GUESSING WORD MEANINGS

When reading an article or textbook in English, many foreign students feel they must stop and look up

every unfamiliar word in a dictionary. This nray (perhaps) be a useful way of learning nerv words rvhett you are

studying lhe language, but it is ccrtainly not an efficient way of studying your own subject through the

language. Studcnis.forget that thcy oftcn meet strangc rvords when reading in their first language, but usually

continue reading successfully rvithout using a dictionary. There are several ways of doing the same thing in

English :

Using affixes to guess word meanings

Many English words arc made up of threc parts: prcfixes, stenrs and sufTixes. Prefixes are elenrents

which aro attaclrcd to thc bcginning of a word, or conlc bcforc (prc-) it. Exanrplcs arc {iorurs likc 6i- (nrcaning

'two' or 'twice') in words like biannual (nrcaniug 'trvicc a year' or 'cvery trvo years') or bilaleral (meaning

'having or involving tno sides, reciprocal, or involving trvo sides or parties equally'), and inler- (meaning

'beiween' or 'among') irr rvords hke interlay (nreaning 'to lay or put between or arnong') and inte rhde (nrcaning

'sonrething that fills tinre bctrvcen two evertts'). Stcms are the basic fomrs fronr which other rvords are

composed. Examples are mtt (nreaning 'send') urd iraci (,-r-,ea"-,ing 'pi,ill' or 'dra','.r). Thel, are used to make "vordslike ransmit, submit, lraction and retrpcl. Suffixes arc elcments rvhich are attached to the ends of stenls, orcomc afaer thenr. Exanrptes arc -er (mcaning 'thc person rt'ho') in s'ords like painter ('one who paints') and

miner (a pcrscn who rvorks in a mine digging coa[, gold, etc.') and -ize (meaning to be or make like') in rvordslike economize ('to be or nrake economical) and hypothesizc ('to make a hypothesis').

Prefixcs and suflixes are togctlrcr called afixes. Knorving the meaning of common stenrs and affixescan help you guess the meaning of unfarniliar rvords rvhcn you are rcading. We rvill look at stems in the nextsection. In this section rve rvill work on affxcs.

As rve said a nronrent ago, thcre arc trvo types of affrxcs - prcfixes and suffixes. Prefixes usuallyc!::::ge 3..,,n.r|'c rrreerrirro' qrFfixeq gencrallv alter the part of speech a rvord represents, e.g., rvhether it is a verb,a noun, an adjective or an adverb. Here are some exanrples of these processes:

PrcJixes ch u n gi n g meu n i n g

prefix

anti-

de-

trsuul nrcurtittg

against

lower, reduce,

reverse

baci, u,rong

not

escatttltlc

antinragtreticantisopticantithcsisdccarbonatedecrease

depopuiatemisbbhave

mismanagenrisundei:stand

una\vareunemplol,gdunqualified

ntcanutS

rcsistirtg uragnetism

stopping infectionco[trast of two ideas, tlrrrcriesrenlove carbon dioxide fromlessen, reduce

reduce populatiorubehave wrongly, inapp ropriatelynianage badly, dishonestlynris interpret, understand rvronglynot a\vare, not consciousnot used, not eniployedabsolute, without qualifi cations

mls-

Suf/ixes changing part of speech

examples

theorizeresuscitatcsatisfyslowlycontrivancccoincidence

suction

rvisdonrcomrnunismcapitalistresearcher

consciousucss

lcadershipmenrorabledivisibleeventfulcareless

eclectichistoricalreligiousreddish.. __ _-:-__-rusPunSrvu

part of speech

a. verb

b. adverbc- noun

d. adjective

suflix

-ize

-ate

-fy-ly-ance-ence

-tion

-donr

-isnr

-ist-er-noss

-ship-able

-ible-tu1

-less

-ic-ical-ious-ish-ivc

Suffixcs havo nrcaning, too, of coursc, as can bc sccn in tlrc list. Thus, cdihlc tllqtns'capablc of being

caten', acccssiblc mcans 'capablc of bcing rcachcd', and so on.

Recognizing affixes and knorving their usual nrcanings can bc valuable when you nreet ne\v sords. Ifyou camc across demystify, for cxanrplc, 1'ou miglrt analyzc it sorrrcthing like this. The nrysl looks like it conres'

from mystery. De- usuatly nlcans 'lo*cr' rcducc or rcvcrsc'. and the -f sholvs it is a verb. It must mean

something like'to take the m),ster),out ofl. You rvould be right. Also, you could quickly tell whether vour guess

rvas probably corrc,ct or not by sccirrg if it frttcd tlrc contcxt'

(Ise afftxcs lo guess vocubular-1'.

Studv the following lists of prefixes and strflfixes .

