English Second Language·Vocabulary & word choice · NSSCO 2.4
Working out new words from context & word parts
Narrated lesson · press play
In a reading exam there is no dictionary on the desk — so what do you do when a word you have never seen jumps off the page? You become a word detective. In this lesson we learn two powerful skills: reading the clues AROUND a word (context clues) and reading the pieces INSIDE a word (prefixes, roots and suffixes). Put them together, check your guess fits the sentence, and no strange word can stop you again.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO English Second Language 2.4):
- Work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word from the context of the sentence, without using a dictionary
- Identify and use the five types of context clue: definition, synonym, contrast, example and general sense
- Recognise common prefixes, roots and suffixes and state what they mean
- Build the meaning of a whole word from its parts (prefix + root + suffix)
- Combine context clues and word parts to make a sensible guess, and check that it fits the sentence
- Use a dictionary and a thesaurus effectively as a backup when you are still unsure
Loading your lesson…
You're watching a free 3-minute preview — create a free account to keep going.