Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF SORSOGON
SAN FRANCISCO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
San Francisco, Bulan, Sorsogon

ENGLISH 8
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET 1
NOTING CONTEXT CLUES

Name of the Student: ____________________________________ Score:________________________

Date:____________________ Grade & Section:________________

I. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT

Good day, Learner! Welcome to a new venture in learning language and literature!
You are invited to embark on the first journey toward learning English for Grade 8 learners.
This learning activity sheet (LAS) will enrich your vocabulary power as you will be
introduced to various words and expressions that reflect the local culture of Africa. You will
develop your skill in noting context clues as you determine the meanings of words and
expressions in selected African poems and short stories.

II. LEARNING SKILLS FROM MELCs

Determine the meaning of words and expressions that reflect the local culture by noting context
clues. (EN8V-if-6)

III.ACTIVITIES
A. Let Us Study

LOCAL CULTURE here specifically refers to the experiences in the

communities in Africa which reflect the peoples' feelings, beliefs, customs, and
traditions.
CONTEXT CLUES

Context clues are hints found within a sentence, paragraph, or passage that a reader can use to
understand the meanings of new or unfamiliar words.

A reader must be aware that many words have several possible meanings. Only by being
sensitive to the circumstances in which a word is used can the reader decide upon an appropriate
definition to fit the context.
 A reader should rely on context clues when an obvious clue to meaning is provided, or when
only a general sense of the meaning is needed for the reader’s purposes. Context clues should not be
relied upon when a precise meaning is required, when clues suggest several possible definitions, when
nearby words are unfamiliar, and when the unknown word is a common one that will be needed again;
in these cases, a dictionary should be consulted.

There are several different types of context clues. Some of them are:

1. DEFINITION / DESCRIPTION CLUE

The new term may be formally defined, or sufficient explanation may be given within the
sentence or in the following sentence. Clues to definition include “that is,” commas, dashes,
and parentheses.
Examples:
a. His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like appearance, was frightening to see.
“Skeleton-like appearance” is the definition of “emaciation.”
b. Fluoroscopy, examination with a fluoroscope, has become a common practice.
The commas before and after “examination with a fluoroscope” point out the definition of
“fluoroscopy.”

2. EXAMPLE CLUES
Sometimes when a reader finds a new word, an example might be found nearby that helps to
explain its meaning. Words like including, such as, and for example, point out example clues.
Examples:
a. Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder, salmon, and trout, live in the coldest parts of the ocean.
“Piscatorial” obviously refers to fish.
b. Celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, have fascinated man through the centuries.
“Celestial” objects are those in the sky or heavens.

3. SYNONYM RESTATEMENT CLUE

The reader may discover the meaning of an unknown word because it repeats an idea expressed
in familiar words nearby. Synonyms are words with the same meaning.
Examples:
a. Flooded with spotlights – the focus of all attention – the new Miss America began her year-long reign.
She was the cynosure of all eyes for the rest of the evening.
“Cynosure” means “the focus of all attention.”
b. The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding and twisting like a snake around the
trees of the mountainside.
“Tortuous” means “winding and twisting.”

4. CONTRAST / ANTONYM CLUE

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. An opposite meaning context clue contrasts the
meaning of an unfamiliar word with the meaning of a familiar term. Words like “although,” “however,”
and “but” may signal contrast clues.
Examples:
a. When the light brightens, the pupils of the eyes contract; however, when it grows darker,
they dilate.
“Dilate” means the opposite of “contract.”

5. MOOD / TONE CLUE

 The author sets a mood, and the meaning of the unknown word must harmonize with the mood.
Examples:
a. The lugubrious wails of the gypsies matched the dreary whistling of the wind in the allbut-
deserted cemetery.
“Lugubrious,” which means “sorrowful,” fits into the mood set by the words “wails,”
“dreary,” and “deserted cemetery.”
6. EXPERIENCE CLUE
Sometimes a reader knows from experience how people or things act in a given situation.
This knowledge provides the clue to a word’s meaning.
Examples:
a. During those first bewildering weeks, the thoughts of a college freshman drift back to
high school where he was “in,” knew everyone, and felt at home. A feeling of
nostalgia sweeps over him.

7. ANALYSIS OR STRUCTURE CLUE

The parts used to construct a word can be direct clues to meaning. Knowledge of prefixes, roots,
and suffixes can aid a reader in using this type of context clue. Learning one word part can add dozens
of words to a reader’s vocabulary. The power of word parts lies in the ability to combine the roots and
affixes with the context in which a word is used to discover the author’s meaning.
Examples:
a. The story is incredible.
The root cred means “to believe,’ and the prefix in means “not.” Therefore, if a story
is incredible, it is unbelievable.

