Context Clues

What is a context?

• A context is the words that come just before and after a word, phrase or statement and helps you to understand its meaning.

• Context can be a sentence or paragraph or passage.

• It helps you make a general prediction about the meaning.

What is context clue?

• A context clue is a fact or an idea that suggests the meaning of an unknown word.

1. definition context clues

• is/are• is/are called• is/are known as• is/are defined as• is/are referred to

• constitute (s)• include (s)• mean (s)• Refer (s) to• signify (-fies)

Examples: definition context clues

• The sport in which you shoot at a target with a bow and arrow is called archery.

signal word unknown word definition

• ------------------------------------------------------• unknown word signal word• definition•

Claustrophobia is an extreme fear of being in a small enclosed place.

2. restatement/renaming clues

• i.e (that is)• that is• that is to say• in other words• that means• to put it in another

way

• namely• viz (namely)• or• which means• (…..)• ,……,

Examples: Restatement clues

• unknown word restatement (=meaning)

•Most students showed apathy (a lack of interest) in listening the lecture because they knew that the topic would not be included in the examination.

• --------------------------------------------------------------------- • Human beings are considered to be meat and plant

eaters, or omnivores. •

signal unknown word (=meaning)

•

3. examples clues

• for example• for instance• to illustrate• such as• like• especially

• such as• including• especially• e.g

Examples: Example clues

• unknown word signal example •

Because of the hazards of the trip – for example the chance of getting lost, the unbearable heat, the presence of poisonous snakes. The road accidents, etc. – Kathy’s parents refused to let her go.

• -------------------------------------------------------------------------• One way to build up your vocabulary is by studying

homonyms such as, “weigh” and “way.”•

unknown word signal example

4. comparison & contrast clues

Comparison clues• as• as….as• like• similar (to)/• similarly• synonymously• in the same manner• in the like manner• just as

Contrast clues• but• yet• while• although• nevertheless• however• on the contrary• on the other hand

Examples: comparison & contrast

• unknown word signal comparison•

That obese girl looks like a blown up doll.• [ The “obese girl” is compared to a “blown up doll.” We can imagine

what a blown up doll looks like. And since “obese” is used with a noun, we know that it is an adjective; so now we can guess that the unknown word means “very, very fat.”]

• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • contrasting idea signal•

In Lisa’s opinion Mr. Kobi’s speech was very boring; however, other people felt that it was very stimulaing.

• • unknown word• [The opposite of boring is “interesting,” so we can guess that the

word stimulating is equivalent to interesting.]

5. cause-effect clues

Cause:• because / because of• since• due to• due to the fact that • owing to• owing to the fact that

Effect:• therefore• hence• So• thus• consequently• as a result• for• in order to/ in order that• so…that• such…that

Examples: cause & effect

• cause

•Mary left her umbrella at her friend’s house, so she got drenched during the rainstorm on her way home.

• signal unknown word

6. Punctuation clues

• Parentheses ( )

• Comma ( , )

• Dash ( - … - )

• Semi colon ( ; )

Examples: punctuation clues• Parentheses ( )• In the olfactory sense (smell), adaptation occurs very rapidly. When

enter a room, you may notice an odour, but in a very short time your awareness disappears.

• Comma (,)• These students are interested in studying the etymology, the origin

and history of words.• Dash (-)• Some people are gullible — easily cheated or tricked because they

believe everything that other say.• Semi-colon (;)• The speaker’s jokes were amusing and pertinent; they were

directly related to the points she made in her speech.

7. Modifier

• Participial phrase

- present participial

- past participial

• Adjective clause

Examples: modifiers• Examples: • • Unknown word signal (present participial phrase) •

Many illiterate person, being unable to read or write, is often cheated.

• ------------------------------------------------------------ unknown word

•Buffaloes, cows and horses are herbivorous animals

• that feed only on plants.

• signal : (clause)

8. Sentence or paragraph

• Example:• When Mrs. Miller caught Bob stealing some

candy from her store. I implored her not to get him into trouble. I begged so hard that she finally let Bob go.

unknown word This sentence gives a

hint to the meaning of

word “implore.”

Exercise 1

• A phoneme is the smallest unit of speech in a language.

• A person who takes photographs especially as a job is called a photographer.

• A term ‘archipelago’ is used to define a group of islands and the sea surrounding them.

• A mammoth is a large hairy elephant which lived on Earth during the early stages of human development.

• Allelomimetic behavior is referred to the behavior in which two or more individual animals do the same thing, with some degree of mutual stimulation and coordination.

Exercise 2:

• The local people bartered (exchanged) wheat for farm machinery.

• I saw her actions as a betrayal of my trust; to put it in another way she is unfaithful to me.

• Both chemical and physical components constitute the “ground” factors that enable the biotic components, or living organisms, to grow.

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded; that is to say the hostage’s eyes were covered with fabric and cannot see.

• The play contained a variety of morbid events: the death of a young child, the suicide of her mother, and the murder of an older sister.

Exercise 3:

1. John is a gregarious person. He likes to be around a lot of people, he joins the clubs and always taking friends to dinner, he is rarely alone.

