Grade: 5 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Revision Strategies Lesson: 5 of 6 SAT: ExpressionOfIdeas ACT: English

Guided Practice

Practice revision skills with step-by-step guidance to improve your writing for SAT/ACT success.

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Revision Makes Writing Stronger

Good writers revise their work. In this lesson, you'll practice choosing the best revisions for clarity, conciseness, and word choice.

Key Revision Strategies

Combine Sentences

Join short, choppy sentences into smoother, more sophisticated ones.

Choose Better Words

Replace weak or vague words with more precise, powerful alternatives.

Cut Wordiness

Remove unnecessary words that don't add meaning.

Fix Transitions

Use connecting words to show relationships between ideas.

Revision Checklist

  • Is the meaning clear?
  • Could any sentences be combined?
  • Are there stronger word choices available?
  • Can any words be removed without losing meaning?
  • Do transitions connect ideas smoothly?

Examples

Example 1: Combining Sentences

Original: The dog ran fast. The dog was brown. The dog chased the ball.
Revised: The brown dog ran fast, chasing the ball.

Why it's better: One flowing sentence instead of three choppy ones.

Example 2: Better Word Choice

Original: The food was good and the service was nice.
Revised: The food was delicious and the service was exceptional.

Why it's better: "Delicious" and "exceptional" are more specific and vivid than "good" and "nice."

Example 3: Cutting Wordiness

Original: In my opinion, I think that we should probably consider the possibility of maybe starting earlier.
Revised: We should consider starting earlier.

Why it's better: Removes redundant phrases while keeping the meaning clear.

Practice

Choose the best revision for each sentence.

Question 1 Sentence Combining

Original: The cat was sleeping. The cat was on the couch. The cat was orange.

Which revision is best?

Question 2 Word Choice

Original: The movie was really bad.

Which word would be the best replacement for "really bad"?

Question 3 Cutting Wordiness

Original: Due to the fact that it was raining outside, we decided to stay inside the house.

Which revision removes wordiness while keeping the meaning?

Question 4 Transitions

Original: I studied hard for the test. I got an A.

Which revision best shows the relationship between these ideas?

Check Your Understanding

Complete this 10-question quiz on revision strategies!

Revision Master Quiz

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Next Steps

Key Takeaways

  • Combine choppy sentences for smoother writing
  • Replace vague words with specific, vivid ones
  • Cut unnecessary words and phrases
  • Use transitions to show relationships between ideas
  • Practice revising your own writing using these strategies
  • Read published writing and notice how authors use these techniques
  • Move on to Review Mistakes to learn from common errors