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Context Clues

Context clues are hints an author provides to help define difficult or unusual words. There are eight types of context clues: 1) synonyms, 2) antonyms, 3) definitions, 4) explanations/illustrations, 5) word structure, 6) comparisons, 7) contrasts. Context clues can appear within or between sentences to help the reader understand unfamiliar words based on surrounding context.

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219 views11 pages

Context Clues

Context clues are hints an author provides to help define difficult or unusual words. There are eight types of context clues: 1) synonyms, 2) antonyms, 3) definitions, 4) explanations/illustrations, 5) word structure, 6) comparisons, 7) contrasts. Context clues can appear within or between sentences to help the reader understand unfamiliar words based on surrounding context.

Uploaded by

maysam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Context Clues

Vocabulary
Definition of Context Clues
• Context Clues are hints that an author gives to
help define a difficult or unusual word within a
selection. The clue may appear within the same
sentence as the word to which it refers or it may
follow in the next sentence.
• Example:
Bill felt remorse, or shame, for his harsh words.
This situation is a conundrum; a puzzle that’s
difficult to solve.
Eight types of Context Clues
1- Synonym context clues offer words nearby
with the same meaning:
Synonym: “That charlatan!” he cried. “That
absolute fake!”
Synonym: The annual bazaar is scheduled for
the last day of school. It’s always a fun festival.
2- Antonym context clues offer nearby words
with opposite meanings.
• Antonym: "You look pretty content about it,
not like you're all upset about it at all," he
noted.
• Antonym: "No, no, that
didn't literally happen," she said. "I
was speaking imaginatively."
3- Definition context clues just spell out
the meaning in a straightforward manner:
• Definition: In Britain, they call the trunk of a
car the "boot."
• Definition: "The lingerie department," she
directed the confused customer, "is where
you'll find the bras and panties." 
4- An explanation or illustration can also
show the context of the word:
• Explanation: She looked at the random
collection that had been thrown in the packing
box at the last minute—from toothpaste and
shampoo to spoons and sticky notes. "Well,
that's quite a melange, isn't it?" she remarked.
5- Word-structure clues
• Word-structure clues are understood in two ways: a
reader or listener understands a base word and a prefix
(or suffix) and infers the meaning from the combination
of the two, or the reader knows a word origin and upon
hearing a word of similar origin, infers its meaning.
• For instance, if you know that "anti-" means against, it's
easy to infer the meaning of the word "anti-abortion."
• Word-structure: The anti-abortion protesters protested
in front of a hospital that allowed such an act against
unborn babies.
• 6- If you're aware that a "memorial" is
something in remembrance for a person who
has died, you might readily intuit the meaning
of the following sentence, even if you'd never
previously heard the term "in memoriam."
• Word-structure: The book was dedicated in
memoriam of his father.
6- Comparison context clues show the meaning
of a word through similarities to other items or
elements, similies or metaphors:
• Comparison: He looked
absolutely flummoxed, like a toddler staring
down at his feet on the floor who just isn't
sure about this whole "walking" thing.
• Comparison: "No," she said, "I'm
as carefree about it as a bird floating among
the clouds."
7- Contrast context clues show meaning
through dissimilar elements:
• Contrast: "It isn't exactly the melee that I
expected from your description," he said. "The
kids are just messing around a little. I expected
them to be bruised and bleeding."
• Contrast: I know she said she
could reconstitute the dried fruit, but a watery
raisin just isn't a grape.
• Page 243 in supplement book

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