Word choice questions are among the more challenging questions on the SAT Writing and ACT English sections. Word choice questions ask you to read a sentence or phrase and decide which word would be the best fit based on context. These questions can be tough for a couple reasons. First, they almost always include at least two answer choices that are fundamentally similar and are therefore difficult to choose between. Second, they may also include unfamiliar vocabulary words.
When students encounter tricky word choice questions, they sometimes freeze or spend too much time trying to answer them. To avoid this trap, use the following three best practices.
Predict the answer
Word choice questions rarely have one glaringly obvious correct answer choice. Instead, two or more answer choices will usually seem reasonable at first glance. Here’s an example:
If you immediately jump to the answer choices and start plugging them into the sentence, you may not readily be able to decide which answer is correct. In fact, you could probably make a case for every single answer choice if you really wanted to. This is because every answer choice is designed to sound appealing if you don’t pay attention to the context.
Instead, try covering up those tricky answer choices and read through the passage again. When you get to the underlined part, say the first word that pops into your head. (Seriously, trust your instincts on this one!) Nine times out of ten, you’ll come up with a word very similar to the correct answer.
Pay attention to tone
In addition to predicting what word should go in the sentence, be sure to pay attention to the tone of the passage as a whole. Some passages will be neutral and academic, while others may be more persuasive or even entertaining. The correct answer will always match the overall tone of the passage. Correct answers also tend to have a more formal tone, while answers that contain colloquial or more informal language are generally incorrect.
Ignore unfamiliar vocabulary
Occasionally, you’ll encounter a word or two that you genuinely don’t know. If this happens, do not freak out! The exams intentionally include these words to intimidate you and get you to use up extra time. To avoid this pitfall, be prepared to completely ignore all unfamiliar words. Often, you’ll still be able to find the correct answer even if you don’t know all the words.
However, in the rare event that vocabulary prevents you from making any progress, the best thing you can do is guess and move on. Word choice questions are only a small portion of your score, but time lost fruitlessly trying to answer them can do real damage to your overall score.
Now that you know how to approach these questions, try a sample one:
Start by covering the answers and reading the whole sentence. Once you’ve read the sentence, a few clues should stand out. First, the meal has herbs and spices that were hand-selected by a chef. Second, the chef’s taste, or “palate,” is both unique and discerning. Based on these clues, it’s clear the chef has been careful about the herbs and spices he or she has included in the meal. Without overthinking, it looks like you’ve already stumbled upon a prediction for the blank: “careful.”
Now that you have a prediction, you can think about tone. The sentence appears to have been excerpted from a very positive review of the chef’s work, so you’re looking for an adjective that describes the assembly of herbs and spices in a positive light. Now uncover the answer choices. Note that answer D, “snooty,” is critical and should therefore be eliminated. You are left with three answer choices. Answer A is complimentary of the chef’s dish but does not have the same meaning as your prediction, “careful.” In fact, there are no clues in the sentence that suggest the dish brings a sense of joy or delight. Eliminate A. You’re left with two answer choices: B and C. Both of these answer choices include words that may be unfamiliar. However, if you know one of the words, you can use process of elimination to arrive at the correct answer. Suppose, for example, that you do not know what “bombastic” means, but that you do know that “meticulous” means showing great attention to detail. Since the definition of “meticulous” almost exactly matches that of your prediction, “careful,” you can simply select answer B and move on.
Word choice questions can be a real sore spot for unprepared test-takers who do not predict their own words first or who allow unfamiliar vocabulary to intimidate them. However, if you trust your instincts and don’t dwell on strange words, it’s possible to get through these questions without even breaking a sweat.
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- REVIEW
- PRACTICE
- ANSWERS
One of the most commonly tested concepts is word choice, choosing the most appropriate word in context. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to cover the infinite number of ways this concept can show up. After all, there are hundreds of thousands of words and no formulaic rules for why one word should be chosen over the other. Although you’ll have to rely on your fluency in English for a lot of them, the SAT does not make these questions difficult. In fact, the answer must be clear enough so that it’s not up to opinion.
| Example 1 |
|
Mark worked on a farm for many years to sponsor his wife and kids, who stayed at home. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer choice that best fits is D. The other choices might make sense in a business context, but not in a family context. |
Sometimes, the SAT will throw you a word choice question with tougher vocabulary:
| Example 2 |
|
The immigration office could not handle the amalgamation of applicants trying to escape tyranny in their home country. A) NO CHANGE |
| Amalgamation means a combination or mixture of something. Diffusion means a spreading out or distribution. Prevalence means being widespread or common. Influx means the arrival or entry of large numbers of people or things. The answer is D, influx. |
On some questions like the ones above, you just have to «know it.» On others, a few general guidelines will help.
1. Avoid exaggerated, overly dramatic, or high-sounding language
Don’t choose overly complicated words when simple words are enough to express the intended meaning. But don’t think that an answer choice is high-sounding just because you don’t know what it means.
| Example 3 |
|
The startup didn’t become financially beneficial until it reached a critical mass of customers using the app on a daily basis. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer is B, the simplest choice. All the other choices are high-sounding ways of saying profitable. |
| Example 4 |
|
The employees put forth a plan to cut spending by fifty percent but their boss rejected their audacious scheme. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer is C. All the other choices are overly dramatic and exaggerated. |
2. Avoid casual or informal language
| Example 5 |
|
Tired from the 20 mile hike, Yasmine retired to her tent and snoozed. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer is C. The other answers are too informal. |
| Example 6 |
|
A recently passed law requires that public transportation meet new safety standards, forcing state governments to foot the bill for the construction of new railroads. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer is C. Again, the other answers are too conversational. |
3. Avoid vague and wordy language
Vague words to look out for include people, things, something, stuff, matters, aspects, tons of.
| Example 7 |
|
In anticipation of Black Friday, store owners are making sure they have a wide variety of products in stock. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer is A. The other answers are unnecessarily vague and wordy. |
4. Be aware of commonly confused words
| Example 8 |
|
Ketchup is a better compliment to french fries then mustard. A) NO CHANGE |
| The answer is D. A complement is something that goes well with something else, whereas a compliment is something nice you say to someone. Than is used for comparisons; then is used to mean at that time or next. |
Here’s a list of commonly confused words you should know:
- accept vs. except
- affect vs. effect
- allusion vs. illusion
- ascent vs. assent
- cite vs. sight vs. site
- complement vs. compliment
- advice vs. advise
- council vs. counsel
- elicit vs. illicit
- altar vs. alter
- eminent vs. imminent
- precede vs. proceed
- access vs. excess
- fair vs. fare
- than vs. then
- allude vs. elude
- waive vs. wave
- respectfully vs. respectively
- discreet vs. discrete
- adverse vs. averse
Keep in mind that the guidelines above are just guidelines. Every question is different and not all of them will apply to every one. Your own judgment will be your best weapon once you’ve done enough practice.
