CONTEXT Understanding Context

1
CONTEXTUnderstanding Context

• P.171The context of a word is the group of words
  or sentences surrounding it.
• Often the context contains clues that help you
  figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
• P.172Sometimes you need to read several
  sentences to find enough clues to determine the
  meaning of an unfamiliar word.

2
Context, cont.Using Direct Context Clues

• Definitions are direct context clues. They tell
  you directly what a word means.
• Definitions may be signaled by words (means,
  called, are, is, were, was) or by punctuation
  (commas, dashes, parentheses).

3
Context, cont.Using Indirect Context Clues

• The context often contains indirect clues that
  help you make an intelligent guess about the
  meaning of an unfamiliar word. These clues do not
  tell you exactly what the unfamiliar word means.
• You should be able to figure out the meaning
  using context clues and your common sense.

4
Context, cont.Choosing the Meaning That Fits the
Context

• The English language contains many words that
  have more than one meaning. When you read, you
  must choose the meaning that fits the context.

5
Context, cont.Using Context to Choose Synonyms
and Antonyms

• A synonym is a word that means the same or almost
  the same as another word. An antonym is a word
  that means the opposite or almost the opposite of
  another word.
• You must be careful to choose the synonym or
  antonym which best fits the context of a passage.

6
Context, cont.Understanding When Context Helps
and When It Doesnt

• Sometimes there is not enough information to make
  an intelligent guess as to the meaning of an
  unfamiliar word.
• If this is the case, you must look up the word in
  the dictionary.

7
Context, cont.Using context to Choose the
Correct Homophone

• Homophones are words that sound alike but have
  different spellings and different meanings.
• If you are unfamiliar with a homophone pair, you
  must use a dictionary to help you choose the
  correct one for the context of a passage.

8
Context, cont.Understanding Words Used as Nouns
and Verbs

• A noun is a word that names a person, a place, a
  thing, or an idea.
• A verb is a word that expresses as action or a
  state of being.
• The part of speech chosen controls the meaning of
  the sentence in which it is used.

9
Context, cont.Using context to Understand Jargon

• Jargon is the languagespecial words or
  phrasesused by people in a particular profession
  of field.
• When you read jargon, try to use the context to
  figure out its meaning. If the context doesnt
  help, look up the word or term in the dictionary.

10
Context, cont.Using Context to Understand Words
from Spanish

• Spanish words are often used in American writing,
  especially when related to the American
  Southwest.
• Use context to help determine the meaningit
  necessary, use a dictionary.