Transcript Example
Chapter 3: Vocabulary
Breaking Through, 7/e
Brenda Smith
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
1 MILLION
WORDS IN
THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE!
Some Vocabulary Facts
We use about 20% of the words we know.
In high school you recognized about 50,000
words and used only 10,000 of them.
In college you recognize around 70,000 words
and use about 15,000 of them.
You will learn about 20,000 new words in
college, many from specific disciplines.
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Remembering New Words
Association
Concept cards
Dictionary
Practice!
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Strategies for Expanding
Vocabulary
Use context clues.
Use knowledge of word parts.
Use the glossary of your textbook.
Use the dictionary.
Using a thesaurus.
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Types of Context Clues
Definition clues
Elaborating details
Elaborating examples
Comparison
Contrast
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Definition
Example:
The explorers landed in an alien
environment, a place both foreign and
strange to their beloved homeland.
Explanation:
Alien means strange or foreign.
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Elaborating Details
Example:
The natives were hostile when the settlers
approached their village. They lined up across
the road and drew their weapons. The settlers
were afraid to go farther.
Explanation:
As described in these sentences, hostile
means unfriendly.
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Elaborating Examples
Example:
The bird’s appetite is voracious. In one
day he ate enough worms to equal three
times his body weight.
Explanation:
Voracious means extremely hungry or
greedy.
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Comparison
Example:
The smell of the flower was as
compelling as a magnet’s pull on a paper
clip.
Explanation:
Since a magnet will pull a paper clip to it,
the comparison suggests that the smell
of the flower had an attraction.
Compelling means attracting.
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Contrast
Example:
In America, she is an eminent journalist,
even though she is virtually unknown in
England.
Explanation:
Even though are signal words indicating the
opposite. Thus eminent means the opposite
of unknown; it means well-known or
famous.
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Multiple Meanings of a Word
Sally cannot bear to be in the house alone
at night. The bear approaches our
campsite.
Mr. Robinson served on the board of
directors for the school. Put the extra board
in the truck.
The owners suspected a dead animal was
the cause of the foul odor. The batter hit a
foul ball with three runners on base.
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Word Parts
Roots
Prefixes
Suffixes
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Using the
Dictionary
Guide words
Pronunciation
Spelling
Word meaning
Parts of speech
Word origins
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Categories of Relationships
for Analogies
Synonyms
Antonyms
Function, use or purpose
Classification
Characteristics and descriptions
Degree or variation of intensity
Part to whole
Cause and Effect
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Analogies
Example:
Apple is to fruit as potato is to _______.
Explanation:
Since an apple is a member of the fruit
group, the relationship is one part to a
larger whole. Solve the analogy by
establishing a similar relationship for
potato. A potato is a vegetable just as an
apple is a fruit.
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Learning New Vocabulary
Use the Internet.
Subscribe to a mailing mist.
Participate in a newsgroup.
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Summary Questions
How many words does the average college
student recognize?
How do context clues assist in unlocking
word meaning?
What should you include on a concept
card?
How can you recognize new words by
linking parts of old words?
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Summary Questions
How should you use a dictionary while
reading?
Why use a glossary?
Why would you need a thesaurus?
What is the key to solving an analogy?
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Visit the Companion Website
http://www.ablongman.com/smith
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.