Topics · Primary English · Vocabulary & Word Meaning
Vocabulary: meaning from the sentence around it
Most vocabulary questions can be answered without knowing the word, because the sentence around it narrows the possibilities. The skill being tested is using that context, not having memorised a dictionary.
- 424 exam papers analysed
- appears in 96% of P2 English papers
- ~3 min read
01 The sentence tells you a great deal
Even an unknown word sits in a sentence that limits what it could mean.
“The path was so treacherous that we had to hold the rope.” — you need a rope, so it is dangerous. That is enough to choose between four options.
Read the whole sentence, and the one before. Choosing from the four options while looking only at the gap is where marks go.
02 Clues that give a meaning away
Writers often define a hard word without announcing it.
| Kind of clue | Signal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | or, that is, which means | a kiln, or oven for pottery |
| Example | such as, for instance | citrus fruits such as lemons |
| Contrast | but, unlike, however | not shy but gregarious |
| Cause and effect | so, because, therefore | so parched that he drank two litres |
03 Working on the word itself
When context is thin, the word's parts can help.
- Prefixes change meaning. un-, dis-, in-, im- reverse it; re- means again; pre- means before.
- Suffixes change the job. -ful, -less, -able make adjectives; -ly makes adverbs; -ment, -tion make nouns.
- Find a word inside the word. Unbelievable holds believe.
- Check the part of speech the gap needs. If the gap follows the, a noun belongs there, and every option that is not a noun can go.
- Put each option back into the sentence and read it whole. The wrong ones usually sound wrong immediately.
04 Synonyms, antonyms and near-misses
Synonyms mean nearly the same; antonyms mean the opposite. Papers test both, and the traps are built from near-misses.
Options are chosen to be almost right. Angry, annoyed, furious and irritated all describe anger and differ in strength — and the sentence decides which strength fits.
Watch for words that look alike. Affect and effect, desert and dessert, quite and quiet. These are deliberate.
A word can shift meaning with its sentence. Fair is different in a fair test, fair hair and the fun fair, so the surrounding words decide.
05 How to say them
These are words most children have never said out loud, and a word you cannot say is a word you avoid using. Capitals mark the syllable you lean on. Tap the speaker to hear it.
- contextsayKON-tekst
The words around a word, which show what it means here.
- synonymsaySIN-uh-nimmore than onesynonyms
A word meaning nearly the same as another.
- antonymsayAN-tuh-nimmore than oneantonyms
A word meaning the opposite of another.
- prefixsayPREE-fiksmore than oneprefixes
A part added to the front of a word that changes its meaning: un-, re-, pre-.
- suffixsaySUF-iksmore than onesuffixes
A part added to the end of a word that changes its job: -ful, -ly, -ment.
- part of speech
What kind of word it is — noun, verb, adjective, adverb. The gap usually needs a particular one.
06 What each level is tested on
The same topic, asked differently as it goes up. The percentage is the share of papers at that level in which it appears.
- P2
Everyday words, simple synonyms and opposites.
Practise P2 Vocabulary & Word Meaning — 10 questions →96% of P2 papers
- P3
Using the sentence to work out a meaning, and prefixes and suffixes.
Practise P3 Vocabulary & Word Meaning — 10 questions →92% of P3 papers
- P4
Context clues, parts of speech, and words that look alike.
Practise P4 Vocabulary & Word Meaning — 12 questions →89% of P4 papers
- P5
Shades of meaning between near-synonyms, and words in context in a passage.
Practise P5 Vocabulary & Word Meaning — 12 questions →41% of P5 papers
- P6
Vocabulary inside comprehension, and explaining what a word means as it is used.
Practise P6 Vocabulary & Word Meaning — 12 questions →33% of P6 papers
07 Mistakes worth knowing about
Each of these is wrong. Decide why before you open it.
“I did not know the word, so I guessed.”
Read the whole sentence first. The context usually rules out two or three of the options on its own.
“I only read up to the gap.”
The clue is often after it. In “so treacherous that we held the rope”, the rope is what tells you.
“Angry and furious mean the same, so either works.”
They differ in strength, and the sentence decides which fits. Near-misses are how the options are built.
“I chose the word I recognised.”
Familiarity is not fit. Put each option into the sentence and read it whole.
“I gave the dictionary meaning.”
When asked what a word means in the passage, say what it means there. Words shift with their surroundings.
Now try it
56 questions across 5 levels, marked as you go with the working shown.