SAT Words of the Week

SAT Words of the Week:

Garrulous-(adjective)-extremely talkative

In context:  Our garrulous instructor spends too much time chatting and not enough time reviewing the test material.

Gregarious-(adjective)-sociable

In context:  Mary's gregarious nature made her very popular in school.

Loquacious-(adjective)-overly talkative; talking a great deal

In context:   Jane is so loquacious that she will talk to anyone who is willing to listen.

Taciturn-(adjective)-quiet by nature; not inclined to partake in conversation

In context:  Many people misunderstand John's quiet nature; they think he is snobby or unfriendly when he is simply taciturn.

Vociferous-(adjective)-loud; noisy

In context:  The vociferous kids were asked to quiet down or leave the theater.

SAT Tip of the Day: 

The sentence completion questions on the critical reading portion can be tricky, but if you are aware of some of the traps that are set, you can work through them.  Here are a few tricks you should know:

• 1. Complex Sentences: Expect several of the sentence completions to be lengthy sentences. These sentences tend to intimidate students and often, test takers get frustrated and give up instead of working through the challenges of the sentence. When facing a lengthy complex sentence, divide the sentence and tackle it in parts. If you are uncertain how to break down a sentence, look for commas in the sentence and divide accordingly.

• 2. Negative Words: Words like no, not, hardly, and rarely are negatives. These words are tricky because they change the meaning of the sentence. When you see these words circle or underline them. As you examine the sentence, be mindful of the negative words and how they affect the meaning of the sentence. Many students discover that they chose the opposite of correct answer because they failed to note the negatives in the sentence.

• 3. Difficult Vocabulary: Sometimes the simplest word choice is the correct answer. Don't assume that the correct answer must always be the most challenging vocabulary word. Always choose the word that best fits the context of the sentence.

 Suggested Resource:   Flashcards

Create your own flashcard system by writing the SAT word on one side, and its definition on the opposite side.  It's also a good idea to include a sentence that uses the word in context.  Be sure to occasionally shuffle the cards to avoid memorizing words in particular order. 

Did You Know?  The critical reading test is 70 minutes.  It is comprised of two 25 minute sections and one 20 minute section.

Michele Shulman is a graduate of Hofstra University where she majored in English and earned both a B.A. and M.A.   She taught English at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens and Farmingdale High School, here on Long Island, before taking a leave of absence to raise her children.  Currently, she teaches SAT preparation classes and tutors privately.