![\"bs-p&sosc_img1\"](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2015\/04\/bs-psosc_img1.jpg\")
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the english language contains over a million words,<\/em><\/p>\n but you\u2019re not expected to know them all.<\/em><\/p>\n for this part of the exam, is it in your best interest to be well-read and have a solid vocabulary? of course, but you also need problem-solving skills that are specific to this task. while vocab lists are important, you won\u2019t succeed by just memorizing hundreds of flashcards.<\/p>\n think about it\u20148 questions in sentence completion. some have 5 words in the answer choices (single-blank) and some have 10 (double-blank). then there\u2019s a smattering of vocab in the sentences themselves. so expect around 75 vocab words. these are chosen at the college board\u2019s discretion. some are more likely to show up, but for the most part, it\u2019s all fair game.<\/p>\n if\/when you run into a new word, it\u2019s ok. this isn\u2019t just about your lexicon. in sentence completion (and every other part of the sat), the college board is testing 1) your key skills and 2) your familiarity with the test itself. to improve your speed and chances of answering correctly, take these steps before looking at the answer choices. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n all sections of the sat test your knowledge of…the sat. that\u2019s just a reality, so be wary of the college board\u2019s favorite traps and how to avoid them. notice that in all of these tricky scenarios, knowing the word definitions isn\u2019t going to save you. that\u2019s why strategy and familiarity matter.<\/p>\n it\u2019s no coincidence that sentence completion is at the beginning of critical reading. students may spend too much time here and compromise the rest \u2014 over 8 questions! since these are in order of difficulty, knock out the easy ones and don\u2019t obsess over the last few. if you can\u2019t guess with confidence (or narrow down to 50\/50), skip and move on. you need that time for passage-based questions. you get lost in a sentence, miss the context clues, come up with a guess word that\u2019s totally off, and pick the wrong answer. it\u2019s important to break the sentence into parts. use transition\/contrast words to determine the meaning and flow.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n a word is related to the topic of the sentence and looks appealing, especially if you\u2019re rushed or nervous. trap! the meaning of the sentence is what matters, not the topic.<\/p>\n example: since kelly didn\u2019t expect anything for valentine\u2019s day, she was ___________ by the bouquet of roses on her desk.<\/p>\n the correct answer is b. kelly didn\u2019t expect anything so she was astonished, or surprised. if rushing, you might choose \u201clovestruck,\u201d since that word is associated with valentine\u2019s day (…sometimes). a word may look or sound like the one you\u2019re looking for (or have the same word root), but has a completely different meaning. careful\u2014these are often wrong.<\/p>\n example:<\/p>\n working on the history class project, the group neglected to verify facts, check timelines, or consult textbooks; therefore, the final product was highly _____________, full of easily avoidable mistakes and inaccuracies.<\/p>\n the correct answer is b) anachronistic, which means that something has a historical error, or reports an inaccurate time\/place. this definition is literally in the sentence (right after the blank) and it\u2019s a huge context clue. however, let\u2019s say your guess word is \u201cerrors\u201d (which is fine) \u2014 but because that looks\/sounds similar to \u201cerratic,\u201d you choose d. wrong\u2014\u201cerratic\u201d actually means unpredictable or inconsistent. it\u2019s a negative word, but not the one we need. these look harder than they actually are, so students spend more time. that\u2019s not always necessary. double blanks give you two chances to answer correctly, making elimination easier. if you know for sure that the first word in a pair doesn\u2019t fit, you don\u2019t have to worry about the second one. eliminate. since the sat is a game of odds, finding reasons to eliminate answer choices is arguably more useful than knowing exactly why an answer is right. the more you can confidently eliminate, the better your chances. in this scenario, one of the words in the answer pairs will be absolutely perfect.<\/em> it might even be your guess word! you get tempted and choose it. don\u2019t! mixing and matching is not allowed. if you like a word, great\u2014but check the other one. if you don\u2019t know what it means, be extra careful! try to eliminate the other choices before answering.<\/p>\n example:<\/p>\n a great swimmer must be exceptionally _________ and quick; for instance, michael phelps won medals due not only to his physical force, but also his remarkable ________ in the water.<\/p>\n the correct answer is d. the trap answers are b (since \u201cpowerful\u201d fits the first blank) and c (since \u201cspeed\u201d fits the second blank). in both pairs, one word is a perfect fit but the other one is wrong. an answer will have two suitable words, but in the wrong order! one example of this trap is answer choice e (rapidity…powerful) in the above question. those words would work, but only if switched around. toss it. image credit: pixabay, giphy<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" the english language contains over a million words, but you\u2019re not expected to know them all. for this part of the exam, is it in your best interest to be well-read and have a solid vocabulary? of course, but you also need problem-solving skills that are specific to this task. while vocab lists are important, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[85,51],"ppma_author":[24905],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n <\/p>\nkey skills & strategies<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\ncontext clues<\/h2>\n
\n
inferences<\/h2>\n
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common pitfalls<\/h2>\n
![\"trap\"](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2015\/04\/trap.gif\")
\n <\/p>\ntime<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\nlong, confusing sentences<\/h2>\n
topic: don\u2019t take the bait!<\/h2>\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n\u201cclose enough\u201d\u2014don\u2019t take the bait<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\ndouble-blanks: intimidation<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\ndouble blanks: tempting words (don\u2019t take the bait!)<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/p>\ndouble blanks: switched up<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\n