PREFIXES[;ra-, an-ab-, abs-ad-, ac-, ag-,

al-, an-, as-, at-arnbi-ante-anti-auto-bene-bi-

l\{eaningto,towardnot,without;away from

tobothbeforeagainstselfr.vell

two

Example

ashore, asideamoralabstraction

adhereambidextrousanteriorantisocialautomationbenefactorbiceps

,., :'' '

,com-,cor-cog-, col-, cor-ra-

er-ro-

rnal-meta-micro-

lnrono-rnulti-non-ob-, oc-, of-, ops-,

over-para-

Der-

downaround

together, withagainst

frompart, separatenotput intoout, frombeyondnotin,intobelowbeiween, amongintowithinbad

beyond

snrall

wrong()nc

rl)anynotagainst

surpassexcessive

beside

throughmanyafterbeforemore than

for-

back, againbackwardapartt ^lft tall

underovertogeiheracross

catastrophecircumvent

cognatecontraceptiondeferraldividedisillusionedenthralledextractextraterrestrialimpartialinvolvedinfraredinterfereintrsduceintramuralrnaladjustedmetaphysicsmicroscopemisdeedrnonogitnlyrnuititudenonentityobstructoutmaneuveroverconfidentparamedicI14rm6ai6

polyglotposthumouspremeditatedpreternaturalproceedregainretroactivesequentialsemicoion

submarine

lporv-

lno',-lpre-lpreter-lpro-

-, suc-, suf-,sug-, sup-, sur-

per-syn-, sym-, syl-, sys-rans-

superfluoussyrnboltransmuteultrasounduncertain

C

,9fi-ex-ra (o)-

tra- beyond

(

SUFFIXES

-gr,-or

Ithat forms a noun Meaning

state or qualityactivityresult of activityactionaction or process

agentstateresulting state

actioninstitutionrank, condition,domainaf[ected person

person concerned withdiminutiveperson who does

sornethinginhabitants, la.nguage

<temale forman amountstatuspertaining tonames

illlnessesclasses

ar-ts and sciences

namenames of elernentsnarres of substancesrnaterial made ofactivityresult of activitycondition or actiorrattitudeaciionconduct :

condition- -"member of a party

occupationa member of a cornmunitystate or conditionconditiondiminutivediminutiveresultslate or condition

accuracy, infancycourage

drainage

refusal, rivalassistance, dependencedisinfectant, dependentmagistrate

starvationexplorationorganizationkingdom

employee

volunteermaidenoxenastronorttcr.nL:-^^^

authoress, enchantresshandfulchildhoodPolynesian, republicandahlia, Australiaphobia,hysteriareptiliaIogic, nrusic,

aflthmetic, physics

orchid, oyranridchloride. dioxidegelatin, nrargarineroofingdrivingbuildingconrntulricutiorridealisrnbaptismheroismalcoholism

socialistcellistsocialitepuritycaptivebooklet, kitchenetrefledglinglragntenthappiness

l-ess, -tress

l-r,rl-hood

l-ian, -an

-ia

-tc, -lcs

l-ial-ia"l.l-rn, -rne

1.,",

l-,""

fi"n

I

l-i.,

I

l-:t'l-ltYl-rve

l-t",, -rtr.l-lins

l-n,."n,l-ness

Y,E

l.nn -.o

l-eryl-ship

l-.1.'l-trve

t-,

l-able, - ible

l-al,-ial,-icall-ant,-entl-"t"l-"al-.n

l-.'

-lan

-lc-ing-iie-ish

place of activityiollectivelystatus, conditionoccupationconditionstate or conditionthe results of an activitylocationendearment

reginery, militarymachineryfriendshipgangstercaptiveturyvictorylibrary, companydaddy, auntie

I

ulTix that fortns an atljective i'vieaningrl-.-.-----l^a).\drrrlrrL

valuable, sensible

crinrinal, social, musical

malignant, apParent

desolatewoodedwoolen, golden

grander

japanese

usefulGeorgian

heroicworkinginfantileSwedishfoolishyoungishpassive, attractive,sensitivehelplesschildlikefi'iendlyvirtuous, courteous.vivaciouscreamy, bony

-ive,-active,-itive '

worthyqualitykind of agent

kind of state

havingmaterialcomparative

originhaving, givingin the tradition

qualityactivityhaving the qualities

belonging tohaving the character ofsomewhathaving the quality of

.

withouthaving tlte qualities ofhaving the qualities ofhaving the quality of

rull oi

likely

Iuffix that forms a verb

2

Meaning Examole

e put in a state

past tense

becomecauseactionimitating sounds

causepresent particiPlecause

isolatewalkedmoistendeafenwander, waverchattersimpliffworkingepitomize

-er

i0,ingize )-ise in British English)

1

uffir that l-ortus:ttt i\1c:trting Eranr ple

in a nranner ofin a rnanner or directioirir: a rrrAnncr or dircction

happilvbackrvard s(s)

clocku,isc

l, circuntnavigate2, repossession3. disrespectful4. quickly5. carelessness6. desalinate7. autobiographical

(b) prejixes

8. interchangcablc9. unilatcrally10. irnpossibilitl,I l. intangibly12. underenrployncnt1 3. overestimation14. religiously

IXI,ITCISB IInstructicttt : Use inforrnation fronr thc lists

donc for you as cxanrplcs.

