Increasing Vocabulary
Context Clues
Definition of a Context Clue
The meanings of many words can be
figured out by examining their
surrounding words and nearby
sentences.
In fact, in the English language, many
words have more than one meaning.
In that case, the meaning of a
particular word is determined by the
context in which it appears.
Methods
Restatement
Synonyms
Antonyms
Definitions
Explanations
Relationships
Restatement
Restatement involves stating an
unfamiliar word in another way in the
context of the same sentence.
For example: Euthanasia, mercy
killing, is illegal in the United States.
Here mercy killing restates the
meaning of the word euthanasia.
Synonyms
Some sentences will contain a more
familiar word with the same meaning as a
new term to provide a clue as to the
meaning of the new word.
For example: The doctor turned out to be a
charlatan, and his patients were worried
they had been treated by a fake physician.
Here the word fake is the context clue in
the form of a synonym for the word
charlatan.
Antonyms
Antonyms are words that have opposite
meanings.
Some sentences will provide clues to the
meaning of an unfamiliar word by including
a familiar word with the opposite meaning.
For example: Even though the president
disapproved of the bill, he sanctioned its
passage to avoid conflict with congress.
Here the word sanctioned is explained
through contrast with its antonym
disapproved.
Definitions
Some sentences are actual definitions
of new terms.
For example: Histology is the study of
cell tissue.
Explanation
In other sentences, although the new word
is not defined, it is explained.
For example: People should feel
compassion toward the poor because they
could one day find themselves in a similar
situation and would want others to be
understanding toward them.
Here the word because indicates that the
word compassion is going to be explained.
Relationships
A less obvious method of revealing a
word’s meaning is through the use of
relationships. The reader must draw a
conclusion as to the meaning of a new
word based on the meaning conveyed by
the rest of the sentence.
For example: The candidate was jubilant
when he heard he was ahead in the polls.
Here you would infer that the word jubilant
meant very happy because being ahead
would make a candidate happy.
In Conclusion
Authors often reveal the meanings of
new words to readers through the
context in which they appear.
Methods that are commonly used are
restatement, synonyms, antonyms,
definitions, explanations, and
relationships.
Reference
The methods explained in this
presentation are based on Reading
Skills for College Students by Ophelia
Hancock.