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Learning to use context clues is a key component of vocabulary instruction. Students use context clues to help them determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by looking at the way the word is used in a sentence or paragraph. The words or phrases surrounding an unknown word provide the reader with clues. Common types of context clues include examples, synonyms, antonyms and comparisons. Context clues often contain signal words that the reader can use to help them learn the meaning of new words.
Synonyms and Restatements
Synonyms and restatements help the reader learn the meaning of an unknown word by presenting an alternate term or phrase that means the same as the word. Signal words include «also known as,» «sometimes called,» «that is» and «in other words.» These phrases let the reader know that the other word or phrase has the same meaning as the unknown word.
Antonyms
Antonyms help the reader find the meaning of an unfamiliar word by presenting an alternate word in context that has the opposite meaning. Contrasting signal words for antonyms include «even though,» «however,» «in contrast,» «unlike,» «but» and «different.» Once students recognize signal words to find the antonym, they can use the definition of the antonym to find the opposite meaning of the unknown word.
Examples
Context clues that contain examples can help students learn the meaning of an unknown word. Some signal words that indicate an example are «such as,» «including,» «for instance» and «for example.» When students see these signal words, they learn what the word means because the example helps to explain and define the unknown word.
Comparisons
Signal words that indicate a comparison also help students find the meaning of unfamiliar words. Students can learn the meaning of an unknown word by comparing it to a known word or phrase in the context clue. Signal words for comparisons include «like,» «as,» «also,» «too» and «similar.»
In language learning, signal words are generally understood to be information that indicates the use of certain tenses. Such terms can be single words, typical word combinations, or word groups (in most cases as adverbials), or even entire sentences. The advantage for language learners, and here in particular for English learners, is obvious – if you want to form a sentence with one of these signal indications, you can usually rely on the associated time (tense) and conjugate the predicate (verb) accordingly.
Attention! However, it should not be forgotten that signal words are very often valid, depending on the type, but never in all cases.
In the English language, the following are the most important signal words for grammatical tenses:
There are these very typical ones for the present simple, which express regularity:
regularly, usually, every year, every day, normally (usually), often, rarely, etc.
“Sunny always plays tennis on Tuesdays.”
The present continuous offers the following:
currently, now, at the moment, this week, next month, etc.
“I’m living at Kent’s house at the moment.” (I’m living with Kent right now.)
Another tense that has well-functioning signal words is the present perfect. With these signal words it can often be in the simple or in the ing-form (progressive):
since, for (since), recently; since 7 o’clock, for five years, etc.
“Steffi hasn’t seen her best friend for two years.” (Steffi hasn’t seen her best friend in two years.)
With the simple past, you can also rely very well on signal words, which would be:
yesterday, last year, two hours ago, last weekend, in 2007, etc.
“Francis moved to Italy in 2010.”
The past perfect also has some of these words. You have to be careful with these, however, as they can also apply to the present perfect. Some of these signal words are:
just, never, how long, for, since, already, etc.
“We had already left when the band started to play.” (We were already gone when the band started playing.)
Info: The future times are somewhat limited in English when it comes to signal words. While some certain phrases and expressions refer to the future, none of them are unique. One should therefore not rely on special ones.