Today, I decided to try the context clues strategy to build my vocabulary. This strategy involves guessing the meaning of unfamiliar words based on the context in which they appear, rather than immediately looking them up. I used this technique while reading an article about technology trends.
One word I encountered was ubiquitous. From the sentence, "Smartphones have become ubiquitous in daily life," I guessed it meant something like "common" or "found everywhere." After checking the definition, I found out it means "present, appearing, or found everywhere," which was pretty close to my guess!
Another new word was precursor in the sentence, "This device was a precursor to modern tablets." I figured it meant something that came before or led to something else — and it turns out it means "a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind."
Using context clues worked well for me because it made me actively engage with the text and think about how words function in sentences. It also helped me remember the meanings better since I made my own connections before checking a dictionary.
I plan to continue using this strategy in my reading, as it encourages me to stay curious about language and improves my comprehension skills along the way.