Ways to find the meaning of a word - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

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Maybe you are in the middle of an exam and suddenly come across a word that makes absolutely no sense. This is usually a cue for most people to panic if a dictionary is not handy. But don’t worry! There are several steps you can take to help you figure out the meaning of a word without a dictionary.

1
Read the entire sentence. It can be very frustrating to have your reading interrupted by an unknown word. If you are in the middle of an exam or an assignment for school or work, it can also be very stressful. If you can’t reach for a dictionary, take other steps to figure out what the word means.
- Your first step is to go back and re-read the entire sentence. You probably lost track of what your were reading when you stumbled upon the new word.
- Think about the content of the sentence. Do you understand the sentence without using the new word? Or is it incomprehensible?
- Try underlining the unknown word. This will help you separate it from the rest of the sentence.
2
Identify words you do understand. You can often use other words in the sentence to help you define the unknown word. Think about what else is happening in the sentence. Hopefully, this will help you figure out whether the unknown word is a noun, verb, or adjective.
- For example, maybe you are looking at a sentence that says, «It was a very sultry day in the middle of the summer.» You probably understand each word except for «sultry».
- Think about what you know about the summer. It is likely that «sultry» has something to do with weather.
- Maybe your biology exam has this sentence, «Many members of the canine family are predators, looking for other animals to eat.» You can surmise that «predators» prey on other animals.
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3
Look for illustrative examples. Once you have examined the other words in that sentence, you can move on. Start looking at the sentences that follow the unknown word. An author will often give descriptions that can help you figure out the meaning of an unknown word.^[1]
- For example, take the sentence, «It was a very sultry day in the middle of summer.» It could be followed by the sentence, «The heat and humidity made it appealing to sit in the shade and drink lemonade.»
- You can now more confidently define «sultry». The descriptive words such as «heat» and «humidity» are further clues that it is a description of the weather.
- Sometimes, the descriptive examples will be right in the original sentence. For example, it could say, «Sultry days are so damp and hot.»
4
Think logically. Sometimes, the context clues will not be as clear. You will have to use logic to figure out the word. You can also use experience, or prior knowledge, of the topic.^[2]
- For example, maybe a sentence says, «In the antebellum South, many plantation owners kept slaves.» It is likely that «antebellum» is the unknown word.
- The sentence itself does not offer many clues. However, the following sentences are, «But after the Civil War, slavery was outlawed. This was a major change between the two periods.»
- Think about what you know now. You are reading information about two different time periods, right? Before the Civil War and after the Civil War.
- You can now make a pretty logical assumption about the word «antebellum». Based on your experience and reading the following sentences, you know it probably means «before the war».
5
Use other context clues. Sometimes an author will offer other types of clues. Look for restatement. This is where the meaning of the word is restated in other words.
- Here is an example of «restatement»: «The pig squealed in pain. The high-pitched cry was very loud.»
- You can also look for «appositives». This is where an author highlights a specific word by placing a further description between two commas.
- This is an example of the use of an appositive: «The Taj Mahal, which is a massive white marble mausoleum, is one of the most famous landmarks in India.
- You may not know the words «Taj Mahal», but the use of appositives makes it clear that it is a landmark.

