UNIT 4

GUESSING MEANING

Objectives:
By the end of the unit, you are expected to be able to:
1. guess meaning from prefixes,
2. guess meaning from suffixes,
3. guess meaning from context clues,
4. guess meaning from context.

I. Guessing Meaning from Prefixes

In English, there are two affixes: prefix and suffix.
A prefix is a letter or group of letters that is added to the beginning of a base
word (root) to change its meaning. For example, in the word untrue the
prefix is un- (means ‘not’) and the base word (root) is true (adjective).

Study the prefixes below.

Prefix Meaning Example
a– to, toward ashore, aside
a - , an – not, without amoral,
ab -, abs -, away from abstraction
ac -, ad -, ag -, al -, an -, as -, at – to adhere
ambi - both ambidextrous
ante - before anterior
anti- against antisocial
auto- self automation
bene- well benefactor
bi- two biceps
cata- down catastrophe
circum- around circumvent
con-, com-, co-, cog-, col-, cor- together, with cognate
contra against contraception
de- from deferral
di-, dif-, dis- part, separate divide
dis- not disillusioned
en-, em- put into enthralled
e-, ex- out, from extract

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 extra(o)- beyond extraterrestrial
il-, in-, im-, ir- not impartial
in-, im- in, into involved
infra- below infrared
inter- between, among interfere
intro- into introduce
intra- within intramural
mal- bad maladjusted
meta- beyond metaphysics
micro- small microscope
mis- wrong misspell
mono- one monogamy
multi- many multipurpose
non- not nonentity
ob-,oc-,of-,ops- against obstruct
out- surpass outmaneuver
over- excessive overconfident
para- beside paramedic
per- through permeate
poly- many polyglot
post- after postgraduate
pre- before prearrange
preter- more than preternatural
pro- for proceed
re- back, again regain
retro- backward retroactive
se- apart sequential
semi- half semicolon
sub-, suc-, suf-, sug-, under submarine
sup-, sur-
super- over superfluous
syn-, sym-, syl-, sys- together symbol
trans- across transcontinental
ultra- beyond ultrasound
un- not uncertain
hyper- excessive(ly) hypercritical
pseudo- false(ly) pseudoscience

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Exercise 1
Make sentences by writing the base words and the meanings of the prefixes of the
underlined words on the lines provided.

1. Hermits are asocial people.

They are ____________________ people.
2. The child’s hyperactivity is alarming.
The child is ____________________
3. Outer space is illimitable.
There is ____________________ to outer space.
4. The castle was impenetrable to ancient armies.
Ancient armies could ____________________ the castle.
5. We took intercontinental flight.
We took a flight ____________________ s.
6. The fire did irreparable damage to the house.
They could ____________________ the damage to the house.
7. Did he make a maladjustment to marriage?
Did he ____________________ to marriage?
8. The story is pseudobiographical.
It is a ____________________
9. The patient is semiconscious.
The patient is ____________________
10. Some thoughts are unutterable.
Some thoughts can ____________________

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II. Guessing Meaning from Suffixes
A suffix is a letter or group of letters that is added after the base word (root)
to change its grammatical function. (Note that when suffixes are added, the
spelling of the root may change.) For example, in the word happy
(adjective) + -ness (noun suffix) = happiness (noun)

Study the suffixes below.

Suffixes that Meaning Example
form nouns
-acy, -cy, state or quality accuracy, infancy

-age activity courage

result of activity drainage
-al action refusal, rival
-ance, -ence action or process assistance, dependence
-ant, -ent agent disinfectant, dependent
-ate state magistrate
-ation resulting state starvation
action exploration
institution organization
-dom rank, condition, kingdom
domain
-ee affected person employee
-eer person concerned with volunteer
-en diminutive maiden
plural form oxen
-er, -or person who does astronomer, translator
something
-ese inhabitants, language Chinese
-ess, -tress female form authoress, enchantress
-ful an amount handful
-hood status childhood
-ian, -an pertaining to polynesian, republican
-ia names australia, dahlia
illnesses phobia, hysteria
classes reptilian
-ic, -ics arts and sciences music, logic, arithmetic, physics

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Suffixes that Meaning Example
form nouns
-id name orchid, pyramid
-ide names of elements chloride, dioxide
- in, - ine names of substances gelatin, margarine
- ing material made of roofing
activity driving
result of activity building
- ion condition or action communication
- ism attitude Idealism
action baptism
conduct heroism
condition alcoholism
- ist member of a party socialist
occupation cellist
- ite a member of a socialite
community
- ity state or condition purity
- ive condition captive
- let, - ette diminutive booklet, kitchenette
- ling diminutive fledgling
- ment result fragment
- ness state or condition happiness
- ocracy system democracy
- ry, - ary place of activity refinery, military
- ery collectively machinery
- ship status, condition friendship
- ster occupation gangster
- tion, - sion condition or action reception, adhesion
- tive condition captive
-y state or condition fury
the results of an victory
activity library, company
location
- y, - ie endearment daddy, auntie

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 Suffixes Meaning Example
that form
verbs
- ate put in a state isolate
- ed past tense walked
- en become moisten
cause deafen
- er action wander, waver
imitating sounds chatter
- ify cause simplify
- ing present participle working
- ize cause epitomize

Suffixes Meaning Example

that form
adjectives
- able, -ible worthy valuable, sensible
- al, -ial, quality criminal, social, musical
- ical
- ant, - ent kind of agent malignant, apparent
- ate kind of state desolate
- ed having wooded
- en material woolen, golden
- er comparative grander
- ese origin Japanese
- ful having, giving useful
- ian in the tradition Georgian
- ic quality heroic
- ing activity working
- ile having the qualities infantile
- ish belonging to Swedish
having the character of foolish
somewhat youngish
- ive, - having the quality of passive, attractive
ative
- itive having the quality of sensitive
- less without helpless
- like having the quality of childlike

