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Vocabulary

In Context

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If you were asked to define the word garrulous, what might you guess it means?

Defining Difficult Words

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What if you read the word in a sentence?

Unlike his quiet and low key family, Brad is garrulous.

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Defining Difficult Words

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If you read these words in a sentence, you might be able to determine the meaning based on context clues. In this sentence, the context—the words surrounding the new vocabulary word—provide clues to help you determine garrulous means talkative.

Unlike his quiet and low key family, Brad is garrulous.

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Using Context Clues

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An author may give you examples to help you understand the meaning of an unknown word.

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“Suzanne had many ailments including a rash, allergies, and a chronic headaches” . The examples—rash, allergies, headaches— help you figure out that the word ailment means “a minor illness.”

Types Of Context Clues

1. Using Examples

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A context clue can be in the form of a synonym: a word that means the same or almost the same as the unknown word. A synonym may appear anywhere in a passage to provide the same meaning as the unknown word.

Types Of Context Clues

2. Using Synonyms

The synonym that helps you understand the word terminate is “end.”

“My doctor said smoking could terminate my life. But I told him, ‘Everybody’s life has to end some time.’ ”

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An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. Antonyms as context clues are often signaled by words and phrases such as however, but, yet, on the other hand, and in contrast.

Types Of Context Clues

3. Using Antonyms

Many people have pointed out the harmful effects that cell phones in school have had, yet there are many salutary effects as well.

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Using the antonym context clue ‘harmful’, we can figure out that salutary means beneficial

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Sometimes it takes a bit more work to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. When this happens, you must draw conclusions and ask questions about the information given with the word.

Types Of Context Clues

4. General Meaning

An employee, irate over being fired, stormed out of the office pushing everyone in his way.

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Using the information in this sentence, we can assume the man is angry – which is the meaning of irate.