• Before looking at the answer choices, quickly jot down all the definitions you can think of for the given stem word.
  • Determine the connotation of the word. Based on how you have heard the word used before, does it have a positive or a negative feeling about it?
  • Think about the context in which you have heard the word used in the past. Use the past context as a clue to determine the meaning.
  • Focus on the word parts (roots, prefixes, suffixes) to determine the meaning. *If you are not familiar with the meanings of different word parts, study them the same way you would study vocabulary words.