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The security company’s services are being exited in the short term so that its password algorithms can be reset or strengthened.
A) NO CHANGE
B) winding down in the interim
C) ceasing operations nonpermanently
D) shutting down temporarily -
Establishing himself as the premier authority on food, David Pine was a harsh critic of any chef who did not conform to his standards.
A) NO CHANGE
B) fall with
C) attach to
D) meet the bar of -
The police detective was frustrated by the witness’s refusal to cooperate potentially valuable information.
A) NO CHANGE
B) chip in with
C) play ball with
D) contribute -
In his most controversial article, the audacious journalist trashed works widely regarded as classics, ridiculing such literary icons as William Faulkner, Charles Dickens, and Leo Tolstoy.
A) NO CHANGE
B) dismissed
C) dissolved
D) cast aspersions on -
Korean director Ang Lee is like the American director Katherine Bigelow in his use of vivid imagery, but unlike her, he explores the lighter surfaces of humanity.
A) NO CHANGE
B) strands
C) facets
D) contents - The alarm fire burning across the night sky meant that an attack was (eminent/imminent).
- The sight of upside-down turtles struggling to turn over (elicits/illicits) a sadness inside me.
- I sought the (council/counsel) for advice on health and safety laws.
- Many modern movies like Poseidon (allude/elude) to famous Greek myths.
- Be careful when driving under (adverse/averse) weather conditions.
- It’s easy to fool your brain with a few cleverly drawn diagrams called optical (allusions/illusions).
- Please be (discreet/discrete) with what I tell you because you don’t want these dark secrets to ever come out.
- Bangkok is the (capital/capitol) of Thailand.
- As long as you (cite/site) your sources in the bibliography, you should be safe from plagiarism.
- An avid believer of fate and superstition, Jasmine demanded that the fortune cookie (precede/proceed) the Chinese main course.
- You can (persevere/preserve) perishable food items for a long time by putting them in the freezer.
Want more questions? Our SAT Writing Advanced Guide and Workbook contains over 500 additional practice questions (grouped by topic) and 3 practice tests.
- D
- A
- D
- B
- C
- imminent
- elicits
- council
- allude
- adverse
- illusions
- discreet
- capital
- cite
- precede
- preserve
Close Reading Word Choice Questions National 5
Learning Intentions To understand the effect that the choice of word can have in a piece of text. To understand what connotations are Success Criteria
I can …. . • Understand the effect word choice has in text • Discuss the connotations of that choice • Identify interesting word choice in fiction and nonfiction. I know …. • How to answer word choice questions
Word Choice This is a very simple idea. When you are being asked about word choice you are simply being asked to look at the words and see why the writer has chosen those particular words to describe some thing or some feeling, rather than any other similar words. A person who is under average weight for his or height, for example, could be called ‘underweight’, ‘skinny’, or ‘slim’. What would be the effect if the writer chose the word ‘underweight’?
Probably you could say that the person was being looked at in a clinical, sort of medical way, and being seen as in need of treatment. Perhaps the context of the passage might be a political one, talking about disadvantaged areas where people do not get enough to eat. If the writer chose to use the word ‘skinny’, what would the effect be? The person is being described as thin in an unattractive way, perhaps suggesting something angular and bony. If the writer chose ‘slim’, what would the effect be of this particular word?
Again the person is being described as thin, but in an attractive way, suggesting perhaps a smooth, neat, elegant, appearance. ‘underweight’, ‘thin’, ‘skinny’ and ‘slim’ all mean roughly the same thing, but the effect of choosing one of them instead of the other three is quite powerful. What makes the difference is the connotation of each word.
So what is a Word Choice Question in Close Reading? — When you are asked to identify words used by the writer because of their effect. — You have to identify the words, the effect they have and explain how they achieve this effect. How to answer a Word Choice Question: — Focus on individual words. — No marks for simply picking out a word. — Compare your word to a more neutral word, e. g. ‘strode’ compared to ‘walked. ’
Things to consider in a word choice question: 1. Colloquial language / slang. An informal tone is created. Perhaps uses second person (you), informal reference to a person e. g. using their first name or a nickname, abbreviations. 2. Emotive language – strong words to stir / manipulate emotions. These words will have strong connotations. Emotive language often reveals the writer’s attitude to their topic. 3. Jargon – technical / formal language. 4. Archaisms – old fashioned words. 5. Dialect – the opposite to standard English; English spoken in a particular area, e. g. Glaswegian dialect. This makes language more expressive, lively and natural.
Word Choice Formula 1. Identify the word(s) or phrase(s) / attitude from the text. This means you pick out the important words or phrases and put them into quotation marks. 2. Denotation — give a literal meaning of the word (often a definition. ) 3. Explain why the word is effective in the passage. Do this by giving connotations of the word. Connotations are the words that spring to mind when you read / hear certain words. E. g. Dove = freedom, peace, happiness. Red = danger, upset, fear. 4. Use the connotations to show it conveys a particular attitude / feeling etc.
Example One (2007): The writer refers to “wizards and witches throughout history” Explain by referring to word choice how the rest of the sentence continues this idea. 2 marks And flight attracts our eyes, lifts our heart with joy and envy. Flight, to us earthbound creatures, is a form of magic—one of the great powers attributed to decent wizards and witches throughout history is the ability to fly, from the persecuted sorcerers of the Dark Ages to the players of the game of quidditch.
ANSWER Word choice: “(persecuted) sorcerers”/“players of the game of quidditch” (1) continues idea of wizards (1); OR “Dark Ages” / “sorcerers” and “quidditch” (1) reprise the idea of “throughout history” (1).
Example Two: 2008 — What is surprising about the writer’s word choice in the first sentence? 2 marks At the beginning of this month I was in a hellish yet beautiful place. I was making a programme for Radio 4 about one of the world’s most ancient trade routes. Every year, since (we suppose) at least the time of the Ancient Greeks, hundreds of thousands of camels are led, strung together in trains, from the highlands of Ethiopia into the Danakil depression: a descent into the desert of nearly 10, 000 feet, a journey of about 100 miles. Here, by the edge of a blue-black and bitter salt lake, great floes of rock salt encrusting the mud are prised up, hacked into slabs and loaded on to the camels.
