Killer Sentences / Uncovering Meaning Killer Sentences: • Test makers will use the ability to manipulate language to create sentences that contain a large amount of information while simultaneously being difficult to understand and interpret. Example of a Killer Sentence: The survival strategies of various classes of vertebrates demonstrate that, contrary to the claims of early zoologists, physically similarity does not produce strategic similarity: for example, the strategies than an electric eel uses to defend itself from attack are significantly different from those used by the hagfish, an eel-like fish also known as a slime ell, but both manifest the same basic morphological appearance to predators. Uncovering Meaning: Context, Simplification, and Rephrasing: • The key to conquering difficult language is to use a combination of context, simplification, and rephrasing. • Examine the surroundings for clues, break down the ideas into smaller pieces and then rephrase it all in a way that makes sense to you Steps to break down these sentences: 1. Slow down and relax ○ You cannot speed through these sentences. Take your time. Do not bypass it. ○ Slow down and take your time ○ It is acceptable to spend time at critical points getting your facts straight ○ Give yourself the time to decode the meaning of the sentence. Be patient ○ All the information you need to unlock the meaning of the sentence is right there on the page. 2. Recognize that killer sentences are really a package of connected thoughts, and you must break down the sentence into smaller, component pieces. ○ Use punctuation marks as natural separators ○ Commas, dashes, sei-colons, and colons each indicate natural stopping points in the sentence ○ Divide the sentence into smaller, more management sections ○ Examples: you must break down the sentence into smaller, component pieces. ○ Use punctuation marks as natural separators ○ Commas, dashes, sei-colons, and colons each indicate natural stopping points in the sentence ○ Divide the sentence into smaller, more management sections ○ Examples: § The survival strategies of various classes of vertebrates demonstrate that, contrary to the claims of early zoologists, ○ Not all punctuation marks have the same value § Commas: □ Usually used to separate ideas. □ Help divide a sentence into smaller pieces. □ Two commas in a sentence often bookend a standalone idea that is related to but separate from the main idea being expressed. § Colon: □ Precedes an explanation of the point prior to the colon □ Introduces a list ® Example: The tip on the company's violations came from an unlikely source: the company's CEO. § Semi-Colon: □ The ideas on either side of a semi-colon typically are related □ Can stand on their own as complete sentences ® Example: Professional athletes are paid for their time and services; amateur athletes are typically not paid. § Parentheses: □ Information in a parentheses typically expands upon and adds additional information to the sentence ® Example: I arrived just before the library closed at 4 P.M. (a surprisingly early closing time in my opinion) § Dash: □ Often substituted for other punctuation marks □ Purpose is typically to set apart a particular idea ® Example: the culmination of her career was a show at the Tate Modern - the premier modern art museum in England. ○ The phrase for example typically expands and clarifies the idea that immediately precedes it. The main idea of the sentence (the stimulus) is not usually in the "for example" section, but usually just before it. 3. Simplify the Sentence by Rephrasing: Summarize the above example: usually in the "for example" section, but usually just before it. 3. Simplify the Sentence by Rephrasing: Summarize the above example: Original Sentence Summary The survival strategies of various classes of vertebrates demonstrate that, contrary to the claims of early zoologists, physically similarity does not produce strategic similarity: Although different vertebrates look the same physically, that doesn't mean they use the same survival strategies. Although that is not what early zoologists thought. For example, the strategies than an electric eel uses to defend itself from attack are significantly different from those used by the hagfish, an eel-like fish also known as a slime ell, but both manifest the same basic morphological appearance to predators. Eels and hagfish are an example of vertebrates using different strategies even though physically they look the same. 4. Make a mark on the stimulus a. This helps you keep tabs on where the hardest parts of the text are.