Vocabulary and Figurative Language
What to Know
You need context clues to figure out unknown words: definitions, examples, synonyms, antonyms, and general sense of the sentence. Know figurative language: simile (uses like or as), metaphor (says one thing is another), personification (gives human traits to objects), and idioms (sayings whose meaning is not literal). Also know prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-) and suffixes (-ful, -less, -ly, -er) and how they change a word's meaning.
Traps to Watch
- Sound-alike words: "The wind blew" not "blue."
- Literal trap: "It's raining cats and dogs" does not mean animals fall from the sky.
- Simile vs. metaphor: If the sentence uses like or as, it is a simile.
- Prefix flips meaning: un- and dis- often mean "not." Choose the answer that matches the whole sentence, not just the root word.
Worked Example
"The trail was rugged, so hikers wore sturdy boots and walked slowly over the rocks." What does rugged mean? The clues (sturdy boots, rocks, slow walking) show it means rough or uneven. The trap "beautiful" does not fit the clues.
Rule of Thumb
Replace the unknown word with each answer choice and reread the sentence. Only one choice will sound right.