Grammar!

1. Neither Alan nor his friends…intend(s): The second part of the nor is plural so the verb needs to be plural. 
2. For we citizens -> Us (prepositional form)
3. The man in the cereal advertisement, who(m) everyone in our town knows as Mr. Potts: Whom because it is the object
4. You may sometimes find it effective to cite the views of an authority with whom you disagree, (and you use), *might, can* Since this is hypothetical, it needs to still be in that same side
5. so absorbed (and thus) so absorbed that (idiom) 
6. The high school teacher, nearing retirement, observed that students became more spontaneous  over the years while he had been becoming less spontaneous:  (Both sides of while has to be had become)

Princeton Review Vocabulary
quiescence- inactive, motionless, quiet,
transience- not lasting, fleeting
perspicacity keen, pays attention, differential
squalid- gross lack of care, filthy
antediluvian- very old, old fashioned
blighted: spoiled, destroyed, hurt
canonical: accepted
churlish: rude, vulgar
calumny: a false statement intended to hurt someone
byzantine: highly complex
analgesic: capable of relieving pain
bromide: a common saying
concomitant: existing or occurring at the same time
cumbersome: awkward, heavy
demarcate: to set the lines or bounds
egregious: outright bad
emollient: smoothing skin atmosphere attitude
epistolary: relating to letters
foible: error in character
exegesis: an explanation and strict interpretation
fomentation: to push for rebellion
foppish: extreme extravagance
impious: lacking respect
ignominious: disgraceful and shameful
impute: to accredit
inimical: harmful
invidious: intending to hurt
mendicant: begging
morass: swamp, difficult situation
nascent: being born, beginner, neophyte
moratorium: suspension of an ongoing activity
potentate: strong ruler
picayune: of small importance
abstruse: hard to understand
garish: showy, lurid
magisterial: overbearing, offensive
sentient: able to perceive, feel things
reparative: mending, being repaired
belligerent: warlike
expunge: erase, obliverate
solicit: to ask for
abet: to help, encourage
fetid: stinking
jettison: to discard
Jaundice: there is a bias