ANSWER There is a contradiction (1) in “hellish yet beautiful” (1)
Example Three: 2008 — Explain why any one example of the writer’s choice of descriptive detail in the lines below emphasises the hardships of the journey. 1 mark The camels drink only twice on their journey, walking often at night, and carrying with them straw to eat on the way back. Their drivers bring only dry bread, sugar and tea.
ANSWER The camels drink only twice − we would expect more Walking at night − implies the heat of the day The camels have to carry their own fodder − an additional burden Straw to eat − not nutritious Dry bread/“only…bread, sugar and tea” − unappetising/unvaried//limited range and/or not nutritious Reference alone = 0
Example Four: 2008 — Explain fully the appropriateness of the word choice of “rubbernecking tourists in helicopters” (line 41). 2 marks The day is coming when camels will go down there no more. In fifty years the Danakil will be a national park, visited by rubbernecking tourists in helicopters. Camels will be found in zoos. Goats will be on their way to elimination from every ecologically fragile part of the planet.
ANSWER rubbernecking — suggests insensitivity/ghoulishness tourists — suggests invasiveness/superficiality helicopters — suggests intrusive modernity OR detachment OR (financial) contrast
Example Five: 2008 — Explain how the writer develops the idea of Las Vegas being “Unreal”. 2 marks Even in America, deserts are not properly inhabited any more. Unreal places such as Las Vegas have sprung up where people live in an air-conditioned and artificially irrigated bubble, but the land itself is emptier than before. Tribes who were part of the land, and lived off it, have mostly gone, their descendants living in reservations. The wilderness places of North America are vast and exceptionally well preserved; but they are not part of many people’s lives, except those of tourists. We are becoming outsiders to the natural world, watching it on the Discovery Channel.
ANSWERS “sprung up” (1) — suggests an unnatural speed of growth (1) “air-conditioned” (1) — illustrates the necessity of climate alteration/modification/control (1) “artificially” (1) — relates to the idea of falseness (1) artificially irrigated (1) — illustrates the innate dryness/hostility/ uninhabitable quality of the place (1) “bubble” (1) — suggests its fragility/quality of being insulated from elsewhere (1)
Example Six: 2010 — Show any one feature of Neil Mac. Gregor’s word choice makes it clear that he thinks of Qin as someone special. 2 marks I only began to grasp this a few months ago when I travelled to Xi’an to visit the First Emperor’s mind-boggling mausoleum, home to his Terracotta Army. “This is one of the people who changed the world, ” said Neil Mac. Gregor, director of the British Museum. “There are terribly few historical figures whose achievements lasted like that. This is really one of the great, great figures in human history. ”
ANSWERS changed the world (1) suggests large extent of influence (1) terribly few (1) conveys near-uniqueness (1) (whose achievements) lasted like that (1) suggests permanence of influence (1) Really (1) intensifies (1) “great” (1) shows attitude of high regard (1) repetition of “great, great” (1) emphasises (1) Example (1) plus analysis (1)
Example Seven: 2010 — How does the writer convey the grandness or large scale of the tomb in the lines below? You should refer to technique as well as content. 2 marks The ancient sources refer to 700, 000 people labouring on the tomb, but make no reference to what else the Emperor had devised under the ground. This is presumably because they didn’t know about his subterranean empire, which lay undisturbed until 1974. Those of the 600 pits that have been examined have yielded almost 1, 800 mass produced clay figures with another 6, 000 believed to exist. In this mountain fastness Qin Shihuangdi wanted an army to protect him from his enemies, but also wanted his civil servants on hand musicians and acrobats to entertain him.
ANSWER Word choice he uses “empire”, which suggests size of construction OR he uses “army”, which alludes to the large numbers of figures (1)
Example Eight: 2010 — What does the writer gain by using “toil” rather than the word “work”? 1 mark The first Emperor survived at least three assassination attempts in subsequent years, incidents that served to tighten his grip on every aspect of life. He created a surveillance culture in which neighbours were expected to spy on each other and lived in fear of terrible punishments for failing to do so or for breaking the many laws. One of the most miserable punishments, which very often proved to be a death sentence, was to be dispatched into the wilderness to toil on the construction of the wall Qin Shihuangdi had ordered to be built along the northern frontier of the empire.
ANSWERS It conveys the hardship/protractedness/drudgery of the work
Example Nine: 2010 — Show an aspect of what Neil Mac. Gregor says effectively conveys his sense of wonder. Your answer should refer to an example of word choice or structure. 2 marks “I can’t think of anyone else who had the scale of ambition to think of replicating their entire kingdom, ” says Mac. Gregor. “Nobody else in human history has attempted to do that, and what is fascinating is that it’s the eternal underground that has survived and nothing else. We have no buildings, we have no writings, this is all that survives. The people making the figures knew they were making them to serve the Emperor and live forever. And in a funny way they have. ”
word choice “I can’t think of anyone else” (1) (emphatically) conveys sense of uniqueness (1) “scale of ambition” (1) (clearly) conveys size of imagination/grandeur of plan (1) “entire kingdom” (1) (clearly) conveys size of undertaking (1) “Nobody else (in human history has attempted to do that)” (1) (emphatically) conveys sense of uniqueness/rareness (1) “fascinating” (1) (clearly) suggests the captivating nature of (this aspect of) the story (1) structure repetition of “anyone/ nobody else” (1) (clearly) emphasises uniqueness (1) repetition of “we have no” (1) (clearly) emphasises uniqueness (1) One mark for feature, one for evaluative comment; NB cause of admiration must be explained – mere repetition of “wonder” = 0
Example Ten: 2010 — Explain why any example of the word choice in the final paragraph contributes to a neat conclusion to the passage. 2 marks There is no substitute for seeing the mass ranks of the Terracotta Army. But the British Museum wants to do two things: show visitors a selection of warriors up close in a way that is not possible in Xi’an, and tell the story of the man whose breathtaking megalomania gave us one of the wonders of the world. The telling of that story is long overdue. (It may be helpful to have a copy of the whole passage for this question)
ANSWERS “mass ranks” (1) recapitulates idea of large numbers (1) “Terracotta Army” (1) returns to an expression used in opening paragraph (1) “(breathtaking) megalomania” (1) recapitulates ideas/word used earlier (1) “wonders of the world” (1) recapitulates idea of magnificence (1) “(The telling of that story is long) overdue” (1) recapitulates idea of undeserved anonymity (1) Any one example + explanation
Example Eleven: 2011 — Look at the sentence “But…texting? ” (a)In this sentence, what point is the writer making about attitudes to texting? 1 mark But has there ever been a linguistic phenomenon that has aroused such curiosity, suspicion, fear, confusion, antagonism, fascination, excitement and enthusiasm all at once as texting?
