The Words in Context questions are the first 3-5 questions in each of the Reading/Writing modules. For some students, these questions are the bane of their existence.

Last week, I was working with Pearl, who has been working to break the 700 barrier, and besides complete sentences problems, Words in Context questions were killing her score.

Vocabulary is often the primary culprit preventing students from overcoming these questions, but Pearl’s problem was something you might struggle with as well. She wasn’t reading the whole passage.

It “Makes Sense” kills your score

Pearl was just reading the part of the passage with the blank and then trying words until something “made sense.”

AHHHHH! Don’t do that.

Here’s the thing about your brain. It is always trying to make things make sense to you.

In fact, your brain will provide you with a story of why the words “makes sense.” It will remind you of a situation, it will create a scenario, it will not allow you to entertain another meaning because the one it gave you “makes sense”.

Just because the sentence makes sense with a word added to it, doesn’t mean it is the right word for the question.

The Question will always give you a Clue

You must read the entire passage looking for the clue that was buried that will guide you to the intended answer. After you read the passage, identify the clue and then predict the idea that would fill in the blank. Then, go to the options and identify the one that best matches the clue and your predicted answer.

But I don’t know the Words

If you struggle with the vocabulary options, you need to work on expanding and improving your vocabulary. I have 4 suggestions to help with Words in Context questions.

The SAT® is a trademark of the College Board which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this information.

1. Review your completed official tests for unfamiliar words. Make a list and learn those words first. Because the SAT® is a standardized test, vocabulary that appears on one test is more likely to appear on a future test.
2. Sign up for the free service Roots2Words. Each day, you will get an email with a new word and a breakdown of the root and connections to other words. This list has had wonderful luck with identifying words appearing on the test.
3. Study the Academic Word List. This list was compiled from academic writing. It is a great place to start if you feel overwhelmed by learning vocabulary.
4. Buy Robert’s Extremely Nerdy Guide to Digital SAT Vocabulary by Robert Lewis. He has compiled a well-organized list of words, definitions, sentences, practice exercises and quizzes to help you expand your vocabulary.

If you are looking for more SAT help with vocabulary and Words in Context, try my Vocabulary in Context lesson.