CONTEXT CLUES IN

COMPREHENSION READING
 WARM UP
Listen to a song, dance and pass the ball to your
friends, the last person keeping the ball when the
music stops will have to answer a question!

• Do you like reading comprehension

exercises?
• How do you answer the questions in the
text?
• Do you have any special methods to do
reading exercises?
• What do you find the most difficult in the
reading exercise?
• What do you do when you meet new
words in the text?
Can you guess the meaning of
“peramangada”?
I love my peramangada. I got him
when I was in first grade. He has four
short legs and gray hair. He does not like
strangers, especially when they come
around my house.
My peramangada sleeps at
the foot of my bed every night. When I
come home from school, he always tries
to jump up and lick my face. My
peramangada is so cute!
Wouldn’t you love a sweet
peramangada like this?
 Stop – no need to run
to the dictionary! The
meaning of the word
you don’t know may
be right there in the
text!
Use…
Context
C. Blonski
Clues
12/12
 Concept map

WHAT ARE CONTEXT

CLUES?

Context
Clues
Context Clues as a Definition

The meaning of the vocabulary word is in

the sentence itself. It often follows the
unknown word.

In order to become law, all 13 colonies had to

ratify, or approve, the Constitution.

ratify = approve
Right there!! 
Context Clues as a Synonym

A synonym is: a word with a meaning

similar to another word

commas, dashes, or parentheses; sometimes,

or, that is, in other words is used.

There was pandemonium, or chaos among

the fans when their team won the Super Bowl.

pandemonium = chaos
 Context Clues as an Antonym

An antonym is: a word with a meaning

opposite of another word
but, however, although, otherwise, unless, instead, on the
contrary, rather, nor, on the other hand, while, never, no,
or not may be used to signal contrast.

Some children were willing to play in the snow,

but others were reluctant because it was so
cold.
reluctant = not willing
What words helped you know?
 Context Clues as an Example

This type of context clue uses examples to

help explain the meaning of the unknown word.

Nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables,

help our bodies grow.

nutritious = healthy
What examples were given?

fruits and
vegetables
 Context Clues as an Explanation

This type of context clue uses an explanation

or description to help us infer the meaning
of an unfamiliar word.
I was aghast when I found my neighbor had
robbed the jewelry store and stolen $100,000
in diamonds!

Given this situation, how would you feel?

aghast = shocked
 Context Clues as a comparison

too, like, as, similar to, or in the same way may

be used to signal the comparison.

EXAMPLE:

*My brother is enthralled by birds similar

to the way that I am fascinated by
insects.
 Context Clues as etymology

Maybe there’s a prefix, suffix, or root that you

recognize.

Example: Marion may not show up for

basketball practice. She can be undependable.

You recognize the word “depend”, the suffix

“able” which means able to, and the prefix “un”
which means not.

Therefore the word ”dependable” means “not

 Context Clues from inference

You need to use the ideas in the sentences to

figure it out.

Example:
Walt’s pugnacious behavior in the boxing ring
made his opponent back down.

Aggressive, strong, scary behavior might make an

opponent back off. In fact, pugnacious means
aggressive or ready to fight.
 PRACTICE WITH SOME EXAMPLES

Look at the sentence below and see if the context

helps you figure out the meaning of the word adverse.

The adverse effects of this drug, including

dizziness, nausea, and headaches, have caused it
to be withdrawn from the market.

Adverse means
A. artificial. B. harmful. C. energetic.

19
The context helps you figure out that adverse means
“harmful.”
e
hra s
p
nal
Sig

The adverse effects of this drug, including

dizziness, nausea, and headaches, have caused it to
be withdrawn from the market.

Adverse means
A. artificial. B. harmful. C. energetic.

Dizziness, nausea, and headaches are harmful

effects. 20
What is the meaning of the word mundane?

Mundane activities such as doing the laundry or dishes

or going food shopping or reading the newspaper all
help me relax.

Mundane means
A. exciting. B. painful. C. ordinary.

21
The three activities referred to are
examples of mundane or ordinary activities.

Mundane activities such as doing the laundry or dishes

or going food shopping or reading the newspaper all
help me relax.

Mundane means
A. exciting. B. painful. C. ordinary.

22
In the sentence below, what is the synonym
of the word flippant?

As soon as I made a flippant remark to my

boss, I regretted sounding so disrespectful.

23
 As soon as I made a flippant remark to my
boss, I regretted sounding so disrespectful.

The synonym of flippant is “disrespectful.” The word

disrespectful tells you the meaning of flippant.

24
 In the sentence below, use the antonym to help
you figure out the meaning of the word salutary.

Many people have pointed out the harmful

effects that a working mother may have on the
family, yet there are many salutary effects as
well.

Salutary means
A. well-known. B. beneficial. C. hurtful.

25
Salutary is the opposite of harmful, so the answer is
beneficial.

Many people have pointed out the harmful effects that

a working mother may have on the family, yet there are
many salutary effects as well.

Salutary means
A. well-known. B. beneficial. C. hurtful.

26
Use the question below the sentence to help you
figure out the meaning of the word fiasco.

The car wash we organized to raise

funds was a fiasco—it rained all day.

(How successful would a carwash be on a rainy day?)

Fiasco means
A. great financial B. welcome C. complete
success. surprise. disaster.

27
 The car wash we organized to raise
funds was a fiasco—it rained all day.

Fiasco means
A. great financial B. welcome C. complete
success. surprise. disaster.
disaster.

