Word and Phrase Meaning in Context
What’s Tested:
- Understanding the intended meaning of a word or phrase in a specific passage
- Recognizing figurative, emotional, or literary uses of language
- Avoiding the trap of picking definitions based on prior knowledge rather than context
How to Build the Skill:
- Practice identifying context clues (tone, sentence structure, surrounding imagery)
- Read a variety of short stories or narrative essays, stopping to reflect on word choice
- When you see an unfamiliar or nuanced word, ask: What feeling or idea is it conveying here?
Sample Question:
As used in line 22, the word “charged” most nearly means: A. electrified B. burdened C. rushed D. emotional (Correct answer: D – because the scene is emotionally intense, not literal.)
Author’s Tone and Attitude
What’s Tested:
- Interpreting the narrator's or author's emotions, opinions, or perspective
- Detecting subtle cues in language that reveal sarcasm, nostalgia, tension, admiration, etc.
How to Build the Skill:
- Highlight words that indicate emotional state or value judgments
- Practice rewriting paragraphs in a different tone to train your sensitivity to tone shifts
- Ask: If I had to describe the narrator’s mood in one word, what would it be?
Sample Question:
Which of the following best describes the narrator’s attitude toward her childhood home? A. Detached and indifferent B. Affectionate and reflective C. Critical and disappointed D. Confused and uncertain (Correct answer: B – look for nostalgic descriptions, warm memories, etc.)
Point of View and Perspective
What’s Tested:
- Identifying who is telling the story and how that shapes what we learn
- Understanding how bias, memory, or subjectivity affect the storytelling
- Recognizing when a narrator’s understanding differs from the reader’s
How to Build the Skill:
- Practice identifying first person vs. third person narration
- Reflect on how limited knowledge or emotional investment colors the narration
- Ask: What does the narrator know or not know? Are they trustworthy?
Sample Question:
The passage is told from the perspective of: A. an omniscient narrator who reveals the thoughts of all characters B. a participant in the events who reflects on them with insight C. a detached observer who reports without emotion D. a secondary character who guesses at the motives of others (Correct answer: B – a first-person narrator looking back on events with commentary.)
Structure and Organization
What’s Tested:
- Understanding how parts of the passage function or relate to one another
- Recognizing shifts in time, tone, or focus
- Identifying key moments like the introduction of conflict, turning points, or resolutions
How to Build the Skill:
- Outline the passage paragraph by paragraph: What does each part do?
- Practice identifying transitional words or shifts ("but," "however," "suddenly")
- Ask: How does this section move the story forward or change the emotional tone?
Sample Question:
The primary function of the second paragraph is to: A. establish the setting in greater detail B. introduce a central conflict C. reflect on a past experience D. explain the protagonist’s motivation (Correct answer: B – based on a new tension introduced in that section.)
Use of Literary Techniques
What’s Tested:
- Recognizing how imagery, metaphor, irony, or symbolism contribute to the meaning
- Interpreting why an author uses figurative language or specific stylistic choices
- Understanding the emotional or thematic effect of a technique
How to Build the Skill:
- When reading literary fiction, mark any striking descriptions or metaphors and ask: Why this image?
- Study common literary devices and look for examples in short stories or memoirs
- Ask: What mood, theme, or character trait does this technique enhance?
Sample Question:
The imagery in lines 15–18 primarily serves to: A. foreshadow a coming tragedy B. emphasize the protagonist’s anxiety C. contrast past and present environments D. create a sense of surreal wonder (Correct answer: B – based on vivid, tense language describing internal emotion.)