News — English
Modifier Location Matters
English grammar modifier PSAT SAT
Picture these sentences in your mind… Ben enjoyed his burrito relaxing in the park. (Aaaaaahhh… Who is relaxing, Ben or the burrito?) Rolled up in the closet, I need to wash the laundry. (Here’s another funny visual. Is the laundry rolled up on the closet, or are you rolled up in the closet...dreading doing the laundry?) The cheetah surprised its prey running quickly. (Was the cheetah running quickly, or was its prey running quickly?) I bought a sweater sitting on the couch. (Were you doing some online shopping from the comfort of your home, or did you buy the sweater...
The new SAT essay (in a nutshell)
English essay persuasive devices SAT writing
Introducing the new SAT essay, in a nutshell. The 2016 SAT went through some changes. One of the changes made the essay portion optional, but some colleges still recommend or require it. To write, or not to write? It’s best to check directly with your college of interest to determine their position on the essay. SO, HOW DO YOU WRITE THE ESSAY? Let’s start with the prompt. Here’s the great thing - the prompt is the same every time. So, once you understand it, you have one less thing to worry about on the day of the SAT. Here’s...
The Semicolon
English grammar PSAT punctuation SAT semicolon
Before there were emojis, there were emoticons. While emojis have surged in popularity, some of us still use emoticons. What is an emoticon, you ask? It’s a representation of an expression made using letters, symbols, and numbers from the keyboard. You have your basic smiley face :), a surprised face :0, and even a heart <3. There are numerous combinations. I personally like to use the winking emoticon ;), which is a combination of a semicolon and a bracket or parenthesis. It’s fun for a couple of reasons. It could mean, “I understand you” or “I got it”. It could...