CONTEXT CLUES

CONTEXT CLUES ARE BITS OF INFORMATION (CLUES)

FROM THE TEXT THAT, WHEN COMBINED WITH PRIOR
KNOWLEDGE (WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW) ALLOWS
YOU TO DECIDE THE MEANING OF UNKNOWN WORDS
IN THE STORY OR ARTICLE YOU ARE READING.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO WATCH FOR WHEN
LOOKING FOR CONTEXT CLUES:

 PUNCTUATION MARKS—A COMMA OR DASH MAY SHOW

YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE UNKNOWN WORDS. THEY CAN ALSO
GIVE A CLUE TO THE NEW WORD'S DEFINITION.

 KEY WORDS, SUCH AS "OR", AND "THAT IS" MAY ALSO GIVE
YOU A HINT THAT A DEFINITION IS NEARBY.
HERE ARE MORE SPECIFIC CONTEXT
CLUES THAT YOU CAN LOOK FOR
WHEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE
MEANING OF AN UNFAMILIAR
WORD:
 TAKE A LOOK ON THIS EXAMPLE:
1. DEFINITION THE ARBITRATOR, THE NEUTRAL
PERSON CHOSEN TO SETTLE THE
THE DEFINITION OF THE DISPUTE ARRIVED AT HER DECISION.

WORD IS SOMETIMES
ARBITRATOR - THE NEUTRAL
RESTATED IN THE
PERSON CHOSEN TO SETTLE THE
CONTEXT. DISPUTE.
2. SYNONYM (RESTATEMENT)
TAKE A LOOK ON THIS EXAMPLE:
SOMETIMES A SYNONYM
THE MOUNTAIN PASS WAS A
(SIMILAR MEANING) OR TORTUOUS ROAD, WINDING AND
ANTONYM (OPPOSITE TWISTING LIKE A SNAKE AROUND
MEANING) IS GIVEN FOR THE THE TREES OF THE MOUNTAINSIDE.

UNFAMILIAR WORD.
TORTUOUS MEANS "WINDING AND
TWISTING."
3. ANTONYM (CONTRAST)
TAKE A LOOK ON THIS EXAMPLE:
SOMETIMES A SYNONYM
HE TRIED TO SMILE BECAUSE THE
(SIMILAR MEANING) OR MOOD OF THE PARTY WAS NOT
ANTONYM (OPPOSITE SOMBER, BUT HAPPY.

MEANING) IS GIVEN FOR THE

UNFAMILIAR WORD. YOU KNOW THAT SOMBER MUST
MEAN SOMETHING THAT IS THE
OPPOSITE OF HAPPY. IN FACT, IT
MEANS SAD OR DREARY.
4. CAUSE AND EFFECT
TAKE A LOOK ON THIS EXAMPLE:
THE UNFAMILIAR WORD THE INTREPID WARRIOR LED THE
MIGHT BE THE CAUSE OF ASSAULT ON THE WELL GUARDED
FORTRESS.
SOMETHING OR MIGHT
BE THE RESULT OF A KNOWING THE INTREPID WARRIOR LED
CAUSE. AN ASSAULT MOST WOULD NOT DARE
HELPS THE SAGACIOUS READER INFER
THAT INTREPID MEANS FEARLESS.
5. EXAMPLE TAKE A LOOK ON THIS EXAMPLE:
OVER THE YEARS, MANY FRUIT HYBRIDS
HAVE BEEN CULTIVATED BY FARMERS AND
EXAMPLES OF THE BIOLOGISTS. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON
FRUIT HYBRIDS IS THE PLUOT, WHICH IS A
UNKNOWN WORD CAN COMBINATION OF A PLUM AND AN APRICOT.
SOMETIMES HELP YOU
DECIDE ITS THIS EXAMPLE HELPS INDICATE THAT THE
WORD HYBRID REFERS TO SOMETHING
MEANING MADE OUT OF TWO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.
6. ANALOGY TAKE A LOOK ON THIS EXAMPLE:
THE STUDENTS' SCIENCE TEACHER
REPRIMANDED THEM FOR TRYING TO
YOU CAN SOMETIMES
SNEAK A CHIPMUNK INTO THE
PUZZLE OUT A NEW WORD CLASSROOM WITHOUT HER NOTICING.
LATER, THE PRINCIPAL ALSO SCOLDED
BY DETERMINING HOW IT
THEM ABOUT THEIR IMPROPER
IS RELATED TO OTHER BEHAVIOR AT SCHOOL.
WORDS.
THE WORD REPRIMANDED MEANS
"SCOLDED" OR "LECTURED."