Shadowing Practice: DO THIS with Unfamiliar Words on the SAT - Learn English Speaking with Video

So you're feeling pretty good because you just finished the first English module and you're pretty sure you got a hundred percent.

And then, on the very first question of the second module, this happens.

I don't know that word.

Knowing how to choose the proper word based on context is one skill, but what the heck are you supposed to do if you don't know the words?

In this video, I'm going to give you four tips for dealing with unknown words on the SAT.

Tip number one is to not eliminate the words that you don't know, at least not yet.

Let's use this passage as an example.

So first thing you're always going to want to do is read and actually try to find some context.

So go ahead and pause the video and do that.

But for me, as I read through, the big part of this that stands out as a possible restatement, these details embody his artistic philosophy.

These details would be the elaborate mosaics, flowing lines, and nature-inspired motifs.

So the blank space needs to mirror and embody his artistic philosophy.

So I would say shown in, something like that.

Shown in or seen in.

So that would be my prediction.

Now, as we go through, I'm trying to eliminate.

Let's say I don't know what insensible means.

I'm not gonna get rid of it.

I have to keep it.

When I get to scrutinized by, let's say again, I don't know what it means.

It's okay gonna keep it for now.

And then I see D complicated by.

I'm very familiar with the word complicated.

That does not work with shown in or seen in.

So I'm going to say goodbye to choice B.

We'll come back to this question in a second.

All right.

So let's say you've gone through your first step of elimination

and you've only eliminated one answer or you still have all four answers left.

My second tip is to hold on to opposites.

That is to say antonyms.

More often than not, the correct answer is going to have an antonym or a near antonym somewhere in the answer choices.

So let's say I'm working on this problem and I've already read, I'm looking for context, and I'm having a little bit of trouble because I don't know what prefiguring and entrenching mean,

but I know that negating means sort of counteracting or making something null and void.

And I know that substantiating is sort of providing support for or, you know, bolstering something, supporting something.

So I'm thinking these guys are sort of antonyms.

So I'm going to go ahead and get rid of the two

that I don't know because I noticed we have a couple of opposites here.

And in context here, you know, pause the video if you need to look at the passage, but it's saying certain passages that were supposedly by this guy,

Sophho, may have been interpolations, that is to say little bits that were added in by later authors.

So this would change our understanding of Sophho's authorship.

So it would negate it, right?

It would not support it, it would do the opposite of that, perhaps nullify it.

Now that little antonym trick is super helpful, but only if you actually know the two words that are opposite from one another.

So let's say you're going through elimination step.

You don't spot two words that seem to be opposites.

Now what are you supposed to do?

At this point, you're going to need to rely on your knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.

So coming back to this question to demonstrate, if you remember, I was able to get rid of complicated by looking at my three remaining choices

and trying to decipher what's going on, I notice a couple of things with choice A.

First of all, we have in, and I know that in means not.

So I'm thinking the first part of this is not.

Then I see sense, and I know that sense has something to do with perceiving or feeling.

So I'm gonna say not feel feel slash sense

and then the last part is a bowl

and a bowl think about words like capable

or edible It means able to I put all of this

together I'm thinking this word's gonna mean something like not able to feel or sense

Does that work with Shonen or Seen in?

No, in fact that kind of seems like the opposite if you are unable to sense or feel his philosophy,

that's the opposite of it being shown in or seen in his philosophy.

So using word roots, such as sense, and prefixes and suffixes, such as in and able, or in this case, ible,

I can get rid of choice A.

Now this is definitely a skill that you need to develop, and if you have little or no knowledge of common prefixes, suffixes, and word roots on the SAT,

I've actually got a free resource for you that's going to help you out, just use the link in the description to download that for free.

Finally, let's talk about what happens when you are down to a couple of answers

and you still don't know one or both of the words.

Another issue that my students run into is they think to themselves, the SAT is real fancy.

They're going to want me to choose the fanciest word available.

That's not how the SAT works.

In fact, I would even consider some of these more advanced words to be distractor answers

because a lot of students aren't going to know them.

So they're just going to throw it in there as a completely out of place answer, relying on the fact that a lot of you guys just won't know the definition.

All right.

So we've eliminated two answer choices.

Now I'm feeling kind of nervous because I've got two answer choices that I don't know.

But then I remember, Ooh, I actually know the word scrutiny.

A phrase comes to mind faced scrutiny.

And I know that scrutiny is sort of like judgment.

So would I want judged by?

Would that go with shown in or seen in?

Absolutely not.

So now I have confidently eliminated three answer choices.

And even though I don't know what B means, I know it has to be my answer because all the other answers are now not an option.

And indeed, manifest in means like shown in or seen in.

Something that is manifest is clear and obvious.

If I would have thought back to history class, I might have thought about manifest destiny.

All right, now let's consider this question right here.

