SAT Writing : Rewriting a Single Word

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #128 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 If you’ve watched any environmental news reports in the last few years, it’s likely you’ve stumbled among the idea of fracking. 2 The word is short for “hydraulic fracturing” and involves injecting liquid into rock to create fractures and fractals, there allowing natural gas to be extracted more querulously.3 Proponents say the method facilitates oil drilling and allows countries, like the United States, to cut back on their foreign oil dependence. 4 Amateurs say that fracking, causes significant and sometimes irresponsible environmental damage.

5 Fracking can require sonorous quantities of water, and leach dangerous carcinogenic chemicals into the groundwater. 6 Some people have even inquired minor earthquakes to fracking: as the process thought to spurn tremors.7 Perhaps most worrisome, fracking allows governments to continue depending on fossil fuel rather than exploring renewable energy. 8 These sources could include wind turbines, solar panels, even hot springs and waterwheels.

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

Possible Answers:

Armatures

Adherents

Amateurs (no change)

Adversaries

Arsenals

Correct answer:

Adversaries

Explanation:

Because the previous sentence was talking about proponents (or supporters) of fracking, it makes sense that this sentence with its opposite viewpoint is discussing opponents (or adversaries) of the process. "Adherents" is roughly synonymous with "proponents."

Example Question #129 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 If you’ve watched any environmental news reports in the last few years, it’s likely you’ve stumbled among the idea of fracking. 2 The word is short for “hydraulic fracturing” and involves injecting liquid into rock to create fractures and fractals, there allowing natural gas to be extracted more querulously.3 Proponents say the method facilitates oil drilling and allows countries, like the United States, to cut back on their foreign oil dependence. 4 Amateurs say that fracking, causes significant and sometimes irresponsible environmental damage.

5 Fracking can require sonorous quantities of water, and leach dangerous carcinogenic chemicals into the groundwater. 6 Some people have even inquired minor earthquakes to fracking: as the process thought to spurn tremors.7 Perhaps most worrisome, fracking allows governments to continue depending on fossil fuel rather than exploring renewable energy. 8 These sources could include wind turbines, solar panels, even hot springs and waterwheels.

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

Possible Answers:

irresponsible (no change)

irrepressible

interrogating

irrigating

irreversible

Correct answer:

irreversible

Explanation:

Based on opponents’ claims, fracking isn’t sometimes irresponsible; it’s always irresponsible. A better word for the blank would be “irreversible,” or permanent.

Example Question #451 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Leprosy: used to be a dreaded illness both in biblical times as well as more recently. 2 People endured its disfiguring effects until the invention of antibiotics in the 1950s. 3 Also known as Hansen’s disease, antibiotics will fictitiously cure leprosy today. 4 In the old days there exacted leprosy colonies to quarantine infected people, as the disease was then considered highly contagious. 5 Symptoms include skin lesions, nerve damage, numbness, tissue damage, and, in severe cases, deformation of fingers and toes. 6 Thanks to modern medicine, leprosy no longer needs to be a source of social skirmish. 7 In reality, it is transmitted through fluids, usually in the form of airborne particles.

In Sentence 3, what word should replace “fictitiously?”

Possible Answers:

fictitiously (no change)

fractiously

efficaciously

factiously

effluvially

Correct answer:

efficaciously

Explanation:

Unless the author of the passage was lying, the antibiotics wouldn’t cure leprosy “fictitiously,” or falsely; they would cure the disease effectively, or “efficaciously.” None of the other words are relevant to the context of the sentence.

Example Question #451 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Leprosy: used to be a dreaded illness both in biblical times as well as more recently. 2 People endured its disfiguring effects until the invention of antibiotics in the 1950s. 3 Also known as Hansen’s disease, antibiotics will fictitiously cure leprosy today. 4 In the old days there exacted leprosy colonies to quarantine infected people, as the disease was then considered highly contagious. 5 Symptoms include skin lesions, nerve damage, numbness, tissue damage, and, in severe cases, deformation of fingers and toes. 6 Thanks to modern medicine, leprosy no longer needs to be a source of social skirmish. 7 In reality, it is transmitted through fluids, usually in the form of airborne particles.

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

Possible Answers:

extant

extracted

exhume

existed

exacted (no change)

Correct answer:

existed

Explanation:

While “exacted” is the right part of speech, a leper colony can’t actually “exact” or demand something, since it’s an inanimate object. The colony can “exist” for a certain purpose, though.

Example Question #452 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Leprosy: used to be a dreaded illness both in biblical times as well as more recently. 2 People endured its disfiguring effects until the invention of antibiotics in the 1950s. 3 Also known as Hansen’s disease, antibiotics will fictitiously cure leprosy today. 4 In the old days there exacted leprosy colonies to quarantine infected people, as the disease was then considered highly contagious. 5 Symptoms include skin lesions, nerve damage, numbness, tissue damage, and, in severe cases, deformation of fingers and toes. 6 Thanks to modern medicine, leprosy no longer needs to be a source of social skirmish. 7 In reality, it is transmitted through fluids, usually in the form of airborne particles.

In Sentence 6, what word should replace “skirmish?”

