 Objective:
By the time this lesson is finished, you'll
have tools to help you meet and conquer new words or phrases.
In this lesson you will:
Vocabulary:
These words will be used in this lesson. They might be quite
familiar to you, or you might want some review. For review,
just click the Helpful Tools button and open Vocabulary.
- Context
- Phrase
- Expression
Tips and Tools:
Words, phrases and expressions are the writer's tools to relay
or explain information. Effective readers use a dictionary to
define new words, of course, but they also develop skills to
figure out meanings of new words or phrases right from the reading
passage. There are often clues to meaning within the text. Readers
just need to understand where to look and how to interpret all
the words when they are put together.
When you interpret a word, phrase or expression by the clues
in the text, it is called reading in context, or using context
clues.
What is a context clue?
| The context of a word
or phrase is its environment, or the words that surround it
(even in this sentence if you didn't know the word "environment,"
you could figure out it means the words that "surround
it"). Context clues are made up of synonyms (words
with similar meanings), definitions, descriptions, and several
other kinds of specific information helpful to understanding
the meaning of what is read. |
Types of Context Clues:
- Clues supplied through synonyms:
Carol is fond of using TRITE, worn-out
expressions in her writing. Her favorite is "You can
lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
(The
synonym for TRITE is worn-out. The expression about the
horse and water is worn-out or trite.)
- Clues contained in comparisons and contrasts:
As
the trial continued, the defendant's guilt became more and
more obvious. With even the slightest bit of new evidence
against him, there would be no chance of ACQUITTAL.
(The defendant's guilt
is the comparison to acquittal - and it's obvious this defendant
is guilty, so acquittal must mean something he isn't going
to get: a non-guilty verdict.)
- Clues contained in a definition or description:
Peggy is a TRANSCRIPTIONIST,
a person who makes a written copy of a recorded message.
(The
definition or description of a transcriptionist is right
there in the sentence; "a person who makes a written
copy of a recorded message.")
- Clues that appear in a series:
The
DULCIMER, fiddle, and banjo are all popular among
Appalachian Mountain musicians.
(Fiddle
and banjo are instruments with strings, so the dulcimer
must be a musical instrument also.)
- Clues provided by the tone and setting:
The
streets filled instantly with BELLICOSE protesters
who pushing and shoving their way through the frantic bystanders.
The scene was no longer peaceful and calm as the marchers
had promised it would be.
(Words like "pushing and shoving," indicates something
about the protesters. "Frantic bystanders" indicates
the impact of the bellicose protesters are causing, and
the setting is no longer peaceful and calm. A bellicose
person must be loud, obnoxious, pushy and rude.)
- Clues from cause and effect:
Since nobody came to the first voluntary
work session, attendance for the second one is MANDATORY for
all the members.
(Voluntary is a key word in
this sentence - and since nobody came voluntarily, action
seems to be necessary, making the second session a requirement
or mandatory.)
- Clues based on character descriptions:
Sam's CLEVER interpretation
of the puzzle won him the first place award for a creative,
unique and workable solution.
(Clever
is an adjective to describe Sam's intepretation of the
puzzle. The author
might have chosen this word because it conveys a really
smart solution that is creative and individual. It is something
that not everyone would have discovered. We know that by
the use of the words "creative and unique.")
|
How to check your answer:
| If the question is asking
what a word or phrase or expression means, be sure to go back
to the original phrase in the reading passage, and replace
it with the answer you chose. The answer should make sense
in place of the original word or phrase. |
Let's look at some examples and practice interpreting meaning
of words, phrases and expressions through the context of the
informational passage.
Example
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