Context Clues

Context Vocabulary Building

Context clues

• Text book writers usually know when they must use a word that will be new to their student readers. So they often include other words or phrases to help with the understanding of the new word. These words or phrases are referred to as context clues. They are built into the sentences around the difficult word. If you become more aware of the words around the difficult words you encounter in your reading, you will save your self many

Context clues • Context Clues are hints that the author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may be in a preceding or subsequent sentence. Because most of your vocabulary is gained through reading, it is important that you be able to recognize and take

FOUR TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Definition Synonyms Antonyms Example

DEFINITION  The verb "to be" is a signal indicating that the definition of the word may be in the sentence. A form of the verb "to be" is located between the unfamiliar word and its meaning.

Examples: 1. A carnivore is an animal that feeds only on meat. 2. A biographer, or one who writes about people's lives, is an example of an author.

SYNONYM   The word "like" is a signal word indicating synonym which means there is a word of similar meaning in the sentence. A synonym, or word with the same meaning, is used in the sentence.

Examples: 2. The harlequin, like the circus clown, was a fool who loved to perform. 3. My opponent's argument is fallacious, misleading – plain wrong.

ANTONYM   The word "but" is a signal word indicating antonym which means there is a word of opposite meaning in the sentence. A word or group of words that has the opposite meaning reveals the meaning of an unknown term.

Examples: 2. Jerry is very clumsy, but his sister Jenny is adroit. 3. Although some men are loquacious, others hardly talk at all.

WHAT ARE EXAMPLE CLUES?  Using examples or illustrations, an author tries to show what a word means. A writer may give just one example or several. Remember that these examples are not synonyms. Look for words or phrases like such as, including or consists of, Colons (:) and dashes (-) can also signal examples.

Examples: 1. The river was full of noxious materials such as cleaning agents from factories and pesticides from the nearby farms. 2. This third grade was full of precocious children. One child had learned to read at two and another could do algebra at age 6. 3. When going to an office party you should show your best decorum, for example, dress your best, drink and eat moderately, and be sure to thank

Synth

Exerci

Cubbyholes • I have always lived in cubbyholes. After moving away from home, my first apartment was just a cubbyhole in a large building. It was no more that 8' by 12' and had a bed in one corner. My second was no more that a large walk-in closet. My current one is about 10 feet long by 12 feet wide, but it at least has two rooms.

Cubbyhole =

Scuzzy • The floors of the restaurant were extremely scuzzy. They were covered with spilled grease, crumbs of food, and cigarette butts.

Scuzzy =

Remunerated • The contractor was always well remunerated for his work. For example, he received $10,000 for a small addition to a house and last year he was received $5,000 for reconstructing a stairway.

Remunerated =

Breeches • The department store carries a variety of breeches, for example they carried Levis, Wranglers, and even some plain unlabeled brands made of cotton.

Breeches = PANTS /

Bauble • Josie received a bauble for Christmas from her great aunt. This she put with her others, a pair of imitation earrings, a fake emerald pendant, and a ring that looked like a ruby.

Bauble = Jewelries

Vociferous • The girl who used to be very vociferous doesn't talk much anymore.

Vociferous =

Parcimonious • He was so parsimonious that he refused to give his own sons the few pennies they needed to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part with his money.

Parsimonious =

Pertinacity • His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble.

Pertinacity =

Ecclesiastics • Ecclesiastics, such as priests, ministers, and pastors, should set models of behavior for their congregants.

Ecclesiastics =

churlish • The girl was churlish – rude, sullen and absolutely ill-mannered.

Churlish = RUDE

Conflagration • Because the conflagration was aided by wind, it was so destructive that every building in the area was completely burned to the ground.

Conflagration =

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