SAT Math › Adding and Deleting Sentences
The following is an excerpt of the book Women and Women’s Work, initially published in 2012.
There is general agreement among today’s scientists that the scientific work of women has been historically undervalued. For example, Rosalind Franklin, a British physicist, was responsible for capturing the images that informed our modern understanding of the structures of DNA. \[1\] Her contributions were overshadowed by the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who relied on her models in assembling their famous double-helix model, but neglected to provide her sufficient credit.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
DNA is a complex molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs which transmits genetic information within living cells.
Should the writer make this addition here?
Yes, because it reinforces the paragraph’s point about the complexity of DNA’s structure.
Yes, because it helps to explain why Watson and Crick neglected to credit Franklin for her images.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued.
No, because it undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions.
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” choice that mentions the “complexity of DNA’s structure,” as this is not the point of the paragraph. We can also eliminate the other “Yes” choice, as the molecular structure of DNA has no connection to why Watson and Crick didn’t credit Franklin. Similarly, the “No” choice which suggests the sentence “undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions” is incorrect, as the details of DNA’s structure are unrelated to the claim about her work. The correct choice is “No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued,” as it correctly identifies the paragraph’s point and notes that the details in the sentence have little relevance to the paragraph as a whole.
The following is an excerpt of the book Women and Women’s Work, initially published in 2012.
There is general agreement among today’s scientists that the scientific work of women has been historically undervalued. For example, Rosalind Franklin, a British physicist, was responsible for capturing the images that informed our modern understanding of the structures of DNA. \[1\] Her contributions were overshadowed by the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who relied on her models in assembling their famous double-helix model, but neglected to provide her sufficient credit.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
DNA is a complex molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs which transmits genetic information within living cells.
Should the writer make this addition here?
Yes, because it reinforces the paragraph’s point about the complexity of DNA’s structure.
Yes, because it helps to explain why Watson and Crick neglected to credit Franklin for her images.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued.
No, because it undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions.
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” choice that mentions the “complexity of DNA’s structure,” as this is not the point of the paragraph. We can also eliminate the other “Yes” choice, as the molecular structure of DNA has no connection to why Watson and Crick didn’t credit Franklin. Similarly, the “No” choice which suggests the sentence “undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions” is incorrect, as the details of DNA’s structure are unrelated to the claim about her work. The correct choice is “No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued,” as it correctly identifies the paragraph’s point and notes that the details in the sentence have little relevance to the paragraph as a whole.
The following is an excerpt of the book Women and Women’s Work, initially published in 2012.
There is general agreement among today’s scientists that the scientific work of women has been historically undervalued. For example, Rosalind Franklin, a British physicist, was responsible for capturing the images that informed our modern understanding of the structures of DNA. \[1\] Her contributions were overshadowed by the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who relied on her models in assembling their famous double-helix model, but neglected to provide her sufficient credit.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
DNA is a complex molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs which transmits genetic information within living cells.
Should the writer make this addition here?
Yes, because it reinforces the paragraph’s point about the complexity of DNA’s structure.
Yes, because it helps to explain why Watson and Crick neglected to credit Franklin for her images.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued.
No, because it undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions.
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” choice that mentions the “complexity of DNA’s structure,” as this is not the point of the paragraph. We can also eliminate the other “Yes” choice, as the molecular structure of DNA has no connection to why Watson and Crick didn’t credit Franklin. Similarly, the “No” choice which suggests the sentence “undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions” is incorrect, as the details of DNA’s structure are unrelated to the claim about her work. The correct choice is “No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued,” as it correctly identifies the paragraph’s point and notes that the details in the sentence have little relevance to the paragraph as a whole.
The following is an excerpt of the book Women and Women’s Work, initially published in 2012.
There is general agreement among today’s scientists that the scientific work of women has been historically undervalued. For example, Rosalind Franklin, a British physicist, was responsible for capturing the images that informed our modern understanding of the structures of DNA. \[1\] Her contributions were overshadowed by the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who relied on her models in assembling their famous double-helix model, but neglected to provide her sufficient credit.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
DNA is a complex molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs which transmits genetic information within living cells.
Should the writer make this addition here?
Yes, because it reinforces the paragraph’s point about the complexity of DNA’s structure.
Yes, because it helps to explain why Watson and Crick neglected to credit Franklin for her images.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued.
No, because it undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions.