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 Suffixes Meaning Example
that form
adjectives
- ly having the quality of friendly
- ous, - having the quality of virtuous, courteous, vivacious
uous, -
ious
-y full of creamy, bony

Suffixes that form Meaning Example

adverbs
- ly in a manner of happily
- ward(s) in a manner or direction backward(s)
- wise in a manner or direction clockwise

Exercise 2
Complete the blank spaces with the words which have relations to the underlined words
below.
1. Television has helped to popularize ballet.
It has helped to make ballet more ____________________
2. Its porosity makes this cloth cool to wear.
The ____________________ s make this cloth cool to wear.
3. They give the elderly preferential treatment.
They show a ____________________ for the elderly.
4. Reginald does all things with propriety.
He does all things in a ____________________ manner.
5. What provocation does he need to leave forever?
What will ____________________ him to leave forever?
6. There is no quantitative difference in their earnings.
Their earning do not differ in ____________________
7. They are regretful that they cannot attend.
They____________________ that they cannot attend.
8. The problem is remediable.
There is a ____________________ to the problem.

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9. We insist on his retraction of the lie.
We can insist that he ____________________ the lie.
10. Sight is sensory.
Sight is ____________________

III. Guessing Meaning from Context Clues.

The context of a reading can give clues to the meanings of new vocabulary
items. The clues are between parentheses (…) commas, or between commas ,…,
or between dashes -…-.
Exercise 3
Guess the meaning of the underlined words below using structural clues.
1. He has no conception of what is ethical – no idea of what is right and
wrong.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
2. It is futile (useless or ineffective) to try to learn information by reading it
over and over; therefore, study for tests by reciting information you
want to learn.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
3. Most office jobs are sedentary – they require workers to sit much of the
time.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
4. Very careful about all the details of her parties, Lucille is meticulous
about inviting only people whom she knows will enjoy one another.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
5. France is a sovereign nation; it is an independent and self-governing
country.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
6. A circle is symmetrical; when a circle is divided in half, it has an identical
form on either side of the dividing line.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
7. A skillful group leader can elicit (bring forth) questions and comments
from group members.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
8. If I say “Please call me Jim,” it is explicit (or clearly stated) that I want
you to call me Jim.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________

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 9. When we laugh, our thoughts become overt; laughter makes it apparent,
or clear, that we are amused.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
10. Attorneys for defendants attempt to refute (disprove) claims of guilt.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________

Other clues to understand the meaning of words in the texts are:

a. connecting expressions such as: in other words, that is (i.e.), for example (e.g.),
for instance, such as, and so on.
b. conjunctions, for example: but, yet, and, so, or
c. sentence connectors, for instance: however, on the contrary, in contrast,
furthermore, similarly, in addition, therefore, consequently, as a result, etc.

Exercise 4
Guess the meaning of the underlined words below using the context clues given.

1. He understood his mother’s frown to be adverse, or unfavorable, criticism.

Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
2. Some people do not condone smoking in their homes, but others forgive, or
overlook, their guests’ smoking.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
3. When writers use many unfamiliar words, they obscure, or cloud, the
meaning of what they write.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________
4. When the storm hit a town, it destroyed a hotel on the ocean and it also
devastated many homes inland.
Clue: _______________ Meaning: _______________________________

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IV. Guessing Meaning from Context.
A context is a sentence, paragraph, or longer unit of writing that surrounds
a word. Sometimes the context states the meaning of a word, as in the
following sentence:
After her divorce, Terry moved to Chicago, hoping that the move
would be a remedy for her problems; however, Chicago was not a
panacea for her difficulties.

Notice that in stating information about Terry, the sentence also gives the
meaning of panacea: a remedy, solution, or cure-all. You should choose remedy.

Exercise 5
Guess the meaning of the underlined word below from the context.
1. When Sandra needs comfort, she turns to her husband for solace.
2. The students reached a consensus that they would rather write a research
paper than take a final examination.
3. The insurance adjuster had to ascertain the exact value of the missing
jewelry.
4. The priest consoled the widow by reminding her that her husband had
lived a long and full life as a devoted Christian.
5. If there is something you must do that you can do it today, do it today –
don’t procrastinate.
6. Commencement is a celebration of the beginning of life after schooling,
not the end of life in school.
7. No cars are allowed in the park. All visitors must walk or use the park
bus to get around.
8. Tonight was our farewell dinner. It was sad to say goodbye to these special
friends after traveling so far with them.

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 Exercise 6
Complete the sentences below with words or phrases in the box.
a. background d. self-esteem h. attitude l. freedom
b. on the basis of e. economic i. examine m. contact
c. overweight f. anxious j. survey n. examination
g. data k. conduct o. economical

1. My daughter really doesn’t like to read. Her ………towards her literature

class is terrible.
2. When we finish the experiment, we will ……the results and then write up a
report.
3. I believe in ………….and justice for all people.
4. Tim and Mark are brothers, but they don’t look at all alike. Tim is tall and
thin, while Mark is short and a little bit………….
5. My husband lost his job………….just one customer complaint. I think that
is very unjust.
6. Despite the town’s serious………….problems, the people voted to buy new
computers for the schools.
7. I can’t concentrate on my work because I’m so ………about my math test.
8. We don’t have enough ………on the causes of depression. We need to
conduct more research.
9. The school is trying to find out why there are so many absences among
students in the third grade. They have asked the parents of all third graders
to complete a…………….
10. People with a strong educational …………often have a higher social
position than people with less education.
11. If you have any questions,…………our office immediately.
12. My son never thinks he does anything right. His teachers say that he
doesn’t have much………..
13. In order to test their theories, scientists often ………experiments.

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