Guessing Meaning of Words from Context

Welcome English I classes!

• Write today's objective in Agenda

• Complete warm up question in notebook.

Warm Up:

It is understood that “adolescence is a bridge between childhood and adulthood, during which the individual is gaining further education and training that will enable him/her to fulfill a useful role in adult society” (Arnett 340-341). 

What do you notice about the sentence above?

Welcome English I classes!

• Write today's objective in Agenda

• Complete warm up question in notebook.

Warm Up:

It is understood that “adolescence is a bridge between childhood and adulthood, during which the individual is gaining further education and training that will enable him/her to fulfill a useful role in adult society” (Arnett 340-341). 

What do you notice about the sentence above?

The sentence above uses quotation marks, the author’s last name, and the pages the quote was found on to properly cite the quote in a piece of writing.

Welcome ELA classes!

• Write today's objective in Agenda

• Complete warm up question in notebook.

Warm Up:

"The forest was filled with the cacophony of birds chirping, leaves rustling, and branches creaking."

Based on the rest of the sentence, what does the word, "cacophony ," mean?

How do you know?

Open Ended

What are context clues?

Context Clues

• When you use other words in the text (its context) to help you determine the meaning of an unknown word

Types of Context Clues (IDEAS)

• I: Inference

• D: Definition

• E: Example

• A: Antonym

• S: Synonym

Inference

• When you can use what the sentence says to make a guess about what the word means

• Example: He was a formidable tennis player, and many of his opponents didn't stand a chance against him.

• If his opponents didn't stand a chance, that means he must be pretty good, so you can infer what formidable means.

Open Ended

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.

I relished each delicious and heavenly morsel of the chocolate cake as if it were the last desert on earth.

Definition

• When the definition of the word is given in the sentence

• Example: He was a formidable tennis player, and his power and strength earned him the attention and respect of his coaches.

• This helps you to define the word.

Open Ended

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.

I hope my comment didn't diminish your accomplishments. I never meant to minimize or destract from your hard work.

Example

• When there is an example given that can help you determine the meaning of the word

• Example: As a formidable tennis player, he easily beat every opponent with his superb skill and strength.

Open Ended

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.

The climate in Hawaii is always so sultry that you are constantly dripping sweat and your clothes are never dry.

Antonym

• When the opposite of the word is given in the sentence/surrounding sentences, allowing you to determine the meaning of the word.

• Example: I am a weak, poor tennis player. I hope with enough practice I can become a formidable opponent on the court.

Open Ended

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.

I thought I hired a competant painter, but after seeing his work I realized he was unskilled and inept.

Synonym

• When a synonym of the word is given in the sentence/surrounding sentences

• He was a formidable tennis player, and his fierce and imposing ways often intimidated his opponents.

Open Ended

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.

Many new employees flounder as they clumsily and helplessly learn this complex computer program.

Root

• The main basis of a new word

Common Roots

• Ambi= both

• Aqua= water

• Aud= to hear

• bene= good

• dict= to say

• fract= to break

• srib/scribe= to write

Affixes

• Parts of the word added before (prefix) or after (suffix) the root

Common Prefixes

• Pre= before, in front of (prefix, pretax, prequel)

• in/non/un/im= not (inadequate, nonfat, undo, impossible).

• dis= lack of, apart, not (disappear, disconnect)

• mis= wrong (misstep, miscommunicate)

Common Suffixes

• able/ible= able to (understandable, visible)

• ful= full of (graceful, beautiful)

• less= without (meaningless, pointless)

• ment= action/resulting state (resentment, retirement)

• ly= in a specified manner (quickly, carefully)

Using Roots and Affixes

• Take a word such as unsuccessfully

• break it down into roots and affixes

• un-success-ful-ly

• we know that un- means not, -ful means ful, and -ly means in a certain way, so we can figure out that this means not in a way that is full of success.

Using Roots and Affixes

• inaudible

• break it down into roots and affixes

• in-aud-ible

• not-to hear-able

• not able to be heard

Using Roots and Affixes

• ambidextrous

• break it down into roots and affixes

• ambi-dext-(r)ous

• both-right hand-full of

• ability to use both hands skillfully

Word Cloud

Write a word that utilizes a root word and a prefix or suffix.

Match

Match the following words with their definitions based on root words and affixes.

• Bountiful

• Omnipresent

• Audible

• Microscopic

• Subterranean

Large in quantity

Always in place

Able to be heard

Too small to be seen

Something under the Earth

• Large in quantity

• Always in place

• Able to be heard

• Too small to be seen

• Something under the Earth