SAT Vocabulary Sparknotes

ruse: tending to deceive, trick
fastidious: cleanliness, or particular to details
licentious: promiscuous
viscerally: inward feelings not intellect.
pellucid: translucently clear
amiable: friendly manner
nascent: beginning to exist or develop
tepid: lack of enthusiasm, or moderately warm, lukewarm 
trite: stale, hackneyed, overused boring, 
whimsy: excessive play, capricious humor (erratic) 
whimsical: odd notion of whimsy
wit: showing perception
petulance: someone who is petulant, impassion irritation, annoyed by something small, ill tempered 
philistine: ignorant person who does not appreciate the arts
acrimony: harshness, bitterness
pulchritude: beauty
exigency: an urgent need or demand
dire: extremely urgent
somnolent: sleepy drowsy
exigent: urgent
precocious: unusually preconceived brain, developed mind
solicitous: anxious or concerned, particular, eager
salient: prominent or conspicuous (easily seen, flagrant)
salacious: lechery, lustful
decimate: to destroy a large amount
pallid: lacking interest, wan, deficient color
verdant: covered in vegetation, green
conflagration: a destructive fire
oblique: slope, not straight to the point
tacit: implied, not expressed directly but still understood
expounded: to explain, interpret, to state detail
malodorous: smelling really bad, odorous
unctuous: characterized by excessive piousness or moralistic fervor, excessively smooth, oily and soapy
torpid: inactive or sluggish
allure: to fascinate charm
sonorous: rich and nice sound, loud deep, a deep resonant (cave)
hackneyed: lacking freshness and banal
fecund: very productive capable of producing fruit
ribald: vulgar or indecent speech, abusive
recondite: dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter:
florid:
wafting:
opprobrious:
ethereal:
decry:
vacillate:
mawkish:
gregarious:
parsimonious:
obstreperous:
benign:
cantankerous:
modicum:
surmise:
bestow:
androgynous:
veracity: credo:
fetid:
supersedes:
nadir:
undulate:
inchoate: rudimentary, not complete
penurious: extremely stingy, destitute
indigent: lacking necessities of life
paragon: a model or pattern for excellence
effrontery: audacious. impudent, shameless
approbation: official approval, sanction
munificent: very generous 
abash: make embarrassed, ashamed, perturb, to disturb self possession, ruffle
obsequious: servile obedient, 
facile: easily done, affable, agreeable
misanthropic: a hater of humankind
rapprochement: establishment or reestablishment of harmonious relationships
sedition: to against the government 
incite: to urge on, persuade 
presumptuously: full of, characterized by, or showing presumption or readiness to presume in conduct or thought. (to suppose)
unwarranted: sanction, approval, as for an action. 
lassitude: lack of energy, listlessness, languid, weak, no energy
pragmatism: practicallity
preempted: to occupy (land) in order to establish a prior right to buy, reschedule, 
eschew: to abstain from, keep away from
predilection: a tendency to think favorably of something in particular
assuage: to relieve, make less severe
bombastic: highly, inflated talk, pompous 
plaintive: mournful
abhor: disgust
corollary: something that results from something else
propagate: to spread and promote widely
annihilate: to destroy completely
ubiquity: the state of capacity of being everywhere
magnanimous: showing a generous kind nature
intrepid: fearless, bold
impetuous: sudden action, impuslive
harbinger: announces a warning to others
dispensable: being able to be administered, or thrown away, useless
conflagration: destructive large fire
fallacy: deceptive, misleading
candor: free of bias, truthful
notoriety: being publicly known for a specific trait (sometimes unfavorably)
kinesthetic: the sensation or movement or strain of the muscles
ossify: to harden like a bone, rigid, inflexible in attitudes and opinions,
jaundice: judgement is distorted, or bias
tenuous: weak (argument), thin, unsubstantial
homely: not beautiful, lacking physical attraction
approbation: commendation, approval, sanction- authoritative permission of approval
fabricate: to construct, to make art with labor, to invent
pilfer: to steal in small quantities
assail: assault, attack vigorously, violently,
chary: cautious, careful
ostensible: appearing to be true but is not
indelible: cannot be removed
untenable: not able to hold on, weak

Important Weird one:
impertinent- intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions;insolently rude; uncivil:, irrelevant 

Refresh Vocabulary for SAT October 2014 Exam

1. reconcile: to win over friendliness
2. disseminate: to spread around (like a seed)
3. atrophy: weaken
4. domineer: to rule arbitrarily, unlimited power
5. prosaic: commonplace, dull
6. didactic: instructive
7. dogmatic: pertaining to a theme or condescendingly preachy
8. treacherous: betraying untrustworthy
9. pedantic: ostentatious with one's learning, paying attention to minuscule detail
10. vindictive: showing revengeful persona
11. solicit: to ask for help
12. vacillation: cannot make up one's mind
13. Pertinacious: holding tenaciously to an idea
14. malleable: changeable adaptable
15. quiescent: being quiet and motionless
16. quandary: uncertainty, perplexity
17. vestige: small amount, trace left over
18. bulwark: protection, wall, or a person who gives encouragement strength
19. egregious: amazingly obvious in a bad way, flagrant, eyesore
20. Insipid: boring, not exciting
21. trite: excessive use becoming dull
22. squander: excessive waste
23. negligent: careless
24. belligerent: warlike
25. vociferous: crying out loud, clamoring
26. supercilious: disdainful, haughty, showing on face

Weirdest one

surreptitious

: done in a sneaky way

Math hint

Math tricks

Remainder + multiple of diviser = dividend

Ratio question: to find how many needed in a ratio find the proportion of the total for 1 then multiply it by what is needed

Example: 2:6:1 equals one dough 

How much of sugar for 21 dough 

2/9 of 21 is the answer

If for a rate question the distance is equal, the average rate equals 

(2 x rate1 x rate2)/(rate1+rate2)

Worker-days helps solve group questions

1/t +  1/t = inverse of total this is for done together questions 

MORE VOCAB!

