What the question looks like
You get a short passage, often a sentence or two, and one of two questions. Read the question first, since each one takes its own method.
| The question says | The passage has |
|---|---|
| “Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?” | A blank (______) |
| “As used in the text, what does the word ‘X’ most nearly mean?” | An underlined word, or now and then a phrase |
The choices are four words or four short phrases. All four fit the grammar of the sentence, so you're choosing on meaning alone.
Filling a blank
Divers working with marine biologist Imani Osei find one colony of sea anemones easy to survey because its members are so ______. In the forty years Osei has studied the colony, not one anemone has moved from the spot where she first recorded it.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
- A. colorful
- B. sluggish
- C. stationary
- D. wandering
- Read the question, then cover the choices and read the whole passage. The words that decide a blank aren't always in its own sentence. Lots of things could make a colony easy to survey, so here you need the second sentence.
- Find the clue, the words the blank repeats or reverses. “Because” means the blank says why the colony is easy to survey, and the second sentence tells you why. Not one anemone has moved in forty years. The blank repeats that.
- Predict the word before you look. Say your own word for the blank, here “staying put.” Make it as strong as the clue. Forty years without moving is more than slow.
- Uncover the choices and pick the closest. “Stationary” means staying in one place, so the answer is C. “Wandering” is the reverse.
- Read the passage again with your choice in place.
Come up with your word first, and cover the choices with your hand if you need to.
- Do this
- Say “staying put” to yourself before you uncover the choices.
- Not this
- Try each choice in the blank and keep the one that sounds best.
Two or three choices will sound fine, so trying them tells you little. With your own word ready, you're looking for one match. That's faster, and a trap has less to pull on.
Trap: Sounds like the topic
“colorful.” Reef animals are often colorful, and bright colors would make them easy to spot. But nothing in the passage is about color.
What to do: Point to the words in the passage that your choice repeats or reverses. If all you can point to is the topic, cross the choice off.
Trap: Fits the sentence, fights the passage
“sluggish,” which means slow-moving. “Its members are so sluggish” reads well, since slow animals would be easy to survey. But sluggish animals still move, and the next sentence says not one anemone has moved in forty years.
What to do: Name the sentence that backs up your choice. If it's only the sentence with the blank, read the rest of the passage again with your choice in place.
A clue that the blank reverses
“Unlike his early paintings, which were crowded with detail, his late ones were ______.”
When the passage sets the blank against a clue, your word is the reverse of the clue.
- Right
- his late ones were plain.
- Wrong
- his late ones were detailed.
“Unlike” sets the late paintings against the early ones, so the blank has to reverse “crowded with detail.” “Detailed” repeats it.
Before you predict, ask whether the blank agrees with the clue or works against it. These words tell you it works against it:
| Words like these | Ask yourself |
|---|---|
| but, although, though, even though | Which two ideas are set against each other? |
| rather than, instead of | What replaces what? |
| unlike, in contrast to, whereas, while | How are the two things different? |
| however, yet, nevertheless | Where does the passage change direction? |
| no longer, or a “not” that denies a quality | Which quality is denied? |
| once … now, previously … today | What changed over time? |
A change over time can set up the contrast with no “but” anywhere. In “Reviewers once found the design ______; today they find it elegant,” “once” and “today” set the reviewers' old view against their new one, so back then they thought less of it. Predict something negative, like “clumsy.”
“Although the survey was ______, the follow-up study visited every household in the district.”
Trap: The exact opposite
“thorough.” It would fit if “although” weren't there. The follow-up reached every household, and “although” sets the survey against that, so the survey must have covered only part of the district.
What to do: Find the contrast word and say which idea the blank is set against before you look at the choices.
A clue that explains the blank
Often the blank repeats a clue nearby, where the passage explains the word or shows what it means.
“The plan was ______: every step was set out in advance.”
When the passage explains the blank, take your word from the explanation.
- Right
- The plan was detailed.
- Wrong
- The plan was ambitious.
The words after the colon say how fully the plan was worked out. They say nothing about how big its goals were.
Here the explanation comes after a The mark : which follows a complete sentence and introduces what comes next.. Look for these setups too:
| Look for | Take your word from |
|---|---|
| a A long mark used alone before an explanation or in pairs around an added detail., or a comma before the same idea in new words | the words after it |
| “that is,” “in other words,” “meaning” | what follows |
| “for example,” “for instance,” or a list | what the examples have in common |
| a second sentence in plainer words | that sentence |
| “and” joining the blank to a similar word | the other word |
| “so” or “as a result” | the result, which only one meaning would lead to |
If no word comes to mind
If the passage is hard to follow, say each sentence in plain words first. The clue will still be there in your version.
