Using Context Clues III

1. Definition – Unknown word is defined immediately following its use.

Example: Many people have phobias, such as fear of heights, a fear of water, or a fear of confined spaces.

2. Context Clues with Synonyms: A writer often choose a more familiar word or words with the same meaning to make the difficult word understandable.

– Example: The boy knew that the lake was teeming, and overflowing with bass, so he brought a big net to help get the fish in the boat. – They defined the word teeming right after it.

3. Restatement: Close to a synonym, restatement differs in that a difficult word is usually restated in a simpler form—usually set off by commas.

Example: The poetry was sublime, lofty and moving, and brought tears to my eyes.

4. Antonym: a word of opposite meaning. Example: The gentleman was portly, but his wife was thin.