What is Context?

Most Americans can speak only one

________. Europeans, however,
________ several. As a result,
Europeans think ________ are
unfriendly and unwilling to
communicate with them.

Try to figure out the missing words.

 What is Context?
Most Americans can speak only one
language. Europeans, however,
speak several. As a result,
Europeans think Americans are
unfriendly and unwilling to
communicate with them.

How did you do? How did you

figure out the missing words?
 What is Context?

Use the words surrounding the

unknown word to help determine
the unknown word’s meaning.

“Phobias, such as fear of heights,

water, or confined spaces are
difficult to eliminate.”
Context Clues: Definition

 Unknown word is  A chemical

bond is a
defined immediately
strong force
following its use that holds two
 brief definition, synonym, or more atoms
or restatement using together.
punctuation-commas,
parentheses or dashes.  A dialect is a
 “Be” verb shows the form of speech
two ideas are the from a specific
same. X = Y region.
 Synonyms
 A writer often chooses a more
familiar word or words with the
same meaning to make the
difficult word understandable

Ballet students appear so lithe; they

are so limber and flexible.

The cataract was spectacular; the

steep waterfall dropped abruptly
eighty feet.
 Restatement
 Close to a synonym, restatement
differs in that a difficult word is
usually restated in a simpler form
—usually set of by commas.

The poetry was sublime, lofty and

moving, and brought tears to my eyes.

The village was depopulated, most of

the residents dead or moved, but the
livestock remained untouched.
 Contrast
 Antonym, a word The gentleman
of opposite was portly, but
meaning (notice his wife was thin.
the restatement)
 Contrast clue The mayoral
words: but, candidate praised
however, in the town
contrast to, on council,but the
the other hand mayor
deprecated it.
 Explanation

 Similar to a definition clue

 Generally longer than a
definition
 Usually found in one or more
different sentences
 Context Clues:
Explanation
The chrome is beginning to corrode. It shows
signs of pitting and of being eaten away
gradually.

It was a martial parade: signs of the military

were everywhere. Everyone was in uniform;
guns, cannon and tanks were on display, and
jets flew overhead.
 Context Clues:
Explanation

NOTE: Sometimes the explanation is

presented first.

The puppy was a complete bother

and an annoyance to all the
neighbors. It was a continual
nuisance.
 Example

 Examples that the Legumes, such as

reader may know to peas and beans,
help explain a new produce pods.
and unfamiliar
concept or term
Forest floors are
 Note the
frequently covered
punctuation clues:
with fungi—molds,
commas or hyphens
mushrooms, and
 Signal words—such
mildews.
as, for example, for
instance, to
illustrate,
specifically
 Inference

 Use reasoning Since Reginald was

and prior nervous, he brought his
rabbit foot talisman
knowledge with him to the exam.
 Your experiences
provide common- His alibi was upheld
sense clues to when John’s friends
the meaning of a offered personal
word testimony, letters of
documentation, and
 This context clue
three videotapes
is often a little showing that he was
harder to spot present at the party.
 Limitations of
Context Clues

1. Context clues only give the immediate

definition for that particular context.
2. Context clues seldom lead to a precise,
complete definition.
3. Sometimes the passage will not contain
clues to the meaning of the unfamiliar
word.