ELC030 English for Pre-Diploma

CONTEXTUAL
CLUES
Prepared by : Madam Norhafizan Awang
 DEFINITION
What is CONTEXT
CLUES ?
Context clues are The clue may appear
hints given by the within the same
author that can help sentence as the to
you to figure out the which it refers, or it
meanings of may follow in the
unfamiliar words. next sentence.
 EXERCISE 1
Most Americans can speak only one
. Europeans, however,
several. As a result, Europeans think
are unfriendly and unwilling to
communicate with them.
 LET’S CHECK THE
ANSWER!
Most Americans can speak only one
language. Europeans, however, speak
several. As a result, Europeans think
Americans are unfriendly and unwilling
to communicate with them.

How did you do? How did you figure out the missing
words?
 Where can you find the context clues?

In the same
paragraph or
passage as the They are called context
In the same sentence unknown word. clues because they are
as the unfamiliar found in the “context”
word. of the sentence or
passage.
 4 types of Context Clues
INFERENC DEFINITIO
SYNONYM ANTONYM
E N

S A I D

! SAID
 Synonym
• Words with similar meanings are used within the same sentence, or
around the unfamiliar word.

• Example: “The young lady was very aloof. She always seems
unsociable, unapproachable, and uninterested”.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALOOF?

 ANTONYM
• The unfamiliar word is defined by using the word’s opposite or
contrasting meaning.

• This type of clue usually includes the words: whereas, unlike, as

opposed to, however, in contrast to, but, on the other hand.

Example: We thought the children would be famished after the long

journey, but they were not hungry at all.
Lisa hated hip hop music so much whereas her brother
Amaan, was absolutely enthralled by it’s fast-rapping
technique and humorous lyrics.
 Definition
• The unfamiliar word is directly defined in the sentence in which it
appears.
• Definitions are usually set off by commas or dashes, and may include the
use of words, as, or, that is, and in other words.

Example: Her grandmother’s curry is so good that Ali devours it, eats it all
up, although he said that he has no appetite because of the fever.

Some people have unique phobias, such as fear of cloud, fear of hearing
certain names or fear of flowers.
 INFERENCE

• Use reasoning, prior knowledge and the context in which the word
sits.

• GIST : General Idea of Surrounding Text

• Ask yourself questions about the passage. Answering these questions

will often lead you to a reasonable conclusion based on the
information given.
• It took 3 days for the volunteers to
extricate all 12 boys and their football
coach from a cave in northern Thailand
after more than two weeks trapped
underground.

• To figure out the meaning, you need to

ask yourself what volunteers will do if
people were stranded in a flooded cave.
 Why are Context Clues Important?

They help us define They help us to

the unfamiliar become better
words in texts. They come in handy perceptive
during tests when a readers..
dictionary is not
available. to us.