Context clue overview

1. Reading 090
Using Context Clues and Word Parts

2. Context- the setting or situation in which
something occurs.
Authors often give hints or clues to an unknown
word’s meaning within the passage in which
the word is found.
We call these hints “context clues”

3. Do you know the meaning of the word ubiquitous?
Look at the sentence below and see if the context — the words
surrounding the unfamiliar word — helps you figure out the meaning of the
word.
What does ubiquitous mean?
A. unaffordable B. complicated C. widespread
Cell phones have become ubiquitous; you
can see — and hear — them everywhere.

4. If the phones are “everywhere,” they must be widespread.
The context helps you figure out that ubiquitous means “widespread.”
Cell phones have become ubiquitous; you
can see — and hear — them everywhere.
What does ubiquitous mean?
A. unaffordable B. complicated C. widespread

5. During his lecture, the
ornithologist described his
research on western spotted
owls as well as many other
birds.
Ornithologist=a person who studies birds

6. 1. definition
2. synonym
3. example
4. contrast
5. inference
6. word parts
Authors often use a combination of clues to help a reader understand the
meaning of an unknown word.
For example, a reader might use both word parts AND inference when determining
the meaning of an unknown word.

7. •Textbook authors often provide definitions of
important terms, followed by examples.
•They usually set off the terms they are
defining in italic or boldface type.
TEXTBOOK DEFINITIONS
In all societies there is some vertical mobility—moving up or down
the status ladder. The upward movement is called upward mobility and the
downward movement, downward mobility. The promotion of a teacher to
the position of principal is an example of upward mobility, and demotion
from principal to teacher is downward mobility.
Example

8. 1. Commas
Hypochondria, excessive worry over one’s
health, afflicts many Americans over forty.
2. Parentheses
Middle age (35 years to 65 years) is a time for
strengthening and maintaining life goals.
3. Dashes
Most societies are patriarchal-males exert
dominant power and authority.

9. 1. There was a consensus, or unified opinion, among
the students that the exam was difficult.
commas
2. The continents and ocean basins of the Earth’s
crust are separated from the Earth’s liquid core by the
mantle- 1,800 miles of a sold layer of rock.
dash
9. In police investigations, interrogation (examination
by questioning) is vital, but it can be psychologically
and emotionally draining to the person who is being
questioned.
parentheses

10. Context clues are often found in the form of
synonyms: one or more words that mean the
same or almost the same as the unknown word.

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Synonym Clue

11. In the sentence below, what is the synonym that tells you
the meaning of the word innate?
That five-year-old girl must have innate musical talent; playing piano so
well at her age requires an inborn gift.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Synonyms

12. In the sentence below, what is the synonym that tells you
the meaning of the word innate?
That five-year-old girl must have innate musical talent; playing piano so
well at her age requires an inborn gift.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Synonyms
The synonym inborn tells you that innate must mean “possessed
at birth.” The girl has inborn musical talent.
Explanation

13. In the sentences below, what is the synonym that tells you
the meaning of the word mentor?
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Synonyms
Gaining a mentor is helpful when you are beginning a new job. A wise and
trusted advisor can greatly assist your career.

14. In the sentences below, what is the synonym that tells you
the meaning of the word mentor?
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Synonyms
The synonym wise and trusted advisor in the second sentence
tells you the meaning of mentor.
Explanation
Gaining a mentor is helpful when you are beginning a new job. A wise and
trusted advisor can greatly assist your career.

15. A synonym clue may appear in the same sentence
as the unknown word:
The author purposely left the ending of his novel ambiguous, or
unclear, so readers would have to decide for themselves what happened.
Or, a synonym clue may appear somewhere else in
the passage, in an earlier or later sentence:
After the soccer match, a melee broke out in the parking lot.
Three people were injured in the brawl, and several others were
arrested.

16. TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Examples
Look at the sentence below and see if the examples help you
understand the meaning of the word adversities.
As they moved westward, early pioneers faced many adversities, such
as scarce food, extreme weather, and loneliness.
Adversities means
A. criminals. B. decisions. C. hardships.

17. The examples of adversities — scarce food, extreme weather,
loneliness — help you understand that adversities means “hardships.”
Explanation
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Examples
As they moved westward, early pioneers faced many adversities, such
as scarce food, extreme weather, and loneliness.
Adversities means
A. criminals. B. decisions. C. hardships.

18. What is the synonym in the sentence?
The mayor’s assistant was accused of
malfeasance, although he denied any
wrongdoing.
Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his macabre
short stories and poems. His eerie tale, the Fall
of the House of Usher, was made into a horror
movie starring Vincent Price.

19. Often (but not always) preceded by:
To illustrate
For instance
For example
Such as
Including
Example: Microscopic pathogens, such as
viruses, bacteria, and fungi, constantly threaten
our health as we go about our daily lives.

20. Look at the sentences below and see if the examples help
you understand the meaning of the word idiosyncrasy.
Each of my coworkers has a strange idiosyncrasy. For
instance, our receptionist wears only pink. The mail clerk
always speaks in a whisper. And my office mate lives on
peanuts and apples.
Idiosyncrasy means
A. hidden thought. B. unusual personal habits. C. unusual goal.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Examples

21. The three examples of unusual personal habits help you
understand that idiosyncrasy means “unusual personal habits.”
Explanation
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Examples
Each of my coworkers has a strange idiosyncrasy. For
instance, our receptionist wears only pink. The mail clerk
always speaks in a whisper. And my office mate lives on
peanuts and apples.
Idiosyncrasy means
A. hidden thought. B. unusual personal habits. C. unusual goal.

22. Exercise 2-3 p. 54

23. Contrasts/Antonyms are words or phrases
that mean the opposite of a word.
Antonyms are also useful as context clues.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Contrast/Antonyms

24. Whereas
On the one hand
However
In contrast
Unlike

But
Despite
Yet
Rather
Nevertheless

25. Most of my friends’ mothers seemed ordinary; mine,
however, did such bizarre things as spraying green
paint on a dead tree in front of our house.
Bizarre means
A. odd. B. easy. C. dangerous.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Contrast/Antonyms
In the sentence below,
1. What is the antonym that helps you figure out the meaning of
the word bizarre?
2.What is the meaning of bizarre?

26. Most of my friends’ mothers seemed ordinary; mine,
however, did such bizarre things as spraying green
paint on a dead tree in front of our house.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Contrast/Antonyms
In the sentence below,
1. What is the antonym that helps you figure out the meaning of
the word bizarre?
2.What is the meaning of bizarre?
Bizarre is the opposite of “ordinary,” so it must mean “odd.”
Explanation
Bizarre means
B. easy. C. dangerous. A. odd.

27. In the sentence below,
1. What is the antonym that helps you figure out the meaning of
the word verbose?
2.What is the meaning of verbose?
Verbose means
A. argumentative. B. wordy. C. short.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Contrast/Antonyms
A memo that is brief and to the point is more likely to be read than
one that is verbose and rambling.

28. In the sentence below,
1. What is the antonym that helps you figure out the meaning of
the word verbose?
2.What is the meaning of verbose?
A memo that is brief and to the point is more likely to be read than
one that is verbose and rambling.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Contrast/Antonyms
Verbose is the opposite of “brief and to the point,” so it must
mean “wordy.”
Explanation
Verbose means
A. argumentative. B. wordy. C. short.

29. Exercise 2-4
Highlight the words from the sentence that
tell the opposite of the bold word.
Choose the best answer from the choices
provided for the meaning of the bold word.

30. •Sometimes, to figure out an unfamiliar word,
you must draw conclusions based on the
information given.
•Asking yourself questions can help you make
an accurate guess about the meaning of the
unfamiliar word.
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Inference

31. Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that
follows to figure out the meaning of rectified.
One argument against capital punishment is that if an
innocent person is executed, the mistake cannot be rectified.

Rectified means
A. remembered. B. predicted. C. corrected.
(What cannot be done about a mistake as final as an execution?)
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Inference

32. Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that
follows to figure out the meaning of rectified.
One argument against capital punishment is that if an
innocent person is executed, the mistake cannot be rectified.

Rectified means
A. remembered. B. predicted. C. corrected.
(What cannot be done about a mistake as final as an execution?)
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Inference
Because the innocent person is dead, there is no way to correct
the mistake of having executed the person.
Explanation

33. Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that
follows to figure out the meaning of extricate.
It took two days for volunteers to extricate the little girl
from the bottom of the well.
Extricate means
A. free. B. delay. C. remember.
(How would volunteers try to help the trapped girl?)
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Inference

34. Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that
follows to figure out the meaning of extricate.
It took two days for volunteers to extricate the little girl
from the bottom of the well.
Extricate means
A. free. B. delay. C. remember.
(How would volunteers try to help the trapped girl?)
TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES
Inference
If the girl is at the bottom of a well, the volunteers would try to
free her.
Explanation

35. Examples:
The editor would not allow the paper to go to press
until certain passages were expunged from an article
naming individuals in a political scandal.
Removed
Explanation: The editor would want the incriminating
material removed before printing to avoid trouble.
Since the hammering next door had been going on for
days, we had become somewhat inured to it.
Accustomed/used to
Explanation: People get used to a sound that they hear
continuously.

36. Complete Exercise 2-5 #4-10 p. 58

38. Word parts are groups of letters that often
have a specific meaning when found in
words.
A fast way to start understanding unknown
words is to recognize common word parts.
For example… non- means “not” and is found
in over 10,000 words. Also, pseudo- means
“false” and is found in over 400 words.

39. = new word

40. The parents thought their child was unteachable.

41. What Are Word Parts, Text p. 59
Common Prefixes p. 61
Common Roots p. 64
Common Suffixes p. 67

42. Use the charts in the book to help
The diameter of a circle is the distance
__________ a circle.
Around
Over
Under
Through

43. A musical interlude is a short piece inserted
___________ the parts of a longer
composition.
Before
After
Between
During

44. The counselor helped the teenager redefine
her goals.
explain further
state again
defend
closely manage

45. William was more introverted than his sisters.
Outgoing
Entertaining
Shy
Active

46. The spaceship made a circumlunar voyage.
Create your own definition.
circum- = around
lunar = moon (need background knowledge)
circumlunar = around the moon

47. Words can have both a dictionary definition as
well as an implied emotional meaning.
Denotation- meaning stated in a dictionary,
literal definition of a word
Connotation- additional implied meaning a
word may take on; usually a positive or
negative impression