All SAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3273 : Sat Writing
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”?
tumultuous
temperate
telluric
tepid
tumid (no change)
tumultuous
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 #731 : Improving Paragraphs
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”?
will (no change)
did
may
would
didn’t
may
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 #732 : Improving Paragraphs
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”?
forthwith
wherewithal
heretofore
henceforth (no change)
hence
hence
“Henceforth” means “from this time forward,” which does not fit the meaning of the sentence. “Hence,” or therefore, does fit.
Example Question #3274 : Sat Writing
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?”
bewigging
bewailing
bewhiskering
bewildering
bewitching (no change)
bewildering
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 #3275 : Sat Writing
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?”
crucial
negligible
integral
vital
indispensable
crucial
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”?
expatriate
extirpate
ex-pious
ex-patriots (no change)
expiated
expatriate
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”?
protocol
protoplasmic (no change)
prototypical
proton
protohistorical
prototypical
“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 #735 : Improving Paragraphs
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”?
deliberately
dimly
irresponsibly
purportedly (no change)
justly
purportedly (no change)
“Purportedly,” or supposedly/seemingly, is the correct choice for the context. None of the other words make any sense in the given clause.
Example Question #736 : Improving Paragraphs
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 “variegated”?
variegated (no change)
strident
pellucid
morbid
novel
novel
“Novel,” meaning new or unique, is the best choice for the context. None of the other adjectives can really describe something abstract like an opportunity.
Example Question #107 : Increasing The Contextual Relevance Of A Single Word
1 The job of the cryptozoologist is a taciturn one for sure. 2 Being unlike ordinary zoologists, that study the behaviors and lives of a cathartic variety of animals, cryptozoologists track down mythical animals whose existence has never or rarely been proven.
3 There is the Congolese J'ba FoFi, an enormous spider with legs allegedly over three feet long, the mokèlé-mbèmbé, a deadly African water dinosaur, and the phantom cat, an abnormally large feline found in various improbably places. 4 The origins of the word “cryptozoologist” come from the ancient Greek, crypto meaning “hidden” and “zoo” meaning animal.5 Some of the most famous of these mythical animals or cryptids are Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, and Chupacabra. 6 Many denizens consider cryptozoologists to be pseudoscientists; but, they believe that the discipline’s reliance on anecdotal evidence does not exclude it from the world of serious science.
7 Many of these animals seem too incredible to be believed and yes evidence is often flimsy, but the existence of fossil records sometimes provide evidence to the contrary. 8 As such many doubters attempt to machinate the cryptids’ existence, but cryptozoologists aim to abolish their skepticism.
In Sentence 2, what word should replace “cathartic”?
catholic
allegoric
theatric
didactic
cathartic (no change)
catholic
Spelled with a lowercase c, the word “catholic” means universal, diverse, or all-encompassing. This is the best word to describe the variety of animals that regular zoologists study.