Expression of Ideas
Expression of Ideas questions ask you to improve sentences for logic, transitions, combining, and concision. The best answer communicates the intended meaning clearly and without wasted words. The SAT consistently favors precise, economical writing.
Choose the Right Transition
Transitions must match the logical relationship between ideas: contrast, cause and effect, example, or similarity. When a sentence admits a drawback yet states a preference, a contrast word like 'nevertheless' fits. Identify the relationship first, then pick the matching transition.
Combine and Condense
When combining sentences, remove repeated words and keep the result grammatical and clear. Turning 'The report was thorough. The report covered every department.' into 'The thorough report covered every department' is tighter and complete. Prefer 'because' over wordy phrases like 'due to the fact that.'