1
Look for a prefix. Etymology is the study of the meanings of words. It also looks at the origins of words, and how they have changed over time. By learning about etymology, you can find new ways to define unknown words without using a dictionary.
- Start by looking at each part of the word in question. It is very helpful to look to see if the word has a common prefix.
- Prefixes are the first part of the word. For example, a common prefix is «anti».
- «Anti» means «against». Knowing this should help you figure out the meanings of words such as «antibiotic» or «antithesis».
- «Extra» is a prefix that means «beyond». Use this to figure out words such as «extraterrestrial» or «extracurricular».
- Other common prefixes are «hyper», «intro», «macro» and «micro». You can also look for prefixes such as «multi», «neo» and «omni».
2
Pay attention to the suffix. The suffix are the letters at the end of the word. There are several suffixes in the English language that are common. They can help you figure out what kind of word you are looking at.
- Some suffixes indicate a noun. For example, «ee» at the end of the word almost always indicates a noun. Some examples are «trainee» and «employee».
- «-ity» is also a common suffix for a noun. Examples include «electricity» and «velocity».
- Other suffixes indicate verbs. For example, «-ate». This is used in words such as «create» and «deviate».
- «-ize» is another verb suffix. Think about the words «exercise» and «prioritize».
3
Identify root words. A root word is the core word, without a prefix or suffix. Most words in the English language come from either a Latin or Greek root word.^[3]
- By learning common root words, you can begin to identify new words more easily. You will also be able to recognize words that have had a prefix or suffix added.
- An example of a root word is «love». You can add many things to the word: «-ly» to make «lovely».
- «Bio» is a Greek root word. It means «life, or living matter». Think about how we have adapted this root word to become «biology», «biography», or «biodegradable».
- The root word mater- or matri- comes from the Latin word mater, meaning mother. By understanding this root, you can better understand the definitions of words like matron, maternity, matricide, matrimony, and matriarchal.

1
Keep notes. If you can increase the size of your vocabulary, you will find yourself less likely to encounter unknown words. There are several steps you can take to effectively build your vocabulary. For example, you can start by writing notes.
- Every time you encounter an unfamiliar word, write it down. Then later, when you have access to a dictionary, you can look it up for a precise definition.
- Keep a small pack of sticky notes with you while you read. You can write the unfamiliar word on a note and just stick it on the page to return to later.
- Start carrying a small notebook. You can use it to keep track of words that you don’t know and new words that you have learned.
2
Utilize multiple resources. There are a lot of tools that you can use to help you build your vocabulary. The most obvious is a dictionary. Purchase a hard copy, or book mark an online dictionary that you find useful.
- A thesaurus can also be very helpful. It will give you synonyms for all of the new words you are learning.
- Try a word of the day calendar. These handle desk tools will give you a new word to learn each day. They are available online and at bookstores.
3
Read a lot. Reading is one of the best ways to increase the size of your vocabulary. Make it a point to read each day. Both fiction and non-fiction will be helpful.
- Novels can expose you to new words. For example, reading the latest legal thriller will likely expose you to some legal jargon you’ve never heard before.
- Read the newspaper. Some papers even have a daily feature that highlights language and explores the meanings of words.
- Make time to read each day. You could make it a point to scroll through the news while you drink your morning coffee, for example.
4
Play games. Learning can actually be fun! There are many enjoyable activities that can help you to build your vocabulary. Try doing crossword puzzles.
- Crossword puzzles are a great way to learn new words. They will also stretch your brain by giving you interesting clues to figure out the right word.
- Play Scrabble. You’ll quickly learn that unusual words can often score the most points.

Add New Question

Question

Is there a list of prefixes/suffixes, or a simple etymology handbook, that I can obtain from the Internet or someplace else?

I’m sure there are many! Check websites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other booksellers who might sell grammar handbooks. You could also try checking your local book stores.
Question

How does one find out and understand the formation of words?

If you can recognize the prefixes, suffixes, and anything else that might alter the root word, then you’ll know how the root is being altered. For example, ‘amuse’ is made up of ‘a’ as in ‘not’ and ‘muse’ referring to ponderous thought. Even if you don’t recognize the root ‘muse’ because it’s a more archaic term, you know that the ‘a’ inverses it’s meaning.
Question

How can I know the exact meaning of a word using dictionaries from many leanings given?

Substitute each meaning into the sentence where you encountered the word, and see which definition makes the most sense within the context of that sentence.

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Keep a notebook. This could be useful if you come across a word that you want to learn later, if you want to list any words that share suffixes or prefixes (both of which are known as «roots», which also include anything that goes into the middle.)
Read etymology dictionaries. They are found online and presumably in bookstores if you look hard enough.
Make your own notes in your personal English notebook to remember important points later on.

References

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To understand a word without a dictionary, try re-reading the entire sentence to see if the context helps you to find out what the word means. If it’s unclear, try to figure it out by thinking about the meaning of the words you’re familiar with, since the unknown word might have a similar meaning. Additionally, look for common prefixes in words, such as «anti,» which means against, or «extra,» which means beyond. Next, check the following sentences for clues, such as the topic the word is related to. Alternatively, keep a list of unknown words so you can check them in a dictionary at a later date. For tips on how to identify root words and how to learn words by doing crossword puzzles, read on!

