Guessing vocabulary from context: learn

In this lesson you will

Decide whether you need to understand a new word or can ignore it
Use four kinds of context clue: definition, example, contrast and explanation
Use prefixes and suffixes to guess the meaning and type of a word

Before you start

Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.

→When you meet a new word in English, what do you usually do?
→Read this: “After the long walk, my legs were so sore that I could hardly go down the stairs.” What do you think sore means?

Don't stop at every new word

In an exam you cannot use a dictionary, and every text has some words you don't know. Good readers don't panic. They ask two questions:

Do I need this word to answer the question? If not, ignore it and keep reading.
If I do need it, what clues can I find in the sentence and in the sentences around it?

You don't need the exact dictionary meaning. A general idea is often enough: Is it good or bad? Is it a person, a thing or an action?

Four kinds of context clue
Clue	Signal words	Example	Meaning of the new word
Definition	is, means, that is, in other words	A nomad is a person who moves from place to place and has no fixed home.	nomad = a person with no fixed home
Example	such as, for example, like, including	She grows pulses, such as beans, peas and lentils.	pulses = a group of seeds like beans and peas
Contrast	but, however, unlike, instead of	Tom is very talkative, but his brother is quite reserved.	reserved = quiet, does not talk much
Explanation nearby	the next sentence describes it	The hotel room was filthy. The carpet was dirty and the sheets smelled bad.	filthy = very dirty

Use word parts

Many English words are built from parts. If you know the parts, you can often guess the meaning.

un-, in-, im-, ir-, dis- = not: unusual, impossible, irregular, dishonest
re- = again: rebuild, reuse
over- = too much: overcrowded, overcooked
-less = without: homeless, careless
-able = can be done: washable, readable

The ending also tells you the type of word. -tion, -ment, -ness are usually nouns. -ful, -ous, -ive are usually adjectives. -ly is usually an adverb.

Guessing step by step

“The old bridge was unstable, so the town closed it to cars.”
Word parts: un- (not) + stable. Grammar: it comes after was and describes the bridge, so it is an adjective.
Clue: the town closed the bridge, so it is probably dangerous.
Guess: not safe; likely to move or fall. That is enough to understand the sentence.

The town that said no to cars

A

Twenty-five years ago, the old centre of Valmora, a small city in southern Europe, was full of traffic. Its narrow streets were blocked by cars for most of the day, and the noise and fumes, the dirty gases from car engines, made the town centre an unpleasant place to be.

B

Then the new mayor made a brave decision. She banned private cars from the historic centre and turned the main streets into pedestrian zones, areas where only people on foot and bicycles are allowed. Many shop owners were reluctant at first. They did not want the change because they believed their customers would stop coming.

C

In fact, the opposite happened. Instead of becoming deserted, the centre filled with people. Families went for walks, children played in the squares and new cafés opened. Small businesses began to thrive, and some shops reported that their sales had almost doubled within five years.

D

Not everyone was happy, of course. Some older residents complained that it was now inconvenient to get to the doctor or to carry heavy shopping home. To solve this, the city introduced a cheap taxi service for older people and free delivery from local shops.

E

Today, other cities send planners to Valmora to learn from its experience. Their conclusion is usually the same: when you give the streets back to people, people come back to the streets.

How a strong reader guesses

reluctant (paragraph B): The next sentence explains it: “They did not want the change.” So reluctant means not wanting to do something. (Clue: explanation nearby)

deserted (paragraph C): “Instead of becoming deserted, the centre filled with people.” Instead of shows a contrast, so deserted is the opposite of full of people: empty. (Clue: contrast)

thrive (paragraph C): The sentences around it give examples: new cafés opened, and some shops' sales almost doubled. So thrive means to grow and be successful. (Clue: examples nearby)

inconvenient (paragraph D): in- = not, and convenient = easy and useful. The examples (hard to get to the doctor, carrying heavy shopping) confirm it: causing problems; not easy. (Clue: word parts + examples)

Notice that the writer even gives a definition of fumes and pedestrian zones in paragraphs A and B, after a comma. Writers often do this for words that readers may not know.

Matching

What kind of clue?

Match each sentence to the clue that helps you understand the word in italics.

AContrast
BWord parts
CDefinition
DExplanation nearby
EExample

1.Some birds migrate, which means they fly to warmer countries in winter.
2.He felt anxious before the exam, but his friend was completely calm.
3.Bring some stationery, for example pens, pencils and a notebook.
4.The film was tedious. Half the audience fell asleep and the rest looked at their phones.
5.Sadly, the damage to the old painting is irreparable.

Save words to review them later with flashcards.

context
the words and sentences around a word that help explain its meaning
“You can often guess a word's meaning from the context.”
reluctant
not wanting to do something
“He was reluctant to lend me his car.”
deserted
empty, with no people
“At 3 am the streets were completely deserted.”
thrive
to grow, develop and be successful
“Small cafés thrive in busy streets.”
inconvenient
causing small problems; not easy or suitable
“Sorry, is this an inconvenient time to call?”
resident
a person who lives in a particular place
“Local residents complained about the noise.”
constantly
all the time, or very often
“My little brother is constantly asking questions.”
wander
to move around without a clear plan or direction
“We spent the afternoon wandering around the old town.”
dull
boring; not interesting
“The first chapter was dull, but the rest of the book was great.”
stimulating
interesting and exciting; making you think
“It was a stimulating discussion.”
exhausted
extremely tired
“I was exhausted after the twelve-hour flight.”
refreshed
feeling rested and full of energy again
“After a short nap, she felt refreshed.”

Key points

You don't need to know every word. First ask: do I need this word to answer the question?
Look for clues: definitions (that is, means), examples (such as), contrasts (but, instead of) and explanations in the next sentence.
Word parts help: un-/in-/dis- = not, re- = again, -less = without.
Check your guess by putting it into the sentence. Does the sentence still make sense?

Check your answers in the practice exercises to record a score.

Up next · Reading B1 Foundation

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Go to lesson

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Don't stop at every new word

Use word parts

The town that said no to cars

How a strong reader guesses

Invented words

What kind of clue?

Why we need to be bored

Closest in meaning

Find the word

Key points

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Don't stop at every new word

Use word parts

The town that said no to cars

How a strong reader guesses

Invented words

What kind of clue?

Why we need to be bored

Closest in meaning

Find the word

Key points