“Because the compound degrades rapidly when exposed to ultraviolet light, it is ______ for outdoor applications.”
In plain words, it breaks down fast in sunlight, so it's no good outside. Now you can predict “unsuitable.”
If you still can't come up with a word, work out what you can about it:
- Is it positive or negative?
- Is it strong or mild?
- What is it describing: a person, a method, an amount, or a change?
“The critics' response was ______, and the play closed after one week.”
You may not find the word. You do know it's negative, and strong enough to close a play in a week, which rules out a positive choice like “admiring” and a mild one like “mixed.” Cross off every choice that fails one of these tests, then compare what's left. Don't fall back on reading all four into the blank.
Phrase choices
“The extra inspection adds a day to each order, but it has already caught three batches of faulty parts. Managers now call it ______.”
Predict a phrase, such as “a check worth having.” Then compare the main A word for a person, place, thing, or idea, like harbor or silence. or A word for what something does or is, such as carry or seem. in each choice with yours, since that's the part the clue decides. If the choices include “a costly delay” and “a needed safeguard,” set “delay” and “safeguard” against your “check.” A safeguard is a kind of check. “A costly delay” describes the extra day, which comes before “but,” and the managers' view comes after the faulty parts the inspection caught.
When more than one choice fits
Almost any choice can be defended once it's sitting in the blank. Pick the one closest to your word, which means matching how strong your word is and what it suggests, as well as its basic meaning.
“The chef became ______ for her soups, and people drove from three towns away to try them.”
Trap: Nearly right, wrong shade
“notorious,” which means famous for something bad. She is well known, so it's close. But people drive a long way for soup they love, and “notorious” gives her a bad name the passage never does.
What to do: Ask how strong the clue is and whether it's positive or negative. Keep the choice that matches on both.
If two choices both match your word, your word was too vague. “Well known” fits “famous” and “notorious” equally. Go back to the clue for how strong and how positive the word should be. A long drive for soup is a compliment, so “famous” wins. If the clue can't separate the two, one of them wasn't a real match, so look at the other choices again.
“By 1850 the new plow was widely ______, and within ten years nearly every farm had one.”
Trap: Right topic, wrong question
“disputed.” It's about the plow, but the sentence is about whether farmers could get one, and soon nearly all of them did. Nothing says anyone argued about it. “Available” fits what the sentence is about.
What to do: Say in plain words what the finished sentence claims. Then find the sentence that backs it up. If there isn't one, cross the choice off.
Choices you don't know
An unfamiliar word can be right or wrong like any other.
- Do this
- Guess the word's meaning from a part you know, then check it against your word.
- Not this
- Pick a word because it looks hard, or cross it off because you've never seen it.
How hard a word looks says nothing about whether it fits, and a rough meaning is often enough to judge by.
“Incredulous” looks like “credible” (believable) with “in-” (not) in front, so it has to do with not believing. It means unable to believe something.
You don't always need the whole meaning. “Malevolent” starts with “mal-,” as in “malfunction,” and “mal-” means bad. If your word is positive, that's enough to cross it off.
Even when most of the choices are new to you, keep your word and judge each choice this way.
An underlined word
The two sisters never talked about their old quarrel, but they had an unspoken understanding. Neither would bring it up at family dinners, and in twenty years neither ever did.
As used in the text, what does the word “understanding” most nearly mean?
- A. comprehension
- B. sympathy
- C. agreement
- D. knowledge
You don't need your own word for this form. All four choices are real meanings of “understanding,” and only one is the meaning this passage uses.
- Read the whole passage first, so you know what it says before you change a word of it.
- Put each choice in place of the word, starting with its own sentence. Check it against the words around it: who has it or does it, what it acts on, and any word describing it. Here two sisters “had” it together. “Comprehension” and “knowledge” are what one person has of a subject, so either one changes what the sentence says. Cross off a choice as soon as that happens.
- Carry the check into the next sentence. “Sympathy” could work in the first sentence, since two sisters can share a feeling. But the next sentence describes a deal. Neither would bring the quarrel up, and neither did.
- Keep the choice that leaves the whole passage saying the same thing. “Agreement” does, so the answer is C.
Test the everyday meaning like any other.
- Do this
- Swap in every choice, including meanings you wouldn't have thought of.
- Not this
- Keep “comprehension” without testing it, because it's what “understanding” usually means.
The meaning that comes to mind first is just the one you use most. Everyday words like “check,” “charge,” and “raise” have several meanings, and the familiar one has to pass the same swap as the rest.
The wrong choices usually read smoothly too, so don't stop at the first one that does. A near match can also change the passage's The attitude a piece of writing shows, like approving or doubtful., making it harsher or milder than it was, and that counts as a change. If you don't know a choice, guess its meaning from a part you know and swap that in.
