WING

NUT
MACHETE
IRIS
SILK
PALETTE
NIB
CHOP
LAGOON
PI
LOOFAH
 Processing…
1. How do you get or identify
the meaning of unfamiliar
word?
2. What is/are your strategies to
improve your vocabulary?
CONTEXT
CLUES
Getting the meaning using Context clues!
 CONTEXT CLUES
Context clues are hints
found within a sentence,
paragraph, or passage
that a reader can use to
understand the
meanings of new or
unfamiliar words.
 ◦A reader should rely
CONTEXT on context clues when
CLUES an obvious clue to
meaning is provided,
or when only a
general sense of the
meaning is needed for
the reader’s purposes.
 CONTEXT CLUES
Context clues should not be relied upon when a precise
meaning is required, when clues suggest several possible
definitions, when nearby words are unfamiliar, and when
the unknown word is a common one that will be needed
again; in these cases, a dictionary should be consulted.
 TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES

I D E A S
I D E A S
N E X N Y
F F
A T N
E I
N M O O
R I P N N
E T L Y Y
N I E M M
C O
E N
 INFERENCE
I The meaning is not given so you must
use text clues.
Inference Clues force the reader to use rationale or reasoning skills in order
to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. Even though the word is
not directly defined, the reader can logically reason out the meaning using
the information provided in the context.

SIGNAL WORDS: Look for clues over several words

or sentences
 EXAMPLES:
◦The haberdashery was Lou’s favorite place. He loved
shopping for nice suits.
◦No one ever believes that particular
newspaper because it is famous for printing canards.
◦Why would anyone want to be an underachiever; he
will never make good grades, never get a good job,
and never be successful.
◦You don’t need t worry about talking to Ma’am
Provido. She is an affable teacher.
 DEFINITION
D The meaning of the word is explained
in the sentence.
The new term may be formally defined, or sufficient explanation
may be given within the sentence or in the following sentence.
Clues to definition include “that is,” commas, dashes, and
parentheses.
SIGNAL WORDS: Is, are Is /are called Is / are
known as Is defined as Means, Refers to
 EXAMPLES:
◦Ma’am Provido is an affable teacher. She is
pleasantly easy to approach and friendly.
◦Martha is a curator, a person who is respons
ible for looking after a museum’s collection.
◦Entomology is the study of insects.
◦Archeology is the scientific study of prehistor
ic cultures by excavation of their remains.
 E
EXAMPLE
An example of the word is in the
sentence or nearby sentences.
The author provides examples or additional explanations or sum
maries to help you understand an unfamiliar word. The word is
cleared up by giving an example.

SIGNAL WORDS: For example, For instance,

Including, Such as, Specifically, To illustrate
 EXAMPLES:
◦The archeologist found different amulets,
such as rabbit’s foot and bags of herb.
◦Paula was suspended from school because
of several infractions of the rules, including
in the bathroom and dressing improperly.
◦Celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon,
and stars are governed by the predictable
laws.
 A
ANTONYM
A word with opposite meaning is used
in the sentence or near by sentence.
The author uses another word or phrase that means the opposite
of an unfamiliar word

SIGNAL WORDS: Words used are: But, however,

although, otherwise, unless, instead of, on the contrary, on
the other hand, while, unlike.
 EXAMPLES:
◦Mike’s parrot was loquacious, but Maria’s said
very little.
◦The gentleman was portly, but his wife was thin.
◦While Luis is hardworking, his indolent brother
spends most of the time watching TV or sitting
around with friends.
◦Ricardo is arrogant. He needs to learn to be
humble like his little brother Jose.
 S SYNONYM
Words with similar meaning are used
in or near the sentence.
The author uses a word having the same or nearly the same
meaning as another word or other words in a sentence.
SIGNAL WORDS: Commas , Semicolon ; Dashes -
Parenthesis ( ) Sometimes signal words or, that is,
or in other words are used.
 EXAMPLES:
◦Carnivores, that is, meat eaters, are the top of
the food chain.
◦My best friend squandered all his money; his
drinking and gambling wasted all his earnings.
◦After seeing the picture of the starving children,
we all felt compassion or pity for their suffering.
◦After a time, glaciers, or slowly moving of ice,
formed over many parts of the Earth.
 Bruce cut his palm while
climbing the craggy rocks.

◦Rugged and sharp

◦Soft and smooth
◦Flat and round
 Don’t squander your
money on candy.

◦To shake or toss

◦To waste or splurge
◦To invest or spend wisely
 Mom couldn’t stand the
repugnant sight of Mark’s room
any longer and made him clean
it.
◦unacceptable
◦attractive
◦cold
Betty stayed up too late last night
and fell asleep during the
reverend’s oration.

◦A musical number or dance

◦A formal speech or address
◦A celebration of oneself
 I wanted to roll around in the
mud but I didn’t want to tarnish
my squeaky clean image.

◦To damage or harm

◦To maintain or keep up
◦To enhance or improve
 Our steps echoed in the
spacious ballroom.
◦Covered in speckles or small
spots
◦Small, tight, or contained
◦Roomy or having lots of space
 It’s going to be a bumpy ride
so fasten your safety belt.
◦To unbuckle or detach
completely
◦To cause one to move quickly
◦To attach or connect securely
 She cried as she spoke and
no one doubted the veracity
of her story.
◦volume; audibility
◦True; truthful
◦Speed; acceleration
 We are all tired of this but we
must endure.

