Evidence and Verification

Objective: Understand corroborate and choose it accurately in context.

corroborate (verb): To support a claim or account with independent evidence. Context sentences 1. The second witness could corroborate the driver's account of the accident. 2. Researchers sought another source to corroborate the date in the diary. 3. A receipt might corroborate her claim that she bought the ticket on Tuesday.

Objective: Understand substantiate and choose it accurately in context.

substantiate (verb): To back up a claim with enough evidence to make it well supported. Context sentences 1. The historian needed shipping records to substantiate her claim about the town's early trade. 2. Survey responses helped substantiate the committee's argument for longer library hours. 3. The lawyer could not substantiate the accusation without documents or testimony.

Objective: Understand validate and choose it accurately in context.

validate (verb): To establish that a result, method, or conclusion is sound by checking it against appropriate evidence. Context sentences 1. The engineer repeated the test to validate the sensor's readings. 2. A comparison with known samples helped validate the new laboratory method. 3. The team collected more data to validate its initial conclusion.

Objective: Understand authenticate and choose it accurately in context.

authenticate (verb): To verify that an object, document, or message is genuine or from its claimed source. Context sentences 1. An expert examined the signature to authenticate the letter. 2. The archive compared the map's paper and ink with dated records to authenticate it. 3. The bank called the customer to authenticate the unusual request.

Objective: Understand scrutinize and choose it accurately in context.

scrutinize (verb): To examine something very closely in order to notice details or possible problems. Context sentences 1. The auditor will scrutinize each expense before approving the budget. 2. Readers should scrutinize the graph's scale before accepting its dramatic appearance. 3. The mechanic paused to scrutinize the tiny crack in the engine housing.

Objective: Understand appraise and choose it accurately in context.

appraise (verb): To assess the quality, value, or significance of something. Context sentences 1. The committee will appraise the proposals using the same criteria. 2. A specialist came to appraise the donated sculpture. 3. The review asked readers to appraise the argument's strengths and weaknesses.

Objective: Understand ascertain and choose it accurately in context.

ascertain (verb): To find out a fact with reasonable certainty through checking or inquiry. Context sentences 1. The clerk called the supplier to ascertain when the shipment had left. 2. Investigators examined the records to ascertain who held the key. 3. Before making an offer, the buyer tried to ascertain the building's actual floor area.

Objective: Understand discern and choose it accurately in context.

discern (verb): To recognize or make out something that is hard to notice or distinguish. Context sentences 1. The analyst could discern a faint pattern in the scattered results. 2. It was difficult to discern the faded date on the envelope. 3. Careful listeners could discern two separate instruments beneath the singer's voice.

Objective: Understand deduce and choose it accurately in context.

deduce (verb): To reach a conclusion by reasoning from available facts or clues. Context sentences 1. From the fresh footprints and open gate, the caretaker could deduce that someone had entered the garden. 2. Students used the chart to deduce which material retained the most heat. 3. The detective tried to deduce the sequence of events from the timestamps.

Objective: Understand extrapolate and choose it accurately in context.

extrapolate (verb): To estimate a value or trend beyond the observed data by extending an established pattern. Context sentences 1. The planner used five years of figures to extrapolate next year's enrollment. 2. Scientists cautioned that it was risky to extrapolate far beyond the temperatures they had tested. 3. From the first six rows, the student tried to extrapolate the pattern in the rest of the table.