SAT Reading & Writing: Paired Passages: Areas of Agreement
30+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
Questions asking what two authors would agree upon require finding a premise or underlying fact shared by both texts.
- 2
Even if Passage 1 argues for Policy X and Passage 2 argues vigorously against Policy X, they might BOTH agree that a problem exists requiring action.
- 3
To verify an answer, you must find textual evidence in BOTH passages supporting the statement.
- 4
Often, the area of agreement is a minor point or foundational assumption, not the main argument.
- ✗ Choosing a statement that is strongly supported by Passage 1 but never mentioned (or opposed) by Passage 2.
- ✗ Assuming that because they disagree overall, they agree on nothing.
SAT-style practice
Passage 1: Strict zoning laws are needed to prevent urban sprawl, though they limit new housing. Passage 2: Zoning laws unfairly restrict the housing supply and drive up prices; the market should dictate expansion. On what point would the authors agree?
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