ANSWERS They were varied / differing / contrasting / controversial / intense
(b) Show the writer’s word choice helps to reinforce this point. 1 mark Ever since the arrival of printing—thought to be the invention of the devil because it would put false opinions into people’s minds—people have been arguing that new technology would have disastrous consequences for language. Scares accompanied the introduction of the telegraph, the telephone, and broadcasting. But has there ever been a linguistic phenomenon that has aroused such curiosity, suspicion, fear, confusion, antagonism, fascination, excitement and enthusiasm all at once as texting? And in such a short space of time. Less than a decade ago, hardly anyone had heard of it.
Word choice Comment may be on the varied / contradictory nature of words used: NB comment, not mere identification (may be exemplified, e. g. opposing nature of “antagonism” and “enthusiasm”) Or “such” suggesting intensity of reactions Or “phenomenon” suggests (e. g. ) social concern Or “all at once” suggests disturbing / contradictory nature of reactions
Example Twelve: 2013 — Explain why any one example of the writer’s word choice from paragraph 1 helps to give the impression that the place she describes is “miserable”. 1 mark It is a Saturday night in the northernmost fringes of London. Outside an anonymous building with blanked-out windows, a discarded plastic bag swirls in the breeze.
ANSWER “fringes” suggests peripheral / marginalised quality “anonymous building” suggests lack of distinction “blanked-out windows” suggests (eg) fortress-like quality / anonymity / figurative facelessness / desolation NB one mark only for this question “discarded plastic bag” suggests ugliness / neglect / lack of concern for environment “swirls in the breeze” suggests windiness / cheerlessness / neglect Any one. Mark is for comment, not selection, and must use an expression other than “miserable” or “misery”.
Example Thirteen: 2013 — Look at the lines below, and then explain what is suggested by the writer’s word choice of either “slick” or “web”. 1 mark By now most of us know that the version of reality on offer is one shaped by a multimillion-pound business with slick production values, and yet we willingly suspend our disbelief week after week, month after month, in the name of entertainment. Is there something lacking in our daily lives that draws us so inexorably into Cowell’s web?
ANSWER One or the other! Marking of this question will probably be quick – if both words are attempted, reward only one answer slick: efficient / polished or deceptive web: predation / entrapment / sinister quality / allembracing quality
Table of Contents
- What words have neutral connotations?
- What is a neutral connotation?
- What does examine mean in essays?
- How do you examine an essay?
- Is multilevel a neutral connotation?
- Does the word elaborate have a neutral connotation?
- What is a positive connotation for valued?
- Is intricate positive or negative?
- How do you use the word intricate in a sentence?
- What does intricate mean in a sentence?
- Is intricate a good word?
- What is another word for intricate?
- What does stipulate mean?
- What brash means?
- What is another word for brash?
- Is being brash a good thing?
- What is the opposite of brash?
- What is the opposite of imperious?
- How do you use brash in a sentence?
- What is the synonym of seminal?
- What’s another word for pivotal?
- What are some examples of seminal works?
- What’s another word for contemporary?
- What is the difference between modern and contemporary?
- How do you use the word contemporary?
- What is the meaning of contemporary?
- What is an example of contemporary?
- What comes to your mind when you hear the word contemporary?
- What is contemporary arts in your own words?
- How do you know if art is contemporary?
- What is the true meaning of contemporary art somewhere?
- What is the importance of contemporary arts?
- How does contemporary art reflect the modern world?
Examine. A close examination of a research topic or argument requires that you establish the key facts and important issues concerning the topic or argument by looking at them in close detail. This means that you must adopt a very critical approach with ‘examine’ question words.
What words have neutral connotations?
Group has a neutral connotation. The word simply describes a number of people. It does not inspire either positive or negative feelings.
What is a neutral connotation?
Neutral. A word whose connotation is neither positive nor negative. For example, when speaking about a pet, the word “dog” has a neutral connotation; but, the word “mutt” has a negative connotation, and the word “purebred” has a positive connotation.
- Pick out /identify the most important words.
- Quote the words in your answer.
- Analyse the words in detail –the connotation, associations the word has, sound or tone etc.
- Discuss the effect of the word.
- Explain how the word helps you to understand the writer’s ideas/opinion.
What does examine mean in essays?
How do you examine an essay?
Examine Look at carefully; consider. Explain Make plain and clear; give reasons for. Give evidence Provide evidence from your own work or that of others which could be checked by a third party to prove/ justify what you say. Identify Point out and describe.
Is multilevel a neutral connotation?
Answer Expert Verified The word that has a neutral connotation would be multilevel. Connotation is the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning. Multilevel in any definition would not relay any good or bad feeling to it.
Does the word elaborate have a neutral connotation?
As I understand, “elaborate” in (1) has the negative connotation. Elaborate only appears to be negative because of the context in which it is used.
What is a positive connotation for valued?
admired , treasured , appreciated , or favored.
Is intricate positive or negative?
Intricate and Elaborate are very similar in that they describe complexity that could be either positive, neutral or negative. Intricate = Complex and also often implies frailty. For example a mechanical watch has intricate machinery. Elaborate = Complex or complicated but without the negative connotation.
How do you use the word intricate in a sentence?
Intricate sentence example
- She started to hand him what looked like an intricate carving in the side of an orange.
- Of course the more intricate the design the more numerous the processes.
- The article on France must be consulted for the intricate events of the following years.
What does intricate mean in a sentence?
1 : having many complexly interrelating parts or elements : complicated intricate machinery an intricate plot. 2 : difficult to resolve or analyze.
Is intricate a good word?
Intricate (adjective) means complex, elaborate or difficult. It can be used to describe the tangled or winding nature or something. The word intricate can have a positive and negative connotation, depending on how it is used in a sentence.
What is another word for intricate?
Some common synonyms of intricate are complex, complicated, involved, and knotty.
What does stipulate mean?
(Entry 1 of 2) intransitive verb. 1 : to make an agreement or covenant to do or forbear something : contract. 2 : to demand an express term in an agreement —used with for.
What brash means?
confident and aggressive
What is another word for brash?
other words for brash
- bold.
- cheeky.
- cocky.
- impetuous.
- reckless.
- rude.
- audacious.
- cocksure.
Is being brash a good thing?
A new study has shown that overconfident people are more likely to land the best jobs in life as they can fool others into believing they are more talented than they really are.
What is the opposite of brash?
Antonyms for brash discreet, fearful, afraid, timid, careful, shy, reserved, cautious.
