Understanding Context Clues

• Context clues involve using information within a sentence or passage to understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
• Context clues can be definitions, examples, synonyms, antonyms, or general sense of the passage.
• Recognizing context clues is an important reading comprehension strategy.

Types of Context Clues

• Definition/Explanation Clue: The meaning of the word is directly stated in the sentence.
• Signal words: is, means, is defined as, is called.
• Example Clue: The meaning of the word is clarified by giving examples.
• Signal words: such as, for example, like, including.
• Synonym Clue: Another word with a similar meaning is used in the sentence.
• Signal words: also, as, like, similar to, in other words.
• Antonym Clue: A word with the opposite meaning is used in the sentence, providing a contrast.
• Signal words: but, however, yet, unlike, on the other hand, in contrast.
• Inference Clue: The meaning of the word is not directly stated but can be inferred from the surrounding sentences or the overall context.
• To use context clues effectively, read the entire sentence or passage carefully.
• Look for any words or phrases that seem related to the unfamiliar word.
• Consider the overall tone and purpose of the text to help you make an educated guess about the word's meaning.

Root Words

• A root word is the basic part of a word that carries the primary meaning.
• Root words often come from Latin or Greek.
• Understanding root words can help decipher the meanings of many different words.

Common Root Words

• "dict" (say): Examples include dictate, predict, diction, dictionary, edict, contradict.
• "port" (carry): Examples include portable, transport, export, import, report, portfolio.
• "scrib/script" (write): Examples include scribe, script, describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscription.
• "spect" (look): Examples include inspect, respect, spectacle, spectator, perspective, prospect.
• "struct" (build): Examples include structure, construct, instruct, obstruct, destruct, infrastructure.
• "vert/vers" (turn): Examples include convert, reverse, divert, invert, versatile, version.
• "vis/vid" (see): Examples include visible, vision, video, evident, provide, supervise.
• "fac/fact/fect" (do/make): Examples include factory, manufacture, perfect, effect, defect, faculty.
• "mot/mov" (move): Examples include motion, remove, promote, motivate, movement, automobile.
• "ten/tain/tent" (hold): Examples include contain, retain, entertain, tenant, tentative, detention.

Prefixes

• A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
• Recognizing common prefixes can help understand the meanings of unfamiliar words.

Common Prefixes

• "un-" (not): Examples include unhappy, undone, unfair, uncertain, unusual.
• "re-" (again): Examples include redo, rewind, return, react, review, renew.
• "dis-" (not, opposite of): Examples include disagree, disappear, dislike, dishonest, distrust.
• "in-/im-" (not): Examples include incorrect, impossible, invisible, imperfect, insecure.
• "pre-" (before): Examples include preheat, preview, predict, prepare, preschool.
• "sub-" (under): Examples include subway, submarine, submerge, substitute, substandard.
• "super-" (above, beyond): Examples include supervise, superior, superpower, supermarket, superb.
• "trans-" (across): Examples include transport, transfer, translate, transmit, transform.
• "anti-" (against): Examples include antifreeze, antibiotic, antisocial, antiwar, antibody.
• "de-" (down, away): Examples include descend, decrease, deduct, degrade, depart.

Suffixes

• A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function.
• Recognizing common suffixes can help understand the meanings and usages of words.

Common Suffixes

• "-ly" (adverb): Indicates manner or degree (e.g., quickly, slowly, happily).
• "-er/-or" (noun): Indicates a person or thing that performs an action (e.g., teacher, actor, worker, editor).
• "-ness" (noun): Indicates a state or condition (e.g., happiness, kindness, sadness, darkness).
• "-tion/-sion" (noun): Indicates a process, state, or result (e.g., action, creation, tension, expansion).
• "-able/-ible" (adjective): Indicates capability or possibility (e.g., capable, readable, visible, edible).
• "-ful" (adjective): Indicates full of (e.g., beautiful, helpful, careful, joyful).
• "-less" (adjective): Indicates without (e.g., fearless, careless, homeless, endless).
• "-ment" (noun): Indicates a condition or result of an action (e.g., argument, achievement, payment, treatment).
• "-ize/-ise" (verb): Indicates to make or become (e.g., realize, organize, equalize, customize).
• "-ed" (verb): indicates past tense

Synonyms

• Synonyms are words that have similar meanings.
• Using synonyms can help to add variety to writing and speaking.
• A thesaurus is a useful tool for finding synonyms.

Examples of Synonyms

• Happy: joyful, cheerful, glad, merry.
• Sad: sorrowful, unhappy, depressed, gloomy.
• Big: large, huge, enormous, gigantic.
• Small: tiny, little, minute, petite.
• Good: excellent, great, wonderful, superb.
• Bad: terrible, awful, horrible, dreadful.
• Angry: mad, furious, irate, enraged.
• Brave: courageous, fearless, valiant, bold.
• Smart: intelligent, clever, brilliant, wise.
• Fast: quick, rapid, swift, speedy.

Antonyms

• Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.
• Understanding antonyms can help to clarify the meaning of a word.

Examples of Antonyms

• Happy/Sad
• Big/Small
• Good/Bad
• Hot/Cold
• Light/Dark
• Fast/Slow
• Easy/Difficult
• High/Low
• In/Out
• On/Off

Sentence Completion

• Sentence completion questions test vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
• The goal is to choose the word or words that best fit the meaning of the sentence.

Strategies for Sentence Completion

• Read the entire sentence carefully to understand the context.
• Look for keywords or clues that indicate the meaning of the missing word(s).
• Consider the relationships between the different parts of the sentence.
• Pay attention to grammar and sentence structure.
• If unsure, try each answer choice in the sentence to see which one makes the most sense.
• Eliminate answer choices that are clearly incorrect.
• Focus on the overall meaning and tone of the sentence.
• Look for transition words (e.g., however, therefore, although) that indicate a shift in meaning.
• Consider synonyms and antonyms of the answer choices.
• Don't choose an answer simply because the word "sounds good."
• Ensure that the completed sentence is logical and grammatically correct.