{"id":49,"date":"2014-07-18T19:26:33","date_gmt":"2014-07-18T19:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/successfulwriting\/?post_type=chapter&p=49"},"modified":"2014-07-19T04:44:52","modified_gmt":"2014-07-19T04:44:52","slug":"4-6-using-context-clues","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-writingforsuccess\/chapter\/4-6-using-context-clues\/","title":{"raw":"4.6 Using Context Clues","rendered":"4.6 Using Context Clues"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
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4.6<\/span> Using Context Clues<\/h2>\r\n
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Identify the different types of context clues.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Practice using context clues while reading.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nContext clues<\/span><\/span> are bits of information within a text that will assist you in deciphering the meaning of unknown words. Since most of your knowledge of vocabulary comes from reading, it is important that you recognize context clues. By becoming more aware of particular words and phrases surrounding a difficult word, you can make logical guesses about its meaning. The following are the different types of context clues:\r\n
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    • Brief definition or restatement<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Synonyms and antonyms<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Examples<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
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      Brief Definition or Restatement<\/h2>\r\nSometimes a text directly states the definition or a restatement of the unknown word. The brief definition or restatement is signaled by a word or a punctuation mark. Consider the following example:\r\n
      \r\n\r\nIf you visit Alaska, you will likely see many glaciers, or slow moving masses of ice.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn this sentence, the word glaciers<\/em> is defined by the phrase that follows the signal word or<\/em>, which is slow moving masses of ice<\/em>.\r\n\r\nIn other instances, the text may restate the meaning of the word in a different way, by using punctuation as a signal. Look at the following example:\r\n
      \r\n\r\nMarina was indignant\u2014fuming mad\u2014when she discovered her brother had left for the party without her.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAlthough fuming mad<\/em> is not a formal definition of the word indignant<\/em>, it does serve to define it. These two examples use signals\u2014the word or<\/em> and the punctuation dashes\u2014to indicate the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Other signals to look for are the words is<\/em>, as<\/em>, means<\/em>, known as<\/em>, and refers to<\/em>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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      Synonyms and Antonyms<\/h2>\r\nSometimes a text gives a synonym of the unknown word to signal the meaning of the unfamiliar word:\r\n
      \r\n\r\nWhen you interpret an image, you actively question and examine what the image connotes and suggests.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn this sentence the word suggests<\/em> is a synonym of the word connotes<\/em>. The word and<\/em> sometimes signals synonyms.\r\n\r\nLikewise, the word but<\/em> may signal a contrast, which can help you define a word by its antonym.\r\n
      \r\n\r\nI abhor clothes shopping, but I adore grocery shopping.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe word abhor<\/em> is contrasted with its opposite: adore<\/em>. From this context, the reader can guess that abhor<\/em> means to dislike greatly.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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      Examples<\/h2>\r\nSometimes a text will give you an example of the word that sheds light on its meaning:\r\n
      \r\n\r\nI knew Mark\u2019s ailurophobia was in full force because he began trembling and stuttering when he saw my cat, Ludwig, slink out from under the bed.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAlthough ailurophobia<\/em> is an unknown word, the sentence gives an example of its effects. Based on this example, a reader could confidently surmise that the word means a fear of cats.\r\n
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      Tip<\/h3>\r\nLook for signal words like such as<\/em>, for instance<\/em>, and for example<\/em>. These words signal that a word\u2019s meaning may be revealed through an example.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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      Exercise 1<\/h3>\r\nIdentify the context clue that helps define the underlined words in each of the following sentences. Write the context clue on your own sheet of paper.\r\n
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      1. Lucinda is very adroit<\/span> on the balance beam, but Constance is rather clumsy.<\/li>\r\n\t
      2. I saw the entomologist<\/span>, a scientist who studies insects, cradle the giant dung beetle in her palm.<\/li>\r\n\t
      3. Lance\u2019s comments about politics were irrelevant<\/span> and meaningless to the botanist\u2019s lecture on plant reproduction.<\/li>\r\n\t
      4. Before I left for my trip to the Czech Republic, I listened to my mother\u2019s sage<\/span> advice and made a copy of my passport.<\/li>\r\n\t
      5. His rancor<\/span>, or hatred, for socializing resulted in a life of loneliness and boredom.<\/li>\r\n\t
      6. Martin was mortified<\/span>, way beyond embarrassment, when his friends teamed up to shove him into the pool.<\/li>\r\n\t
      7. The petulant<\/span> four-year-old had a baby sister who was, on the contrary, not grouchy at all.<\/li>\r\n\t
      8. The philosophy teacher presented the students with several conundrums<\/span>, or riddles, to solve.<\/li>\r\n\t
      9. Most Americans are omnivores<\/span>, people that eat both plants and animals.<\/li>\r\n\t
      10. Elena is effervescent<\/span>, as excited as a cheerleader, for example, when she meets someone for the first time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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        Exercise 2<\/h3>\r\nOn your own sheet of paper, write the name of the context clue that helps to define the underlined words.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMaggie was a precocious<\/span> child to say the least. She produced brilliant watercolor paintings by the age of three. At first, her parents were flabbergasted<\/span>\u2014utterly blown away\u2014by their daughter\u2019s ability, but soon they got used to their little painter. Her preschool teacher said that Maggie\u2019s dexterity<\/span>, or ease with which she used her hands, was something she had never before seen in such a young child. Little Maggie never gloated<\/span> or took pride in her paintings; she just smiled contentedly when she finished one and requested her parents give it to someone as a gift. Whenever people met Maggie for the first time they often watched her paint with their mouths agape<\/span>, but her parents always kept their mouths closed and simply smiled over their \u201clittle Monet.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCollaboration\r\n\r\nPlease share with a classmate and compare your answers.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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        Tip<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to context clues to help you figure out the meaning of a word, examine the following word parts: prefixes, roots, and suffixes.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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        Writing at Work<\/h3>\r\nJargon a type of shorthand communication often used in the workplace. It is the technical language of a special field. Imagine it is your first time working as a server in a restaurant and your manager tells you he is going to \u201ceighty-six\u201d the roasted chicken. If you do not realize that \u201ceighty-six\u201d means to remove an item from the menu, you could be confused.\r\n\r\nWhen you first start a job, no matter where it may be, you will encounter jargon that will likely be foreign to you. Perhaps after working the job for a short time, you too will feel comfortable enough to use it. When you are first hired, however, jargon can be baffling and make you feel like an outsider. If you cannot decipher the jargon based on the context, it is always a good policy to ask.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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        Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n