評卷人想要通過你的作文瞭解你對英語的掌握能力。這是SAT論文的目的之一。在如此短的時間內，考生需要構思並完成一篇能夠展現你語言功夫的文章著實不易。而之前我們講過如何寫開頭和主體，但是這不夠。今天我們就來看看如何通過一些細節來展示你的語言掌握能力。
上篇文章中我們提到過：任何你在文章中提到的論點都要用至少一個論據來支撐。這個論據是否真實（當然，一眼就能看出是瞎編的論據除外），重要的是論據是否能夠在邏輯上合理地支撐論點。考生們往往會陷入一個誤區：只是簡單的陳述觀點，而不予以相關的細節用以證明觀點。
不正確：Increased amounts of consumer spending and materialism lead to more greed and government corruption. Also, materialism can lead to social problems.
正確：When people spend more money and become more materialistic, they tend to become greedier and more selfish. I remember how my aunt went on a shopping spree after she fell into a windfall of money in the form of my grandpa's will. She became angry, violent, and unpleasant. Imagine how people in positions of power take to such increases in spending - they become more powerful and less mindful of their vulnerability, seeking additional wealth and participating in corrupt activities.
很明顯，第一個例子的長度比起第二個例子的長度短得多。你也許會問：所謂的語言的簡潔性呢？不能只是簡短的說明或稱述嗎？當然，你可以讓你的文章具有簡潔性，但是這只是在斟詞酌句的時候考慮的事。把文章應該含有的細節或是論據省去一定是不可取的。就像在上面的兩個例子，因為第二個例子給予的細節給多，所以更具閱讀性，所以評卷人給第二篇文章的分數很可能就要多1、2分。
一旦你掌握了論據對於文章的重要性，你就可以通過各種修辭手法來展現你的語言功底。
如何展現語言功底？看看下面的建議你就知道了。
Figurative language 修辭手法：明喻、暗喻、誇張等等一系列的修辭手法一定是一篇文章的加分點。但是如果你不清楚這些修辭手法到底是什麼，那麼你有必要查一查了來了解一下。讓我們看下面這個例子：“I came home because I was very tired.”這句子未免太乏味了。讓我們來加一個明喻： “I came home, tired as an old winless greyhound dog.”這兩個句子表達的意思相同，但是通過一個比喻，卻顯得更為的生動形象。接著，我們把這個意思用誇張手法來表達：“I dragged my toes the entire way home, tired as an old winless greyhound dog.”顯而易見，這樣講需要表達的意思更加生動地表達了出來。
Complex sentence structure複雜的句式：運用複雜的`句式同樣也能為你加分。看看下面這個句子：“ We sent Tyler to his room.”這就足夠了嗎？這只是個簡單句而已。要是我們加上一個從句效果會怎樣呢？我們來看看：“ We sent Tyler to his room when he threw a tantrum.”現在這個句子傳達的資訊點明顯增多了。更重要的是，這就是評卷人想看到的。這兩個句子的區別就是添加了一個從句。（“We sent Tyler to his room”/ “when he threw a tantrum”），而這個從句正好為主句提供了更多的資訊並且進一步解釋了主句。
Effective Parallel Structure 排比句式：你應該記住ISE/IS課程中的排比結構並且把它運用到寫作上。排比如果用得好，會讓文章顯得格外有力。舉個例子：“I know many people think the mentally ill are just lazy or can really help themselves, but let me give you a few examples why they are helpless. My grandmother cannot even bathe herself. Also, my best friends mom can't hold a job for more than a few days because she is so mentally ill.”這樣的陳述是讓閱讀者感到很乏味的。但是我們可以運用排比句式來稍作修改：“ I know many people think the mentally ill are lazy and can really help themselves, but when you have seen my friend's mom struggling to hold a job, when you have seen my grandmother fumbling to bathe herself, when you have seen war-torn veterans lying on the street as drug addicts, then you will understand their suffering.”
Formal register：當然，這並不是SAT拿高分的硬性標準。拿12分的考生的作文中，也有很多是非正式寫作。但是，通常情況下，非正式寫作都不是考生的強項。這個時候，寫正式點的文章對你來說無疑使更好的選擇。所以，你應該更多的使用“WE”和“ONE”而不是“I”和“YOU”而不是。同樣，你也應該避免個人感情的流露或者是以個人經歷來引出相關論證。舉個例子：“When I was young, my dog died and I asked if there was a doggy heaven.”這是不正確的，同樣不推薦的還有：“When one is young, one's dog could die and one may wonder if there exists some kind of heaven for dogs.”這種我們稱作為過於學究式的：也就是太過學術或泰國正式。你應該採取折中的辦法：“Many children experience the death of a pet and wonder if there really is a heaven for dogs.”
當然，這些都是一些兒小建議。但是這些小建議必然能助力你的SAT寫作。通過這些方式，你不僅僅能表達你的觀點，並且能展示出你對語言極佳的運用能力。祝你考試的時候好運！