(n) prefixes and sufli-rcsUrrrlcrlinc tlrc prcfixcs arrd sufflxes

to corrrplctc thc follorving tablcs. Soll)c itL.n.rs Irnvc bcerr

I5. unfortunatclv16. rcinvcstigatc17. antisocialI8. introspectivci9. interdepcndent20. retroactivelv2l . synthetic

a-vanrplas

l. antececient 2. anteroomL bicnnial 2. brnan,

I lcoautlror 2 cocxirrl-- 2

Find two exanrples for each prefix, Use your dictio,ary if necessarl,.

prelix usual meaning

L anie-2. bi-3. co-4. ex-5 hvpcr-6. in-7. intra-8. macro-9. nricro-

10. nrono-I 1. nrulti-12. post-13. pre-14. re-I < ^^_:rJ. JVltll-16. sub- t

17. traris-

abovt: tronrral cxr:r:qqi,.rc I .

before, in front oft*o, trviccrvith, togethcrfrom, out of, arvay fronr

not, rvithouiinside, rvithinlarge, Iarge-scalesnrall, snrall-scalcone, single, alonemarlyafter, behind

beforeagarniraii paniyunder, below, lorveracross, over, cllangeexcesslve,. extrenlenot

l.l.l.l.l._ 2 _t_ 2_I._ 2. _t. __ 2 ___

2._2.

lat. /-

I2l')

L.

i')

L.

2.

18. ultra-19. un-20. uni-' one I )

6

Complete the table. Us'e your dictionary rvhere neccssary. t r . ,

No. tl0lI n varlt uiljcctivc urlycrlt

I dcscription

2 hypothesize

3 theoretical

4 infonnativelvJ

5 clcOnOmy

6 libcralize

7 central

8 repeatedly

9 tolerance

l0 actrvatg

lt clear

l2 successfully

13 inclusiveness

t4 understand

l5 tight

16 justifiablv

t7 analysis I

l8 demonstrate

19 valid

20 explanatori!y,

EXEITCISE 2hstruction: Cltoosc tlrc correct fornr of cach rvord to colrl)lctc tltc scl)icucc [hat follotvs.'l'hc first has

been done for you as an exanrplc.

l. fortunate,unfortunate,fortunately, unfortunatelyThc mistake unfortunatel], meant that the expcrirncnt had to bc rcpeated

2. understand,misunderstand,understandir:g,nrisrrndcrstandingThe vagucncss of thc instnrcticns caused hinr to iris t:isk

3. sensitive.hypersensitive, se-nsitivity,hypersensitivityThe man's overreaction to innocent remarks suggested he rvas

4. include, exclucie, inclusion, exclusionCultural differences often lbad to fror:r some social events

5.mistakable,unmistakable,mistaliably'unmistakably'The two animalsl similarity of coloring makes them casily

6. model, remodei, modelled, remodelled'

The unpredicateci research findings fbrced him to

7 uniiaterai.bilateral,unilaterally,bilateraliy'

7

The ts'o countries are engaged in negottatlons

his theory

ll.

10.

rcspcct, dis rcs;:cct, rcspcctfu l, disrcspcct lrr I

Thc prcsidcrrt thrcatcrrcd rrrilitary actiorl ilthcy rcfusccl totlrc tcnus of tlrc troaty

i

social, antisobial, socially, antisocialll,Her frequent exclusion fronr group nrcctings rr,as due to lrcr bclravior.

rnonolingual, bilingual, trilingual, nru ItilinguaIA child exposcd [o trvo languages froru birtlr roughly cqually rvill grorv up

Using stcnrs and aflixcs to guess rvor.d rrrelningsWe said tltat tttany rvords cotttprisc tltrcc parl.s, prcfixes, stcnrs ar)d suffrxcs. We saici that stL.,rs arc thc

bnsic fonrrs front rvlrich othcr tt'ords arc cornPoscd. So, irreTtarcrble consists of tlrc prcfix ii.- (r.ca,i,g,not), tlreslen\ repar (fronr the verb 'rcpair'), and thc suffix -oblc (rncarring 'possible to' or pot capable of bci,g,). 1-h.,r.r'hole word, irreporable, rircrfns inrpossible to rcpair, or not capablc oFbcing rcpaircd.

Togcther rvith affixcs , stenls can be'r'ery useful irr helping vou guess t5e lrealirrg of u^k,or* u,ords.For exanrple, if we latorv thc follolving stenrs ancl their nrcarrings :

stamportlrydrospcct

usttul mcaningcarry\vat0rlook at, scc

We can use our knorvledge of affixes to guess thc app:'o.rinlatc rncanings of thesc words:word apltroximute mcuningtransport carry across, ovcrporter a p.erson u,ho carricshydrodynamic oprerated by rr,atcr po\\,crhydrology thc scicri'cc, Strrcll, 1e tltc car r.h's \\':ltcrsspectator sonteone vviro rvatclrcsinspect look at carcfullv , cxlirrrirrc

Using sterns and affixes in this rvay rvill not alu,ays tcli us the exact nreaning of an unknorvn rvord Itwill often help you gucss the approximate n:eanirte,, horvever. You rvill be able to see frcnr the corltext rvhcthcryour guess is correct or not, and will not have to stop to consult a dictionary if it looks right.

