Recently I have started reading novels, but I don't understand the meaning of many words. What should I do?
Open a dictionary. But to fully understand the meaning of a word, don't just read the definition from the dictionary. This is a good start but won't get you the full picture. Once you have read the definition, look at the sentence that is provided in the dictionary. (Vocabulary word is advocate. The definition is: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. But there are 2 definitions! The 2nd definition is: publicly recommend or support. I notice both definitions have the words recommend and support. I know those words. I have a general idea of this word, but it's not really clear yet. So I want to look at the sentences. The first sentence is: He was an untiringadvocate of economic reform.) Now put the definition of the word in for the word in the dictionary sentence. (He was an untiring person who publicly supports a cause.) Ask yourself to name the part of speech. Then check the dictionary. (It's a noun.) That means that an advocate is a person, place or thing and the definition tells us it's a person. OK. Now you should better understand this definition of advocate. It's a type of person. And this person supports something. Now check the pronunciation of the word. Notice when you use this definition of the word, the o and last a sound like "eh" Say it a couple times. Now try to put it in a few sentences. Start with sentences that are structured just like the one in the dictionary. Since there are 2 definitions, you'll need to go through these steps for the second definition. Notice how the the words are different. Now look at the word in your reading. Notice how it's used (part of speech). Which definition seems to make the most sense? One of the best ways to incorporate new words into your vocabulary and remember them is to actually use them frequently and in speech. Now that you understand the words and know how to use them, write each word on an index card. Make a point of using each word at least 3 times a day. You'll quickly find these new words become part of your everyday vocabulary.
How easy is it to understand Shakespeare?
It's really hard at first! I had to read the sentences over and over again to understand their meaning. Often I had to use a dictionary. But after a couple acts, you fall into all the characters and the vocabulary. I found that if you put off reading it a few days, you might need to stop every few lines and make sure you get what's going on because you've gotten used to "modern" vocab and usage again. Good luck!
When I read English novels, I find some sentences are very long and hard to understand. How can I find a way to better understand them?
Understanding English is much prominent than reading English. It’s bit tough to realize all the words and meanings of a article especially for them who are learning English. As a guy like them I also felt this problem. After researching over it and viewing so many articles and youtube videos, i came to realize that it is not a problem of yours rather than it is the problem of lack of knowing vocabulary. I have experience that suppose whoever you’re you have asked “How can i find a way to better understand English?” now again suppose you don’t know the meaning of Understand but you know the meaning of the other words perfectly. But here the word Understand used for expressing a thought{ i mean this word bears the whole sentences meaning}. So my point of view is the main hindrance behind understanding English is lack of understanding the meanings of words. Again i reckon you have also noticed that suppose you’re studying a short article about nutritious foods. In this article if you know the meanings of all used words then you’ll easily understand the meaning clearly. So i hope you have got my point and read English stories and other short articles and you’ll surely stuck to understand a single line of any sentence. Then just do what i said you upper-side, surely you don’t know any of the words meaning in that particular sentence.So its time to widen the domain of English words. I’m not saying to you to memorize them all the day and night just find those meanings in dictionaries. You’ll learn 5x faster than memorizing it.Thanks for all your patience reading. This is my first article in QUORA so guys as a human i may have did mistakes in my article so please take it naturally. Lastly, Learning a new language is much hard when you’re learning it on your own so better will be speak to you, read articles and make you surroundings with English environment.If you have further queries please E-mail me> ridwanurrahman0183@gmail.com
Why do i not understand poetry?
I love reading any books, plays, short stories, etc. hard novels or easy stories i understand an get grasped in them but i have a hard time understanding poetry i just make nothing out of some lines and so i keep going and don't find a purpose to it i was reading this My Last Duchess Robert Browning That's my last duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will't please you sit and look at her? I said "Frà Pandolf" by design, for never read Strangers like you that pictured countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) ,,,,, but i only know what happens because they told me what can i do to help myself better understand poems!!?
Native English speakers, do you understand every word you read or do you overlook some?
