How to Guess the Meaning of Words Guessing

How to Guess the Meaning of Words

Guessing the words Do you like English stories?

the words A French student goes to. Guessing London for his holiday. He knows a little English, but he can’t speak it very well. One day he goes to a restaurant. He wants to have some eggs, but he can’t remember the English word for “ egg”. He looks. Discussion: around and sees a picture of. What a hen. He shows the picture to the would you do if you were him at waiter. “ What do you call her that time? children? ” he asks. “Chicks, sir. ” “ And what do you call chicks before they’re born? ” “ Eggs, sir. ” “Very well, ” says the French student. “ Give me two eggs and a cup of tea, please”.

Guessing the words Is he clever? • Yes, because he is clever enough to use the relations between words to make himself understood at last.

Guessing the words How do you deal with the new words or phrases that you meet while reading? • Ignore them and continue reading • Look them up in the dictionary • Guess the meaning

How to Guess the Meaning of Words

Example 1 …Yet, shopkeepers may have to spend extra hours to deal with problems, such as shoplifters, who always take away things from the shop without paying for them. … (description 描述) What does the word “shoplifter” mean? A. A thief B. A guide in a shop C. the owner of a shop D. A porter (搬运 )

Example 2 The new tax law supersedes, replaces the law that was in or replaces, effect last year. synonym（同义词） A. supervise B. review C. take the place of D. start to enforce

Guessing The Words Example 3 ( from NMET) 3. Those new comers were not used to the life in the suburbs which was so different from that inside the city. A. town C. country B. capital D. house Antonym （反义词）

Guessing we the words To guess the words correctly can use the context (上下文，语境) clues: ① Use synonym（同义词）Context Clues ② Use Antonym（反义词）Context Clues ③ Use definition/ example/description clues (定义或解释说明) ④ Use common sense/related information clues (常识、生活经验 ) ⑤ Use grammar and punctuation（�点） clues

1. Please do the Exercises in class -Guess the meaning of the underlined words: on your papers (P 1 -2) in 10 minutes. 2. Then check your answers with your group members if you have finished. 3. Share with each other why you choose the answers if you have different opinions.

Let’s check some exercises together !

Guessing The Words Using synonym(同义词)Context Clues 1. The football player was penalized for his rudeness and the punishment was a good lesson for him. A. called C. paid B. praised D. punished

Guessing The Words Using synonym(同义词)Context Clues 2. He replied quickly, but after he considered the problem more carefully, he regretted having made such a hasty decision. A. careful B. hard C. good D. quick

Using Antonym(反义词) Context Clues With the help of words like: unlike, but however, while, instead, on the contrary, in contrast, on the other hand. . . etc. 1. He had been getting better but during the night his condition deteriorated. A. became better B. got worse C. stayed the same D. did not change

(2007 广东) Using Antonym(反义词) Context Clues 2. In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. …. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen…. . 48. The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___. A. telling the truth to the clerk B. offering advice to the clerk C. asking the clerk to be more attentive D. reminding the clerk of the charged item

Using Definition(定义) 1. Mark Twain was not the author’s real name; it was a pseudonym. A. a pen name B. a true name C. his family name

Using description (描述) Before long, many dinners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in a dinner at any time. A. the meals that people have everyday B. the food that people eat in their meals C. the places where people can have dinner/eat D. the people who serve in a restaurant

Using common sense/related Information (常识、生活经验） 1. He is a resolute man. Once he makes up his mind to do something, he won’t give it up halfway. A. strange B. firm C. kind D. clever

2. When a doctor performs an operation on a patient, he usually gives an anaesthetic to make him unconscious, because he does not want his patient to feel pain or to know what is happening to him. A. B. C. D. A kind of books A piece of advice A kind of medicine A kind of animals

Using causes and effects relations (因果关系) With the help of conjunctions like: because, as，since，for，so，thus， as a result，instead，therefore. etc.

Using causes and effects relations “But, ” said Kim, “ I feel that since you are my superior(领导, 上司), it would be presumptuous of me to tell you what to do. ” A. Full of respect B. too confident and rude C. Lacking in experience D. too shy and quiet

Use grammar and punctuation clues 1. Most women in Ghana ---the educated and illiterate, the urban and rural, the young and old--- work to earn an income in addition to maintaining their roles as housewives and mothers. A. well-educated B. poorly-educated C. taught D. poor

Use grammar and punctuation( 标点） clues 2. You can take any of the periodicals: The World of English, Foreign Language Teaching in Schools, or English Learning. A. dictionaries B. story-books C. magazines D. newspapers

Guessing Theby Words How to guess the words correctly using the context clues: ① Use synonym（同义词）Context Clues ② Use Antonym（反义词）Context Clues ③ Use definition/ example/description clues (定义或解释说明) ④ Use common sense/related information clues (常识、生活经验 ) ⑤ Use grammar and punctuation（�点） clues All

Let’s do more exercises ! Practice 1 -3

1. …Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past. The underlined phrase stately homes means: n A. state-owned houses n B. houses in very good condition n C. grand houses open to the public n D. houses where statesmen meet regularly

Examples from NMET 2. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 -90 centimeters high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got. A. Regular cutting of the plants B. Frequent watering C. Regular use of chemicals D. Growing the plants high in the mountain

Examples from NMET 3. “The safety issue is a big one, ” says Joe Mahoney, who quickly discovered he was not alone in his worries. On campus tours other parents voiced similar concerns, and the same question was always asked: what about crime? But when college officials always gave the same answer “ That’s not a problem here. ” Mahoney began to feel uneasy. “No crime whatsoever? ” comments Mahoney today. “ I just don’t buy it. ” Nor should he: in 1999 the U. S. department of education had reports of nearly 400, 000 serious crimes on or around our campus. The underlined word “buy” means: A. Mind B. admit C. believe D. expect

Homework Go over the ideas we talk about today.