8. INFERENCE CLUE
Sufficient clues might be available for the careful reader to make an educated guess at the
meaning.
Example:
a. She told her friend, “I’m through with blind dates forever. What a dull evening! I was bored every
minute. The conversation was absolutely vapid.”
“Vapid” means “uninteresting.”

9. CAUSE AND EFFECT CLUE

The author explains the reason for or the result of the word. Words like “because,” “since,” “therefore,”
“thus,” “so,” etc. may signal context clues.
Example:
a. She wanted to impress all her dinner guests with the food she served, so she carefully studied the
necessary culinary arts.
“Culinary” means “food preparation.”

B. Let Us Practice
Directions: Read the lifted sentences from selected short stories of some emerging contemporary
writers of Uganda. Determine the meaning of the underlined words native in Uganda and are reflective
of Africa‘s local culture. Identify the thing or person being referred by the native African words in each
item. Encircle the letter that corresponds to the correct answer.
1. Uncle Tom found us playing in the banana plantations. We were searching for nsenene, the
grasshopper which appeared seasonally when it rained in our village.
- In the Plantation, Oyet Sisto Ocen
a. crickets b. mammal c. reptile d. banana fruit
2. Majid went out to get his khubz and laban. On special days and during Ramadan, he survived on the
food from the mosque.
- The Sign, Sneha Susan Shibu
a. faith and prayer c. bread and yogurt
b. dress and slippers d. soda drink and barbeque
3. Your mother points down to the heavy lemon green sash of her gomesi. Its tassels are trailing on the
bus floor, covered in red soil.
- Getting Somewhere, Lilian Aujo
a. miniskirt b. long dress c. sweater d. pajamas
4. Most lovers prefer to walk rather than use a boda-boda, especially when the distance is short.
- The Gem and Your Dreams, Gloria Kembabazi Muhatane
a. sneakers b. ferry boat c. taxi d. habal-habal
5. She was asking about Muntu and Sera - the first humans on earth and then moved on to some tale,
mentioning Gipiir and Labong.
- Legal Alien, Rutangye Crystal Butungi
a. first storytellers b. great, great ancestors c. creator-gods d. moon-god and sun-god

Directions: Complete the table with the clues that you have used to get to the meaning of the five
African terms. Pick word/s from the sentence itself, then identify what type of context clue is used. The
first one is done for you.

TERMS CLUES TYPES OF CLUES

1. nsenene grasshopper definition
2. khubz and laban
3. gomesi
4. boda
5. Muntu and Sera

C. Let Us Practice More

Since we are targeting skill in vocabulary and knowledge about African literature, we cannot go on
without presenting the four African writers who won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature.

So, you are meeting up with Wole Soyinka (1986) from Nigeria, Naguib Mahfouz (1988) from
Egypt, Nadine Gordimer (1991), and John M. Coetzee (2003) both from South Africa. To wrap up the
list, we decided to include Doris Lessing (2007) who despite posting her win to United Kingdom has
undeniably African descent and much more concentration on stories of African settings.
 Directions: Read each excerpt of poem and stories from Nobel Prize winners of Africa. Answer
questions by giving meaning to specific words or expressions in the text.

Peppers green and red – child – your tongue arch To scorpion tail,
spit straight return to danger‘s threats Yet coo with the brown
pigeon, tendril dew within your lips. (from Dedication for
Moremi*, 1963)
*Moremi is Wole‘s daughter. In the poem, Moremi may also
pertain to a game reserve in Botswana created to protect Africa‘s
ecosystem and Moremi, the Goddess in the Yoruban tradition.
WOLE SOYINKA
1934 - present
1.
Questions:
a. Wole advises his daughter Moremi to be like a scorpion. What does he mean by that?
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________.
b. On the other hand, Wole also says her daughter should be a ‗pigeon‘. Why does he mention
such a complete contrast with the characteristics of a scorpion?
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________.

You only count the days if you are waiting to have a baby or you
are in prison. I‘ve had my child but I‘m counting the days since
he‘s been in this house. The street delves down between two rows
of houses like the abandoned bed of a river that has changed
course. The sheeben-keeper who lives opposite has a car that
sways and churns its way to her fancy-wrought iron gate.
Everyone else, including sheeben customers, walks over the stores
[to drink to loosen, to forget], sand and gullies, home from the bus
NADINE GORDIMER station. It‘s too far to bicycle to work in town.
1923-2014
2. (from A City of the Dead, a City of the Living, 1982)

Questions:
a. Sheebens are mostly known in South Africa? What is a sheeben based on the added descriptive
words “to drink to loosen, to forget‘?
___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________.
b. How did Gordimer describe the sheeben-keeper‘s car? Why is that so?
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
D. Evaluation
Directions: Circle the letter of the best meaning for the underlined word as it is used in context.

