Context Clues
Context clues are hints authors give you to help you understand words.
These clues allow readers to figure out a phrase's meaning just by looking at the words around it.
What does context mean? It's the words and sentences AROUND the word you don't understand. When celebrities get in trouble for what they say, they often claim that they were taken out of context. Sometimes they're being truthful, and their comments really were picked out. Most often, they're just using it as an excuse.
Examples:
These clues allow readers to figure out a phrase's meaning just by looking at the words around it.
What does context mean? It's the words and sentences AROUND the word you don't understand. When celebrities get in trouble for what they say, they often claim that they were taken out of context. Sometimes they're being truthful, and their comments really were picked out. Most often, they're just using it as an excuse.
Examples:
- Unlike stars like Emma Watson, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Aniston, Kaley Cuoco is not interested in calling herself a feminist. The actress revealed that she likes to cook dinner for her husband and be a traditional wife. Here's what she said: "In my Redbook article, some people have taken offense to my comments regarding feminism — if any of you are In the 'biz' you are well aware of how words can be taken out of context."
- The star of the TV show Big Love was reported as saying, "The show was awful this season, as far as I’m concerned." She later told Entertainment Weekly, "I feel pretty terrible. I feel like what I said was taken out of context."
Illustration
Check out this chalk outline. Without looking at anything else, can you figure out what happened to the figure?
Clue #1: Once you see the gun, you can guess that the person may have been shot. Clue #2: Take a look at the briefcase, and you might guess that the person was robbed. Suddenly we have a much better idea of what happened to this mysterious Chalk Man--just by looking at the CONTEXT CLUES around him! We can do this in sentences by using the skills listed below. |
1. SYNONYMS - Sometimes the author may have provided a synonym right there next to or near a term that you can use to unlock its meaning. A synonym is a word that means almost the same as another. Example: Vehicle and Automobile
Read the following sentence: "Don't think of words as separate, individual items, or entities." What is the meaning of the word entities? The definition is right there - separate, individual items.
When in doubt about the meaning of an unfamiliar word, look around in the sentence; check to see if there is a definition or synonym clue to help you unlock its meaning.
2. ANTONYMS - Check for an antonym clue. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. An author might say something like: "Our President is a peacekeeper, not a warmonger."
What word shows us that we're looking for antonyms? Not. Not tells us us "peacekeeper" and "warmonger" don't mean the same thing. You may not know what a "warmonger" is, but a peacekeeper is someone who wants to keep peace. What can we figure out about "warmonger," then? It would be someone who wants war, not peace.
3. SUBSTITUTION - Sometimes you can reread a sentence that contains an unfamiliar term and substitute a word or phrase for it that makes sense. This can help you unlock the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Example:
"When we stayed at the military base, each Saturday we went to the commissary to buy the food and supplies we would need for the next week."
You probably don't know what a commissary is. But ignore the word for just a minute, and look what comes after it. What word could you substitute for a place where you can buy food and supplies? Maybe a store?
Then you can look at the beginning part of the sentence, which states that a commissary is on a military base. Now you've got a complete picture: a store for food and supplies that is located on a military base.
Read the following sentence: "Don't think of words as separate, individual items, or entities." What is the meaning of the word entities? The definition is right there - separate, individual items.
When in doubt about the meaning of an unfamiliar word, look around in the sentence; check to see if there is a definition or synonym clue to help you unlock its meaning.
2. ANTONYMS - Check for an antonym clue. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. An author might say something like: "Our President is a peacekeeper, not a warmonger."
What word shows us that we're looking for antonyms? Not. Not tells us us "peacekeeper" and "warmonger" don't mean the same thing. You may not know what a "warmonger" is, but a peacekeeper is someone who wants to keep peace. What can we figure out about "warmonger," then? It would be someone who wants war, not peace.
3. SUBSTITUTION - Sometimes you can reread a sentence that contains an unfamiliar term and substitute a word or phrase for it that makes sense. This can help you unlock the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Example:
"When we stayed at the military base, each Saturday we went to the commissary to buy the food and supplies we would need for the next week."
You probably don't know what a commissary is. But ignore the word for just a minute, and look what comes after it. What word could you substitute for a place where you can buy food and supplies? Maybe a store?
Then you can look at the beginning part of the sentence, which states that a commissary is on a military base. Now you've got a complete picture: a store for food and supplies that is located on a military base.