Review Mistakes
Learning Objectives
In this lesson, you will:
- Analyze common vocabulary mistakes on the SAT/ACT
- Learn strategies to avoid trap answers
- Practice error analysis for vocabulary questions
- Build a system for tracking and learning from mistakes
Practice Quiz
Analyze these common mistake patterns. Click to reveal each explanation.
Question 1: A student chose "happy" for a word meaning "enthusiastic" because both are positive. Why is this a mistake?
Answer: Same-tone trap. Positive/negative tone matching is not enough; the meaning must be precise.
Strategy: Check that your answer captures the specific meaning, not just the general tone. "Enthusiastic" implies active excitement, not just contentment.
Question 2: The word "sanction" can mean both "to approve" and "to penalize." How should you handle words with opposite meanings?
Answer: Context is essential. Look at the surrounding sentences to determine which meaning applies.
Strategy: For contronyms (words with opposite meanings), substitute each meaning into the sentence and see which makes logical sense.
Question 3: A student confused "affect" (verb) with "effect" (noun). How can you remember the difference?
Answer: Affect = Action (both start with A); Effect = End result (both start with E).
Strategy: Create mnemonics for commonly confused pairs. Also note: "effect" can be a verb meaning "to cause" (e.g., "effect change").
Question 4: Why is choosing the first answer that "sounds right" a risky strategy?
Answer: Test makers design wrong answers to sound plausible. The first appealing answer may be a trap.
Strategy: Always read all answer choices before selecting. Eliminate obviously wrong answers, then carefully compare remaining options.
Question 5: "Literally" is often misused to mean "figuratively." How do you handle words that are commonly misused?
Answer: Learn the correct definition and watch for context clues. On standardized tests, the standard definition is typically expected.
Strategy: Keep a list of commonly misused words. "Literally" means actually/exactly as stated, not as an intensifier.
Question 6: A student knew "aesthetic" means "relating to beauty" but missed a question where it meant "artistic philosophy." What happened?
Answer: The student knew only one meaning. Many words have primary and secondary definitions.
Strategy: Learn multiple meanings for vocabulary words. Check if your known definition fits the context before answering.
Question 7: Why might knowing the root "chron-" (time) not help with "chronically ill"?
Answer: While "chron-" relates to time, "chronically" means persistently/constantly, not related to clocks or dates.
Strategy: Roots give hints but don't guarantee meaning. Always verify with context clues and consider how words evolved.
Question 8: A student eliminated "obsolete" because they thought it meant "very old." The correct answer was "obsolete." What went wrong?
Answer: "Obsolete" means no longer in use or outdated, not just old. The student had an imprecise definition.
Strategy: When you think you know a word, verify the precise meaning. Close definitions can lead to wrong answers.
Question 9: How should you handle vocabulary questions when you have no idea what the word means?
Answer: Use all available strategies: context clues, word parts, eliminate clearly wrong answers, consider tone.
Strategy: Never leave a question blank. Even partial knowledge can help you make an educated guess.
Question 10: What is an effective system for tracking vocabulary mistakes?
Answer: Keep an error log with: the word, your wrong answer, the correct answer, why you were wrong, and a strategy to remember.
Strategy: Review your error log weekly. Patterns in your mistakes reveal what skills to practice most.
Next Steps
- Start an error log for vocabulary questions
- Review commonly confused word pairs
- Move on to the mixed set when ready