Question 119·Medium·Words in Context
Researchers studying remote work have found that employees often describe their daily schedules as ____ , shifting constantly between professional tasks and personal responsibilities.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words in Context questions, always read the full sentence (and nearby sentences if needed) and locate a strong clue—often a phrase after a comma or conjunction—that describes or restates the blank. Paraphrase what word should mean in simple language (for example, “flexible and changing a lot”) before looking at the choices. Then eliminate any options that directly contradict the clue’s meaning or tone, even if they are common vocabulary words you know, and choose the one that best matches your prediction in context rather than the one that just “sounds sophisticated.”
Hints
Use the clue after the comma
Focus on the phrase after the comma: "shifting constantly between professional tasks and personal responsibilities." What does this tell you about the nature of the schedules?
Think about fixed vs. changing
Ask yourself: Does the sentence describe schedules that are fixed and unchanging, or schedules that move and change a lot?
Eliminate choices that contradict the clue
Look for any answer choices that clearly clash with the idea of something "shifting constantly," and cross those out first.
Step-by-step Explanation
Read the whole sentence for context
First, read the entire sentence, not just the blank:
"Researchers studying remote work have found that employees often describe their daily schedules as ____, shifting constantly between professional tasks and personal responsibilities."
Notice the phrase after the comma, because it explains what the schedules are like.
Identify the key clue
The key clue is "shifting constantly between professional tasks and personal responsibilities."
This tells you that the schedules are changing often and moving back and forth between two types of activities. So, you need a word that matches the idea of something that changes and is not fixed.
Predict the general meaning needed
Based on the clue, you can predict that the blank should be filled with a word meaning something like "changeable," "flexible," or "able to move and adjust easily."
Keep that general meaning in mind when you check the answer choices.
Test each choice against the context
Now compare each option to the idea of schedules that change a lot:
- rigid: means stiff or inflexible – the opposite of "shifting constantly."
- monotonous: means boring and unchanging – also opposite of constant shifting.
- sporadic: means happening irregularly or only once in a while – this does not match "constantly."
- fluid: means flexible, changeable, or able to flow and shift easily – this matches schedules that are "shifting constantly."
Therefore, the best choice is fluid.