In the IELTS reading test, encountering unfamiliar vocabulary is highly probable. While understanding every unknown word isn’t always necessary unless directly questioned, being equipped with strategies to deduce meanings can be invaluable.
Strategy 1: Utilizing Word Structure for Meaning Clues
Roots, prefixes, and suffixes often hold keys to interpreting unfamiliar terms.
Prefix Analysis
Prefixes attach to the start of base words, altering or specifying their meanings. They may indicate negation, direction, quantity, or other concepts.
– Biological combines bio- (relating to life) with -logical (pertaining to study), forming “related to the study of living organisms.”
– Interchangeably uses inter- (between/among) + change, denoting “exchangeable alternatives.”
– Maltreatment merges mal- (bad) + treatment, signifying “harmful or cruel handling.”
Suffix Interpretation
Suffixes modify grammatical function (noun, verb, etc.) or extend meaning.
– Politician: -ian (person associated with) + politics = “someone in governance.”
– Abusive: -ive (tending toward) + abuse = “prone to harmful language/action.”
– Intensify: -ify (to make) + intense = “increase in strength.”
– Exhaustion: -ion (state/process) + exhaust = “extreme fatigue.”
– Helpless: -less (without) + help = “lacking ability to act independently.”
Root Recognition
Roots form the core of words. Recognizing these aids in deciphering meanings.
– Sensitive: Root sens- (perception) + -tive = “responsive to stimuli or feelings.”
Strategy 2: Analyzing Contextual Clues
Surrounding text often provides hints about unfamiliar words. Key indicators include definitions, synonyms, antonyms, examples, or prior knowledge.
Definitions/Explanations
Authors may define technical terms using phrases like is, means, or refers to.
– Example: Enamel (the mineral coating of teeth) is clarified by its description as a durable, lifelong protective layer.
– Example: Nocturnal is explained as “active by night and dormant by day.”
Synonyms
Equivalent terms can reveal meanings.
– Example: Adverse is paired with harmful in discussing fertilizer impacts, indicating synonymity.
Antonyms
Contrasting terms highlight opposites.
– Example: Fertile (productive soil) contrasts with dry in a passage describing Tunisia’s geography.
– Example: Positive and negative stress triggers are contrasted via but.
Examples
Illustrative instances clarify abstract terms.
– Example: Benefits (insurance) and federal aid (welfare programs) are exemplified through specific social supports.
Prior Knowledge
Personal experience aids comprehension.
– Example: Permanent teeth are distinguished from temporary “baby teeth,” implying permanence as “long-lasting or unchanging.”
By applying these techniques, test-takers can navigate complex texts effectively without relying solely on prior vocabulary knowledge.
