The SAT essay prompts have several important things in common:

They�re all passages that try to convince the reader of the veracity of the
author�s claim
They�re all around the same length (650-750 words)
They�re all meant to be analyzed and written about in a relatively short period of
time (50 minutes)
This means that you can have a pretty good idea ahead of time of what types of
argument-building techniques you might see when you open the booklet on test day.

The main techniques the author uses aren't going to be overly complex (like the
first letter of every word spelling out a secret code), because you just don�t have
the time to analyze and write about complex techniques. Because of that, you can
prepare yourself with SAT essay examples that�ll be likely found across persuasive
passages about many different issues.

Naturally, for each passage you're going to want to play to its particular
strengths�if there are a lot of facts/statistics, make sure to discuss that; if it
dwells more on personal anecdotes/appeals to emotion, discuss those. However, if
you struggle with analysis in a short period of time, memorizing these categories
of examples ahead of time can give you a helpful checklist to go through when
reading the SAT essay prompt and point you in the right direction.

Below, we've chosen two examples of evidence, two examples of reasoning, and two
examples of stylistic/persuasive elements you can use as stellar evidence to
support your thesis.

For each example below, we also show you how you can use the type of evidence to
support your thesis across a range of prompts. This flexibility should prove to you
how effective pre-planned examples are.

So, without further ado, onto our list of multipurpose support for any SAT Essay
prompt.

Examples of Evidence

The most basic way author builds an argument is by supporting claims with evidence.
There are many different kinds of evidence author might use to support her/his
point, but I'm just going to discuss the two big ones I've seen in various official
SAT Essay prompts. These two types of evidence are Facts and Statistics and
Anecdotes.

Example Type 1: Facts and Statistics

Employing statistics and facts to bolster one's argument is one of the most
unassailable methods authors can use to build an argument. This argument-building
technique is particularly common in essays written about scientific or social
studies-related topics, where specific data and facts are readily available.

How Can You Identify It?

Statistics usually show up in the form of specific numbers related to the topic at
hand�maybe as percents, or maybe as a way to communicate other data.
Here are a couple of examples of statistics from an official SAT essay prompt, "Let
There Be Dark" by Paul Bogard:

Example: 8 of 10 children born in the United States will never know a sky dark
enough for the Milky Way

Example: In the United States and Western Europe, the amount of light in the sky
increases an average of about 6% every year.

Factual evidence can also be in the form of non-numerical information. Often,

you'll see facts presented with references to the research study, survey, expert,
or other source from which they're drawn. Here's another example from "Let There Be
Dark":