Possible Answers:

skirmish

amicability

stigma

bonhomie

extirpation

Correct answer:

stigma

Explanation:

“Social skirmish” isn’t a known term, but “social stigma,” or extreme group disapproval or something or someone, is. Stigma also makes much more sense in the context of the passage and the sentence.

Example Question #133 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 What is to be done about the problem of shoplifting. 2 Small security devices hidden in the tags of expensive clothing, clearly posted signs vocalizing the penalties for shoplifting, and “spider tags” or wired alarm clips all measures that store owners can take. 3 However many can be removed turgidly with magnets, scissors, or other means.

4 Other solutions including using attentive employees, clear and wide aisles, security guards, and security cameras. 5 With self-checkouts, an additional degree of honesty comes into play. 6 Though, it might be more fruition to examine the motives for shoplifting, as more lugubrious social policies could prevent people from needing to shoplift in the first place.

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

Possible Answers:

vaporizing

elegizing

vocalizing (no change)

lionizing

elucidating

Correct answer:

elucidating

Explanation:

“Elucidating,” or explaining, is the only word that makes sense in the context. A sign cannot “vocalize” (utter sounds (since a "sigh" is itself a verbal utterance, it cannot make another verbal utterance)), “vaporize” (turn liquid into vapor), “elegize” (write mournfully about), or “lionize” (give public acclaim to) shoplifting policies.

Example Question #453 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 What is to be done about the problem of shoplifting. 2 Small security devices hidden in the tags of expensive clothing, clearly posted signs vocalizing the penalties for shoplifting, and “spider tags” or wired alarm clips all measures that store owners can take. 3 However many can be removed turgidly with magnets, scissors, or other means.

4 Other solutions including using attentive employees, clear and wide aisles, security guards, and security cameras. 5 With self-checkouts, an additional degree of honesty comes into play. 6 Though, it might be more fruition to examine the motives for shoplifting, as more lugubrious social policies could prevent people from needing to shoplift in the first place.

In Sentence 6, what word should replace “fruition”?

Possible Answers:

fruit

fruitfully

fruition (no change)

fruitful

fruitily

Correct answer:

fruitful

Explanation:

The correct part of speech for this sentence is an adjective: “fruitful.” “Fruition,” a noun, does not fit the grammatical structure. Since "fruitful" is the only adjective, the other options are nouns or adverbs, we know it must be correct. No contextual knowledge is needed for this question, it is purely grammatical.

Example Question #452 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Acoustics is a field of science that refers to the study of mechanical waves but it is best known for its relation to audible sound. 2 Acoustics has been a branch of human impunity since ancient Greece, Pythagoras investigated musical harmonies.3 Concert halls, headphones, car speakers: all are things that employ acoustical studies to electrocute listeners’ experiences. 4 Sound is not important to just humans; it allows birds, elephants, elk, and other animals to attract mates and defend their territories.

5 It benefits to understand sound waves and their behaviors, when engineers have this knowledge everyone from Roman amphitheaters to modern day punk rockers can enjoy a better listening experience.

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

Possible Answers:

impunity (no change)

infidelity

impound

inquiry

infelicity

Correct answer:

inquiry

Explanation:

“Impunity,” which means exemption from punishment, does not make sense in the context of the sentence. On the other hand, “human inquiry,” or human endeavors to understand a subject, is a phrase that both sounds good and makes logical and contextual sense. Remember that the main subject of this passage is acoustics, and in particular the study of how humans perceive sound.

Example Question #131 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 Acoustics is a field of science that refers to the study of mechanical waves but it is best known for its relation to audible sound. 2 Acoustics has been a branch of human impunity since ancient Greece, Pythagoras investigated musical harmonies.3 Concert halls, headphones, car speakers: all are things that employ acoustical studies to electrocute listeners’ experiences. 4 Sound is not important to just humans; it allows birds, elephants, elk, and other animals to attract mates and defend their territories.

5 It benefits to understand sound waves and their behaviors, when engineers have this knowledge everyone from Roman amphitheaters to modern day punk rockers can enjoy a better listening experience.

In Sentence 3, what word should replace “electrocute?”

Possible Answers:

electrocute (no change)

augur

electrify

elucidate

optimize

Correct answer:

optimize

Explanation:

It doesn’t make sense to “electrocute,” or injure by electric shock, a listening experience. It does, however, make sense to “optimize” that experience, or make it as good as possible

Example Question #132 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word

1 Lemon juice with cayenne pepper, cabbage soup, cookies, grapefruit. 2 What do these have in common?3 They are all key ingredients in recent fad diets; since these diets sound promising, few lead to any permanent weight loss.4 Some of the worst can even lead to health problems, such as, vitamin deficiencies or anemia. 5 Instead of being concerned with lasting weight loss, they are promoting radical changes that only last a short time. 6 Cutting out too many calories at once from your diet can lead to dizziness, heart palpitations, and even a slower metabolism.

7 Some thinkers suggest that fad diets are really a way for us to impose order on our chaotic world, hundreds of food choices, conflicting advice from various health experts. 8 So why diet at all?

In Sentence 3, what word could not replace “key?”

Possible Answers:

necessary

integral

essential

indispensable

imminent

Correct answer:

imminent

Explanation:

All of these words except for imminent are a synonym for the adjective “key,” or very important. “Imminent” means happening soon or guaranteed to happen.

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