SAT Reading / Argument & Critical Reading

Counterarguments and Qualifications

Part of the full libraryOpens January 2, 2027 · $97 for a year
What’s included
assumptionAn idea accepted as a starting point for reasoning rather than established by that argument. It may be stated or left unstated.

You’ll leave with these skills

  1. Tell an opposing view apart from a limit the author puts on their own claimAsk whether the underlined sentence says what the author’s opponents think or adds “may” or “some” to narrow the author’s own point.
  2. Find the author’s real position after they admit the other side has a pointA sentence that starts with “admittedly” or “granted” gives the other side its point, and the sentence after “but” or “still” gives the author’s position.
  3. Name how an author answers a critic’s complaintRead the sentence after the critics’ complaint and check whether it calls their complaint a benefit or explains their evidence a different way.
  4. Describe a limited opinion without making it stronger, weaker, or neutralUnderline each “may,” “some,” or “only” in the author’s claim, and pick the choice that stays on the author’s side and is just as careful.

This lesson is part of the full library

207 lessons that teach every skill the SAT tests
  • 71Math
  • 40Reading
  • 24Grammar
  • 10 full-length practice tests to build test-day stamina and confidence
  • A Desmos simulator to solve math questions faster
  • A step-by-step guide to every practice test question
  • The Bluebook Simulator, so test day feels familiar
  • A drawing for every key term, so new ideas make sense at a glance

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