SAT Foundation: From 400 To 600

Write the definitions from memory:

• Cause: __________________________________________________

• Effect: __________________________________________________

• Trigger: __________________________________________________

• Signal word: ______________________________________________

• Outcome: _________________________________________________

• Relationship: _____________________________________________

Worked Examples

Example 1 (Straightforward)

Sentence: “Because the river flooded, the town closed the schools.”

• Find the trigger: “Because”

• Identify the cause: “the river flooded”

• Identify the effect: “the town closed the schools”

• Match the logic: flood (cause) → school closure (effect)

Now you try

Sentence: “Therefore, many people switched to public transit after the new parking rules were introduced.”

• Cause: __________________________________________________

• Effect: __________________________________________________

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Example 2 (Cause is hidden)

Sentence: “The experiment failed. The main reason was a faulty sensor, which led to wrong readings.”

• “The experiment failed” is the effect (what happened)

• “main reason was a faulty sensor” is the cause

• “which led to wrong readings” gives the outcome of the cause

• Relationship chain: faulty sensor → wrong readings → experiment failed (passage order matters)

Now you try

Passage snippet: “Road repairs started late; as a result, the finished highway opened after the expected date.”

• Trigger: ________________________________________________

• Cause: __________________________________________________

• Effect: __________________________________________________

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Example 3 (Choose the correct effect)

Question logic: “Which statement is supported by the passage?”

Passage: “Since demand increased quickly, the company raised prices. Therefore, some customers stopped buying the product.”

• “Since” = demand increased (cause) → company raised prices (effect)

• “Therefore” = raised prices (cause) → customers stopped buying (outcome)

• Supported effect must match the passage chain, not a guess like “customers switched brands.”

Now you try

Which option is supported?

A) Customers stopped buying because demand increased directly.

B) Customers stopped buying because prices were raised.

C) Prices were raised because customers stopped buying.

Your choice: ________

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Practice Questions

• (Easy) In the sentence “Because the map was outdated, travelers took the wrong road,” what is the cause?

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• (Medium) Choose the best supported effect: “The study was repeated twice; as a result, the researchers confirmed the original findings.”

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• (Medium) Identify the trigger word in: “Therefore, the city reduced bus routes to save money.”

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• (Hard) Passage logic: “Since the battery charged slowly, the device shut down during long use. Thus, users reported the product as unreliable.”

Which cause most directly explains “users reported the product as unreliable”?

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• (Hard) Sentence: “The policy changed, so the agency stopped collecting the old data. However, the new system still required manual checks.”

Is the relationship between “policy changed” and “stopped collecting old data” cause/effect, contrast, or both? Explain using a signal word.

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• (Hard) Which is the best answer if a question asks: “What does the author imply?” and the passage says: “The results improved, but the sample size was still small.”

Write what the author implies about the strength of the results.

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Answer Key

• the map was outdated

• the researchers confirmed the original findings

• Therefore

• the battery charged slowly / shut down

• policy changed → stopped collecting old data (cause/effect)

However = contrast (new system still required manual checks)

• The results may be promising, but the small sample size limits how strong or confident we can be.

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

• Confusing trigger vs. effect: the trigger is the “why” (because/since), the effect is the “what happened” (so/therefore).

• Treating “however” like a cause word: however signals contrast, so the next sentence does not explain the previous one.

• Picking an outcome that is true but not supported: SAT logic questions reward the passage’s chain, not outside knowledge.

• Ignoring multi-step logic: some passages use two signals (e.g., since… therefore…) - you must follow both.

• Writing effects as causes: if your answer uses “because” but the passage uses “therefore,” your relationship is flipped.

Examiner-focused tips:

• For supported-evidence questions, quote a signal word and the exact idea it connects.

• For harder logic questions, name the link type (cause/effect vs. contrast) and then explain it in 1-2 clear sentences.

Quick Reference

Mnemonic: T.E.T. (Trigger → Effect → Tie-back)

• Trigger = because/since/for

• Effect/Outcome = so/therefore/thus/as a result

• Tie-back = your answer must match the passage’s connected ideas

Signal word

Usual relationship

What it tests

because, since

trigger → cause

what starts the chain

therefore, thus, so

cause → effect

what follows

therefore, thus

effect is a conclusion

“best supported” outcomes

however, but

contrast

not a cause explanation

Essentials to remember

• Cause words: because, since, for

• Effect words: so, therefore, thus, as a result

• Contrast words: however, but

• Always match the direction (trigger vs. outcome)

Confidence Check

• I can spot whether a relationship is cause/effect or contrast. [ ] 1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5

• I can identify the trigger word and the outcome it leads to. [ ] 1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5

• I can choose the best supported effect, not a “similar but different” one. [ ] 1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5

• I can explain a logic chain using one signal word plus the connected ideas. [ ] 1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5

End of chapter one. 4 more chapters in the full book.