Words in context

NUST NET English · English · Vocabulary. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

Here the word is usually a common one, such as sound, draw or address, that has several meanings. The question asks which meaning it has in this sentence. The meaning you learned first is often among the options, and it is often wrong.

Cover the word and read the sentence as if there were a blank. Put in your own word, then choose the option nearest to it. The clue is always in the text: an explanation after a colon, an example, a result, or a contrast.

Finish with the substitution test: read the sentence again with your chosen option in place of the word. It must make sense and keep the writer's meaning.

Rules to remember

Treat the word as a blank: predict your own word from the sentence before reading the options.
The most familiar dictionary meaning is the usual trap. Test it; do not trust it.
A colon, semicolon or 'since / because' clause usually explains the word.
'But', 'although', 'yet' and 'however' point to a meaning opposite to the other half of the sentence.
Substitute each remaining option into the sentence; only one keeps the meaning.
The answer must fit the grammar of the sentence as well as the sense.

Common mistake

Students choose the meaning they know best without reading the sentence, for example taking 'sound' as noise when the sentence is about an argument. Always substitute your choice back into the sentence.

Worked example

The floods will check the growth of the region's economy for several years, because factories and roads will take a long time to rebuild.
As used in the text, check most nearly means
A. examine
B. hold back
C. confirm
D. measure

Read it with a blank: the floods will ______ the growth of the economy.
The 'because' clause gives the clue: rebuilding will take a long time, so growth will be slowed.
Own word: 'slow' or 'limit'. The familiar meaning 'examine' does not fit, since floods cannot inspect anything.
Substitute: 'The floods will hold back the growth of the region's economy' keeps the meaning.

Answer: B. hold back

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