SAT Writing : Rewriting a Single Word

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #91 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 Seaweed; a type of algae that’s a promising resource for the future. 2 It can be used with a fuel, medicine, fuel source, and even fertilizer. 3 Often being both farmed or foraged. 4 In Indonesia, China, Korea, and the Philippines are among the world’s largest producers of seaweed, it is used for everything from sushi and bread to dessert. 5 Medically, speaking derivatives of seaweed can be optimized in bandages, dental molds, and microbiology cultures. 6 Girls especially will squeal when they hear that seaweed’s components are used to make many pretty makeup products. 7 It should come as no surprise, then, that countries around the world are investing significant capital in seaweed research.

In Sentence 7, what word should replace “capital”?

Possible Answers:

carapace

caprice

capital (no change)

capybara

charitable

Correct answer:

capital (no change)

Explanation:

“Capital,” which means money invested at the start of a new project, is exactly the right word to use here. "Charity" involves financial or practical contribution to a socially helpful cause. "Caprice" refers to an unpredictable change of some sort.

Example Question #92 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 The job is similar to a music editor, who creates and merges songs, background music, and other sound effects to create a particular atmosphere. 2 While most Americans today are cognizant of film jobs such as director, producer, actor, and even screenwriter. 3 Few know much about the role of film editor. 4 This job involves mostly post-production work, with the editor choosing that parts of the raw footage to move, combine, or separate. 5 Without the film editor, there would only be a bewitching jumble of disordered chaotic images. 6 Sometimes more than ten times as much film is shot than is used in the final cut of the movie. 7 Film editors, also have the ability to impose experimental approaches, discontinuity, or emotional manipulation as he sees fit. 8 Film editing truly is a critical and undervalued art. 

In Sentence 2, what word should replace “cognizant”?

Possible Answers:

cogent

cogitable

cogitative

cognizant (no change)

cognitive

Correct answer:

cognizant (no change)

Explanation:

“Cognizant of,” a synonym for “aware of,” is actually the best choice for the sentence. While all of the other words are related to knowledge, only “cognizant” makes sense in the context of Americans knowing about various film jobs.

Example Question #93 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 They will look hideous, but in some part of the world gooseneck barnacles are trendy delicacies. 2 They are harvested mainly in northern Spain and Portugal, where they are known as, percebes, and in California. 3 Barnacles can be cooked in a variety of ways including in boiling water and hot ash. 4 It is remarkable for its rubbery texture, ugly black color, and claw like shape. 5 Barnacles are also difficult to collect, living on cliff sides and rocks in tumid coastal zones. 6 They are commonly served with lemon, garlic aioli, parsley, and melted butter. 7 They are sometimes even eaten raw! 8 In medieval times people actually believed that gooseneck barnacles gave birth to a species of black goose, henceforth the name.

In Sentence 5, what word should replace “tumid”?

Possible Answers:

telluric

tumultuous

tepid

temperate

tumid (no change)

Correct answer:

tumultuous

Explanation:

Based on context, the best choice for the sentence is “tumultuous,” which means chaotic or stormy. “Tumid” means swollen or pompous, “temperate” means moderate, “telluric” means a type of electrical current, and “tepid” means lukewarm.

Example Question #101 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 They will look hideous, but in some part of the world gooseneck barnacles are trendy delicacies. 2 They are harvested mainly in northern Spain and Portugal, where they are known as, percebes, and in California. 3 Barnacles can be cooked in a variety of ways including in boiling water and hot ash. 4 It is remarkable for its rubbery texture, ugly black color, and claw like shape. 5 Barnacles are also difficult to collect, living on cliff sides and rocks in tumid coastal zones. 6 They are commonly served with lemon, garlic aioli, parsley, and melted butter. 7 They are sometimes even eaten raw! 8 In medieval times people actually believed that gooseneck barnacles gave birth to a species of black goose, henceforth the name.

In Sentence 1, what word should replace “will”?

Possible Answers:

may

will (no change)

would

didn’t

did

Correct answer:

may

Explanation:

The best word here is the hypothetical “may.” “Might” would also be a strong substitution. When speaking about how something "may" appear to anyone who sees it, it will usually be unwise to use language strongly connoting certainty.

Example Question #102 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 They will look hideous, but in some part of the world gooseneck barnacles are trendy delicacies. 2 They are harvested mainly in northern Spain and Portugal, where they are known as, percebes, and in California. 3 Barnacles can be cooked in a variety of ways including in boiling water and hot ash. 4 It is remarkable for its rubbery texture, ugly black color, and claw like shape. 5 Barnacles are also difficult to collect, living on cliff sides and rocks in tumid coastal zones. 6 They are commonly served with lemon, garlic aioli, parsley, and melted butter. 7 They are sometimes even eaten raw! 8 In medieval times people actually believed that gooseneck barnacles gave birth to a species of black goose, henceforth the name.

In Sentence 8, what word should replace “henceforth”?

Possible Answers:

wherewithal

heretofore

henceforth (no change)

forthwith

hence

Correct answer:

hence

Explanation:

“Henceforth” means “from this time forward,” which does not fit the meaning of the sentence. “Hence,” or therefore, does fit.

Example Question #103 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 The job is similar to a music editor, who creates and merges songs, background music, and other sound effects to create a particular atmosphere. 2 While most Americans today are cognizant of film jobs such as director, producer, actor, and even screenwriter. 3 Few know much about the role of film editor. 4 This job involves mostly post-production work, with the editor choosing that parts of the raw footage to move, combine, or separate. 5 Without the film editor, there would only be a bewitching jumble of disordered chaotic images. 6 Sometimes more than ten times as much film is shot than is used in the final cut of the movie. 7 Film editors, also have the ability to impose experimental approaches, discontinuity, or emotional manipulation as he sees fit. 8 Film editing truly is a critical and undervalued art. 

