Vocabulary in Context

One of the most common question types in the CSSE 11+ English paper asks you to work out the meaning of a word from its context — the words and sentences surrounding it. The CSSE is known for using challenging passages with ambitious vocabulary, so this skill is absolutely essential.

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What Does "Vocabulary in Context" Mean?

When the exam asks you what a word means "in context", it does not expect you to have memorised a dictionary definition. Instead, it wants you to use the clues in the surrounding text to work out the meaning.

This is a skill you already use every day. When you hear a new word in conversation, you usually work out what it means from the situation. The same approach works in the exam.

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Strategies for Working Out Unfamiliar Words

Here are five powerful strategies you can use:

Strategy 1: Read the surrounding sentences

The words and sentences around an unfamiliar word often contain clues.

Example: "The landscape was barren — not a single plant or tree grew in the dusty, cracked earth."