Use stems and aflixes to guass vocabularl,

. Many English stenls werc originallyneld pages. You have probably looked atexercises 3 and 4

Stems

Latin or Creck rvords. A listthis list before, but should

of cornnron oncs is to be found in tlrertorv study it carefully before doing

Meaning Exanrple

actambulaami, anro.

annusaquaanthropastraudibibliobiocamrced,cedc, ceed, cess-t, _- _

urrr utluS

cidcclaudodictdormductego

factferfem

fidelflexfluent, floufrac, fragfrat1lg"ganl

do

walkloveycarwate rhunrankindstarhear

booklifemeatgo, conle

time'kiil

closcsays!eep

lead

selfmake

carrywomantnlstbcnd

florvbreak

brothcrflcemarriagcbirth, racc

eartht-- - -.KIIU\^r'

Ln.r.writingstep, nlovewomal'l

activatearubulancecnanroredannualaquariumanthropomorphicastronautauditionbibliographybiography

6amivorousprecede

chronomcterhomicideclaustrophobiadictationdormitoryconductegocenticfactorytransferefFerr in r te

fidelityfelxiblesuperfluousfractu refratcrnalfugitrvcb,iganristgcnocidcgcologl,prognosisg|all1l'nar

telegrapingress

gvnccologusi

iSen

l:::6r r9J tvJ

gramgraphgress

gyn

t

I

r

te:n

rbilostterc

rctcrollo

1',d ro

lcctlatcrlingtralithoslogylunrinmanu

nragninraniamascmatrimetronmit, miss

morph

hobiahon

grass

cllcll'l)/

stickdiflurcrrt:rlikc\va tc r

tlrrorvside(onguc

stoncstud1,

lighthand

bigmadness

nralemothernleasu rc

send

formduaiirnarl'lc

alleye

fatherfeclingsfootpuslr, drivchang

lovcfearsoundcarry

Ircrbivorchostilccohcrcnccllc(crogcncor.l s

' lrorrtc.rgcncous

Itf ilp1, 1. 'ilttcrjcctiorrIatcrallingtrist icspalcolitlricbiologl,illuminaternanipulatcnragnifymcgalonraniacnrascu I i ne

rrratriarchnretricaltransmitrnctamorphicinurroriaisynonynromnipotcntopticalpatcnralsynrpathypedestrianrcptrlsivcappcndagcphilosophl'

Exa rrr gtlc

acrophobiamicrophonetransiJort

IYI c:t n irrg

Meaning Exanrple

contactteiepathyterrestrialthermostat

l ntervenediversioninvisiblecarnivorezoologist

god --

--_ _---=4 traction

draw away---- r-nonotheist

{oucht: _-,0lslancc

earthheat

colne

tu rn

see

eat

animal

llllul L

lnvn''lomnr

lo*lpater, patrr

lnathvlpedlpel, putsc

lpend

lphil

10

trXERCISE 3Instructiotr: Usc inforn'lation from the lists and 1'our dictiorrary to do eaclr part of this cxercise. Sontc

iterns have becn done for you as examples.

(a) Underline the sterls in the following rvords and rvritc tltcrrr in thc rniddle colunrn.

Then rvrite thc approxirnatc nreaning of each stcrtr itt tlte coltttutt on the right

Y,I

tv0RI) ,9'l'El,t APPROXIIYIATE MEANINGcorDoratloncol'Dusincoroorate

l. corp l. body

2 psychologypsychonretrypsychosis

2 2

J terrainterrariumterrestrial

3. aJ

4 socialistantisocialsociology

4 4.

!v.v6r 4ttr

telepathytelescope

aJ, ).

6 manufactureartifactfactory

6. 6.

1 generate '7 7, genetlc.

I i.na.tgeomorphologyisomorphic

Inrorphology

I tr ansportporterportable

biolosyethologymethodology

l0

II

I

(b)''Find out thc nreattittg of thc follorving stcrtrs. Thcn, usc your dictio,ary to rvrite trvo exa'rplcs of rvordsusing each sienr.

NO. STEM APPROXIMAI'E NIEANING EXAMPT EII ortho I. straight, regular, correct

standard

2. middle

3.

4

%

(

l. a. orthodoxb. orthogonal

2 medi 2. a.

_b.3. a.

b.

4, a.

b

J,

4

5

e

seou

tract 5. a.

b.

soli 6 sirrgle, only, alorre 6. a.

b.