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” choice that mentions the “complexity of DNA’s structure,” as this is not the point of the paragraph. We can also eliminate the other “Yes” choice, as the molecular structure of DNA has no connection to why Watson and Crick didn’t credit Franklin. Similarly, the “No” choice which suggests the sentence “undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions” is incorrect, as the details of DNA’s structure are unrelated to the claim about her work. The correct choice is “No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued,” as it correctly identifies the paragraph’s point and notes that the details in the sentence have little relevance to the paragraph as a whole.
The following is an excerpt of the book Women and Women’s Work, initially published in 2012.
There is general agreement among today’s scientists that the scientific work of women has been historically undervalued. For example, Rosalind Franklin, a British physicist, was responsible for capturing the images that informed our modern understanding of the structures of DNA. \[1\] Her contributions were overshadowed by the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who relied on her models in assembling their famous double-helix model, but neglected to provide her sufficient credit.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
DNA is a complex molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs which transmits genetic information within living cells.
Should the writer make this addition here?
Yes, because it reinforces the paragraph’s point about the complexity of DNA’s structure.
Yes, because it helps to explain why Watson and Crick neglected to credit Franklin for her images.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued.
No, because it undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions.
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” choice that mentions the “complexity of DNA’s structure,” as this is not the point of the paragraph. We can also eliminate the other “Yes” choice, as the molecular structure of DNA has no connection to why Watson and Crick didn’t credit Franklin. Similarly, the “No” choice which suggests the sentence “undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions” is incorrect, as the details of DNA’s structure are unrelated to the claim about her work. The correct choice is “No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued,” as it correctly identifies the paragraph’s point and notes that the details in the sentence have little relevance to the paragraph as a whole.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was ambitious, featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
After Gaudi’s death, work stalled between 1936 and 1940 when Civil War broke out in Spain and again as World War II began, leaving the project years behind schedule. During the wars, Catalan anarchists destroyed part of the basilica and the models and designs Gaudi left for the builders, who were forced to reconstruct what plans they could, an arduous and time-consuming process. It took years for the project to get back on track; once it was, it was impossible to know whether additional construction would match Gaudi’s vision.
The Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, remains unfinished, a constant work-in-progress in the Barcelona skyline. Despite these setbacks, it is open to the public for both religious services and tourism, attracting over three million visitors a year. In fact, tourist entrance fees now pay for annual construction costs. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
“Architects estimate that the building is now 70 percent complete and that the structure itself should be finished by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death."
Should the author make this addition here?
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage.
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs.
No, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage.
One of the best ways to deal with questions that give you the options Yes/Yes/No/No in the answer choices is to ignore the "yes" or "no " question and instead focus on the information that comes after the comma. Determining whether the reasoning is solid is often easier than deciding whether or not a particular sentence should be included. "Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage." correctly states that it provides a conclusion (it is the last sentence) that relates to information given in the passage (that the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished and has been behind schedule since the start). This is the correct answer.
Among the other answers, "yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia" can be eliminated because there is nothing in this sentence that relates to the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs" can be eliminated because the paragraph doesn't talk about construction costs. And "no, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage" can be eliminated because the sentence does relate to the main idea of the passage since it talks about the length of time needed to finish the project.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was ambitious, featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
After Gaudi’s death, work stalled between 1936 and 1940 when Civil War broke out in Spain and again as World War II began, leaving the project years behind schedule. During the wars, Catalan anarchists destroyed part of the basilica and the models and designs Gaudi left for the builders, who were forced to reconstruct what plans they could, an arduous and time-consuming process. It took years for the project to get back on track; once it was, it was impossible to know whether additional construction would match Gaudi’s vision.
The Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, remains unfinished, a constant work-in-progress in the Barcelona skyline. Despite these setbacks, it is open to the public for both religious services and tourism, attracting over three million visitors a year. In fact, tourist entrance fees now pay for annual construction costs. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
“Architects estimate that the building is now 70 percent complete and that the structure itself should be finished by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death."
Should the author make this addition here?
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage.
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs.
No, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage.
One of the best ways to deal with questions that give you the options Yes/Yes/No/No in the answer choices is to ignore the "yes" or "no " question and instead focus on the information that comes after the comma. Determining whether the reasoning is solid is often easier than deciding whether or not a particular sentence should be included. "Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage." correctly states that it provides a conclusion (it is the last sentence) that relates to information given in the passage (that the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished and has been behind schedule since the start). This is the correct answer.
