Choose the exact word a sentence needs, and say what a text is doing and why.
Goal: choose the exact word a sentence needs, and say what a text is doing and why.
Help: do all of this alone or with your family. You do not need a tutor or teacher. The Forms score your answers, and the answer key explains every choice.
How it works: work down the page in order. When you reach a Stop here line, you are done for that day.
Get these ready:
Why it is built this way: a major review of study methods rated practice testing and spacing your study over time as the two most useful methods.
| When | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting 1 | Try First Check, Part 1, then Game 1 | 30 minutes |
| Sitting 2, two or three days later | Replay Game 1, then Parts 2 to 4, then Game 2 | 30 minutes |
| Sitting 3, about a week after Sitting 1 | Replay Game 2, then Game 3, Part 5, and the Exit Check | 30 minutes |
| Return day, one to two weeks later | Replay one game, then retake the Exit Check | 15 minutes |
A family member does not need to know the answers. They can run the timer, read the game items out loud, and ask, "Which words in the text prove that?"
Answer all 5 questions before you read anything below. Mark how sure you are on each one. It is fine to miss some, because trying first helps you remember the answers later. When you submit, choose View score and read why each answer is right or wrong. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
Got 5 out of 5? Skip Part 1 and go to Game 1.
In a words-in-context question, one word is missing. The sentence already holds the clues. Your job is to find them.
| Signal word | What it tells you | Example |
|---|---|---|
| but, however, although, yet | The blank is the opposite of the clue. | The plan looked simple, but it was ______. (hard) |
| because, since, so | The blank follows from the clue. | It rained all day, so the field was ______. (wet) |
| and, also, as well | The blank matches the clue. | The room was cold and ______. (damp) |
| a colon or a dash | The part after it explains the blank. | The reply was ______: it said only "maybe." (vague) |
Question. The hikers' maps were ______: several trails had changed names, and a bridge shown on the page no longer existed.
| Step | What you think |
|---|---|
| Cover the choices. | I do not look at the words yet. |
| Find the clue. | The part after the colon explains the blank. Names changed and a bridge is gone. |
| Say your own word. | My word is "old." |
Your turn: which kind of word means "old" for maps? Find a word that means that and prove it with the words after the colon. Then check the Worked Example section of the answer key.
Match the blank to the word. Each word in the bank may be used once or twice. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Word bank: vague, reassure, predictable, outdated, accessible, opposing, groundbreaking, complicated, support, brief
Replay Game 1 and try to beat your score.
A purpose question asks what a text, or one sentence in it, is doing. It is not asking what the text is about.
| Trap | What it means |
|---|---|
| Wrong purpose | It has the wrong verb. The text describes, but the choice says it argues. |
| Too narrow or too far | It names one small detail, or it goes beyond what the text supports. |
| Not in the text | The text never says this. |
| Wrong structure | It describes an order the text does not follow. |
| Job | Clue words |
|---|---|
| Introduces the topic | This article, in this guide, here is |
| Gives an example | for example, for instance, such as |
| Corrects a belief | many people think, in fact, however, actually |
| Shows a result | as a result, so, consequently |
| Describes a problem | struggle, trouble, only, too few |
| Offers a solution | fixed this by, solved it with, now |
These are original practice questions. The Form asks how sure you are on each one, scores your answers, and explains every choice.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
Prefer paper? Open the printable module doc and answer there.
Read the explanation for every choice, including the questions you got right. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker. For each question you missed or rated 1 or 2, add a row on the My Mistakes tab. Each explanation names the sticking point to choose. Leave the Trap column blank for now.
Name the job of the sentence in brackets. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
Replay Game 2 and try to beat your score.
Choose the verb that fits the whole text. Set the timer for 3 minutes, or play without it. Choose an answer for each item, then press Check.
With a family member or friend: Take turns reading a text out loud. The other person names the verb and says which words prove it.
| Sticking point | Domain | Skill | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Words in context | Craft and Structure | Words in Context | Easy |
| Purpose of a text | Craft and Structure | Text Structure and Purpose | Easy |
No account, or the Question Bank will not open? Use the Practice links: words in context, or the Khan Academy SAT Reading and Writing course.
Answer all 5 questions without your notes. When you submit, choose View score and read why each answer is right or wrong. Write your score on the My Scores tab of your tracker. Add any question you missed to the My Mistakes tab.
Trouble with the box? Open it in its own tab.
4 or 5 right: you are ready for your return day. 3 or fewer right: replay Game 3 and reread Parts 1 and 2 before your return day.
Set your return date. Pick a date one to two weeks from today. Write it on the Next Step tab of your tracker and on your calendar.
4 or 5 right: go to Module 3. 3 or fewer right: open the help for the questions you missed, then retake the Exit Check in a few days.
When you can, use the Student Question Bank: Craft and Structure, Words in Context and Text Structure and Purpose, Medium. Answer 10 questions in 12 minutes. Add each miss to My Mistakes.