1. My brother said, “I just freed myself from a very loquacious history professor. All he seemed
to want was an audience.”
a. pretentious b. grouchy c. talkative d. worried

2. There is no doubt that the idea of living in such a benign climate was appealing. The
islanders seemed to keep their vitality and live longer than Europeans.
a. tropical b. not malignant c. kind d. favorable

3. It is difficult to imagine a surfeit of talent in one individual, yet Leonard Bernstein simply
does not have the time to make complete use of his talent as conductor, performer, writer, and
lecturer.
a. excess b. variety c. superiority d. lack

4. There is a large demand all over the United States for plants indigenous to the desert. Many
people in Arizona have made a good business of growing and selling cacti and other local
plants.
a. native b. necessary c. foreign d. alien

5. After the Romans left, a millennium and a half passed before people again lived in such
comfort. Churchill wrote, “From the year 400 until the year 1900 no one had central heating and
very few had hot baths.”
a. a decade b. many years c. 1000 years d. a century

6. Many years before, Caesar’s men had tried and failed to invade Britain. No doubt this
contributed to the xenophobia of the Romans. They were cautious about strangers who entered
their country.
a. honesty b. fear of foreigners c. kindliness d. stubbornness

7. Such are the vicissitudes of history. Nothing remains the same. Three hundred years of peace
ended in darkness and confusion.
a. evils b. mistakes c. changes d. rules

8. The purpose of the psychiatrist is to mitigate the suffering of the patient.

a. make milder b. beautify c. increase d. banish

9. We knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, because he had been doomed from the
beginning. One night he met his ineluctable fate.

a. forgotten b. inevitable c. hidden d. unhappy

10. A combination of fog and industrial smoke, called smog, has vitiated the air in and around
many big cities.
a. concentrate b. fill up c. replace d. contaminate
 E. Let Us Reflect
You have come a long way with this lesson. Thank you for bearing with the tasks. We
must say, those who persevere are those who would most likely succeed in life.
Directions: Please make a short essay about how your own journey of perseverance using just 5-
10 sentences. Please incorporate context clues for the readers to understand your essay more.
Write this in the space provided for you.

_______________________________
(Title)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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IV. RUBRICS FOR SCORING

The following rubric will be used in scoring your essay:

Features 4 (Expert) 3 (Accomplished) 2 (Capable) 1 (Beginner)
Quality of - Piece was - Piece was written - Piece had little - piece had no
Writing written in an in an interesting style or voice style or voice
extraordinary style and voice - Gives some new - gives no new
style and voice - Somewhat information but information and
- Very informative and poorly organized very poorly
informative and organized organized
well organized
Grammar - virtually no - few spelling, - a number of - so many
, Usage & spelling, and punctuation spelling, spelling,
Mechanics punctuation, or errors, minor punctuation, punctuation, or
grammatical grammatical or grammatical
errors errors grammatical errors that it
errors interferes with
the meaning

V. ANSWER KEY
 Let Us Practice
1. nsenene/ a. /grasshopper Definition/Description
2. khubz and laban /c./ food, Ramadan Experience
3. gomesi /b./ sash, tassel trailing on the bus floor Inference
4. boda-boda/ d./ walk, distance is short Contrast/Antonym
5. Muntu and Sera/ b./ first humans Definition/Description
Let Us Practice More
1. a. Wole advises his daughter Moremi to be like a scorpion, poisonous. He wants her to be fierce and
intimidating.
b. On the other hand, Wole wants Moremi to be a dove. Despite being sharp and dangerous like a
scorpion, he wants her to be gentle and kind, gracious, courteous, and warm-hearted.
2. a. A sheeben is an establishment for drinking liquor or alcohol, but it is illegal.
b. The car is described as something that ―sways and churns‖, like a drunkard from a sheeben gaiting
along the streets.
Evaluation
1. C 2. D 3. A. 4. A. 5. C 6. B. 7. C. 8.a 9. B. 10. D.

VI. REFERENCE
https://www.mdc.edu/kendall/collegeprep/documents2/context%20cluesrev8192.pdf.
https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/12/21/lies/&ved=2ahUKEwj56rqO7q_pAh
UqBKYKHcP1CQEQFjAAegQIBxAB&usg =AOvVaw3eXXNBwd2AXfY9US2-0rHY
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://granta.com/city-of-the-deadcity-of-the-living/&
ved=2ahUKEwjqqd6r7a_pAhXQEqYKHQCXABMQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVa w0jucgtyl31pnpaz-
ExaCkP&cshid=1589339125257

JANINE AIMEE G. MOROÑA

Subject Teacher