As we become more competent readers, we tend to skim read to some extent -- otherwise we'd make slow progress. If a word is slightly different from what we expect, we might not even notice the fact. However, when a word comes as a distinct surprise in a certain context, it will jump out of the page and we have to decide either to put it on hold and take a look later on, or puzzle out what the meaning is. Language changes over time and Benjamin Franklin's vocabulary is bound to differ somewhat from modern usage. Shakespeare's English is even more different from the English of today and can be very difficult to understand without the use of footnotes. When I was in my teens, I developed the habit of noting new words in my reading in order to increase my vocabulary. I remember acquiring many new words from the works of Aldous Huxley: in one case, I ended up with a list of fifty! As for translations -- it can be very easy for a translator to get the literal meaning correctly and to be blissfully unaware that there is a pun in the original language. Shakespeare was a great user of puns, to the amusement of his audiences. You want advice -- my practice is to underscore new or puzzling words lightly in pencil (so that I can rub out the marks later) and get on with reading the book. Interruptions can be very tedious and you need to make progress.
What is the best way to learn new words while reading a novel?
I will share with you my method that I use while reading books in a foreign language. My method contains 3 steps:Step 1 : Collecting new wordsAfter reading some books, I realize that the new words must be collected because if I ignore it, I will find it again and again in other novels, in my next reading article, in my next conversation with someone, in my next TED talk or even in my next English exam, so collecting them is the first thing to do here.While you are reading a novel, you need to mark your new words with a pencil or a pen (put a small dot under the new word) if you are a paper book reader. If you are reading from an electronic device (like Kindle, tablet or smartphone), you can highlight these words, copy/paste them in a file.After finishing a chapter or the whole book, make a pause to make a list of all your new words and move to the next step.Step 2 : Treating new wordsChoose your prefer method to memorize these words in your mind. Personally, I prefer using a technique called Spaced repetition with a program called Anki. It is best tool to do this job.The aim of this step is to move the new words from the list to your mind and also from the short term memory to the long term one.Step 3 : Using new wordsThis is the important step in this process. I suggest some activities about how to bring your new words to your daily life :Discuss the meaning of these words with your friends.Use the words in your next essay in English.Write a post in your preferred social media using a word from your new words list.Use Quora to write answers using these words. This is exactly what I am doing right now :)Important noteYou must accept that you won’t understand everything you read, so don’t try to collect every single word especially if you are a beginner in a language. You will quickly get frustrated with your lack of understanding and maybe you will stop reading. I suggest to you to read novels of your language level.
If you read a book, and don't understand what is said, do you keep on looking for the definitions of the words, ignore them, and maybe you'll get to a part you understand, or stop reading the book?
Honestly, it depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in.First of all, if you can reasonably infer the meaning of the words based on context clues, 9 times out of 10 you don’t need a dictionary. However, if you can’t figure it out or you’re not confident on your guess, then here are some steps broken up into how much fucks you give.Highest effort: Get a dictionary/Look up the wordsI’m using “highest effort” liberally here, because it really isn’t that big a hassle, but it requires the most work. It’s exactly what it sounds like, believe it or not.Lazy but kind of accurate: Move on and come back when you get context clues from later in the book.I’ve used this one when the word is really not that important, or I’m just too damn lazy to get up and get my phone (I keep my phone away from me when I read to avoid distractions). Just move on, and if you get extra information that helps you later then great! If not, just assume that the word wasn’t that important, make a mental note of it for looking up when you’re not lazy, and continue.A literal sloth: Pretend the word/part doesn’t exist and hope it’s not integral to the plot.I think the only acceptable use of this is for when you’re reading a book you don’t like for school or something else. Sometimes you get assigned a bad book, and it’s already a chore enough to keep your eyelids open through the 15 pages of descriptions of flower wallpaper. If you’re reading a book that you like, exclusively use the first two steps.Help, I’ve fallen and I can get up, but I’m choosing not to: Stop reading the book.There is one, and only one time you should get to this point. If every sentence contains a word you do not recognize, to the point where you do not understand the basic plot of the story, then that’s when you close the book and pick something easier so you can grow. Apart from that, if you’ve gotten to this stage, I don’t understand how you had the energy to buy the book in the first place. I’m lazy, but I’m not that lazy.Before you go, I do have to tell you a loophole I found a while ago. I can learn any word I want, at any time, and it only takes me a few seconds. Get a Kindle.
Is it necessary to use a dictionary when you read a novel?
Reading a novel and finding meanings to words side by side interrupts the flow. It is good if you want to learn new words but not at all good when you want to read for good.So, I prefer reading without any dictionaries. I keep reading and figure out the meaning of new words with the help of the framed sentences itself. It is easy to understand the meaning often. But if the word is really difficult to understand, only then I pick my dictionary to find the meaning.It's like watching a show with subtitles. They interrupt the flow. So, you watch it without subtitles and figure out the dialogues according to the circumstances.