Vocabulary and Word Analysis in Context
What the questions test
Vocabulary items ask for the meaning of a word as used in the passage, plus context clues, prefixes, suffixes, and roots, figurative language, and connotation (the feeling a word carries).
Using context clues
Look at the words around the target word. Definition clues restate the meaning ("a nocturnal animal, one active at night"). Example clues follow "such as" or "including." Contrast clues follow "but," "unlike," or "however" and tell you the opposite. Inference clues require combining several sentences.
Word parts
Common prefixes: un-, dis-, non- (not); re- (again); pre- (before); sub- (under); inter- (between). Common roots: port (carry), spec (look), dict (say), bio (life), graph (write). Common suffixes: -less (without), -ful (full of), -able (capable of), -tion (act or state). Break an unfamiliar word into parts, then check the guess against the sentence.
Traps to watch for
- The familiar meaning trap. A word like "charged" may mean "rushed" in one passage and "accused" in another. Always substitute your answer back into the sentence.
- Connotation. "Thrifty" and "stingy" describe the same behavior but feel different. Questions may ask which word the author chose and why.
- Figurative language. Simile uses like or as; metaphor states one thing is another; personification gives human traits to objects. Do not read figurative comparisons as literal facts.
- Near-synonyms. Two choices may both be plausible; pick the one that fits the passage's tone and the exact sentence.
Rule of thumb: the substitution test
Replace the word with each answer choice and reread the sentence. Only one choice keeps the sentence's meaning intact.