Transcript Example

Chapter 3: Vocabulary
Breaking Through, 8/e
by Brenda Smith
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
1 MILLION
WORDS IN
THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE!
Some Vocabulary Facts
 You use about 20% of the words you know.
 In high school you recognize about 50,000
words and use 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.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Remembering New Words
Association
Concept Cards
Dictionary
Practice!
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Unlocking the Meaning of
New Words
 Use context clues.
 Use knowledge of word parts.
 Use the glossary of your textbook.
 Use the dictionary.
 Use a thesaurus.
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Types of Context Clues
 Definition clues
 Elaborating details
 Elaborating examples
 Comparison clues
 Contrast clues
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Definition
 Example:
The explorers landed in an alien
environment, a place both foreign and
strange to their beloved homeland.
 Explanation:
The definition is set off by a comma.
Alien means strange or foreign.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
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.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Elaborating Examples
 Example:
The bird’s appetite is voracious. In one day he
ate enough worms to equal three times his
body weight.
 Explanation:
Because the bird ate an extraordinary amount,
voracious means extremely hungry or greedy.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
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 forceful.
© 2007 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.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
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.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Word Parts
Roots
Prefixes
Suffixes
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Using the
Dictionary
 Guide Words
 Pronunciation
 Spelling
 Word Meaning
 Parts of Speech
 Word History
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Word Origins - Etymology
 Moccasin comes from the Algonquin Indian
word for “shoe.”
 Shampoo comes from the Hindi word meaning
“to press.”
 We study etymology to make it easier to
remember the word.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Textbook Glossary
 Specialized vocabulary is often
found in the glossary of a
textbook.
 Example from biology:
continental drift, cranium,
cosmopolitan species.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Check your wordprocessing program
on your computer to
see if they have a
built-in thesaurus.
Thesaurus
 A thesaurus is a book with a list
of synonyms for a word.
 Example: verb “cause” –
originate, give rise to, bring
about, produce, create, evoke
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Analogies
 An analogy is a comparison that mimics
a previously stated relationship.
 Example:


Mosquito is to insect as gasoline is to fuel.
Walking is to running as cool is to frozen.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
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.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Categories of Relationships
for Analogies
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Synonyms
Antonyms
Function, use or purpose
Classification
Characteristics and descriptions
Degree or variation of intensity
Part to whole
Cause and effect
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Easily Confused Words
 principle - rule
principal – person
 stationary – fixed position
stationery - paper
Memorize & associate to
keep these words straight.
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Enriching Your Vocabulary
 Use the Internet.
 Get news from Web sites and forums.
 Read a lot!
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Summary Points
 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?
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Summary Points
 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?
© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Visit the Companion Website
http://www.ablongman.com/smith
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