What is the opposite of imperious?
imperious. Antonyms: yielding, submissive, compliant, docile, ductile, lenient, gentle, mild. Synonyms: arrogant, exacting, dictatorial, authoritative, domineering, haughty, lordly.
How do you use brash in a sentence?
- Brash noisy journalists were crowding around the ambassador.
- His brash answers annoyed the interviewers.
- On stage she seems hard, brash and uncompromising.
- He scares people away by being so brash.
- The painting was bold, brash, and modern.
- He was wearing a rather brash tie.
- We could not carry out that brash plan.
What is the synonym of seminal?
In this page you can discover 13 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for seminal, like: original, critical, groundbreaking, , primary, fundamental, , ground-breaking, generative, germinal and masterwork.
What’s another word for pivotal?
Pivotal Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for pivotal?
| critical | crucial |
|---|---|
| vital | essential |
| important | major |
| central | consequential |
| core | decisive |
What are some examples of seminal works?
Figure 7.1 Examples of Seminal Works Example Description Why It Is Considered a Seminal Work Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave — Frederick Douglass, 1845 a vivid autobiography written by an escaped slave; a seminal work in American history contributed significantly to the start of the …
What’s another word for contemporary?
What is another word for contemporary?
| current | modern |
|---|---|
| latest | newfangled |
| recent | present |
| extant | trendy |
| advanced | immediate |
What is the difference between modern and contemporary?
Modern design refers to an era that has passed, while contemporary design is all about the now and the future. The most popular modern design era is the mid-century modern era of the 1950s and 1960s.
How do you use the word contemporary?
Contemporary in a Sentence 🔉
- While young people tend to prefer contemporary music, the older generation prefers to listen to music from the 1970’s and the 1980’s.
- The art critic who was used to reviewing pieces from the 1930’s and 1940’s did not have anything positive to say about contemporary art.
What is the meaning of contemporary?
(Entry 1 of 2) 1a : marked by characteristics of the present period : modern, current contemporary American literature contemporary standards. b : simultaneous. 2 : happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time The book is based on contemporary accounts of the war.
What is an example of contemporary?
Someone or something living at the same time, or of roughly the same age as another. The definition of contemporary is existing at the same time or of the present time period. An example of contemporary are the works of Fitzgerald and Hemingway. An example of contemporary is furniture in the modern style.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word contemporary?
Things that are contemporary are either happening at the same time or happening now. In history class, if you hear that one famous person was a contemporary of another, that means they lived at the same time. Contemporaries are people and things from the same time period.
What is contemporary arts in your own words?
Contemporary art is the term used for art of the present day. Usually the artists are alive and still making work. Contemporary art is often about ideas and concerns, rather than solely the aesthetic (the look of the work). Artists try different ways of experimenting with ideas and materials.
How do you know if art is contemporary?
A reference to Contemporary Art meaning “the art of today,” more broadly includes artwork produced during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It generally defines art produced after the Modern Art movement to the present day. This genre of art does have its own approach or style that distinguishes it from others.
What is the true meaning of contemporary art somewhere?
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary art is part of a cultural dialogue that concerns larger contextual frameworks such as personal and cultural identity, family, community, and nationality.
What is the importance of contemporary arts?
One of the benefits of Contemporary Art is that it allows individuals a means of personal expression. Through painting, sculpture, and performance art, anyone can express themselves in a way that will be safely observable for others.
How does contemporary art reflect the modern world?
Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often reflect and comment on modern-day society. Contemporary artists working within the postmodern movement reject the concept of mainstream art and embrace the notion of “artistic pluralism,” the acceptance of a variety of artistic intentions and styles.
One of the trickier concepts that you will be tested on ACT English is your ability to choose the right word from among many that are not quite right, and to spot when words are being used incorrectly.
Are you confident in your ability to find the differences in a group of similar words? Can you distinguish what’s needed from the context of a question?
If you’re not so sure, read on to see how the ACT English will test you on this skill! In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about these questions:
What Does “Diction” Mean, Anyway?
Diction is a fancy synonym for “word choice” — you may have heard your literature teacher talk about it when analyzing a famous author’s writing style.
On the ACT English, there are three main ways that word choice becomes important:
- recognizing commonly confused words
- understanding meaning in context
- recognizing idiomatic uses of phrases with prepositions
This final topic is large enough that we have a whole separate article dedicated to it.
But for the first two, let’s look at some example sentences that illustrate these concepts.
There is nothing better then (1) waking up to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee. The exciting (2) smell really gets my blood pumping.
1. A. NO CHANGE
B. better than
C. better
D. better to
2. A. NO CHANGE
B. simulating
C. dazzling
D. stimulating
Answers: 1. B; 2. D
How did you do? These questions cover two of the most common types of diction errors that you will see on ACT English – commonly confused words and understanding meaning in context. Both of these test your ability to understand when a word is being used incorrectly. I’ll go into each of these question types in more detail below.
But first, let’s talk about why ACT English has diction errors in the first place.
ACT English basically tests your ability to be an editor. The ACT wants to see if you can spot and correct errors in short passages. This skill is important for college level work, such as writing papers.
Most of the ACT English questions focus on grammar, punctuation and style. By reading our guides or using another prep method, you can learn the various grammar rules that are important for being able to answer most of the questions on ACT English.
With diction questions, the ACT is looking to see which students can also spot errors where you can’t apply your grammar rules. The only way you will know these answers is to understand the subtle differences between similar words.
If you don’t think this task sounds too difficult, keep in mind that many students make diction errors all the time in their everyday speech and writing. The makers of the ACT know which words are most confusing for students, and focus on these when writing the test.
So let’s start there – with the most commonly confused words that the ACT loves to test.
The Most Common Diction Errors
Some of the diction errors the ACT tests are random and therefore essentially impossible to study for.
However, the ACT writers have a couple of favorite errors, which usually appear at least once on every test. We’ll go through these one at a time.
THAN vs. THEN
The first key concept for diction questions is understanding the difference between “than” and “then.”
Than is used to show a comparison.
I am smarter than you are.
He eats more rice than beans.
Then is used for showing what happens next.
First, she went to the store. Then, she went home.
I want to eat my rice, then my beans.
Pop Quiz!
Look at the following pair of sentences. Can you tell which one is correct?
I like blue Cornish cheese more then any other cheese in the world.
I like blue Cornish cheese more than any other cheese in the world.
Answer: the second is correct because the sentence shows a comparison — than is needed.
How Should You Approach These Questions?
Then/than errors are pretty easy to spot and correct.