◦To quit or finish

◦To reduce or replace
◦To last or continue
 The soldiers conferred on
what to do with the prisoner.

◦To talk together

◦Wrong
◦To run away
Bob woke up late and rushed
to school with his hair
unkempt.
◦Normal or regular
◦Cleaned and styled
◦Uncombed and messy
 USING CONTEXT
CLUES IN IDIOMATIC
EXPRESSION
Getting the meaning of Idiomatic Expression using Context clues!
 Processing…

What is an Idiomatic
Expression?
Idiomatic Expression
An idiom is “an
expression” whose
meaning cannot be
predicted from the usual
meaning.
“It’s raining cats and dogs. I
wish I had brought my
umbrella.”
Meaning:
It is raining heavily.
 Meaning:
The person who you love the most

“My son, David, is the apple

of my eye.”
 Meaning:
To be successful at something or to
earn money.

“My husband will bring home the

bacon from his work.”
 Meaning:
Wishing you a good luck/ good luck!

“Before I perform,
my friend told me to
break a leg.”
“Jen had butterflies in her
stomach before the exam.”

Meaning:
To feel very nervous
Here are some examples
of Idiomatic expression
in context:
“Stephanie was down in the
dumps. She broke her new
toy.”

A.Sad
B.Visiting the garbage dump
 “Stephen had ants in his
pants. He couldn’t stay still.

A. He had bugs in his jeans

B.He was moving around a lot
“Wow! Time flies when you’re
having fun! It feels like we just
got here and now it’s time to
leave.

A. time passed by quickly

B. a clock is flying in the sky
 “Ouch! My food was too
hot. My mouth is on fire!”

A. a fireplace in someone’s mouth

B.They burned their mouth
 A. Directions: Identify the meaning of the underlined idiomatic expressions
using context clues. Write the letter of the correct answer.

1. You’ve got to have some work experience under your belt before you
can hope to get a stable job.
A.have gained a lot of friends from high places who can help you get
the job
B. have acquired experience or have satisfactorily achieved something
C.have attained more talent to manipulate interview results
D.have obtained enough financial resources to unwind

2. Now here’s this week’s quiz. It’s time to put your thinking caps on.
A.to feel bombarded and heavy with a difficult task
B. to solve a problem or create an idea by thinking
C.to consider with much deliberation
D.to think with deep meditation
3. To live in grey existence would mean to live a colorless life.
A. confused, at a loss C. dull, monotonous
B. exciting, full D. hectic, busy
4. After going to the zoo, the mall, and the movies, Cassie was sick of bending
over backwards to entertain her nieces.
A. Cassie was doing very little to entertain her nieces.
B. Cassie was making small efforts to entertain her nieces.
C.Cassie was trying very hard to entertain her nieces.
D. Cassie was not trying at all to entertain her nieces
5. Over the summer Brian was really excited about being placed in the
advanced math class, but after getting his syllabus on the first day and seeing
the workload, he was ready to jump ship.
A. Brian was even more excited about the math class than he was over the
summer.
B. Brian wanted to start working on his math assignments right away.
C.Brian did not want to be in the advance math class anymore.
D. Brian wanted to cause some trouble in the advanced math class.
 make a beast of oneself - eat large quantities of food, leaving little
for others
a cat’s nap - a short sleep taken during the day
donkey’s years - a very long time
a fish out of water - someone who feels uncomfortable in
unfamiliar surroundings or company
smell a rat - detect something suspicious; sense that
something is wrong
6. My students had planned to play trick on me, but because they were so
quiet and attentive I _______________________.
7. Why don’t you take ________________________ if you’re tired?
8. I always expect that a voracious eater like him will ___________on such a
big occasion like this.
9. I didn’t know anyone at the party and I felt like _______________among all
my sister’s high school friends.
10. At first, I didn’t recognize Ana when she stopped me in the park because
I hadn’t seen her for __________________.
SEATWORK #1 DIRECTIONS: Identify the type of context clue used in the ff.
sentences. Write whether it is Inference, Definition, Example, Antonym, or
Synonym type of context clue.
1. The dudeen – a short-stemmed clay pipe – absolutely vapid.”
is found in Irish folk tales. 6. The children were as different as day and
2. Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder, night. He was a lively conversationalist, but
salmon, and trout, live in the coldest parts she was reserved and taciturn.
of the ocean. 7. His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like
3. Flooded with spotlights – the focus of all appearance, was frightening to see.
attention – the new Miss Philippines began 8. Katie’s belligerence surprised everyone. She
her year-long reign. She was the cynosure threw her book across the room, glared at
of all eyes for the rest of the evening. Chris, and then pushed him to the floor.
4. When the light brightens, the pupils of the 9. A sleuth, such as Sherlock Holmes, can be
eyes contract; however, when it grows very helpful in solving crimes.
darker, they dilate.
10.The mountain pass was a tortuous road,
5. She told her friend, “I’m through with blind winding and twisting like a snake around
dates forever. What a dull evening! I was the trees of the mountainside.
bored every minute. The conversation was
1.DEFINITION
2.EXAMPLE
3.SYNONYM
4.ANTONYM
5.INFERENCE
6.ANTONYM
7.DEFINITION
8.INFERENCE
9.EXAMPLE
10. SYNONYM