As usual, we need to get some context first, so pause the video and take a look.

But the big thing that I'm noticing is these methods were gradually replaced by, you know, standardized approaches.

So based off of that, my prediction is going to be out of date.

All right now moving on to my answer choices Defunct at first.

I don't recognize it, but then I remember

Defunct like not functioning this means that something is no longer

Functioning no longer in use so

that would fit out of date arcane I actually end up remembering

because I read fantasy and I remember arcane symbols and spells and And arcane basically means mysterious.

So that is actually not going to line up with out of date.

I would get rid of arcane.

100

Let's say I don't know what ubiquitous is.

101

I don't even know how to pronounce it.

102

So I'm going to keep that one.

103

And then extraneous.

104

Luckily, my teacher was just lecturing me last week about how I need to remove all the extraneous information from my essay.

105

So basically the stuff that is irrelevant and extra.

106

So irrelevant sort of lines up with out of date, but it's a little bit too extreme.

107

Just because something that's out of date doesn't mean it's completely irrelevant.

108

So if I'm left with defunct and this word I don't know, since defunct is the word that I do know,

109

now it's okay to go ahead and choose that since I was able to confidently keep it around.

110

So my answer is going to be A, defunct.

111

And indeed ubiquitous means sort of like ever present.

112

You can see it everywhere.

113

Think about cell phones.

114

Who do you know without a cell phone?

115

Nobody.

116

Cell phones are ubiquitous.

117

They're everywhere.

118

And I know what you're thinking.

119

But Robert, what the heck?

120

What if I don't know both words?

121

What if there's three words left over that I don't know?

122

Unfortunately, the words in context questions on the SAT are just a little bit luck of the draw,

123

depending on the vocabulary that you are familiar with and depending on your comfort level with prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.

124

The rest of the reading section, however, is a lot easier to nail if you have the proper strategies.

125

And if you happen to be around tomorrow, I'm going to be hosting a free live webinar designed for students who are aiming for a 700

126

or higher in the English section.

127

If you're watching this video the day it goes live, go ahead and join me for that.

128

Otherwise, the replay is going to be available on my channel.

✨ Recommend Video

37 sentences

PTE Repeat Sentence July 2026 | 50 Real Practice Questions | Score 90+ Fast 4K Ultra HD Video

TOEFL PrepCambridge Exam PrepHigh School Students

109 sentences

IELTS SPEAKING 2026: Why Does Your Mind Go Blank? | Common Problems | Ideas & Vocabulary

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students

205 sentences

My 10 Best Idioms for IELTS Speaking

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepHigh School Students

78 sentences

TOEFL 2026 Complete a Sentence Task: Step-by-Step Strategies and Practice (Part 1)

TOEFL PrepUniversity Students

124 sentences

Master English Skills While Tackling Unknown Words

In this lesson, you’ll practice understanding new words from context—just like the strategies shared in the video—while improving your speaking through shadowing. You’ll learn to decode tricky vocabulary, use word parts, and spot antonyms, all while honing your pronunciation and fluency. It’s a double win for test prep and real-world English!

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

Embody: To represent or show something clearly (e.g., "Her actions embody kindness").
Antonym: A word with the opposite meaning (e.g., "hot" is an antonym of "cold").
Prefix: A word part added to the start of a word (e.g., "un-" in "unhappy" means "not").
Substantiate: To support or prove something (e.g., "He used data to substantiate his claim").
Interpolations: Additions to a text, often by another author (e.g., "The book included interpolations from later scholars").

Practice Tips for Shadowing Success

The video’s tone is clear and conversational, making it perfect for shadowing—repeating phrases aloud right after the speaker. Here’s how to practice: - Use a shadowing app or shadowing site to slow down the audio if needed. Pause after short segments (like the tip about not eliminating unknown words) and repeat, focusing on matching the rhythm and intonation. - For tricky phrases like "these details embody his artistic philosophy," break them into chunks: "these details / embody his / artistic philosophy." Shadow each part, then combine them. - The video’s speed is natural for test prep, so it’s great for IELTS speaking practice too. Mimic the speaker’s confidence—even if you’re unsure of a word, say it clearly. - Remember: shadow speech isn’t just about pronunciation—it’s about understanding context. As you repeat, ask: "What does this word mean here?" Use the video’s strategies (prefixes, antonyms) to guess, then check later. You’ve got this! Every shadowing session brings you closer to fluency and test-day success.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	you've gone · you've only eliminated · I've already read
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is read · were added · being shown

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: DO THIS with Unfamiliar Words on the SAT - Learn English Speaking with Video

How to write a good essay: Paraphrasing the question

unknown

Essential Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking Part 1

CELPIP Exam Sample Questions | Unusual Situation

C1 Most Comprehensive Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE Exams

Skimming and Scanning

Practice your English game - 1