VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT 13
HERE’S A HINT
USE IT OR LOSE IT
There’s really only one rule for building your vocabulary: Use it or lose it.When you
are learning a new word, if you don’t use it, you will soon forget what it means. Write
new words down on a vocabulary list. Use them in e-mails or letters to friends. Intro-
duce them to members of your family. Use the words you learn in your everyday com-
munications as much as possible so they become a permanent part of your
vocabulary.Now, notice how the context of the sentence below helps give the word candor
its meaning:
➥ I admire Arun’s candor, but sometimes, he can be a bit too honest.
Candor means
a. irritability.
b. frank, sincere speech.
c. readiness to judge or criticize others.
d. comfort with speaking in front of people.Based on the context of the sentence, only b can be the correct answer. The
speaker tells you that Arun is sometimes too honest, thus signifying that candor
means frank, sincere speech—Arun tells people exactly what he thinks.
Even if you can’t figure out exactly what candor means, you can tell from the con-
text whether it is something positive or negative, and this can help you narrow down
your answer choices on an exam. In this case, because the speaker admires Arun’s
candor, you can assume that candor is a positive thing. You can therefore eliminate
choices a and c.
There a four types of context clues that can help you:
1. Restatement
2. Positive/Negative
3. Contrast
4. Specific Detail
This sentence uses two types of context clues: restatement and positive/negative.
The first part of the sentence tells you that candor is a good thing (positive/negative),