Context Clues Definition and Overview

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Argus High School
English Lesson 1 Context Clues
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Word Analysis, Fluency and Systematic Vocabulary
Development

• Context Clues
• Definition and Restatement

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Context Clues

• English vocabulary is so extensive
• that it is difficult to avoid encountering
• unfamiliar words.

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• One way to figure out the meaning
• of an unfamiliar word is to examine
• the context in which the word
• appears.

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• The context of an unfamiliar word is
• determined by the surrounding
• words in the sentence or the
• surrounding sentences.

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DEFINITION OR RESTATEMENT

• A definition or restatement
• clue is a context clue that defines
• the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

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• For example
• In Europe, the 17th century was a
• time of religious dissension, a
• lack of agreement about religious
• teaching.

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• The meaning of the
• word dissension
• is found in the
• definition a lack
• of agreement.

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• Now lets try one together.
• His negligence, that is, his
• carelessness in leaving his little sister
• alone while he went rollerblading, is
• appalling.
• (Discuss the context clue in this sentence.)

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• The meaning of the word
• negligence is found in the
• definition carelessness.

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• Here are some sentences to determine the
• meanings of unfamiliar words from definition
• or restatement context clues.
• In a thrilling performance, Carlos demonstrated
  his zeal, his passion, for native folk dances.

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• After the completion of a difficult project, the
  festive, or merry, mood in the office was
  obvious.

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• The postal employee decided to intercept a
  suspicious package in other words, he stopped
  the item from being delivered.

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• A pilots responsibility is to avoid putting
  passengers in jeopardy, meaning peril or danger.

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• Review
• The meaning of the word zeal is found in the
  definition passion.
• The meaning of the word festive is found in the
  definition merry.
• The meaning of the word intercept is found in the
  definition stopped from being delivered.
• The meaning of the word jeopardy is found in the
  definition peril or danger.

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The End