Preparatory Lessons for
Paraphrasing
Guessing the Meanings of Words
Guessing the meaning of words is the best strategy
when you are reading.
1. It is fast since you do not have to interrupt your
reading.
2. It helps your comprehension because you stay focused
on the general sense of what you are reading.
3. It helps build vocabulary because you are more likely
to remember the words.
4. It allows you to enjoy your reading more because you
do not have to stop often.
How to Guess the Meanings of Words
1. Often you can find related ideas in the context, that
is, the text or sentences that contain the word.
2. Sometimes you have to read several sentences to
guess the meaning of a word.
3. Some words are not important and you can
understand main idea of a paragraph without them.
Try to guess the X’ed words in the following
paragraph from Chapter 1, Reading 1 in College
Reading 2.
Du Yun XXXXX the large orange shopping cart
into PriceSmart’s parking lot, where she popped open
the trunk of her gray XXXXX Buick and began to fill it
with plastic-bagged groceries. “I come here once a
week, sometimes twice – it’s so XXXXX,” said Ms. Du,
a working actress. “There was nothing like this in
China in the past.”
Even though you do not know the X’ed words, what
is the main idea of the paragraph?
Du Yun XXXXX the large orange shopping cart
into PriceSmart’s parking lot, where she popped open
the trunk of her gray XXXXX Buick and began to fill it
with plastic-bagged groceries. “I come here once a
week, sometimes twice – it’s so XXXXX,” said Ms. Du,
a working actress. “There was nothing like this in
China in the past.”
Ms. Du likes to shop at PriceSmart.
Here are some context clues that might be helpful for
the first word.
Du Yun XXXXX the large orange shopping cart into
PriceSmart’s parking lot, where she popped open the trunk of her gray
XXXXX Buick and began to fill it with plastic-bagged groceries.
Here is a guess.
Du Yun pushed the large orange shopping cart into
PriceSmart’s parking lot, where she popped open the trunk of her
gray XXXXX Buick and began to fill it with plastic-bagged groceries.
Compare the guess and the original word.
Du Yun maneuvered the large orange shopping cart into
PriceSmart’s parking lot, where she popped open the trunk of her
gray XXXXX Buick and began to fill it with plastic-bagged
groceries.
Here is a context clue that might be helpful for the
second word.
popped open the trunk of her gray XXXXX Buick
Here is a guess.
popped open the trunk of her gray *luxury Buick
Compare the guess and the original word.
popped open the trunk of her gray *economy Buick
*incorrect guess – check adjective order
There are different clues you might use for the third
word.
PriceSmart’s … “I come here once a week, sometimes
twice – it’s so XXXXX,” said Ms. Du, … “There was
nothing like this in China in the past.”
Here are different guesses.
PriceSmart’s … “I come here once a week, sometimes
twice – it’s so cheap/ quick/ new,” said Ms. Du, …
“There was nothing like this in China in the past.”
Compare the guesses and the original word.
PriceSmart’s … “I come here once a week,
sometimes twice – it’s so convenient,” said Ms. Du, …
“There was nothing like this in China in the past.”
Guessing Meaning
with a Dictionary
Guessing Meanings to Find the Correct Definition
How can you choose the correct definition for a word in a sentence
when there are many definitions in the dictionary?
If you guess the meaning of the word using clues in the sentence or
paragraph, then you will probably be able to select the correct
definition.
Use other words in the following sentences to guess the meanings of
the X’ed words. After you guess, choose the definition from the list.
Definitions were taken from the Longman web dictionary at: http://www.ldoceonline.com/
What is the XXXXX of the problem?
What is the XXXXX of the problem?
Click on each definition.
1. everything in the physical world that is not controlled by humans,
such as wild plants and animals, earth and rocks, and the weather
2. someone's character
3. the qualities or features that something has
What is the XXXXX of the problem?
1. everything in the physical world that is not controlled
by humans, such as wild plants and animals, earth and
rocks, and the weather
This is the wrong
answer, click here to go
back.
Picture taken from:
www.free-nature-animal-butterfly-wallpaper.com
What is the XXXXX of the problem?
2. someone's character
This is the wrong answer,
click here to go back.
Picture taken from: www.icecavern.net
What is the XXXXX of the problem?
3. the qualities or
features that something
has
You are correct!
The word is nature.
Picture taken from:
www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/ cuisine/drinks/wines.html
Guessing Meaning with a
Dictionary Part 2
Follow up: Guess the meanings of the XXXXX words.
Then match the sentences and the definitions.
a. The officers are at the police shooting
XXXXX.
1.
a number of people or things that are all
different, but are all of the same general type
b. That salary for that job is in the XXXXX of
$25,000 to $30,000
2.
the limits within which amounts, quantities,
ages etc vary
c. There are many cattle on the XXXXX.
3.
d. Denver is in a land of high mountain
XXXXXs.
a set of similar products made by a particular
company
4.
e. The students are from a wide XXXXX of
backgrounds.
the distance within which something can be
seen or heard
5.
f. You can send a message from any place
within XXXXX of your radio signal.
all the musical notes that a particular singer or
musical instrument can make
6.
a group of mountains or hills, usually in a line
g. Which do you use more, the XXXXX or the
microwave?
7.
an area of land where you can practice
shooting or where weapons can be tested
h. A company from Darlington has just
launched its latest XXXXX of fashion jewelry
8.
the number of different things that someone
does well
i. He is an actor of extraordinary XXXXX and
intensity.
9.
a large area of land covered with grass, on
which cattle are kept
j. His vocal XXXXX is amazing.
10.
a large piece of kitchen equipment which you
use to cook food
The word is range.