1. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Efficient and Flexible Reading, 7/e Kathleen T. McWhorter Chapter 3: Strengthening Your Word Power

2. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers In this chapter you will learn: 1. To expand your vocabulary. 2. To determine a word’s meaning from its context. 3. To use word parts to figure out meanings of new words. 4. How the index card system can expand your vocabulary. 5. How to select and use the best vocabulary reference sources.

3. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Expanding Your Vocabulary Read widely and diversely. Use words to remember them. Be selective. Use what you already know. Work on vaguely familiar words. Learn multiple word meanings.

4. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using Contextual Aids You can figure out the meaning of an unknown word by looking for clues in the sentence or paragraph in which it appears. Definition Clues Example Clues Contrast Clues Inference Clues

5. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using Contextual Aids Formal Definition Clues: A word’s meaning is either stated directly or given indirectly. Example: Horology is the science of measuring time.

6. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using Contextual Aids Indirect Definition Clues: Sufficient information is included to give a general idea of the meaning. Example: Hypochondria, excessive worry over one’s health, afflicts many Americans over forty.

7. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Example Clues: the examples used explain or clarify a word’s meaning. Example: Toxic materials, such as arsenic, asbestos, pesticides, and lead, can cause permanent bodily damage. Using Contextual Aids

8. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using Contextual Aids Contrast Clues: a word or phrase opposite in meaning provides a clue to meaning. Example: During the concert the audience was quiet, but afterward the crowd became boisterous.

9. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using Contextual Aids Inference Clues: A word’s meaning can be figured out by reasoning about contextual information. Example: My father is a versatile man; he is a successful businessman, sportsman, author, and sports car mechanic.

10. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Analyzing Word Parts Word parts have specific meanings and when added together can provide strong clues to the meanings of a particular word. Prefixes: Beginning–semi  half = semicircle Roots: middle–bio  life = biology Suffixes: end–ist  one who = activist

11. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers A System for Learning Unfamiliar Words 1. Whenever you hear or read a new word that you intend to learn, jot it down in the margin of your notes or mark it in some way in the material you are reading. 2. Later, write each new word on the front of an index card, then look up the meaning (or meanings) of the word and write it on the back. 3. Whenever you have a few spare minutes, go through your pack of index cards.

12. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers 4. Sort the cards in two piles; separate the words you know from the ones you don’t know. 5. Periodically review the cards. 6. Work with classmates if you are a social learner. (See Learning Style Questionnaire in Chapter 1.) A System for Learning Unfamiliar Words

13. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using Vocabulary Reference Sources The Dictionary The Thesaurus

14. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using the Dictionary 1. Look up a few words at a time. 2. Mark unknown words and look them up later. 3. Read through all the meanings of the word to choose the best one. 4. Write down the word and its meaning.

15. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using the Dictionary Use the Dictionary for: Word Pronunciation Part(s) of Speech Key to Spelling Information on Language History

16. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using the Dictionary Use the Dictionary for: Restrictive Meanings that Apply only to a Specific Field of Study Foreign Expressions used in English Idioms

17. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Using the Thesaurus A dictionary of synonyms. Available in hardback, paperback, and On- line. Groups words with similar meanings. Useful for locating a precise, accurate, or descriptive phrase to fit a particular situation you are writing about.

18. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Subject-Area Dictionaries Pocket Dictionaries Standard desk Dictionaries Unabridged Dictionaries On-line Dictionaries Other Reference Sources for Vocabulary

19. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers 1. How can you expand your vocabulary? 2. What are four types of context clues? 3. What are the three parts from which many English words are formed? 4. Why is it useful to learn about word parts? 5. What is the index card system? SUMMARY QUESTIONS

20. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Words that are exact and specific can help communication. Words that are vague or nonspecific can lead to misinterpretation and confusion. “The movie was great!” (What was good about it?) “He received a large sum of money.” (How large is large?) Critical Thinking Tip #3: Vague Versus Clear Meanings

21. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Visit the Companion Website http://www.ablongman.com/mcwhorter