Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
The following are some strategies to help us: 1) Looking at the Prefix and Suffix Prefix = attachment to front of word Suffix = attachment to back of word Example: Antisocial Anti (=against), social (=humans existing together)
By combining the prefix (anti) and the suffix (social), we can get an idea of what the word antisocial means. An antisocial can refer to a person causing harm to other people in a society.
2)
Crystallise
Comes from the word crystal (a noun), which is a clear transparent rock used to make jewellery. Crystallise (a verb) means that someones thoughts or opinions is made clear (Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2nd edn.)
3)
(Advantage of junior dictionaries meanings easier to understand) (Disadvantage of junior dictionaries less words and meanings given) 4) Finding out how the word can be used Example: Debilitating
a debilitating disease/ The troops were severely debilitated by hunger and disease./ She found the heat debilitating. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6th edn.)
5)
Looking at the original language the word came from Example: Mortify
mortificre (in Latin) means put to death (Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged, 2003). So if we say he mortified his appetite, it means he controlled his appetite (=he did not overeat). In modern usage, however, to mortify someone means to embarrass someone.
6)
See how the first and second meaning are in a way similar? 7) Associating with a story Example: Repudiate
Repudiate means to reject an idea. Sounds like rap-puke-date. Someone goes to the disco to rap and pukes (because he raps too much). After he has puked (vomited), he decides to go on a date with another disco-goer. This kind of actions do not sound very correct, so we reject doing all this.
8)
Comparing with Synonyms and Antonyms (using a Thesaurus) Synonyms= words with similar meanings Antonyms= words with opposite meanings Example: Malicious
Synonyms hostile, jealous, harmful, full of hate (Moby Thesaurus II, 1 st edn.) Antonyms tolerant, generous (Concise English Synonym and Antonym Dictionary, 2nd edn.)
9)