Context clues 2
- 1. Strategy Guess the meaning of new words using clues or information in the text. There are four common types of context clues What? • Examples • Synonyms • Antonyms • General sense of the sentence or passage Information taken from: www.townsendpress.com/...files/.../I5e_Chap1_Vocab_SE.pdfs
- 2. Examples: Examples may sugest the meaning of an unknown word. ‘”You told me to use my initiative if I needed money, so I sold your car” What does the word initiative mean? a) Anger b) willpower c) ability to take charge Note that the example of the wife’s using initiative-going out and selling her husband’s car- helps you understand that initiative means “ability to take charge”
- 3. Synonyms: A context clue is often available in the form of a synonym: a word that has the same or almos the same meaning as the unknown word. “It’s a special hearing aid. It lowers criticism and amplifies compliments.” The antonym lowers help you figure out that amplifies must mean “increases.”
- 4. Antonyms: An antonym—a word that means the opposite of another word—is also a useful context clue. Antonyms are often signaled by words and phrases such as however, but, yet, on the other hand, and in contrast. “My doctor said smoking could terminate my life. But I told him, ‘Everybody’s life has to end some time.’” The synonym that helps you understand the word terminate is “end.”
- 5. General Sense of the Sentence or Passage Sometimes it takes a bit more detective work to discover the meaning of an unfamiliar word. In such cases, you must draw conclusions based on the information given with the word. Asking yourself questions about the passage may help you make a fairly accurate guess about the meaning of the unfamiliar word. “I’d like a prescription that will alleviate my aches and pains and also make me younger and thinner.” To figure out the meaning of alleviate, try asking this question: What would the patient want the prescription to do to his aches and pains? The patient’s words to his doctor strongly suggest that alleviate means “lessen.”