'l son 7. 7. a.

b

8 para

con

8. beside, alongside,resembling, like

8. a.

b

9 9. together 9. a.

b.

l0 omnr l0 10. a.

b.

EXERCISE 4

Instruction : Use your knorvledge of the nreanings of stenrs and affixes to guess the meanings of theunderlined words in the sentences belotr'. Check your guesses to sce that thcy fit tire corltext pro'icled b;r tlie.---^ -a^t ,, !5t ul tlr(; sciltcllL..is.Circle the letter corrcsponding to your answcr.

l. Only one candidate is a sr.rpporter of socialized nredicine. The others prefer a syster.r-r ofprivate health insurancea. meciical care for preverrting diseases before the1, occurb. pubiiciy fittartced rneoical care for all nrenrbers of tlre corrrnrunitvc. Crugs and ntedicantcnts produced for n.lass collsurnption

2. The research is designed to discover the age at rvhich children develop nretrrlinpuesticiwarencss. It is h-vpothesizcd thar this rvill occur sonrc ycars aftcr thc beg,r,rnil.,gs of spccclrimclf.a. the ability to talk about tlreir dreanrs.b. thc ability to conrrrrunicatc

. c. consciousness of languagc

3. The prime minister tltreatened to intervene in the disputc if inciustry and tlrc trade unionscarulot resolve their diftbrences.a. make the dispute illegalb. come bctr'ecn the otlrcr t.,vo partics as a third 1;artt,nrcdiatorc. stop the dispute

12.il

4.

).

The govcnrnrerit clain,s the issue is a nroral one, transcending parti, politics.a. concerningb. going bcyond or al:ovcc. depcnding on

Tlre arti cle discusscs scvcral i n t rap51g[p plrcrronrcrra.

a. occurring rvithin tlrc rrrirrdb. cxtrascnsoryc. mysterious

Altlrough Christian ntissiortarics ltavc rvorkcd tlrcrc [or ovcr a lrurrdrcd ancl fi0r'1,crrs. thctribe is still polytlrcistic.a. givcn to rvorshipping nrany gods

b. givcn to worslrippirrg their own god

e. primitivc

7. Snrith is wcll-knorvu lor lris unortlrodox vicws orr child carc

s;

9.

a. not traditionalb. incorrectc. religious

The.opposition party accused the government of mismanagjlg the econuny.- '.^.,i^^ ir c^-- rr-a. 'lisjjig iL Lu! -LLs L/wll purposesb. hflatingc. doing or llandling it badlyBiganry has only rcccntlv bccn nraclc a crinrinal ofTcrrsc.a. stealingb. rnarrying a secord tir,e knorving a,prcvious,rarriagcs is stiil varicc. running a casino offering trn,o go,u"s for ganrbler, ,uh.,l only licensed for onc sucli garne

The strike disnrpted tlrc negotiations^ L _- rq. vr\J!rC, UlStUtOecl

b. cornpletedc. introduccd a nerv elente nt into

l0

rr nrav be possibre,: g,,r.,,, ,,,. -."Y,li:;l'lH:::iJ;,:.1;:1,^i:1,jxi,1,0,",

consider rrris se,rence :fimothy scowled rvlren lre ,nrirh. dent in t i, n.r" .nr.

ffiil'"T::"'jill,T;iHJ:J,i,x,:;;;;l ;::rilIli,i, rris,c,u car ArirroLgrr uc can,r k,,ow thc exacr

flHlT:tT:ruf LHl*?:ffi f;il,::.',H'ffi :'J:,1".::Jr,,fl :ll:i]ixJHffi ,YJ:.'lilff li.

H,H[':ays possiblc to got a cluc Io the tttcaning of a rvord fror, rrrc corrcxr Fo,. cxanrprc, co,sidcr trris

Timoihy scowlcd rvhcn hc saw Aunt Ag:rtha.Unless we lotow rvhat Tinrctirv'.s opinion of Aunt Agr.tha is, ri,c canrrot gucss tlre ,rear:irrg of ,,scorr,lecl,,

hcrc.Horvever' other sentcnces i, tlie passage nright indic^tc *,rrai riis o1;i,io,lr, ,r,J,r,.r. corrd gi'c a cruc to rhcrneaning.

",..',.|jl:Ti,i-;l:Ji: l::",:i:::::::::):i.!:l:tXi,llj;:ll:.\'7ocab,r,an ,c:,, gs,,: s: cr i, E prisi, i;:

13

(b)"Find out the nrearring of tlrc foilorving stcrns. Tirc,, usc your dictionaD, to rvritc tu,o exarnprcs of rvordsusing each siem.

NO. STEM APPROXIMAT'E N{EANING EXAMPLESI ortho I. straight, regular, correct

standard

2. rniddle

l. a. orthodoxb. orthogcinal

2 medi 2.a

_b3. a

b

3 mega 3.

44

5

seou 4. a.

b

tract 5. 5. a,

b.6 sqli 6. sirrgle, only, alonc 6. a.

b.

