guess

Everyday

1. To guess means to give an answer when you are not sure, without knowing all the facts. A guess is that answer. tree →
2. To guess right is to find the right answer by guessing. tree →
3. «I guess» in everyday talk means «I think» or «I suppose». tree →

In the lessons

In maths: an estimate that is later checked; «guess and check» (trial and improvement) is a way to solve a problem; how far off a guess was = difference. In science: a hypothesis is a careful guess that is tested. In games: guess the word, guess who. Phrases: guess and check, make a guess, a good guess, a wild guess, guess what, take a guess.

Examples

• Guess how many beans are in the jar. tree →
• Her guess was 50, but there were 62. tree →
• How far off was his guess? tree →
• Use guess and check to find the two numbers. tree →
• Can you guess what is in the box? tree →
• Guess what? We are getting a puppy! tree →
• My guess is that it will rain later. tree →
• He guessed the answer right. tree →
• That was just a wild guess. tree →
• Then she guessed what had happened. tree →

Note

The u is silent: say «gess». Plural «guesses». An estimate is a sensible guess based on what you know. A guess is compared with the real number: difference = bigger − smaller. Trap: «off by» does not care which is bigger.