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1 day ago · Based on the context clues in the sentence, what is the best meaning of "affinity" a talent for To find a word's meaning, the reader can study the surrounding words, which are called the
23 hours ago · adjective. Word origin. Fr kilomètre: see kilo- & meter 1. kilometer in American English. (kɪˈlɑmɪtər, ˈkɪləˌmi-) noun. a unit of length, the common measure of distances equal to 1000 meters, and equivalent to 3280.8 feet or 0.621 mile. Abbreviation: km. Also (esp. Brit.): kilometre.
- Overview
- What are "words in context" questions?
- How should we determine the most "precise" word?
- Context
- Connotation
- How to approach words in context questions
- Charge it (+/-)
- Avoid unknowns
- Your turn
A guide to "words in context" questions on the digital SAT
•(Choice A)
jarring
•(Choice B)
scholarly
•(Choice C)
On the Reading and Writing section of your SAT, some questions will ask you to select the most logical and precise word or phrase in a given context.
Words in context questions will look like this:
Words in context: Example
In recommending Bao Phi’s collection Sông I Sing, a librarian noted that pieces by the spoken-word poet don’t lose their ______ nature when printed: the language has the same pleasant musical quality on the page as it does when performed by Phi.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Choose 1 answer:
A "precise" word is one that means exactly what it should in a given situation: it will fit its sentence perfectly and reinforce the text's meaning.
This last bit is important. We're not just looking for a word that sounds right or looks good. Instead, we need to understand the text and select the word with a meaning that best matches the point the text is making. This means that, when attempting words in context questions, reading comprehension is just as important as our knowledge of vocabulary.
Context refers to the specific scenario we're attempting to match a word or phrase to. To understand the context, we must read the provided text carefully.
Because we need to know the meaning of the word we're looking for, that meaning will be provided a second time within the text. This results in many prompts for words in context questions following a similar pattern of
Statement. Restatement.
The trick then is to match the word we're looking for with the equivalent idea in the other statement.
For example, let's look back at our example item prompt:
In recommending Bao Phi’s collection Sông I Sing, a librarian noted that pieces by the spoken-word poet don’t lose their ______ nature when printed: the language has the same pleasant musical quality on the page as it does when performed by Phi.
"Connotations" are the associations that we have with different words. One common example of connotation is whether a word feels positive or negative. Words can have similar meanings but vastly different connotations.
For example, the words "promising" and "ominous" both mean that something is predictive of the future. However, while "promising" has a strongly positive connotation, "ominous" has a strongly negative connotation. Therefore, these words can't logically applied to the same context.
If you're stuck on a words in context question, try focusing on these connotations. Is the sentence positive? Then the word we choose should be positive too!
For example:
•The basketball star's promising play this season suggests a bright future.
•The dark, ominous clouds on the horizon suggest a storm is coming.
To solve a words in context question, follow these three steps:
Step 1: Summarize the text in your own words
Don't just skim the text. Read it closely, and try to summarize the main idea in your own words. This can be tricky, since an important word is likely missing. If you're struggling to understand the text, try and translate each idea into a simple bullet point.
Remember, words in context prompts tend to follow a similar pattern. They will make a claim, and then they will expand upon or restate that claim in different words.
Step 2: Identify the key word, phrase, or idea
The text provides all the information you need to know. Whatever point the text is making, the correct answer will reinforce that idea. Often, there will be one word or phrase in the text that has nearly the same meaning as the correct answer. Find the right context clues, and the next part should be easy.
Sometimes connotation alone is enough to answer a words in context question. Is the text expressing something positive? If so, we can eliminate any choices that are too negative or neutral.
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On test day, you may encounter some words that you don't know. Many test-takers make the mistake of selecting words that they don't know in the choices instead of ones they know better and "feel right". These students think the words they know better must be "traps", because they might "seem too easy". This strategy can often backfire.
To raise your chances of getting words in context questions correct, try this instead:
•Eliminate what you can from the words you do know
•Select an option from what remains.
Words in context
The following text is from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby.
[Jay Gatsby] was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American—that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting work in youth and, even more, with the formless grace of our nervous, sporadic games. This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness.
As used in the text, what does the word “quality” most nearly mean?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
4 days ago · A kilometre is a metric unit of distance or length. One kilometre is a thousand metres, and is equal to 0.62 miles. American English: kilometer / ˈkɪləmitər, kɪˈlɒmɪtər /. Arabic: كِيلومِتْر.
noun [ C ] UK (US kilometer); ( written abbreviation km) uk / kɪˈlɒmɪtə r, ˈkɪləˌmiːtə r/ us. Add to word list. Add to word list. A2. a unit for measuring distance, equal to 1000 metres. Examples. The two cities are about eight kilometres apart. The fire was visible from five kilometres away.
Vocabulary in a text. Sometimes, reading exams have a section which focuses on vocabulary. These tips will help you get good marks in this section. Possible questions could include: Find the word in the text that means ... (You are given a definition) Choose the correct definition of the word X. (You are given some definitions to choose from)
