Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context
What this domain asks you to do
Vocabulary questions test whether you can figure out an unknown word from the words around it. Use context clues: definitions, examples, restatements, contrasts, and cause-and-effect relationships. Also know common prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis-), suffixes (-ful, -less, -able, -tion), and roots (bio = life, graph = write, port = carry).
Concepts to master
- Definition clue: a sentence that explains the word, often after a dash or comma.
- Example clue: "such as," "including," "for example."
- Contrast clue: "but," "unlike," "however" signal an opposite meaning.
- Connotation: whether a word feels positive, negative, or neutral. Thrifty and stingy share a meaning but not a feeling.
- Multiple-meaning words: choose the meaning that fits this sentence, not the most common meaning.
Traps to watch for
- Choosing a familiar meaning of a word that does not fit the passage.
- Choosing a synonym that is close but wrong in connotation (positive vs. negative).
- Ignoring the sentence after the word, which often holds the clue.
- Picking a word that sounds advanced but does not match the context.
Rule of thumb
Substitute each answer choice into the sentence and read it aloud in your head. The correct choice keeps the sentence's meaning and tone intact.
Worked example: The trail was so arduous that several hikers turned back before the halfway point. Because hikers turned back, arduous must mean very difficult, not scenic or short. The cause-and-effect clue does the work.