Chapter Three: Reading Comprehension

It is important to derive meaning from words. How do we get the meaning of words?

3.1. Dictionaries:

They consist of the repertories of words and their various usual meanings.
The words are arranged in alphabetical order. A dictionary can be a monolingual,
bilingual or multilingual. Bilingual dictionaries translate words but rarely explain.
Monolingual dictionaries explain words but can be difficult for foreign learners. A
dictionary can be a pocket dictionary (for general usage) or a desk dictionary
(including specialized terms). A specialized dictionary gives more accurate
definitions on technical words.

3.2. Words analysis:

A larger number of words can be analysed in English in terms of root

(particles combined to words or other roots to coin words). Greek and Latin roots are
used in scientific English to make up new words.

 Compound words can be broken down into base and modifier. See how the
modifier modifies the base; housewife= wife keeping a house.
 Derivative words can also be broken down into base/root and affix (prefix or
suffix)

e.g: Unhappy: un + happy

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 3.3. Context Clues:

Another effective way of getting the meaning of words is the use of context
clues. In fact, it is the context that enables a reader to sort out the right meaning
among the many that a word may have. The context (the structural proximity) tells
us if a word is used as a verb, an adjective, a noun, etc. Following are some effective
context techniques

a) Contrast: Joyce is beautiful but her brother is ugly (ugly ←→ beautiful)

b) Example: He collects insects such as butterflies (butterflies = insects)
c) Cause and effect: S/He failed because s/he did not study (fail ←→ succeed,
pass)
d) Restatement (saying in other words). The Lad was not happy. Young boys
are never satisfied (lad = young boy)
e) Logical deduction (completing what the text demands): When the sun rises,
go the field (rise = go up)
f) Experience: soldiers often rape women during wars (rape = ?)
g) Cognates: these are words that are homonyms (or almost homonyms) of
words in another language having the same origin or resulting from language
and cultural contact. There are thousands of such words between French and
English. Most of those can be transposed without any risk. A number of those
words are false cognates. E.g.: glory = gloire; origin = origine; but actual =
actuel?).
h) Affixation:

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i) Questions: We have direct and indirect questions. By direct questions, the
interrogative sentence ends by a question mark (?) and by indirect question,
there is a question without that question mark. This happens in case of reported
speech.
e.g: Where do you study? / S/He wants to know where you study.

 Yes/No questions are close questions: Are you students from UNH?
Yes, we are/ No, we are not
 Tag questions: You are students from UNH, are you not?
You study Business English, do you not?
You are not students from UNH, are you?
You do not study Business English, do you?
 Wh-questions: they are open questions
o What
o Where (place) where…from (origin)
o Why (cause and effect, reason))
o Who/whom/whose (Subject/Object/Possession)
e.g.: who are you? (give your name : I am …, My name is…;
Whom did you leave your computer? = to whom did you leave
your computer? ; Whose computer is this? Whose pen do you
use?)
o Which (choice) (I have two pens: a black and a blue. Which one
do you like?)
o How (manner)
o How long/far. How long is it from Lubumbashi to Kasumbalesa?

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 o How much (price, quantity about uncountable objects)
o How many (quantity with countable objects)
Exercise: Find at least ten roots and provide their meaning.