So I was taking few practice tests and I noticed the vocabulary does not come easy!
Here is a list of words I came across

1. Urbane: sophisticated
2. placate: to make someone less angry
3. palliate: to reduce the severity
4. lewd = evil wicked = wanton
5. in satiable: unsatisfied
6. platitude: dull unoriginal statements
7. terse: short
8. trivial: unimportant
9. laud: praise
10. intermittent: irregular

11. Doleful: sorrowful

12. Ebullient: cheerful

13. Asinine: stupid 

14. surreptitious: clandestine, stealth 

15. supercilious: thinking above others 

16. saga: long narrative tale 

17. Plaintive: sad and mournful

18. Paradigm: framework, way of thought

19. Cupidity: avarice, desire for excess wealth

20. Charlatan: fraud, saying to know one thing but does not really

21. Intrepid: fearless

22. Insipid: lacking flavor dull 

23. Remunerate: to pay payment 

24. Conspicuous: standing out clear 

25. Watershed: a turning point, makes a change

26. Pertinent: to the point, clear 

27. Exculpate: to free from guilt or blame

28. Precipitate: to cause hastily quick impulsive 

More Critical Reading Vocabulary

1. Lassitude: fatigue
2. approbation: approval
3. insurgence: rebellion
4. antipathy: strong negative feeling against something
5. apathy: indifferent
6. folly: foolish
7. mendacious: telling lies
8. disseminate: to spread or scatter
9. obfuscate: to bewilder confuse
10. equivocation: to use words to be seem ambiguous
11. gaudy: showy
12. zephyr: gentle breeze
13. salvage: to save
14. render: to give
15. exacerbate: to make worse a situation
16. shrewd: good judgement, insight
17. implore: begging earnestly
18. baleful: threatening
19. assiduous: constant effort, diligent
20. maudlin: weak, emotionally unstable, sappy
21. profuse: abundant, giving away
22. exorbitant: highly excessive
23. stipulate: to specify a term to express a demand
24. dogmatic: relating to established principles
25. sophistry: a trick
26. abstruse: hard to understand
27. to instruct or benefit
28. mercurial: erratic
29. eschew: to go away from, keep away
30. destitute: lacking necessities of life
31. adage: saying, a traditional saying
32. palliate: to alleviate symptoms
Similar Words
Prudent = circumspect (watchful discreet, cautious)
parsimony = frugal not wasteful
perpetual = everlasting, continuing
jingoism- favoring loud manifestations of extreme patriotism
trifling- trivial- unimportant, insignificant
reproach- upbraid, censure - find fault or blame
disparaging- to belittle, to make feel worse
Words that Sound the Same

capacious- capable of holding
capricious- unpredictable, erratic

voracious: consuming a lot of food
rapacious: greedy inordinately (uncontrolled)

tentative- uncertain
tenacious- firm hold, cohesive, holding together

repudiate: to reject or disapprove
approbation: approval confirm

exacerbate: to make worse
exonerate: to free from guilt

Critical Reading Small Vocabulary List

1. palpable: being able to be touched  

2. asinine: ridiculous, lacking logic 

3. lackadaisical: without enthusiasm 

4. surreptitious: trying to avoid being noticed 

5. intrepid: fearless, courageous and bold 

6. spurious: not genuine 

7. dogmatic: has doctrine, has opinions 

8. palliative: soothing, treating symptoms 

9. languid: without energy, lacking vigor 

10. adroit: skill full 

SAT Focus Month December: Writing Only

So I decided I am taking the SAT in March. What I plan to do is each month focus on one subject. I will not switch until I mastered it!

So for December I chose Writing. My Goal is to miss -0 on the multiple choice and get a  9+ on the Essay

Start the Review

1. Check perspective of the sentence for example:
Unfortunately, the opening of the new library complex, previously scheduled for next september, would be delayed for several months because of construction difficulties. (should be will be delayed)

2. "To relieve the moment" must be followed with to do so not to do it. 

