# Cross-Text Connections on the SAT: Examples & Practice Source: https://1600.now/sat-skill/cross-text-connections --- Reading & Writing · Craft and Structure ## Cross-Text Connections Summarize each author's claim separately, then answer the exact comparison in the stem. Agreement on a topic does not mean agreement on an explanation, method, or conclusion. Written by [Luke Finigan](https://1600.now/about) 2 min read Updated Oct 2, 2026 ### Write one claim for each text Text 1 might argue that a poem's repeated images express a fixed interpretation. Text 2 might argue that the images invite several interpretations. Both discuss the same technique, but disagree about whether its meaning is fixed. Keep separate notes rather than merging the texts into one summary. Label whose statement is whose; reversing the authors can make a reasonable-sounding comparison wrong. ### Compare the point the question names If the stem asks how Author 2 would respond to Author 1's explanation, focus on that explanation. Author 2 might accept the observed result while questioning the proposed cause. That is a narrower disagreement than rejecting the entire study. Watch for scope words such as "only," "some," and "all." An author who offers an additional factor need not deny the first factor altogether. ### Work through a qualified disagreement Text 1: "The town's new bus route caused downtown shop visits to increase." Text 2: "Shop visits rose after the route opened, but a festival began that same week, so the route's contribution is uncertain." Author 2 accepts the increase but questions the causal attribution. The supported response is that another event could explain some of the change. A claim that the bus route had no effect is too strong; Text 2 says the contribution is uncertain, not zero. ### Reject outside knowledge and invented attitudes A choice can sound plausible based on your own knowledge while assigning an opinion neither text expresses. Ground a response in the second author's stated evidence and reasoning. For review, underline the sentence in each text that creates the connection. Then describe the relationship as agreement, disagreement, qualification, or a different explanation, with the specific point attached. ### Check your understanding Try it yourself Author 1 says rainfall alone explains crop yield. Author 2 says soil quality also matters. What is their disagreement? A Whether crops exist B Whether rainfall is the only relevant factor C Whether soil can be measured D Whether every farm has identical weather ### Sample cross-text connections questions Cross-Text Connections · Easy The author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 both discuss which topic? Text 1 For generations, residents of Bellmere have carried lanterns along the river each autumn. A local historian explains that the procession once honored returning fishermen but gradually became a celebration of the town’s shared past. Text 2 In interviews, Bellmere residents describe the lantern procession as a way to welcome newcomers and pass local stories to children. Several participants say that the event matters less for its original purpose than for the sense of belonging it creates today. A How a public tradition can help preserve and renew community identity. B Why river towns stopped relying on fishing for their income. C The materials and techniques used to manufacture lanterns. D How children’s holiday activities differ from adults’ activities. - [Open the question and explanation](https://1600.now/bank/reading/532f2681) Cross-Text Connections · Easy Based on the texts, the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree on which point? Text 1 Museum conservator Ada Mensah observes that ceramic vessels repaired with visible seams can reveal more about an object's history than vessels restored to appear untouched. The seams show which pieces were found together and which areas required later intervention. Text 2 In a study of repaired pottery, materials scientist Pavel Ito found that vessels with documented, visible joins allowed researchers to distinguish original fractures from modern additions. Ito concludes that preserving repair marks can provide useful evidence about an artifact's past. A Visible repair marks can help researchers learn how an artifact changed over time. B Ceramic vessels should be repaired only with materials that were available in antiquity. C Modern laboratory tests are more informative than observations made by conservators. D Artifacts with several fractures are less valuable than artifacts that were never damaged. - [Open the question and explanation](https://1600.now/bank/reading/f3df0680) Cross-Text Connections · Medium Which choice best describes the relationship between the two texts? Text 1 Literary scholar Nia Calder interprets the recurring river imagery in a 1912 novel as a sign of the protagonist's longing to escape, noting that the river appears before several departures. Text 2 After examining the author's notebooks, archivist Mateo Ruiz found sketches of flood-control projects made during the author's childhood. Ruiz argues that the river imagery may also preserve memories of the author's interest in changing local waterways. A Text 2 provides documentary evidence that completely confirms Text 1's interpretation. B Text 2 changes the subject from the novel's imagery to the publication history of the book. C Text 2 offers additional context that broadens the interpretation proposed in Text 1. D Text 2 claims that Text 1's interpretation was based on forged notebooks. - [Open the question and explanation](https://1600.now/bank/reading/885b7d08) ### Practice this skill 1. Write separate one-sentence claims before reading the options. 2. Underline the exact claim named in the comparison. 3. Distinguish rejecting a result from questioning its explanation. [Practice cross-text connections](https://1600.now/bank/reading/skill/Cross-Text%20Connections) [Print the cross-text connections worksheet and worked answers](https://1600.now/sat-cross-text-connections-worksheet). Then use a [mixed practice module](https://1600.now/modules) to check whether you can choose this method among other question types. ### Source and question labels The bank label for this guide is "Cross-Text Connections" in Craft and Structure. The worked examples above are written for this guide. - [College Board: Reading and Writing content domains](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/whats-on-the-test/reading-writing) ### Related skills - **[Evaluating Statistical Claims](https://1600.now/sat-skill/evaluating-statistical-claims)** Check two separate permissions: random sampling supports generalizing to a population, while random assignment in a well-designed experiment supports a causal comparison. - **[Text Structure and Purpose](https://1600.now/sat-skill/text-structure-and-purpose)** Explain what the text or an underlined sentence does in the argument. - **[Command of Evidence](https://1600.now/sat-skill/command-of-evidence)** Identify the claim before selecting evidence.