Word Knowledge
What to know
Word Knowledge asks for the closest meaning of a word, either standing alone or inside a short sentence. Tested words range from common to moderately formal, so build three tools. First, word parts: prefixes such as bene- (good), mal- (bad), circum- (around), in- (not), and roots such as aud (hear), cred (believe), dic (speak), fer (carry), lum (light), mit (send). Second, context clues: definition, contrast, example, and cause-and-effect signals. Third, word charge: is the word positive, negative, or neutral?
Traps
- Near synonyms with the wrong intensity: irritated, angry, and furious are not interchangeable.
- Familiar words with a second meaning: grave means serious, novel means new, table can mean to postpone.
- Look-alikes and sound-alikes: eminent versus imminent, compliment versus complement.
- A choice that matches the topic of the sentence but not the meaning of the target word.
Rule of thumb
Substitute each choice into the sentence and read it back at full speed. If two choices still seem right, pick the one with the same intensity and grammatical form as the original word.
Worked example
Despite his candid remarks, the audience found him refreshing. Candid means open and honest. The distractor harsh fits the tone but not the meaning; frank is exact. Note that despite signals contrast, so the audience's reaction was positive where you might expect offense.