SAT Grammar Strategy

Adding, Revising, and Deleting Information on the SAT

The Easiest Points You're Missing

Master sentence structure, punctuation, and clarity with repeatable rules.

4 Min Read

Grammar Rule

Clarity Focus

5 Practice Qs

Identify the subject and verb, then make sure punctuation does not split them or add extra ideas.

Find the subject + verb first. That is the sentence core.
Only add commas around extra information, never inside the core.
Re-read the sentence without the modifier to test clarity.

Among the easiest points on the SAT Reading and Writing section are questions that literally tell you what the right answer should do. Adding, Revising, and Deleting Information questions appear on nearly every test module, typically 2 to 4 times, and they all follow the same predictable pattern: the question gives you a goal, and you pick the answer that matches it. Once you see how that pattern works, these become some of the fastest, most confident points you will earn.

If you've ever stared at four answer choices that all "sound fine" and picked the one that seemed most interesting, this post is for you. The trick isn't finding the best writing, it's finding the best match. Let's break down exactly how.

What Are These Questions Actually Asking?

These questions test whether you can evaluate information based on a rhetorical goal, a stated purpose that the question hands to you directly. You'll see question stems like:

"Which choice most effectively provides a specific example supporting the claim?"
"The writer wants to emphasize the contrast between the two approaches. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?"
"Should the writer add this sentence? Why or why not?"
"The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the writer make this deletion?"

Notice what all of these have in common: the question tells you what to look for. Your job isn't to decide what "sounds good." Your job is to match the answer to the goal. That's the entire strategy.

Here's the approach, step by step:

Read the goal first. Before you even glance at the answer choices, underline or mentally highlight the purpose stated in the question stem. What is the sentence supposed to accomplish? Support a claim? Provide a transition? Emphasize a contrast?
Eliminate off-topic choices. Any answer that doesn't address the stated purpose is wrong, no matter how well-written, interesting, or true it is. Cross it out immediately.
Compare for specificity. If two choices both seem relevant, pick the one with more concrete, specific detail that directly serves the goal. The SAT rewards precision over vagueness.
For add/delete questions, check for a unique function. Ask: does this sentence do something that no other sentence in the paragraph already does? If removing it creates a logical gap, keep it. If it repeats existing information or pulls focus off-topic, delete it.

That's it. Most students can answer these in under 60 seconds once they internalize this pattern. The key mistake to avoid: picking what sounds most impressive instead of what fits the stated goal.

The SAT designs wrong answers to catch students who aren't reading the goal carefully. Here are the most common traps:

The "true but irrelevant" choice: The information is factually correct and even interesting, but it doesn't match what the question is asking for. A detail about economics doesn't support a claim about health, no matter how fascinating it is.
The "vague but on-topic" choice: It gestures at the right subject but lacks the specific detail the goal requires. If the question asks for "a specific example," a general statement won't cut it.
The "sounds smart" choice: It uses impressive vocabulary or complex structure, but it doesn't actually accomplish the stated purpose. Don't be seduced by style over substance.
The "redundancy" choice: It repeats what's already been said in the passage. Adding information that's already present doesn't strengthen a paragraph, it weakens it.

Practice Adding, Revising, and Deleting Information with SAT-Style Questions

Let's put this strategy to work. For each question, read the goal in the question stem first, then evaluate the choices against that goal. These are arranged from easier to more challenging.

Passage

The Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia, is the largest coral reef system in the world. It supports an extraordinary diversity of marine life, including over 1,500 species of fish.

easy

The writer wants to add a sentence after the second sentence that provides a specific example supporting the reef's biodiversity. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

Passage

During the Harlem Renaissance, African American artists, writers, and musicians produced an extraordinary body of work that reshaped American culture. Langston Hughes, for example, wrote poems that captured the rhythms of jazz and the struggles of everyday Black life.

easy

The writer is considering adding the following sentence after the second sentence: "Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1901 and moved frequently during his childhood." Should the writer make this addition?

Passage

Urban green spaces provide measurable benefits to city residents. Studies have shown that access to parks and gardens reduces stress hormones such as cortisol by up to 15 percent.

medium

Which choice most effectively builds on the evidence presented in the previous sentence?

Passage

The discovery of penicillin in 1928 transformed modern medicine. Alexander Fleming noticed that a mold called Penicillium notatum had contaminated one of his bacterial cultures and killed the surrounding bacteria. This accidental observation led to the development of the first widely used antibiotic.

medium

The writer wants to revise the underlined portion of the second sentence to emphasize the role of chance in the discovery. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

Passage

Climate scientists have observed that Arctic sea ice has declined by approximately 13 percent per decade since 1979. This trend has accelerated in recent years, with the six lowest ice extents on record all occurring after 2010. Some researchers argue that the Arctic could experience ice-free summers within the next two decades.

medium

The writer is considering deleting the second sentence. Should the writer make this deletion?

Key Takeaways for Adding, Revising, and Deleting Information

The goal is your answer key. Always read the stated purpose in the question stem before looking at answer choices. Everything flows from matching the answer to the goal.
Eliminate off-topic choices first. No matter how well-written or interesting an answer is, if it doesn't address the stated purpose, it's wrong. Cross it out and move on.
Specificity wins. When two choices both seem relevant, the one with more concrete, precise detail that directly serves the purpose is almost always correct. The SAT rewards precision.
For add/delete questions, look for a unique function. If a sentence does something no other sentence in the paragraph does, and removing it would create a gap in logic, keep it. If it repeats or distracts, delete it.

Conclusion: The Core Rule for Adding, Revising, and Deleting Information

Adding, Revising, and Deleting Information questions are among the most predictable on the SAT Reading and Writing section. The test literally tells you what the correct answer should accomplish, all you have to do is match. Train yourself to read the goal first, eliminate what doesn't fit, and pick the most specific match, and these become fast, confident points every single time.

Remember: Don't pick what sounds best, pick what fits the goal. That one shift in thinking is worth real points on test day.

About the Instructor

Thomas Meli

Founder, Deep Test Prep

"Viewing the SAT as a transformative rite of passage, my approach builds self-awareness, sharpens critical thinking, and fosters a love of learning that supports students far beyond test day."

With over 20 years of teaching and 500+ hours of training in compassionate communication, Thomas uses scientifically proven methods to help students target and achieve their SAT goals.