Using Context Clues
Learning Objective: - Use context clues to define unknown vocabulary in a reading.
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LESSON
In this lesson, you will learn how to find the meaning of unknown words in a reading A piece of writing to be read. A reading can either be a full work (i.e., a book) or partial (i.e., a passage).by using context cluesHints that appear in a text that help readers discover the meaning of an unknown word, usually based on how it is used in a sentence or paragraph.. Context clues will expand your vocabularyAll of the words that are known by an individual or group of people. by helping you guess the meaning of a word based on how it is used in a sentenceA group of words, phrases, or clauses that expresses a complete thought. A complete sentence has these characteristics: a capitalized first word, a subject and a predicate, and end punctuation, such as a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!). or paragraphA selection of a writing that is made up of sentences formed around one main point. Paragraphs are set apart by a new line and sometimes indentation.. This allows you to keep reading an articleA non-fiction, often informative writing that forms a part of a publication, such as a magazine or newspaper. or essayA short piece of writing that focuses on at least one main idea. Some essays are also focused on the author's unique point of view, making them personal or autobiographical, while others are focused on a particular literary, scientific, or political subject. without stopping to look words up in a dictionary, which saves you time while still allowing you to understand what you are reading.
There are two advantages to using context clues to expand your vocabulary and improve your reading comprehensionThe level of understanding of a reading..
First, if you skip over words you don't understand, the meaning of what you are reading becomes a little unclear. Depending on how many words you have to skip over or how important each word is in the passage, it can seem as if you have just looked at a bunch of words on the page and have no idea what they mean.
Second, if you go to a dictionary every time you don't understand a word, it is not only frustrating to repeatedly interrupt the flow of reading, but the word might actually have many ways of being defined. This could leave you a little closer to understanding what the word means but no closer to understanding what the author is trying to say.
Fortunately, there is a four-step process for using context clues to define unfamiliar words in a reading.
Step 1: Look for examples of the unknown word in the sentence.
Writers often provide examples of words as a way of making sure people understand exactly what they mean; this is the easiest way to use context clues.
Example:
People generally use coniferous trees, such as pine, fir, and blue spruce, as Christmas trees.
You see here that "fir" and "blue spruce" are two examples of "coniferous trees." If you don’t know anything about coniferous trees – which are trees that do not lose their color and leaves – you can safely assume that they share the same characteristics as pines, firs, and blue spruces.
Step 2: If there are no examples of the word in the sentence, look for antonymsA word or phrase that has the opposite meaning from another word. Example: huge is an antonym for small. or synonymsA word or phrase that has an identical or very similar meaning to another word. Example: tiny is a synonym for small. of the word somewhere in the sentence.
Synonyms are words that share a similar meaning. For example, in a sentence, you could use the words "decrease," "reduce," "cut," or "lessen" and still make the same point.
Antonyms, on the other hand, are words that have opposite meanings. "Competent" and "inept" are examples of antonyms.
Writers use both synonyms and antonyms in their writing, so if you find an unfamiliar word in the sentence, look for a synonym or antonym that you recognize, and allow it to lead you to the definition.
Example:
I was so infuriated by the pointless, ineffectual instruction manual that my typical good humor had escaped me all day long.
Here, you see that the word "ineffectual" has the word "pointless" right before it and both are used to describe the instruction manual. It is safe to assume that "pointless" is a synonym for "ineffectual."
You can also see that "infuriated" is presented as the opposite of "good humor," which tells that the two are antonyms. You may not know the exact meaning of "infuriated," but you know that a general definition would be "bad humor."
Step 3: If the word has no examples and there are no antonyms or synonyms, try substituting a familiar word for the one you don’t know.
Example:
Riding the roller coaster was exhilarating, and my heart raced like it did when I was kid.
If you don’t know what the word "exhilarating" is, take it out of the sentence – "Riding the roller coaster was __________ and my heart raced like it did when I was kid." – and then start substituting words until you find one that fits with everything else in the sentence.
In this case, "fun" would work, but "thrilling" would work even better because it matches more closely with "my heart raced."
Step 4: Rely on your own knowledge and experience.
Your own knowledge and experience also provide clues that you can use to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Example:
Johnny's mom commended him for cleaning up his room without being told.
If you do not know what "commended" means, put yourself in Johnny's or his mom's shoes. If your son cleaned up his room without your asking, what would you do? You probably wouldn't complain or criticize; instead, you would praise and applaud him. You were able to determine the meaning of the word without any examples, synonyms, or antonyms.
This step is more useful when you are reading about something that you know more about. You may find that it is not helpful when you first enter an anthropology, psychology, or sociology class and begin reading your text.
+ PRACTICAL APPLICATIONUsing context clues will help you better understand the reading assignments that you are given in college, as well as in your professional career. Even if you choose a profession that doesn't require a lot of reading, you will still be able to use this strategy to help you understand what colleagues are saying, regardless of the jargonTechnical language pertaining to a specific activity and used by a particular group of people. they use. You can use context clues even when speaking to people. For example, if someone were to tell you that the path to the beach house was "treacherous" and you didn't want to ask what "treacherous" meant, you could ask instead, "How treacherous is it?" Figuring out the meaning of "treacherous" from the answer would be a way of using context clues.
+ EXAMPLEThe underlined words in the following paragraph are defined by using the four-step process for context clues.
