SAT Words in Context questions entail one of the more challenging types on the SAT because they require the student not only to read well but also to approach challenging vocabulary. Although important context clues can come from anywhere in the paragraph, you should generally focus most closely on the sentence containing the “blank”. As you do so, look out for clues that demonstrate relationships between different concepts or facts, particularly relationships of contrast. As you evaluate the choices to discern which word best completes the text, make the strategies introduced below your regular habit. Even if you feel your vocabulary isn’t fully up to the challenge of the hardest SAT Words in Context questions, don’t give up: there are often ways to eliminate answer choices and increase your chances of arriving at the correct answer.
The 1960s avant-garde composer Henry Glauser often employed nontraditional sound sources, such as crumpling paper and vibrating metal coils, in his work. At the time, many critics dismissed his compositions as chaotic or unserious. However, recent scholarship has begun to reexamine Glauser’s catalog as a deeply ______ exploration of noise, silence, and the boundaries of musical perception.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. whimsical
B. derivative
C. incoherent
D. deliberate
Words in Context questions call on the test-taker to look for context clues in order to determine the kind of word (or words) most appropriate to fill in the blank. There are many kinds of words and phrases marking relationship or transition, but none is more important than contrast words like “but” and “however”. The “however” is the fulcrum of this passage; everything turns on that one word. Before the “however, Glauser’s work (introduced in the first sentence) is viewed negatively, with such descriptors as “chaotic” and “unserious”. After the “however” recent scholarship reconsiders this assessment, so we can now anticipate a positive-sounding word to go in the blank. One way to predict that word is to consider the opposite of the critical words found earlier, “chaotic” and “unserious”. Viewed this way, we might anticipate a word like “ordered” or “serious”.
The challenge now is to reckon with the obscure words in the choices. On harder Words in Context questions, the SAT will introduce such words to test your vocabulary. Although there’s no replacement for a deep and broad vocabulary, there are tools you can use to make strong educated guesses. One of the most common and helpful tools is considering words by their parts; in doing so we can consider their “roots”, or origins. For example, even if you don’t know what “incoherent” is, it doesn’t sound good based on the prefix “in-”, which means “not”. Although it’s possible the word contains a double negation and actually does indicate something positive (think about how “invincible” means “not able to be defeated”), this sort of occurrence is rare. It’s fairly safe to rule out “incoherent”, and indeed, it has a meaning close to the critical word “chaotic” already used.
Another choice that can be eliminated based on educated guessing is “derivative”. If you see the word “derive” at the front of the word and know that to derive is to mimic something or get something from another source, you might realize that this word, at best, is neutral in tone. Something derivative is unoriginal because it is copied from someone or something else.
What about “whimsical”? Have you ever heard of “doing something on a whim? You may know that a “whim”, in this context, is a sudden impulse, a desire that comes over a person suddenly. Even if you are not sure what “whimsical” means, do you think it refers to something very carefully structured and logically considered? Probably not.
That leaves “deliberate”. You’ve probably heard of the word before, and maybe in a negative context: “You deliberately disobeyed me!” But notice that the word has a lot of intention behind it. If we want an antonym of “chaotic”, we could do a lot worse than “deliberate”. And since, indeed, deliberate turns out to mean “carefully considered”, we have found the positive-in-tone answer we’re looking for. The answer is D.
On rare occasions, instead of leaving a blank in the passage, the SAT will underline a word in the passage and ask you to find its synonym.
Answer this: what does the U in the QUICKER Method stand for?
UNDERSTAND the question type.
The new dish was unlike anything the restaurant had served before. It combined bold spices with surprising textures, creating a culinary experience that delighted even the most skeptical diners. Customers praised the chef for the dish’s ______ blend of ingredients, calling it both daring and delicious.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. unusual
B. tasteless
C. vague
D. bland
The answer is A. What context clues give us the clearest sense of what word goes in the blank? In the last sentence, we see “praised” and then “daring and delicious”. People obviously love this dish! But surprisingly, none of the answer choices is very positive in tone. We have to keep in mind that clues to the blank can also come earlier in the passage; “bold” and “surprising” describe how unusual this dish is. It certainly wouldn’t be praised so heartily if it were “tasteless” or “bland”, and “vague” doesn’t make sense to describe a food dish.
Biologist Claire Montgomery has spent years researching nocturnal pollinators, including bats and moths. While these species are less well-known than bees, they play an essential role in maintaining the health of many ecosystems. Montgomery hopes that her work will help to ______ greater interest in these previously overlooked pollinators.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. suppress
B. generate
C. predict
D. overlook
The answer is B. To help us predict what goes in the blank, we should note that the sentence begins, “Montgomery hopes …” What does she hope for? She has been working on nocturnal pollinators and no doubt wants her work to have an influence. The other hint is the phrase “previously overlooked.” This phrase shows us the status of these pollinators before Montgomery’s work; the hope, no doubt, is that they will no longer be overlooked. So Montgomery must want to cause greater interest. The closest word to that is “generate”. “Suppress” would be the opposite, and we certainly don’t want “overlook” since that would keep these pollinators in their unknown position! “Predict” is perhaps not far from correct, but Montgomery is not predicting greater interest. She’s hoping, rather to generate it.
