The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar (4th Edition) by Erica L. Meltzer
This is a revised, updated, and expanded version of the popular study guide that was released last year for the new SAT. If you already have the 3rd edition, it probably isn’t necessary to buy the 4th; however, if you are looking to buy a study guide to help you with the SAT, definitely pick up this version as it has the most up to date information on the SAT.
As I mentioned in my review of the 3rd edition of the book, the SAT’s Writing & Language section leans heavily on Style. That is, you need to be able to differentiate between 2 (or more) grammatically correct choices to find the one that is better (or best) stylistically. This can be challenging for students who have only focused on grammar in their lessons.
Just like Meltzer’s Critical Reader, this book is most beneficial if you have some time to work through it methodically. Take your time, read the explanations of the types of errors tested, and do the practice questions after you feel you understand the specifics. The questions are very consistent with the College Board’s questions and will help you identify the patterns to the types of errors tested.
This is a good book for most students to work through alone, but students whose first language is not English may find they need a tutor to explain some of the subtleties to usage and style.
Overall this is the best of the SAT prep books that focus on the Writing & Language section; however weaker students might want to start with College Panda’s SAT Writing which is a little simpler in its explanations.
One of the most effective aspects of the book is the breakdown of the 8 released SAT tests that list the question types, allowing students who have attempted these tests to identify any consistencies in their errors.
Just the Facts:
261 Pages
Targeted practice for the Writing & Language section only
No Complete Tests
Paper quality is excellent and will allow erasing mistakes and making notes
**There is a workbook to use with this guide, but I have not used it and am unable to comment on it