In Sentence 5, what word should replace “bewitching?”

Possible Answers:

bewitching (no change)

bewildering

bewailing

bewhiskering

bewigging

Correct answer:

bewildering

Explanation:

While “bewitching,” or enchanting, is the right part of speech here, a better choice would be “bewildering” or confusing. The latter word describes the result of an unedited film reel: bewilderment.

Example Question #104 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 The job is similar to a music editor, who creates and merges songs, background music, and other sound effects to create a particular atmosphere. 2 While most Americans today are cognizant of film jobs such as director, producer, actor, and even screenwriter. 3 Few know much about the role of film editor. 4 This job involves mostly post-production work, with the editor choosing that parts of the raw footage to move, combine, or separate. 5 Without the film editor, there would only be a bewitching jumble of disordered chaotic images. 6 Sometimes more than ten times as much film is shot than is used in the final cut of the movie. 7 Film editors, also have the ability to impose experimental approaches, discontinuity, or emotional manipulation as he sees fit. 8 Film editing truly is a critical and undervalued art. 

In Sentence 8, which of the following words could not replace “critical?”

Possible Answers:

indispensable

integral

vital

negligible

crucial

Correct answer:

crucial

Explanation:

All of these words except for “negligible” are synonyms for “crucial,” or “essential.” “Negligible” is actually an antonym for “critical” and means unimportant.

Example Question #128 : Rewriting A Single Word

1 Ethnography: sounds erogenous but is simply a study of a culture or group of people.2 Originating in the field of anthropology, later becoming popular in sociology and other disciplines. 3 Ethnographies typically include: descriptions of geography, religion, economy, social behaviors, rituals and histories. 4 Most early ethnographies were written by ex-patriot European explorers traveling outside their home continent; though by some standards the Greek historian Herodotus was producing protoplasmic ethnographies hundreds of years before the Age of Exploration. 5 Ethnographies can take forms ranging from the confessional, the feminist, the critical, and the realist but most are qualitative and descriptive rather than quantitative and statistical. 6 Some attempt to provide fairly objective observations of a group or society, others have the anterior motive of empowering marginalized or repressed cultures.7 This group or culture may include anything from a fraternity to a particular Uruguayan village. 8 Today ethnographers often immerse themselves fully in the lives of their subjects, be they powerful politicians and impoverished blue-collar workers.

In Sentence 4, what word should replace “ex-patriots”?

Possible Answers:

expiated

extirpate

expatriate

ex-pious

ex-patriots (no change)

Correct answer:

expatriate

Explanation:

Don’t be fooled by the homonym! While some of the European explorers may have been no longer patriotic for their countries, there’s nothing in the passage to indicate that this is true. The correct word is “expatriate,” which in its adjective form describes people living outside their native country.

Example Question #129 : Rewriting A Single Word

1 Ethnography: sounds erogenous but is simply a study of a culture or group of people.2 Originating in the field of anthropology, later becoming popular in sociology and other disciplines. 3 Ethnographies typically include: descriptions of geography, religion, economy, social behaviors, rituals and histories. 4 Most early ethnographies were written by ex-patriot European explorers traveling outside their home continent; though by some standards the Greek historian Herodotus was producing protoplasmic ethnographies hundreds of years before the Age of Exploration. 5 Ethnographies can take forms ranging from the confessional, the feminist, the critical, and the realist but most are qualitative and descriptive rather than quantitative and statistical. 6 Some attempt to provide fairly objective observations of a group or society, others have the anterior motive of empowering marginalized or repressed cultures.7 This group or culture may include anything from a fraternity to a particular Uruguayan village. 8 Today ethnographers often immerse themselves fully in the lives of their subjects, be they powerful politicians and impoverished blue-collar workers.

In Sentence 4, what word should replace “protoplasmic”?

Possible Answers:

prototypical

protocol

protoplasmic (no change)

protohistorical

proton

Correct answer:

prototypical

Explanation:

“Protoplasmic” describes protoplasm, a colorless part of plant and animal cell matter, and makes no sense in the context of the passage. “Prototypical” describes a prototype, or an early model of something, and makes much more sense in the discussion of early versions of the ethnography. (While “protohistorical” sounds tempting, it actually refers to the era of humankind that immediately preceded recorded history.)

Example Question #105 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 Dream interpretation has a long and storied past. 2 Did you know that the ancient Egyptians were interpreting dreams thousands of years ago? 3 In ancient Greece, prophecies were often based off dreams; and in English literature including Shakespeare dreams have long held a significant role.

4 Common dream symbols include new rooms, which indicate new discoveries about the self, hair, which is purportedly related to sexuality, and forests, which alternately signal loss or variegated opportunities. 5 Books with titles ranging from The Lofty Principles of Dream Interpretation and Dream Alchemy offer advice, and opinions.6 More recently, psychologists have contributed their own analysis to the collaboration of interpretative literature. 7 What did you think your dreams mean?

In Sentence 4, what word should replace “purportedly”?

Possible Answers:

purportedly (no change)

justly

deliberately

dimly

irresponsibly

Correct answer:

purportedly (no change)

Explanation:

“Purportedly,” or supposedly/seemingly, is the correct choice for the context. None of the other words make any sense in the given clause.

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