When you see one of these words underlined, look at the rest of the sentence. If it is comparing something, use “than.» If it is telling that one thing happened after another, use “then.”
Let’s look back at the first question
At the beginning of the article, I gave you the following question:
There is nothing better then waking up to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee.
A. No change
B. better than
C. better
D. better to
Now you can understand why the answer is (B) better than. The sentence shows a comparison (waking up and smelling coffee vs. waking up and doing anything else), so we need than.
HAVE vs. OF
The second most important diction pair to know is “have” and “of.»
The important distinction here is that “have” is a helping verb, while “of” is a preposition. If you see “of” being used as a helping verb, it will be incorrect!
The #1 Rule for Have/Of:
If you see could of, would/will of, should of, or might of: these are all INCORRECT.
Instead they should be could HAVE, would/will HAVE, should HAVE, and might HAVE.
This is one of those “everyday English” mistakes. In speaking, people tend to pronounce “have” like “of” because it’s faster and easier to say. It also sounds a lot like our contractions “would’ve,» “should’ve,» etc.
This has led some people to believe that “of” is actually the correct word to use in these circumstances — but it’s not!
Let’s look at some examples:
She would of preferred gorgonzola, but she got Cornish blue instead. INCORRECT
She would have preferred gorgonzola, but she got Cornish blue instead. CORRECT
«Would of» is always incorrect; «would have» is the correct replacement.
How Should You Approach These Questions?
Have/of questions should also be very easy to spot if you’re looking for them. If you see of or have underlined, be ready to see a diction question.
Remember that if you have would/will of, might of, should of, or could of, you can immediately cross out those answers.
Choose an answer that replaces “of” with “have” and is also grammatically correct in the sentence.
Let’s look at an example from the ACT.
Dickinson’s last twenty years of letters — many over 1,500 words in length — reveals the breadth and depth of her connection to the world through a wide circle of correspondents.
A. NO CHANGE
B. reveal
C. will of revealed
D. would of revealed
First thing we see in the answer choices are two answers that can automatically be crossed out, which makes our lives so much easier! Get rid of C and D, which both have the dreaded “of” construction.
Now it’s a matter of differentiating between “reveals” and “reveal.» At this point, you may notice that we are looking at a subject-verb agreement question. So we need to find what the subject is.
Ask yourself: what is doing the revealing? It’s the “last twenty years of letters.» When we cross out modifiers and the prepositional phrase, we get “last twenty years of letters.» Now it’s obvious that “years” is the subject.
Since “years” is a plural noun, we need the plural verb, which is “reveal.» B is the answer.
Other Easily Confused Words
The ACT will rarely test other commonly-confused words. These questions are very difficult to predict because they happen quite infrequently.
I have included a list of commonly confused words at the end of this article. Try reading through them and see if there are any that surprise you or that you didn’t know.
If so, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure you have these down before you take the test.
But don’t bother spending a lot of time worrying about this list. The ACT will rarely test this kind of question, so it’s really not worth stressing out over.
You will most often see these commonly confused words in the context of our next type of question, which is….
Understanding Word Meaning in Context
Instead of using really tricky commonly confused words, the ACT usually uses fairly common words with similar meanings, and asks you to choose which one is best for the sentence.
This can be tricky because you have to really think about what the differences are between the different words that you’re given, and also understand what the sentence needs in order to most correctly complete it.
Let’s look at an example of this type of problem from the ACT:
Many people might be surprised to learn that the American way of computing a person’s age differs from the traditional Korean way. In Korean tradition, a person is considered to be already one year old at the time of his or her birth.
As a child growing up in two cultures, I found this contest a bit confusing. When I was in the fifth grade, was I ten or eleven years old?
A. NO CHANGE
B. change
C. dispute
D. difference
This example shows how the ACT uses relatively simple words to try to trick you. You are probably familiar with all of the words in the answer choices, so let’s look at them closely to see which one best fits the sentence.
All of the words here imply some sort of contrast or conflict, but in very different ways.
Let’s start with the given word, “contest.» A contest implies some form of formal competition between two things. Though the author says that there are differences between American and Korean age counting traditions, he doesn’t imply that they were actually in competition with each other. So (A) is out.
Let’s look at (B). “Change” implies that something was one way, and then became another way. This doesn’t work because these traditions haven’t changed from one to the other — they were just different to begin with. So (B) is out.
(C) is quite similar to (A), in that “dispute,» like “contest,» shows a direct conflict between two things. Again, this doesn’t really work because the two traditions aren’t actually competing with each other.
That leaves us with (D), which is the only answer that makes sense. As we’ve said, the two traditions aren’t having a fight; they contrast simply because they have different characteristics. That means that (D), “differences,» is the most appropriate answer.
How Should You Approach These Questions?
The meaning in context questions are definitely the trickiest of the diction questions. To spot them, look for questions that have an underlined word and answer choices that are completely different words, but are loosely related in meaning.
First, read through the sentence. Try to place a word of your own in the spot of the underlined word.
Now look at the answer choices. Though they will be slightly similar words, they will have different meanings. Which of them can have the meaning most like the word you put into the sentence? Choose that as the answer.
Let’s look at this example from the ACT and use the above strategy to answer it.
Perhaps the celebration of New Year’s Day in Korean culture is heightened because it is thought of as everyone’s birthday party.
A. NO CHANGE
B. raised
C. lifted
D. lighted
First, let’s read through the sentence and try to see what should go in the blank. “Perhaps the celebration of New Year’s Day in Korean culture is _______ because it is thought of as everyone’s birthday party.”
Something along the lines of “made more important” makes sense here. So which word could mean that?
You’ll notice that almost all the words imply going up in one way or another — this is how the ACT is trying to trick you. But in the right context, one of them can also mean showing greater importance.
“Raised” and “lifted” both refer to physically moving something up (unless they are paired with other words — not the case here). So (B) and (C) are out.
“Lighted” is thrown in here to trick you and is quite different to the others — its means something has been made lighter, as in the opposite of darker. It doesn’t work at all, so (D) is out.
Therefore the best word is the one the sentence started out with. If you look up “heighten”, you will see it can mean to physically raise something up, but it can also mean to make something more intense or significant, which is close to the original idea we came up with, which was making something more important.
Looking Back
The second question I gave you about smelling coffee in the morning had one of these meaning in context errors. Take a second look at the question.
Though the answer choices are all vaguely related – they all imply something that excites or surprises in some way – the correct answer is “stimulating”. This is the only word that really implies something that helps wake you up, which is what is needed to correctly complete the sentence.
