Introduction
Craft and Structure is the highest-volume domain in SAT Reading and Writing. On most tests, you should expect about 13 to 15 questions, roughly one quarter of the section. If your goal is a strong score increase, this is one of the best domains to target first because improvement here has a direct, high-impact payoff.
The Digital SAT is different from the old paper SAT in an important way: each question uses a short passage, often between 25 and 150 words. Instead of reading one long passage and answering many questions, you read many short passages and answer one question each. That means each prompt is highly focused, and every word in the answer choices matters.
In Craft and Structure, the test measures three related skills:
- Words in Context: Can you choose the most precise word for a specific passage?
- Text Structure and Purpose: Can you identify what the author is doing and why?
- Cross-Text Connections: Can you compare how two short texts relate in claim, scope, or reasoning?
The SAT does not reward memorizing hard words in isolation. It rewards precision, tone awareness, and close reading of the exact lines in front of you.
A consistent method works better than intuition:
- Read actively, not passively.
- Predict before viewing choices when possible.
- Eliminate choices for specific reasons.
- Verify final choice against meaning and tone.
Strategy tip: In this domain, you are not choosing the "best sounding" answer. You are choosing the answer that is most defensible from the text.
1. Words in Context (~6-8 questions)
What the SAT tests
Words in Context questions are often misunderstood. The SAT is usually not testing obscure dictionary definitions. It is testing whether you can choose the most accurate word for a specific context.
Key realities:
- All four choices are real English words.
- Several choices may be grammatically acceptable.
- Several choices may be loosely related in meaning.
- Only one choice is best for both meaning and tone.
That final point is the trap. Students often choose a word that is technically possible but not precise enough.
For example, in a passage with cautious scientific wording, a word like "proved" may be too strong, while "suggested" is more precise. In a passage praising a researcher, a neutral word like "mentioned" may be weaker than "highlighted" or "emphasized." Tone matters.
Strategy: The Context Clue Method
Use this method every time:
- Read the full passage, covering the blank with your hand or finger.
- Predict your own word or short phrase before looking at choices.
- Find the answer choice closest to your predicted meaning.
- Plug it back in and verify meaning and tone.
Why this works: if you look at choices too early, your brain gets anchored by familiar words. Prediction keeps you text-focused.
Practice Passage 1
Practice Passage 1: Scientific discovery
Researchers studying a deep-sea microbe found that the organism could survive in highly acidic water previously thought to be inhospitable to complex cellular activity. In their report, the scientists were careful to note that the finding does not overturn current evolutionary models; rather, it expands the range of environments in which such models can plausibly operate. The discovery therefore ___ earlier assumptions without fully rejecting them.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) obliterates
B) reinforces
C) qualifies
D) ignores
Correct answer: C) qualifies
Why C is correct: The passage says the discovery does not "overturn" existing models but "expands" where those models apply. That is a classic "add nuance" relationship. "Qualifies" means modifies or limits a claim without discarding it.
Why others are wrong:
- A) obliterates is too strong and contradicts "does not overturn."
- B) reinforces means strengthens, but the passage says assumptions are expanded/adjusted, not simply strengthened.
- D) ignores is opposite of what the researchers did; they explicitly addressed earlier assumptions.
Practice Passage 2
Practice Passage 2: Literary interpretation
In her later essays, Mora revisits characters from her early novels, but she does not merely repeat their original portrayals. Instead, she places them in unfamiliar social settings that expose traits only hinted at in the earlier works. Critics who expected nostalgic imitation were surprised by the essays' ___ treatment of familiar figures.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) derivative
B) revisionary
C) ornamental
D) indifferent
Correct answer: B) revisionary
Why B is correct: The passage emphasizes reinterpretation and new framing: not repetition, but new contexts revealing hidden traits. "Revisionary" best captures that rethinking/revising move.
Why others are wrong:
- A) derivative implies unoriginal copying, opposite of the passage's "does not merely repeat."
- C) ornamental means decorative; nothing in the passage focuses on decoration.
- D) indifferent suggests lack of care, which conflicts with the deliberate reinterpretation described.
High-Frequency SAT Context Words
Below are 30 words that often appear in answer choices. Learn meanings in clusters, not as isolated flashcards.
Words describing how something is received
- acclaimed
- controversial
- overlooked
- dismissed
- celebrated
- criticized
- maligned
- embraced
Words describing arguments
- compelling
- dubious
- nuanced
- reductive
- cogent
- tenuous
- persuasive
- flawed
Words describing change
- transformed
- undermined
- reinforced
- diminished
- accelerated
- stabilized
- reversed
Words describing tone
- earnest
- sardonic
- cautious
- exuberant
- measured
- skeptical
- reverent
Strategy tip: If two choices feel close, ask: Which one matches both the idea and the passage's emotional temperature?