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How to Guess What a Word Means

Need to know what a new word means now? Did you know the English language has over 1,000,000 words? Yet the average adult learner has a vocabulary of only 40,000-50,000 words. With so many words out there, how can you learn them all? There are various strategies that you can learn which will help you to deduce what a word means. Yes, you could just look them up in an English dictionary; but, studies show that you most likely won’t remember the word after a while. However, by making your brain figure it out, a trail of understanding is left and you are more likely to remember the meaning, thus improving your vocabulary!

Perhaps you are taking a standardized test and are being asked about particular words. These strategies will help you immensely! We also provide some example sentences to help find the meaning of the word needed or of any individual words you need help with.

Context — If the word is used in a sentence, look at the other words and see if they give you clues to the word’s meaning. This may help to guess, at least, part of the word’s meaning.

EX. «‘Proximal’ refers to points on the body that are close to the torso, as opposed to ‘distal.

Given the context of the sentence, we can see the word «opposed» which means «to be opposite of.» If ‘proximal’ is opposite of ‘distal’ we can conclude that the word distal likely is used to refer to parts of the body that are far from the torso, like fingers. At this point, you can look in the dictionary to check our guess. You can also look at similar antonyms or synonyms for meaning of the new or unfamiliar words as well. While most English words act as idioms, the meaning of a word can be tricky if you are learning English or are learning more advanced words. Collocations can also help in the word meaning process by using context clues to find the correct answer or meaning to the word’s meaning.

STRUCTURE- Probably the most important skill when it comes to understanding words. The internal structure of words is called morphology. Morphology consists of morphemes—which are minimal units of meaning, rules for combining them into words, and rules for pronouncing the resulting words. For this article, we will keep it simple and go over a few key things.

Using your understanding of morphology helps you break down a word into smaller pieces so that you can guess what it means. For example, let’s use a nonsense word, say, POIB.

*What would POIB-able mean? (Capable of being POIBed)

*What is the word class of POIB-able? (Adjective)

*So, what is the word class of POIB? (Verb)

This exercise is to show how we can make some assumptions about the word we don’t know simply by how it is used in the sentence and what affixes are attached to it (affixes are a type of morpheme). This is how we can tell the word’s word class: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.

MORPHEME- A morpheme may be a word or less than a word. (EX. nation, re-, -al). Morphemes cannot be broken down into smaller units.

TYPES OF MORPHEMES- Prefixes, Suffixes, Infixes, Plurals, Possessives, and base(root) words.

**Free morphemes are words that can stand on their own and have meaning.

For example, «nation» does not require a prefix or a suffix attached to it to make sense. It’s a word by itself.

**Bound Morphemes cannot stand on their own and must be attached to another morpheme to create a word.

For example, «dental»= dent + al. Together they make a word, but neither «dent» nor «al» are words themselves. All affixes are boundmorphemes. Some base (root) words are bound.

AFFIXES — anything that is added to a base (root) word. Determine how the affix affects the base (root) word it is attached to.

*Examples of affixes that change word class (i.e. from a verb to adverb)-er, -ly, -al, -y, -ish

*Examples of affixes that add to meaning of the base (root) word.anti-, omni-, re-, -s, -ed, dis-

***There are only about 75 prefixes in English. There are less suffixes. Memorize them.

Now that you understand what a morpheme is. The next step is to take your word and try to break it down into morphemes. Let’s use the word «predetermined» as our example. Predetermined= pre + determine + ed

We may know that the base (root) word ‘determine’ means to decide; the prefix ‘pre’ means before, and the suffix ‘ed’ is used to mean the past tense of a verb.

Therefore, «predetermined» would mean to have already decided the outcome of something before it happened.

Another example: quadruped = quadru + ped, meaning four feet. Both «quad» and «ped» are bound morphemes that must be attached to another morpheme to create a word.