Gregarious means: sociable 2. My history professor is an expert in three disciplines,

especially, history, architecture, and philosophy. Disciplines means subjects.

3. Soaps, jeans, popcorn, magazines, and automobiles are examples of commodities. commodities means products

Ex 3: (cont.)

4. The jungle was filled with the sounds birds, tigers

monkeys and its many other denizens.

Denizens means living creatures.

5. Somsak and Malee are xenophobia, they always avoid

talking or joining any kind of activities with foreigners

Xenophobia means fear of foreigners.

Exercise 4:

1. The philosopher was vehement in his objections to the new grading system, while the more practical historian, on the other hand, expressed his views calmly and quietly.

Vehement means angry / show strong feeling .

2. Like horses, human beings have a variety of gaits; they amble, stride, jog and sprint.

Gaits mean ways of walking .

3. The tenacious islanders responded reluctantly to the government compromise on land settlement, whereas the immigrants agrees immediately to the government offer.

Tenacious means that does not give up sth. easily / persistentใ

4. He aspired to be the president of the tourism club but he was elected secretary in stead. Aspired means desired.

Exercise 5:

1. Her bicycle had a flat tire, and her car needed gas. There were no buses in her neighborhood. But the woman was in hurry because she has to meet someone in town, so she put on her comfortable walking shoes and began the long trek to town.

Trek means walk.

2. Exercise is beneficial because a person gets the positive effects of good sleep, straight posture, good health, and reduced appetite.

Beneficial means giving good results/ useful .

3. Due to the two-week respite in Italy, Mary will not allow herself another break until Christmas.

Respite means break/ vacation .

Ex. 5 (cont.)

4. Mr. Joey is a meticulous person. As result, he is very careful in his work. He corrects every errors he found even the smallest ones.

Meticulous means very careful.

5. Eating in restaurants became so expensive that we had to curtail dining out from once a week to once a month.

Curtail means cut down, reduce, decrease .

Exercise 6:

1. Aspirin can be effective in the treatment of cataracts, the blinding condition that is caused by clouding of the lens of the eyes.

2. When pioneer craftsmen set up their primitive shops, most of them were fashioned on a lathe - a machine which holds an object and rotates it while it is being shaped by a tool.

3. The thing a word refers to is its denotation; the word table denotes a piece of furniture, and the denotation of banana is a yellow fruit.

Exercise 6:

4. The desire to be concise sometimes leads to the use of maxims - wise, compact saying such as “a penny saves is a penny earned.”

5. When you have reached the acme (height) of your athletic abilities, you will be able to enter the marathon.

Exercise 7

1. Nylon is a synthetic material made from chemicals or artificial substances rather than from natural ones.

2. Cows are herbivorous, which means animals that

eats only plants.

3. Mrs. Johnson thought she was a prophet who could forecast future events.

Prophet means a person who could forecast future events

Ex. 7 (cont.)

4. Mrs. Carson, the milliner, selling ladies’ hats, in this town for almost 5 years said she loves her job.

Milliner means one who sells ladies’ hats.

5. Indians’ religious belief varied even more than did their political systems. Yet they were all polytheistic, involving a multitude of gods.

Polytheistic means involving a multitude of gods.

Exercise 81. Thousands of products have been banned because government

officials judged them to be dangerous(a) offered (b) changed© supported (d) prohibited

2. Eight-year-old Tom nelson is the only off-spring of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson. That is why they love him dearly.(a) friend (b) child© parent (d) student

3. The detectives were deluded by all the false evidence. They were completely deceived and they arrested the wrong person.(a) wrong (b) arrested© misled (d) mistrusted

Ex.8 (cont.)4. Caffeine affects many of the body’s organs. It constricts the

blood vessels, speeds up the heart, and stimulates the brain.(a) preserves (b) stimulates© shakes (d) fastens tightly

5. Penny’s grandmother had a premonition of approaching trouble, so she warned the family to be extra careful.(a) feeling of love and care(b) feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen© state of constantly thinking or worrying about something(d) opinion or dislike of something that is not founded on experience or reason

Ex.8 (cont.)5-8 Ordinary cornstarch may be the (5) solution to a major environmental headache. How to (6) dispose of plastic. Fifty billion pounds of plastics are used in U,S, each year. Burning is out because of air pollution, and landfills are filling up. Carelessly

(7) discarded plastic is a danger to pets and wild animals, which get entangled in six-pack rings or (8) choke on other plastic junk.

5. (a) answer (b) activity© tension (d) influence

6. (a) take place of (b) put up with© get rid of (d) take part in

7. (a) poisonous (b) thrown away© essential (d) production

8. (a) run away (b) avoid© suck (d) suffocate

Ex.8 (cont.)

9-10 Since the person is more (9) susceptible to cold infection during times when the body’s resistance is low. It is important to get (10) adequate rest, drink lots of water, exercise regularly, and eat nutritious foods during cold and flu seasons.

9. (a) suspicious (b) sensitive

© adaptable (d) premature

10. (a) natural (b) effective

(c) Ambitious (d) enough