On the test
Cross-Text Connections is rare: about 1 question per test, usually in the Craft and Structure block near the early questions (about questions 1 to 7 of a Reading and Writing module, 27 questions per module, 2 modules).
13 to 15 questions in the whole test (about 7 in each module). Usually questions 1 to 7 of each module.
How I approached it
A small story from Aime
When I read two texts together, I think of two neighbors talking about the same football match. One says the striker was the hero. The other says, 'Yes, but the goalkeeper saved us three times.' The second neighbor did not forget the match; he is answering the first. I listen for how the second person relates to the first: does he agree, add something, or push back? The SAT gives you Text 1 and Text 2 and asks the same thing. First I understand each speaker alone, in one short sentence. Then I ask how the second answers the first, and I choose a reply that fits exactly what each person said.
There is only about one of these per test, so it will never take much of your time, and it is easier than it looks. Short texts, short summaries, and a careful look at the verbs will carry you through.
What is inside this part
You imagine what the second author would say to the claim in Text 1.
Challenge · Qualification · Agreement with a limit
You describe in general how Text 2 stands towards Text 1.
Supports · Challenges · Extends or explains
You choose a statement that both authors would accept.
Common ground between different views
How to know a question is from this part
Two short texts labeled Text 1 and Text 2 about the same topic, followed by a question that compares them.
- The labels 'Text 1' and 'Text 2' appear before the passages
- The question says 'Based on the texts' or 'the relationship between the texts'
- The question asks how the author of Text 2 would respond to Text 1
- Choices start with 'It' or 'Text 2' and use verbs like 'supports', 'challenges', 'qualifies'
- Both texts are only about 3 to 5 sentences
The lesson
1. What this question is
Cross-Text Connections gives you two short texts, called Text 1 and Text 2. They are about the same topic, but written by different people or from different views.
The question asks you to compare them: how does one respond to the other, what do they agree on, or how does Text 2 relate to a claim in Text 1.
Because of the two texts, this question looks longer than most, but each text is only a few sentences.
2. The kinds of question
Kind 1, response: 'Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim about X in Text 1?' Here you must imagine the second author reading the first.
Kind 2, relationship: 'Which choice best describes the relationship between the texts?' You must say if Text 2 supports, challenges, adds to, or explains Text 1.
Kind 3, agreement: 'Based on the texts, the authors of both texts would most likely agree with which statement?'
Kind 4, evidence: 'Which finding, if true, would most directly support or challenge a claim in a text?'
3. Words you need for comparing
Support: gives evidence for the same claim. Challenge or undermine: gives evidence against it. Qualify: agrees but adds a limit ('only in some cases'). Extend or build on: adds a new step. Concede: admits the other side is partly right. Shift the focus: moves attention from one question to another.
The strength of the verb matters. 'Casts doubt on' is weaker than 'proves wrong'. Many wrong answers use verbs that are too strong.
4. The method: summarize each text, then connect
Step 1: Read Text 1 and write a one-sentence summary: its main claim and one reason.
Step 2: Read Text 2 and do the same.
Step 3: Ask how Text 2 stands towards Text 1: same direction, opposite, or a different angle on the same topic?
Step 4: Read the question again and find the exact thing it asks about. Say your own answer before you look at the choices.
Step 5: Test each choice against BOTH summaries. A good choice must be true for both texts, not only one.
5. Worked example 1: relationship
Start with a simple pair.
Text 1: Cities should plant more trees along streets, because shade lowers summer temperatures. Text 2: Tree planting helps, but only if the young trees are watered; in dry cities, unwatered saplings die and the effort is wasted. Which choice best describes the relationship of Text 2 to Text 1? A) It rejects the idea of planting trees. B) It agrees that trees help and adds a condition for success. C) It proves Text 1 has wrong facts. D) It describes a different topic.
Show the steps
- Summary of Text 1: plant trees, they cool the city.
- Summary of Text 2: planting helps, but needs water or it fails.
- 'Helps, but only if' means Text 2 agrees and adds a limit.
- Choice A is too strong. Choice B is exact.
B
6. Worked example 2: how would Author 2 respond
Here you need the answer that Author 2 would give if shown Text 1.
Text 1: A biologist argues that the disappearance of frogs from a mountain lake is caused only by a fungus. Text 2: An ecologist notes that the fungus spreads faster and kills more in warmer water, and that the lake has warmed in recent decades. How would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the biologist's claim? A) The fungus is not present in the lake. B) The fungus may matter, but warming also plays a role, so 'only' is too strong. C) The frogs have not actually disappeared. D) The fungus is harmless.
Show the steps
- The key word in Text 1 is 'only'.
- Text 2 does not deny the fungus; it says warm water makes it worse.
- So Author 2 would say warming also matters. Choice B.
- A, C and D deny facts that Text 2 never denies.
B
7. Worked example 3: what both agree on
In an agreement question, the answer is a statement that both texts support, even if they disagree on other things.
Text 1: A linguist says languages change when their speakers borrow words from other languages, so people who fear borrowing misunderstand how language works. Text 2: A historian notes that English took in thousands of French words after 1066, yet its basic grammar stayed Germanic. Which statement would both authors most likely agree with? A) Borrowing words does not destroy a language. B) English should not borrow more words. C) French is better than English. D) Grammar never changes.
Show the steps
- Text 1: borrowing is normal and not to be feared.
- Text 2: English borrowed a lot and kept its core grammar.
- Both support the idea that borrowing words is not fatal to a language. Choice A.
- B, C and D are opinions neither text gives.
A
8. Common traps
Trap 1, mixing up the texts: the choice gives what Text 1 says when the question is about Text 2.
Trap 2, too strong: 'completely wrong', 'proves', 'ignores'. A real second author is usually more careful.
Trap 3, true but not asked: the choice is a fact from one text, but it does not connect the two.
Trap 4, a different topic: the two texts share a word but not the same claim. Make sure the choice matches what each text is truly about.
See it
- 1Summarize Text 1 in one sentence
- 2Summarize Text 2 in one sentence
- 3Decide: agree, disagree, add a limit, or change the focus
- 4Test each choice against BOTH summaries
| Relationship | Signal words in Text 2 | Typical choice wording |
|---|---|---|
| Supports | also, similarly, evidence shows | provides evidence for |
| Challenges | however, but evidence suggests | casts doubt on, calls into question |
| Qualifies | helps, but only if; in some cases | agrees but adds a limit |
| Extends | this leads to, furthermore | builds on, applies to a new case |
| Shifts focus | what matters is, instead | moves attention from X to Y |
- suggests
- casts doubt on
- adds a limit to
- partly agrees
- proves false
- completely rejects
- ignores
- attacks
Videos that can help
Ask in the community. Tutors and other students answer.
Ask a question