KNOW YOUR ROOTS — Sometimes after you break down your word, you still may not know the meaning because you don’t know what the base (root) word means. Let’s say that you didn’t know the above root word «ped» was a Greek origin word meaning ‘feet.’ How could you try to guess what it meant?

*Think of other words you know that have «ped» in them?

What do these words have in common?

EX. pedestal, pedal, pedestrian, millipede

You guessed it, FEET!

With the strategies above you can usually guess what a word means. If you are taking a test, use what you’ve assumed about the word to help with the process of elimination. Looking at word lists can also help in the meaning process.

Happy vocabulary building!

There are a few things that can help you estimate the meaning of a word, even if you have never read or heard it before. If you are taking a standardized test and will be asked about particular words, if you are learning English or if you just want to expand your vocabulary these strategies will help you immensely. Use the words around the unfamiliar word to help you guess the meaning, or use your knowledge of suffixes and prefixes to help you estimate the meaning of the new word. By figuring out the meaning of a new word, you may be more likely to remember the meaning and the new word.

Sound out the unfamiliar word if you are reading it. A word that seems unfamiliar at first may be a word you already know once you hear it out loud.

Look at the other words in the sentence to see if they give you clues to the new word’s meaning. This is called «context,» and may help you guess at part of the word’s meaning. For example, «proximal» refers to points on the body that are close to the torso, as opposed to «distal.» Here you can see the words «opposed to» which mean «to be opposite.» If «proximal» is the opposite of «distal,» you can conclude that the word «distal» likely is used to refer to parts of the body that are far from the torso such as fingers.

Break the new word down into its smallest parts. These small parts are called «morphemes.» A morpheme may be a word or less than a word. For example, «nation,» «re-,» and «-al» are all morphemes. Morphemes cannot be broken down into smaller units. There are many types of morphemes including prefixes, suffixes and root words. Free morphemes are words that can stand on their own and still have meaning. For example, «nation» does not require a prefix or a suffix attached to it to make sense. It’s a word by itself. Bound morphemes cannot stand on their own and must be attached to another morpheme to create a word. For example, the «s» in the word «dogs» is a bound morpheme. Without the word «dog,» the «s» has no meaning.

Learn about the structure of English words. English words have their roots in Greek, Latin and Germanic languages. Sometimes after you break down your word, you still may not know the meaning because you don’t know what the root word means. For example, let’s say you read the word «millipede.» There are two roots in this word. The root word «ped» is a word of Latin origin meaning «feet.» You can guess what it means by thinking of other words that have the root «ped.» You might think of «pedestal,» «pedal» and «pedestrian.» From these words, you can guess that your new word has something to do with feet. You might guess that «mille» has something to do with «million,» and you’d be on the right track. It means «thousand,» but in this word just means «many.» So, a millipede is something with many legs. If you check your dictionary, you will find that a millipede is an insect with many legs. This means you guessed most of the meaning of the word simply from looking at the root words.

Learn English affixes. Anything that is added to the beginning or end of a root word is an affix. Affixes include suffixes, prefixes and pluralization. Knowing the affixes can help you determine how the affix affects the root word it is attached to. Some affixes change the word class, for example from a verb to adverb. These include affixes like «-er,» «-ly» and «-ish.» Some affixes add to the meaning of the root word. These include affixes like «anti-,» «re-» and «-ed.» While it may take some time to learn them all, by breaking words down into morphemes you will begin to recognize which are affixes and which are roots. For example, let’s use the word «predetermined» as an example. «Predetermined» is made up of the prefix «pre,» the root «determine» and the suffix «ed.» You may know that the root word «determine» means to decide, the prefix «pre» means before and the suffix «ed» is used to mean the past tense of a verb. Therefore, «predetermined» means to have already decided the outcome of something before it happened.

Tip

Read. The more you read, the more words you will know, without even realizing it. Keep your dictionary on hand, so you can check your guesses.

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4 Easy Ways to Find Meaning of Any Word with Google

Ofter while reading online, we need to find simple meaning of some complex word. For example, while reading about unfamiliar topics or in-depth article from McKinsey Quarterly, we may find some unfamiliar words in course and then we leave/misunderstand them due to lack of time. This is not at all advisable as a little misunderstanding with a word can change the complete meaning of the sentence.