7 son 1 7. a.

b

8 para

con

8. beside, alongside,resembling, like

8. a.

b

9 9. together 9. a.

b.

t0 omnr l0 10. a.

b.

EXERCISE 4

Instruction : Use your knorvledge of the nreanings of stenrs and affrxes to guess the meanings of theunderlined words in the sentences belou'. Check )/our gucsses to sce that tlrey fit the cortext pro,icled b;r tlie---^,a^t .

r s5L ul tll(; 5(,lltullu.JS.

Circle the letter corresporrding to your ans\\/er.

l. Only one candidate is a supporter of socialized nredicine. The others prefer a systenr ofprivate hea.lth insurancea. meciical care for preventing diseases before the1, occurb. publiciy financed rncciical care for all nrerribe,-s of the corrurrunitvc. Crugs anci nredicanrcnts produced for n.lass colls,.llnptiorr

2. The reseat'ch is designed to discover the age at which children develoo nretrrlinsuesticiwareness. It is hypothesizcd that this rvill occur sonrc ycars aftcr tho rr.g*r.ri,rgs of spceclritsclf.a. the ability to talk about their dreanrs,b. thc ability to conu.r.runicatc

. c. consciousness oflanguagc

3. The prime ministcr threatened to intervene in tlre disptrtc iFinciustry and tlrc trade unignscarmot resolve their differences.a. make the dispute illegalb. come bctr'ecn the otltcr l.,r,o partics as a tlrird l);lrtv ntcdiatorc. stop tlre dispute

12.n

.,. : EXERCISE 5' Understnnding words in context

Look at the underlincd $,ord and rvritc its mcaning ort the lirtc.

Bxnnrple :

A ctrtlass is a sltort ctrrvcd srvord'

sword .. '. ' '...:' ' '.,. '.You should rvrite "srvord" as thc ntcaning of "ctttlass" bccausc thc dcfinition of "cutlass" is included in tlrescntcncc.

USING THtr VERB "TO BE"1'hc objcct follorving thc vcrb "to b0" is frcqucntll,uscd to idcrrtil'y'tlrc subjcct.

Examlrlc:A salntott is a fislr.

Thc nrcaning of "salttton" is idclttified b1'thc rvord "fislt".

l. I-lypoxia is an illness causcd b),a dcficicncy of o)i)/gcn in tlic tissucs of thc [rodv

2. A porcupine is a large clirnbing rodent that is covercd'r,itlt sltarp spines for defense

3. The atonr is the snrallest part of a cltenrical elcntcnt that catt exist and still havc the

properties of the element.

5. A drone is a malc bee.

USING APPOSITIVESA noun or noun group which follorvs a noun and is sct off bl,conlnras is art appositivc. It idcntifics thc

noun it follows.Ex:::::p!e :

Mercury, thc silvcr-colored rretal used in tltcrr:rontctcrs, is usuall;,in a liquid I'r:nrr.'lhe nrcaning of "rrrcrcury"'is idcntificd by its appositivc, "tltc silvcr-col<.,rcd ntctal trscci in tl),inlrorilcicrs".By adding tltc rvords "rvhich is/arc" or "rvlro is/:rrc," you can tcst iItlrc rrotrrt is an apposrlivcExarnple :

A4ercury, rvhich is the silver-colorcd nrctal uscd in tlrcnronrctcrs, is usually in a Iiquidforitt

b. The goelacanth, a iarge-bodied hollow-spined frsh, rvas tlroLrgl:t tc be cxtinct untilreccntlv.

7. Pacenrakcrs, srrrall clcctrical dcviccs that stirr:ulatc tltc lrcart lr.tusclc. lravc savctl rttanv

l i ves.

8. N1any residents o'f Harvaii uscd to believe that the volcano's flarings rvere tira<les of titerr

goddcss, Pclc

9. Morse code, a systent of telcgraphic signals corttposed of Cots atid dasltcs, rvas invented

b1'Sarnuel FB N4orse.

i(t Sttrrlr int )_rllrc_lLil\'4! , tltc caiasiroplrrc c.<1tlo:;rorts tr1^ (it lt.l, :,iltr,'. ilritl itt\',.) ir jts'.'. - i ) l-',

i]l1r:iIi',rr,,If- ;)l,t]'-']ll Cl-,!;;l,llt,:: .

g

14

USING PUNCTUATIONPunctuatiol nrarks arc sonrctintcs uscd to sct offa u'ord rvhiclt is bcirtg uscd to idcntilr ilrlo(lli.rr \\'Lrrcl

Sonrc of thc puttctuation tttarks yotl nla)r scc uscd in tlris \\'ay arc.

corrlnlas trrackcts' tldashcs singlc quotation trtarks

;:arcntlrcscs ( ) dotrblc quotatiorr ntarks rr rr

Exnntllie :

In lascr printirrg, thc grmicr'thc nuutbcr ol'glli (dots pcr irrclr). thc hithcr thc: tluetit)'oItllc irtrngc

produccd.

