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Identify or Guess Meanings from Context | Advanced Reading Skills & Vocabulary Development I

By Admin • March 10, 2023 • Reading • 594 views

Identifying or Guessing meanings from a context is an important reading skill that allows readers to comprehend new vocabulary words without having to look them up in a dictionary. It involves using the surrounding words and sentences to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. This skill of identifying or guessing meanings from a context is particularly useful for language learners who may not have access to a dictionary or may not be familiar with all the words in a text. It allows them to continue reading and understanding the text even if they encounter unfamiliar words. Moreover, even for advanced readers, identifying or guessing meanings from a context is a time-efficient strategy that can help them save time and effort in looking up every unfamiliar word in a dictionary. It also helps improve overall reading comprehension, as it encourages readers to pay closer attention to the words and sentences surrounding unfamiliar words and to think more critically about their meanings. Context: The professor was effusive in her praise for the student's essay. Meaning: Based on the surrounding words, the reader can guess that "effusive" means something positive, such as "generous" or "lavish" in this context. Context: The children's play area was teeming with kids. Meaning: The word "teeming" likely means that there were a lot of kids in the play area. Context: The musician played a melancholy tune on his guitar. Meaning: The word "melancholy" likely means that the tune played on the guitar was sad or gloomy. Context: The patient's condition was deteriorating rapidly. Meaning: The word "deteriorating" likely means that the patient's health was getting worse quickly. Context: The hiker was trudging through the muddy trail. Meaning: The word "trudging" likely means that the hiker was walking heavily and with difficulty, possibly due to the muddy terrain. Context: The chef used an array of spices to flavor the dish. Meaning: The word "array" likely means that the chef used a variety of spices to flavor the dish. Context: The candidate's recent behavior has cast doubt on his ability to serve in public office. Meaning: Based on the surrounding words, the reader can guess that "cast doubt" means to raise questions or cause skepticism about the candidate's fitness for public office. In short, identifying or guessing meanings from a context is an essential reading skill that can benefit readers of all levels, particularly language learners seeking to expand their vocabulary and improve their comprehension abilities.