Being a Google oriented blog, we will solve with this concern with available Google tools. Here are 4 easiest ways to find meaning of any word:

1. The Easiest Way – Using Google Dictionary

For any word, the simplest tool to use Google Dictionary. It is a dedicated site for finding word meanings, definitions, related phrases, synonyms and pronunciations. It also offers word bookmarking for remembering complex words and translations for better understanding.

Note: Dictionary may not work in all countries. In that case try – http://www.google.ca/dictionary

2. Using define Operator in Google Search

Do you know that you instantaneously find the web meaning of any word by searching it on Google with define prefix. For example, try define:endogamy .
To use this method, just write define: before your search word in Firefox Search Box or Chrome Omnibar (Address bar)and press Enter. You will be surprised to see its simplicity and usefulness.

Related: Google Search Prefixes for better redefined results.

3. Use Browser Addon or Extension

This method is quite preferable as you don’t have to leave the page to check any word meaning. You can keep on reading and to find any word definition, just double click on it for fancy in-page popup.

For Chrome, here is the official extension available from the Google team which works perfectly.

For Firefox, try “Google Dictionary and Google Translate” addon. Though it is a third party addon, but words equally great.

4. Hack Firefox Address Bar Default Behavior

Previously, we have written about turning Firefox address bar into word lookup dictionary. You can use this hack to directly jump to result page of Google Dictionary.

Mostly I use define: prefix in Google. Its easy, convenient and fast. Which method will you use? Tell us in your comments.

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Vocabulary
Building and Reading Comprehension

The meaning of unknown words which you come across
in your reading sometimes can be known by their surroundings,
that is, their contexts. The context of the sentence
can tell us the part of speech of the unknown word.
Using the context of the paragraph to define unknown
words can also helpful.

Although it takes practice, it is the easiest and
most efficient way to identify words. Often, using
the context is the only way to figure out the meaning
of the word as it is used in the sentence, passage,
or chapter.

Consider the word «bar». Bar is a common word. But
without surrounding words, you don’t know if it describes
soap, a place that serves beer, a sand formation at
the beach, a way to lock the door, or…

Readers often have trouble because they identify the
literal but incorrect meaning of a word when they
should identify the way it was used in the passage.
The following sections will give you more explanation
and some exercises on how to get help on the meaning
of unknown words by checking their part of speech
and their place in context.

A. Using The Part of Speech of the unknown word
as a help in reading.

One consideration in using the context is to determine
the unknown word’s part of speech. The words around
the unknown word give you clues. Once you know if
the word is a noun or if it is an adjective, it often
is enough for you to continue reading intelligently
without having to stop to look up the meaning of the
word. After coming across the word a few more times,
you will know its meaning more firmly than if you
had just looked it up.

In the following sentences, identify the part of speech
of the italicized words by writing N if the word is
a noun, V if the italicized word is a verb, Adj if
the italicized word is an adjective, or Adv if the
italicized word is an adverb.

Example: She liked to wear red and always wore jewelry
made of carnelian. Ans. N

1. The dirty old man gave the young woman a salacious
look.

2. The president prayed for the sagacity to
make the right decision in the face of many alternatives.

3. The man looked at the rusty old gadget and
wondered how its mechanism worked.

4. The dying man designated his son to receive
his property.

5. The brindled dog barked loudly.

6. The father caressed his crying child with
great tenderness.

7. «Don’t patronize us; we are not children!» said the angry indigenous leaders to the politicians.

8. John was a good emanuensis, always taking
dictation correctly and typing up all of his employer’s
correspondence.

9. The boy was disappointed by the paltry amount
he received as an inheritance when his grandfather
died.

10. The young boy ran clumsily down the hill
with his arms and legs flapping all over.

B. USING OTHER CLUES GOTTEN FROM THE TEXT ITSELF

Knowing the part of speech of the unknown word is
not the only way to figure out its meaning. There
are other clues to the meanings of unknown words.
They are found directly within a sentence, paragraph,
passage, or chapter. Being able to recognize these
clues helps you define new words in context. These
clues are found right in the text and can be words
or punctuation marks or specific words or phrases.

