Organization Questions on SAT Writing: Tips and Tricks

The Writing and Language section of the SAT evaluates your ability to determine the proper placement of sentences within a paragraph and paragraphs within a passage. If you haven’t encountered this type of question before, you may feel uncertain about how to handle it. However, the good news is that organization questions are not overly challenging once you understand how to recognize and approach them effectively.

In this article, I will:

Outline the different types of organization questions in the SAT Writing section.

Provide a step-by-step guide to solving each type of organizational question.

Share practical tips to help you tackle organization questions with confidence.

What Are Organization Questions on the SAT Writing Section?

Organization questions require you to decide where a specific sentence or paragraph should be placed within a passage. To solve these questions correctly, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of the passage’s structure and ensure that each sentence and paragraph connects logically. Typically, the SAT Writing section includes about 2-3 questions of this type.

How to Identify Organization Questions

Being able to quickly recognize organization questions will allow you to address them efficiently. Fortunately, these questions are easy to spot.

Sentences with bracketed numbers at the beginning of a paragraph indicate that a sentence order question is coming.

Similarly, numbered paragraphs at the top of each section indicate a question about paragraph order.

If you encounter numbered sentences or paragraphs in a passage, it’s a clear sign that you will face an organizational question.

The Two Types of Organization Questions

Organization questions on the SAT Writing section generally fall into two categories. Let’s take a closer look at how these questions are typically framed.

Type 1: Sentence Order Questions

Most sentence order questions will be presented in one of the following ways:

You might be asked where a specific sentence belongs within a paragraph.

Alternatively, you could be asked to determine the most logical placement of a new sentence in relation to the surrounding sentences.

In both cases, the goal is to decide where the sentence best fits within the passage for optimal flow and coherence.

Type 2: Paragraph Order Questions

Paragraph order questions, on the other hand, are focused on the placement of entire paragraphs within a passage.

These questions will ask you to determine the best position of a paragraph to ensure the passage remains logical and well-organized.

Much like sentence order questions, paragraph order questions are relatively straightforward once you identify the relationships between ideas and transitions within the text.

Step-By-Step Guide to Answering Sentence Order Questions

Let’s walk through a step-by-step approach for tackling sentence order questions. For illustration, we’ll use an example question from a passage about video game designers.

Step 1: Understand What the Question Is Asking

Carefully read the question so you know exactly what to focus on and how to approach it. In this case, we are tasked with determining where sentence 5 logically fits within the paragraph.

Step 2: Review the Answer Choices

Examine each answer choice to analyze potential placements for the sentence. Let’s check out the options provided:

A. Courses in psychology and human behavior help you develop emphatic collaboration skills, while courses in the humanities, such as in literature and film, should give you the background necessary to develop effective narrative structures. A designer also needs careful educational preparation.

B. A designer also needs careful educational preparation. A basic understanding of computer programming is essential.

C. Consider taking some general computer science courses as well as courses in artificial intelligence and graphics in order to increase your understanding of the technical challenges involved in developing a video game. A designer also needs careful educational preparation.

D. DELETED from the paragraph.

If you’re unsure at this stage, try skimming the paragraph and testing each placement to see which works best.

Step 3: Eliminate Incorrect Choices

The correct placement should logically connect to both the preceding and following sentences. Let’s go through the options and start eliminating:

Choice A doesn’t work. The sentence preceding it describes specific educational requirements for designers, and inserting “a designer also needs careful educational preparation” immediately afterward is repetitive and disrupts the logical flow.

Similarly, Choice C doesn’t work either. The first sentence refers to specific courses a designer should take, followed by the statement “a designer also needs careful educational preparation,” which again feels redundant and disrupts coherence.

We can confidently eliminate A and C.

Step 4: Reassess the Remaining Choices for Logical Consistency

Now, let’s evaluate the remaining options:

In Choice B, the paragraph begins with “A designer also needs careful educational preparation.” This provides a strong introductory statement, perfectly setting up the rest of the paragraph to detail the various types of education required. The transition is logical and smooth.

In Choice D, deleting the sentence altogether would cause the paragraph to lose a clear introduction to its discussion of educational preparation, leaving the paragraph incomplete.

Thus, Choice B provides the most logical organization for the paragraph. The best answer is B.

By following these steps—understanding the task, evaluating the options, eliminating incorrect choices, and reassessing the remaining ones—you can efficiently tackle sentence order questions and identify the most logical placement.

Step-By-Step Approach to Answering Paragraph Order Questions

Although sentence order questions are more common, you may encounter a paragraph order question on the SAT. Solving these questions involves a similar process: figuring out where a paragraph logically fits within a passage. Let’s break it down step by step using an example question.

Step 1: Understand What the Question Is Asking

Start by carefully analyzing the question. In this case, the question asks: "Where should paragraph 2 be placed to make the passage most logical?" Be sure to note the specific wording of the answer choices, as they will indicate which paragraph paragraph 2 should be placed after.

