CONTEXT CLUES
REPORTERS
MARY JANE LIBRE PADDILON
WARRICK DELOS SANTOS DE VERA
Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define
a difficult or unusual word within a book. The clue may
appear within the same sentence as the word to which it
refers or it may follow in -the next sentence as the
word. Because most of our vocabulary is gain through
reading, it is important that we are able to recognize
and take advantage of context clues.
WHAT DOES A CONTEXT CLUE LOOK LIKE?
There are at least four kinds of context clues that are quite
common:
1. synonym (or repeat context clue) which appears in
that sentence
2. antonym (or contrast context clue) that has the
opposite meaning, which can reveal the meaning of an
unknown term
3. an explanation for an unknown word is given (a
definition context clue) within the sentence or in
the sentence immediately after
4. specific examples (an example context clue) used
to define the term
WORD-PART CONTEXT CLUES
VS.
GENERAL SENSE CONTEXT CLUES
There may also be word-part context clues in which a
common prefix, suffix, or root will suggest at least part
of the meaning of a word.
A general sense context clues lets the reader puzzle
out meaning from whatever information is available and
this is the most common kind of context clues.
OTHER DESCRIBE CONTEXT CLUES IN THREE
WAYS:
1. semantic or meaning clues (e.g., When reading a
story about cats, good readers develop the expectation
that it will contain words associated with cats, such as
‘tail’, ‘purr’, ‘scratch’, and ‘whiskers’)
2. syntactic or word order clues where the order
of words in a sentence can indicate that a missing word
must be (for example, a verb)
3. picture clues where illustrations help with the
identification of a word.
QUIZ
I. IDENTIFICATION
1.) Are hints that an author gives to help define a
difficult or unusual word within a book.
II. FILL IN THE BLANK
2.) Synonym (or ________________) which appears
in that sentence.
3.) Antonym (or ________________) that has the
opposite of the meaning which can reveal the
meaning of an unknown word.
4.) An explanation for an unknown word is given (a
______________) within the sentence or in the
sentence immediately after
5.) Specific examples (an_______________) use to
define the term.
6.) _______________ or meanings clues , good
reader develop the expectation that it will contain
words associated with that word.
7.) _______________ or word order clues, where
the order of words in a sentence can indicate that a
missing word must be.
8.) _______________ where illustration help with
the identification of a word.
III. ENUMERATION
9-12.) Enumerate the WP and GS context clues and
give their example.( 2 PTS. EACH)
IV. ESSAY
13-15.) Explain the sayings in three-four sentences.
“All in all, the descriptive research on learning from
context shows that context can produce learning of
word meanings and that although the probability of
learning a word from context increases substantially
with additional occurrences of the word. That is how
we typically learn from context. We learn a little from
the first encounter with the word and then more about a
word’s meaning as we meet it in new and different
context”
V. TRUE OR FALSE, CAN OR CANNOT, YES OR
NO, MAYBE OR I DON’T THINK SO
16.) Picture clues where definitions help with the
identification of a word.
17.) Do you think that we can use context clues only in
grammar?
18.) Do you think that antonym has a similar meaning?
19.) Do you think that we can use context clues in every-
day life?
BONUS QUESTION
20.) Spell out the word “lingerie”
ANSWERS:
1.) CONTEXT CLUES
2.) REPEAT CONTEXT CLUE
3.) CONTRAST CONTEXT CLUE
4.) DEFINITION CONTEXT CLUE
5.) EXAMPLE CONTEXT CLUE
6.) SEMANTIC
7.) SYNTACTIC
8.) PICTURE CLUES
9.) WORD-PART CONTEXT CLUES
10.) (EXAMPLE IN NUMBER 9)
11.) GENERAL SENSE CONTEXT CLUE
12.) (EXAMPLE IN NUMBER 11)
13-15.)
16.) FALSE
17.) CANNOT
18.) NO
19.) MAYBE
20.) LINGERIE
