Question 13·Easy·Words in Context
Determined to revitalize the local park, a group of volunteers ______ to plant 1,000 trees before the end of autumn, promising to return each weekend until their goal was met.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words in Context questions, always read at least the full sentence and, if possible, the one before or after to get the situation and tone. Identify the part of speech needed (verb, noun, adjective, etc.) and what role the missing word plays (emotion, action, decision, cause, effect). Then plug each option into the sentence, asking: Does it fit the grammar? Does it match the tone (positive/negative, serious/casual) and the logic of the surrounding phrases? Eliminate any choice that clashes with the attitude (like "hesitated" with "determined") or that doesn’t match what the sentence is really describing, even if the word is generally positive or familiar.
Hints
Look at the whole sentence, not just the blank
Pay attention to the beginning: "Determined to revitalize the local park" and the end: "promising to return each weekend until their goal was met." Ask yourself what overall action these volunteers are taking.
Figure out the part of speech and tense
The blank comes right after "a group of volunteers" and before "to plant 1,000 trees." Think about what kind of word (and what tense) normally goes in that position in a sentence like this.
Match the word to the tone and follow-up phrase
The phrase after the comma describes them returning every weekend until the goal is reached. Ask: does the missing verb show a feeling, a mental process, doubt, or a firm decision that connects naturally to that ongoing effort?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the situation and tone
First, read the whole sentence: it describes volunteers who are determined to revitalize a park and who promise to return every weekend until they reach a big goal. The overall tone is serious and focused on commitment and follow-through, not on doubt or casual activity.
Identify what kind of word is needed
The blank comes after "volunteers" and before "to plant 1,000 trees," so it must be a past-tense verb that shows what the volunteers did regarding this big goal. Because the next phrase says "promising to return each weekend until their goal was met," the missing verb should match the idea of setting or committing to that goal, not just feeling something or doing a quick mental action.
Test and eliminate choices that don’t match
Try each option in the sentence:
- "volunteers delighted to plant 1,000 trees" mainly describes their emotion (they were happy), which doesn’t match the strong goal-setting and promise focus of the rest of the sentence.
- "volunteers calculated to plant 1,000 trees" suggests they did some math or planning, which doesn’t fit smoothly with "promising to return each weekend" and sounds awkward.
- "volunteers hesitated to plant 1,000 trees" means they were unsure or reluctant, which conflicts with "Determined to revitalize" and their clear promise. These three options either clash with the determined tone or don’t express a firm goal-related action.
Select the verb that shows a firm commitment
The remaining choice, "pledged," fits perfectly: "a group of volunteers pledged to plant 1,000 trees... promising to return each weekend" clearly expresses that they made a serious promise or commitment to achieve that goal, which matches both the determined tone and the description of returning each weekend. So the correct answer is B) pledged.