Reading Subtest (101) · 6 min read
Meaning of Words and Phrases
Objective 0001 asks you to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a passage: unfamiliar vocabulary, words with several meanings, figurative expressions, and terms specific to a subject. Two tools work together: word analysis (breaking a word into its parts) and context (reading the surrounding text).
Word Roots
A root is the core element of a word that carries its primary meaning. Roots cannot always stand alone, but they are the foundation on which English words are built, most often from Latin and Greek.
| Root | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| aud | to hear | audible, audience, auditorium, audition |
| dict | to say, speak | dictate, predict, verdict, dictionary |
| scrib / script | to write | scribe, describe, manuscript, prescription |
| port | to carry | transport, portable, import, export |
| ject | to throw | reject, inject, project, eject |
| duc / duct | to lead | conduct, deduce, introduce, educate |
| spec / spect | to look, see | spectator, inspect, perspective, spectacle |
| cred | to believe | credible, credit, incredible, credentials |
| vert / vers | to turn | convert, reverse, divert, versatile |
| tract | to pull, draw | attract, extract, contract, traction |
| Root | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| bio | life | biology, biography, antibiotic, biodegradable |
| graph / gram | to write, draw | paragraph, diagram, telegram, graphic |
| phon | sound | telephone, phonics, symphony, microphone |
| log / logy | word, study, reason | logic, dialogue, monologue, biology |
| chron | time | chronological, chronic, synchronize, anachronism |
| path | feeling, disease | sympathy, empathy, pathology, apathy |
| therm | heat | thermometer, thermal, hypothermia, thermostat |
Prefixes
Prefixes attach to the beginning of a root or base word and modify its meaning. Knowing the most common prefixes unlocks the meaning of thousands of words.
| Group | Prefix and Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | un- (not, opposite); dis- (not, apart); non- (not) | unlikely, disconnect, nonverbal |
| Negative | in-/im-/il-/ir- (not); im- before m, p, b; il- before l; ir- before r | incomplete, impossible, illogical, irregular |
| Negative | mis- (wrongly); anti- (against) | mislead, antidote |
| Number | uni-/mono- (one); bi-/di- (two); tri- (three); quad- (four) | uniform, monologue, biannual, dialogue, trilogy, quadrant |
| Number | pent- (five); dec- (ten); cent- (hundred); mill- (thousand); multi-/poly- (many) | pentagon, decade, centennial, millennium, polyglot |
| Direction / position | pre- (before); post- (after); sub- (under); super- (above, beyond) | precede, postscript, submerge, supervisor |
| Direction / position | inter- (between); trans- (across); ex- (out, former); re- (again, back) | interact, translate, exhale, review |
| Degree | over- (too much); under- (too little); out- (surpassing) | overestimate, undervalue, outperform |
Suffixes
Suffixes attach to the end of a word and often change its part of speech while adding meaning. Recognizing the suffix tells you how the word functions in its sentence.
| Forms a… | Suffix and Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | -tion/-sion/-ation (action, state); -ment (result); -ness (state, quality) | decision, achievement, awareness |
| Noun | -ity/-ty (quality); -er/-or (one who); -ist (one who practices); -ism (belief, practice) | curiosity, editor, journalist, optimism |
| Adjective | -able/-ible (capable of); -ful (full of); -less (without) | flexible, hopeful, fearless |
| Adjective | -ous/-ious (having the quality of); -al (relating to); -ive (tending toward) | mysterious, historical, destructive |
| Verb | -ize/-ise, -ify (to make, cause); -en (to make, become) | modernize, clarify, strengthen |
| Adverb | -ly (in the manner of) | carefully, beautifully |
Applying Word Analysis
Using Context to Determine Meaning
Context clues are hints within a text that help you determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word without a dictionary. The exam's vocabulary items always say "as used in paragraph 3" or similar, so the context, not the most common dictionary meaning, decides the answer.
| Clue Type | Signal Words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | is, means, refers to, is called | The archaeologist discovered a sarcophagus, a stone coffin used in ancient Egypt. |
| Synonym / restatement | or, also known as, in other words, that is | The politician's mendacious statements, his habitual lies, destroyed his credibility. |
| Antonym / contrast | unlike, however, but, in contrast, although | Unlike her gregarious sister who loved parties, Maria was reclusive. |
| Example | such as, for example, including, like | The museum displayed artifacts, including pottery shards, tools, and jewelry. |
| Cause and effect | because, since, so, as a result | Because the testimony was filled with discrepancies, the jury doubted the witness. |
| Inference (general sense) | none; meaning comes from the situation | After the long drought, the farmers were elated when the rains finally came. |
Strategies for Vocabulary Questions
For example: "The scientist's hypothesis was initially met with skepticism, but after rigorous testing confirmed her predictions, even her critics had to acknowledge the validity of her theory." The contrast signaled by but shows that skepticism means doubt, and testing that led to confirmation suggests that rigorous means thorough.
Denotation, Connotation, and Figurative Language
Denotation is a word's literal meaning; connotation is the feeling or association it carries. House, home, and dwelling share a denotation but differ in connotation. Exam questions often ask what a word or phrase suggests or why the writer chose it; the answer depends on connotation.
| Device | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | Comparison using like or as | Her voice was like honey, sweet and smooth. |
| Metaphor | Comparison stating one thing is another | Time is money. |
| Extended metaphor | A comparison developed across a passage | A classroom described as a garden throughout an essay |
| Personification | Human qualities given to nonhuman things | The wind whispered through the trees. |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate exaggeration | I've read that book a thousand times. |
| Understatement | Deliberate minimizing for effect | Calling a hurricane "a bit of wind" |
| Symbol | A concrete object representing an abstract idea | A dove representing peace |
| Allusion | Reference to a well-known person, event, or work | She met her Waterloo in the final exam. |
| Irony | Contrast between expectation and reality (verbal, situational, dramatic) | A fire station burning down |
| Oxymoron | Two contradictory terms together | deafening silence |
| Paradox | A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a truth | The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. |
| Idiom | An expression whose meaning differs from its literal words | to break the ice |
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