Essential Question How can I use context clues

Essential Question: How can I use context clues to figure out the meaning of unknown words?

CONTEXT CLUES Writers often include other words or phrases to help with the understanding of a vocabulary word. These words or phrases are referred to as context clues. They are built into the sentences around the difficult word. You can make logical guesses about the meanings of many words by using the clue words.

Types of Context Clues 1. Examples 2. Synonyms and definitions 3. Antonyms and contrasts 4. Experience or sense of the sentence

What are example clues? • Using examples, an author tries to show what a word means. A writer may give just one example or several. Remember that these examples are not synonyms. Look for words or phrases like "such as, " "including, " or "consists of. " Colons : and dashes - can also signal examples.

Here are some example clues: • The river was full of noxious materials such as cleaning agents from factories and pesticides from the nearby farms. • This third grade was full of precocious children. One child had learned to read at two and another could do algebra at age 6. • When going to an office party you should show your best decorum, for example, dress your best, drink and eat moderately, and be sure to thank the host before you leave. The words highlighted in yellow are examples of the word that you need to define.

A definition or synonym clue is a clue that means the same as the vocabulary word. • The initial, or first, class explained how to write a sentence, and they made it easy to learn. (We learn from the words around “initial” that the definition is first. The comma is a signal that a definition or example might follow. )

An antonym or opposite clue means the opposite of the vocabulary word. • Janice, who was incapable of lying, had to tell Tanya the truth about her purse. *Does incapable mean A. Truth B. Unable C. Noticed D. Delivered

incapable = A. unable • incapable of lying • had to tell the truth • These are opposite, so we know she couldn’t lie and had to tell the truth.

Tips for understanding a new word: * When choosing the definition of a word, try to insert a word you know that makes sense with the other words and see if it is on the list of choices.

More Tips • Read the sentences around the word. Don’t just skip to the underlined word and try to figure it out. • Sometimes meanings are hidden in the other sentences.

People who skip over words they don’t understand can lose more than just one word; they can lose the entire meaning of a sentence or more.

1. The joey, which is a baby kangaroo, peeked out of his mother's pocket. (definition)

2. The beach was covered with debris like paper and cans, and the children picked up all the trash. (synonym)

3. The ancient dress looked like new after she washed it. (antonym)

4. These were the words that pinwheeled through Despereaux’s mind as his body descended into the darkness. Experience or sense of the sentence

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