Intensity (constraint)
SAT glossary · Reading & Writing
Definition
Within the correct polarity, how strong the slot must be — disagreed, objected, denounced, and excoriated are all negative toward a claim and are not interchangeable. Hard items are built on exactly this axis, and the text always supplies a marker: a hedge (somewhat, arguably, may), an amplifier (utterly, categorically), or a structural signal.
Intensity (constraint) in plain English
Once you've figured out whether a blank in a sentence needs to be positive or negative overall (its 'polarity'), intensity is the next, finer-grained decision: exactly HOW STRONG does that word need to be within that polarity? For instance, 'disagreed,' 'objected,' 'denounced,' and 'excoriated' are all negative words toward some claim, but they're absolutely NOT interchangeable — they range from mild disagreement all the way up to furious condemnation. The hardest vocabulary questions are specifically built around this exact axis, and the text always gives you a clue to the correct intensity level — either a softening word (like 'somewhat' or 'arguably'), an intensifying word (like 'utterly' or 'categorically'), or some other structural signal in the sentence.
Also called: constraint
Learn these first
Sign up free: all 157 SAT terms as flashcards, plus practice questions with full explanations →