Engineer Lila Shah’s invention—a water-purifying device powered by solar energy—was celebrated not just for its functionality but also for its elegant design. Her team had worked for months to ensure that each component was both practical and beautiful, embodying a rare ______ of efficiency and aesthetics.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. confusion
B. rejection
C. union
D. exposition
The answer is C. Once again, we are helped in our evaluation of this passage by a consideration of its tone. From the outset, the attitude is very positive; this is an exciting and promising invention! It is both “practical” and “beautiful”, words that match nicely with the concluding nouns, “efficiency” and “aesthetics”. The “blank” asks us to supply a noun that can describe the relationship of the aforementioned efficiency and aesthetics; in context, it appears that “blend” would be a good prediction for this blank, since both qualities are being joined in the same invention.
Two of the answer choices can be immediately eliminated as too negative: “confusion” and “rejection”. An “exposition” is an explanation or display; although these ideas may not be too far off, it’s “union” we want, since two positive qualities are being joined together in one device.
Paleoclimatologist Lydia Romero’s recent analysis of sediment cores from the Arctic seafloor revealed abrupt shifts in temperature and salinity levels during the Holocene epoch. These fluctuations, previously thought to be random anomalies, now appear to follow a discernible pattern. Romero argues that this emerging regularity may ______ prevailing models of long-term climate stability.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. reinforce
B. buttress
C. emulate
D. disrupt
The answer is D. Words in Context questions move up in difficulty for two primary reasons: 1) the vocabulary becomes less familiar and 2) the context clues become less apparent. This question is challenging for both reasons, but perhaps especially for the second reason. You may have to re-read the passage to identify exactly what’s happening to the “prevailing models” in light of this new information. The key question: does the new information confirm the models already existing, or does it somehow change them?
In the second sentence, we find evidence of a shift in understanding; the phrases “previously thought” and “now appear to …” suggest that new information has come to light. The paleoclimatologist, on the basis of this new information, “argues” that the discovery “may” have some effect on current models (“prevailing” refers to something currently recognized as authoritative or conclusive). If the new information simply confirmed what was already known, it would not be presented with the contrasts mentioned above, nor would the researcher be likely to make any “argument” about the discovery. Therefore, we can conclude that the new information will change the current models.
With this in mind, we can eliminate both “reinforce” and “buttress”; in fact, these two words mean more or less the same thing: to confirm or support. To “emulate”, meanwhile, is to imitate someone in the hopes of repeating their achievement. Nothing about “emulate” suggests the kind of change or revision we’re looking for. “Disrupt” does the trick; to interrupt an event or cause a change in a process. Note that, even if you were unsure of the meanings of “emulate” and “buttress”, you could answer this question correctly using the contextual reading described here.
Though often labeled a novelist of manners, Edith Wharton infused her fiction with a sharp, even subversive critique of the social elite she portrayed. Her careful attention to etiquette and décor was not celebratory but analytical. Far from romanticizing wealth, her narratives ______ the emotional constraints and moral compromises that accompanied privilege.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. exacerbated
B. obscured
C. extolled
D. lamented
The answer is D. The vocabulary in both the passage and the answer choices is challenging here: “subversive”, “exacerbated”, and “extolled” are among the words in this question with which many students may be unfamiliar. But remember: an educated guess, at least, is often possible with careful reading. We do find a clear contrast in the sentence containing the “blank”; the phrase “far from” shows us that Wharton did not “romanticize wealth,” so we are looking for something more or less opposite to “romanticize”.
Even if you are not exactly sure of the sense of “romanticize”, you likely know that “romantic” is a positive-sounding word related to love. So Wharton is likely doing something negative; perhaps “criticize” or a similar word gets at the idea best. Now we can consider the choices. To “obscure” is to hide something; we have in this very lesson talked of “obscure” vocabulary, which means words that are less familiar to most people. Of the remaining words, “lamented” is probably the most familiar word; when you lament something, you express sadness about it, likely wishing it hadn’t happened. That seems to fit the context well and appears to be an antonym of “romanticize”.
The remaining two words will be unfamiliar to many students (although that may not matter to those who are confident that “lamented” is the correct answer). To “extol” is to praise something abundantly, an idea that does not fit this context at all. “Exacerbate” means to make something worse; although it has a negative cast, this word doesn’t fit what Wharton is doing here. She is not herself making something worse, but rather critically describing something that already exists.
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