Make Writing A Habit

12 Essay-Writing Hacks from a Professional Editor

As a professional editor, I’ve edited all kinds of documents, not the least of which are essays. I’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Look, it’s easy to write a bad essay when it’s due in less than 24 hours (we’ve all been there), but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to write a good essay. To write a good essay, you just have to know what to look for to make weak writing stronger.

Simply looking is the number one job of a professional editor (outside of drinking coffee) because looking leads to discovering —and once you find your errors, improvement is just around the corner.

After editing over a million words, I’ve come to understand what makes a good essay and what makes a bad essay, and I have a few practical tips—essay hacks, if you will—for improving your own essay-writing skills.

1. Befriend your argument.

Make sure you know everything there is to know about your argument. That means you should understand exactly what it is you’re arguing and why. If your argument was an elevator pitch and you had to explain it to someone in just a minute or two, could you? If the answer is “No,” revisit the main point of your essay. Do more research to make sure you know the topic inside and out.

The reason you need to be prepared is that, if there’s any proof that can shoot your argument down, you not only need to shield those bullets but also to ricochet them back. Don’t just know your argument—befriend it. Find out its strengths and its weaknesses.

2. Challenge every idea.

If you have any questions about your topic, subject, or field, ask them as soon as you can. Hitting a snag later can stall progress on your essay, so if you can hit all the major weak points early on, you can avoid finding major flaws in your argument later.

Challenge anything that causes questions to sprout and play the devil’s advocate for your own argument. If you’ve identified these weaknesses before, now is the time to investigate further and begin to clarify anything that might still be fuzzy.

3. Select your sources carefully.

When selecting your sources, be picky. Don’t resort to using online sources just because they’re easily accessible. Try to use all kinds of different sources, but only if they’re current. Don’t pick a dusty old book from the library just to have a print source in your references list.

Choose current and relevant sources from trustworthy or notable scholars in the field. If your proof is questionable, your whole argument will fall apart, so choose your sources like you would an all-star team if you want to knock your essay out of the park.

4. Start writing early.

This is important: make sure you start writing early. Don’t put your essay off until the last minute. Do you know what’s waiting for you at the last minute? Regret and sadness.

Kickstart yourself now so you don’t kick yourself later. If you need to set an early deadline for yourself or split the essay writing into manageable chunks, do it. Just make sure you start early so you have time to solve any problems you run into later.

5. Organize for clarity.

The structure of your essay is every bit as important as the argument itself. If you have a flimsy structure, there’s no firm foundation to build the essay on; if there’s no firm foundation, your essay could collapse at any moment.

Focus on structuring your essay before you start writing. How will you arrange your argument and provide evidence in a cohesive and logical way? It’s better to answer that question earlier rather than later. Use transitions to ensure your argument flows logically from one point to the next.

6. Watch your tense and voice.

First, use the active voice when you write your essay (unless otherwise instructed). Second, avoid personal pronouns to maintain objectivity if need be (e.g., in scientific and other formal writing).

Third, you should write in the literary present, meaning that all actions performed in the text should be explained in the present tense rather than the past.

Finally, avoid using clichés. Since you want to present original thoughts, overused phrases need to be cut.

7. Explain everything clearly.

Any time you make a point, explain it clearly—even if you think it’s obvious. Your argument will be obvious to you (since you’ve befriended it), but it’s brand new to the reader. Your argument is meeting your reader for the first time, and like any new friends, they need introducing. If you fail to introduce them properly, things will get very confusing and awkward.

8. Be succinct.

Sentences should be straightforward, communicating one point at a time; cut all unnecessary words. You’ll also want to eliminate any repetition. It’s easy to say the same things over and over again in an essay, but doing so won’t strengthen your argument.

Cut unnecessary phrases and anything wordy or redundant, including phrases that don’t add information, such as “it should be pointed out that” or “due to the fact that.” Similarly, don’t ramble on about the same topic or go off on a tangent in the middle of your essay.

9. Avoid academese at all costs.

Try to keep things simple. While you shouldn’t talk down to your audience or explain every technical term, you should always be concise. Most importantly, don’t ever use words or phrases that you think will make you sound smarter.

It’s always best to be straightforward, so use the right vocabulary to say exactly what you want to say. It’s embarrassing if you try to use a fancy word only to find it doesn’t mean what you thought it meant .

10. Be aware of your word count.

Don’t go over your word count. Most markers will stop marking at the last word within the word count, so it’s crucial that you stay within it if you want to do well.

However, you also don’t want to stay severely lower than the word count provided. While you shouldn’t pad the essay by adding information that isn’t necessary to your argument or relevant to the topic at hand, you should get as close to the word count as possible by thoroughly exploring your topic and elaborating on your argument.

11. Carefully cite everything.

Unless you want to face a failing grade, academic probation, or even expulsion, you need to cite all of your sources. There are many types of plagiarism, but as long as you take good notes during your research and credit your sources, it’s easy to avoid plagiarism.

Your academic integrity is at stake here, so ensure that you are overly cautious in recording the necessary material. Be vigilant in confirming that you’ve documented everything fully and correctly.

12. Revise extensively.

Every good essay has been revised at least once, which means you, too, should tighten your writing. Comb through and ensure that everything is clear, consistent, and flows well. Once you’re happy with the content of your essay, you can sweat the small stuff, like grammar and spelling errors.

Even brilliant essays receive lower grades if simple mistakes are left in the document, so consider getting a second opinion and having an expert look over your writing for both form and content. At the very least, run a spell and grammar check. You’ll be so happy you did.

Essay writing doesn’t have to be hard. Anyone can write a good essay with the proper tools. These essay hacks are part of your toolkit, which you can use to improve your essay writing. Go from good to great by considering these tips and implementing them when writing your next essay.

If you would prefer a step-by-step guide for essay writing and want to improve your skills once and for all, you might want to think about taking a course to organize and write good essays every time.

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