VOCABULARY in CONTEXT
S-A-G-E
Unfamiliar Vocabulary
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One of the main reasons college students dislike
reading is because the difficulty in understanding
what it is they read—primarily because of
unfamiliar vocabulary.
If we can’t understand what we read, then we
can’t engage with the reading.
The result is that we simply read the words on
the page without understanding what it is we are
reading.
Think:
How would you
feel if you were
side-lined from a
game because
you didn’t know
the rules of the
game?
Or:
How would you
feel if you didn’t
understand the
words being
spoken in a room
where people
were talking?
Vocabulary in Context
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How do you usually find out what a word
means?
Vocabulary put into context, simply means to
understand what word means by
understanding its context.
Context refers to the words surrounding it the
unfamiliar vocabulary word, which provide
clues to the words meaning.
S-A-G-E
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ac·ro·nym [ak-ruh-nim] –
noun - a word formed from
the initial letters or groups of
letters of words in a set
phrase or series of words
Rather than looking in a dictionary, a reader can
save the time searching for a word, simply by
using for contextual clues to determine what a
word means.
S-A-G-E is an acronym for the S - synonym
four most common contextual
A - antonym
clues.
G - general sense
E - example
syn·o·nym [sin-uh-nim]
Noun- a word having the same or
S-YNONYM
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nearly the same meaning as
another in the language, as
joyful, elated, glad.
The meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words
may be understood by other similar words in
the sentence or sentences around it.
Example:
If we assess ourselves favorably, our selfesteem will be high, but if we judge ourselves
negatively, it will suffer.
A-NTONYM
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an·to·nym [an-tuh-nim]
noun- a word opposite in
meaning to another.
The meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words
may be understood by other dissimilar words
in the sentence or sentences around it.
Example:
Religions in America are not static, but
changing, especially in this period of shifting
values.
G-ENERAL Sense of the Word
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The meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words
may be understood by the general sense of
the word and the sentence containing it—by
other sentences around it.
Example:
A former employee, irate over having been
fired, broke into the plant and deliberately
wrecked several machines.
E-XAMPLE
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The meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words may be
understood by an example given by the author, either in
the sentence containing the vocabulary word or in a
sentence near it.
Many textbook authors make use of this context clue.
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Transitions like “for example,” “for instance,”
“including” and “such as” often introduce examples.
Example:
Nocturnal creatures, such as bats and owls, have
highly developed senses that enable them to
function in the dark.
Quick Review (I)
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2.
Often, a reader can figure out the meaning of a new word
without using the dictionary—by paying attention to the
word’s ____.
In the sentences below, which type of context clue is
used for the italicized word?
You can’t take certain classes unless you’ve taken a prerequisite; for
instance, you cant take Spanish Literature I unless you’ve taken
Spanish III.
There are thick pine forest sat the foot of the mountain, but higher
up, the trees become sparse.
Talent may take years to surface. When Beethoven was a young
child, his great aptitude to music was not at all apparent to his
teachers.
Quick Review (II)
Directions: Identify the vocabulary word and use the context
clues to determine its meaning.
1. When people are broke, they find that many things which
seem indispensable are not so necessary after all.
2. It’s amazing that my neighbors always appear immaculate,
yet their apartment is often quite dirty.
3. Doctors should alleviate the pain of terminally ill patients
so that their final days are as comfortable as possible.
4. Rose thought selling cosmetics door-to-door would be a
lucrative part-time job, but in her first month she earned
only twenty dollars.
5. Working as a team, a coyote and a badger may
simultaneously attack an area crowded with squirrels. The
attack panics the squirrels, making them easier to catch.
On a Test
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It may be helpful to try substituting the
unfamiliar word with one that is more
familiar.
Example: The tiger was volatile; its
behavior was extremely unpredictable.
For instance, sometimes it was tame
and other times it was vicious.
unpredictable
The tiger was _____________.
continued…….On a Test
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Furthermore, understanding your parts
of speech will help you choose the right
type of word to substitute.
For instance, you would only substitute
a noun for a noun, and a verb for a
verb…etc.
The tiger was volatile (adjective).
The tiger was unpredictable (adjective).