Identify how evidence/examples are positioned to support a claim or explanation.
Core Idea
Evidence on the SAT is always placed strategically — it comes after a claim to back it up, before a claim to motivate it, or between claims to bridge them — and the question asks you to name that positioning.
Understanding
Authors don't drop evidence randomly. A specific example, a data point, or a quoted authority always appears in a particular spot for a reason. The SAT tests whether you can see the relationship between the evidence and the claim it's supporting.
Three common placements: evidence after a claim (the most straightforward — "X is true. For instance, Y."), evidence before a claim (building toward a conclusion — "Y happened. This suggests X."), and evidence sandwiched between two related claims to act as a bridge or pivot.
The key distinction the SAT exploits: evidence that supports versus evidence that illustrates. Supporting evidence makes a claim more convincing (data, research findings). Illustrating evidence makes a claim more concrete (a specific example or anecdote). Both are evidence, but the SAT answer choices will distinguish between them, so pay attention to whether the example is proving a point or just making it vivid.
Worked Example
Psychologist Carol Dweck has argued that praising children for effort rather than innate ability encourages a "growth mindset" — the belief that skills can be developed through practice. In one study, students who were told "you worked hard" attempted more challenging problems afterward than students told "you're smart," who tended to avoid tasks where they might fail.
Which choice best describes how the second sentence functions in the text?
Select an answer to see the explanation