How to Tackle SAT, ACT Vocabulary Questions
Categories: US Education News
On the Reading sections of both the ACT and SAT , test-takers encounter a fair number of vocabulary-in-context questions. As you prepare for either test, practice these three techniques to successfully tackle them:
- Consider the context.
- Create a prediction and select the closest match.
- Plug in to double-check.
It may come as a relief to you that on the ACT and SAT, you will never be asked to identify the meaning of a vocabulary word in isolation. Instead, vocabulary questions are always passage-based, so you don't need to memorize definitions of words before test day. The test question states, "In line 55, 'charge' most clearly means:"
And the answer choices are A) responsibility, B) attack, C) fee and D) expense. You could argue that B, C, and D are all rough synonyms of “charge.” To charge at someone is to run toward them violently, and a charge on your credit card is a sort of fee or expense to be paid.
Some test-takers fall into the trap of relying too heavily on their background knowledge of words. They may simply read the question and choose a standard definition or synonym, an approach that is ill-advised. Instead, always revisit the part of the passage where the word appears and use context clues to deduce its meaning in that sentence.
Create a Prediction and Select the Closest Match
Another way that students misstep on the ACT and SAT is that they use the answer choices as a crutch. It is crucial to remember, however, that the answer choices are often meant to confuse, tempt or even trick you, not help you. For this reason, a student's strongest defense against tempting yet incorrect answer choices is making predictions.
Plug in to Double-Check
Assuming you followed the past advances yet wind up faltering about a response decision, twofold actually look at your choice by connecting it. Yet again when you do as such, try to peruse the sentence completely, it isn't excessively lengthy to accept it.
Along these lines, you will acquire the most dependable feeling of whether the word or expression works in that unique situation. The way to progress on ACT and SAT jargon questions is utilizing the right procedures. To accomplish the most noteworthy conceivable score on these inquiry types, think about setting, make expectations and twofold actually look at through replacement.