Practice
Read each question first to see which method it needs. Work through the three examples, then try five more.
Food scientist Rania continuously stirs an ice-cream mixture during freezing, preventing sizable crystals while preserving its softness. This technique improves the finished dessert because the texture is ______: even and free of unpleasant granules that enlarged ice crystals produce throughout every spoonful.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
- A
rough
- B
rich
- C
hard
- D
smooth
Show the answer
- A
rough
“Rough” reverses the description after the The mark : which follows a complete sentence and introduces what comes next.. An even texture without unpleasant granules is smooth, while a rough texture would contain noticeable irregularities.
- B
rich
“Rich” may describe an ice cream’s flavor or intensity, but the definition after the The mark : which follows a complete sentence and introduces what comes next. concerns its texture.
- C
hard
“Hard” can describe a frozen dessert, but it conflicts with the statement that continuous stirring preserves the mixture’s softness.
- D
smooth
Correct answer“Smooth” means even and free of rough or grainy particles. This matches the texture produced when stirring prevents sizable ice crystals from forming.
Solution
Continuous stirring prevents sizable ice crystals, whose granules would make the ice cream’s texture uneven. The phrase after the The mark : which follows a complete sentence and introduces what comes next. defines the missing word as “even and free of unpleasant granules,” so “smooth” completes the text logically and precisely.
Although the engine firings used to maintain a satellite’s assigned orbit were ______, observers initially dismissed them as unimportant because each changed the craft’s speed so little. Engineers explained that without these repeated adjustments, small disturbances would accumulate over time until the satellite left its designated path and could no longer perform its scheduled monitoring tasks.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
- A
absolutely vital
- B
entirely unnecessary
- C
marginally helpful
- D
unusually expensive
Show the answer
- A
absolutely vital
Correct answerThe repeated firings prevent small disturbances from pushing the satellite out of its assigned orbit. Because leaving that orbit would stop the satellite from performing its scheduled tasks, the firings are “absolutely vital.”
- B
entirely unnecessary
This reverses the contrast signaled by “Although” and repeats the observers’ mistaken judgment that the firings were unimportant. The engineers explain that the satellite cannot continue its scheduled monitoring without them.
- C
marginally helpful
This recognizes that the firings help but understates how necessary they are. Without the adjustments, the satellite would eventually leave its designated path and could no longer perform its scheduled tasks.
- D
unusually expensive
This draws on a general association between satellite operations and high costs. The passage discusses the firings’ effect on the satellite’s orbit and gives no information about their expense.
Solution
“Although” sets up a contrast between the actual importance of the engine firings and the observers’ initial belief that they were unimportant. The second sentence explains their actual importance: without repeated adjustments, disturbances would accumulate, the satellite would leave its designated path, and its monitoring tasks would stop.
Therefore, “absolutely vital” most precisely describes the firings. “Entirely unnecessary” reverses the contrast and adopts the observers’ mistaken judgment. “Marginally helpful” acknowledges a benefit but understates the firings’ necessity. “Unusually expensive” relies on an assumption about the cost of satellite operations, a topic the passage never addresses.
Merchants’ objections to a parking demand study had led observers to anticipate a heated exchange, but the researchers remained cool during the outdoor meeting. Despite the sweltering conditions, they welcomed questions with evident interest, assessing each objection solely by its supporting evidence and inviting everyone to continue the discussion afterward.
As used in the text, what does the word “cool” most nearly mean?
- A
chilly
- B
apathetic
- C
dispassionate
- D
aloof
Show the answer
- A
chilly
“Chilly” applies the physical-temperature meaning of “cool” to the outdoor setting. The passage describes sweltering weather and uses “cool” to describe how the researchers responded to objections.
- B
apathetic
“Apathetic” confuses freedom from emotional bias with lack of interest. The researchers welcomed questions with “evident interest,” showing that they were engaged.
- C
dispassionate
Correct answer“Dispassionate” means free from emotional bias. The researchers assessed each objection “solely by its supporting evidence,” even though observers had expected a heated exchange.
- D
aloof
“Aloof” reads the researchers’ calm manner as social distance, which is plausible in the first sentence. Their welcoming questions and inviting everyone to continue the discussion contradict that reading.
Solution
The contrast with an anticipated “heated exchange” places “cool” in the context of the researchers’ response to criticism. The next sentence specifies their approach: they assessed each objection “solely by its supporting evidence.” This establishes that “cool” means “dispassionate,” or free from emotional bias.
The outdoor setting may suggest temperature, but the conditions were “sweltering.” Their “evident interest” rules out apathy, and their welcoming questions and inviting further discussion rule out social distance.
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