'l'5e rucanilg of "dpi" is iclcnrificd by thc rvords in parcnthcscs, "clots pcr irtclt".

ll. Intensity -,loudpcss or softuess - dcpcncls on tlrc extcllt or ar.ttplittrclc of vibrations.

12. Tlre trse of canrcd,birds, "decovs", is tlot a new idca in hutltittg

13. If you are ectornorphic (thc slcndcr typo), you arc likcll' to bc good in such sports as

track, tennis, and baskctball.

14. A patlr to the cfiicftain's hcadquarters rvinds tltrouglt attciertt p-S[agbgb-inscriptions irt

stone.

l-5. br^l hirt"; - the use of the tape rccordcr to capturc ntcttiorics of tlrc past irt privatc

interviews - has become increasingly popular aniong professional historians.

USING IIORI'

A u,ord is sorrrctinrr:s idr:rrtifir='d l-,1,L 5;,,,1"..,r:r f:ll:'.'.'llg ih; ,,;;.1 "-;.."pxarnple :

The husky, or sled dog, of the North is a hardy breed.

'['he rtteaning of tlre r.r,ord "husky"'is identified b1,the r.i,ords "sled dog" foilorvine th. rvord "or"

lb. Altitude, or the height above sea level, is a factor that deterr:rrrres cli;nate.

17. VesDers, or evening worship, can be heard at St. Matterv's Cathedral

18. In sonre American Indian tribes, the squarv, or \\/on'lan, rvas the o\\ller of all property.

t9. Thc ccnti'al nerycus systcnr of grasslioppcrs, fi"uit flics, and otlrcr in::cts includcs both thcbrain and a chain cf sinrplcr segrncntal ganelia, or groups ol ncrvc cclls.

'tZC) Clatrstroplrobia, or tltc fcar of b-:irrg crtcloscd. is rrorc cornnton tlt'rt rt'tttr'pcol,rlc reaiizc

t5

/ ,.t' ,

usiNc ExAI\{PLESA rvord is sotttetintcs idcntifrcd by exanrples. Thesc tcnrrs otlcn introduce cxanrples:as for example such as

likc for instanccExarn;rle :

Percussion instnrments, such as dntms, cr,nbals, and tanrbourirres, rverc the preferqed instrumentsin the stud1,.

The ttteattitlg oF "Pcr.ttssiott ittstnrrrcnts" is idc.tificcl bv thc tlrrcc cxarrrplcs : ,,clrurrrs,,, ,,cyrrrbals,,,arrri"tartbourittcs.,, ur \'rrrr ' uvl

2l ' Such largc fish as grorlpcrs and tnora)'ccls rccoglrizc tlrc rvrassc as a Friencl tSat rvill helptlrcrrr.

22' Crcaturcs such as thc cantcl and thc pcngrrin arc so lriglrlv slrccializcd tSat tlrc* ca, o'lr.livc irr ccrtain arcas of thc rvorld.

23' The sand absorbs cnouglt moisture to support drouglrt-rcsistant plants suc5 as r.esquitc,as well as scvcral spccics ofgrasscs.

24' t_l"!i" paradpEela such as tents, sleeping bags cooking equipnrent can range fronrYvry !uuPls ru (lutle contplex.

25' Much can be done to halt the process of desertification. For example, an asphaltlike petroleurl canbe sprayed onto sand dunes; and seecls oftrees and shrubs can then be planted. The oil stabilizesthe sand and retains moistuire. allowing ve$etatron to become established.

USING CLAUSESAdjective clauscs sometintcs identifl rvords. The1, nps introduccd b1,the tvords:

tlrat rvltcrc rvhorvhcrr ri,hiclr u,horn ;

Exanrlllc :

Airships. u'lticlt are cigar-sha,pcd, stcerablc balloons, have nrany uses, sucir e-s filr:ring,advcrtising, arrd cntertainlrlent.

Thc rltcartirlg of "airships" is iicntificd bv tlrc adjoctivc clause "l,hich arc cigar-slrapcd, stcerable balloo,s."

26. Recent tests sho\v tliat silver sulfadiazine, rvhicli is a compound used in the treatment ofbums, can cure tlre rnost serious types of Americen sleeping sickress.

27 ' The kiva, rvhere Pueblo Indians hold their secret ceremonies, is entered by an'opening inthe root'

28. . Me&df, rvhicii is the succession of scuids, takes on nerv interest rvlren fit intr,, a rhrthnricpatto rn.

?g. NorrlcLhal tccltniqucs, thosc tlr."t clo nc- t<i1l covotcs, arc bcirrg dcvciopcd ro prorcct slrccl)and otl,:r I i.,,cstoclr

l(, -]-lt: i,) ir nrii..\ lrislt nl:r;cs c(..ircr) irr;rir li:.: Cncirc rro;d,,ra. rvlricit n.tcans 'clcsccnir:cj

lrorr r

0l6

i2.

