Evidence-Based Pairs Drill 1
Evidence-based questions are a significant part of standardized tests like SAT and EST. Often, these questions can be daunting, and students can struggle to identify the correct answer choice. To address this challenge, we introduce the Evidence-Based Pairs Drill, a comprehensive tool designed to help students improve their skills in identifying evidence-based questions and selecting the correct answer choice. In this blog post, we will delve into the features of this drill and provide tips on how to use it effectively. By the end of this post, students will have a better understanding of how to approach evidence-based questions and be well-equipped to tackle them with confidence.
One type of question that often appears in the revised SAT reading section is called an "evidence question." These questions follow a regular interpretative question and are always phrased in a specific way: "Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?" The answer options consist of sentences from the passage, and one of them will support the correct answer to the previous question. You can find examples of these question-pairs in the SAT's practice tests.
These evidence-based question pairs may seem challenging because misunderstanding one question could lead to getting both questions wrong. However, the added clarity they provide outweighs the potential pitfalls. In the old SAT, it was always necessary to find concrete evidence in the passage to support an answer choice. This means the right answer depended on finding a word, sentence, or set of sentences that directly supported it. The new SAT passage questions follow the same principle, but with evidence questions, they split the process into two parts and make the reasoning explicit.
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To approach evidence question pairs effectively, you can use the questions together to guide you towards the right answers. One question acts as a check on the other. Here's a simple process to make the most of this:
- Check if a reading question has a corresponding evidence question. Look ahead on the page.
- Read the first question and underline or circle the key information. Understand your task. This step is crucial because if you start with the wrong task, you might be tempted to choose answers that align with it but don't respond to the actual question. Those answers will be incorrect! Resist the urge to begin with the evidence question because the passage references it provides will only be helpful if you know what you're looking for.
- Once you know your task for the first question, try to formulate an answer for yourself before looking at the SAT's answer choices. This will help you avoid falling into any traps among the provided options.
- Now, look at the answers for the first question and identify the best one(s). Find a word, line, or a couple of lines in the passage that support the answer you came up with. If you're left with two or more answers that seem plausible initially, remember that only a correct answer will have concrete evidence in the passage to support it. One of them is an imposter.
- Turn your attention to the evidence question. Compare the line(s) you used to support your answer for the first question with the answer choices provided for the evidence question. Check if there is any overlap. Ideally, you will find that one of the choices aligns with your evidence from the first question. This is your answer.
- If you don't find any agreement, ask yourself the following questions: 1) Did you understand the task correctly for the first question? 2) Did you use flawed evidence for the first question? If you are confident about understanding the task correctly, it's possible that you used faulty evidence to support your answer for the first question. In other words, the evidence doesn't seamlessly match what it's supposed to support. This is a good indication to reconsider your answer for the first question and review the evidence in the passage.
By following these steps, you can approach evidence question pairs strategically and increase your chances of selecting the correct answers.