Command of Evidence (SAT Reading)

What Are Evidence Questions?

Two-part question format:

1. First question: Answer about passage (main idea, inference, etc.)
2. Second question: "Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?"

The Strategy

Work BACKWARDS!

Don't answer Question 1 first!

Better approach:

1. Read Question 1 (but don't answer yet)
2. Look at Evidence Question 2 - read all 4 line citations
3. Find which lines best answer Question 1
4. That becomes your answer to Question 1
5. Then select those lines for Question 2

Why? The evidence choices LIMIT your options for Question 1!

Types of Evidence Questions

Type 1: Direct Support

Answer is directly stated in cited lines

Question 1: "What was the main finding?" Evidence: Lines that explicitly state the finding

Look for: Clear, direct statement

Type 2: Inference Support

Lines provide information to make inference

Question 1: "What can be inferred about...?" Evidence: Lines that contain clues for the inference

Look for: Information that logically leads to conclusion

Type 3: Support for Opinion/Claim

Lines back up author's perspective

Question 1: "The author suggests that...?" Evidence: Lines showing author's viewpoint

Look for: Author's commentary, not just facts

How to Evaluate Evidence

Good Evidence:

✓ Directly relates to the question ✓ Clearly supports the answer ✓ Specific (not vague) ✓ Complete (not missing key info)

Bad Evidence:

✗ Off-topic (about something else) ✗ Weak connection to answer ✗ Too general (doesn't prove the point) ✗ Incomplete (only partial support)

The Paired Questions Strategy

Step-by-Step:

1. Read Question 1 carefully

• Understand what it's asking
• Don't answer yet!

2. Go to Question 2 (Evidence)

• Read all four line references
• Understand what each one says

3. Eliminate weak evidence

• Cross out irrelevant lines
• Cross out vague/incomplete support

4. Match evidence to Q1 answers

• Which evidence supports which answer?
• Usually 1-to-1 pairing

5. Choose best evidence

• Select strongest, most direct support

6. Answer Question 1

• Choose answer that matches your evidence

7. Answer Question 2

• Select the evidence you identified

Common Traps

Trap 1: Mentions Same Topic ≠ Evidence

Just because lines mention the topic doesn't mean they answer the question!

Example:

• Question: "What caused the decline?"
• Bad evidence: "The decline was significant." (mentions decline but no cause!)
• Good evidence: "Pollution led to the decline." (states cause!)

Trap 2: Partial Evidence

Lines that only partially support the answer

Look for: Complete, full support

Trap 3: True But Irrelevant

Statement is true but doesn't answer THIS question

Always check: Does this DIRECTLY answer what's asked?

Trap 4: Too General

Vague statements that could mean anything

Better: Specific, concrete evidence

What Makes Strong Evidence?

Specificity

Concrete details > vague statements

Weak: "It was important." Strong: "This discovery revolutionized medicine."

Directness

Directly states or clearly implies the answer

Weak: "Many factors were involved." Strong: "Temperature was the primary factor."

Completeness

Contains all parts needed to support answer

Incomplete: "The study found effects." Complete: "The study found significant positive effects on learning."

Relevance

Directly relates to question asked

Irrelevant: Interesting but off-topic Relevant: On-point for this specific question

SAT Evidence Question Patterns

Pattern 1: Cause and Effect

Q1: What caused X? Evidence: Must state the cause

Pattern 2: Main Idea

Q1: What is the main point? Evidence: Lines expressing central idea (usually has opinion/claim)

Pattern 3: Author's Attitude

Q1: How does author feel? Evidence: Lines with evaluative language (positive/negative words)

Pattern 4: Support for Claim

Q1: What supports the claim? Evidence: Facts, data, examples backing up the claim

Pattern 5: Definition/Explanation

Q1: What does author mean by X? Evidence: Lines that define or explain X

How to Practice

Read Each Evidence Choice

Don't just skim - actually read the lines!

Ask: "Does This Answer the Question?"

Be specific - WHICH part answers WHICH part of question?

Look for Key Words

Words that directly relate to question

Test Each Pairing

Evidence A with Answer 1, Evidence B with Answer 2, etc.

Eliminate

Cross out clearly wrong evidence first

Time-Saving Strategies

Don't Read All Four Citations Fully

Skim first, then read closely only promising ones

Start with Extreme Answers

Very specific or very general - often easier to eliminate

Look for Transition Words

"However," "Therefore," "Because" - signal important points

Check Line Numbers

Are they from different parts of passage? Might indicate different topics

SAT Tips

• Work BACKWARDS - start with evidence question
• Read all 4 evidence choices before answering Q1
• Direct support beats partial support
• Specific beats vague
• On-topic is essential - interesting ≠ relevant
• Match evidence to answer choices for Q1
• Eliminate weak evidence first (off-topic, incomplete)
• "Best evidence" = most direct, complete, relevant
• Don't just match keywords - need actual support
• Complete thought needed, not fragment
• 1-to-1 pairing usually exists (Evidence A → Answer 1)
• Trust the text - answer must be supported by actual lines