TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing Task: Polysemy

Polysemy notes
Reading passage
Main idea: polysemy (one word having different meanings) poly- = many, sem- = meaning
Examples of polysemy
MP1 --- example 1, sound (e.g. loud noise, healthy, body of water)
               -- 19 noun meanings
               -- 12 adj. meanings
               -- 12 verb meanings
               -- 4 meanings in verb phrase
               -- 2 adverb meanings
MP2 --- example 2, set
              -- 57 noun meanings
              -- 120 verb meanings

Listening passage
Main idea: special subset of polysemic (one word with opposite meanings)
Examples of polysemic words with opposite meanings
MP1 --- example 1, bolt and fast
              -- mean cannot move
                        - bolt door, it is fast
              -- move quickly
                       - bolt = run away fast
MP2 --- example 2, sanction
              -- to sanction is to permit
              -- put sanction on means not permit

Polysemy Sample Essay
In this set of materials, the reading passage explains the word polysemy, a term composed of two word roots that translate as ‘many’ and ‘meaning’, and the listening passage describes a special subset of polysemic words.

In the reading passage, we are told that polysemy is a term used to describe those words that have multiple meanings. One example of polysemy is the word ‘sound’. This word has a very large number of meanings. It has 19 noun meanings, 12 adjective meanings, 12 verb meanings, 4 meanings in verb phrases, and 2 adverb meanings. A word with an even greater number of meanings is another example, ‘set’. ‘Set’ has an astonishing 57 noun meanings and 120 verb meanings.

In the listening passage, we are given information on a special category of polysemic words. These words are special because they not only have multiple meanings, but these meanings are actually opposites. The first examples given are the words ‘bolt’ and ‘fast’. Both these words can be used to mean ‘locked tight’ or ‘not moving’. They can also be used, rather confusingly, to mean ‘moving very quickly’. The second example listed is ‘sanction’. This word is sometimes used to mean ‘permit’, while at other times is used to mean ‘not permit’. We can see that the multiple meanings of these polysemic terms are not just different, but are opposites. (227 words)

1 Look at the introduction. What words are used to introduce the listening and reading sections?

2 Look at the second paragraph. What is it about? What is the topic sentence? What words does the writer use to introduce the information on the reading passage.

3 Look at the third paragraph. What is it about? What is the topic sentence? What words does the writer use to introduce the information on the listening passage.

4 Can you see any examples of synonyms the writer has used?