You use them to compare words or to identify unknown
words that mean the same or the opposite of words
you already know. The clues can also be used to define
unknown words that are examples of a group.

There are five other clues that will help you: 1.
Punctuation clues, 2. Definition clues, 3. Contrast
clues, 4.Comparison clues, and 5. Example clues.

Of these types, the most important are the Contrast
clues and the Comparison Clues. The other clues are
very obvious and are given here just for the sake
of completeness. The reader should concentrate on
the Contrast and the Comparison clues.

The five text based clues are useful but the most
powerful tool is the Framework based clue. This is
the use of information from your own experience, common
sense, and the context in which you find the difficult
word. There will be examples of this tool at the end
of the paper.

1. Punctuation Clues

Punctuation clues are given when the unknown word
is set off by commas, parentheses, brackets, or dashes.
The information contained within the punctuation marks
sometimes means the same or nearly the same as the
unknown words. Or, the unknown word might be set off
from its meaning by punctuation marks. Information
set off by punctuation marks may clarify rather than
define the word. Finding these clues is not foolproof.

Example of Punctuation Clue: Nicotine, a colorless
and oily drug in tobacco, stains the teeth of chain
smokers. Explanation: The words between the commas-a
colorless and oily drug in tobacco-define nicotine
.

Punctuation Exercise: Underline the punctuation clue
that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.

1. The soldiers advanced down the small deep-sided
gulch (a narrow valley) into an ambush.

2. The philosopher Descartes helped to establish dualism
(the separation of mind and body).

3. Metamemory -knowledge about one’s memory
processes-is helpful in helping us store and recall
information.

4. Adjunct aids-techniques used to assist students’
comprehension of reading materials-have been found
to be quite useful.

5. The deluge, a flood of rain, threatened
to drown the little town.

2. Definition Clues

Definition clues join the unknown word with the word(s)
that rename it or tell its meaning. The clues precede
or follow words that are or act like linking verbs.
A linking verb shows no action but indicates being.

Examples of these verbs are: is, was, are, means,
i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is, or resembles.

For example: The mansion’s piazza resembled
a large uncovered patio. Explanation: The word resembled
joins piazza with its meaning so it is a clue that
lets us know that a piazza is a large uncovered patio.

Definition Exercise: Use definition text-based clues
to find the meaning of the italicized word. Underline
the word (or words) that tells you the meaning of
the italicized word.

1. The art, science, or profession of teaching is
called pedagogy.

2. Divergent thinking is generating many different
ideas in order to solve a problem.

3. Conservative behavior involves cautious
or conventional actions.

4. The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern
Asia is a monsoon.

5. Criterion means a standard or rule by which
a judgment is formed.

6. A souk is an open-air marketplace in North
Africa.

3. Contrast Clues

With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known
information to determine the unknown word. Connecting
words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead
of, but, while, and although join the unknown word
with another word that is its opposite.

Example of Contrast Clue:

My sister is extremely neat in appearance while she
is slovenly in her housekeeping.

Explanation: The word «while» indicates that slovenly
means the opposite of neat. Thus, slovenly means sloppy
or messy.

Contrast Exercise: Determine the meaning of the italicized
word by using contrast text-based clues. Exercise
Example: Although the patron asked for a solemn poem,
the poet wrote doggerel.

1.The tumor was benign; nevertheless, the doctor
decided to treat it as if it could injure the patient.

2.Some business disputes can be settled out of court;
on the other hand; others require litigation.

3. At first the labor union leaders and the factory
owners argued about pay schedules and benefits; however,
they finally came to a compromise.

4. Gina’s leg muscles continued to atrophy
because of her injury, but she exercised to build
up their strength.

5. Carlos acquiesced to Jane’s demands instead
of standing his ground and defending his viewpoint.

4. Comparison Clues

Comparison clues indicate that two or more things
are alike. A comparison is possible because the known
and unknown words have similarities. Words like similarly,
as well as, both, and likewise show you that comparisons
can be made.