Step 2: Determine the Main Idea of the Paragraph

Next, identify the main idea of paragraph 2. The main idea helps determine how the paragraph connects to the rest of the passage.

For instance, paragraph 2 in this question describes an ornately decorated living room from the era of French King Louis XV. Often, a paragraph's main idea can be found in its opening sentences. In a well-structured passage, the main idea of each paragraph should flow logically into the next.

Step 3: Analyze the Answer Choices

To find the correct placement, evaluate the main ideas of the other paragraphs in the passage and consider the overall structure of the text. Here's a breakdown of the answer choices:

A. Paragraph 1 discusses the narrator’s favorite exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Thorne Miniature Rooms, highlighting how it is one of the tiniest exhibits in the museum.

B. Paragraph 3 provides an overview of the exhibit, explaining that it features miniature rooms at 1/12 of their actual size, showcasing designs from different regions and eras, ranging from the 13th to the 20th centuries.

C. Paragraph 4 describes plainer miniature rooms that are not as well-furnished as others and gives an example of one such room.

D. Paragraph 5 highlights the exquisite details of the furniture in the miniature rooms and concludes by stating that the narrator is not surprised by the craftsmanship on display in the exhibit.

Step 4: Eliminate Incorrect Choices

Now, let’s rule out answer choices that don’t align logically:

Placing paragraph 2 immediately after paragraph 1 (choice A) disrupts the logical flow. The first paragraph introduces the exhibit, but the transition to a detailed description of an ornate room feels abrupt, especially since the paragraph after it (paragraph 3) provides general context about the exhibit.

Similarly, placing paragraph 2 after paragraph 4 (choice C) is illogical. Paragraph 4 discusses plainer rooms, so switching back to a paragraph about ornate rooms disrupts natural progression.

Paragraph 5 acts as the passage’s conclusion, tying together the narrator’s admiration for the craftsmanship of the exhibit. Adding paragraph 2 after paragraph 5 would undermine the effectiveness of the conclusion, eliminating choice D.

Step 5: Skim the Passage with the Best Answer Choice

Finally, review the passage with your chosen answer to ensure it creates a smooth and logical flow.

The remaining choice, B, suggests placing paragraph 2 after paragraph 3. This makes sense because paragraph 3 ends by mentioning rooms from different eras, which naturally transitions into paragraph 2’s description of the ornately decorated room from Louis XV’s era. Furthermore, paragraph 4’s discussion of plainer rooms creates a logical contrast with paragraph 2’s focus on ornate rooms.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

By following these steps—identifying the main idea, analyzing the structure of the passage, eliminating incorrect options, and reevaluating your choice within the context—you’ll be well-equipped to tackle paragraph order questions efficiently and effectively.

5 Essential Tips for Tackling Organization Questions

These tips will help you effectively solve both sentence and paragraph organization questions on the SAT.

Read the Question and Answer Choices Carefully

Before attempting to answer, make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking. Begin by determining whether it’s a sentence order or paragraph order question. Once that’s clear, focus on what the question is asking you to determine so you can avoid unnecessary confusion.

Review All Answer Choices

Examine all the provided options carefully. Take the time to try out each placement for the sentence or paragraph to see which creates the most logical flow. For paragraph order questions, focus on identifying the main ideas of the paragraphs and their relevance to the overall passage. For example, does the paragraph logically build upon the point made in the previous one?

Eliminate Wrong Choices

If a choice results in sentences or paragraphs that aren’t logically connected, eliminate it immediately. For sentence order questions, wrong answer choices disrupt the flow of ideas within the paragraph, resulting in poorly organized or confusing sentences. For paragraph order questions, incorrect answers break the passage's overall structure, creating awkward or illogical transitions between paragraphs. Eliminating obviously incorrect options narrows your focus and simplifies the task of selecting the right answer.

Ensure Logical Connections with Surrounding Context

The correct answer for any organization question must logically follow the text before it and flow naturally into the text that follows. Always check the sentences or paragraphs on either side of your proposed placement to confirm that the progression is coherent and logical.

Use Chronological Order as a Guide

When applicable, use the order of events to help arrange sentences or paragraphs. For example, the first paragraph in a passage may describe an event’s starting point, with subsequent paragraphs describing what happens next. Pay close attention to this sequence, as it may reveal the correct paragraph order.

Similarly, in sentence order questions, look for a natural progression of ideas or actions within the paragraph. For instance, you wouldn’t talk about drying off before discussing how someone got wet. If the order of events seems out of place, then you likely need to adjust the sentence placement.

Put It All Together

By carefully reading the questions, evaluating answer choices, eliminating illogical options, ensuring logical flow, and using chronological cues, you’ll significantly improve your ability to answer sentence and paragraph organization questions with confidence and accuracy.