2. Text Structure and Purpose (~4-5 questions)
What the SAT tests
These questions ask what a passage is doing rhetorically. You need to identify purpose, function, and structure.
Common targets:
- Main purpose of the text (inform, argue, describe, compare, critique)
- Function of a sentence in the paragraph (introduce claim, give evidence, qualify, transition)
- Overall structure (problem-solution, claim-evidence, comparison-contrast, etc.)
The key is to think in verbs.
Question stems to recognize
You will often see stems like:
- "Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?"
- "Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?"
- "The overall structure of the text is best described as..."
Strategy: Purpose Verbs
When reading, label what the author does with a precise purpose verb:
- DESCRIBES (neutral explanation)
- ARGUES (clear claim position)
- COMPARES (multiple items side by side)
- CHALLENGES (pushes against a prior view)
- QUALIFIES (adds nuance or limitation)
If you can choose the correct verb, answers become much easier.
Practice Passage 3
Practice Passage 3: Art movement purpose
Early critics of the Riverlight movement dismissed its painters as mere illustrators of rural life, claiming their work lacked political force. Recent scholarship, however, has shown that these artists deliberately used familiar agricultural scenes to comment on land privatization and labor displacement. By tracing recurring visual motifs across decades of paintings, historians argue that Riverlight artists embedded social critique in compositions that appeared, at first glance, purely pastoral.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To summarize the color techniques used by Riverlight painters
B) To challenge an older interpretation of Riverlight art and present evidence for a different one
C) To argue that all pastoral painting is political propaganda
D) To compare Riverlight art with urban photography of the same era
Correct answer: B
Why B is correct: The passage explicitly contrasts early critics' view with recent scholarship and supports the revised interpretation using recurring motifs. This is a "challenge and replace" structure.
Why others are wrong:
- A is too narrow and unsupported (no color-technique discussion).
- C overgeneralizes beyond the text.
- D introduces a comparison not made in the passage.
Practice Passage 4
Practice Passage 4: Sentence function question
Urban ecologists once assumed that bird diversity declines uniformly as neighborhoods become denser. Newer studies, though, suggest a more complicated pattern: some dense areas with mixed-use zoning and small green corridors host surprisingly varied bird populations. In one five-year survey, districts with narrow tree-lined streets supported nearly as many species as adjacent park systems. These findings have led planners to rethink which forms of density are most compatible with urban biodiversity.
The underlined sentence primarily serves to:
A) define a key term used throughout the passage
B) provide evidence supporting the claim that density does not always reduce bird diversity
C) introduce a counterargument that the author later rejects
D) explain why urban planners oppose green corridors
Correct answer: B
Why B is correct: The sentence gives concrete survey data that supports the passage's broader claim that density effects are nuanced, not uniformly negative.
Why others are wrong:
- A: no term is being defined.
- C: the sentence is supportive evidence, not a counterargument.
- D: the passage says planners are rethinking policies, not opposing corridors.
Strategy tip: For sentence-function questions, read one sentence before and one after. Function is determined by local role in argument flow.
3. Cross-Text Connections (~3-4 questions)
What the SAT tests
These questions present Text 1 and Text 2 on a shared topic. Your task is to identify how the authors' perspectives relate.
Typical relationships:
- agree
- disagree
- qualify
- extend
- use different evidence for similar conclusion
Strategy: Label each author's position BEFORE reading choices
- Read Text 1 and summarize the claim in five words.
- Read Text 2 and summarize the claim in five words.
- Determine relationship: agree/disagree/extend/qualify.
- Choose the answer that matches your relationship label.
This avoids getting lost in attractive but imprecise wording.
Practice Passage 5
Practice Passage 5: Cross-text historical perspectives
Text 1
Historian Lena Park argues that the expansion of public libraries in industrial cities was primarily a civic project: local leaders viewed libraries as institutions that could stabilize neighborhoods and provide shared educational access. Park notes that municipal records repeatedly frame library construction as a public good rather than a commercial investment.
Text 2
Historian Malik Rhodes agrees that public libraries expanded rapidly but contends that economic motives were central to that growth. According to Rhodes, manufacturers and trade groups supported library funding because they expected literacy gains to improve workforce efficiency and reduce training costs.
Which choice best describes the relationship between Text 1 and Text 2?
A) Text 2 refutes Text 1 by proving that no civic motives existed.
B) Text 2 expands on Text 1 by offering an additional explanation for the same historical trend.
C) Text 2 repeats Text 1's claim without adding new evidence.
D) Text 2 discusses a different time period, so the texts are not comparable.
Correct answer: B
Why B is correct: Both texts agree that library expansion happened. Text 1 emphasizes civic purpose; Text 2 introduces economic motive as a major driver. That is an extension/alternative emphasis, not full refutation.
