A Smart Writing Tip

Test makers prefer active to passive voice verbs. Know the difference? Here's a quick review.

ACTIVE

Subject is doer. As in, The girl bites the dog.

OK, here's how to find the subject and then figure out if the subject is doing the action.

First, find the verb -- in this case, "bites." Then ask yourself, "Who or what bites?" The answer is the girl. Therefore "girl" is the subject of the sentence.
(The word that answers the question "Who or what [insert verb here]?" is ALWAYS the subject.)

Now, look at the sentence. We know that "girl" is the subject and that "bites" is the verb. So now, ask yourself if the subject of the sentence (girl) is actually doing the action in the sentence (bites)? Yes? Then the sentence is ACTIVE. When the subject does the action of the verb, the sentence is active.

PASSIVE

Action is done *to* the subject. As in, The dog is bitten by the girl.

OK, find the verb -- "is bitten." Now we know what the verb is.

Then ask who or what is bitten? The dog is bitten. Therefore "dog" is the subject.

We've got our subject and verb. The question is -- Is the subject doing the action? In this case, is the dog doing the biting? No? The sentence is PASSIVE. The action is being done to the subject.

One Step to Improve Your Practice Test Results

Read the explanations for the whole test -- not just the answers you got right.

I'm assuming here that you are using a practice test book that has explanations. If you're not, go get one that does. After you take the practice test, take a break -- a day or a week, whatever works with your study schedule. Then go back, grade the test, and read through all the explanations.

Sometimes students get the right answer the wrong way -- which means the student may not actually understand the problem. Reading all the explanations will help you make sure you getting the most use out of your practice test.

Choosing Which Scores Get Sent

The College Board will let you choose which SAT scores get sent to schools. Here's the official new policy. This takes effect in March 2009.

Here are the "Fast Facts" from the policy:

"Fast facts

• Students will be able to select which scores they send to colleges by sitting (test date) for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests™.
• Scores from an entire SAT test will be sent—scores of individual sections from different sittings cannot be selected independently for sending.
• Students can send any or all scores to a college on a single report—it will not cost more to send one, multiple, or all test scores.
• Students will be instructed to follow the different score-reporting requirements of each college to which they apply.
• Score Choice will be optional—if students do not use it, all scores will be sent automatically.
• Score Choice can be used on any score report that students send:
  • The four score reports available through online or phone registration (applying to already scored tests) and additional score reports
• Score Choice functionality will be available to all students via the Web or by calling Customer Service toll free (within the United States )"

A Good Blog on Paying for College

Kim Clark writes for US News and World Report; I've read a number of her blog entries and they're pretty useful. They generally contain solid information and link to good resources...

Most Students Get Into First-Choice School

This is an interesting article about getting into school.


I'm not sure of all the implications. Perhaps students are getting better at choosing realistic goals? The study sample is small, but the story is very interesting.

Back From the Holidays -- Good Writing Tip

This post is more about good writing for school than for the tests. But I couldn't resist. Using a spell-checker, as everyone knows, can help. But it's not a replacement for careful proofreading. As evidence, I offer the following poem....

Ode to the Spell Checker

author unknown

Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea.
It plainly marks four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a quay and type a word and weight for it to say
Weather eye yam wrong oar write.
It shows me strait a weigh as soon as a mist ache is maid.
It nose bee fore two long and eye can put the error rite.
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it,
I am shore your pleased to no.
Its letter perfect awl the way.
My checker told me sew.

SAT Changes for March 2009

This story in US News and World Report discusses the fact that students will be able to choose which SAT scores a college sees, beginning in March.