Vocabulary in context questions are a subcategory of craft and structure. They’re less common than other question types, so you’ll see them less often on ACT Reading - but they’re still worth studying.
Vocabulary in context questions have the following traits:
Here’s an example of a vocabulary in context question:
Notice that the question asks you to interpret what the phrase “germ” means. To do that, you need context from the passage.
For example, think about the word “court.” What does it mean? It could be a basketball court or a tennis court. It could also mean a court of law, or even the act of courting (dating) someone. Without context, you can’t know which meaning is intended.
That’s why context matters. For these questions, context often matters more than your vocabulary. A strong vocabulary helps, but many of these questions can be answered even if you’ve never seen the word or phrase before.
Use this four-step technique to answer vocabulary in context questions:
Find the line in the passage. Often these questions reference line numbers, so use that to jump to the right place.
Read a few lines above and below the referenced line. This gives you context clues about the meaning of the word or phrase. The test often chooses words and phrases with multiple meanings, so the surrounding sentences are what tell you which meaning fits.
Before reading the answer choices, think of a word or phrase you’d substitute for the one given. This anchors your thinking in the passage so you don’t get pulled toward a tempting but incorrect choice. Once you have your own guess, look at the choices and pick the one closest in meaning.
Read the sentence again using the choice you picked to make sure it still makes sense in the full sentence.
Let’s put this into action with the example question you saw earlier - except this time, you’ll also see the passage context. Notice how we’ve used annotations to highlight clues around the phrase.
Now, follow the steps to answer the question:
What do you think is the best answer?
Answer: D. seed
Seeds can only develop according to what kind of seed they are. If you have a carrot seed, you’ll grow carrots. If you have an apple seed, you’ll grow an apple tree. Using the word “seed” implies that people are born with a sense of direction rather than being able to acquire it. This is the only word that fits the context of the sentence.
Even if the answer seems obvious, still use the technique and go step by step. The answer choices are often designed to tempt you into a quick, incorrect decision. If you follow the same process every time, you’ll consistently choose the option that best matches the passage.