Why others are wrong:
- A is too absolute: Text 2 does not claim civic motives were absent.
- C is false: Text 2 clearly adds a new explanatory frame.
- D is unsupported; both discuss the same broad historical development.
Strategy tip: Cross-text answers often fail because of extreme language ("completely," "entirely," "no evidence"). When texts partly align, extreme options are usually wrong.
Quick Reference
Craft and Structure Fast Checklist
- Identify task type: word choice, purpose/function, or cross-text relationship.
- Find evidence lines before considering answer style.
- Predict your answer in plain language.
- Eliminate choices that mismatch tone, scope, or relationship.
- Re-read final choice in passage to verify precision.
Purpose Verb Bank
Use these verbs in your scratch notes:
- describes
- argues
- compares
- challenges
- qualifies
- illustrates
- supports
- concedes
- contrasts
Relationship Labels for Cross-Text
- agrees
- disagrees
- partially agrees but qualifies
- extends with new evidence
- shifts scope (broader/narrower)
Common Traps
Trap 1: Choosing dictionary meaning instead of contextual meaning
A word can have several definitions. SAT cares about the one that fits this exact sentence.
Trap 2: Choosing a true detail for a main-purpose question
Many wrong answers mention real details but miss the central rhetorical move.
Trap 3: Confusing tone strength
"Suggest" and "prove" are not interchangeable. Match confidence level in text.
Trap 4: Missing qualification language
Words like "however," "although," "while," and "despite" often signal nuanced relationships.
Trap 5: Overreading cross-text disagreement
Two authors can disagree on cause while agreeing on outcome. Many choices test this distinction.
4 Additional Practice Problems
Problem 1 (Words in Context)
Passage:
Although the committee's report praised the new transit plan's long-term goals, it also noted that the current budget assumptions were optimistic. Several projected cost savings depended on ridership estimates that had not yet been verified by independent analysts. As a result, the committee's endorsement can best be described as ___ rather than unconditional.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) emphatic
B) qualified
C) celebratory
D) dismissive
Problem 2 (Text Purpose)
Passage:
For decades, biologists assumed that urban fox populations formed only when rural foxes were displaced by construction. New tracking studies, however, show that some foxes repeatedly move between urban and rural habitats even when both remain available. These findings suggest that city adaptation in foxes may reflect behavioral flexibility rather than forced migration alone.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To describe a method for capturing foxes in city parks
B) To challenge a single-cause explanation of urban fox populations
C) To argue that construction never affects wildlife movement
D) To compare fox behavior with bird migration patterns
Problem 3 (Sentence Function)
Passage:
Marine archaeologists recently identified a cluster of ancient anchors near the island's northern reef. The anchors date to multiple centuries, suggesting repeated use of the same maritime route. This pattern is consistent with records describing the reef as a seasonal shelter for merchant vessels. Together, the physical and written evidence strengthens the case that the reef served as a strategic stopover point.
The underlined sentence primarily serves to:
A) introduce a claim that the rest of the paragraph disproves
B) connect archaeological findings to documentary evidence
C) define a technical term used earlier in the paragraph
D) provide an unrelated historical anecdote
Problem 4 (Cross-Text Connections)
Text 1
Economist Rina Solis argues that remote work's biggest long-term effect will be geographic: workers will spread into smaller cities, reducing pressure on housing markets in major metropolitan areas.
Text 2
Economist Joel Han agrees remote work affects housing patterns but argues that its most durable impact is organizational: firms are redesigning management structures around asynchronous collaboration.
Which choice best describes the relationship between Text 1 and Text 2?
A) Text 2 rejects Text 1's core claim and denies that remote work influences housing at all.
B) Text 2 supports Text 1 by offering the same primary effect with additional examples.
C) Text 2 agrees that remote work has broad effects but emphasizes a different primary consequence.
D) Text 2 focuses on a historical period unrelated to Text 1.
Answers and Explanations
Problem 1: B (qualified)
The passage says the committee praises goals but flags unverified assumptions, so support is conditional, not absolute. "Qualified" captures this nuanced endorsement.
Problem 2: B
The passage contrasts an older single-cause model with new evidence and proposes a more nuanced explanation. That is a challenge/qualification of the old view.
Problem 3: B
The underlined sentence links physical evidence (anchors) to written records, strengthening the argument by convergence of evidence types.
Problem 4: C
Both authors agree remote work has major effects. Text 1 emphasizes geographic/housing effects; Text 2 emphasizes organizational effects. This is agreement plus different primary emphasis.
Craft and Structure questions become much easier when you treat them as evidence-matching tasks instead of opinion tasks. Build a habit of predicting first, labeling purpose with precise verbs, and mapping cross-text relationships explicitly. That process turns one of the largest SAT R&W domains into a reliable scoring advantage.