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2 - Understand Words From Context

This document discusses different types of context clues that can help readers determine the meaning of unknown words: 1) Using background knowledge about how the world works to infer definitions. 2) Punctuation clues provide the definition of a word immediately after it in parentheses or dashes. 3) Comparison clues use words like "similarly" to indicate two things are alike, helping deduce synonyms. 4) Contrast clues use words like "however" to understand a word based on its opposite mentioned before.

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Thomas Clarke
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134 views9 pages

2 - Understand Words From Context

This document discusses different types of context clues that can help readers determine the meaning of unknown words: 1) Using background knowledge about how the world works to infer definitions. 2) Punctuation clues provide the definition of a word immediately after it in parentheses or dashes. 3) Comparison clues use words like "similarly" to indicate two things are alike, helping deduce synonyms. 4) Contrast clues use words like "however" to understand a word based on its opposite mentioned before.

Uploaded by

Thomas Clarke
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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UNDERSTANDING VOCABULARY IN

CONTEXT
1. Using Your Knowledge of the World

Often you can guess the meaning of a word just by using your own knowle
of the world and how things work. For example, look at this sentence:

“I didn’t sleep well because my neighbour’s dog was yapping all night “

You can guess the meaning of yapping by thinking about your knowledge
of dogs and your knowledge of sleep. How can dogs wake you up?
They can jump on you or make a noise. Because this is the neighbour’s do
not yours, it must make a noise. So, you can guess that yapping is some kin
of noise, probably like barking.
2. Punctuation Clues
Clues are one of the easiest kinds of context clues.
With punctuation clues, the meaning of a word is explained
immediately after the word between brackets, commas
or dashes. This type of clue is very common, especially
in college textbooks. Look at the following examples:

Bracket ( )
A Tornado (Violent storm of twisting wind) struck Edmonton and
caused a lot of damage

Commas ,
A tornado, violent storrm of twisting wind, struck Edmonton and
caused a lot of damage
3. Comparison Clues

Comparison clues show that two or more things are alike.


Words like similar, as well as, both and likewise show that comparison
is possible. Look at this example:

“ Washing windows is a tedious job. Similarly, cleaning


the oven is very boring”

The word similarly shows that there is something the same


in the two sentences. Washing windows and cleaning the
oven are different, so the similarity must be in the description.
We can guess that tedious and boring must have similar meanings.
4. Contrast Clues
With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known information
to figure out the meaning of an unknown word.
Connecting words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead of, but
For example :

“Although some old people abhor change, most of them enjoy new things and
Experiences”

In this sentence the word although shows that there is some opposite meaning
In the two parts of the sentence. The opposite meaning must be between abhor
and enjoy. Abhor probably means the opposite of enjoy.
So, abhor probably means dislike.
5. Referent Clues
Referent clues is when an unknown word is referred to (mentioned)
again using a synonym or explanation of the word. Synonyms often
follow words like this, that, these, those, or the. Sometimes, however,
there is no obvious clue word. The reader just sees that the meanings
are probably similar from the ideas in the sentence. Example

"she yelled out the window at her neighbour's dog. then she said
to he husband,"that hound is lways waking me up at night“

In This example this example, that comes before the unknown word.
This suggests that a hound has already been mentioned.
We can guess that that hound refers to the dog.
So, a hound is probably a dog.
6. Definition Clues
• A word’s meaning is often given by including its definition in the
sentence. The definition is linked to the word with a linking word,
usually a verb. Here are some examples of linking words: is, was, are,
means, i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is and resembles. This type of
clue is also very common in college textbooks.
• Look the example:

• .A C ane resembles a walking stick.


• Giggling involves laughing in a silly way
7. Example Clues
• Example clues give you examples of the unknown word. You must figure
out what the examples have in common in order to figure out the meaning
of the word. Examples are Usually introduced by expression like ; such as,
for example, and like :

• Large Corporation like General food, Shell Oil, Nortel and Canadian Pacific
are often less innovative than smaller ones.

• This sentence gives you 4 examples of large corporations. Think about the
examples. What do they have in common? They are all large companies.
So, a corporation must be a company
8. Comparation Clues

• Comparison clues show that two or more things are alike.


Words like similar, as well as, both and likewise show that
comparison is possible. Look at this example:

• "Washing windows is a tedious job. similarly, cleaning the


oven is very boring“

• he word similarly shows that there is something the same in


the two sentences. Washing windows and cleaning the oven
are different, so the similarity must be in the description.
• We can guess that tedious and boring must have similar
meanings.

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