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Rhetorical synthesis | Lesson
A guide to "rhetorical synthesis" questions on the digital SAT
What are "rhetorical synthesis" questions?
On the Reading and Writing section of your SAT, some questions will provide you with a series of bulleted notes that contain related information about an unfamiliar topic. The question will then ask you to effectively use relevant information from the notes to accomplish a particular goal.
Rhetorical synthesis questions will look like this:
How should we think about rhetorical synthesis questions?
Rhetorical synthesis questions throw a lot of information at us. If we focus too much on that information, we can easily lose track of what the question is actually asking us to do.
The key to success on these questions is to start by focusing in on the goal identified in the question prompt.
If we understand how rhetorical synthesis questions are structured, finding this goal should be easy.
Question structure
Every rhetorical synthesis question has the same parts:
- an introduction
- a series of bulleted facts
- a question prompt
- the choices
Many test-takers will instinctively be drawn to the bulleted information first. However, we should instead start by reading the question prompt.
The question prompt will identify a goal for our solution sentence. For example, we might be asked to emphasize a similarity or difference, or to introduce a study and its findings, or to provide an explanation and example of some particular idea. Only one of the choices will accomplish this goal.
With this goal in mind, we can then read the bulleted information, focusing on identifying any information that is relevant to the goal. Finally, we look to the choices for a match.
Let's break down this approach more in the next section.
How to approach rhetorical synthesis questions
If we actually had to compose the answer to a rhetorical synthesis question, our job would be much harder and more open-ended. We'd need to examine the presented information closely, decide which information is most relevant, and write a clear and concise sentence of our own making.
But since rhetorical synthesis questions are multiple choice, we can avoid all that complexity and be much more systematic.
To solve a rhetorical synthesis question, follow these three steps:
Step 1: Identify the goal
Start by reading the question prompt. What does the correct choice need to accomplish?
This goal will be plainly stated. For instance, in the example item at the start of this lesson, the goal is "to emphasize a similarity between the two novels".
Step 2: Read the bullet points and identify relevant info
Read the bullet points, looking for information is relevant to the goal you just identified. Information that is relevant to the goal may be found in just one bullet point, or it may be found across several points.
Step 3: Test the choices
Some wrong choices might accurately represent information from the bullet points but fail to achieve the goal. Other wrong choices might seem to achieve the goal but are not accurately using information from the bullet points to do so.
Read through each choice. As you do, ask yourself, "does this sentence accomplish the identified goal AND accurately represent the information in the bullet points?"
If the answer is no, eliminate that option.
Step 4: Select the choice that matches
Once you've tested each answer choice, you should find that only one choice successfully accomplishes the goal defined in the question with the information provided in the bullet points. You can select that choice with confidence!
Top tips
Do two "passes" to eliminate choices!
Some find it helpful to eliminate choices in two separate "passes": for the first pass, focus on eliminating choices that don't accomplish the goal. Then, go back and do another pass, focusing on eliminating choices that don't accurately represent the information in the notes.
After both passes, there should only be one choice left: the choice that achieves the goal and accurately reflects the information provided. That's the correct answer!
Simplify the goal
The simpler you can make the goal, the easier it will be to test the choices in the first pass. For example, if the question wants to "emphasize a difference between thing X and thing Y", we can simplify our test to just "difference".
Does each choice describe "difference"? If not, we can eliminate it.
Simplifying the goal can help us eliminate a few choices very quickly. But we may have to reexamine the bulleted information to distinguish among the remaining choices.
Be strict!
Don't be generous with choices that "kind of" or "almost" accomplish the goal. If a choice doesn't completely address all parts of the goal, we can eliminate it. Details matter!
Ignore the grammar
All of the choices will be well-written and grammatically correct. Make your choice based on the information the choices contain, not how good they sound in the sentence.
Your turn
Want to join the conversation?
- I can answer the questions correctly, but it takes time. Any advice for me?(13 votes)
- You don't have to read the notes, this trick is a lifesaver. Read the question and then read the answers. Then, select the answer the matches with the question.(57 votes)
- will attempting the normal SAT practise tests help in preparing for the dsat? its my first ever time attempting a sat or even a test like it :((8 votes)
- I didn't study the official SAT or so but I know that it's not the same and there are lots of changes
so I would say, you can go and practice them if you have finished all the khan academy practices, all the 4 full length practice test from the college board and the bluebook's practices(3 votes)
- Hi. I understand the strategy of testing answer choices against the question, but I'm curious. Is it possible for the test to present a choice that logically answers the prompt but is factually incorrect according to the information presented in the notes? If so, we may need to be more careful on choosing answers without reading the notes... Someone let me know(6 votes)
- Well, I would say that since these questions are written about topics that the test-taker wouldn't know, then I hardly think they would expect us to choose choices based on the information given. If you have time, read the information, but their strategy will save you a lot of time on the test, and I would use it as much as you can. Does that answer your question, Adam?(3 votes)
- Where can I find the actual DIGITAL SAT tests? I mean ones which take from students not those in the BlueBook.(5 votes)
- The PrinstonReview has a great SAT prep book that comes with 4 (SAT accurate) practice tests.(2 votes)
- are there any practice resources for the digital reading sat/psat other than the stuff on here and bluebook?(7 votes)
- additionally go to collegeboard(0 votes)
- hello I need help like fast
In this student notes question what does
make a generalization mean ( what are we looking for if the question asks for generalization) like for example in this question : The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Alta conflict. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?(4 votes)- It means you want to use all the information that you got and summarize it in a general way. For your example, the student wants to summarize the Alta conflict without getting into details using the info from the notes.
What are your answer choices?(4 votes)
- Guys did anyone take the march digital test?How was it and was the content similar to Bluebook tests?(4 votes)
- yup it was similar but one thing that differ is the breaks. in the real sat you will only get 10 minute break and it will be in between the two section i.e english an mathematics, other than that there is no break.(5 votes)
- I am going to appear for the S.A.T. in November and it seems like I don't have much time. Where can I find practice tests on this website? Will it appear after I finish all the lessons from both sections?(2 votes)
- What if you have two answers that sound alike?(2 votes)
- If they are basically saying the same thing, they're prolly both wrong(4 votes)
- does anyone have a suggestion I always waste a lot of time on these questions(1 vote)
- First dont read the bulleted info, just understand what the question wants. Then based on the need, find the necessary parts from the bulleted info. After that go right into the choices. Thats what I do actually, hope that works for you too(6 votes)