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.