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
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 on
CONTEX context clues when an
T CLUES 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
I A T N
E M O O
N
R I P N N
E T L Y Y
N I E M M
C O
E N
 INFERENC
I E
The meaning
clues.
is not given so you must use text

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.
◦ HABERDASHERY – men’s clothing and accessories.

◦ No one ever believes that particular newspaper because it is

famous for printing canards.
◦ CANARDS – an unfounded rumor or story.

  
 DEFINITIO
D Nsentence.
The meaning of the word is explained in the

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.
◦AFFABLE - friendly
◦Martha is a curator, a person who is  responsible
for looking after a museum’s  collection.
◦CURATOR – caretaker of a museum.
◦Entomology is the study of insects. 
 EXAMPLE
E An example of the word is in the sentence or
nearby sentences.
The author provides examples  or additional explanations or 
summaries 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.
◦AMULET – good luck charm
◦Paula was suspended from school because of several
infractions of the rules, including in the bathroom
and dressing improperly.
◦INFRACTIONS – violation of law
 ANTONYM
A 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.  
◦ LOQUACIOUS – talkative
◦ The gentleman was portly, but his wife was thin.
◦ PORTLY - fat
◦ Ricardo is arrogant. He needs to learn to be humble like
his little brother Jose.
◦ ARROGANT - boastful
 SYNONYM
S 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:
◦My best friend squandered all his money; his
drinking and gambling wasted all his earnings.
◦SQUANDERED – waste in a foolish manner
◦After seeing the picture of the starving children, 
we all felt compassion or pity for their suffering. 
◦COMPASSION – sympathy
 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
 EXAMPLE
Celestial bodies, such as the
sun, moon, and stars are
governed by the predictable
laws.  
 SYNONYM
The young girl was very aloof.
She always seemed unsociable,
unapproachable.
 INFERENCE
You don’t need to worry
about talking to Ma’am
Provido. She is an affable
teacher.
 DEFINITION
A chimera is a mythical
creature with body parts
from various animals.
 ANTONYM
While Luis is hardworking, his 
indolent brother spends most of
the time watching TV or sitting
around with friends.
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 – is found 1. The children were as different as day and night. He
in Irish folk tales. was a lively conversationalist, but she was reserved
2. Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder, salmon, and and taciturn.
trout, live in the coldest parts of the ocean. 2. His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like
3. Flooded with spotlights – the focus of all attention – appearance, was frightening to see.
the new Miss Philippines began her year-long reign. 3. Katie’s belligerence surprised everyone. She threw
She was the cynosure of all eyes for the rest of the her book across the room, glared at Chris, and then
evening. pushed him to the floor.
4. When the light brightens, the pupils of the eyes 4. A sleuth, such as Sherlock Holmes, can be very
contract; however, when it grows darker, they helpful in solving crimes.
dilate. 5. The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding
5. She told her friend, “I’m through with blind dates and twisting like a snake around the trees of the
forever. What a dull evening! I was bored every mountainside.
minute. The conversation was absolutely vapid.”
1.DEFINITION
2.EXAMPLE
3.SYNONYM
4.ANTONYM
5.INFERENCE
6.ANTONYM
7.DEFINITION
8.INFERENCE
9.EXAMPLE
10. SYNONYM