Improve your reading ability with context clues
Author
Carla Greenwood
Published
January 19, 2024
Improve your reading ability with context clues
Author
Carla Greenwood
Published
Jan 19, 2024
Improve your reading ability with context clues
Author
Carla Greenwood
Published
Jan 19, 2024
Key takeaways
Have you ever been reading a book and come across an unfamiliar word? What do you do? Do you pause to look up the word in a dictionary, or do you just give up and read something else?
Neither option is ideal. Fortunately, there is a better way—using context clues.
Chances are, you use context clues all the time, but you might not have heard of them. Learning about context clues is a great way to improve reading ability and expand your vocabulary, no matter what your experience level.
In this article, we explore what context clues are and give you all the tools you need to identify them.
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Faced with a sea of unfamiliar words, students are taught a variety of techniques to decode their meaning. One of these is context clues.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, “Context” is defined as the circumstances that form the setting for an idea, statement, or event. Basically, context is used to clarify the meaning of something. Therefore, Context clues are snippets of information that serve as hints to help a reader understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Learning the meaning of a new word with context clues is one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary because it’s not always possible to look through a dictionary!
There are many different types of context clues. However, five main types are commonly used:
Synonym — Also called repeat context clues, synonyms are words with a similar meaning to the unfamiliar word. Synonyms are usually placed shortly after the unknown word to add clarification
For example:
(“Desolate” means empty or barren).
Antonym — Antonyms, or contrast context clues, are words with the opposite meaning to the unfamiliar word. Writers often use antonyms to avoid repetition of an idea in a sentence by providing different ways to express the same message. Like synonyms, they are usually added shortly after the unknown word.
For example:
(“Flamboyant” means confident, stylish and unique because these are the opposite of “dull”).
(“Garrulous” means excessively talkative) .
Explanation — Also called a definition context clue, an explanation of the unknown word is given in the same sentence or the sentence immediately following it.
For example:
(The phrase “seeks to promote the welfare of others” is the definition of a philanthropist).
(An “arboretum” is defined as a garden devoted to trees).
Specific example — Specific examples, also called example context clues, give the reader one or more examples of the unknown term.
For example:
(Crabs, lobsters, and shrimp are all examples of crustaceans. These are defined as animals that have hard shells and several pairs of legs. They usually live in the water.)
(Jazz, rock, and pop are all examples of music genres).
Inference — Sometimes, an unusual word is not immediately clarified in the same sentence. So, readers have to look at the sentence before or after to work out the meaning of unknown words. These are called inference or general context clues.
For example:
(A “haberdashery” is a men’s clothing and accessories shop. This meaning is implied by the phrase “shopping for new suits”).
(“Vapid” means ‘uninteresting’ which is inferred in the sentences that come before the unknown word).
You can also use stem words, suffixes and prefixes as context clues.
Suffix — A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning in a sentence. If you know the meaning of the base word, you can infer the meaning of a word with a suffix.
For example:
Prefix — A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
For example:
Stem word — A stem word, or root word, is the basic part of a word. For example, in the word freedom, “free” is the stem word and “dom” is the suffix. Stem words are usually derived from Greek or Latin origin. This doesn’t mean you have to study these languages to be able to decipher the meaning of a stem word, but there are some common ones that you might recognise. This will help you to work out the meaning of a longer, unfamiliar word.
For example:
Sometimes a word can include a prefix, a stem word, and a suffix. So, you can use all three to determine the meaning of a word.
For example:
Learning to read is daunting for many students. Especially in the early stages, it can be difficult for children to connect parts of a sentence correctly. This is often because they don’t yet understand the role that punctuation plays.
For example:
A beautiful spaniel, Skip, was my favourite dog at the shelter.
The sentence above uses something called an appositive phrase. “Skip” is the name of the dog, but this concept can be confusing if you miss the meaning of the commas. Many young children will simply read the sentence as a whole, without breaking it up. This may prevent them from understanding that “Skip” is the name of the dog.
When it comes to learning to read, it’s best to start slow and build up to more complicated concepts once children have a grasp of the basics. Having to stop regularly to look up a new word can cause frustration and slow down reading progress.
Don’t forget that many learning difficulties can also hinder progress, such as ADHD, Dyslexia, and autism. Every student learns differently.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to using context clues. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to improve understanding and use of context clues. However, bear in mind that definitions derived from context clues are just inferred rather than a strict dictionary definition. The main goal is to understand a word well enough to get the overall intent of the sentence.
Now it’s time to practice at deciphering context clues!
Below are five different sentences. Discover the meaning of the unfamiliar words by working out the context of each sentence:
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Five commonly used types of context clues are:
Context clues contain all the words and phrases you need to work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. However, it may take a bit of practice before you are fully able to identify the different types of context clues.
You first need to consider the immediate context of a sentence or phrase. If this doesn’t give you the answer, you may need to look at the wider context of the surrounding sentences. Remember, practice makes perfect!
“Context” is defined as the circumstances that form the setting of a statement, event, or idea, so it can be fully understood. Basically, it provides resources and information to help you interpret the meaning of something.
Learning about context clues is a great way to improve reading comprehension. Students are often taught about context clues to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. This practice can help them learn to read quickly and decipher complicated passages of information.
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