Having fulfilled all of his aspirations, including the goal of winning the Super Bowl twice in a row, John Elway retired from football at the pinnacle of his career. His outstanding, stellar performance in Super Bowl XXXIII became emblematic, a symbol of his future in the business world. In particular, the adroitness he displayed on the field transformed into a skillfulness in running numerous successful enterprises, which included car dealerships, restaurants, and the arena football league. Even though this astonished many observers, his fans were not surprised at all. They believed that his diligent, hardworking attitude would make him successful at whatever he did. Eventually, he was able to acquire the position of executive vice president of football operations with the Denver Broncos, bringing him home to the team that made his career.
Aspirations
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? Yes. Since the "goal of winning the Super Bowl" is one of his aspirations, "aspirations" means "goals."
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? No.
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. Not applicable (N/A)
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? Not sure. "Aspiration" sounds like "inspiration," but that doesn’t seem to make sense in this context.
Pinnacle
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? No.
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. Possible substitutions include "top," "peak," "highest point." So "pinnacle" means "top," "peak," "highest point."
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? John Elway retired when he was still on top, right after he won his second Super Bowl. So "pinnacle" seems to mean "on top."
Stellar
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? Yes. "Outstanding" comes right before it and both are used to describe his performance, so "stellar" means "outstanding."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. N/A
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? No.
Emblematic
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? Yes. "Symbol."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. Possible substitutions include "typical," "characteristic," "representative," so "emblematic" means "representative."
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? No.
Adroitness
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? Yes. Since the "adroitness he displayed on the field" became "skillfulness in running successful enterprises", "adroitness" means "skillfulness."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. N/A
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? No.
Enterprises
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? Yes. Since enterprises included "car dealerships," "restaurants," and the "arena football league," "enterprises" means "businesses."
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? No.
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. N/A
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? My town has a number of companies with "enterprise" in the name, such as Baker Enterprise, Franklin Enterprise, Inc. Wholesale, and NNG Enterprises, so it seems to be related to business in some way.
Astonished
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? Yes. Since observers were astonished while his fans were "not surprised," "astonished" means "surprised."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. N/A
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? No.
Diligent
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? Yes. Since "diligent" and "hardworking" both describe his attitude, "diligent" means "hardworking."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. N/A
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? My teacher told me that I needed to work diligently if I wanted to succeed in college. "Diligent" seems to mean to "keep at it" and "persevere."
Acquire
Step 1: Is there an example of the word? No.
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms? No.
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word. Possible substitutions include "earn," "obtain," "get," so "acquire" means "get."
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word? No.
+ YOUR TURNDefine the underlined words in the following passage by using the four-step process for context clues.
The summer hiatus gave the Martin family time to relax before returning to school in the fall. During the break, the younger children just played, either being casual at the shabby skateboard park or dressing up to mingle in the new, pristine shopping mall downtown. The oldest son took on an internship at the museum, studying a supernova through the giant telescope. The vibrant colors from the exploding star reminded him of the tulips blooming in the botanic gardens, where his older sister had been married. She and her husband had the nuptials there even though it was an early spring wedding and an outdoor wedding was risky.
Hiatus
Step 1: Is there an example of the word?
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms?
Yes. This story talked about both the "hiatus" and "break," so "hiatus" has a similar meaning as "break."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word.
Answers may vary. Sample answers: "gap," "vacation," "recess," or "break." "Hiatus" means "break."
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word?
Shabby
Step 1: Is there an example of the word?
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms?
Yes. "Shabby" is the opposite of "new" and "pristine," so "shabby" means "worn down."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word.
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word?
Pristine
Step 1: Is there an example of the word?
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms?
Yes. "Pristine" and "new" both describe the shopping mall, so "pristine" has a similar meaning as "new."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word.
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word?
I once read a poem about snow, and the writer referred to the pure, white snow as "pristine." "Pristine" seems to mean "perfect and untouched."
Supernova
Step 1: Is there an example of the word?
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms?
Yes. "Supernova" is defined in the following sentence as an "exploding star," so "supernova" means "exploding star."
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word.
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word?
I don’t know much about supernovas, but I remember that I read about them in my Earth and Space Science class.
Vibrant
Step 1: Is there an example of the word?
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms?
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word.
Answers may vary. Sample answers: "bright," "intense," "fiery." "Vibrant" means "fiery."
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word?
My grandmother always says she likes "vibrant" colors, and she wears bright pinks, greens, blues, and oranges. "Vibrant" seems to mean "bright."
Nuptials
Step 1: Is there an example of the word?
Yes. "Nuptials" is defined later in the sentence as a "wedding," so "nuptials" means "wedding."
Step 2: Are there antonyms or synonyms?
Step 3: Try substituting a familiar word for the unknown word.
Step 4: Can you use your own knowledge and experience to define the word?
When I got married, I remember my minister referring to "nuptials" over and over again; "Nuptials" seem to refer to weddings or marriages in some way.
+ METACOGNITIVE QUESTIONSAll of us come across words that we do not recognize almost every day. How do you already use one or all of the steps for context clues?
I really don't think I use these steps. I either skip the word or look it up on my smartphone or computer.
How will you use the steps for context clues when you read in the future?
I will pay attention to how the word is defined in the sentence already either with an actual definition or by the use of synonyms or antonyms as part of the description.
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