Among the other answers, "yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia" can be eliminated because there is nothing in this sentence that relates to the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs" can be eliminated because the paragraph doesn't talk about construction costs. And "no, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage" can be eliminated because the sentence does relate to the main idea of the passage since it talks about the length of time needed to finish the project.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was ambitious, featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
After Gaudi’s death, work stalled between 1936 and 1940 when Civil War broke out in Spain and again as World War II began, leaving the project years behind schedule. During the wars, Catalan anarchists destroyed part of the basilica and the models and designs Gaudi left for the builders, who were forced to reconstruct what plans they could, an arduous and time-consuming process. It took years for the project to get back on track; once it was, it was impossible to know whether additional construction would match Gaudi’s vision.
The Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, remains unfinished, a constant work-in-progress in the Barcelona skyline. Despite these setbacks, it is open to the public for both religious services and tourism, attracting over three million visitors a year. In fact, tourist entrance fees now pay for annual construction costs. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
“Architects estimate that the building is now 70 percent complete and that the structure itself should be finished by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death."
Should the author make this addition here?
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage.
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs.
No, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage.
One of the best ways to deal with questions that give you the options Yes/Yes/No/No in the answer choices is to ignore the "yes" or "no " question and instead focus on the information that comes after the comma. Determining whether the reasoning is solid is often easier than deciding whether or not a particular sentence should be included. "Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage." correctly states that it provides a conclusion (it is the last sentence) that relates to information given in the passage (that the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished and has been behind schedule since the start). This is the correct answer.
Among the other answers, "yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia" can be eliminated because there is nothing in this sentence that relates to the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs" can be eliminated because the paragraph doesn't talk about construction costs. And "no, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage" can be eliminated because the sentence does relate to the main idea of the passage since it talks about the length of time needed to finish the project.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was ambitious, featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
After Gaudi’s death, work stalled between 1936 and 1940 when Civil War broke out in Spain and again as World War II began, leaving the project years behind schedule. During the wars, Catalan anarchists destroyed part of the basilica and the models and designs Gaudi left for the builders, who were forced to reconstruct what plans they could, an arduous and time-consuming process. It took years for the project to get back on track; once it was, it was impossible to know whether additional construction would match Gaudi’s vision.
The Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, remains unfinished, a constant work-in-progress in the Barcelona skyline. Despite these setbacks, it is open to the public for both religious services and tourism, attracting over three million visitors a year. In fact, tourist entrance fees now pay for annual construction costs. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
“Architects estimate that the building is now 70 percent complete and that the structure itself should be finished by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death."
Should the author make this addition here?
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage.
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs.
No, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage.
One of the best ways to deal with questions that give you the options Yes/Yes/No/No in the answer choices is to ignore the "yes" or "no " question and instead focus on the information that comes after the comma. Determining whether the reasoning is solid is often easier than deciding whether or not a particular sentence should be included. "Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage." correctly states that it provides a conclusion (it is the last sentence) that relates to information given in the passage (that the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished and has been behind schedule since the start). This is the correct answer.
Among the other answers, "yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia" can be eliminated because there is nothing in this sentence that relates to the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs" can be eliminated because the paragraph doesn't talk about construction costs. And "no, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage" can be eliminated because the sentence does relate to the main idea of the passage since it talks about the length of time needed to finish the project.
The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was ambitious, featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
After Gaudi’s death, work stalled between 1936 and 1940 when Civil War broke out in Spain and again as World War II began, leaving the project years behind schedule. During the wars, Catalan anarchists destroyed part of the basilica and the models and designs Gaudi left for the builders, who were forced to reconstruct what plans they could, an arduous and time-consuming process. It took years for the project to get back on track; once it was, it was impossible to know whether additional construction would match Gaudi’s vision.
The Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, remains unfinished, a constant work-in-progress in the Barcelona skyline. Despite these setbacks, it is open to the public for both religious services and tourism, attracting over three million visitors a year. In fact, tourist entrance fees now pay for annual construction costs. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
“Architects estimate that the building is now 70 percent complete and that the structure itself should be finished by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death."
Should the author make this addition here?
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage.
Yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia.
No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs.
No, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage.
One of the best ways to deal with questions that give you the options Yes/Yes/No/No in the answer choices is to ignore the "yes" or "no " question and instead focus on the information that comes after the comma. Determining whether the reasoning is solid is often easier than deciding whether or not a particular sentence should be included. "Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage." correctly states that it provides a conclusion (it is the last sentence) that relates to information given in the passage (that the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished and has been behind schedule since the start). This is the correct answer.
Among the other answers, "yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia" can be eliminated because there is nothing in this sentence that relates to the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs" can be eliminated because the paragraph doesn't talk about construction costs. And "no, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage" can be eliminated because the sentence does relate to the main idea of the passage since it talks about the length of time needed to finish the project.