The PERT will test your vocabulary and your ability to identify and define words that you may not have come across before. This section of our PERT reading study guide will walk you through vocabulary questions and the techniques you can use to answer them correctly.
How to Approach Vocabulary in Context Questions
Follow these four techniques when you encounter a question that is asking you to define a word by using the context of a passage.
Identify the Word or Phrase in the Passage
- Locate the target word: These questions ask about the meaning of a word or phrase as it’s used in the context of the passage. Start by finding the word or phrase in the passage and identifying its part of speech. Are we working with a noun, an adjective, a verb, or something else?
- Highlight the surrounding sentence: Focus on the sentence or two immediately before and after the word. This will provide important context clues.
Understand the Context in Which the Word is Used
- Contextual clues: Look at how the word fits into the sentence. What is happening around it? Are there clues that indicate whether the word has a positive, negative, or neutral connotation?
- Contrast words or phrases: Sometimes, words like “but,” “however,” or “although” can signal a contrast, helping you infer the meaning of a word. For example, if the sentence reads, “The weather was inclement, but the hikers were undeterred,” you can infer that “inclement” is negative because of the contrasting “but.”
Substitute Each Answer Choice into the Sentence
- Test each option: Once you’ve considered the context, try replacing the word with each answer choice. The correct answer will fit smoothly into the sentence without changing the overall meaning of the passage.
- Eliminate awkward or illogical options: If an answer choice makes the sentence sound awkward or illogical, eliminate it.
Avoid Literal Definitions When the Context Changes the Meaning
- Not always literal: In some cases, words may have different meanings depending on the context. Don’t just choose the most common definition—choose the one that makes sense within the passage.
Key Tip: Pay close attention to the context in which the word appears. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the word itself, the surrounding information often provides enough clues to infer its meaning.