I.JSING ITEFEIII'NI'SRcfcrcnts:rrc rvords that rcfcr b:rck or fonvard to otllcr rvcrds in thc scntcncc or paragraph.

li,xarrrple :

Thc solar-porvcrcd battcrics in the ERS-l arc cxpccted to function for at least two years, cluringrvhich tinte thc satcllite rvill be able to gather rnore infonnation tlran any previou.s satellito.

Tlrc nrcarrirrg ol'"EIlS-1" is idcntificd bf its rclcrcrrt "satcllitc."

:l l. J'ltc firrntcrs r,,.r..o,,..r,tccl rbotrt tltc grorvirtg nrrrnbcr of boll rvcqrlrls. An iufcs(atiorr ofthcsc insccts could dcstrol, tl)c cotton crop ovcrrrigltt.

Al least -50 rvced'specics figlrt offcotttpctitors b1, cnritting toxins fronr their roots, leavcs,or sccds. Tlrcsc lroisons do thcir rvork in a dozcn rvays, suclr as inliibiting gcrrninatiorr ofsccds and dcstrol,ing photosynthcsis abilitics.

33. lnrllor-turrt t>l'liciuls visitirig prcsirh:rtt l{oosuvclt l'crc strrl>riscd [ly,his nrcnagcric o[1lcts.No prcvious prcsidcnt had fillcd the Whitc Housc rvith srich a varicty if anirnals.

i4

3_5 Enrnra rvas told.to put thc slrccts itr lhc han:lrcr, but she found the basket too full of soilcdclothes to f rt the sheets in. .

USING CONTP-ASTSSontetintes tlte nteanings of tvords can be understood bccar.rse tlrcl,are in contrast to rr.other r'orcl irr tlreselltel'lce. Words that indicatc a contrast are

Tlrc groonr stnrgglcd rvith lris tuxcdo. Hc rvottdcrcd rvhy hc lrad to wcar tlrcsc kinds ofclothcs to gct nrarricd.

bLrt

despiteItotvcvcr

llr contrastirr s1;itc ofirrstcacl

or'tunlike

rvhcrcas

36.

3',l

Exanrple :

l'lre bricf scencs in tllc rlloi'i(j focus on thc boy's ooint olvicr\,, i'llcreas t5e, lot:gcr scclrcsdcpicr the frt!rcr's side."Btief'sccrlcs are understood to be "slrort" sccncs bccausc tlrey are in contrast to tlre,,longor,,scenes.

The bitc of a garter snake, unrike that of the deadry cobra, is benien,

Tlrebluebonnet,theTexrssLatcflower'ffidiesinoverlyrr,,etconditions.

3S Despite proposccl cLrtbacks in fittartcial support for dorrrcstic sttrdc.ts, assisrarrce forforeign siudettts studying arrcl training in tlre United States is to be sharply i,.,creased

39' Unlike ltcr qreqarictts sistcr. Janc is a shv, urrsociablc pc.son ,.r,ho docs ,ot like to go rol)arttcs

,\l ,;1. lil,,,.r,l':,-)ll l:: .::

r:.':l),il]:;i, c lilrnclrrrari-: r te,rrst7

;: .,. , .i .. l. ' . .

. a

'' udiNc orrrDil lvoRDS rN 'ruI snNTENCE

Otlrer r.vords in u scntcrrcc call sor)rctinres hclp identify a rvord.

Exarrrlllc :

ln ordcr to silt thc ncctar rvitlr its long torrgtrr:. tlrc bcc rtrust clivc irtto thc florvcr arrd iu so

doing bccorncs dustcd witlr thc firrc pollen grairts frottt tltc artthcrs.

Wc can gucss that "ncctar" is thc substancc that bccs collcct frorn a floner becausc the bee nrust "sip ..... rvitlrits.long tongue" and "dive into the florver". We can gtrcss tltat "antltsr" is a part of the lorver because the bcegets "dustcd rvith tlrc finc pollcn grains fronr thc arrtltcrs: rvhcn it divcs irrto the florvcr.

4l . 1'lrc briglrt purple scntiart gro\vs rvild in Colorado attd bloorrts in latc sunrnrcr.

42. While blorving air into tlre lcather bag, tlrc bagpipc player produces rnelodres [:1, fingeringthe chantcrl

43. IJnfortunately, the plant's hair kill useful insccts, but this problcnr can be alleviated bycontrolling the anrount of lrair.

44. The much larger_full of the nrultidcckcd round ship allorvcd it to carrl,nrorc supplies,rnore nren, nrore gurls, and nrorc sails, all of'rvlticlr \vcrc nccossary for lorrg voyagcs ofcomrncrco and discovcry.

45. [n the third century 8.C., Ctcsibuis, thc Crcck cngirrccr and tlrcorist. first cxcrciscd his

inventive talents by nraking an adjustablc mirror and tlrcn crcating ingenious toys rvhichcould move under tlreir own powcr.

e 18