Examples of Comparison Clue:

Miss Johnson is a prim, modest woman; likewise,
many of her friends are very proper.

Explanation: Likewise is used to compare prim to proper.
Proper means respectable. Thus, prim has a similar
meaning.

1. The Greek vase was made of alabaster; similarly,
the Roman lamp was also of a translucent, white stone.

2. Taking out the garbage was an onerous task;
likewise, washing dishes can be a hard job.

3. Repartee, as well as other kinds of humorous
conversation, kept the talk show from becoming boring.

4. Birds are oviparous; similarly, fish and
reptiles lay eggs that hatch outside of the body.

5. Both accountants and CPA’s are necessary
for a large company’s financial office.

6. The old chair was protected by both handmade antimacassars
and other coverings.

5. Example Clues

Example clues tell you an example of an unknown word
follows. You derive the meaning of the unknown word
by determining what the examples have in common. Example
clues are usually introduced by the following words
and phrases: such as, such, other, for example, and
like.

Example of «Example» Clue: Potentates-such
as kings, queens, and emperors-are very powerful and
wealthy people. Explanation: Since kings, queens,
and emperors are the rulers of countries, potentates
are rulers.

«Example» Clue EXERCISE: Underline the words that
explain the italicized words.

Canines, such as collies, pugs, and poodles,
are good pets.

Edifices, such as skyscrapers and condominiums,
are found in cities.

Various means of conveyance-for example, cars,
subways, and ships are used worldwide.

Nickels, dimes, dollars, and other kinds of legal
tender are used to purchase goods.

Many people enjoy eating mollusks, like clams
and snails.

Fiduciaries, like lawyers and bankers, were
chosen to manage the young heir’s money.

Framework Based Clues

To find meanings from text-based clues (like contrast
clues, comparison clues, definition clues, example
clues), you looked for clues in the sentence itself.
A second kind of clue does not rely on specific words
or punctuation marks to indicate meaning. This kind
of context clue is called framework-based

Your knowledge of the meanings of surrounding words
helps you discover the meaning of a word or of a sentence.
The background information you find in these frameworks
helps you get the meanings of new words. Common sense
and your knowledge of the parts of speech also help
in defining unknown words. You combine your experience
with what the text contains to determine meaning.

Framework Based Clue Example: The angry driver shouted
vehemently during his fight with the other driver.
What does vehemently mean? You know what angry means,
and you know how people feel when they argue. From
this, you can figure out that vehemently has something
to do with strong emotion or intense feeling. This
is an example of using framework-based context to
find the meanings of new words. The meaning you find
comes from your personal experience.

Sometimes it takes a bit more detective work to puzzle
out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. In such cases,
you must draw conclusions based on the information
given with the word. Asking yourself questions about
the passages may help you make a fairly accurate guess
about the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Each of
the sentences below is followed by a question. Think
about each question; using your common sense and asking
yourself a question about the sentence you should
be able to know the correct meaning of the italicized
word.

1. A former employee, irate over having been
fired, broke into the plant and deliberately wrecked
several machines. (What would be the employee’s state
of mind?)

2. John always praised his bosses; he always agreed
with what they said. He said he was just a good employee
but his friends said he was a sycophant. (What
behaviors were his friends describing with the word
they put on John?)

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

(How successful would a car wash be on a rainy day?)

The first sentence provides enough evidence for you
to guess that irate means very angry. Sycophant in
the second sentence means sweet-talker. And a fiasco
is a complete disaster. (These are not exact dictionary
definitions of the words. But by using context clues,
but you will often be accurate enough to make good
sense of what you are reading. And the good thing
is that you save time in your reading because you
don’t have to look up every word!)

Try to answer the question that follows each item
of the list on the other side of this page. Then use
the logic of each answer to help you circle the letter
of the meaning you think is correct. Note that some
of these sentences have been taken from college textbooks.
This should prove to you that your new skills in reading
will help you in your college studies. In the future
you will be able to make up your own questions to
help you.

1. Jamal didn’t want to tell Tina the entire plot
of the movie, so he just gave her the gist
of the story. (What would Jamal say to Tina?)