GEE110 Module2
GEE110 Module2
Structural analysis is the process of breaking words down into their basic parts to
determine word meaning. Structural analysis is a powerful vocabulary tool since
knowledge of a few word parts can give you clues to the meanings of a large number of
words. Although the meaning suggested by the word parts may not be exact, this
process can often help you understand the word well enough that you can continue
reading without significant interruption.
When using structural analysis, the reader breaks words down into their basic parts:
Structural Analysis: Common Word Parts Following is a list of some common prefixes,
roots, and suffixes along with their meanings and examples of words which use them.
Use these word parts to help you approximate the meanings of unknown words.
Compound Words
When two words are used together to yield a new meaning, a compound is formed.
Compound words can be written in three ways: as open compounds (spelled as two
words, e.g., ice cream), closed compounds (joined to form a single word, e.g.,
doorknob), or hyphenated compounds (two words joined by a hyphen, e.g., long-term).
living room
estate dinner
table coffee
mug
When adverbs ending in -ly combine with another word, the resulting compound is
always spelled as two separate words.
largely irrelevant
newly formed
notebook
Superman
waistcoat
bookstore fireman
The English language is always evolving, and when words become used more
frequently, they are often eventually written as one word. When the Internet first began,
for example, we talked about going on-line. Now that this is a daily experience for most
of us, the spelling online has become commonly accepted.
There are a great many grammar rules regarding hyphens in compound words. One
important rule of thumb to remember is that in most cases, a compound adjective is
hyphenated if placed before the noun it modifies, but not if placed after the noun.
a long-term solution an
Context Clues
Context Clues are hints that the author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word.
The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may
follow in a preceding sentence. Because most of your vocabulary is gained through
reading, it is important that you be able to recognize and take advantage of context
clues.
Sometimes, when we read a given portion of text, we're not entirely sure what's going
on. This is where context clues come in. Context clues provide further information about
a word or phrase that helps readers understand its meaning. These clues offer insight -
either directly or indirectly - into the portion of text that's difficult to understand. Let's
explore various examples of context clues to see how they work.
Types of context clues. There are at least four kinds of context clues that are quite
common.
Synonyms as Context Clues
The most basic, and perhaps helpful, type of context clues are synonyms. If you can't
decipher a meaning, adding a few synonyms, or words with similar meanings, is a
surefire way to point to a word's meaning. Let's take a look at a few examples:
• It was an idyllic day - sunny, warm, and perfect for a walk in the park.
• She hums continuously, or all the time, and it annoys me.
• The crime he committed was egregious; he'll never recover from this horrendous
scandal.
• His animosity, or hatred, of his sister divided the family.
• Bill felt remorse, or shame, for his harsh words.
• This situation is a conundrum, a puzzle that's difficult to solve.