28
 Practice exercise - Level 1
1. Meat eaters, that are carnivores, are at the top of the
food chain.
2. Mike’s parrot was loquacious, but Maria’s said very
little.
3. You
Y are to paint the exterior, not the interior, of the
house.
4. The arbitrator, the neutral person chosen to settle
the dispute, arrived at her decision.
5. She was so famished that people felt sorry for her,
and gave her food to eat.
6. Unlike Jen, who was easygoing, Jackie was
fastidious.
7. The river was full of noxious materials such as
cleaning agents from factories and pesticides from
the nearby farms.
8. Santa Clause was so portly that his doctor declared
him overweight.
9. Since it was raining outside, I used my
bumbershoot to keep from getting wet.
10. The ranivorous hawk, an animal that eats frogs, is
found in central and eastern Africa.
 Practice exercise - Level 2
Today I had to deal with one mishap after
another. I couldn’t find my car keys, I
dropped a bowl of soup at lunchtime, and my
computer crashed twice.

Mishap Means:
A. Unlucky Accident
B. Event
C. Unexpected Question
31
Some mentally ill people have bizarre ideas.
For instance, they may think the TV is
talking to them or that others can steal their
thoughts.

Bizarre Means:
A. Limited
B. Ordinary
C. Odd
 Many politicians do not give succinct
answers. They prefer long ones that help
them avoid the point.

Succinct means:
A. Brief
B. Accurate
C. Complete
33
Although investments in the stock market
can be lucrative, they can also result in
great financial loss.

Lucrative Means:
A. Required
B. Financially Rewarding
C. Risky
Jamal didn’t want to tell Tina the entire plot
of the movie, so he just gave her the gist of
the story.

Gist means:
A. Ending
B. Title
C. Main Idea
Children who move to a foreign country
adapt much more easily than their
parents, soon picking up the language
and customs of their new home.

A. Adjust
B. Struggle
C. Become Bored
In formal communication, be sure to avoid
ambiguous language. Clear language
prevents confusion.

A. Wordy
B. Ineffective
C. Unclear
Suicide rates tend to fluctuate with the
seasons, with much higher rates in the
winter than in the summer.

A. Go up and down
B. Disappear
C. Stay the Same
Human beings are resilient creatures – they
can often bounce back from negative
experiences and adjust well to life.

A. Not flexible
B. Living
C. Able to recover
Despite complaints from parents, educators,
and government officials, violence and
sex on television seem to go on
unabated.

A. More Slowly
B. Unstopped
C. At Great Expense
Today was a day of turmoil at work. The
phones were constantly ringing, people
were running back and forth, and several
offices were being painted.

A. Discussion
B. Confusion
C. Harmony
 In the same way that the arrival of
mechanical equipment meant fewer farm
jobs, the advent of the computer has led
to fewer manufacturing jobs.

A. Arrival
B. Creation
C. Use of
The Chinese government provided incentives
for married couples to only have one child.
For example, couples with one child get
financial help and free medical care.

A. Warnings
B. Penalties
C. Encouragements
 Try this reading text 1
Tchaikovsky  studied  music  as  a  child  and  later  studied composition at the
St. Petersburg  Conservatory.  His  greatest  period  of productivity  occurred 
between 1876 and 1890, during which time he enjoyed the patronage
of Madame von Meck, a woman he never met, who gave him a living stipend of
about $1,000.00 a year.
Madame von Meck later terminated her friendship with Tchaikovsky, as well as
his living allowance, when she, herself, was facing financial difficulties. It was
during the time of Madame von Meck's patronage, however, that Tchaikovsky
created the music for which he is most famous, including the music for the
ballets of Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty.
 Reading text 2
William H. Harrison, the man who served the   shortest term, died
of pneumonia only several weeks after his inauguration.
Abraham Lincoln was one of four presidents who
were assassinated. He was elected in 1860, and his untimely
death came just five years later. James A. Garfield, a former Union
army general from Ohio, was shot during his first year in office
(1881) by a man to whom he wouldn't give a job.
While in his second term of office (1901), William McKinley,
another Ohioan, attended the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo,
New York. During the reception, he was assassinated while
shaking hands with some of the guests. John F. Kennedy was
assassinated in 1963 in Dallas only three years after his
election.Three years after his election in 1920, Warren G, Harding
died in office. Although it was never proved, many believe he was
poisoned. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times (1932,
1936, 1940 and 1944), the only man to serve so long a term. He
had contracted polio in 1921 and eventually died of the illness in
1945.
 Reading text 3
After inventing dynamite, Swedish-born Alfred
Nobel became a very rich man. However,
he foresaw its universally destructive powers too
late. Nobel preferred not to be remembered as the
inventor of dynamite, so in 1895, just two weeks
before his death·, he created a fund to be used for
awarding prizes to people who had
made worthwhile contributions to humanity.
Originally there were five awards: literature,
physics, chemistry, medicine, and peace. Economics
was added in 1968, just sixty-seven years after the
first awards ceremony. Nobel's original legacy of
nine million dollars was invested, and the interest on
this sum is used for the awards which vary from
$30,000 to $125,000.
 INTENSIVE PRACTICE
You are distributed handouts in which you
will find some exercise types in GCSE
exams. Use what you have learnt today to
do the exercises individually first and then
exchange your answer with your partner!
Thank you for your
attention!!!

See you
again !!!