Scribd
Upload
11 views

Explanation 4

The document discusses using context clues to understand unfamiliar vocabulary words. It provides examples of using context to determine a word's meaning and gives an exercise for readers to practice understanding words based on the context around them in sentences.

Uploaded by

absyn021
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
11 views

Explanation 4

The document discusses using context clues to understand unfamiliar vocabulary words. It provides examples of using context to determine a word's meaning and gives an exercise for readers to practice understanding words based on the context around them in sentences.

Uploaded by

absyn021
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Context Clues

The good news is that one of the most important reading comprehension
skills, understanding vocabulary, can be easily mastered using a tool always
available to you: context. You can understand any new vocabulary term using
only the context around it. By looking at the elements of a passage, an
unknown vocabulary word reveals its meaning. For this reason, you'll never
have to memorize every word—you only have to remember how to
use context clues.

Take the word "acerbity", for example. You might not understand this word on
its own without a definition, but in a sentence, you have all the information you
need: “The acerbity of the lemon caused the little girl to spit out the bite she
had just taken.” The girl's reaction to the lemon, spitting it out, tells you that
the taste was unpleasant. Knowing that lemons are sour/bitter, you can
ascertain that it was the lemon's extreme sour/bitterness or acerbity that
caused the little girl to spit it out.

Sample Standardized Test Question

As mentioned, reading comprehension questions can be found on almost any


standardized test, so make sure you're prepared to ace them. Pay attention to
tense and tone as well. A vocabulary-related question on a test often looks
something like this:

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

After the first day on the job, the bank’s new manager realized he would be
busier than he had been led to believe. Not only was he assisting the bank
tellers with their work, but his new boss had decided to inundate him with
other tasks like creating security systems, managing the bank’s deposits and
refunds, securing loans, and maintaining daily operations. The new manager
was exhausted as he locked the bank up for the night.

The best definition for the word “inundate" is:

1. overload
2. provide
3. assault
4. underwhelm

Hint: Figure out if your choice is correct is by swapping each answer with the
word "inundated" in the passage. Which word fits the intended meaning best?
If you said "overload", you'd be correct. The new manager was given more
tasks than he could handle—he was overloaded/inundated with tasks.
Understanding Vocabulary Words

You'll rarely be asked to define new words by themselves without any


additional information, which means you'll be given plenty of opportunities to
practice using context clues. The following exercise is designed to help you
sharpen the skill of understanding unfamiliar words in context.

Exercise

Try to determine the meanings of the italicized vocabulary words using


context clues in the sentences. There is more than one correct answer for
each, so write as many synonyms/definitions as you can think of.

1. Pablo always showed animosity toward his teachers by throwing


spitballs and mouthing off, but his sister Mary was kind and sweet.
2. The little girl was showing signs of ocular problems—she squinted to
read the blackboard and complained of headaches after working on the
computer for too long.
3. The crowd rewarded the singer with plaudits, clapping and cheering
through a standing ovation.
4. Elena’s repudiation of Jerry’s bad table manners was obvious to
everyone at dinner as she dropped her napkin and left the table.
5. From the far past to the present day, the moon has been thought to
cause lunacy. Some studies have shown that this momentary insanity
does have some association with lunar phases.
6. The old man’s hair was sparse rather than thick and full like it was
when he was young.
7. Janie was as devout as the Pope himself when it came to praying.
8. My sister Kimmy shows a great abhorrence for crowds, whereas my
little brother Michael loves to be the center of attention.
9. The teacher admonished her student for misbehaving during the
lesson.
10. The sorcerer’s minions were willing to complete any task they were
given as long as evil was not conjured upon them.
11. 97 pairs is a superfluous number of shoes.
12. The spy was hung at the gallows of his homeland for
his perfidious deeds.
13. “Busy as a bee” and “quiet as a mouse” are hackneyed phrases—
they’re used all the time.
14. Amelia was as pretentious as a princess when she arrived at the party.
She tossed her coat to the hostess and grabbed a drink out of a nearby
guest’s hand.
15. We always listen to my great-aunt because she is venerable, but we
ignore my niece’s advice because she’s only six.
Answers

1. hatred; extreme dislike


2. related to the eye
3. extreme praise
4. denial; refutation; rejection
5. insanity; madness; psychosis
6. thin; spare; light; meager
7. pious; religious; sincere
8. hatred; loathing; disgust
9. reprimanded; cautioned; reproved
10. crony; underling; follower
11. excessive; extra; surplus; redundant
12. disloyal; treacherous; deceitful
13. trite; clichéd; worn out
14. showy; pompous; entitled
15. respected; esteemed; revered

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy