TEN STEPS CH1: Vocabulary in Context

To save time when reading, you should try to figure out the

meanings of unfamiliar words. You can do so by looking at their context—the words surrounding them.

Look at the sentence below and see if the context helps. “Smartphones have become ubiquitous; you can see them, and hear them, everywhere.” Ubiquitous means

widespread

Using context clues to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words will help you in several ways.

1: It will save you time when reading. You will not have to stop to look up words in the dictionary. 2: After you figure out the meaning of a particular word more than once through its context, it may become a part of your working vocabulary. You will therefore add to your vocabulary simply by reading thoughtfully. 3: It will give you a good sense of how a word is actually used, including any shades of meaning it might have.

There are four common types of context clues.

1: Examples

2: Synonyms

3: Antonyms

4: General Sense of

Examples may suggest the

meaning of an unknown word.

See if the example in this cartoon helps you figure out the meaning of the word adverse.

harmful

In the sentence below, the examples are boldfaced. Use the examples to help you figure out the meaning of the italicized word. “As they moved westward, early pioneers faced many tribulations, such as scarce food, extreme weather, and loneliness.”

great difficulties

Examples are often introduced with signal words and phrases like

for example, for instance, including, and such as.

In the item below, the examples are boldfaced. Use the examples to help you figure out the meaning of the italicized word. “Each of my coworkers has a strange idiosyncrasy. For instance, our receptionist wears only pink. The mail clerk always speaks in a whisper. And my office mate lives on peanuts and apples.” Idiosyncrasy means

unusual personal trait

Context clues are often available in the form of a synonym:

a word that means the same or almost the same as the unknown word. It may appear anywhere in a passage to provide the same meaning as the unknown word.

In the cartoon below, what two synonym words help you understand the meaning of the word panacea?

cure everythig

In the sentence below, what synonym words tell you the meaning of the word mentor? “Gaining a mentor is helpful when you are beginning a new job. A wise and trusted adviser can greatly assist your career.“

wise and trusted adviser

An antonym, a word that

means the opposite of another word, is also a useful context clue.

Antonyms are sometimes signaled by words and phrases such as

however, but, yet, on the other hand, and in contrast.

In the cartoon below, what two Antonym words help you figure out what the word indolent means?

hard work

In the sentence below, pick out the Antonym word that means the opposite of the italicized word. “The teacher would have achieved better results if she had been as quick to commend students for their successes as she was to criticize them for their failures.”

criticize

General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

Often, the context of a new word contains no examples, synonyms, or antonyms. In such cases, you must do a bit more detective work; you’ll need to look at any clues provided in the information surrounding the word. Asking yourself questions about the passage may help you make a fairly accurate guess about the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

Can you figure out the meaning of the word opportune in this cartoon?

it means “suitable.”

Use the question below the sentence to help you figure out the meaning of the word diverged. “Sonya and Liz thought they’d stay good friends forever. But after graduation, their lives diverged: Sonya got married, and Liz moved away.” (What relationship did their lives have after graduation?)

went in different directions

Very often, textbook authors provide definitions of important terms. They usually follow a definition with

one or more examples to ensure that you understand the word being defined.

“In all societies there is some vertical mobility—moving up or down the status ladder. The upward movement is called upward mobility and the downward movement, downward mobility. The promotion of a teacher to the position of principal is an example of upward mobility, and demotion from principal to teacher is downward mobility.” Textbook authors, then, often do more than provide context clues: they

define a term, set it off in boldface or italic type, and provide examples as well.

a part of speech is

a category of words that have similar grammatical properties. like nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

word froms:

prefix, suffix, and roots

prefix:

an affix attached to the beginning of a word, base, or phrase and serving to produce a derivative word or an inflectional for. (Exp: Anti- = against)

suffix:

an affix occurring at the end of a word, base, or phrase. (Exp: -wise = in relation to)

roots words:

Hold the most basic meaning of a word. Most root words are not stand-alone words in English — they need a prefix and/or a suffix to create a meaningful word. For example, the Latin root word aud meaning “to hear or listen” is not an English word on its own, but it is the root of common words such as audio, audible, or auditorium which all have to do with hearing or listening.