Quick Recap
To summarize, here are the key strategies you need to use to master diction questions on ACT English:
- “Of” used as a helping verb (would of, should of) is always incorrect. Choose an answer that replaces it with “have.»
- Use “than” for sentences with comparisons.
- Use “then” to show one thing happening after another.
- When you see a meaning in context question, first read through the sentence and mentally replace the word with one that makes sense in the sentence. Choose the answer that comes closest to the word you used.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
For the past twelve years, Khoubbane has been the unassuming leader of a unique (1) culinary movement in Morocco: creating and distributing a variety of high-quality cheeses throughout the country
He slices a small piece off the outer edge of the wheel. A fine dusting of white mold already covers the cheese. The flavor is intense and creamy, with just a hint of the tang that will of developed (2) over the next five months with only Khoubbane’s watchful eye and sensible (3) palate to determine when it has finished maturing.
It is an unexpected undertaking for the 56 year old. Cheese, as the western world knows it, is unpopular in Morocco. «Moroccans don’t eat smelly things,» he says with a shrug. «There is less love for cheese here then in (4) France or Italy.»
This attitude is slowly changing, thanks to Khoubbane.
His success, he says, has been due to the fact that he has viewed the process as a labor of love, rather than a business adventure.(5)
- A. NO CHANGE
B. single
C. differentiated
D. specified
- A. NO CHANGE
B. would of developed
C. will develop
D. develops
- A. NO CHANGE
B. sensitive
C. emotional
D. touchy
- A. NO CHANGE
B. then between
C. than in
D. than between
- A. NO CHANGE
B. venture
C. advantage
D. process
1. A; 2. C; B.; 4. C; 5. B
List of Commonly Confused Words
|
WORD |
MEANING |
WORD |
MEANING |
|
accept |
to receive, take |
except |
excluding |
|
access |
entrance; opportunity |
excess |
more than needed |
|
addition |
something added |
edition |
a certain production of something |
|
adopt |
to legally take on, accept |
adapt |
to change to be more suitable |
|
advice |
a recommendation |
advise |
to give a recommendation |
|
adverse |
bad; unfavorable |
averse |
opposed to |
|
affect |
to influence |
effect |
a result |
|
afflict |
to cause suffering |
inflict |
to force something harmful |
|
aisle |
space between rows |
isle |
island |
|
allude |
to make an indirect reference |
elude |
to avoid |
|
allusion |
an indirect reference |
illusion |
a false idea or vision |
|
already |
happened before now |
all ready |
to be entirely prepared |
|
altar |
table for religious ceremony |
alter |
to change |
|
altogether |
completely; entirely |
all together |
all things with each other |
|
a lot |
a large number of something |
allot |
to give out an amount of something |
|
ambivalent |
to have two different feelings about something |
ambiguous |
having more than one possible meaning |
|
amoral |
having no sense or right and wrong |
immoral |
having intentionally bad morals |
|
anecdote |
a short personal story |
antidote |
a substance or activity that stops something bad |
|
angel |
a spiritual creature |
angle |
space between intersecting lines measured in degrees |
|
apart |
separated, into pieces |
a part |
a piece of something |
|
appraise |
to examine and judge |
apprise |
to tell someone of something |
|
are |
3rd person plural of “to be” |
our |
belonging to us |
|
accent |
how someone pronounces words |
ascent |
movement up |
|
assent |
agreement/approval |
||
|
assistance |
help |
assistants |
helpers |
|
attribute |
a quality/characteristic |
contribute |
to give something |
|
auditory |
related to hearing |
audible |
able to be heard |
|
aural |
related to hearing |
oral |
spoken, or related to the mouth |
|
balmy |
pleasantly warm |
barmy |
crazy or silly |
|
bare |
not covered |
bear |
to carry or accept something |
|
bated |
in suspense, excited |
baited |
to harass (past tense) |
|
bazaar |
a market |
bizarre |
very strange and surprising |
|
berth |
a bed on a boat/train |
birth |
time when a baby is born |
|
beside |
next to something |
besides |
in addition to something |
|
boar |
a wild pig |
bore |
a dull person |
|
board |
a long, flat piece of wood |
bored |
feeling uninterested |
|
born |
to have been birthed |
borne |
carried |
|
bough |
a large branch of a tree |
bow |
bend upper body forward |
|
breath |
air that comes from lunch |
breathe |
to take air in and out |
|
brake |
part of a vehicle that stops it |
break |
to separate into pieces |
|
buy |
to purchase |
by |
shows a person who does something |
|
canvas |
a strong cloth |
canvass |
to ask people their opinions |
|
censure |
to criticize formally |
censor |
to remove offensive things from public |
|
capital |
city where government is based, or money |
capitol |
state legislature building |
|
choose |
to decide or pick |
chose |
past tense of choose |
|
climactic |
an important or exciting time |
climatic |
relating to the weather |
|
coarse |
rough and thick |
course |
a series of lessons |
|
collaborate |
to work together |
corroborate |
to provide supporting information |
|
command |
to order |
commend |
to praise |
|
complacent |
feeling you don’t need to try hard |
complaisant |
willingness to please others |
|
complement |
something that goes well with something else |
compliment |
saying something to show praise |
|
comprehensive |
thorough |
comprehensible |
easy to understand |
|
conscience |
the part of you that makes you feel guilty |
conscious |
aware; awake |
|
contemptuous |
showing contempt |
contemptible |
extremely bad |
|
corps |
a group of people or military force |
corpse |
a dead body |
|
council |
an elected group of people |
counsel |
to give advice |
|
credible |
able to be believed |
credulous |
gullible |
|
dairy |
milk products |
diary |
a book of personal thoughts |
|
descent |
a movement down |
dissent |
disagreement |
|
desirous |
wanting something |
desirable |
attractive |
|
dessert |
sweet food |
desert |
hot, dry area |
|
device |
equipment used for a particular purpose |
devise |
to design or invent something |
|
discreet |
secretive |
discrete |
separate and different |
|
disinterested |
impartial |
uninterested |
not interested |
|
do |
a helping verb |
dew |
drops of water |
|
due |
expected or planned |
||
|
dominant |
most important or wanting control |
dominate |
to control or have power over |
|
die |
to stop living |
dye |
substance used to change color |
|
dyeing |
to change the color of |
dying |
present participle of “die” |
|
elicit |
to get info or a reaction from someone |
illicit |
not legal |
|
eminent |
respected |
imminent |
