Vocabulary Skills

- The skills that we use to discover the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words are
called "word attack" skills. Word attack skills are the ways we use to reveal a
word's meaning and pronunciation. http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/VocabularySkills.html

What are the Vocabulary Skills?

1. Learning New Words

The context of a word means the words that surround it in a sentence and the whole situation in
which the word is used. The context of the word supplies the main clue of the meaning of the
sentence.

2. Using Dictionary

If you cannot guess the meaning of the word from the context, you should go and use
dictionary. Context is important, however, most words have a number of different meanings.
And the best way of finding the one you want is to look for the definition that fits the context in
which you originally encounter the word.

3. Suffixes and Prefixes

Basic part of the word is Root. A part added before the root is Prefix and a part added after the
root is Suffix.

Prefixes Meaning Example

Auto Self Automobile
Bi Two Bimonthly
Con Together Concord
De Down/from Degrade
Dis Away/Apart Disagree

Suffixes Meaning Examples

Hood Condition Childhood
Ness Quality Goodness
Tion Action/state Celebration
Ment Result/action employment
4. Using extract words
Avoid overworked words and phrases, also called “cliché” and trite expression that are used so
often that they lose precise meaning.

5. Using precise adjective to describe

The English language is rich in adjectives. Build your vocabulary by taking time to find the exact
adjective to describe and express your thought.

6. Using interesting verbs to express action

Verbs give action and color to you sentences. The following exercises include a number of
verbs that will add variety to your speaking and writing.

7. Using vivid adverb to modify verbs

It is observed that adverbs answers the questions, how, when, and where. The exactness and
vividness of your writing and speaking depending on your great deal of using adverbs as well.

8. Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms is a word that means nearly the same thing as another word. While antonyms is a
word with the opposite meaning.

9. Word Formation

Compounding- is a technique of adding two or more base forms. E.g. black + bird= blackbird

10. Idiomatic expression

Expressions whose meanings cannot be discern form the meanings of the individual words that
comprise them.
 Pangasinan State University

San Carlos Campus

San Carlos City, Pangansinan

S.Y 2019-2020

Written Report
In
Developmental Reading I

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Erika Jean C. San Jose Ms. Aileen Batang

Rebecca C. Ballesteros