ERROR CORRECTION TIPS ONTEST TAKING A> GUESSING WORDS IN CONTEXT Find out and correct 15 errors in the following passage Once we know around two or three thousand word we can use the reading skills we have developed to infering the meanings of unknown words that we meet. Some of us can do this with any particular training, but those who cannot do it can be taught a strategy, which will enable us to guess most of the unknown words they meet. The strategy is basical very simple. It begins by getting the learner looking closely at the unknown word, next to look for its immediate context, and then to take a much broader view of what the clause containing the word relates to other clauses, sentence or paragraphs Before guessing, there is a system of check to make sure that the guess is the best possible. The unknown word must be syntactically, semantically, and stylistically acceptance. Once learners have mastered the steps of the strategy then have practised guessing words by systematically go through the steps, it is no longer to apply whole the steps. That is, the strategy is just a mean of acquiring the unconscious skills that an efficient reader already has HOW TO APPLY THESE STEPS IN THE CLASS The various steps need in the strategy can be practised separate before being combined into a strategy. The guessing strategy can be used in co-operative class exercise or for individual work such as homework. After the strategy is being introduced the teacher can demonstrate the steps to the learners use the word from the passage. The steps are putting up on the board. Then one word is chosen on the passage for the whole class guessing. The teacher then called on different learners to do each steps. So one learner has the task of saying what part of speech the word is, and then others looks at the immediate grammar of the word, and so on. After doing a few word like this the learners can work in pairs and then on their own. Guess words in context may lead on to dictionary work. If the learner already has a reasonable idea of what means he will be unable to choose the most suitably meaning from those given in the dictionary 1 Find out and correct 30 errors in the following passage THE STEPS INVOLVING IN THE STRATEGY 1. Read the whole text to have the global idea of the passage and to identify the reader (audience) what is important to choose the right words. 2. Look at the unknown word and decided its part of speech. Is it a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb ? 3. Look at the clause or sentence contain the unknown word. If the unknown word is a noun, what adjective describes it ? What verb is it near? That is what does noun does and what is doing to it. If the unknown word is a verb, what noun does it go with? Is it modifying by an adverb? If it is an adjective, what noun does it go with? If it is an adverb, what verb is it modified? 4. Look at the relationship among the clause and sentence containing the unknown word and another sentences or paragraphs. Sometimes this relationship will be signal by a conjunction as but, because, if, when, or by an adverb like however, as a result. Often there will be no signal. The possibly types of relationship includes cause and effect, contrast, inclusion, times, exemplification, and summary. Punctuation may also serve as a clue. Semicolons often signal a list with inclusion relationships, dashes may signal restatement. References words like this, that, such also provides useful information. 5. Use the knowledge you have gained from 2 – 4 guessing the meaning of the word. 6. Check that you guess is correct. a. See that the part of speech of your guess are the same as the part of speech of the unknown word. If it is not the same, then everything is wrong with your guess. b. Replacement the unknown word with your guess. If the sentence makes sense, your guess is possible correct. c. Break the unknown word onto its prefix, root and suffix, if possible. If the meanings of the prefix and root corresponds to your guess, it is good. If not, look at your guess against, but do not change anything if you feel reasonable certain about your guess used the context. Experience has shown that using affixes and roots alone as a mean of guessing meanings is not very reliable. 2 . effect, contrast, inclusion, times, exemplification, and summary. Punctuation may also serve as a clue. Semicolons often signal a list with inclusion relationships,. word, and so on. After doing a few word like this the learners can work in pairs and then on their own. Guess words in context may lead on to dictionary work.