RP 59 PSAT Test Review 
Tips
1. Passive form is not liked. Remove "by her"
2. keep in same tense
Examples
1. "When he was six years old" "was already"
2. Fran would have been happy had he simply requested help

PSAT Last minute Vocabulary

indignant: anger
peremptory: no denial or refusal
perfunctory: mere routine
defiant: boldly resistant
perceptive: understanding
boorish: insensitive
quiescent: inactive, motionless
affable: friendly
candor: honesty
assiduous: vary careful, persistent
pensive: dreamily thoughtful
incredulous: unwilling to believe
laudable: praiseworthy
exasperate: to anger, annoy
mercurial: unpredictable
promulgate: to announce
bolster: to encourage, to support
mendacity: telling lies
jocular: joking
wanton: sexual, random, hard to control
gregarious: friendly
venerate: to regard with respect
palliate: to reduce intensity, mitigate
prosaic: unimaginative
benign: expressing kindness
diffident: lacking self-confidence
tentative: uncertain, slow and unsure
dissident: person who a-posses official rule
hedonist: loving pleasure
sublime: elevated or lofty in thought (lofty: high ranking exalted)
plaintive: expressing sadness
profundity: intellectual depth
penchant: a strong liking or taste, tendency
venality: openness to corruption
prosaic: unimaginative, dull
furtive: secretive
trivialized: reduce value, or importance
fanciful: imaginary

Math Review For PSAT Get that #800

SAT Equations and Notes

1. To find average list of consecutive numbers  (first+last)/2
2. How to find the --th term in a sequence: first number + (value --th term -1) X the sequence
3. How to find the remainder? Divide A/B. Subtract the integral part to just get a decimal. Multiply by b
4. Add two sides of a triangle, the third side is smaller. Subtract two sides, the third side must be larger
5. Formula to find the area - multiply the diameters divided by 2
6. Area of a equilateral triangle is sqrt(3)/4 * r^2
7. Arc length = circumference * x (degrees of arc) /360 (Same with area)
8. When order does not matter, how many combinations are there? x!/y!(x-y)! (x total) (y what needed)
9. (5/3)^-1 this flips it to be (3/5)
10. Finding average speed if distance is different: Find ratios of the time and do Distance = rate X time
11.

SAT Review

Critical Reading 
Vocabulary:
1. bashful: embarrassed or shy 

2. relinquish: to give up, to release let go

3. bequeath: to dispose of
4. ameliorate: to make better
5. exonerate: to free from guilt 
6. soporific: causing sleep 
7. maudlin: foolishly sentimental 
8. wanton: unjustifiable action, done with (uncalled for) 

9. edify: to improve 

10. candor: frank and sincere 

11. assuage: to make less sever 

12. reticence: being reserved 

13. sanguine: cheerfully optimistic 

14. flippant: shallow, lacking seriousness 

15. mercurial: volatile, changeable, erratic

16. vehement: strong ardent, passion 

17. Jaundice: judgment, prejudice 

18. chary: careful 

19. furtive: shifty, sly 

20. futile: ineffective useless

21. penchant: a strong inclination 

22. profundity: deep into a subject

23. cacophony: harsh unpleasant sound 

24. fastidious: hard to please, critical demanding

25. derisive: making fun of

SAT blue book test #1 

Section 6 Grammar

8. A cure for some kinds of cancer, scientists believe, may be found within the next decade

A. Scientists believe, may be

E.  Which, some scientists believe, may be

My answer should be more simple 

SAT October 2011

be altered or changed
or
to be altered

same meaning so the second option is more clear
before careful

What is SAT Journey?

This blog is for my personal box of information of the SAT. I post tips, hints, and questions I keep missing on the SAT. I will create study guides and questions I keep missing on the SAT! Stay tuned. I plan on making at least one post a day.

DAILY

5 Grammar Questions
5 Math Questions
3 Reading Questions

Every Friday a Full Section Score Report!