How to answer it
- State each text’s main claim in a few words.
- Mark where they agree and where one adds a condition or disagrees.
- Pick the response the second author’s evidence actually supports.
Worked example
An original question in the SAT format, already answered.
Text 1: Some economists argue that a four-day workweek raises productivity, because rested employees make fewer errors.
Text 2: A trial at a manufacturing firm found that output per hour rose under a four-day week, but total weekly output fell, since the gain in efficiency did not make up for the lost day.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the economists in Text 1?
- ABy noting that higher output per hour does not necessarily mean more total output
- BBy agreeing that weekly output always rises under a four-day week
- CBy arguing that four-day weeks make employees more tired
- DBy claiming that manufacturing firms cannot measure productivity
Answer: A. Text 2 grants that output per hour rose, which fits Text 1, then adds that total output fell. A captures that qualification. B contradicts Text 2, and C and D aren’t in it.
The most common trap
Choices that make the second author disagree completely. Most pairs agree on something and differ on a condition.
Practice it
Hourly Prep’s daily sets mix cross-text connections with the rest of SAT Reading and Writing, and send more of it your way when it’s a weak spot. See how the SAT prep plan works, or browse the other SAT skill guides.
For pacing and strategy across the whole section, read our SAT Reading and Writing guide. To fit this skill into a schedule, see the SAT study plan guide.