SAT Verbal sections terms & vocabulary

Terms and definitions useful for answer questions on the SAT Reading and Writing sections.

Vocabulary in questions

Effective test-taking requires full comprehension of the questions themselves.

hypothetical/ hypothetically
- = an idea or situation that is not real but could be
  - used to test a "hypothesis" or theoretical prediction or observation that has not been tested in reality
- SAT Reading section uses it frequently for inference questions
  - i.e., "Given the hypothetical condition, then..." = "if this were true, then..."
merely
- = "only"
- the SAT frequently measures student comprehension of this word
- note that "merely" is different from "a little," "a few" or "few"
nevertheless
- = "yes, but..."
- used to accept a prior argument or statement, then deflect, negate, or contradict it.
- for Reading section, transition words mark important statements an author wants to make
skeptical
- = doubtful, uncertain of, seeing as unproven
- a "skeptic" is one who doubts or questions the veracity of something
- on the SAT, the word "skeptical" may be used to indicate a perspective of doubt
  - ex., if the question asks, "Scholars are skeptical of the idea that people would behave that way"
    - = scholars doubt people would behave that way
    - i.e., use "backwards thought" or "inversion" to make sense of the question

Historical terms to know