McGraw-Hill’s Conquering SAT Writing, Second Edition

I tutor students for the SAT & ACT in San Diego, and I've used this workbook for several years with good success. I also used this workbook to prepare myself for the SAT about 5 years ago, and I was able to achieve a perfect score on SAT Writing. Many schools these days don't teach grammar, so most students must learn grammar topics outside of school in order to optimize their scores on the SAT Writing Multiple Choice questions. The problem with most general grammar workbooks is that they are not targeted to the specific topics covered on the SAT and the way those grammar topics are presented in SAT questions. General grammar books can be quite overwhelming with numerous exceptions to every rule. So, I found that Part IV in this workbook (Fundamentals of grammar for writing and editing) was extremely helpful in efficiently taking me through the topics I would see on the SAT. That's really the only section of the McGraw Hill SAT Writing workbook I use.A new second edition of this workbook was recently released, and I'm sorry to say that the only difference from the first is the lower quality paper that it is printed on. I couldn't find any text differences in Part IV at all, and that is a shame because there were definite opportunities for improvement. For example, most students find the section on Subjunctive Mood to be confusing. It is confusing, but the section is still helpful, and the topic is a minor topic on the SAT. So, I would definitely recommend buying this workbook, even if you only find value, as I do, in Part IV for its grammar review.I definitely do not use the workbook's practice tests because the College Board has 10 real SAT Writing tests to use in the College Board Official Study Guide--why use a simulation when you can practice with the real thing?The author does have a good suggestion for preparing for the SAT essay in his concept of Source Summaries (you'll have to buy the book to know what that means).If you see the older edition on sale for a discount, don't hesitate to buy it because the content appears to me to be identical.

An excellent resource while preparing for the SAT! I homeschool my son and wanted him to brush up on the basics and have confidence that we covered everything necessary for the test. The format was great for him to work through on his own and even though it was review, it helped him feel prepared. He performed well on the test!

Great book. It introduced me to essay themes.When preparing for the essay section, this was invaluable.Also, it gives you great model answers. The key is to studythese answers and to recreate some of your own.

The book is very helpful. The explanations are helping my son a lot to understand why the answers are correct or incorrect.

A very helpful way to focus on one SAT skill. My son found it helpful and used it a lot.

not many schools these days focus on grammar anymore, this book is good for understanding the mechanism of complex sentences.

Received item on time and as described!

One tough challenge part in SAT is the writing – grammar and essay writing. We got this as a reference because we trust McGraw-Hill in test preparation. We also use Beestar online for more practices and self checking. The book is well organized and easy to follow. With so many topics to cover and points to make, this the authors has done a great job being at the student's perspective. It provides the NEW multiple choice writing questions and practices. Each problem covers at least one key point in grammar and writing preparation. Going through those problems has built up the confidence for the real test scenarios such as complex sentences. My child gained much higher scores in his weekend Beestar online tests afterwards. This book also strategies for essays. We especially like the sample essays that reflect and echo the key strategies in the book. This first-rate guide has everything you need to get ready for a high score in SAT Writing. This book is not a BIG dictionary like book which is also a plus.