This set has ten original questions, ordered from easier to harder, covering all five lessons in meaning in context. Questions 1 to 3 are about single words, 4 to 7 are about phrases and images, and 8 to 10 mix every skill. All passages were written for this page.
Write each answer in full sentences on paper, underline the clue you used, and only then open the answer. There are no marks here, because the aim is precise explanation rather than a score. Use the routing list at the end for anything that went wrong.
Questions
1. “The new boy was diffident; he spoke only when asked and kept his eyes on his shoes.” What does “diffident” mean?
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Clues: he speaks only when asked and looks at his shoes. Direction: shy and unsure of himself.
Answer: “Diffident” means shy and lacking confidence. He avoids speaking and does not look at people, which shows he is uncomfortable about being noticed.
2. “Unlike her gregarious sister, Nila preferred to read alone in the garden.” What does “gregarious” mean?
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“Unlike” signals a contrast. Nila prefers being alone, so her sister must be the opposite.
Answer: “Gregarious” means sociable and fond of company. The contrast with Nila, who prefers to read alone, shows that her sister enjoys being with other people.
3. “The room was so stifling that even the fan seemed to give up.” What does “stifling” suggest?
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Clue: even a fan cannot help. Result: the air is heavy.
Answer: “Stifling” suggests hot, airless and hard to breathe in. The fan “gives up”, so the air is too heavy for it to help.
4. “When the referee blew the whistle, the crowd exploded.” Is “exploded” literal or figurative? Explain what it suggests.
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A crowd cannot literally explode, so it is figurative. It compares the sudden burst of noise and movement to a bomb.
Answer: It suggests that the crowd erupted suddenly and loudly, with cheering or shouting released all at once after waiting for the whistle.
5. “The announcement hung in the air like a wet towel.” Explain what this suggests about the mood.
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The announcement is compared to a wet towel, which is heavy, cold and unpleasant.
Answer: It suggests that the news left a heavy, uncomfortable mood. Nobody could shake it off, just as a wet towel is heavy and clings to the skin.
6. “After the third warning, the teacher’s patience ran out.” Explain “ran out” in context.
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“Ran out” compares patience to a supply, like water. It is figurative.
Answer: It means the teacher could no longer tolerate the behaviour. After three warnings she had used up her willingness to be patient, and she was about to act.
7. “Dawn crept over the hills; the farmer crept over the wet grass to the barn.” Which use of “crept” is figurative and which is literal?
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The farmer can really creep, so that use is literal: he moves slowly and quietly. Dawn cannot creep like a person, so that use is figurative: light appears slowly and gently.
8. Fix this circular answer to “What does ‘meticulous’ mean?”: “Meticulous means being meticulous about things.”
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Cover the word: “means being ____ about things.” It does not stand.
Better: “Meticulous means very careful and exact, paying attention to small details.”
9. Original: “Our so-called champion lost in the first round and just shrugged.” Which paraphrase keeps the tone?
- (a) “Our champion lost in the first round.”
- (b) “The person we were told was a champion lost in round one and did not seem to care.”
- (c) “The champion was unlucky to lose early.”
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(b). It keeps “so-called” as “we were told”, and “just shrugged” as “did not seem to care”. (a) is neutral and loses the sarcasm. (c) changes the meaning by excusing the loss.
10. “Mr Tan was laconic. Asked about the flooded road, he pointed and said, ‘Drive.’ The drivers behind him fumed.” (a) Infer “laconic”. (b) Explain “fumed” in context.
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(a) “Laconic” means using very few words. The clue is that his whole answer was one word, “Drive”.
(b) “Fumed” is figurative: people cannot literally give off smoke. It suggests the drivers were angry and frustrated but kept it to themselves, perhaps because he did not explain the road conditions.
If you got these wrong
| What went wrong | Lesson to revisit |
|---|---|
| Guessed from the word’s sound, or ignored clues (Q1 to Q3) | Infer a word meaning from surrounding clues |
| Gave a general meaning without the scene (Q5, Q6, Q10b) | Explain a phrase in its actual context |
| Took an image literally, or called everything figurative (Q4, Q7) | Distinguish literal and figurative meanings |
| Repeated the word or its family (Q8) | Avoid circular definitions |
| Wording was accurate but flat or altered (Q9) | Test a paraphrase against the original tone |
Note the error type in your mistake log and retest queue, and use the summary selection and paraphrase studio to practise wording on fresh text.
If one error type keeps appearing after revision, a teacher can look at your written answers directly. That is the work we do in online one-to-one English First Language tuition.