about to happen |
|
immanent |
permanent part of something |
||
|
emit |
to send out gas/heat/light |
omit |
exclude |
|
envelop |
cover something |
envelope |
what letters go in |
|
everyday |
commonplace |
every day |
each day |
|
exhaustive |
comprehensive |
exhausting |
tiring |
|
expandable |
gets bigger |
expendable |
non-essential |
|
explicit |
clear, detailed |
implicit |
implied or suggested |
|
fair |
reasonable |
fare |
cost |
|
farther |
more distant (physical distance) |
further |
more |
|
flaunt |
exaggerate |
flout |
intentionally break the rules |
|
formally |
properly |
formerly |
before |
|
foreboding |
apprehension or anxiety |
forbidding |
unfriendly or hostile |
|
forth |
forwards |
fourth |
first, second, third….. |
|
gorilla |
large monkey |
guerrilla |
unofficial military group |
|
hear |
percieving sound |
here |
in this place or moment |
|
heard |
percieved sound (past tense of hear) |
herd |
flock/gaggle/group |
|
hoard |
collect/store |
horde |
large group |
|
hole |
hollow space in something |
whole |
complete |
|
human |
people/person |
humane |
kind |
|
implicit |
implied or suggested |
complicit |
involved in |
|
imply |
suggest |
implicate |
suggest someone is involved in something |
|
infer |
guess something based on the information you have |
||
|
incur |
cause unpleasant consequences to oneself |
occur |
to happen |
|
indeterminate |
uncertain or unclear |
interminable |
lasting a long time, in a boring way |
|
influence |
impact |
affluence |
wealth |
|
ingenious |
really clever |
ingenuous |
innocent and trusting |
|
its |
belongs to |
it’s |
it is |
|
knew |
past tense of «know» |
new |
not old |
|
know |
to be aware of something |
no |
a denial |
|
laid |
past tense of lay |
lain |
past tense of lie |
|
later |
occuring further along in time |
latter |
near the end of a period |
|
lay |
to put something down |
lie |
to recline horizontally |
|
lead |
to take charge |
led |
had taken charge |
|
lessen |
to reduce or decrease |
lesson |
what a teacher teaches |
|
lightning |
weather |
lightening |
becoming lighter or brighter |
|
loose |
not tight |
lose |
to not win |
|
maybe |
an adverb that means «perhaps» |
may be |
a verb phrase indicating that something could happen but is not certain |
|
meat |
flesh |
meet |
assemble |
|
mete |
administer a punishment |
||
|
metal |
hard, shiny substance |
medal |
metal object given as a prize |
|
mettle |
courage, strength, or fortitude |
||
|
miner |
someone who works in a mine |
minor |
not important; underage person |
|
moral |
right and wrongs |
morale |
confidence level in the success of an endeavor |
|
passed |
to go by something; alternatively, to qualify |
past |
something that’s happened before now |
|
patience |
to stay calm |
patients |
sick people |
|
peace |
tranquility |
piece |
a part of |
|
peak |
the top |
peek |
a quick look |
|
pique |
annoyance |
||
|
pedal |
foot operated part of machine |
petal |
part of a flower |
|
peddle |
to sell |
||
|
perpetrate |
do something bad |
perpetuate |
to sustain or preserve something |
|
personal |
relating to a person |
personnel |
staff |
|
persecute |
oppress or abuse |
prosecute |
to take legal action against someone |
|
perspective |
viewpoint |
prospective |
potential buyer, or applying to the future |
|
plain |
ordinary, unremarkable |
plane |
flying vehicle |
|
pore |
small hole, esp. in the skin |
pour |
make liquid flow from a container |
|
precede |
to happen before something else |
proceed |
to go forward |
|
precedent |
an example or model |
president |
the head of |
|
prescribe |
recommend or authorize medical treatment |
proscribe |
to forbid |
|
presence |
being in a place |
presents |
gifts |
|
principal |
most important |
principle |
fundamental rule |
|
quiet |
no noise |
quite |
completely |
|
rain |
precipitation |
reign |
to rule |
|
rein |
straps that control a horse |
||
|
raise |
to lift |
raze |
completely destroy |
|
rational |
reasonable |
rationale |
the reason |
|
reluctant |
unwilling |
reticent |
saying little about what you feel |
|
respectfully |
showing respect |
respectively |
in the same order |
|
reverend |
Christian official |
reverent |
showing respect |
|
right |
correct |
rite |
traditional religious ceremony |
|
write |
produce words |
||
|
road |
surface built for vehicles |
rode |
to have ridden |
|
scene |
location or site |
seen |
to have looked |
|
sense |
feeling or awareness of something; one of the 5 senses |
since |
between the past and now; because |
|
sensible |
practical or realistic |
sensitive |
delicate; responsive |
|
sensory |
connected to the physical senses |
||
|
sight |
vision |
site |
a place |
|
cite |
mention something as proof |
||
|
simulate |
to mimic |
stimulate |
to activate or energize a process |
|
stationary |
unmoving; still |
stationery |
office supplies, esp. paper |
|
straight |
not curved |
strait |
narrow waterway or channel connecting two bodies of water |
|
suppose |
assume or presume |
supposed to |
expected to do something |
|
taught |
educated, instructed |
taut |
stretched very tight |
|
than |
used to compare two things |
then |
at that time |
|
their |
belongs to them |
there |
at that place or location |
|
they’re |
they are |
||
|
through |
from one end to the other |
threw |
to have thrown |
|
thorough |
completely |
||
|
to |
preposition used to describe a definition or identify the object of something |
too |
as well as |
|
two |
comes after one |
||
|
track |
narrow path |
tract |
large area of land |
|
visual |
relating to seeing |
visible |
able to seen |
|
waist |
around the middle of your body |
waste |
a bad use of something |
|
waive |
give up or cede |
wave |
move hand from side to side |
|
weak |
not strong |
week |
7 days |
|
weather |
conditions in the air above the earth (wind, rain etc) |
whether |
if, or not |
|
wether |
a castrated ram |
||
|
where |
to, at, or in what place |
were |
past tense of «to be» |
|
which |
determining pronoun |
witch |
woman with magical powers |
|
whose |
pronoun identifying what belongs to someone |
who’s |
who is |
|
your |
belonging to you |
you’re |
you are |
|
yore |
a long time ago |
What’s Next?
Now that you know how to tackle one of the trickier subjects on the ACT English, try another: here is how to take on idioms on the ACT.
Not sure what else you’ll be up against? Here is a full breakdown of what you will find on ACT English.
Aiming high? Here are some top tips to get a 36 on ACT English.
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About the Author
Mary Ann holds a BA in Classics and Russian from the University of Notre Dame, and an MA from University College London. She has years of tutoring experience and is also passionate about travel and learning languages.