Early Christian College

OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.

#202 R. Mercado St., Poblacion, Santa Maria, Bulacan
MODULE 1:

ENGLISH 5

Lesson 2: Context Clues and Strategies

Introduction

In this lesson, you will have

new vocabulary and terminology to
learn. While many people turn
quickly to their dictionaries for the
meanings of new words, this is not
always a necessary strategy.

Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn the following:
 Infer meaning of unfamiliar words based on given context clues and other
strategies
 Learning Points

Context Clues
Unfamiliar words make reading more difficult for many. Readers naturally
use their experiences and prior knowledge in order to connect with what they are reading. Some
do this by finding context clues. Context clues are hints in a text or passage that help a reader
define the meaning of unfamiliar words. They help readers in understanding the message of the
text in general.

Kinds of Context Clues

1. Synonyms - These refer to words with the same meaning.
Example: Vinegar or acetic acid is used in cooking adobo.

2. Antonyms - These refer to words with the opposite meaning.

Example: Rona is calm, but her sister is volatile.

3. Definition - This gives the entire meaning of the unfamiliar word.

Example: The cornea is the transparent outer coating of the eyeball.

4. Apposition - This refers to another description for an unfamiliar word.

Example: The arbitrator, the person who helps to settle an argument, was invited to speak.

5. Exemplification - This refers to the giving of examples in order to explain the meaning of
the unfamiliar word
Example: She brought different textiles that may suit the design. There are linen, silk,
nylon, and cotton to choose from.
 Activity 1

Read each sentence carefully. Identify the kind of context clues used in each
sentence. Determine whether the context clues are SYNONYMS, ANTONYMS,
DEFINITION, APPOSITION, or EXEMPLIFICATION. Write your answers in
your notebook.

___________________1. She is very loquacious, very different from her usually shy
and quiet sister.
___________________2. The feline family of animals includes cats, tigers, and lions.
___________________3. It was really a grandiose event! It was big and impressive.
___________________4. Botany is the study of plants.
___________________5. The connoisseur or wine expert mixes different flavors.

Blending
Blending is a way of forming a new word by combining the sound and the meaning of two different

and
words. It refers to merging the beginning of one word and the end of another word.
Read the following blended words with your teacher.
smoke + fog = smog emote + icon = emoticon
Compounding
Compoun
giant + enormous = ginormous sports + broadcast = sportscast
motor + cavalcade = motorcade breakfast + lunch = brunch

ding
medical + care = medicare camera + recorder = camcorder
refers to the combination of single words joined together to form a compound word.
Compounding has three types – closed form, separated, and hyphenated.

Read the following blended words with your teacher.

Closed
light + weight = lightweight
house + hold = household
air + port = airport
Separated Hypenated
medical + bills = medical bills well + being = well-being
human + rights = human rights merry + go + round =
bank + account = bank account merry-go-round
attorney + at + law =
attorney-at-law
all + or + nothing =
all-or- nothing
 Clipping is the word formation process in which a word is reduced or shortened without changing the
meaning of the word. Clipping differs from back-formation in that the new word retains the meaning of the
original word. 

advertisement – ad influenza – flu

alligator – gator gasoline – gas
examination – exam gymnasium – gym

Activity 2

Write the shortened form of each word. Write your answers in your notebook.
1. mathematics = __________________
2. memorandum = __________________
3. photograph = __________________
4. reputation = __________________
5. telephone = __________________
6. airplane = __________________
7. refrigerator = __________________
8. dormitory = __________________
9. advertisement = __________________
10. laboratory = __________________

Activity 3

Look at the following words. What words can you derive from each of them? Write your
answers in your notebook.

1. hardworking = _________________ and _________________

 2. middleclass = _________________ and _________________
3. lifetime = _________________ and _________________
4. full-time = _________________ and _________________
5. airport = _________________ and _________________
6. mass-produce = _________________ and _________________
7. post office = _________________ and _________________
8. grasshopper = _________________ and _________________
9. buttercup = _________________ and _________________
10. superstar = _________________ and _________________
11. basketball = _________________ and _________________
12. hamburger = _________________ and _________________
13, notebook = _________________ and _________________
14. cupcake = _________________ and _________________
15. rainbow = _________________ and _________________

Activity 4

Write five examples

of blending and
compounding words
on your notebook.

Generalization
Blending is often a combination of the original words.
Compounding may be written as one word or as two words joined with a hyphen
Clipping is the process of forming a new word by dropping one or more syllables from a
polysyllabic word