What you'll learn
Craft & Structure tests how a text is built and worded: vocabulary in context, the purpose and structure of a text, and connections between two related texts.
Words in context
The most common question type: choose the word that best fits a blank, or the meaning of a word as used in the passage. The trick is that words have multiple meanings — the context decides.
- Cover the choices, predict your own word from the sentence's logic, then match.
- Watch for tone: a positive context needs a positive word.
- Example: "The evidence was ______, leaving little doubt" → compelling/convincing, not lengthy.
Text structure and purpose
These ask why the author wrote something or how a part functions: to introduce, contrast, give an example, qualify a claim, or conclude. Identify the role of the sentence within the whole.
Common structures: problem–solution, compare–contrast, general-to-specific, chronological.
Cross-text connections
Two short texts on one topic; you compare viewpoints. Pin down each author's stance first (supportive? critical? neutral?), then see how they relate — agree, disagree, qualify, or extend.
Strategy
- For vocabulary: predict before peeking at the choices.
- For purpose: ask "what job does this sentence do?"
- For two-text questions: summarise each author's view in a few words before answering.
Common mistakes
- Picking a word's most common meaning instead of its in-context meaning.
- Confusing the topic of a text with its purpose.
- Mixing up which author holds which view in cross-text questions.
Building a habit of predicting meaning from context is the single best way to raise your Craft & Structure score.