SAT Reading & Writing: Determine whether two authors agree or disagree, and on what
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The concept, explained
- 1
First pin down each author's central claim in one sentence. Then compare those sentences — agreement/disagreement should pop out.
- 2
Be precise about what they agree or disagree ON. Two authors can agree on the facts but disagree about what the facts mean.
- 3
Watch for partial agreement: Author 1 may accept Author 2's premise but reject the conclusion — that is disagreement about the conclusion, not the premise.
- 4
Quote-ish thinking helps: mentally put "Yes, I agree — " before Author 1's words about Author 2's claim. If the sentence would naturally continue "but I'd add..." they agree; if "no, I think the opposite," they disagree.
- 5
The correct choice names both the stance (agree/disagree) and the specific point at stake — answers that get one half wrong are traps.
- ✗ Calling the authors "opposite" when they actually disagree on a narrow point but agree on the broader issue.
- ✗ Assuming that discussing the same topic means the authors agree — two authors can focus on identical subjects yet reach opposite conclusions.
- ✗ Ignoring hedges ("somewhat," "in most cases") that change the scope of agreement.
SAT-style practice
Text 1 argues that minimum-wage increases reliably raise low-wage workers' incomes without causing significant employment losses. Text 2 agrees that incomes rise but contends that significant employment losses do occur in small businesses. Which best describes the relationship between the two texts?
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